Having just passed my tenth anniversary as a PC Alamode writer and having enjoyed Sandy Brown’s two-part series, Twenty Years of Learning and Sharing, I am inspired to take my own trip down memory lane. I was unaware of APCO until Ted Lawson talked me into coming onboard in 1992, but I, too, threw my hat into the PC arena about twenty years ago. Herein I offer you my own reflections on the past twenty years.

Outside of computing, one of my favorite activities is reading about computing — not just tomes on computer configuration and usage, but histories of pioneers who spread the word and the joy. Some of my favorites were Steven Levy’s “Hackers,” Cliff Stoll’s “The Cuckoo’s Egg,” and Tracy Kidder’s “The Soul of a New Machine.”

Many pioneers described in these books now merge into our collective consciousness as the stereotypical tennis-shoed multimillionaire CEO, a figure much sought after in boom times and much scorned after the bust. I’ve often reflected on the unfairness of the scorn these unlikely idols-cum-pariahs have invited.

Was it the tennis-shoed executive who bought the multimillion dollar house, boat, diamonds and furs as company expense? Is this the same person who sold his company’s soul for a castle, a Ferrari and a Hummer for his wife? The grungy appearance itself would contradict the concept of this kind of lust for material goods.

Judging from the technological geniuses I have known and read about, their castles are those of the mind. When one has an elaborate playground of mentality, one has very little need for material items or external stimuli.

The guy wore tennis shoes and torn jeans because he had very little respect for material goods and/or outward appearances. Some had to be reminded to bathe and even to eat. Their idea of luxury was a nearby Chinese takeout that delivers and a roomy desk to sleep under. Employers realized that they could attract such employees with perks like a well-stocked free soda machine, a limitless tab with a pizzeria, and a cold beer or two on Friday afternoon.

What is meaningful to this tech type is the product he creates, and within that product, the elegance of his code. Programmers of that era have been known to write their code so meticulously that they could build small “code jokes” into their programs. The “code jokes” did not affect program behavior, but a knowledgeable person reading the source code would there find cause for amusement.

Although a tiny minority of the techno-geek types did share the guilt for the greed-fest that fueled the dot-com boom and bust, their failings probably had more to do with listening to the wrong people. Lacking knowledge of sales and marketing, they allowed these departments to develop shaky sales models and failed to keep an eye on the money flow. But let’s not worry about the “who” at this point. Let’s look at the “what.”

What, specifically has inspired such disaffection for the industry? I can’t offer a comprehensive list, but I can mention some of my own pet peeves.  To start with, let’s look at

• Anti-piracy measures
• Incompatibility
• Cheap, shoddy products
• Insulting and annoying advertising.

Anti Piracy Measures
Anti-piracy measures assume that the user plans to be dishonest with the product. The vendor therefore builds elaborate safeguards that insult and inconvenience paying customers for the sake of shutting out a few dishonest users. The joke is that the dishonest users can get any of this software (including access codes) from dishonest websites while the honest users suffer with hobbled software, surreptitiously installed spy ware and incomprehensible installations. Since the anti-piracy trend is in its infancy some time must pass before we find out how far a software company will go before it realizes that its customers have fled to its more trusting competitors.

Incompatibility
You’ve probably all had to deal with incompatible products. My worst experiences have been with modems, CD-ROM drives and printers. Years ago, we accepted such problems as growing pains and felt that as the industry matured, everything would work together. That was before we heard about Microsoft’s early Windows motto “Windows isn’t done till Lotus won’t run.”

Today, my husband told me that the software for our digital camera requires Kodak photo paper in order to print colors correctly. Is this a quest for perfection or just a ploy to sell paper?

Cheap, Shoddy Products
Has technology become too cheap? Today on my morning walk, I saw a printer sitting on the sidewalk. I have a 10-year-old HP LaserJet printer that cost me $1000. I recently bought a $93 toner cartridge for it, the last one having played out after five years of service.

I could have gone to the grocery store and bought a new color printer for $70. Susan Ives mentioned in a recent column that she got a printer free after rebate. What’s the angle? It’s all about marketing. The method is identical to the drug trade. Give the user his first hit free and gouge him with repeat business.

My husband pays $30 for a cartridge refill and changes his cartridge about every three months. That is about $120 per year for the life of the printer. And when the printer dies, just leave it on the sidewalk. Unlike my LaserJet I doubt that my husband’s printer will see a second decade.

A couple of years ago we replaced my parents’ phone so that their failing hearing could benefit from a volume-control receiver. They had used the same phones for forty years. We did not replace them because they didn’t work. We replaced them because the old phones were hard wired and would not accept the RJ-11 phone jack needed to install a different receiver. Look around your house now. How old are your phones? How many have you ditched in the past two or three years? How long do you expect the next phone you purchase to last?

We accept the fact that these phones are poorly made, unreliable and possess a limited lifespan because they are cheap. When new technology is available, we can just toss the old. But should we? Where do phones (and computer components) go when they die? Do our landfills really need to house generations of electronic detritus?

Insulting and Annoying Advertising
If you want to see classic examples of the lowest form of condescending, insulting advertising, log onto just about any website. Remember the Bartles and Jaymes commercials of the 80’s featuring the two hayseeds on a front porch thanking you quietly for your support of their wine coolers? How about the current Volkswagen commercials that feature no words, just pictures of square items and the rounded VW at the end?

Internet advertising doesn’t have an equivalent. Internet ads are garish and annoying. Instead of drawing your attention to interesting layout or subtle message, they use popups and flashing text that make you feel like you’re cruising the sidewalk in the red light district.

Then there is Spam. Spammers have targeted as their next victims people who have a “mass mail buddy.” You probably have one or two. I have several. You know the type — the person who never sends you a bonafide message opting instead for the joke/cartoon/inspirational message of the day copied to a few hundred dear friends.

I recently received a bulletin on a professional discussion group Website encouraging members to send e-mail addresses of friends in exchange for cash. Although the subhuman who posted this message was quickly barred from the site, the damage may have already been done. The greedy in the group are probably counting their thirty pieces of silver as we speak.

Greed and corruption have not destroyed the technology sector although they have undoubtedly done it a disservice. New products such as the Segway People Mover, the Palm Operating System and Wi-Fi wireless networking devices demonstrate that a well-made, well-designed product can rise to the top and still serve the consumer in a respectful manner.

This magazine regularly demonstrates that a lot of excellent shareware programs are still available. Shareware demonstrates that the author’s first interest is creating something useful and reliable and that payment is contingent on fulfillment of the product’s promise. May their creators of shareware live long and prosper.