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The Ordinary Slashdot User Answers
1) Girls (Score:5, Interesting)
by Stoke (stoke@excite.com)
At the age when most teens seem to be crazy over the opposite sex and dating, how is your situation with girls? Assuming you don't have a girlfriend, do you feel better off without one taking away your free time, or is it something you wish for?
Clinton:
No girlfriend for the unknown_lamer. I'm not cool enough. I really wish I had one, because here is my daily schedule:
- 6am: wake up
- 7am: time for school
- 3pm: home from school
- 4:40pm: homework done
- 6pm: food
- 6:30-10:30 - music / irc / tv
- 11pm: sleep
2) Just Curious... (Score:5, Interesting)
by Brazilian Geek (akajita@spamyourmama.bigfoot.com)
Are you now or have you ever been a Slashdot troll? If so, please comment on the feeling of being a troll, if not, what is your favorite troll?
Clinton:
I am not, and never have been a troll (but I might be one in the future). Trolling is bad (except when the troll is modded up to 5:funny). I try to only post a comment when I have something worthwhile to say. And, I don't like losing my precious karma(12 whole points). I read at level 2, and I usually don't see any trolls (I used to read at -1...and my browser kept crashing.). IMHO, all trolls are equally funny. Except for the goatse.cx ones.
3) What are your plans for college? (Score:5, Interesting)
by Zachary Kessin (zkessin@script-fu.org)
If you have thought about it what do you want to do after High School? Do you have any ideas about college or further education?
Clinton:
I really want to go to college one day. And, I really want a job. Being poor isn't fun when you have a 4 and a half year old box (and other people are saying their "ancient" p2/500 is slow..try having the newest game consoles be faster than your box).
4) What are you listening to? (Score:5, Interesting)
by geophile (jao@mediaone.net)
When I was 15, my father said, "how can you listen to this? It's noise! There's no melody, it's just boom boom boom!". He was talking about the Beatles. Today, I am horrified to find myself saying the same thing about all rap/hip-hop/whatever, Britney Spears, N Sync, and just about everything else I hear that's been recorded recently. I don't buy much new music, but lately I've been buying CDs to replace my old LPs (The Who, Genesis, and yes, The Beatles).
At least there's Elvis (C, not P), They Might Be Giants, and Komeda.
Is it just me, or my g-g-g-generation, or does new music really suck? What are you listening to?
Clinton:
Pop music isn't bad. It's worse than that. It is horrible. I say, down with pop. I listen to extreme death metal and punk. So, I own the first two limp bizkit albums..but they don't such really bad. I really like independent bands from sites like riffage.com (which is dead now) and BeSonic.com(which is alive and well). I really like bands like cannibal corpse, cryptopsy, NiN, orgy, the offspring, NoFX, rage against the machine, and anything really loud. The words don't matter to me, its all about the instruments. Bands like cannibal corpse == the bringer of evil, but their guitar work is amazing. So, I guess you could argue(and maybe win) that the music I listen to is noise..but at least it isn't filth disguised as good- wholesome- music- for- the- whole- family. It tells you it is bad (but you just have to love the guitar work and the little complexities of the music).
5) How is it? (Score:5, Interesting)
by dbarclay10 (dbarclay10_NOSPAM_@_MAPSON_yahoo.ca)
Hey, what's up? :) I'm not a teenager, but I am a Linux user, and a rather dedicated one. I've come to the realization over the past year or so that, indeed, MS Office is actually a good software packager. Well, relatively speaking, of course ;) I find it fast, relatively lean, feature-complete, and more-or-less stable. I was wondering if you yourself have a particular software favorite that doesn't run under Linux?
Clinton:
My favorite software that doesn't run under linux...starcraft. Or rather, all of the blizzard games. They are amazing, and I love them. Why can't blizzard port them! I'd pay for all of them again if I could play them under linux (WINE can play them..but at a really low frame rate, and Battle.net doesn't work).
6) If you were stranded on a desert island (Score:5, Funny)
by dattaway (dattaway@attaway.org)
...and could only have one cd to load a blank computer, what would it be?
Clinton:
Well, Debian GNU/Linux! Well, that is almost 5 cds now..but I can count it as one, right? It comes with everything I'll ever need too.. with about 6000 packages to choose from.
7) Childhood toys? (Score:5, Insightful)
by Ralph Wiggam (ralph@springfield.com)
Pretty much every geek I've asked remembers loving construction type toys as children. I know my fave was Capsella because of the motors and gears, but there was always a big box of Legos in my house, too.
Did you play with toys like that in your 5-12 years?
What were your favorites?
Clinton:
I liked to play with legos. And k'nex. But I discovered the computer at age 7... and learned some BASIC when I was 8 (using a precomputer 1000 from vtech. Thank-you vtech). My mom brought home a laptop from NASA when I was 7 (end of 1993), and it was hooked up to the internet. I got a book on how to use lynx and SLIP and stuff a few weeks later, and I was on the net using a dialup SLIP @ 14.4k baud, on a win 3.1 running 486 from IBM (it was nice..except win 3.1 confused me). So, I guess my favorite toy was that little government owned laptop..then my mac (The mac actually is what got me really in computing..the learning curve was so small that I was able to explore deeper with things like ResEdit, MPW, and macsbugs easier), and finally my humble 166Mhz linux box (which I got a new 20GB drive for tuesday..finally, free space).
8) Times Change (Score:5, Interesting)
by HRbnjR (chris@hubick.com)
When I was a geek in high school (10 years ago)... it was not cool at all. The computer club was definitely frowned upon by the "cool" people. My question is, with the rise of the internet, and computers becoming pervasive in "normal" peoples lives...has this changed? Or have geeks gained some respect?
I read an article somewhere (Wired?) that said geeks were the new sex symbols...doctors and lawyers used to represent power and success and where what men stereotypically wanted to be, and what women stereotypially chased after. But now, as it is suggested, do you think geeks have invaded some of this position? Do you see any attitudes like this in school?
Clinton:
I don't really think geeks have taken the position of doctors, but I think we have moved up a bit. I'm not taunted anymore, I'm just understood. People understand I'm not like them, and they don't care. They are still a few people who won't stop making fun or picking up me, but I can deal with them (because I'm bigger than them now). I really have noticed that "normal" people have invaded my High School CS class.. most of them are trying to learn C, and can barely use AOL. It is very sad (and the teacher are worse... quote from teacher: "Linux!? That's just a graphical shell on top DOS like windows is. Everything has to use MS-DOS to run" and "Since when has their been a version of UNIX for the intel processor? What? Since the early 90s? What is this BSD UNIX you speak of?").
But still, I get made fun of sometimes for using linux ("Linux sucks. You suck"). But I can ignore it, since a few of my friends use linux as well (hmm...at my school I know of..4 linux users. 2 debian ones (mike and I) and a BSD user..but only Mike and I in the CS class). My rant has gone on long enough now. Yep, everyone has gone up the ladder. Nope, IMHO geeks aren't like doctors.. if the "average" geek is anything like me.. (the one who uses IRC 11 hours a day, has lots of fun and gets excited after being on slashdot (and makes his non-geek friends read it too), and doesn't ever go outside).
9.)Now answer honestly! (Score:4, Interesting)
by OlympicSponsor
In 8th/9th/10th grade I was unpopular (hung out with the losers, didn't go to dances, etc). 11th and 12th grades I was merely neutral (went to some dances, knew a lot of people, but I wasn't a jock or anything). I bring this up not out of relevance, but to show that "I've been there."
My question is: Which came first, the chicken or the egg? What I mean by that is: Many geek teenagers exhibit anti-social characteristics, including: poor hygiene, little or no conversation skills and attitudes (for instance know-it-all-ism) that are off-putting. Do adolescents get into computers because they don't get along and don't understand why, so turn to computers (books, D&D, whatever) as something they can understand/master? Or do adolescents who get into computers/whatever use up so much brain capacity with intellectually challenging tasks they can't learn how to interact with others? Or some third thing?
Clinton:
Well, I think I became anti-social first. They said I had ADD, and they put me on ritalin. I promptly stopped interacting with other people (after I got off of it, I started returning to normalcy). People made fun of me because I never went anywhere, and stayed inside all of the time. So, I got that NASA laptop, and I started to use the internet (wait..that came first..). So, the computer didn't make me anti-social. Yes, I was a know-it-all for a long time. And I have a habit of interrupter people (although it isn't nearly as bad as it used to be). But, I'm not that anti-social. I have friends. The people with yellow and green hair are my friends (you have to love punk rockers), the l33t hax0rs at school, the somewhat-suicidal ones, and my fellow geeks. I am happy. Isn't that all that matters? The pop culture people look happy, but they aren't. They need music and icons to tell them who to be.
10.)Why a new Linux distribution? (Score:4, Insightful)
by Alan Shutko (ats@acm.org)
There are tons of Linux distributions, and each one has a different reason for being. Most distributions seem geared to one major point: learning how to make a distro, supporting a specific niche like small routers, being easier for Linux novices.
What's your vision for MentalUNIX? Why do you feel that you need to make your own distribution, and what specifically will your distribution do to make it fulfill that need better than existing offerings.
(The website seems to lack a clear description of the overall goal, though it has some mentions of new setup tools.)
Clinton:
BTW, a new, actually up to date site will be uploaded once SCP over at sourceforge starts to work again. Lots of the stuff like mdevelop weren't really my idea, but they aren't new programs. Mdevelop is more of a system built around existing apps. Imagine Glimmer + DDD + glade + a lisp interpreter all integrated. IMHO, linux lacks a really good IDE that can do everything you need..edit the code, debug it, and create an interface. Lots of programs come close(like emacs and code crusader), but most can't design an interface / debug your program internally.
My general vision for it is as the Universal distribution -- one that follow the FHS and LSB to the letter, and one that can use all package formats. The package format issue really bugs me. It scares away lots of people(almost scared me away). You have source packages, debs, rpms, slis, slackware tar.gz, and lots more. If one tool could install all of them, then life would be a lot easier for a new user.
Also, installation is getting easier every day now, so it will eventually have a nice installer, but I hope to make it better than the rest. Instead of dumping all of the packages in the entire distro on the user, they only get what they should need(and the all powerful kernel hacker can select exactly what they want). So, a new user who selected the "home" install wouldn't get things like gcc or apache. Now, not giving them gcc is a bit hard to justify, but mpkg will be able to handle source packages(the autoconfigure type), so it would grab the compiler when it encountered the source package / when you wanted to recompile a source deb / srpm / whatever).
Another really big part of mentalUNIX is making maintaining the distro easier. Mpkg will allow the maintainer (or user) to recompile an entire package tree with one command, for any platform their compiler can compiler for. So, it would be feasible for mentalunix to be available in specific versions for every x86 architecture, and make porting to things like PPC easier (you would still have lots of stuff to worry about, but you would know what packages failed to recompile, and you could focus on getting them to compile for the new platform). And, a maintainer could recompile one package, or multiple packages for more than one target platform with one command as well. The maintainer utilities are a big thing, and are going to be the first to be focused on. Making it simple for the maintainer to maintain helps to overcome the fear of trying to help join a project and it makes it easier for developers to make precompiled(or not) packages easier to produce.
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"Ain't it l33t?"
All views expressed are IMHO.
Because MHO is better than yours.
unknown_lamer
Actually, i think A practical Guide to Boatbuilding is on disc number 5, in the contrib section.
My idea of the average /. user, a snapshot:
/. topics, they may or may not like, but I'm pretty sure we're all pretty much on those three).
Likes to web surf a little bit.
Likes computers, technology, scifi,
(other
Likes commenting to strangers about those three (and other topics)
Probably a little opinionated. Probably a little insecure in those opinions; (call it "open-minded" thus enjoys reading others opinions.
Likes learning new things from people who know (or at least can convince others that they know).
Probably a bit bored.
Every other characteristic is probably up for grabs.
Over the years, I've conversed with really stupid people, or people who know a lot about microchip design, enough to do it for a living, and for a hobby, they comment intelligently on the latest cosmological data and theories. There are people who are MCSE's, who dig Windoz and believe in a single-vendor solution and dominance (because that's what "the market" dictates) - and there are others who are violently pro open source, and write their own OSes. Lots of people who are web designers. There are very few true democrats OR republicans, just people who are afraid of the other side, and die-hard libertarians, followers of Ayn Rand, and die-hard socialists. Some of us believe we should "melt the guns", and others believe that "an armed society is a polite society". There are a lot of very spiritual people, lots of pagans, even a few satanists, even a few Christians, and then there are a number of solid athiests. And then there are a lot of agnostics. Fans of just about every kind of music imaginable (except Pop - er, hey that's funny, isn't it?:)
Lots of us are unathletic, or don't carry an interest in athletics. Some of us work out 20 hours a week, play football, lots of us are into martial arts.
Some of us were picked on as children for being different, others were embraced and cherished for those differences. Others were just not perceived as being so different.
Many of us are caffeine addicts. Some of us drink, or even consider beer to be a hobby, or an intellectual pursuit.
I'm sure we've all visited a porn site or two.
We all think Cowboy Neal is a big dick.
Yes it's a big wide wired world out there. We're from all over. Different generations, different upbringings, different economic status. Some of us live behind filters, but we're all net-connected, we all have voices that want to be heard, and ears that want to listen, minds that want to learn, and we all dream of a better tomorrow - yet fear the coming dark times. We're from all over. Different generations, different upbringings, different economic status.
Billions and billions of us.
These are my friends, See how they glisten. See this one shine, how he smiles in the light.
Personally, Id rather have A practical guide to boatbuilding.
-=Bob
Because in the language we speak, lego is a noun, not a trademark. Do you say, "I need a Kleenex® facial tissue?" No, you say, "I need a kleenex." Certain trademarked words have become part of the language, and that's just too damn bad for the cmpanies that used to own them. I ain't havin' no Swedish executive tellin' me how t' talk. (Disclaimer: I got nothing against Swedes.)
Switch the . and the @ to email me.
Hi,
Clinton, in your response to the girlfriend question, you say you have 'too much free time' on your hands. But in your schedule all I see is:
6:30-10:30 - music / irc / tv
That's only 4 hours!
Believe me, that is NOT a lot of free time. Enjoy it while you can. Nevermind that a girlfriend (who might suck up all your time, but might be a fair tradeoff). Just wait till you do school/work... you'll be dying to have enough time to play a complete match in Tribes. You'll want a TiVo so you don't have to be innefficient about watching TV. You'll be pissed at the cats for wanting food NOW when you've just got someone in the rail sight.
Enjoy your freedom while you can!
--
In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is kinky.
Finally, Slashdot did something close to a human interest story!
I am a 15 year old in South Jersey who lives a life near to Clinton's. Waking up on my Christmas Vacation to read something about (what i would consider to be) a down to earth guy answering questions like he WAS some superstar just fills me with vitality, showing that my generation of hackers, coders, geeks, loosers, punks, and freaks are cared about and important out of their small social circles.
To all my akin freaks and geeks in the world, I would like to extend my thoughts and motivation to you.
However much of a looser you think you are, you are important. You may think you are the greatest thing in the world. Your not. But, you are better than your average teenager, with the ability to grasp your future in the present. Go out, get a job. Go over to your local ISP or webhosting company, work for free or cheap. Get buisness experience. Use the talents that you have been developing most of your lives. Be competitive, and do honest work.
However you may feel about yourself, there IS someone out there for you. Personally, I have been involved with Anneliese for nearly a year now, and she is the best thing that has ever happened to me (read my bio). Don't be discouraged. Ask that girl (or guy) out that you like. Don't let it go!.
To the Slashdot team:
Thank you for doing this. You have done a great service to the community giving this guy a chance to become a pseudo-celeb., getting maybe his 15 minutes of fame (Maybe, its just his first 15 seconds)
I hope you do this again.
I hope my rant has not been in vein, and that someone reads and understands what I am trying to say.
--Sean
On the other hand, you can usually tell that people with green hair/400 piercings/mohawk/whatever do have problems.
- intelligent syndrome.
There are several possibilities:
a) rejected by popular locus because of event(s), looks, lack of social graces -> depression -> dressing differently, acting like an asshole or drawn out and suicidal -> results in no friends because of deviant behavior -> start at 1
b) behavioral problem which means the person acts like a complete out of control idiot, possibly because of some trauma or hanging out with the "wrong" group (i.e., other people who act like idiots) -> fucking up in school -> tension because of behavior -> possible bad result
c) ignorance and teen angst -> exposure to stupid ideas -> world is all wrong syndrome (ugly, scary, the man is out to get you)
Computer "geeks" probably have more experience with depression and the i-dont-care-if-i-am-a-rejected-loser-because-i-am
Usually when people get older, they get over it. I did. That's why I cringe when I see people categorizing themselves as computer geeks. Often in this context it's because they feel rejected.
Obviously some people can't get over being a loser, if for example they are extremely ugly - but if they carried themselves differently (like developing other strengths) they would be in for some sort of improvement in human response in the form of friendship and cooperation.
That's not to say that I condone rejection. It'd just be easier if some people would realize that always being hostile or depressed is self destructive - though that's easy to say in hindsight.
But, I'm not that anti-social. I have friends. The people with yellow and green hair are my friends (you have to love punk rockers), the l33t hax0rs at school, the somewhat-suicidal ones, and my fellow geeks. I am happy. Isn't that all that matters? The pop culture people look happy, but they aren't. They need music and icons to tell them who to be.
I found this comment really insightful - it summarized my own thoughts own popularity/nerdiness/loserosity better than I have ever put them. I always thought that was true, that the pop people are less happy; they're too busy trying to conform and hold their "position" that they forget to just enjoy life. While they're insulting us "geeks" to try and make themselves look better, we're just ignoring them and having fun.
All in all great responses from a seemingly random (l)user! Thanks Clinton
Hmmm after reading this I am absolutely sure there is no such thing as "Average Slashdot User". We are a wonderfully diverse bunch, interesting read though.
"Science is about ego as much as it is about discovery and truth " - I said it, so sue me.
Many people don't WANT to "play the corporate game", because it's dirty
I understand generally where you're coming from but let me give it a slightly different spin:
That really irks me badly. Idiot lusers who want kids to conform to their definition of "normal" so use the magic bullet - put 'em on drugs.
I missed that horrible fate myself by a hair's breadth. When I was 14, my school forced my parents to take me to the doctor for evaluation (or I'd get expelled). Fortunately, our local doctor had a clue and told my mother, "Mrs. Smith, your son is a perfectly normal geek, and his school is all fscked up" but in more flowery language of course. The fact the sheeple did this to you, frankly, annoys the heck out of me. It annoyed the heck out of me when they tried to do it to me, too.
It's a good thing my doctor did have a clue. A misdiagnosis of ADD and the treatment it would involve would have barred me from my other great passion in life - flying - because the FAA would have a hell of a time issuing my medical if that was the case.
Oolite: Elite-like game. For Mac, Linux and Windows
Hang on there pal. There is a big difference between "Extreme Death Metal" and radio pop metal.
Godsmack=Radio Pop Metal
Cannibal Corpse= Extreme Death Metal
I have yet to hear a radio station play a song by Cannibal Corpse, or even some of the old school death metal bands that actually played Death Metal and weren't manufactured bands. Bands like Death, Atheist, Sabbat, Pestilence and many, many others. The "eager and huge American audience" seems very small when you are a part of that audience. A large following in Florida and a few scattered souls around the rest of the country. Oh, for the good old days.;-)
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