IDLE won't launch, and other frustrations

[Michael A. Covington]

"David MacQuigg" <dmq at gain.com> wrote in message
news:vho3609it1bc3nnqui3e5ii8e3kupgl0c2 at 4ax.com...
> On Wed, 24 Mar 2004 09:57:35 -0500, "Michael A. Covington"
> <look at www.covingtoninnovations.com.for.address> wrote:
>
> >WN16 is WordNet 1.6, from Princeton University, basically a huge synonym
> >dictionary of English.  They are up to version 2.0 now and it's much
better
> >behaved.  The open-source community is _finally_ learning something about
> >how Windows works.  For a while there, inept Windows configuration seemed
to
> >be a point of pride with some kinds of free software tools!
>
> I believe the problem lies with Microsoft for obfuscating the
> installation process.  As good as they have done with usability for
> the typical office user, they seem to have a deliberate strategy of
> making things more complex than they need to be at the system level.
> The registry is a prime example.  Another is the monolithic
> integration of the desktop with the OS.  There are many such examples.
> It's all part of the Lock In Strategy of software development.

I think the real problem here is simply that WordNet 1.6 was *old*.  It
smacked of Windows 3, which has much less orderly installation methods than
we have nowadays.