[Gllug] Re: Alcatel SpeedTouch on Slackware 10

[Nix]

On Fri, 18 Nov 2005, Henry Gilbert gibbered uncontrollably:
> On 11/18/05, Nix <nix at esperi.org.uk> wrote:
>> Somehow I've missed the `meeting new people' part, probably because I
>> never actually seem to get to gllug meetings. I really must make the
>> next one.
> 
> Oh no. Not them lol .. You don't get even free biscuits + tea & coffee !! :P
> You get free hardware though which is alright.

Non-freecycleable free hardware? Again, wow. :)

> I am talking about the neighbours and friends/relatives of neighbours.
> Linux can provide a tie-in operating system; where they become fully
> dependant on you - you might not charge them money; but you can
> certainly suggest the free roast dinner or two.

Aaah, yes, I've done that. In fact I never needed to suggest it, they
gave it to me anyway. (Excellent North Indian meals in my case.)

> To be fair I never wipe out their Windows partition - unless it is
> truly cripped and in the way of installing Linux. They say all they
> want is to be send emails and surf the net. Fine - Linux then.

One of the bunch I keep happy is dual-boot, Linux for real work and
Windows for the kids's games (except for Wesnoth which is installed on
the Linux partition to try to corrupt the kids ;) )

>> > You get free dinners and they are all over you - very nice hehe.
>>
>> Well, *that* has certainly never happened to me. How do you do that,
>> again? ;}
> 
> Do it for free - they then feel obliged.

I thought you were still talking about gllug meetings ;)

> OK it doesn't always work ... and NEVER use it as a way to date some
> pretty french student (lodging with them) - it can all go terribly
> wrong.

There's no danger of my trying *that* with my shyness factor. I can
barely scrape up the gumption to talk in person to people I've emailed
for two years... the idea of romantic entanglements is frankly
terrifying, and the chance of my trying to manoeuvre someone into that
sort of thing is nil. (Actually it's probably even less than that, as
in, if they tried it on me I'd vanish as fast as possible.)

>> Alas my mother uses it, and charging her consultancy rates might
>> seem... ungrateful.
> 
> My sister commited the heresy of going back to Windows just because I
> didn't have enough time to make that winmodem work on Linux. She
> convinced herself broadband is too expensive and that dial-up is a
> money saver. For real ...

*boggle*

My mum tried to switch to broadband. Passed the line tests, switched
over, bought a router, then BT switched her back without notification
because it was `beyond cost limits' to provide ADSL. Bah.

> I purposely keep myself as ignorant as possible about Microsoft OS and
> products. Let them eat cake .. or worse.

Alas I'm forced to use it at work. (The servers run Linux, and
eventually I might be able to force them to upgrade my desktop too, but
the mailserver is bloody Exchange so that's unlikely for a while.)

> Arrgh I need this modem to work!! I guess they are beginning to get
> pissed off waiting.

I've got a spare modem here if you need one. Of course it got hit by
lightning four years ago and still smells faintly of melted plastic, but
I'm sure you could find a use for it. (It makes a most unattractive
paperweight and is too light for a doorstop. Further uses solicited.)

-- 
`Y'know, London's nice at this time of year. If you like your cities
 freezing cold and full of surly gits.' --- David Damerell

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