[WriteLog] Operating Systems and Specialized Software

[Bob Naumann - N5NJ]

I would implore those who need to debate Pro-Audio issues to take it off of the Writelog reflector.

Thanks,

N5NJ
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From: "Jim Brown" <jim at audiosystemsgroup.com>
Date: 2004/07/01 Thu AM 09:21:16 CDT
To: "writelog at contesting.com" <writelog at 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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