Okay, that was something of a rant I sent :-), though it it actually
wasn't a Mac vs.  Windows one, as Melissa accurately noted in a private
note she sent to me.  It WAS a rant against the conditions which cause
the increasing internet lack of dependability that hurts us all, and
which seems to just be getting worse due to those conditions.  No matter
which of the three primary Operating Systems or other OS gets a
monoculture, a monoculture is still extremely dangerous and a security
risk, so it sure wasn't a promo for anyone.  As Melissa pointed out
--right on the mark, too -- the problem is not just that Windows is an
alluring target for those who write viruses and worms.  Every bit as bad
is that far too many of those who use that system do NOT keep up with
their firewalls, timely patching, timely upgrades, and daily monitoring
for viruses/worms.  It's kind of an either/or thing since we ALL get hurt
if people don't EITHER keep up with those chores OR go with whatever
systems they choose that are safer.  I guess that I had kind of had it up
to my eyeballs about lost posts and evidence of anger or impatience or
both due to misunderstandings about lost mail and of the conditions which
cause unreliability.  EVERYONE gets hurt if people don't suit their
actions to their operating system's personal vulnerabilities.  That is
the point, that, and that it makes no sense to get impatient with anyone
about failures in communication during a week when a huge percentage of
mail was lost due to proliferating computer ills.  It just seems that if
people would take this seriously and follow either course, that so much
pain and flak could be avoided and everyone would be less inconvenienced
and less hurt, even with absolute jerks who still write viruses and worms
out being out there.
 
[Moderator's note: I went through about 25,000 e-mails today -- several
thousand of those totally manually -- so I do sympathize.  That sure is
a time zapper.  BIG]
[Posted in FML issue 4258]