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Does Santa Hate Linux?
beernutmark writes "Well, it looks like Santa or at least Norad/Google hates Linux. This year, for the first time since its inception, Norad is not making a simple .kml file available for download to track Santa. You must connect to their website with a Windows/Mac browser and use the browser plugin. No full-screen Google Earth to look at the beautiful areas around Santa's path. (Anyone have any open source source kml files for tracking Santa or any idea how we can go about making one for 2010?)"
He's Christian, and Linux is the Muslim of the OS world.
"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has it's limits" - Albert Einstein
Linux users have figured out that Santa doesn't exist.
Hey, I just felt something woosh over my head! Was it Santa!? Maybe he does exist!
This year, for the first time since its inception, Norad is not making a simple .kml file available for download to track Santa.
NORAD's been putting out .kml files since 1958?
Specifically the GPL. He's worried about it infecting the firmware of the production machinery that the elves coded in-house.
> This year, for the first time since its inception, Norad is not making a .kml file available for download to track Santa.
> simple
".kml" files in 1958 at NORAD's inception or in 1955 when its predecessor the Air Defense Command first started tracking Santa? Not likely.
Warning: this article may contain humor, sarcasm, parody, and perhaps even irony. Read at your own risk.
Santa doesn't want people tracking him while he's robbing banks to fund his operations.
Like this bank that got Saint Nicked.
Given that if you look at the internet in, say, 1980, and again today, there's been a slow but more or less continuous movement away from standard protocols and towards proprietary protocols.
This is inevitable, because ultimately the medium is far too important to be left uncontrolled by folks interested in, well, control.
It'll be a while before almost everything is like that. I estimate another several decades.
Under Ubuntu, use Firefox, install User Switcher Agent, select "Internet Explorer 7". It appears to work fine. Granted, it is annoying, but it is easy to work around.
The elves are annoyed with the Gnomes.
If you are smart enough to be on Slashdot, you should be smart enough to realize that there is no god, and that bullshitmas is a stupid celebration.
1. Open web browser of your choice.
2. Go to noradsanta.com
3. (if you have NoScript, turn it off or at least unblock everything but googleanalytics).
4. On the right hand side, there's a diagonal arrow. Click it.
5. Hit whatever button makes your browser go fullscreen.
There. Full-screen Santa-y goodness.
Admittedly not QUITE as good as Google Earth, but you can at least get a full-screen Google Maps experience which is pretty darned close.
Tested in Linux (Mint 8, Firefox 3.5) and Windows XP, Firefox 3.5.
PS: Direct link to the fullscreen map: http://www.noradsanta.org/map.html#fullscreen
"This post contains words, known to the State of California to cause thought. Wash brain thoroughly after reading."
He also hates the baffled and disenchanted faces of little children who receive exactly what they ask for: Red Hats and Fedoras.
Bullshitmas is a stupid celebration. If you are smart enough to get into slashdot, you should be smart enough to realize that there is no god.
There's no Santa, and there's no god. Enjoy your Solstice.
WTF am I doing replying to an AC at 5 A.M on a Friday night?
Maybe NORAD decided not to waste the manpower to support an OS that has less than 5% market share.
Oh, wait, that headline doesn't sound anywhere near as outrageous.
There is no "-1 offended" or "-1 you don't agree with me" mod options for a reason.
2009 is not the year of Santa on the desktop. At least, not for Linux users :(
Oh sure, for them Linux is a good enough platform to serve up their stupid little santa stalking site, but not good enough to bother making it work for Linux users. Way to go, Norad/Google.
They just hate whingy bitches that complain about no body using linux.
If you mod me down, I will become more powerful than you can imagine....
I'm tired of this fat jolly asshole violating our airspace every year. I mean, a domestic passenger jet goes off course for an hour and we get ready to scramble fighters, but Santa gets a free pass even though we apparently know exactly where he is at all times.
Even Hugo Chavez says he's going to shoot down those imaginary drones he thinks we're flying over Venezuela. I say if shooting down imaginary aircraft is good enough for Hugo, then it's damn well good enough for us, too.
Does Santa Hate Linux? .kml file available for download to track Santa. You must connect to their website with a Windows/Mac browser and use the browser plugin. No full-screen Google Earth to look at the beautiful areas around Santa's path. (Anyone have any open source source kml files for tracking Santa or any idea how we can go about making one for 2010?)"
beernutmark writes "Well, it looks like Santa or at least Norad/Google hates Linux. This year, for the first time since its inception, Norad is not making a simple
Gee, I wonder which line of this summary got this story posted. I wonder if those complaining about Apple rumor stories will catch this.
"I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)
The 2d homepage tracker http://www.noradsanta.org/en/index.html works for me in iceweasel and arora but clicking on the 3d google tracker gives the error. While it's not completely supported (unfortunately), it's not completely broken either.
I mean, really, they are using tax money to put on this insanely stupid bit of play-acting, aimed at propagandising children no less, endorsing christian fairy-tales and giving them the imprimatur of the state (and let's not forget that a lot of taxpayers are NOT xtians) and the only problem you can see is that it doesnt display on linux?!?! Get a little perspective, please.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Friends don't let friends enable ecmascript.
To lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the debts and provide for the common defence and general welfare of the United States; but all duties, imposts and excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;
To borrow money on the credit of the United States;
To regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian tribes;
To establish a uniform rule of naturalization, and uniform laws on the subject of bankruptcies throughout the United States;
To coin money, regulate the value thereof, and of foreign coin, and fix the standard of weights and measures;
To provide for the punishment of counterfeiting the securities and current coin of the United States;
To establish post offices and post roads;
To promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries;
To constitute tribunals inferior to the Supreme Court;
To define and punish piracies and felonies committed on the high seas, and offenses against the law of nations;
To declare war, grant letters of marque and reprisal, and make rules concerning captures on land and water;
To raise and support armies, but no appropriation of money to that use shall be for a longer term than two years;
To provide and maintain a navy;
To make rules for the government and regulation of the land and naval forces;
To provide for calling forth the militia to execute the laws of the union, suppress insurrections and repel invasions;
To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the militia, and for governing such part of them as may be employed in the service of the United States, reserving to the states respectively, the appointment of the officers, and the authority of training the militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;
To exercise exclusive legislation in all cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten miles square) as may, by cession of particular states, and the acceptance of Congress, become the seat of the government of the United States, and to exercise like authority over all places purchased by the consent of the legislature of the state in which the same shall be, for the erection of forts, magazines, arsenals, dockyards, and other needful buildings;—And
To make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by this Constitution in the government of the United States, or in any department or officer thereof.
Of course Santa hates Linux. I mean, think about it, he's Mr. Materialism. Santa is all about shopping malls. It's that smart rabbi, that Jesus guy, who talked about sharing with others as a path to happiness, not Santa. Santa's heart belongs to Microsoft.
You're a mean one, Mister Grinch...
couldn't we reuse the same .kml file from last year?
You mean like this?
http://www.google.com/intl/en/landing/noradsanta/index.html#utm_campaign=en&utm_medium=hpp&utm_source=en-hpp-na-us-gns-norad
Sig it.
Sounds like you and some "Christians" have something in common - lots of the most religious people aren't so fond of Santa either.
Hint: Just because he's called "Saint Nick" does not mean the Pope has recognized him.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
"You're not using/supporting Linux?"
"No"
"Then the only explanation is that you HATE Linux!"
Oy, gevalt. Vot a tregedy. Vot an awful ting to vorry about. My knishes are in a knot and my borscht is bleeding.
Linus has yet to answer me on how to install the Linux. If he doesn't have time, then he's no deity.
It's just that he spent a hour recompiling his video drivers, another 3 searching the forums to figure out which build he was supposed to have for the core he was running, had to redownload a bunch of files because he found out he's running an Athlon processor instead of an Intel, then couldn't remember which .conf files to VI and finally just gave up on the whole deal because he needed to get some deliverin' done.
;-)
He'll find some 14-year-old Elf with lots of time on his tiny hands to help him figure it out later.
-B-
conv3rSations where
2bits.com, Inc: Drupal, WordPress, and LAMP performance tuning.
Professor Knuth is a Christian (see his 3:16), and I suspect he's smart enough to be on slashdot.
Anyone have any open source source kml files for tracking Santa or any idea how we can go about making one for 2010
What if I told you that Santa is a massive conspiracy invented by big corporations to further their profit. All proofs of his existence are carefully planted by news media and advertisements in order to support the myth of his existence.
Yes
I do..
Some might say.. this hardly qualifies as news.
All of the elements of Christmas have secular origins with the exception of the manager stuff. People celebrate birthdays, anniversaries and other special occasions with gift giving so what's the problem. I happen to be an Atheist so I celebrate the Winter Solstice with all the secular holiday elements attached. I understand what your saying as far as Norad's endorsement being a concern, however, at least it's funded by donations and non religious. Also, I read somewhere that one Christmas Norad's phone number was mistakenly given out as something related to Santa. Children called to talk to Santa and that's how the whole thing started. If they were following the Pope than I would have a problem, but there are more important things to be concerned with than this Santa thing.
who cares? santa claus is a communist plot designed to make people think that giving is good, and it will lead to the destruction of the united states!!1!!
TechFlash: The Google-Microsoft rivalry now extends to Santa Web sites
It isn't that Santa hates Linux, it's just that like the majority of the world, he doesn't really care...
Click link in summary, browser opens:
Response:
Track in Google Earth
Sorry, the Google Earth Plug-in is not supported on your browser or platform.
I use:
KMint, aka Linux Mint CE
My browser is Konqueror and thats it. I don't like and don't use fireturd.
No work in Konqi, your on the NAUGHTY LIST!
Listen up Google, YOU USE LINUX ALL OVER THE PLACE for your various operations its TIME TO 100% SUPPORT THE LINUX USERS out here. I am tired of hearing about your "supported compatible browser" BS on your sites be it gmail or anything else! I USE LINUX THAT YOUR FIRM IS BENEFITTING FROM FINANCIALLY FROM ITS EXISTENCE SO ITS TIME TO SUPPORT LINUX 100% in your products! And no I am NOT INTERESTED in your OS or browser. I have one its called Konqueror! CODE ON IT, CODE FOR IT! SCREW THE REST! I DO! Doesn't display on x,y,z browser... hmm... let me check.... nope works in my browser that I developed it on, and thats Konqueror! CLICK! I don't develop or fix for any thing other than Konqi!
1311393600 - Back to Black
Sure, there may not be a kml file available, but my kids have thoroughly enjoyed (to the point of annoying us parents out of our mind) watching Santa travel the globe in full screen mode.
Comment removed based on user account deletion
but santa ain't real, boy!
I'm thinking about buying Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-TX1. What do you think about it? I read few reviews,and some of them say that picture quality isn't the best. Zetaclear review
That Norad site is screwed up anyway. Everyone knows that Santa only comes between midnight and 6 AM local time.. They've got him in Lincoln Ne at 11:24 PM CST.
The Physics of Santa Claus
1. No known species of reindeer can fly. BUT there are 300,000 species of living organisms yet to be classified, and while most of these are insects and germs, this does not COMPLETELY rule out flying reindeer which only Santa has ever seen.
2. There are 2 billion children (persons under 18) in the world. BUT since Santa doesn't (appear) to handle the Muslim, Hindu, Jewish and Buddhist children, that reduces the workload to 15% of the total - 378 million according to the Population Reference Bureau. At an average (census rate of 3.5 children per household, that's 91.8 million homes. One presumes there's at least one good child in each.
3. Santa has 31 hours of Christmas to work with, thanks to the different time zones and the rotation of the earth, and assuming he travels east to west (which seems logical). This works out to 822.6 visits per second. This is to say that for each Christian household with good children, Santa has 1/1000th of a second to park, hop out of his sleigh, jump down the chimnye, fill the stockings, distribute the remaining presents under the tree, eat whatever snacks have been left, get back up the chimney, get back into the sleigh and move on to the next house. Assuming that each of these 91.8 million stops are evenly distributed around the earth (which, of course we know to be false but for the purpose of our calculations we will accept), we are now talking aabout .78 miles per household, a total trip of 75.5 million miles, not counting stops to do what most of us must do at least once every 31 hours, plus feeding and etc.This means that Santa's sleigh is moving at 650 miles per second, 3000 times the speed of sound. For purposes of comparison, the fastest man-made vehicle on earth, the Ulysses space probe, moves at a poky 27.4 miles per second - a conventional reindeer can run, tops, 15 miles per hour.
4. The payload on the sleigh adds another interesting element. Assuming that each child gets nothing more than a medium-sized lego set (2 pounds), the sleigh is carrying 321,300 tons, not counting Santa, who is invariably described as overweight. On land, conventional reindeer can pull no more than 300 punds. Even granting that "flying reindeer" (refer to point #1) could pull TEN TIMES the normal load, we cannot do the job with eight, or even nine. We need 214,200 reindeer. This increases the payload - not even counting the weight of the sleigh - 353,430 tons. Again, for comparison - this is four times the weight of the Queen Elizabeth.
5. 353,000 tons traveling at 650 miles per second creates enormous air resistance - this will heat the reindeer up in the same fashion as spacecrafts re-entereing the earth's atmosphere. The lead pair of reindeer will absorb 14.3 QUINTILLION joules of energy per SECOND, EACH! In short, hey will burst into flames almost instantaneously, exposing the reindeer behind them, and create a deafening sonic boom in their wake. The entire reindeer team will be vaporized within 4.26 thousanths of a second. Santa, meanwhile, will be subjected to centrifugal* forces 17,500.06 times greater than gravity. A 250 pound Santa (which seems ludicrously slim) would be pinned to the back of his sleigh by 4,315,015 pounds of force.
In conclusion - If Santa ever DID deliver presents on Christmas Eve, he's dead by now.
C'mon guys. Tux is a penguin. Him and Santa are quite literally polar opposites!
...they hate deving for 5%
They figure non-Linux users will be too stupid to figure out that the tracking is identical to last year's. If you really want to know what happened to Santa, well, the Russians know something.
Only his tendency toward a dazed stupor prevented him from screaming aloud.
make your own tracker :)
Because in Soviet Russia Santa tracks you!
wait a minute... oh my god...
Ugh. Look up Saint Nicholas of Myra. The Pope recognized Saint Nick about 1000 years ago.
And did he fly through the air powered by reindeer giving out the most commercially popular gifts?
Oh that's right, you took some ancient seed on which Saint Nick possibly borrowed a name from and utterly confused him with todays mysterious gift giver.
What once was is not what is. And the OP was not complaining about the Myrian St. Nick, or if he was he should make that just a bit clearer.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
It's fun. It's for kids. Let's not get uptight about NORAD tracking Santa - it has a long history with cultural value.
Not everything has to be sanitized to be the least offensive. Let's not get so compulsive about the first amendment we forget to enjoy life or allow others a little elbow room to enjoy theirs.
And.. Ten minutes after midnight. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Blessed Eid al-Adha, Enjoy Rohatsu, or Good Night - whichever is your preference.
Help stamp out iliturcy.
eom
...and as long as Linux/ OpenOffice/ Apple continue to pretend that the 'other' OS doesn't exist, get used to it.
Happy Christmas!
I don't know why the AC was modded troll, I like Gore more than most but that was fucking hillarious.
And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
Linux was just not important enough for him to worry about.
Dear Virginia......... http://www.newseum.org/yesvirginia/
You got it, assholes!!! Now shut up and take it like men.
Who cares about KML files and viewing in Google Earth?
I tracked Santa with my son last night WITH LINUX with NO problem. Non story.
Gorkman
I was amazed at this massive politically correct FAIL! :
http://www.google.com/
Where's the Christmas tree? Where's Santa?
Throw Sol Invictus (Natalis Invictus) in there too for good measure if you like!
I bet they showed a Menorah on Hannukah, so what's up with not acknowledging Christmas as a *SPECIFIC* holiday too!
Massive Google SUCK.
http://www.santa.gl/
SymbolNOBODY:
You said what's quoted below from you, here -> http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=1476008&cid=30428430
"It's tolerated (perhaps encouraged) in part because these annoying actors are otherwised engaged in improving Linux. Major Debian and BSD contributors, for example, use slashdot as a workspace for their human-machine interaction side experiments, of which APK is probably one. In addition many of these trolls post links which, if you follow them, will completely hose a Windows machine. This is part of the game. - by symbolset (646467) on Monday December 14, @01:15AM (#30428430) Journal
I took offense to the BOLDED part... & ALL you EVER seem to have is "ad hominem" based attacks on people, not the points they make. So, my reply in the URL below was simple (and logical):
http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=1476008&threshold=-1&commentsort=0&mode=thread&pid=30428430#30430244
Additionally, "symbolNOBODY"? Well - the day you can make something like this (& that got you PAID for it, & that has done as well for others online):
http://www.tcmagazine.com/forums/index.php?s=b861a743aa23c4568b7d73e07ef7ecec&showtopic=2662
That's also gone over 250.000 views worldwide in 1++ yrs.' time online, & across 15 forums where that guide for Windows Security has been made either an:
1.) "Sticky/Pinned" thread
2.) An "Essential Guide"
3.) Rates 5/5 stars (etc.)
AND, gets "feedback" like this from users that have applied it:
----
http://www.xtremepccentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=28430
PERTINENT QUOTE/EXCERPT:
"...recently, months ago when you finally got this guide done, had authorization to try this on simple work station for kids. My client, who paid me an ungodly amount of money to do this, has been PROBLEM FREE FOR MONTHS! I haven't even had a follow up call which is unusual. Now I don't recommend this for the average joe, but it if can work for a kids PC it can work for anything! Now, i substituted OpenDNS and activated the Adult Content filter with them for this kids computer. I know its not perfect, but will catch over 99.5% of said sites."
and
http://www.xtremepccentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=10f9ba9ad5ff990aaae1e7ec91f593a2&t=28430&page=3
"Its 2009 - still trouble free! I was told last week by a co worker who does active directory administration, and he said I was doing overkill. I told him yes, but I just eliminated the half life in windows that you usually get. He said good point. So from 2008 till 2009. No speed decreases, its been to a lan party, moved around in a move, and it still NEVER has had the OS reinstalled besides the fact I imaged the drive over in 2008. Great stuff! My client STILL Hasn't called me back in regards to that one machine to get it locked down for the kid. I am glad it worked and I am sure her wallet is appreciated too now that it works. Speaking of which, I need to call her to see if I can get some leads. APK - I will say it again, the guide is FANTASTIC! Its made my PC experience much easier. Sandboxing was great. Getting my host file updated, setting services to system service, rather than system local. (except AVG updater, needed system local)"
Thronka - forums member @ xtremepccentral.com
----
THEN, when you have done so, on THAT account? THEN, you can talk!
Also?
When you have done all of this as I have over time in this Art & S
SymbolNOBODY:
You said what's quoted below from you, here -> http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=1476008&cid=30428430
"It's tolerated (perhaps encouraged) in part because these annoying actors are otherwised engaged in improving Linux. Major Debian and BSD contributors, for example, use slashdot as a workspace for their human-machine interaction side experiments, of which APK is probably one. In addition many of these trolls post links which, if you follow them, will completely hose a Windows machine. This is part of the game. - by symbolset (646467) on Monday December 14, @01:15AM (#30428430) Journal
I took offense to the BOLDED part... & ALL you EVER seem to have is "ad hominem" based attacks on people, not the points they make. So, my reply in the URL below was simple (and logical):
http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=1476008&threshold=-1&commentsort=0&mode=thread&pid=30428430#30430244
Additionally, "symbolNOBODY"? Well - the day you can make something like this (& that got you PAID for it, & that has done as well for others online):
http://www.tcmagazine.com/forums/index.php?s=b861a743aa23c4568b7d73e07ef7ecec&showtopic=2662
That's also gone over 250.000 views worldwide in 1++ yrs.' time online, & across 15 forums where that guide for Windows Security has been made either an:
1.) "Sticky/Pinned" thread
2.) An "Essential Guide"
3.) Rates 5/5 stars (etc.)
AND, gets "feedback" like this from users that have applied it:
----
http://www.xtremepccentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=28430
PERTINENT QUOTE/EXCERPT:
"...recently, months ago when you finally got this guide done, had authorization to try this on simple work station for kids. My client, who paid me an ungodly amount of money to do this, has been PROBLEM FREE FOR MONTHS! I haven't even had a follow up call which is unusual. Now I don't recommend this for the average joe, but it if can work for a kids PC it can work for anything! Now, i substituted OpenDNS and activated the Adult Content filter with them for this kids computer. I know its not perfect, but will catch over 99.5% of said sites."
and
http://www.xtremepccentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=10f9ba9ad5ff990aaae1e7ec91f593a2&t=28430&page=3
"Its 2009 - still trouble free! I was told last week by a co worker who does active directory administration, and he said I was doing overkill. I told him yes, but I just eliminated the half life in windows that you usually get. He said good point. So from 2008 till 2009. No speed decreases, its been to a lan party, moved around in a move, and it still NEVER has had the OS reinstalled besides the fact I imaged the drive over in 2008. Great stuff! My client STILL Hasn't called me back in regards to that one machine to get it locked down for the kid. I am glad it worked and I am sure her wallet is appreciated too now that it works. Speaking of which, I need to call her to see if I can get some leads. APK - I will say it again, the guide is FANTASTIC! Its made my PC experience much easier. Sandboxing was great. Getting my host file updated, setting services to system service, rather than system local. (except AVG updater, needed system local)"
Thronka - forums member @ xtremepccentral.com
----
THEN, when you have done so, on THAT account? THEN, you can talk!
Also?
When you have done all of this as I have over time in this Art & S
they probably just assumed that Linux users live in the real world, have dismissed fairy tails, and aren't interested in this santa crap.
Followed the link and got this message:
Track in Google Earth
In addition to tracking Santa on the NORAD Tracks Santa homepage, you can also track his flight in Google Earth. Return to this page on Christmas Eve.
Was this not true?
Apparently they figured out that only Windows and Mac users still believe in Santa. The Linux users were just too damned smart.