Blood on the street II

[Koondog]

That’s what they mean by asymptomatic. It was determined very early on. And why the medical community was pushing for testing everyone. Not just those that showed symptoms.

Perhaps we are going about this the wrong way. By exposing as few people as possible to the virus now there is no chance of herd immunity. Probably ensures another big breakout later on this year when this supposedly 'dies down'.

 

[VJLUTZ]

I guess a 30 year life is not bad in the corporate world, but I did see a shining start of a company completely fail before my eyes.

I just googled it and DEC was around for 41 years (founded in 1957). I know they sold a shit-ton of VAXs, especially to the Federal Government, which is why their fire sale shocked me. I remember being at a seminar with some IBM guys back in 1988 and they were shitting-bricks over the competition from DEC.

Funny you should mention Xerox. You could argue that they fucked up even bigger than DEC. Apparently they pioneered all the PC GUI technology and then showed it off to Steve Jobs without making any attempt to protect their intellectual property. Of course, he stole it and it ended up in the first Mac. Stupid bastards didn't even bother to patent it. Meanwhile, they put almost none of those features into their own products. I used a Xerox word processor back in the 80s; it was quite a piece of shit.

 

[krideynyc]

Perhaps we are going about this the wrong way. By exposing as few people as possible to the virus now there is no chance of herd immunity. Probably ensures another big breakout later on this year when this supposedly 'dies down'.

Herd Immunity could have resulted in a much bigger surge than what NYC is going through now. So the question is whether the high amount of deaths is acceptable. Boris Johnson was told it wasn’t and the UK went into lockdown.

 

[njlefty]

I recall the Chairman of DEC saying there was no future for personal computers.

 

[Koondog]

Herd Immunity could have resulted in a much bigger surge than what NYC is going through now. So the question is whether the high amount of deaths is acceptable. Boris Johnson was told it wasn’t and the UK went into lockdown.

I had the less densely populated areas of the country in mind. Pay now or pay later it's probably going to net the same results unfortunately.

 

[krideynyc]

I had the less densely populated areas of the country in mind. Pay now or pay later it's probably going to net the same results unfortunately.

There’s no “pay later” if everyone practices safe distancing and hygiene, and proper quarantine protocol, until a vaccine is available.

 

[Koondog]

That's a pretty big 'if'.

 

[krideynyc]

That's a pretty big 'if'.

Not in terms of the vaccine. The next waves will depend on people doing their part. Like wearing masks, washing hands, and keeping a safe distance. All can be done without being locked down.

 

[VJLUTZ]

We had both. Some classes you coded on the line printer terminals, some you did via punch cards. Took COBOL because I figured it was easier than taking Advanced LISP.

Well, that doesn't quite add up either. You said you looked at COBOL for Y2K, so well after you would have graduated (if you were using punch cards in college). I can't imagine why any ME would be looking at COBOL (a biz PL) for Y2K. You should have stuck with robotics. Ya coulda made a fortune.

 

[krideynyc]

Well, that doesn't quite add up either. You said you looked at COBOL for Y2K, so well after you would have graduated (if you were using punch cards in college). I can't imagine why any ME would be looking at COBOL (a biz PL) for Y2K. You should have stuck with robotics. Ya coulda made a fortune.

Because that ME was my Bachelor’s degree, and I changed my mind about Robotics. Got my Masters in Operations Research. Didn’t use my ME degree for where I wound up working during Y2K. I don’t know you, and you don’t know me, so any other assumptions you would like me to clear up?

 

[charliebrown]

I just googled it and DEC was around for 41 years (founded in 1957). I know they sold a shit-ton of VAXs, especially to the Federal Government, which is why their fire sale shocked me. I remember being at a seminar with some IBM guys back in 1988 and they were shitting-bricks over the competition from DEC.

Funny you should mention Xerox. You could argue that they fucked up even bigger than DEC. Apparently they pioneered all the PC GUI technology and then showed it off to Steve Jobs without making any attempt to protect their intellectual property. Of course, he stole it and it ended up in the first Mac. Stupid bastards didn't even bother to patent it. Meanwhile, they put almost none of those features into their own products. I used a Xerox word processor back in the 80s; it was quite a piece of shit.

Oh man, do not even get me started with the technical greatness and business incompetence of Xerox. The fact is, technology actually took a giant step backwards because the players at that time could not standardize the basic OS and GUI interfaces. Steve Jobs made the same basic mistake that other companies made. He did create a great consumer PC product but he did not have an open standard that anyone and everyone with an idea could run with. Bill Gates opened the PC up for the hardware world and locked in down in the software world thru initial market penetration and then thru buying any operating system that could compete in the PC market. Jobs did not come back to life and would have been completely gone if the FEDS did not come down on Microsoft as a monopoly. Gates turned to Jobs and said I will give you all the Apps, Excel/Word/Access for the MAC so I am no longer a monopoly.

 

[Sam1231a]

I cried at the potential that DEC had and just threw away.

They worked with Xerox and Intel to come up with the first industry standard 10MB Ethernet systems. They owned that market in the corporate world and they wasted all their resources trying to compete with IBM on the high end computers when the smaller businesses we all going into a networked environment.

They also had a head start on the low power RISC environment, The Strong ARM (ARM Holdings Inc)

They had the ground floor in on PDA/cell phone and internet interface and they failed. DEC is the shining example of a great and horrible business company.

I guess a 30 year life is not bad in the corporate world, but I did see a shining start of a company completely fail before my eyes.

Very true re. DEC

 

[Sam1231a]

Perhaps we are going about this the wrong way. By exposing as few people as possible to the virus now there is no chance of herd immunity. Probably ensures another big breakout later on this year when this supposedly 'dies down'.

It will be back, sadly.

By taking the kids our of school it kept them from building herd immunity which is very important with a virus. They can easily build up the immunity with little or no risk due to their age. Then they can pass along that immunity to others building up to the 80% level that most viruses need to be manageable.

 

[RockyJ]

It will be back, sadly.

By taking the kids our of school it kept them from building herd immunity which is very important with a virus. They can easily build up the immunity with little or no risk due to their age. Then they can pass along that immunity to others building up to the 80% level that most viruses need to be manageable.

Well that may be so for the kids. But clearly the problem with that is teachers can become exposed and when the children come home from school and infect their parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and others in the community, then it wasn't such a good idea after all. One of the contributing factors to the covid calamity in NYC and other big cities was not closing school early enough. The problem with herd immunity is that a percentage of the herd will die to reach that level. I guess that's fine as long as no one you know, love or care about is one of the casualties. Do the math on herd immunity for the entire USA and that means millions will die.

 

[benzy45]

OMG, another Rachel Maddow rant. I am forever praying that we do not get the Sean Hannity perspective now.

I could give a dissertation on the drastic demographic, cultural, political, population differences between the two countries, but there seems to be so much hatred filling that brain of yours that any common sense comparisons and differences will get washed out with I HATE TRUMP, I HATE TRUMP, I HATE TRUMP drumming in your head.

Good luck with the TDS you are officially diagnosed with. I am wondering if hydroxychloroquine might solve this problem as well as guard you against Covid-19

Even though I'm a righty I don't hesitate to say that Hannity is a D-Bag of the highest order. Maddow is Captain Snark who has made more horrible calls than just about anybody on tv.

 

[benzy45]

Because that ME was my Bachelor’s degree, and I changed my mind about Robotics. Got my Masters in Operations Research. Didn’t use my ME degree for where I wound up working during Y2K. I don’t know you, and you don’t know me, so any other assumptions you would like me to clear up?

Damn, with all of your medical expertise I thought u were a doctor.

 

[benzy45]

Very true re. DEC

DEC was a high flier back in the late 80s. Made some good $$ off that stock.

 

[Uniquelyme]

Even though I'm a righty I don't hesitate to say that Hannity is a D-Bag of the highest order. Maddow is Captain Snark who has made more horrible calls than just about anybody on tv.

. Yes that is what is needed objectivity.

 

[Sam1231a]

Well that may be so for the kids. But clearly the problem with that is teachers can become exposed and when the children come home from school and infect their parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and others in the community, then it wasn't such a good idea after all. One of the contributing factors to the covid calamity in NYC and other big cities was not closing school early enough. The problem with herd immunity is that a percentage of the herd will die to reach that level. I guess that's fine as long as no one you know, love or care about is one of the casualties. Do the math on herd immunity for the entire USA and that means millions will die.

Agree to disagree.

Yes they would bring it home but that is how the immunity is built. ANYONE with a compromised immune system or older folks have to be careful anytime there things like this going around including the regular flu that kills a lot every year.

 

[headsup]

For you of DEC heritage... VMS is being maintained now by VMS Inc. acquiring it from HPE who were letting it die. It is being ported to x86 architecture, and might take off again.