Yes
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bob Naumann - N5NJ" <n5nj@gte.net>
To: <writelog@contesting.com>
Sent: Thursday, July 01, 2004 15:32
Subject: Re: [WriteLog] Operating Systems and Specialized Software
> I would implore those who need to debate Pro-Audio issues to take it off
of the Writelog reflector.
>
> Thanks,
>
> N5NJ
> ============================================================
> From: "Jim Brown" <jim@audiosystemsgroup.com>
> Date: 2004/07/01 Thu AM 09:21:16 CDT
> To: "writelog@contesting.com" <writelog@contesting.com>
> Subject: [WriteLog] Operating Systems and Specialized Software
>
>
> >Where I work, the recent sasser virus infected all our
> >Win2K machines but left the WinXP machines alone. Perhaps your "hi-end
> >audio production staff" should have a new appreciation for XP?
>
> Perhaps you should know more about what you are criticizing.
>
> There is FAR more to an operating system than how it responds to (or is
vulnerable
> to) to a virus. I also work in pro audio, and use some specialized
software for editing,
> sound system design, and specialized acoustic and electrical measurements.
I've
> also been a beta tester for some of this software. Such specialized
software is
> produced by relatively small companies, and keeping up with the many
versions of
> Microsoft operating system changes is a huge challenge for them. In
addition to the
> software itself, there are also drivers for hardware that has to work with
the software.
> In a professional, production environment (as opposed to a hobby
environment or a
> work environment), a computer will often be dedicated to running a
particular piece of
> audio production software and do nothing else. Or it may switch between
several
> pieces of dedicated software. Many such machines may not go online at all.
>
> WriteLog is different -- the author is a very small company and has the
same multiple
> OS issues, but few users of WL are able to dedicate a computer to it.
Instead, we
> must run WL on a computer that does lots of other stuff. Many of us who
have been
> using computers professionally for a while have learned that upgrading to
a new OS
> on a machine that is running just fine is something that ought to be
avoided at all
> costs unless there is a VERY strong reason for doing so (for example, a
piece of
> critical software MUST be upgraded and requires the upgraded OS). I know
of
> several VERY sharp computer folks who have spent a week nearly full time
dealing
> with a failed upgrade. One of them worked for Microsoft as a software
debugger,
> another is an experienced programmer. I've had an upgrade come close to
blowing
> up on me. All of us are electrical engineers. One reason that I still have
a machine
> running NT4 is that I don't want to "break" the audio production software
setup and
> spend a week getting it running again. My other NT4 box is my wife's
desktop. She'll
> get a new OS when she gets a new computer.
>
> FWIW, I have a half dozen machines connected to the internet, running
three different
> operating systems -- NT4, W2K, and XP Pro. I'm quite active on the
internet -- I read
> a dozen pretty active email lists -- but none of my computers have ever
been infected
> with a virus, because those who use them practice safe computing. We NEVER
open
> any attachment, even from a trusted source, unless we know exactly what
that
> attachment contains, see text in the body of email that specifically
references the
> contents of the attachment, and expect the attachment based on separate
> correspondence. We don't open graphics files, jokes, cute stories, etc. We
don't click
> on links unless we know what those links are first. We also don't open
email from any
> address that "looks funny", is addressed to someone other than us, etc.
>
> Jim Brown K9YC
>
>
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> ============================================================
>
>
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>
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