The Last Langalist

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ISSUE 19.15 • 2022-04-11 EDITORIAL By Will Fastie Fred’s retiring. I don’t know where to start, but people keep telling me I should start from the beg
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IreneLinda, Chris B, LH, WSAnklebuster, abbodi86, Alex5723

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“The Last LangaList”?

Sounds like “The Last Airbender”, “The Last Of The Mohicans” and “The Last Of Us”, if not like “The Longest Day”.

I for one, will miss it.

Take care, Fred, and stay safe.

1 Desktop Win 11
1 Laptop Win 10
Both tweaked to look, behave and feel like Windows 95
(except for the marine blue desktop, rgb(0, 3, 98)

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Fred Langa

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What is the relevance of the picture?

cheers, Paul

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Paul T wrote:

What is the relevance of the picture?

Fred is a bike lover, an experienced long-distance rider and bike mechanic (like I have been).

The two-finger salute (by the left hand, the clutch hand) is how bikers crossing on the road greet each other.

P.S. How bikers greet in left-hand traffic I don’t know. Maybe they, for a second or so, disengage the clutch and greet with the right hand?

 

1 Desktop Win 11
1 Laptop Win 10
Both tweaked to look, behave and feel like Windows 95
(except for the marine blue desktop, rgb(0, 3, 98)

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AlexEiffel

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that’s a narrow escape

* _ ... _ *

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Fred Langa

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looks like the right hand to me??

Just because you don't know where you are going doesn't mean any road will get you there.

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wavy wrote:

looks like the right hand to me??

Right you are.
But the gesture is meaningful with either hand, whether in the US, Europe or Australia.

You see, that person is not riding a motorcycle and greeting another biker, because he/she’s NOT sitting on a bike (where’s the gas tank or the handlebar?).

And this is a Vulcan biker’s gesture: 

1 Desktop Win 11
1 Laptop Win 10
Both tweaked to look, behave and feel like Windows 95
(except for the marine blue desktop, rgb(0, 3, 98)

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I’ve never seen that used in all my years of biking in 2 countries.

cheers, Paul

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Paul T wrote:

biking in 2 countries.

I assume in the US and Canada?

Had you initiated the salute, you might have got the response.

Also, the fingers don’t point upwards, as that can confuse with what Winston Churchill meant by it.

Anyway see many examples in: https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffab&q=biker%27s+two-finger+salute&atb=v312-1&iax=images&ia=images

There’s even a pair of gloves specifically made for this salute.

P.S. Love the female cyclist.

And then there’s

https://www.quora.com/Motorcycles-and-Motorcycling-What-does-it-mean-when-motorcyclists-pass-each-other-and-put-their-left-arm-down-and-point

1 Desktop Win 11
1 Laptop Win 10
Both tweaked to look, behave and feel like Windows 95
(except for the marine blue desktop, rgb(0, 3, 98)

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Something wrong with your maths? I quote: ’25 years online, and 25 years before that in the old ink-on-paper ‘
AI would give an instant answer that this adds up to 50 – which puts Fred back into his cradle! Clearly Fred was a smart kid … but …
Anyway, the good news is that Fred has another 50 years ahead of him so, with grateful thanks, I wish him well in his next enterprise.
Alf Manders

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Fred Langa

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I’ve been a reader/subscriber to Fred’s texts from the beginning. He is as Windows as Microsoft, but a lot more personal and helpful. I will miss your columns but I will be happy to see your articles in the future.

Enjoy life with less deadlines!

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SupremeLaW, Fred Langa

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Fred,

Welcome to retirement! I’m sure you’ll enjoy it, I sure do.

To quote Bob Hope, “Thanks for the Memories”!

May the Forces of good computing be with you!

RG

PowerShell & VBA Rule!
Computer Specs

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Fred Langa

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Thanks so much, Fred, for your many years of useful and concise information. I have been following you for a long time and am very glad that you are taking a much-deserved retirement (which I suspect will be a working retirement).

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Fred Langa

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With computers now everywhere, the world is a better place because of Fred.

When I retired, I had the following insight, which may also be true of Fred:

“I wasn’t supposed to live this long, so getting old is a new experience!”

(The baby doctor gave me 72 hours MAX.)

Fred, we wish you joy, happiness and love without end.

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wavy, Fred Langa

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Fred is the GOAT! Got me through many issues over the years with his timely newsletter and articles. Thank you Sir, and best wishes for the future. You will be missed.

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wavy, Fred Langa

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Happy retirement, Fred!

I was a teenager when I started reading BYTE Magazine. I enjoyed seeing your name when I finally bought a computer and got online in the early 90’s.

 

Cheers,

 

Mitch

 

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Fred Langa

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I’ve been following Fred Langa since Windows Magazine in 1998. When Fred announced his retirement back in 2008?, I cried.  When he announced his retirement just now, I cried even more.  He answered both of my 2 issues and I love him for it.  Thank you.

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As a long-time subscriber to the newsletter, I think I recall two previous Fred retirements. God’s luck Fred and maybe this time it will stick – unless you change your mind again

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Back in the early IT days we were flying by the seat of our pants. There was no Google, no IT qualifications and sometimes no manuals. We had Help files if they existed, some tech books and mags, and trial and error. Fred always provided expert technical information and how-to’s in both books and columns that were essential reading for those who were trying to keep up with the changes in the new frontier.

Your knowledge and advice has been a beacon to those in the industry. You have been an amazing technical resource and have educated so many in numerous IT areas.

Enjoy retirement and the change of pace. But I hope you continue to share your vast knowledge in some way. Thank you Fred.

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Damn… we’re getting old.

Can’t remember when I first stumbled on Fred (had to be hardcopy I’m sure), but I do recall he was one of the first I went to for Windows info.

I’ve been coding SAS since 1975, and was an OS/2 1.3 user, on an early 386 (forget the manufacturer, but they were based in Fremont, CA, and it had a proprietary 32-bit SCSI slot that i was able to hang a 6250-bpi Qualstar tape drive off of) back around 1990 (when I went out on my own doing hospital/healthcare consulting)… stayed with OS/2 through Warp 3.x and finally moved to NT when SAS changed it’s pricing).

I was just going through my WAW/WOW/WWW folder (yeah, i’m a pack-rat who stayed with Eudora forever) and saw this:

–==>> WOW — WOODY’s OFFICE WATCH <<==–
Microsoft Office advice and news from Woody Leonhard
9 January 2004 Vol 9 No 1

I forget where/when Windows Secrets got borg’d, but suffice it to say, have been a lurker in all these publications for ages.

So, best to you Fred, and… thanks for the memories!

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Fred

Many thanks for all the years of helpful, and interesting, columns. We will all miss you. Enjoy your retirement.

Chris
Win 10 Pro x64 Group A

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Happy Retirement Fred! I’ve been reading your columns from the beginning and have always appreciated the advice that has helped me get past a sticky problem. Cheers and Happy Trails to you!

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Happy trails, Fred. Thank you. Yours has been the supremely informative but calm and reassuring voice on tech for, probably two decades for me. I learned a LOT.

Enjoy this next stage, though I hope to see your work sometimes (how about a compendium / book of the non-dated material? just a thought).

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WSGeo wrote:

book of the non-dated material? just a thought

Do you realise what you’re suggesting? He wants to retire and “♫ Let it go! ♫”, you know?

Your just a thought is not a thought, that’s a tall order! Fred would have to research all hard and soft items he wrote about, all over again, just to check on what’s out-dated and what is not.

1 Desktop Win 11
1 Laptop Win 10
Both tweaked to look, behave and feel like Windows 95
(except for the marine blue desktop, rgb(0, 3, 98)

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Fair enough, he ‘s free to go. But isn’t that what interns are for?

Shoudn’t he – and we – capitalize on all that accumulated knowledge?

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We will all miss Fred and his wonderfully clear and understandable advice … useful to even non-techies such as I.  We can be upset you’re leaving us, but not upset at you … after all the years you’ve given us, you deserve a break!

All best wishes for the next path on your journey, Fred. Good luck and have fun!

Linda

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