Being blind to work arounds

[degarb]

Sometimes I think linux, even ubuntu, expects us to be advanced computer programmers just to get our hardware working or fix some oversight. This is partly why even the local computer repair shops only support windows. Heck, just installing software yesterday required swapping cds; and i had to keep manually unmounting, ejecting, and remounting, since the automatic cd mounting system wasn't working. A cd swap that would take 10 seconds in windows was taking 90 in ubuntu, since I would have to wait before the command were available. Sometimes the cd would properly auto unmount, sometime not.

Proof that once you get used to doing something, it becomes so second nature, no matter how ridiculous, is all around us.

A specific case: I was watching double luge on Olympics. Been watching this even since I was a little kid, four decades ago. Wife floored me with the question: what does the guy on the bottom do? ALL these years and even I didn't question the wisdom of the double luge!!! Well, the speed are slower than single luge, and researching I came up blank. Wow.

[swoll1980]

Sometimes I think linux, even ubuntu, expects us to be advanced computer programmers just to get our hardware working or fix some oversight. .

Wow you developed your own program just to get your hardware working... impressive :wink:

[NoaHall]

What on earth is your point?

[ve4cib]

A specific case: I was watching double luge on Olympics. Been watching this even since I was a little kid, four decades ago. Wife floored me with the question: what does the guy on the bottom do? ALL these years and even I didn't question the wisdom of the double luge!!! Well, the speed are slower than single luge, and researching I came up blank. Wow.

The bottom man on a luge team does a few things:

1- pushes off the ice during the start of the race
2- provides extra mass to increase the sled's momentum
3- holds the top man onto the sled
4- provides the extra person to make it a "two man" luge team

The point of the two-man luge is that it is a separate event. You need to steer a sled with extra mass, making it harder. Plus the vehicle is more top-heavy, making it easier to spill. Yes, it's slower than the one-man luge, but that's not the point. 4x100m relay races are faster than 400m sprints, but you don't ask "Why don't they run the 400m with a team of four?"

[swoll1980]

The bottom man on a luge team does a few things:

1- pushes off the ice during the start of the race
2- provides extra mass to increase the sled's momentum
3- holds the top man onto the sled
4- provides the extra person to make it a "two man" luge team

The point of the two-man luge is that it is a separate event. You need to steer a sled with extra mass, making it harder. Plus the vehicle is more top-heavy, making it easier to spill. Yes, it's slower than the one-man luge, but that's not the point. 4x100m relay races are faster than 400m sprints, but you don't ask "Why don't they run the 400m with a team of four?"

It's like the motorcycle side car races, where all the second guy does is shift his wight so the bike doesn't flip. It does nothing, but add a challenge to the event.

[degarb]

It's like the motorcycle side car races, where all the second guy does is shift his wight so the bike doesn't flip. It does nothing, but add a challenge to the event.

What is really weird, is there is no such information on wiki, or any other website. People just don't ask why.

Now, what we all are thinking, and must be said: Why not piggy back short track speed skating, then? Has double luge ever been coed? Just joking, no one get offended.

[ve4cib]

Now, what we all are thinking, and must be said: Why not piggy back short track speed skating, then? Has double luge ever been coed? Just joking, no one get offended.

Actually, according to the International Luge Federation's rules the categories are "Men - Singles", "Women - Singles" and "Double" (plus relay). This to me implies that Double Luge is in fact a co-ed event. It just happens that virtually all the teams are male-only.

Also, back on what the bottom guy does, on a natural luge track (i.e. a real snow-covered hill, not an iced, artificial track) the bottom luger can stick his arms out and lean more to help with balance and steering.

http://www.fil-luge.org/uploads/RTEmagicC_NB.jpg.jpg

[gn2]

Gosh, I've just realised something.

In all the time that I have used Linux, I have never installed any software to an existing installed Linux system using a CD.

[Barrucadu]

Gosh, I've just realised something.

In all the time that I have used Linux, I have never installed any software to an existing installed Linux system using a CD.

People still do that? Wow.

[swoll1980]

Gosh, I've just realised something.

In all the time that I have used Linux, I have never installed any software to an existing installed Linux system using a CD.

I once installed gparted using the live cd as a repo. Makes me feel kind of special now.

[audiomick]

It's like the motorcycle side car races, where all the second guy does is shift his wight so the bike doesn't flip. It does nothing, but add a challenge to the event.
I think the people that I have met that are the passenger in racing sidecars would be rather upset at that comment.
Apart from that, working the sidecar is immense fun, even on a road outifit.