From: atkin@cs.umass.edu (Marc Atkin)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy,comp.sys.amiga.misc
Subject: Does reading this group make you depressed? The story of a victim.
Date: 28 Dec 92 06:49:00 GMT
Followup-To: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy
Organization: University of Massachusetts CS Department
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41


o Are you turning into an Amiga fanatic?
o Do you make disregarding noises every time the words "IBM" or "Mac" are 
  mentioned?
o Do you go to every software shop in the mall and rant and rave about them not
  having any Amiga software until you are thrown out?
o Are people avoiding you on the street in fear of having the advantages of a
  4-color GUI suddenly explained to them by you?

Well, it has been happening to me. And if it wasn't for Dan Barrett's words of
encouragement once in a while, I'd probably be in a straight jacket already.
(yes, I know Dan Barrett. Oooohhh, I feel really important now :)

I didn't used to be like this. I used to live in Germany. Some of my housemates
had Amigas, some had PCs. I didn't care. We had Macs at school. I didn't care.
Commodore is very well known in Germany. Almost everybody who goes out to buy a
computer has at least heard of the Amiga. If they choose to buy something else,
it's their decision. No big deal.

Then I came to America. And to my great astonishment, nobody seemed to know
about Amigas. The local department stores don't sell them. That's ok, I 
thought. So Amigas don't sell so well in the US. Nothing to worry about.
Then I started reading the net. People were posting things with titles like
"Don't Let the Amiga DIE (Part XLII)". I started to become worried. Then 
the local computer dealer stopped carrying Amigas, because he didn't like
dealing with Commodore. I became even more worried. Then my housemate announced
he was going buy a computer next year: would I recommend a PC or a Mac?

Aarrrgghhh! I had to do something! Everybody must learn about the Amiga, and it
is my sole responsibility to teach them about it (her?). I must save the
world...

                            - - - - - - - -

This is the only slightly exaggerated story of my own personal experience. My
therapist advised me to write this story as part of my rehabilitation. :)

Seriously though, folks, there are some interesting things to be learned here:
(as if you would even listen to the opinions of a lunatic like myself :)

a) People have individual likes and dislikes. Pointing out alternatives is one
   thing, hitting them over the head them another...
b) Fanatics are not considered to be objective sources of information. They
   probably do more harm than good.
c) The Usenet newsgroups spread a lot more "gloom and doom" than is probably
   justified. The Amiga is doing very well in large parts of Europe. You can
   walk in to any bookstore in Germany or the UK and see a dozen Amiga maga-
   zines in the shelves (it is very uplifting - you should try it).
d) Europeans who read these groups will perceive a far more negative picture
   of the Amiga situation than they would if more of the European population
   had Usenet access. They should realize that.
e) Posting messages with panic-headlines is not going to help the Amiga cause.
   Writing to Software companies and expressing the need for continued support
   of Amiga products will (Hmmm, I really enjoyed the Space Quest series - I
   think I should write to Sierra right away...) 
f) Every computer dies eventually - or at least, evolves to something
   undistinguishable from the original. Good ideas will survive and make their
   way to other computer systems. One day, all computers might be like the 
   Amiga... :) (oh no, I'm having a relapse!)


                                                         Marc Atkin
                                                       (no relation)

   Marc Atkin            //
U of Massachusetts      //                " Goosnargh. "
   at Amherst       \\ //
atkin@cs.umass.edu   \X/
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy