2014-04-26 10:52:28 -04:00
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connector conspiracy
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2014-04-26 11:54:15 -04:00
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n. [probably came into prominence with the appearance of the KL-10 (one
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model of the PDP-10 ), none of whose connectors matched anything else] The
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tendency of manufacturers (or, by extension, programmers or purveyors of
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anything) to come up with new products that don't fit together with the old
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stuff, thereby making you buy either all new stuff or expensive interface
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devices. (A closely related phenomenon, with a slightly different intent, is
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the habit manufacturers have of inventing new screw heads so that only
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Designated Persons, possessing the magic screwdrivers, can remove covers and
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make repairs or install options. A good 1990s example is the use of Torx
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screws for cable-TV set-top boxes. Older Apple Macintoshes took this one
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step further, requiring not only a long Torx screwdriver but a specialized
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case-cracking tool to open the box.) In these latter days of open-systems
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computing this term has fallen somewhat into disuse, to be replaced by the
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observation that Standards are great! There are so many of them to choose
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from! Compare backward combatability.
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