FRAMINGHAM (02/07/2000) - Ah, the things we monkeys say without suspecting the consequences. When I discussed the "King of the NOS hill" article in last week's Network World, little did I suspect the response the feature was going to attract (more than 400 messages in the forum) or the response my column would get (a heady mixture of applause and abuse).
Actually, the abuse I fielded wasn't over my position that an objective, comparative review of network operating systems is intrinsically impossible and guaranteed to be flawed because of the scale of the task. Oh no, it was because I said the article was a "good solid piece of research."
To all you who wrote in to chastise me - come on, give me a break! I was being uncharacteristically nice and you should all applaud my self-control. And to the one reader who was impressively abusive, I think it is time you increased your medication.
Be that as it may, the letter and forum responses are revealing - just look at the outpouring of emotion! Some people get really angry over this stuff. There are people canceling subscriptions and accusations of Microsoft Corp. mind control. People, people . . . relax!
While you all have good points to make (except for you, Fred Smith), the interesting thing is that there is emotion involved. Lots of it. Anyone who thinks our decisions about technology are cold and objective only has to see this kind of debate to realize the opposite is true.
Yep, we're a passionate bunch. Gad, just try standing up at a Linux event and say something nice about Windows or Microsoft; you might get lynched, if you're lucky. And just try suggesting to a Macintosh fanatic that the Mac ain't what it used to be . . .
So how emotional are you about IT? Take our simple test:
1. Bill Gates is . . .
A. The antichrist.
B. OK.
C: Who?
2. What do you call new Internet users?
A. Lusers.
B. Newbies.
C. Users.
3. Java is . . .
A. The Devil's spawn.
B. Cool.
C. A programming language.
4. COM and OLE are . . .
A. Depressing.
B. Irritating.
C. Microsoft APIs.
5. Windows is . . .
A. Atrocious.
B. Atrocious.
C. Atrocious.
6. You see vendors as . . .
A. The enemy.
B. A necessary evil.
C. Partners.
7. Your idea of a good read is . . .
A. The trade papers.
B. Technical documentation.
C. The Wall Street Journal.
8. (Your favorite operating system) is . . .
A. Better than sex.
B. As good as sex.
C. Are you kidding me?
9. If your e-mail doesn't work, you feel . . .
A. Desperate.
B. Unperturbed.
C. Relieved.
10. Network World is . . .
A. Fantastic.
B. Indispensable.
C. The best thing I've ever read.
Now score 3 for each A, 2 for each B and 1 for each C. If your score is 10, you are a normal, rational human being. What are you doing in IT? Eleven to 20, you are a solid, well-informed IT professional. More than 20, you fall somewhere in the range of over-involved to seriously disturbed. You are an ideal IT employee. If you live in L.A., call me at once - I may have a job for you . . .
Resumes to nwcolumn@ gibbs.com.