Things That Piss Me Off

[jetpack_monkey_ljarchive]

Today at Border's I saw The Hitchhiker's Guide to SQL Server, an officially sanctioned Microsoft how-to book.

Given that Douglas Adams was a raving Mac enthusiast, I don't understand how they think that title computes, so to speak. Microsoft, don't talk to me about Microsoft. Here I am, brain the size of a planet, and people try to convince me that a Douglas Adams-related title applies to a Windows book. Oh, God, I'm so depressed.

Comments

You're silly.

[modernevil.livejournal.com]

Silly, silly, silly.

When DNA applied the title to his own work, he was borrowing it from the wide variety of cheap books (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0671212362/qid=1110618299/sr=1-34/ref=sr_1_34/103-5871258-3336602?v=glance&s=books) popular in the early seventies (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0006CHAK0/qid=1110618323/sr=1-45/ref=sr_1_45/103-5871258-3336602?v=glance&s=books), which all those people 'backpacking' across Europe were so fond of. There are (or used to be) hundreds of "hitchhiker's guide to ..." localities and then in the eighties to concepts (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0933451172/qid=1110618368/sr=1-54/ref=sr_1_54/103-5871258-3336602?v=glance&s=books), in the 90's to the internet, and now, sadly, to SQL.

No need to pull DNA into it - presume instead that these poor MS-involved writers are "borrowing from" the same source DNA was.

Or not. Whatever.

Re: You're silly.

[jetpack-monkey.livejournal.com]

It becomes ridiculous since the term has since become associated pretty heavily with Adams. In any case, I'm over it now, and I merely find it amusing.