US Military Dead during Iraq War 1858
Just go read risks.digest for another opinion.
I depend on software that start the engine of my car, control lights and (some) heat in my house, run the traffic lights all over town, control the railroad and tube just near our home. Software failures in these can give spectacular accidents.
When I sail, I depend on software to tell me where I am, present it on a screen, and to give detailed information about wind and current; and to get weather reports. Contrary to most people one of the crew always validate the computer against reference charts on paper. Most people don't do this.
When I dive I depend on computers for doing important calculations regarding decompression. I always carry backup tables. Most people don't.
All my telephones (3x DECT, 1 fixed and 2 ip phones and two GSM mobiles) are software controlled. OK, I've got a VHF for real emergencies. Come to think of it, it has a CPU too.
On 2005-09-10 Kelli Halliburton said: Then the "NNTP parsing" (whatever you think THAT might be) is defective. CR-LFs should be universally recognized in an The Official Published Standards. Hehe! No, that's not how...
If I am to rate the computers I own for importance, the desktop one does not come out on top; although it is close.There are around 40 others, running on milliwatts, that are present as well. One has run since 1997 on the same battery.
To most people it may be "Just a phone" or "just a traffic light"; but that does not make it less important.
-- mrr
US Military Dead during Iraq War 1859
Alt Folklore Computers from Newsgroups