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ESR Speaking @Microsoft
webslacker
writes "ESR's been invited to speak at Microsoft on June 21st. The question: Why? The answer: Nobody knows... "
All it took was bribing him with dinner with Neil Stephenson.
I think that would work for Hemos too...
Microsoft is always interested getting programmers to code for free. One way of doing this, to to promote OSI, ESR, O'Reilly, and the Open Source culture whose aim is to overshadow the works of FSF. As a reminder to all, since the APSL is still in short-term memory: "you can't have freedom-Office suits in an operating system that is proprietary."
I don't know if anyone here is keeping an eye on you per se, but there are a lot of people here who just find linux interesting. Some think it the enemy, some just think it's cool. Heck, there's a lot of people here who run it for fun.
Later-
I'm probably the only person around here who will agree with you, oh well. The free software community really has become its own worst enemy. In one of the articles I read, ESR said that he's going to tell them all about how open source will defeat them, or words to that effect. Real friggin' constructive stuff, Eric. It's pretty bad when the former voices of reason (ESR, Linus, and others, but most definitely not including you-know-who) within the free software community themselves seem to be going off the deep end. All of the advances open source/free software has made in the past few years appear to be ready to implode in the next couple of years, for no other reason than nearly all of the more vocal or visible individuals within the "community" are narrow-minded jerks, zealots, or just plain old-fashioned a**holes. It's hard to believe that this all used to be about people having fun and sharing stuff, now it's all about cliques and perceived wars and half-baked ideologies, where everyone screams about how open source validates their pet political views, which are invariably off on one extreme or another. Something has gone horribly wrong when it stops being about fun and technical excellence, and ends up being driven by a bunch of negative motivations and leaders drenched in negativity about everything and everyone outside their tiny little sphere. The XFree86, Apache, FreeBSD, Perl, and probably the KDE people still seem to have their heads screwed on straight, but I'm getting very cynical about anything associated with Linux and especially the FSF (including Gnome...). :(
Oops, you just defeated your own argument. You rightfully expressed concern about factionalism and negativity. But you punctuate your argument at the end with a "narrow-minded" pot shot against the GPL. You just insulted important software communities, including the GPLed Linux kernel. Lose your sugar coating and just come out and say it: you hate the GPL (just like MSFT does).
Sure, MSR people might find GNU/Linux fun. Lots of smart people do. Sunshine is nice also.
But let's get real here. MSFT opposes free software. They want gone whatever stands between them and total control. Your polite words do not change this fact.
However bad IE5 and COM may be otherwise, IE5 is an interesting implementation of heavy component use. More enlightened free software developers respect things like this. Note: I am not necessarily comparing this to Mozilla's design but just as a general point.
MSFT is not a normal company for people who value freedom. MSFT seeks
to destroy GNU/Linux, the product of much sacrifice. (Need a blantant
existance proof? Mindcraft.) That is despicable. Yes, they are
important and deserving of much respect, like the kind you would give
to a dangerous predator.
The only innovation ever to come out of Microsoft was MS Bob(TM). They don't deserve our respect.
MS into the "open source" fold? Perhaps the source to BOB will be released.
Suppose MS switches to open source. This is not an unqualified good for the community. Sure, it must be exploited by the community, but we must always be wary. It is impossible to consider them apart from their track record. Regardless of their overtures, hopefully the DOJ will extract a fitting penalty for the harm they have _already_ done.
This is very funny: people who are part of history's most serious threat to computing freedom (give me cashola or give me death...gimmee gimmee...) are welcoming the most serious protection of computing freedom, GNU/Linux.
Methinks we overestimate MS.
Face it the success of MS was not it's software or it's marketing, it was Intel.
Linux is in the same position.
MS is NOT a technology company anymore it is bloated with useless MBAs... it is bureaucratic.
I was amused by the javaVM article a few days ago and everybody going "ohh bad MS" when in fact MS had little to do with it, but we are so conditioned to go point fingers at them...
what if it is ALREADY a dead cat? go beat on him see if it moves.
darwin
Regarding RedHat, consider how many shares _already_ belong to the principals, Robert Young et al. I think that they exceed 50% ownership. Nonetheless, the possibility of hostile ownership is real, when considering the craft of Microsoft.
You are all nuts. Inviting ESR for a talk at Microsoft does not in the least indicate that Microsoft is going OpenSource. It might indicate that Microsoft is getting interested in getting more knowledge about OpenSource.
What of it? If I had cockroaches running in my kitchen, I would be interested in getting more knowledge about cockroaches. The most important one is how to kill them. If that knowledge is not available, try finding out what makes them live. A good and sensible step on the way to find out what will kill them. In particular, if that information is readily available.
How should Microsoft develop a good strategy to crush Linux if they are not even informed about it?
What are you talking about?
KERNEL MODULES. This is innovative in the Linux world, AND it works well.
Your thesis now has a hole.
...not to mention all the cum you're going to have to wipe off the walls now. Good going.
OK, suppose MS crushes UNIX, then you will be glad.
Suppose MS cannot crush UNIX this very moment. What could be done if your worst-case scenario came about and you actually faced the prospect of UNIX again (such as when your browser request must be handled by a typical website)? Your worst-case scenario might be slightly more bearable if you would care to detail in what _specific_ ways we can improve UNIX. Please seriously consider this, because as much as you might disbelieve it, such constructive criticism is more likely to be addressed than the equivalent for a MS OS.
Linux has gotten where it has because people wanted to have fun. The "ideal" folks (ESR, RS) have created a large momentum. But what I think is happening is that the open source "cliques" are not happy with loosing their status. Everyone knows Linus, but who knows ESR or RS or the others? Not many in the general public. So to make sure everyone knows who they are they make sure they have critical opinions which border fanatical.
Folks, this is the problem with open source. Open source is a community that relies on fame. Fame makes the paycheck. But like rock bands very few actually make money.
In a Windows world the money is spread among many. It might not be millions, but enough for people to be happy. For example how many PIMS, games are there? Thousands. And they all do the same thing. But because they all slice up the pie everyone gets some. In open source there are few who get slices of that pie. It is making it more difficult to make money. So for many they will say, "Hey Windows was not so bad, at least I was paid some money".
Open source has to address this issue really quickly!!! I know MS and they will adapt.
Read the subject. Get a clue.
Emmannuel@ 2600 is a media whore,but if ESR
goes to micr$oft,I'd say he's a close second
thats exactly the reason redhat et al are irrelevant.
linux comes from normal people not some company
that you can destroy.
now you can destroy normal people, but its
a whole lot harder. esp with all this 'democracy'
stuff
i think esr cares alot more about 'open source programming'
than he does about whether a company has ethical
business practices or not.
fortunately though he is a gun nut. when the microsoft helicopters come
to take us all away, he will be picking off
the paratroopers with his little uzi.
You may have plenty of reasons for disliking ESR, but let's just chill out here and see what he will say about this. I think he has a deep, healthy dislike of MSFT. Nothing wrong with that is there?
Inviting the "enemy" to speak? Hmm. While the rest of you are busy maintaining your open source with your respective heads in the sand, it sounds like Micros~1 is maintaining an open mind with a willingness to consider to alternative ideologies.
I wonder which approach will prevail?
You clean 'em -- it's your bedroom.
Now not another word! We've discussed this before, thweetie, and you told me plain and simple that *you* wanted to play "Mommy".
Wow!
I had no idea what kind of impact my work would have on you lot! Thanks for your support.
Quite a few people have e-mailed me to ask about my sound. Well, I'll let you in on a little secret -- like a lot of people nowadays, the studio sound I got wasn't actually configured by me. The guys at Morrissound (extra thanks to Scott Burns -- couldn't have done it without you, man!) listened to what I had set up already, then took that sound and enhanced it for the album. As most of you will agree, they did a fine job of it as well.
For live stuff, my rig consists of a 100W all-tube arse with a couple of add-ons. I use a rack-mount 31-band EQ for definition -- basically cutting out the low-end mids, boosting bottom-end for the rumble, and top- and high-end mids for the "rrrrip". I'm also fond of running through a compressor now and then. Gotta warn you -- it *will* lessen the dynamic range, but if you value extra punch, clarity and sustain it's the only way to go.
Ok, time's up. Thanks again for the support!
The lack of respect shown towards MSFT is the free software community's Achilles' heel. There are a couple aspects to this crisis.
First, although there is much to ridicule about their technologies, they actually have produced good things. The interview with International GNOME support contains a good argument for the respect free software developers should show here. Please, I am not saying that MSFT is a good company, but that they have tons of cash, have hired plenty of smart people, and that some good technology has come out of it.
Second, and much more importantly, while the community laughs in disrespect about MSFT, they are plotting to undermine us in serious ways. Yes, it is fun to ridicule them. :) The DOJ trial, while it has brought welcome scrutiny upon MSFT, does not really hinder most of their tactical ability. Gates' tactical brilliance is woefully underestimated by the free software community. Look for MSFT to do everthing in its power to discredit and totally annihilate the likes of RedHat. This should concern even those who do not like RedHat. After all, in the public's eye, they are strongly identified with GNU/Linux.
In short, let's please respect MSFT as the predator that it is. Know thy enemy.
About time!
MS thinks this is what ERS will be
talking about.
ABSTRACT:
In the last nine years, the Linux
community has emonstrated a remarkable
ability to violate Brooks's Law
(``Adding more programmers to a late
project makes it later.'') and
produce extremely high-quality
software with large, loosely organized
development groups. This talk will
explain how it was done, focusing on
the central phenomenon of distributed
per review. The communications
structures and sociology that support
Linux will be analyzed in detail and
related to general phenomena in the
scaling of complex systems. Specific
prescriptions for effective development
will be elicited.
sql*kitten wrote:
Well, despite the hysterical raving of many "open source" advocates, remember that Microsoft is just a company like any other. Would it be newsworthy if ESR was invited to speak at Sun Microsystems or SGI?
As a previous poster indicated, yes, just not as newsworthy. Both Sun and SGI have already dealt with Free software and the Free software movement. Microsoft really has not, hence it is a new situation, hence it's news.
Considering ESR's public writing is often little short of slander
I think you're thinking about libel here (slander is for speech, not writing). I also think you are approaching libel here. In what way is ESR's writing criminally defamitory?
Microsoft are being extremely magnanimous by inviting him
No, they are hoping to gain something from this. Whether it's PR points, or they actually want to understand what ESR is talking about, I don't know.
I only hope that he endeavours to make it a productive meeting and doesn't engage in his customary circus act - if for no other reason than it would simply be rude to insult his hosts.
I think you're confusing ESR and RMS here. ESR's talks with companies are polite to a fault (in fact, polite to the point where I often disagree with him). RMS is the one who publically insults his hosts (generally when they deserve it).
----
Open mind, insert foot.
Too bad it'll probably be their last laugh.
Just reading the subject line gave me a shit eating grin...
; -- the corruption of government starts with its secrets. a truly free people keep no secrets. --
Posted by Art Pepper:
>Microsoft are being extremely magnanimous (SP?) by inviting him
Yeah, that's something Microsoft are (sic) known for: being magnanimous!
Stop it man, you're killing me!
Posted by tpo:
8-o
Give in to your hatred...
>> Would it be newsworthy if ESR was invited to
>> speak at Sun Microsystems or SGI?
Probably, but not nearly as newsworthy.
The reason is obvious to me -- ESR has publicly stated his contempt for Bill Gates after being brushed off by Gates some time ago.
A more reasonable comparison would be to diehard EFF members sitting down to chat with Scott "No Privacy" MacNealy, or perhaps Michael Dell speaking at Apple on the company's future...
Remember that what's inside of you doesn't matter because nobody can see it.
Consciousness is not what it thinks it is
Thought exists only as an abstraction
The self does not exist
There is no spoon
Sorry.. couldn't resist :)
It's not enough to bash in heads, you've got to bash in minds. - Captain Hammer
Well, despite the hysterical raving of many "open source" advocates, remember that Microsoft is just a company like any other. Would it be newsworthy if ESR was invited to speak at Sun Microsystems or SGI?
Considering ESR's public writing is often little short of slander, Microsoft are being extremely magnanimous (SP?) by inviting him, I only hope that he endeavours to make it a productive meeting and doesn't engage in his customary circus act - if for no other reason than it would simply be rude to insult his hosts.
I found this quote at the end to be the most interesting:
Another sign of Microsoft's interest in open source comes from user statistics released Monday by Linux.com. Microsoft was the leading corporate visitor to the site in the first two weeks after it opened last month, with 15,000 visits from Microsoft servers.
That's a lot of visits in a month, about 500/day. I'm not sure what consistutes a "visit" (a single hit on any page?), but it seems like Microsoft is certainly keeping an eye on us Linux people.
Neal Stephenson DID speak at Microsoft on May 2nd, in support of his book Cryptonomicon. I didn't get to go, because a prick of a manager decided that my excellent work didn't overrule the fact that I was showing everybody just how stupid he was every 3-4 days and laid me off.
Wasn't my fault - he just didn't know that everybody else already knew he was an idiot.
InThane
Microsoft have a tradition of inviting all sorts of speakers onto their campus; the theory is that the more ideas their staff are exposed to, the better they work. It's a sort of memetic diversity thing.
As such, it was only a matter of time before they invited ESR or some other open-source figure onto campus. And ESR seems the obvious choice (being less zealously opposed to the basis of Microsoft's existence than RMS).
It doesn't necessarily mean that they'll be GPLing Windows 2000 or anything anytime soon. Though the increasing propagation of open-source memes in the MS environment may have an (as yet undetermined) effect.
> KERNEL MODULES.
Didn't start with Linux, or even UNIX. Various kernel overlay schemes were used in the '70s to help shoehorn OSes into tiny memory environments; and even though people don't think of them that way, modules really are just an overlay scheme with some hooks. In any event, I know at least Solaris 2 had a very modern, modular kernel from the git-go...
Linux is very much your father's UNIX kernel. Innovation was never the idea; Linux instead looks at the engineering of other kernels and tries to draw consensus. The workhorses of the kernel (VM, ext2) are much, much more similar to the competition than different. The one weird bit about core Linux, its scheduler, is worse in my opinion than the competition...
Well, if ESR disappears after the dinner than we know how M$ will act upon open source! But in reality it seems that M$ wants to appear to be open to the idea of Open Source - it could be their way of embrace and extend - extend - extend. Isn't that what there try to do with Perl and it seems that with Kaffe they have succeeded it making it closed source.
Save Pangaea!! Stop Continental Drift!!
Given his essay I wonder if it wouldn't be more productive to have Stephenson rather than ESR speak to MS. I can't really see MS learning much from the free software development process, but perhaps they could be gotten to rethink user interface issues.
I think MS has the capital, though, to drive out those who can charge a lower margin on services out of business. Not too legal, of course, but who's to stop them? The government? HA! :)
I could not justify my existence if I were a turkey farmer. Would I terminate myself? Undoubtably, yes.
I think if they realize that desktop windows is nearing its demise, they'll move on...
I could not justify my existence if I were a turkey farmer. Would I terminate myself? Undoubtably, yes.
s/Nixon/ESR/;
....
s/China/Microsoft/;
hmm
This Signature does Not Exist !! FNORD
I don't like Salon already. Why is Slashdot loading slow this morning? How many people think that if Linux loses in this round, we will never hear the end of it from Microsloth? At least we can fix bugs faster than they can, even if their system is easier to get to do dialup.
Especially in light of the past week's sequence on User Friendly, this is kind of scary. Maybe the local LUG should tag along as bodyguards. Or would they just be falling into the trap too?
David Gould
David Gould
main(i){putchar(340056100>>(i-1)*5&31|!!(i<6)<< 6)&&main(++i);}
Come on. If Microsoft wanted ESR dead, he would have an "accident" at the shooting range. Or he would get hit in a drive by. It's a little too suspicious if the cook "accidently" put rat poison only in his food.
My submission was along the lines of "step into my parlor..."
Christopher A. Bohn
cb
Oooh! What does this button do!?
Most of the history of large computer systems since UNIX has been of the form, "Company x needs to do something like UNIX. Company x tries to build something like UNIX that is not UNIX. Comapny x fails dramatically." That Linux is a copy of UNIX that works makes it a solid and useful piece of work.
AN operating system should provide, basically, memory management, device addressing, process scheduling, and pipes. The rest is garnish. UNIX gave us good working models for all of those, and Linux has properly followed that lead.
This puts it miles ahead of Microsoft, which has yet to do a reasonable job of any of the criteria mentioned above. You can do a lot worse than making a working, free copy of UNIX.
--G
Eric, Eric, turn to the Dark Side, it is your destiny...
Of all the comments I've ever posted, this is definately one of them
'"I'm going there to explain to them why they can't win with a closed-source strategy," Raymond said.'
Er, lets see, MS is the largest company in their field in the world; the CEO is the richest man in the world; many _developers_ (let alone PHBs) are millionaires and won't have to work again after they quit MS; their product is a household name and everyone continues to buy it regardless of how bad it gets.
Sorry, how exactly do you define "win" here?
Proceed with caution - there's a lot of politics and public image involved, and so far M$ has the bigger bull horn - be careful not to play into their hands. Those guys have a LOOOOONG history of taking some event and twisting it around to appear to be something else - or of 'strategically partnering' with some other entity which ends up getting the royal shaft. It would look too much like a command performance (See, when the King calls, ya gotta go!) When Ralph Nader had his conference on software monopolies and invited Gates to come and speak, did he? Nooooooo!! Personally I'd say thanks but no thanks, I'm too busy, but you can come to the next Linux Expo I'm appearing at and listen in, or here's some of my brochures you can look thru while waiting on ME.
Hehehe
Chuck
try { do() || do_not(); } catch (JediException err) { yoda(err); }
This is not the last year of the millenium.
I can't imagine why Neal is hanging around the Microsoft campus. He lives in Seattle, but other than that I can think of no motivation for him to be there.
Up until '95, he was a die-hard Mac fan and Mac hacker. Then he had some problems with a laptop and switched to Linux. He loves UN*X, by the way, and has written a manifesto on command line interfaces. You can download it from the promotional site for his latest book.
Disclaimer: I have to inform you all that my name is Jason Stephenson, and I also went to Boston University, a few years after Neal graduated.
Just be sure to wear the gold uniform when you beam down -- you know what happens when you wear the red one.
I wonder if Eric will finally quail at speaking his mind when he finds himself surrounded by the 'enemy' on their own ground.
Methinks he will tailor the message for the audience. It would be impolitic not to.
Consciousness is not what it thinks it is
Thought exists only as an abstraction
So - it was YOU! No wonder my packet sniffer just died...
Consciousness is not what it thinks it is
Thought exists only as an abstraction
Let's see... the open source movement's biggest gun nut visits the largest software company on the longest day of the last year of the millenium. I point this out in the lamest post in the thread, that's also the most-recently posted? Scarey.
> Would the rest of the open-source community be > able to take any action against me?
First, IANAL. I am just a copyright/patent/trademark law enthusiast (like 90% of the rest of Slashdot)
As long as the only code in the program was yours, then no. Under US copyright law, you own the copyright and you can change the terms of your license at any time. I'm unclear as to whether you can retroactively change the terms of your license however (I would say no, since this would be breach of contract), so the ORIGINAL code should still be useable under the GPL (again, IANAL).
On the other hand: If you have incorporated ANY changes from other people into your work and they have not specifically signed the copyright over to you, then you could be sued for infringing on their copyright if you changed the license without their permission. This is why most people aren't too worried about the major projects (like the kernel) getting yanked by their developers - there are just too many of them.
... he'll bring his gun
.....
:)
...om, the great and
------- Oh damn.... the Sigfile escaped... -Great OM
Microsoft and Linux have succeeded for the same reason: little innovation. It is easier and less risky to build a "second generation" copy of someone else's previous success. Linux copies and refines Unix. Microsoft copies everyone else.
...
For example, the non-innovative parts of IE5 are great: fast HTML rendering and other goodies. The Microsoft innovations "hanging off the side" all suck: Active Desktop, IE channels, ActiveX,
cpeterso
Consciousness is not what it thinks it is
Thought exists only as an abstraction
The self does not exist
The following is the translation of this sig for those of you who, like me, are struggling to find the deeper meaning of Java. Don't try this at home.
public interface Thought {
}
public class Consciousness {
private Thought think() {
return think();
}
public Thought getSelf() {
return think();
}
}
Reread the GPL. It doesn't apply to the copyright holder. It couldn't anyway, it's license, not a contract.
You could very well rerelease your version 2.0 as a proprietary program. But you couldn't revoke the licenses for version 1.0 from those people that already had it.
I have a quick, very non-scholarly, and heretical explanation of the GPL here.
A Government Is a Body of People, Usually Notably Ungoverned
Your message just got me thinking... Red Hat's scheduled to go public fairly soon. (Anyone know when?) What happens if a "hostile" group of investors purchases enough shares of Red Hat to control its strategic business decisions? Anti-trust issues aside, could Microsoft purchase a large chunk of Red Hat and "integrate" its product line with Windows?
I've also got a GPL-related legal question here. Let's say I release "Ryan's Kewl Installer 1.0" under the GPL, but I continue to hold the copyright for the program. A year later, I write an update for it, based on the original source. My update is released as a commercial, closed-source program.
Normally, in this situation, the copyright holder could sue the person/company infringing on the license. But in this case, I am both the copyright holder AND the person infringing on the GPL. Would the rest of the open-source community be able to take any action against me?
Ryan
In many non-free software companies, people don't work on internal "open source" projects at all.
A lot of proprietary software is actually written by people, who don't know a thing about the other parts or hacks that their code collegues work on.
Don't do it Eric! They're going to abduct you and turn you into a Microsoft Borg(TM) that preaches the benefits of Windows to the masses! ;)
Arguing about vi versus Emacs is like arguing whether it's better to make fire by rubbing sticks or banging rocks.
This is a bit overdue, actually - and I'm confident that Eric isn't the first personality from this community who's been invited to speak to MS, though perhaps the first to have done so so publicly.
Microsoft's not dumb, and they're not afraid to change course, even drastically. If Win2K is a more or less total disaster, if Linux continues on its trajectory, and if there's a biz model behind it, I could see MS doing their own Linux distribution, porting MSOffice to it (though probably *not* open sourcing MSOffice), etc. Actually, all they need to do is port Win32 over to Linux, and they have a platform "story" to tell their developers.
Actually all Microsoft needs to do is buy time to build up their services division, as IBM has done over the last few years. Right now MS is way way overreliant on the high margins associated with proprietary software development - a model that more or less can not survive in the OSS world. Services can, though; but margins on services are much lower, so MS needs to figure out a services strategy that still retains a high margin. That's not easy to do, since you can't really protect yourself against your competitors offering the same service at a lower fee (and margin).
We live in interesting times.
Brian
hrm, are you related, or do you just have the same last name?
:P I went the the same highschool as him, and I even had the same english teacher, so there..
if its the latter then I 1up you
of couse if your his brother, then... nevermind
---------------
Chad Okere
ReadThe ReflectionEngine, a cyberpunk style n
I know Stephenson has made some pro-linux remarks lately and so is in high favor around here. But don't forget that Greg Bear is awesome too.
Maybe Bear should have named Slant, "Slant Dot." I remember hearing about the book before it came out on NPR. He named it for the "slash" on the computer keyboard and even that many years ago, I smiled in my driver's seat, wondering if Greg Bear knows about "Slashdot."
Peace.
"We have given you bitter pills with sugar coating. The pills are inert - the poison's in the sugar."
I have no idea what it means, but certain events like this call in to mind. So what do you say? Who'll be ingesting what from whom?
Esteem isn't a zero sum game
I submitted this, but just like always, I was a little late. Eric better be careful. I smell a kidnapping or even an assasination attempt brewing.
Nahhhh. Everybody at the lunch that ESR attends will be a brownshirt. Slated to die from the beginning of the episode. Me, I'd bring a brown bag that day.
-russ
Don't piss off The Angry Economist
I do not question MS's repositories of cash, brilliant people, or their strategic and tactical business brilliance. I am curious about one thing though... what is the good technology that has come out of Micros~1? (Oh, and no fair listing things that they bought. Also, remember that NT is based on "portable OS/2" from the IBM/MS partnership of days gone by -- but I suppose they must get credit for half.)
Geeky modern art T-shirts
I read in Technology Review that Stephenson can be
seen hanging around the Micros~1 campus. Slumming?
Drugged and hypnotized? Or waiting.... just waiting.... One of his characters would be carrying an emp weapon made out of an old Amana RadarRange magnetron. Maybe that is why nothing is shipping on time. Huummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
Why do you think Unix sucks? Why do you think Windows (95/98/NT - be specific) is better?
Please give examples and reasons to back up your opinion...
Regarding your statement about your coworker smashing the machines, personally I think your coworker is a total dick - I mean, he could have given the machines to Goodwill, an retirement home, or heck - to the high school kids! - people who could have used them constructively.
Actually, if your coworker had half a brain he could have built a pretty good Beowulf system out of those boxes...
Reason is the Path to God - Anon
Even if it's so bad crashes several times a day, people will continue to use it in droves.
Female Prison Rape in NY
You can't release your page under the GPL, since
it is a work based upon the GPL, which is a
non-free work (you can't modify and redistribute
it. So the GPL doesn't give me permission to use
your page at all.
perl -e 'fork||print for split//,"hahahaha"'
On a more serious note - those of you who follow the Spam Wars will likely remember Jim Nitchals. The term "Nitchalization" is used when an anti-spammer, rather than blindly wielding the Mallet of Doom, actually treats his or her enemy with sufficient respect that a dialogue develops, a clue is imparted and the former spammer changes his ways. It's harder work, and often fruitless, but when it works, it can work wonders.
Could I do that? Nope. I'm a mallet-swingin', all-spammers-are-subhuman-goo kinda guy all the way. But Jim wasn't. Jim realized that the best way to overcome an enemy is to make him your friend. In the face of harsh criticism and skepticism from his allies, he ended up convincing (of all people) Walt Rines and Sanford Wallace to endorse a strong anti-spam bill in Congress. I distinctly remember seeing a whole squadron of pigs flying outside my window that day.
I also have fond memories of Jim's code from my Apple ][ days, Bug Attack (real music during gameplay - a hell of an accomplishment given that the Apple's only "sound-generating" capability involved toggling whether the speaker cone between an "in" or "out" position!), Hard Hat Mack, Music Construction Set, Archon, and others.
Back to ESR, Stephenson, and Gates.
Will these presentations change the Evil Empire in a day? No. Maybe they'll change nothing at all. But the odds that they'll change things for the better is IMHO far greater than the odds that they'll change things for the worst. If there was one thing that Stephenson made clear in Snow Crash, it's that the voice of Reason doesn't have to speak with a million rounds per second. Sometimes a few well-placed words in the right ears can be far more effective.
ESR and Stephenson know this. Does their audience at Microsoft?
maybe esr is starting to think of himself as a star. The star of OS, hobnobbing with the biggies in redmond. Well, it wouldn't be the first time, folx. Maybe they'll stroke his ego a bit, wine & dine (oops, he doesn't drink, I don't think!) him, then get him on board with the M$ point of view of the world. As the OS spokesperson who can do no wrong (to many of you wide-eyed worshippers), I'm sure he'd excel as a trojan horse. Rest assured that bill et.al. have only the impurest of motives.
This is like going to a rally for Christians aganst Christ.It makes no sense,maybe Microsoft has hired a cult deprogrammer to get at ESR since nothing else has worked .
Don't go Eric!
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