An Open Source Fascicule

Why is it that drug addicts and computer aficionados are both called users?

Well.. If you ask my mom to describe my behavior in the recent past she will just replace the word computer in the above quote with “NetBeans 6.1 Beta” (And I am not lying when I say that).

While we find a strict contrast between drug users and addicted NetBeaners like me, both do have a certain striking similarities in their behavioral manners and general tendencies towards life. So I have coined a new term for those crazy bunch of idiots and their addiction.

We can call it Netbeans Addiction Syndrome!! (NAS)

I am certainly suffering from this weirdo disease and I am proud of it. But in the process me and my surroundings have faced certain side effects which I would like to mention here.

I don’t like mentioning it… But I have my VI Semester University Exam starting 17^th April!!! So I should be ratto-ing the boring System Programming and the stupid flow-charts and the yawning mass of theory right now. But when I open the text-book, a voice comes from within me which yells at me. “What a waste of time you are doing!!” And I close the book, open the PC and start NetBeans 6.1 and then… That’s it! 4- 5 hours of NetBeaning! That until my mom comes and gives me a reality check…

I mean how can one concentrate on reading how compile and go loaders worked, or remember flowchart for conversion of two–pass macro processor into one-pass macro processor, when he has more that half his mind on the coolest and trendiest features that NetBeans has to offer? Ok even if you somehow try to focus on the job at hand, how can you not want to get back to the simplicity, modularity, ease and speed offered by NetBeans for making any application you may dream?

And the biggest problem with this NAS is that you don’t yet have any antidote!! You can just surrender yourself as an NASer and hope that it will release you out of its hold so that you can pay attention to your surroundings.

So I will strongly recommend young students or developers who aspire to become a NetBeaner – Think twice before you enter this world!! It may cost you your exam, it may drastically distort your daily routine, and looking further you may be at a risk of loosing your girlfriend! (You don’t think of anything else once you are a NASer)

Having said that I am really proud of being a NetBeaner and love every minute of it!!