Doublereed Archive - Posting 000006.txt from 2004/04

From: Nat Echols <echols@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [DR-L] Libel Policy?
Date: Fri, 2 Apr 2004 03:18:16 -0500

this is an april fool's joke, right?

> to 400 YEARS behind the times? Try going to a
> Computer Expert, whose best ideas on computer
> technology are 150 YEARS behind the times! And

I have professional experience in computer programming, and I assure you
that a VERY LARGE fraction of the work being done, especially in my
particular field, is based what are fundamentally 30-year-old languages
on 30-year-old systems (only with 1-year-old computers). and that's the
enlightened ones. some idiots are using 50-year-old languages still.
and this field is only 60 years old.

nonetheless, people manage to do a lot of very solid work using these
antiquated techniques. the newer stuff hasn't caught on because a) nobody
has conclusively demonstrated that it's "better", b) the old-fashioned
stuff still works pretty well for most people, and c) the people who push
newer technologies spend more time talking about it than doing useful
things with it.

I have no idea if this applies to instrumental music as well, although
I've met a lot of violinists who prefer 350-year-old instruments and my
bassoon is a 150-year-old design (which, admittedly, still isn't perfect).
However, not everybody who clings to "outdated" and "archaic" techniques
is necessarily afraid of change. If you apply this standard uniformly,
how come we haven't all moved towards electronic instruments?

> How very Pro-Nazi and Taliban!

huh? I happen to be very preferential towards "old-fashioned" music, but
I don't firebomb Stockhausen concerts. I'm just not playing that stuff
ever again (unless there's a large paycheck involved).

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