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James Gosling Appointed to the Order of Canada

Andrija Ifkovic writes "James Gosling, the creator of Java language and a VP of Sun has been appointed to the Order of Canada. 'The Order of Canada recognizes outstanding lifetime achievement and contributions to society and the country by Canadians from all walks of life.' This is the highest honor Canada can bestow upon its citizens."

191 comments

  1. Why Gosling? by grub · · Score: 5, Funny


    Why is James Gosling is receiving the OoC?
    I was just looking through the Java source and it says "// Author: Joyce Hatto"

    --
    Trolling is a art,
    1. Re:Why Gosling? by p3t0r · · Score: 1

      I was just looking through the Java source and it says "// Author: Joyce Hatto" Which should definitely be:

      /**
      * @Author Joyce Hatto
      */

    2. Re:Why Gosling? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Hey! That's how long it takes for the JVM to run a console-based "Hello World!" program!

      Time to get off Gentoo, if you ask me.

  2. Highest Honor by whisper_jeff · · Score: 5, Funny

    Highest honor? Bah! Stanley Cup tickets are the highest honor that can be bestoyed upon any real Canadian.

    1. Re:Highest Honor by dazilla · · Score: 1

      That's only true if there's a Canadian team in the finals.

    2. Re:Highest Honor by hey · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Almost. The highest honoUr is the Stanley Cup itself.

    3. Re:Highest Honor by RealGrouchy · · Score: 1

      Bah! Stanley Cup tickets are the highest honor that can be bestoyed upon any real Canadian.

      Yeah, but you have to go all the way down to the States to catch the finals.

      - RG>
      --
      Hey pal, this isn't a pleasantforest, so don't waste my time with pleasantries!
  3. Couldn't give the OoC to a better person by Rude+Turnip · · Score: 2, Funny

    Can you blame them?

    1. Re:Couldn't give the OoC to a better person by RAMMS+EIN · · Score: 1

      ``Can you blame them?''

      I wouldn't put is as strongly as "blame", but I think Java is only a mediocre programming language. It sure did a lot of good for the world, but it also continues to hold back certain advancements, not to mention soak up a lot of time and energy (in development, research, press coverage, discussions) that could (IMO) be spent better elsewhere.

      If we're going to hand out awards for people for having worked on programming languages, I would rather suggest Guy Steele, who has contributed to FORTRAN, Lisp (the two earliest programming languages), Scheme, Common Lisp, C, JavaScript, and ... Java. I don't know how far these contributions reach, except that they are substantial in the case of Scheme (Steele co-designed the language and wrote numerous papers about it).

      --
      Please correct me if I got my facts wrong.
    2. Re:Couldn't give the OoC to a better person by ChunderDownunder · · Score: 1

      Well... the Wikipedia page you link to mentions Steele was born in Missouri, USA.

      So unless he changes citizenship, he's most likely ineligible for this particular award.

    3. Re:Couldn't give the OoC to a better person by Goblez · · Score: 1
      Riiiiiight. Java isn't worth while but Scheme and Lisp are. And you have Javascript in there! Talk about holding back advancements and soaking up time and energy. Apparently nobody has told you enough Car and Cdr jokes.

      *Disclaimer, I know all of the languages listed above.

      --
      - Kal`Goblez
    4. Re:Couldn't give the OoC to a better person by WGR · · Score: 3, Interesting

      There are several Canadians who have also developed programming languages of greater significance the Java, which is a derivative of C/C++ so not completely original.

      Ken Iverson, who created the APL language, was a Canadian. He was giving the ACM Turing award for this, but never received the Order of Canada.

      Tim Bray, one of the main developers of XML, is also a Canadian.

      Rob Pike, developer of Plan9 and Inferno, and creator of many Unix utilities, is also Canadian

      Brian Kernighan, co=developer of AWK and co-author of "The C Programming Language" book is also Canadian.

      There are even more.
    5. Re:Couldn't give the OoC to a better person by Jonavin · · Score: 1

      Non-citizen are occausionally made honorary appointments to the Order of Canada. Perhaps the most famous person receiving this honour is Nelson Mandela. He was also the first foreigner to receive the highest honour of the Companion to the order of Canada.

    6. Re:Couldn't give the OoC to a better person by MicktheMech · · Score: 1

      Nelson Mandela was granted honourary citizenship by parliament some time ago. The Dalai Lama too! If there aren't enough important canadians, make more important people canadian!

    7. Re:Couldn't give the OoC to a better person by cthulhu11 · · Score: 0

      Gosling deserves this for his emacs implementation, but then he should be disqualified for creating Java.

  4. Yeah, yeah, we see you up there... by RumGunner · · Score: 4, Funny

    Look everybody, Canada is a country too! They have awards and everything!

    1. Re:Yeah, yeah, we see you up there... by Tackhead · · Score: 5, Funny
      > Look everybody, Canada is a country too! They have awards and everything!

      It's not even a real VM anyway.

    2. Re:Yeah, yeah, we see you up there... by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 4, Funny

      Argh. How many times do I have to say it - just because it's in Wikipedia doesn't mean it really exists!

      --
      #DeleteChrome
    3. Re:Yeah, yeah, we see you up there... by Have+Brain+Will+Rent · · Score: 1

      was that a squeak from down south?

      --
      The tyrant will always find a pretext for his tyranny - Aesop
    4. Re:Yeah, yeah, we see you up there... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah but you gotta give it back after the year is over.

  5. Another award. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    I bestow on him the Jimmy Wankel award.

    This is the highest award that Jimmy can give citizens! Huzzah!

    1. Re:Another award. by Frequency+Domain · · Score: 1

      You misspelled "wanker".

  6. Congrats by FreeKill · · Score: 4, Interesting

    While the Order of Canada is indeed prestigious to Canadian citizens, it's sometimes hard to take it 100% seriously as a huge honor when Bob and Doug Mackenzie (Dave Thomas and Rick Moranis) also received the same reward for their "contributions to Canadian Culture"

    1. Re:Congrats by delirium28 · · Score: 2, Funny

      Take off, eh! You hoser! Bob and Doug rock, and Strange Brew was one of the best cult films in Canadian history.

      --
      Who is John Galt?
    2. Re:Congrats by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

      While the Order of Canada is indeed prestigious to Canadian citizens, it's sometimes hard to take it 100% seriously as a huge honor when Bob and Doug Mackenzie (Dave Thomas and Rick Moranis) also received the same reward for their "contributions to Canadian Culture"

      Why don't you first strip Mick Jagger of his knighthood and then we'll talk about taking things seriously.

    3. Re:Congrats by Keith+Russell · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Yeah, because comedy can't possibly contribute anything to a culture, ya hoser.

      --
      This sig intentionally left blank.
    4. Re:Congrats by CRCulver · · Score: 1

      Not to mention Rush.

    5. Re:Congrats by Jack+Action · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Or giving Louis L'Amour the Congressional Gold Medal and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

    6. Re:Congrats by D-Cypell · · Score: 1

      Why don't you first strip Mick Jagger of his knighthood and then we'll talk about taking things seriously.

      Are you kidding? Mick deserves his knighthood more than most, I mean the guy is what... 63 years old and he still gets more action than the entire slashdot membership combined.

      In my opinion, the big question is why we don't have 'Sir Ozzy Osbourne' yet! The guy is a national treasure.

    7. Re:Congrats by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Are you kidding? Mick deserves his knighthood more than most, I mean the guy is what... 63 years old and he still gets more action than the entire slashdot membership combined.
      Wow, you mean something like... twice a week?
    8. Re:Congrats by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So, James, you admit that Java was not intended to be taken seriously?

      Java: the Rick Moranis of programming languages.

      This also brings new meaning to all the Schwartz jokes...

  7. Blame Canada! by joe90 · · Score: 3, Funny

    So now we get to blame Canada for Java too? Woohoo! Is there nothing they are not at fault for?

    --

    Fast, cheap & reliable. Pick two.
    1. Re:Blame Canada! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Is there nothing they are not at fault for?


      Dangling prepositions. That's all you.

    2. Re:Blame Canada! by mabinogi · · Score: 1

      ...and enforcement misguided rules which where invented after the fact by someone who spent so much time studying classical languages that they knew nothing about English.

      --
      Advanced users are users too!
    3. Re:Blame Canada! by alienmole · · Score: 1

      That is a criticism up with which they are unlikely to put.

    4. Re:Blame Canada! by esobofh · · Score: 1

      Yoda is here, we're saved!

      --

      ----------------------------
      Esobofh - Currently drinking fresh mango juice.
    5. Re:Blame Canada! by alienmole · · Score: 1

      Actually, that was a variation on a quote attributed to Winston Churchill. More info here.

      Copied Winston Churchill perhaps Yoda did.

    6. Re:Blame Canada! by Mjlner · · Score: 1

      So now we get to blame Canada for Java too? Woohoo! Is there nothing they are not at fault for?
      No. There's lots that they are not at fault for!
      --
      Lemon curry???
  8. Re:eh? by AP2k · · Score: 1, Funny

    How many other language inventors are Canadian?

    For making Java, he should have been deported, though.

  9. "Write once... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    run anywhere."

    1. Re:"Write once... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      That's France not Canada

  10. Spelling by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    shouldn't that read: This is the highest honour Canada can bestow upon its citizens? Come one let's use the Canadian spelling, eh.

    1. Re:Spelling by Aos · · Score: 1

      I submitted it. I did actually use "honour" but my submission was shorter than above (I never submitted anything before). The editor correctly added the description of the award, and in the process changed the spelling - I'm guessing here.

    2. Re:Spelling by Sneakernets · · Score: 1

      Depends on what part you're in, or what education you get, and many other factors.

      In other words, you're wrong, as all AC's are. :D

      --
      "No freeman shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson
    3. Re:Spelling by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Relax, it probably wasn't intentional, they probably used MS Word.

  11. Canadian stealth by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    First they gave us William Shatner, now Java. Is there any evil to which those accursed Canadians will not stoop?

    1. Re:Canadian stealth by whisper_jeff · · Score: 0

      Celine Dion.

      You're welcome

    2. Re:Canadian stealth by _lost_ca · · Score: 0

      Don't forget Celine Dion!

      Glad she's out of here!

    3. Re:Canadian stealth by Minwee · · Score: 1

      Well, there was Jim Carrey. And Keanu Reeves.

      But that was just on a dare. We didn't think anyone would take that seriously.

    4. Re:Canadian stealth by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Don't forget Celine Dion >:)

    5. Re:Canadian stealth by UnknownSoldier · · Score: 1

      Basketball...

  12. No!!11 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    I just wish this would have been given to the mafiAA people lobbying in Canada. I just hate that Canada has monopoly on releasegroups just because there are favorable laws in their country. That is like if only some countries would have, say poker sites, then that would piss every other coutry off and they might ban poker to make money stay domestic.

    If that continues coutries might just start banning piracy!

  13. Pamela Anderson too by Erioll · · Score: 4, Funny

    Pam's from up here. At least we're not responsible for Anna though. Only the USA could produce a trainwreck of that magnitude.

    1. Re:Pamela Anderson too by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Dear Sir, you are an asshat. Sincerely, your Southern Neighbor

    2. Re:Pamela Anderson too by danpsmith · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Pam's from up here. At least we're not responsible for Anna though. Only Texas could produce a trainwreck of that magnitude.

      There, fixed that for you.

      --
      Judges and senates have been bought for gold; Esteem and love were never to be sold.
    3. Re:Pamela Anderson too by Darth · · Score: 1

      Only Texas could produce a trainwreck of that magnitude.

      everywhere has trainwrecks of that magnitude. The difference for Texas is that we have so many hot women, our trainwrecks have a shot at appearing in Playboy.
      Remember also that nobody heard of her before Hefner (a Californian, or Chicagoan if you want to go by birth place) decided to make her famous. If that had not happened she would have been just another batshit insane stripper in houston that nobody knew existed.

      --
      Darth --
      Nil Mortifi, Sine Lucre
    4. Re:Pamela Anderson too by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How the fuck did that get " (Score:5, Insightful)"

    5. Re:Pamela Anderson too by Ubergrendle · · Score: 1

      Technically, Pam is _born_ in Canada, but she's 'Made In the USA(tm)' if you know what I mean...

      --
      John Maynard Keynes: "When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do?"
  14. He'll always be the Gosling Emacs guy to me. grrr by mkcmkc · · Score: 1

    Not as bad as the Bitkeeper guy, nor probably even the CDDB guy, but still--grrr...

    --
    "Not an actor, but he plays one on TV."
  15. Explaining jokes is the best way to ruin them by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
  16. At last, People's Republic of Canuckistan by Neon+Aardvark · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    It's aboot time he recieved this, eh.

    --
    Azural - instrumentals
  17. Re:An award by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The Java language is really the COBOL of the new millenium.
    I have to disagree....


    COBOL is way better than Java.
  18. Freedom Medal by javamann · · Score: 5, Insightful

    As opposed to our 'Freedom Medal' which you get if you really fu*k up badly.

  19. Canadian Goose? Gosling? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    That's TOO much of a coincidence!!! :-)

  20. Re:An award by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    You are right. My bad.

    My favorite Java incident was when the lead manager of the Java admin part of a rather complex embedded system I was the lead engineer on (but told to use Java for our admin interface) said "testing filed a memory leak against my code, it can't be, Java is garbage collected."

    Yes, but in some GUI history object holding a reference to some 4MB "temporary" working data structure x 100 past history entries is a memory leak (especially in 1997). The constant excuse that garbage collection excuses programmers from proper lifetime/resource management really chapps my ass.

    Now, where did I put that chapstick for my ass....

  21. What, no money? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If "the best that Canada can offer" is just recognition sans cash, then obviously they can easily create a "higher" award. After all, one reason so many scientists want to win a Nobel prize is that the accompanying cash is quite a chunk.

  22. Not exactly Stallman's choice by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    From http://www.free-soft.org/gpl_history/

    "My later dealings with him personally showed that he was every bit as cowardly and despicable as you would expect from that history."

  23. Honor isn't measured in dollars by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    It doesn't say "the best that Canada can offer", it says "the highest honor Canda can bestow". Maybe your honor system uses dollars as its measure, but Canada's does not.

    1. Re:Honor isn't measured in dollars by xingix · · Score: 1

      You mean "honour" ;-)

      --

      Confucious says: Man who runs behind car gets exhausted.

      // jeku.com

    2. Re:Honor isn't measured in dollars by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Damn it xingix, everyone knows French Canadians are neither Canadian nor French! :-P

      There is only one group that hates the French Canadians worse than the (real) Canadians. And that's the French!

    3. Re:Honor isn't measured in dollars by Red+Alastor · · Score: 1

      And they hate being called French Canadians.

      --
      Slashdot anagrams to "Sad Sloth"
  24. Whores? by teh+kurisu · · Score: 1

    The list of Order of Canada recipients -- 87 in all, including three Companions, 29 Officers and 55 Members -- was submitted to Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean and approved on Oct. 5, 2006.

    Yep, I've been watching too much Firefly.

    1. Re:Whores? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Pfft. Everyone knows the Three Companions are named Iolo, Dupre and Shamino. We honour them equally with the Avatar in the Great White North.

    2. Re:Whores? by Rectal+Prolapse · · Score: 1

      Those companions must be very skilled to juggle all those men (and women) at once!

  25. Re:Canada? yeah right by Phrogman · · Score: 4, Funny

    Well, no. See for well over a century we have been an independant country up here in Canada. Yes, we are still a member of the Commonwealth (along with a lot of other countries you might know like Australia and New Zealand etc), and the Queen is still a symbolic head of the Commonwealth, but we are a completely independant country with our own Constitution, Laws and everything. In practice the Queen has zero political power in Canada, its all symbolic and traditional nothing more. Thus we have our own awards.

    The thing is, most of us don't see that as a bad thing, whereas you US folks have this pre-conditioned distrust of Royalty for some unfathomable reason - probably something to do with that whole "Tea" issue in Boston way back when. I admit it, the King made a mistake back then OK?. If you would just get over that though, I am sure we could let you back into the Commonwealth :)

    --
    "The first time I got drunk, I got married. The second time I bought a chimpanzee, after that I stayed sober" Arian Seid
  26. Re:Canada? yeah right or is it UK? by WillAffleckUW · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Well, no. See for well over a century we have been an independent country up here in Canada.

    Not only that, but unlike the US, Canada has equal rights for women, permits gay marriages, and solved the whole abortion debate decades ago.

    Plus, they have Nelly Furtado. Think about it ...

    And, at one point, I happened to be away from my Army unit on back-to-back training courses when the Queen visited - and so was the only member of my unit not to have a medal from that visit. Dang.

    --
    -- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
  27. Re:Canada? yeah right by Tuffsnake · · Score: 0

    "...you US folks have this pre-conditioned distrust of Royalty for some unfathomable reason..."

    I believe the reason was taxation w/ out representation....

  28. Not really... by StressGuy · · Score: 2, Interesting

    They are entertainers...and the characters are pretty funny. I don't think that, just because thier characters are buffoons means they are less talented or deserving.

    Case in point: I don't think anyone would question the talents of Peter Sellers, yet Inspector Clueso is far more of a buffoon then either of the two.

    --
    A goal is a dream with a deadline
  29. That would explain "Dubya" by StressGuy · · Score: 2, Funny

    man...I'm crushing my Karma with political commentary today :(

    --
    A goal is a dream with a deadline
    1. Re:That would explain "Dubya" by multisync · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I thought "Dubya" was born in Connecticut.

      --
      I don't care why you're posting AC
    2. Re:That would explain "Dubya" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think it's pretty obvious that he's a true Texan. Just look at his hat. ;)

    3. Re:That would explain "Dubya" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Dubya" was indeed born in Connecticut, but his family moved to Texas when he was two, so that hardly counts.

      What does count, though, is where he went to boarding school: Andover, Massachusetts.

      And, given that a bunch of blinking LEDs is apparently enough to get Massachusetts to evacuate a city, I think we might be able to figure out why he was convinced that Iraq had WMDs...

    4. Re:That would explain "Dubya" by Cigarra · · Score: 1

      Yeah, he was born in connecticut, but he was produced in Texas

      --
      I don't have a sig.
  30. Re:Canada? yeah right by crabpeople · · Score: 4, Insightful

    American money has the symbol of the illuminati and an oath to an imaginary supernatural being. I think canada wins here.

    --
    I'll just use my special getting high powers one more time...
  31. Sir James Gosling? by Slur · · Score: 1

    As subjects of the Queen, couldn't he also be knighted?

    --
    -- thinkyhead software and media
    1. Re:Sir James Gosling? by dadragon · · Score: 2, Informative

      As subjects of the Queen, couldn't he also be knighted?

      Legally, yes, but the Queen (in right of Canada) doesn't do that anymore unless the CANADIAN government allows it. It's been against government policy since the 40s.

      --
      God save our Queen, and Heaven bless The Maple Leaf Forever!
    2. Re:Sir James Gosling? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Read up on the Nickel Resolution

      Point of trivia, the Queen Mum was awarded the OoC.

    3. Re:Sir James Gosling? by ChunderDownunder · · Score: 1

      Where I'm from, they award the Order of Australia instead of knighthoods.

      A concession to 'republicans' that, while we're still a constitutional monarchy, like Canada we don't need to bother her majesty with bestowing national awards.

    4. Re:Sir James Gosling? by zsau · · Score: 1

      Actually what I heard is that the Queen herself decided it was no longer appropriate to grant knighthoods to Australians, told the then PM, and that was the end of the AK/AD. A pity; I think if someone's that important to our society, the least we can do is give them a title. As it's decided by the PM and not the Queen, I hardly see how it's an issue of republicanism...

      But this happened before I knew what politics were, so I'm probably at least a little wrong...

      --
      Look out!
    5. Re:Sir James Gosling? by Jerry+Rivers · · Score: 1

      He would have to give up his Canadian citizenship to have British peerage bestowed upon him. Only one person comes to mind who has done that, Conrad Black, who now wants his citizenship back supposedly.

      Gosling will be able to use the letters OC, CC or CM after his name however.

      --
      The pursuit of absolute tolerance leads to the most rigorous and ludicrous intolerance. - REX MURPHY
    6. Re:Sir James Gosling? by ChunderDownunder · · Score: 1

      You could be right. I do know that Labor governments under Whitlam, Hawke and Keating were keen to project Australia as a progressive independent nation. I remember in the early '80s we stopped from singing 'God save the Queen' at primary school assembly as an example of this.

      I think, from memory, Viv Richards was knighted by Antigua and not Buckingham Palace. But be careful what you wish for, otherwise you might get "Sir Eddie, media mogul"!

    7. Re:Sir James Gosling? by PenGun · · Score: 1

      Yup Fitz is finished with Libby et al. March 15 he gets Connie to chew on ... nice.

    8. Re:Sir James Gosling? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, as an Officer of the Order of Canada he'll only be able to use the letters O.C. The other letters are for Members (C.M.) and Companions (C.C.) of the Order (which are lower and higher ranks, respectively).

    9. Re:Sir James Gosling? by alienmole · · Score: 2, Funny

      Where I'm from, they award the Order of Australia instead of knighthoods.
      Sounds interesting. Where are you from?
    10. Re:Sir James Gosling? by ChunderDownunder · · Score: 1

      I know you're an alien mole but I thought my user name would be a clue.

    11. Re:Sir James Gosling? by Jerry+Rivers · · Score: 1

      You misread what I wrote. I didn't say he could use ANY of those letters. I didn't specify that he is an Officer, mainly because I was in too much of a hurry to check, so I made a general statement to the effect that those appointed to the Order, at any level, can use the post-nominal letters of their rank.

      --
      The pursuit of absolute tolerance leads to the most rigorous and ludicrous intolerance. - REX MURPHY
    12. Re:Sir James Gosling? by nodrogluap · · Score: 1

      Indee, Conrad Black had to give up his Canadian citizenship in order to accept his knighthood.

    13. Re:Sir James Gosling? by alienmole · · Score: 1

      I thought perhaps the word "Australia" in the award might also be a clue. Sounds foreign. Is it Swahili?

    14. Re:Sir James Gosling? by morethanapapercert · · Score: 1

      This government policy is based on something called the Nickle Resolution, which dates back to 1919. The basic concept is (IMHO) on a common misunderstanding of the honours system as practiced anywhere within the Commonwealth. The theory of honours is that this is something conferred upon a worthy recipient directly from the hand of the Crown. This is based on the historical origins of Knighthood and Nobility. Under the British system of government, the whole noble class became very closely involved with the business of governing the nation. Canada, Australia, New Zealand and a few other common wealth countries preferred to practice a more democratic and class-less society. Thus, in Canada, the Nickle Resolution was made. The resolution was never passed, and hence has no factual legal standing. In Canada, the honours system is still legally a Royal Prerogative, which is why the Governor General must confer the actual award as the Queen's representative. (The GG outranks the Prime Minister, even though historically the Crown has almost always appointed the person suggested by the Prime Minsiter) Even if the Nickle Resolution was passed into law, it still would not be binding on Her Majesty since our Constitution clearly specifies that the Crown, not the Commons is the source of Honours. Anyone who is Knighted is also automatically a Peer as well. (Which is why the OoC only goes Member-Officer-Companion, higher ranks of Commander, Knight-Commander and Dame are all ennobled ranks) However, after the Nickle Resolution, the Crown had no way of honouring worthy Canadians with an equivalent to the top British awards except by conferring a British award. (The Victoria Cross being a good example.) On paper, the Queen can confer a British peerage on any Commonwealth citizen she deems worthy. In practice, this would violate established custom and potentially create a constitutional crisis.The OoC was created in 1967 to provide an alternative, however, nothing in the Order's creation forbids the Queen from conferring a British honour if she chooses. The Queen, as ultimate guardian of custom and precedent, normally will not confer a British honour on a citizen of one of the other Commonwealth countries without the consent of the current government but there is nothing in law to force her to adhere to this. Exceptions have been made for dual citizens (Conrad Black), citizens who are being rewarded for service to the British people (Holders of the VC) and foreign dignitaries. The political mess surrounding the knighthood of Conrad Black was solely because the Prime Minister at the time (Chrétien) didn't like it. Other Canadians have been awarded British honours with little more than a token protest by the Canadian government.
      Interesting tidbit on this whole peerage mess. Canada possesses a small number of baronetcies, lands which should be ruled by a Baronet in the Queens name directly rather than through the elected government. These predate the formation of the Dominion of Canada, the realm from which the modern country of Canada derives. As such, the current Canadian government does not have the legal right to prevent the Queen from appointing a Baronet to one of these. Currently, all the Baronetcies are vacant since most of the land grants were never improved to meet the requirements of the Letters of Patent that Kings James I and Charles I granted. The few that did qualify are currently vacant with no valid claimant to succession. The Letters of Patent were never repudiated and so the Queen still has the right to declare new holders of those realms in her name (through the issuance of a Royal Warrant). In practice, it is an embarrassing legal wrinkle which all parties are pretending does not exist.

      --
      I need a wheelchair van for my son. Help me get the word out. https://www.gofundme.com/wheelchair-van-for-jj
  32. For Java? by Paulrothrock · · Score: 3, Funny

    As someone who spent the better part of a day trying to get Eclipse, Swing, Tomcat, and the JDK set up, I think he should have had the medal pinned to his scrotum.

    --
    I'm in the hole of the broadband donut.
    1. Re:For Java? by Tim+C · · Score: 5, Informative

      When was this? Java has been a download, 'double-click, click "next" a few times to install' affair for years. At most you might need to add the path to the bin directory to your path (it's been so long since I installed Java on a fresh machine that I forget).

      Swing doesn't take any "setting up", it's a core API.

      Tomcat runs pretty-much out of the box, although porting web-apps to it from other servlet containers can be problematic (especially if you foolishly use container-specific extensions).

      Eclipse can be troublesome in that the website doesn't make it entirely clear what it is you should be downloading. As long as you get it right, however (and it's not really that hard, certainly much easier than it used to be) then you just extract it and double-click the executable to run it.

      Now I'll grant that perhaps you might have trouble integrating Eclipse and Tomcat (as I've never tried it I can't comment), and you'd certainly have trouble trying to use Swing in a web-app, but without more detail I really can't see where on Earth you could be going wrong.

    2. Re:For Java? by Ranger · · Score: 1

      I think he should have had the medal pinned to his scrotum.

      As Dr. Evil said, "There's nothing like a shorn scrotum, it's breathtaking I suggest you try it."

      --
      "You'll get nothing, and you'll like it!"
    3. Re:For Java? by ChunderDownunder · · Score: 3, Informative
      Blame IBM for Eclipse, not Gosling...

      As for the JDK, sudo apt-get install sun-java6-jdk should cover it.

    4. Re:For Java? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You're obviously using Windows.

      Try to get those running on a real OS (ie, a UNIX OS) and tell me that it's that simple.

      And, yes, under UNIX, it's quite possible to have issues getting Swing working. I've had a fun install where Swing didn't like something about my GTK+ theme and all of the widgets had essentially no style. So buttons had no border, checkboxes were missing their checks, "minor" things like that.

      As for Eclipse, you can tell it's intended to be a Windows app, because it tries to write to its install directory. Which works if you install it under your home but kind of places a wrinkle in things if you try and have it installed system-wide.

      So getting Java working under Windows might be a simple "click and run" affair, but getting it running under anything that isn't Windows is an effort in hair-pulling.

      And that includes Solaris, Sun's own OS.

      Oh, and don't forget that setting up Tomcat under UNIX involves setting up Apache, because otherwise the only way to allow users to access Tomcat webapps via port 80 is to run Tomcat as root, since Java doesn't offer any form of setuid. Really secure.

    5. Re:For Java? by ShinmaWa · · Score: 3, Informative

      > I've had a fun install where Swing didn't like something about my GTK+ theme

      Bull. Swing implements its own 100% Java widget toolkit with various custom "look and feel" hooks. It cares not-a-bit what GTK+ theme you are using. It doesn't even know what GTK+ is.

      > As for Eclipse, you can tell it's intended to be a Windows app, because it tries to write to its install directory.

      Poppycock. I have Eclipse 3.2 installed into /usr/local/eclipse3.2 and I have no problems. Eclipse, by design, does not write ANYTHING to its install directory. Not even in Windows.

      Eclipse writes everything to a workspace, which the user chooses on startup and can exist anywhere on the file system. The default is ~/workspace, but this can be changed by the user to whatever is more desired.

      You can even install new plug-ins and features in your home area and tie them into your workspace, so each user can have their own custom features without sudo'ing up and adding them into the base install.

      --
      The /. Effect: Thousands of users simultaneously accessing a site to not read its content.
    6. Re:For Java? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Bull. Swing implements its own 100% Java widget toolkit with various custom "look and feel" hooks. It cares not-a-bit what GTK+ theme you are using. It doesn't even know what GTK+ is.

      Wrong. Starting with Java 1.4.2, Swing uses GTK+'s theme under UNIX - if it's available, of course. Unfortunately it doesn't like certain GTK+ theme engines, which is where my original "blank widget" problem came from.

      Eclipse writes everything to a workspace, which the user chooses on startup and can exist anywhere on the file system.

      Also wrong.

      Ever notice how Eclipse asks you which workspace you want to use when it starts up? (And that you can tell it to use one by default?)

      Ever wonder where it stores the information?

      It's a directory called "configuration" under the Eclipse install. Go ahead, go look for it.

      Within that directory there's a directory called ".settings" (so ls -a) and within that there's a file called "org.eclipse.ui.ide.prefs". This contains the preference information for the IDE.

      And it's stored in the Eclipse install.

      It's this reason that Eclipse won't work under Vista unless you're running as Admin with UAC turned off.

      Note that, obviously, this information can't be created if the directory is read-only, so you may have to try running Eclipse as root before you'll see it create the data. And obviously if you haven't been running it as root you'd have to set the workspace directory every single time since it won't have been able to save that configuration data.

      Or, if running Eclipse as root makes you uncomfortable, make /usr/local/eclipse3.2/configuration world-writable and see what happens.

    7. Re:For Java? by ArtDent · · Score: 1

      Ever notice how Eclipse asks you which workspace you want to use when it starts up? (And that you can tell it to use one by default?) Ever wonder where it stores the information? It's a directory called "configuration" under the Eclipse install. Go ahead, go look for it.

      Yes, information is cached there in a single-user scenario, when the user has write access to the install location. However (from the Eclipse help)...

      Scenario #2 - shared install

      In this scenario, a single install area is shared by many users. The "configuration" directory under the install area is home only to the config.ini as shipped with the product (it is not initialized). Every user has their own local standalone configuration location.

      The set up for this scenario requires making the install area read-only for regular users. When users start Eclipse, this causes the configuration area to automatically default to a directory under the user home dir. If this measure is not taken, all users will end up using the same location for their configuration area, which is not supported.

      The default location for a private configuration area is:

      <user-home-dir>/.eclipse/<product-id>_<product-v ersion>/configuration

      The user home dir is determined by the user.home Java system property. The product id and version are obtained from the product marker file .eclipseproduct under the Eclipse install.

      No, Eclipse is not a Windows app. And, yes, Eclipse certainly support multi-user installs.

    8. Re:For Java? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "As someone who spent the better part of a day trying to get Eclipse, Swing, Tomcat, and the JDK set up, I think he should have had the medal pinned to his scrotum."

      Blame Eclipse, not Java. Just download Netbeans IDE from Netbeans.org, it's light years ahead of Eclipse these days, and Tomcat and Swing will work without needing to set anything up. You can find the jdk at java.sun.com.

    9. Re:For Java? by WWWWolf · · Score: 1

      Bull. Swing implements its own 100% Java widget toolkit with various custom "look and feel" hooks. It cares not-a-bit what GTK+ theme you are using. It doesn't even know what GTK+ is.

      In JDK 6, yes, it does. If you use Swing GTK+ look and feel, you get your preferred GTK+ theming too. JDK 5 tried sort of emulate the default GTK+ 2 look and feel. You still get the damn ugly and useless GTK+ 1.x-esque file dialogs though. Perhaps in JDK 7 there's no practical difference between Swing and SWT =)

      And no, it hasn't gone sour for me. (I really don't know what magic it does in the background; perhaps it only supports the standard GTK+ themes or something...)

    10. Re:For Java? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Swing is part of any standard Java download, no setup necessary. And don't blame Gossling for Eclipse. He's strongly anti-SWT and pro-Swing. Other than that, it was a good joke.

    11. Re:For Java? by Paulrothrock · · Score: 1

      I made a mistake, it wasn't "Swing" it was "Spring." The homonyms got crossed in my brain.

      And I'm still pulling out my hair trying to get a project from our CVS repository to run in Tomcat through Eclipse.

      --
      I'm in the hole of the broadband donut.
  33. You Oughtta Know by Dogtanian · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    People often accuse Americans of not getting irony. But the best example of not-getting-irony is Alanis Morisette's "Ironic", and she's Canadian.

    And isn't that ironic? Don't you think?
    It's like raaaaaiiiiiiiiaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnnnn on your wedding day....

    Well, except that rain on your wedding day isn't ironic, but I think that was my point. Anyway, we can blame Canada for that too.

    --
    "Slashdot - News and Chat Sites Deviant". (Click "homepage" link above for details).
    1. Re:You Oughtta Know by rgravina · · Score: 1

      What has always amazed me about that song is nobody who would have been with her when was producing it (practicing with the band, recording at a studio etc.) stopped her and said, "Ah, Alanis... well.. um... about that Ironic song, well..." or maybe everyone agreed not to tell her as some kind of practical joke. Maybe they even reaffirmed her beliefs by saying something like this:

      Techie: "Two faulty mic cables in as many days! Isn't that ironic, Alanis, don't you think?"
      Alanis: "Yeah, it's like rain on your wedding day. Or that good advice that you just didn't take!"
      Techie: "Exactly!"

    2. Re:You Oughtta Know by Max+Littlemore · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Yeah the song is called 'Ironic' and it isn't actually ironic. It's kind of ironic isn't it. Oh yeah, you wouldn't get it :-P

      --
      I don't therefore I'm not.
  34. Re:Canada? yeah right by abigor · · Score: 1

    Sure, just as soon as you guys finally get around to separating church and state.

  35. Re:Canada? yeah right by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    See for well over a century we have been an independant country up here in Canada.

    Not really. The right for civil court appeals to the UK Privy Council ended in 1949.

    Canada wasn't independent until the 1980s when Trudeau repatriated the constitution from the UK. Prior to that, the UK parliament could amend Canada's constitution whenever they felt like it. If Canada wanted changes to their constitution, they had to ask the UK parliament to do it for them, because they lacked the legal power to do so.

    Currently, there is no legal relationship between the UK & Canadian governments, aside from having the same head of state (the Queen).

  36. Re:Canada? yeah right by dadragon · · Score: 1

    Who's the head of state of Canada?

    Um... The Queen of Canada.

    --
    God save our Queen, and Heaven bless The Maple Leaf Forever!
  37. Canada Gosling. by DuSTman31 · · Score: 1

    Personally, I'm just glad that this helps to clarify the species.

    Java was, apparently, invented by an immature Canada Goose, as opposed the the Greylag variety that we see more of around here..

    1. Re:Canada Gosling. by Gorshkov · · Score: 1

      This just in:

      Environment Canada just released the results of a study that show that the Canada Goose does NOT, in fact, migrate south in the winter and back north in the summer.

      Seems they're just following the old folks that feed them .....

  38. Re:An award by ADRA · · Score: 4, Interesting

    1. Well written Java programs aren't slow
    2. Poor programmers don't know how to optimize their code to run well
    3. Java makes it easy for even poor programmers to do their job

    Take these three statements and you have your truth on Java. Any single piece of code can be made to grind your system to a halt. Its nothing special to Java, but since the only client-side Java apps you've been exposed to are apparently ass, then you'll never know.

    What Java and any other modern high level language allows for are people who aren't necessarily the best programmers to still do their jobs. Do I see you wanting to go out and build business apps, or are you more likely to make super-cool widget X? Since you're choosing to do the more interesting widget, someone's left to build that business app. If all there were only 'good' programmers in our industry, only a very very few things would ever be done. Since we don't live in that world, we have to make less optimal programmers as effective as possible.

    --
    Bye!
  39. Re:Canada? yeah right by QuantumFlux · · Score: 1

    If you would just get over that though, I am sure we could let you back into the Commonwealth :) Technically, only the first 13 original US states could be admitted to the Commonwealth, as they were the only part of the US to ever be governed by the Crown. Unfortunately, Article I of the Constitution forbids individual states from entering into treaties or confederacies, so the US Constitution would have to be amended to allow it to happen.
  40. So by Ranger · · Score: 1

    Does that make him a Canada Gosling as well as a Canadian Gosling?

    Canada also seems to have a problem with chasing beavers.

    --
    "You'll get nothing, and you'll like it!"
  41. Re:Canada? yeah right by theshowmecanuck · · Score: 3, Informative

    In practice the Queen has zero political power in Canada, its all symbolic and traditional nothing more.

    In day to day practise yes, but in truth the Governor General and in turn the Queen do have some very important political power. The powers that the GG (and the Queen) hold are part of the checks and balances of government in Canada preventing an "unscrupulous Prime Minister" from doing too much harm.

    The GG (as the representative of the head of state) and the head of state (currently the Queen, but will be a King) are the only ones allowed to dissolve parliament and call an election. The Prime Minister is not allowed. The GG also gives Royal Ascent to new laws. By tradition the GG will dissolve parliament and pass Royal Ascent when the Prime Minister asks so that a new federal election can be called and new laws can come into effect. Theoretically the Queen (by way of the GG in Canada and other commonwealth nations) can dissolve parliament at any time and can withhold Royal Ascent. But like in England, if this happened there would be a political firestorm kicked up. This happened once in Canada in 1926 when the GG did not dissolve a minority government as requested by the Prime Minister. In Australia where the GG has the same role, their GG dissolved the government in 1975 due to a crisis in government. In both cases this kicked up a lot of debate on the role of the GG.

    Only the Queen (or King) can appoint a GG, but by tradition appoints someone suggested by the PM.

    --
    -- I ignore anonymous replies to my comments and postings.
  42. Re:Canada? yeah right by archen · · Score: 1

    Fun fact: When the Queen of England leaves Britain and is on Canadian soil, she IS the queen of Canada. Take the parliament tour in Ottawa; It's pretty interesting.

  43. Re:Canada? yeah right by leoc · · Score: 1
    Why?


    There is NO compelling or practical reason to dump the queen as a symbolic head of state. And no, being disrespected by someone on the internets is no reason to throw your entire country's history away.

    --
    STFU about slashdot bias.
  44. Re:Canada? yeah right by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I believe that should be,

    "Get rid of this ridiculous heriditary dictatorship and become a corrupt republic, for chrissake."

    The commonwealth countries are democracies and ..

    democracies > Republics :P

  45. Design pattern by isomeme · · Score: 4, Funny

    Rather than giving Gosling the order of Canada, wouldn't it be better form for Gosling and Canada to extend a common implementation of Comparable?

    --
    When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a skull.
  46. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 1

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  47. Officer OC is *not* highest award by gvc · · Score: 1
    You don't just get "appointed to" or "awarded" the Order of Canada. You are named one of the following, from lowest to highest:
    • Member of the Order of Canada
    • Officer of the Order of Canada
    • Companion of the Order of Canada
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_Canada
  48. Re:Canada? yeah right by alan_dershowitz · · Score: 1, Flamebait

    The thing is, most of us don't see that as a bad thing, whereas you US folks have this pre-conditioned distrust of Royalty for some unfathomable reason

    The concept of "Royalty" is a history-encompassing scam where brigand families who murdered and backstabbed their way to political dominance, then established the fiction that they were fundamentally superior by the grace of genetics and edict of God, and used that fiction to claim right to subjugate and torture their "subjects" when not embroiling them in self-enriching wars. They are not better than anyone else, worse in fact because they lived high on the hog on the lie that they were better. The history of most "royal" families should make being a member a mark of shame, not something to be elevated.

    Even if the Royal family doesn't have power anymore, it should be as disgusting and shameful as the Confederate flag, a symbol of when one class had institutional, irrevocable license to dominate over another. I have no respect at all for even the symbolic institution of royalty. I wouldn't associate with someone who clung proudly to their ancestral plantation heritage, and likewise I wouldn't accept an honor from a false institution such as royalty. If anything, you are the one preconditioned to accept such garbage, not us to reject it.

  49. Bob & Doug *not* members of Order of Canada by gvc · · Score: 4, Informative
    Dave Thomas and Rick Moranis do not appear on and list of Members, Officers, or Companions of the Order of Canada.

    Here's an independent confirmation: Although it has been written in various places that Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas received the Order of Canada for their contribution to Canadian culture, a phone call to Rideau Hall revealed that they were not members of the Order of Canada.

  50. Re:Canada? yeah right by esme · · Score: 2, Insightful

    ...you US folks have this pre-conditioned distrust of Royalty for some unfathomable reason...

    call me crazy, but as an atheist and devout (small-r) republican, i find the idea that someone is worthy of being my head of state by dint of their lineage, and ultimately because of divine right, to be not just preposterous, but offensive.

    i know it doesn't make much practical difference. i lived in england for a couple of years, and i never had to make any profession of fealty or bow to royalty in any way. but still i find it bizarre that such progressive countries should allow such a remnant of despotism to linger for so long.

    -esme

  51. Re:Canada? yeah right by The+One+and+Only · · Score: 1

    The thing is, most of us don't see that as a bad thing, whereas you US folks have this pre-conditioned distrust of Royalty for some unfathomable reason

    Could it be because royalty is just hereditary dictatorship in fancy clothes? In your case it's hereditary dictatorship that doesn't do anything useful. And it's not just US folks either. In some countries, like France and Russia, they went and killed all their royalty. I like that idea!

    --
    In Repressive Burma, it's not just your connection that dies. slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=314547&cid=20819199
  52. Re:Canada? yeah right by bean123456789 · · Score: 1

    I didn't want to have to do this but you made me, Bryan Adams. Need I say more?

  53. Availability by fabu10u$ · · Score: 1

    From TFA:

    Recipients of the Order of Canada may attend any one of four ceremonies held each year – usually in February, May or June, September or November and October or December – at which they can receive their insignia and certificates. Attendance is determined by the recipients' availability.

    "Sorry, I'm having my nails done that day..."

    --
    They say the mind is the first thing to ... uh, what's that saying again?
  54. Monarchy vs. Republic by Max+Littlemore · · Score: 1

    The concept of "Royalty" is a history-encompassing scam where brigand families who murdered and backstabbed their way to political dominance, then established the fiction that they were fundamentally superior by the grace of genetics and edict of God, and used that fiction to claim right to subjugate and torture their "subjects" when not embroiling them in self-enriching wars. They are not better than anyone else, worse in fact because they lived high on the hog on the lie that they were better. The history of most "royal" families should make being a member a mark of shame, not something to be elevated.

    Oh right, I get it now. The corrupt republic is so pure compared to those evil monarchs.

    Out of curiosity, do you also call the star spangled banner a disgusting symbol of a violent history? What does that symbol represent to people in Vietnam, Latin America or Iraq? If the philosohy that that symbol represents to the rest of the world is "do it our way or die", how could you possibly respect it? Can you reconcile this with the attitude that "They are not Americans so they are less human, they have less right to choose their destiny"?

    US patriots will mod this Troll, but I can't help responding when this sort of hypocritical drivel has been modded up.

    --
    I don't therefore I'm not.
  55. Nice award! by Slithe · · Score: 0, Troll

    Does it come with a coomplementary Kraft Dinner? What about Treasure? Does he have to search for it?

    --
    ---- "XML is like violence. If it doesn't fix the problem, you aren't using enough."
  56. Re:Canada? yeah right by fyoder · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Someone has to be head of state. Personally, I think it's best if that figure has little real political power, since they will attract a lot of misplaced emotional projection. There are Americans who think, for example, that it's unpatriotic to criticize the president. Citizens should be critical of those who wield power. Let them feel that it's unpatriotic to criticize the king, and feel free to throw tomatoes or garlands at their elected officials as deserved.

    The founding fathers of the US should have made Benjamin Franklin king. Again, let the king have no real political power, but as a figurehead head of state for the US, King Ben the first would have been great.

    --
    Loose lips lose spit.
  57. Re:Canada? yeah right by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...we are a completely independant country with our own Constitution, Laws and everything.

    Your own orthography too, evidently.

  58. Re:Canada? yeah right by PenGun · · Score: 1

    Cool you'll be starting on the Bush family soon I take it.

  59. Re:Canada? yeah right by Brickwall · · Score: 1
    Theoretically the Queen (by way of the GG in Canada and other commonwealth nations) can dissolve parliament at any time and can withhold Royal Ascent.

    Is that where she climbs all over the bill in question? Or possibly mounts Parliament Hill? Or did you perhaps mean "Royal Assent"?

    --
    What was once true, is no longer so
  60. Re:Canada? yeah right by Viceroy+Potatohead · · Score: 1

    I'm not so sure of that...

    We have William Lyon Mackenzie King on our fifty IIRC. He was as kooky as a barrel full of skunks, besides being an excellent PM.

  61. Re:Canada? yeah right by Brickwall · · Score: 1
    The concept of "Royalty" is a history-encompassing scam where brigand families who murdered and backstabbed their way to political dominance, then established the fiction that they were fundamentally superior by the grace of genetics and edict of God, and used that fiction to claim right to subjugate and torture their "subjects" when not embroiling them in self-enriching wars. They are not better than anyone else, worse in fact because they lived high on the hog on the lie that they were better. The history of most "royal" families should make being a member a mark of shame, not something to be elevated. Even if the Royal family doesn't have power anymore, it should be as disgusting and shameful as the Confederate flag, a symbol of when one class had institutional, irrevocable license to dominate over another. I have no respect at all for even the symbolic institution of royalty. I wouldn't associate with someone who clung proudly to their ancestral plantation heritage, and likewise I wouldn't accept an honor from a false institution such as royalty. If anything, you are the one preconditioned to accept such garbage, not us to reject it.

    "Oh, but you can't expect to wield supreme executive power just because some watery tart threw a sword at you."

    There, condensed that for you.

    --
    What was once true, is no longer so
  62. Re:An award by jerkface.us · · Score: 1

    I've never met a good programmer who liked Java.

    That's ok. A lot of people haven't met Josh Bloch.

    --
    Fortune favors the bold.
  63. My Order of Canada includes Don Cherry! by rumblin'rabbit · · Score: 1

    If it's the highest honour Canada can bestow, where the hell is Don Cherry? Hell, he should be Governor General.

    Course he'll still need that 7 second delay.

  64. Re:Canada? yeah right by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Could it be because royalty is just hereditary dictatorship in fancy clothes?

    A hereditary dictatorship you say? Is that where the ruler of a country passes off that role to a family member or to their offspring? Why does that situation sound so familiar...

    George 'W' Bush. Hillary Rodham Clinton. Scions of American dynasty, in case you hadn't noticed.

    I'd rather make the nod to history and tradition by vesting the titular role of head of state in a member of the royal family, who is effectively powerless to interfere in matters of state, than to live in a de facto hereditary dictatorship without being able to recognize the fact. By the way, I'm a (small-r) republican.

  65. Re:Canada? yeah right by RealGrouchy · · Score: 1

    American money has ... an oath to an imaginary supernatural being.

    The U.S. may treat George Washington as a Legend, but that makes him neither imaginary nor supernatural. ...or did you mean the FSM?

    - RG>
    --
    Hey pal, this isn't a pleasantforest, so don't waste my time with pleasantries!
  66. Re:Canada? yeah right by SilverJets · · Score: 1

    but still i find it bizarre that such progressive countries should allow such a remnant of despotism to linger for so long.

    I find it equally bizarre that a progressive country, such as the US, would allow their head of state to be appointed by a court of law.

  67. Re:Canada? yeah right by JimBobJoe · · Score: 1

    The concept of "Royalty" is a history-encompassing scam where brigand families who murdered and backstabbed their way to political dominance

    There's no doubt in my mind that the monarchical system developed through some sorta odd psychological need. While it's true that a lot of uglyness has occurred in maintaining monarchies over the centuries, it's not like democracy doesn't take us in a semi-similar direction.

    As it has been said before, 8 years of President Hillary Clinton would make for 28 straight years of domination of US politics by two families. This is really not that unusual in countries where people elect the head of government. (Undoubtedly, the framers of the Constitution didn't want us to elect the head of government and it's an accident of history that we do. In fact, the parliamentary style system, the most common system found in monarchies/ex-monarchies, doesn't have popular elections for the head of government, so they don't get that pseudo-monarchy effect.)

  68. Re:Canada? yeah right by alienmole · · Score: 1

    Ouch. That cuts like a knife.

  69. Re:An award by syousef · · Score: 1

    1. Well written Java programs aren't slow

    What bollox. It's trivial to write a program that will never complete its execution. Also a well written piece of C code WILL run faster than a well written piece of Java code. Java's easier to maintain in the long run though I'll grant you.

    2. Poor programmers don't know how to optimize their code to run well

    True enough. Poor programmers don't know how. Good one's are rarely given the time to do it. It's usually not cost effective to optimise most code.

    3. Java makes it easy for even poor programmers to do their job

    Clearly you've never met a truly poor programmer.

    --
    These posts express my own personal views, not those of my employer
  70. Re:Canada? yeah right by theshowmecanuck · · Score: 1

    Or did you perhaps mean "Royal Assent"?

    Argh! Yes.

    --
    -- I ignore anonymous replies to my comments and postings.
  71. Re:Canada? yeah right by gobbo · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    The GG (as the representative of the head of state) and the head of state (currently the Queen, but will be a King) are the only ones allowed to dissolve parliament and call an election.

    The optics of the Canadian parliament are very interesting, given that so much of politics is managed optics. The vast majority are white, a large majority are male; out of proportion with the population and a picture of late colonial chauvinism. Then up there at the head, literally and figuratively, is this statuesque black woman of humble origins and high esteem, with her hand on the plug.

    While the Klan and its kin are quiescent and underground, and people generally maintain an air of politeness, the thread of racism runs pretty strongly through the canadian multicultural tapestry. Polite, but still virulent and systematic. So, it's a very interesting balance of power illuminated by those optics (and you know they've been manufactured: she's an appointee). The head of state is a socially progressive black woman, so there.

  72. Re:Canada? yeah right by gobbo · · Score: 2, Insightful

    The concept of "Royalty" is a history-encompassing scam where brigand families who murdered and backstabbed their way to political dominance, then established the fiction that they were fundamentally superior by the grace of genetics and edict of God, and used that fiction to claim right to subjugate and torture their "subjects" when not embroiling them in self-enriching wars.

    I wholeheartedly agree! Off with their heads! That's what's so great about the land of the brave: Americans don't have royalty, the same way they don't have an Empire.

  73. Great by bytesex · · Score: 2, Funny

    So now it's called 'Janada', or something.

    --
    Religion is what happens when nature strikes and groupthink goes wrong.
  74. Re:Canada? yeah right by the_womble · · Score: 1

    Not necessarily. Mozambique is a member of the Commonwealth. It had no historical ties with Britain.

  75. Re:Canada? yeah right by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    In the parliamentary system, the Head of State doesn't really govern: she is essentially a constitutional referee, making sure those who do govern don't abuse the system. Having a Head of State chosen by a hereditary rule ensures that the referee is completely indepenedent; in the case of the Queen, she also received careful training for her role and now has fifty years of experience in the high questions of government. By contrast, since Presidents are chosen in elections, they are normally politicians, and thus are not seen as entirely impartial and universally respected when there is a constitutional crisis.

    Really, I think it's obvious that Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand have had much better government than the US over the last two hundred years (no civil wars, and an earlier abolition of slavery, for instance). Some people would argue that they have vastly better government than the US at the moment too. Having a Head of State above politics has been a key part of the successful systems.

  76. Re:He'll always be the Gosling Emacs guy to me. gr by MichaelSmith · · Score: 1

    Not as bad as the Bitkeeper guy

    You mean Linus?

  77. Oh Canada by smaddox · · Score: 1

    Oh Canada!

    They're just so cute, with their little order.

  78. Re:Canada? yeah right by MichaelSmith · · Score: 1

    Canada wasn't independent until the 1980s when Trudeau repatriated the constitution from the UK.

    I have often wondered about this. When Liz finally carks it, Chuck will be the next King of England because of an algorithm coded in UK law. Thats the one which says something like oldest to youngest male child, then oldest to youngest female, or whatever.

    But here in Australia do we have a parallel law? Or do we inherit british law. I know that we inherited basic laws about theft, etc. But that was like taking patches from the UK until we started writing our own.

    So if the UK law of succession changed at some point since 1901 and we forgot to C&P the changes over could we accidently wind up with a different King or Queen when the law is applied?

    And if we can't get the republic up, could we at least change the law of succession so that an Australian gets the nod? How about making the current captain of the national cricket team King for the next 10 years?

  79. Re:An award by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    1. Well written Java programs aren't slow Bad written C# programs are fast

    2. Poor programmers don't know how to optimize their code to run well Poor programmers don't know how to optimize their C# code, but it run well

    3. Java makes it easy for even poor programmers to do their job C# makes it easy for even very good programmers to do their job

    So...
  80. Re:Canada? yeah right by The+One+and+Only · · Score: 1

    Yeah, we've had sets of Presidents in the same family four times. Out of 43 Presidents. With entire decades usually intervening between the elder president and his younger relation. That's a real "de facto hereditary dictatorship" we've got going on here, especially since the President has the sole power to declare war and assent to legislation.

    --
    In Repressive Burma, it's not just your connection that dies. slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=314547&cid=20819199
  81. Re:Canada? yeah right by esme · · Score: 1

    technically, it's the house of representatives that accepts the vote of the electoral college and resolves disputes, ties (like jefferson v. burr in 1800), etc. there's a melodramatic bit in fahrenheit 9/11 where numerous reps try to challenge the certification of the 2000 election, but fail on procedural grounds because no senator would join in the challenge.

    now, the bush v. gore ruling was a travesty of justice, and i think it will be remembered as a low point of the modern court. but they didn't actually him president.

    even if they did, though (or effectively did given how high the hurdle is for challenging an election in the house), i'd rather have a court of appointed and ratified judges than a monarch. judges are at least ostensibly chosen for their merits.

    -esme

  82. Re:An award by arevos · · Score: 1

    What Java and any other modern high level language allows for are people who aren't necessarily the best programmers to still do their jobs. Do I see you wanting to go out and build business apps, or are you more likely to make super-cool widget X? Not all high level languages are as easy to get to grips with as Java. Also, are you inferring that Java is only a useful tool for poor programmers?
  83. Re:Canada? yeah right by aclarke · · Score: 1

    You're absolutely right, of course. Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcicial aquatic ceremony! You can't expect to wield supreme executive power just because some watery tart threw a sword at you! If I went 'round sayin' I was Emperor, just because some moistened bink lobbed a scimitar at me, they'd put me away!

  84. The Queen tried it in Fiji in 86 and failed by HighOrbit · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Back in the '80s, a majority Indo-Fijian government was elected. (There is major ethnic strife between Indians and indigenous Fijians). The indigenous Fijians (who controlled the military) overthrew the elected government and declared their leader Prime-Minister. IIRC, the Queen instructed the Governor-General to refuse consent and tried to reappoint the elected Government. The military then declared a republic and deposed the Governor-General, ending the Monarchy in Fiji.

    So those constitutional checks are only effective if backed by sufficient force. As a practical matter, a Government of sufficient power (popular or otherwise) would be free to ignore the Monarchy.

    1. Re:The Queen tried it in Fiji in 86 and failed by theshowmecanuck · · Score: 1

      Yes, but that is always true. If you live in any democratically elected republic, dominion, constitutional monarchy, whatever, and the military decides to overthrow the government (and has the ability to do so), then the checks and balances will go out the window. I said the military, but if there were a popular uprising, it could happen as well. So I think I would make an addition to your caveat: "So those constitutional checks are only effective if backed by sufficient force"... 'and that force agrees to play by the rules.' This goes for the Queen, and any president or prime minister. Any place you hear of a coup taking place this holds true. Some force decides to ignore the rules of government for that country, and by definition you have a revolution and a change in the type of government. I would hazard that you could argue this even in places with non-democratically elected/lead governments. Take the fall of the Soviet Union for example where that force incidentally, was not military and not particularly violent (well until the very end, and even then it was very limited)... even though some might argue that they had a democratically elected government.

      In Fiji, the Queen was a part of the government: the head of state. In that case the Queen was actually doing something quite correct: telling the GG to reappoint the democratically elected government which was overthrown in a coup (breaking the rules). So the checks and balances worked, until the caveat we discussed was broken. :-)

      --
      -- I ignore anonymous replies to my comments and postings.
  85. That's fitting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Seeing as he works for Sun, the Canada of the tech industry.

  86. Re:Canada? yeah right by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Yeah, it would be great if Canada got rid of that stupid hereditary rule bullshit, just like the good 'ole U. S. of A. did. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States _Presidents_by_genealogical_relationship

  87. Larry McVoy by mkcmkc · · Score: 1

    Larry McVoy. Here's an extremely bland description of what happened:

            http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BitKeeper

    The common thread I was alluding to was the attempt by these parties to take something from the "public domain" and restrict it for commercial purposes.

    --
    "Not an actor, but he plays one on TV."
    1. Re:Larry McVoy by MichaelSmith · · Score: 1

      Yeah I know the story. I stopped investigating bitkeeper in my work environment because of the way BitMover was behaving towards their "customers"

  88. Re:Canada? yeah right by morethanapapercert · · Score: 1

    And let us not forget the legal theory that relations with the various native peoples are based on treaties directly between the Crown and sovereign nations in their own right. The Mohawk people have the strongest enforcement of this, which is why the Queen last visited, she met with representatives of the Mohawk Nation. If I recall correctly, there was something of a political embarrassment during her last visit when the representatives of the Inuit people used her last state visit as an opportunity to appeal directly to her over matters the current government refused to deal with.

    --
    I need a wheelchair van for my son. Help me get the word out. https://www.gofundme.com/wheelchair-van-for-jj
  89. Yep, him and my Dad by ashitaka · · Score: 2, Informative

    Dr. Dennis Smith.

    Most people who have had hip replacements have benefited from my Dad's work. Including Dad himself.

    We're so proud!

    --
    If you don't want to repeat the past, stop living in it.
  90. Re:An award by ashitaka · · Score: 1

    Clearly you've never met a truly poor programmer.

    I have: (Paraphrased from the original Informix 4GL)

    For i = 1 to 8
          Case i
              When 1
                  Location1 = 0
              When 2
                  Location2 = 0
              When 3
                  Location3 = 0
              When 4
                  Location4 = 0
              When 5
                  Location5 = 0
              When 6
                  Location6 = 0
              When 7
                  Location7 = 0
              When 8
                  Location8 = 0
        End Case
    Next

    And it got worse from there...

    --
    If you don't want to repeat the past, stop living in it.
  91. Blame Canada! by Bob+Uhl · · Score: 1

    Whose fault is Java? Blame Canada!

  92. Re:eh? by gbjbaanb · · Score: 1

    I said that and was modded flamebait. .

    Still, Brian Kernighan (yeah, some guy who had hardly any effect on the world of programming languages :) ) was a Canadian (I am informed, I don't know him personally)

  93. Flamebait by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'm mystified. Can someone tell me why that post warrants a flamebait mod?

  94. Re:An award by syousef · · Score: 1

    One of my friends, who was intelligent but should never have been programming once admitted to me that on a commercial project he used cut and paste because he didn't know for loop syntax. 100 lines later...

    --
    These posts express my own personal views, not those of my employer
  95. Politicians by Mark_MF-WN · · Score: 1
    Do you think any politician on Earth would even know what those things are, let alone who developed them? James Gosling, by contrast, is a somewhat public figure with money. Politicians dig fame and money, they crave them the way Vampires crave blood. And James Gosling is one of the few public figures (with money) that's actually done something even vaguely positive and is even vagely Canadian.

    So: to be noticed by Canadian politicians, a software development figure would need to be a) rich, b) famous, c) at least vaguely Canadian, and d) have done something that wasn't provably detrimental to society (presumably the Canadian government was willing to overlook the plague of crapplets that Gosling's work helped to unleash upon us). That's a pretty harsh set of criteria, given that most development figures are middle class (at best) and labour in obscurity. The few that are rich mostly got there by releasing horrible, horrible software that everyone outside of a corporate purchasing committee despises. And Canada is rather small population-wise (the ratio of Canadians to Americans is a little over 1:10 ).

  96. Comedy by Mark_MF-WN · · Score: 1

    Hey, Canadians are pretty serious about their comedy. We like a good laugh. It helps to keep us from spending our time thinking of news ways to make life miserable for each other, or from sitting around convincing ourselves that terrorists are sure to come and try to blow up our little hick town's beloved Wal-Mart. Farce, ironically enough, keeps people grounded in reality.

  97. Subjects by Mark_MF-WN · · Score: 1
    Realistically speaking, we're only marginally more subject to the Queen's authority than Americans are.

    And Americans probably dig the British Monarchy quite a bit more than Canadians do. One of the benefits of a couple of a divorce is that you can go back for a quick fling, and it's all good. Time and distance heal all wounds. But when you're still in the separation period, that kind of thing just doesn't fly.

  98. Re:Canada? yeah right by alan_dershowitz · · Score: 1

    You must have realized your comment was only semantic, it wouldn't appear witty otherwise. The problem is that it's wrong. Even if a lot of power is concentrated into a few hands doesn't make royalty. It's not hereditary, institutionalized, or concomitant with any claim of inherent superiority. Likewise if you want to argue that the USA is an empire, then please do so within the confines of the actual definition of the term.

    What compelled you to post? Did you actually disagree with me, or was it just unacceptable to you that someone might have presented a case where the USA wasn't totally wrong?

  99. Ironic compulsion by gobbo · · Score: 1

    Even if a lot of power is concentrated into a few hands doesn't make royalty. It's not hereditary, institutionalized, or concomitant with any claim of inherent superiority. Likewise if you want to argue that the USA is an empire, then please do so within the confines of the actual definition of the term.

    It's true that 'empire' is a deprecated term, in the dustbin of history for now. So what has replaced it? How does one describe a state that has over 700 military bases in over 100 nations, and a corresponding international web of commerce and espionage? That considers the other side of the globe its own backyard? The term begs redefinition, because while the label 'empire' has gone away with the power of the royals, the urge to make one sure hasn't. American patriotism strives to overlook the implications of its territorial spread across the planet, because "it isn't an empire."

    Likewise with 'royalty.' The queen has little actual provenance over my life (give me starchy hapless 'Liz over Darth Cheney any day). However, the captains of industry and finance do. Many of the most powerful are grafted into vast institutional networks and their power is hereditary.

    Institutions adapt or die. The power and method of the elites has changed over time, but blood still matters, and the old ways of heredity are intertwined with the new ways of industry.

    What compelled you to post? Did you actually disagree with me, or was it just unacceptable to you that someone might have presented a case where the USA wasn't totally wrong?

    Now now, no need to sneer. Who could disagree with you (other than some confederate moderator)? Rejecting royalty is a great foundation for a state. It's just that it didn't work, they came back in another form, and that revolution is spent. Your original post (an american railing at the depravities of the elites of rival systems) seemed unselfconsciously ironic, and needed help.