Palm Crashes - In my experience, these usually have one of three causes - Physical trauma - physical impact can sometimes mess up the device w/o any apparent permanent damage - Low battery - if you get on the borderline of possible battery-induced memory loss, you can (I guess) lose enough that the thing will crash - Bad database mojo - deleting or mangling an important DB, bad hacks, anything that will execute code when the Palm sends notifications or performs traps can crash the device if it or its data are broken.
Usefulness of PalmOS vs. other designs Reasonably speaking, it's very important to understand that different people have different needs for these devices - a whole class of machines defined by nothing more than "handheld-size". IMO Palm and WinCE don't even address the same target - and really, each claims to cover the other's territory. Personally, I see the Palm as a practical compromise - limited power in exchange for good battery life and the best portability. The compromise was especially good when the Pilot was introduced, but power-devices like WinCE are gonna gradually close the gap. It doesn't mean Palm's gonna die or even lose their lead necessarily - but it means change. As for the usefulness of WinCE - It depends on needs. If I need a pocketable computer with a fair chunk of power, I have a good idea where to look. (I'd want the option of Linux on such a device, however - if I'm gonna have the extra weight, bulk, and decreased battery life of a heavyweight, I want the flexibility to run my favorite power tools)
I think the whole ordeal is a disgusting melee of marketing. There's more important stuff to worry about.
Make that 2-3 times the cost of a practical Palm device.
I haven't compared with WinCE devices, but the IIIc is not readable at all under sunlight. The reflective grayscale screens with switchable backlighting do better under a wider variety of light, even if they don't get the pretty color and super-sharp contrast indoors.
TrgPRO 8MB - $350 or so Palm IIIxe 8MB - $250 Visor Pro 8MB - $250
The guy asked for advice on pricing a website, the slashdotters are giving the best advice they have. Maybe they're right, maybe they're wrong - but the guy's getting the answers he asked for, so what's your fucking problem?
First: "Geek Pride" implies "Gay"? How do you figure? Since when do only homosexuals have, or have need to show, pride?
Second: I wouldn't go so far as to say the situations are the same. Homosexuals are treated poorly because of irrational fears, misguided 'moral' stances, and insecurity - and because they make a good target for fear and hatred - the legal stance on them is still divided. The basic problem that geeks to have in common with homosexuals is the constant implication that what they are isn't right, or that they should feel obligated to change themselves to meet people's expectations.
There are differences in extent and causes, of course - homosexuals are persecuted, even if we as a group like to believe we're more enlightened by now. Geeks are merely misunderstood, and often not because of their interests and ideas, but because of poor social skills. The basic idea of the Geek Pride event still holds, however - these people who have one thing in common - being identified as geeks - have a right to be proud of themselves and who and what they are in spite of what they have probably heard from peers. The reason it's called a "Geek Pride" event rather than just a "Geek Social" is because pride is an important issue here - Geeks are often taught to be ashamed of their geekiness - being among others who have some common experience is a chance to deny that and have some fun in the process.
OK, so it's not, strictly-speaking, impossible for a virus to attack a system that's not 100% securely managed - but there are a few reasons why Linux viri are still -impractical-
1: In order to gain any substantial power on the system, the virus needs to use an exploit of some kind - the available exploits tend to change as software evolves, security information spreads, etc. So even if there are plenty of openings, they may not be the ones that were there when the virus was written. 2: The opportunities to spread are very limited. Unless there's a known remote exploit the virus can use to spread to other systems, it isn't likely to be able to do so. This means it'll really just wind up being a trojan horse program. And once the virus is found, and its source determined, the alert will be out and no one will get that "virus" anymore. Since remote exploits are taken very seriously these days, it's quite unlikely that any given exploit will exist long enough for a virus to take advantage of it. 3: Prepackaged Linux. Sure, so a lot of users aren't that security-minded - that's why low-maintenance prepackaged distros make it simpler. By not including unneeded service daemons, the potential for exploits is cut back. By providing most of the needed software on the distro site itself, most of the potential for introduction of malicious programs is removed. And while a lot of these systems will be running a lot of games, remember as well that SVGAlib is on the decline - systems like X DRI and framebuffers are on the way in - when game makers can rely on these technologies, there won't be need for any more SUID root games. 4: They're just not tolerated on Linux - it's really that simple. In the DOS/Windows world, viri are considered almost a fact of life - and if you get one, well it sucks to be you. In the Linux world, the existance of a virus indicates that there's some sort of flaw in the system design, and developers will work to disseminate information on the flaw, and fix it.
Techies will want to keep in mind what it will mean if the government intends to establish mechanisms for tracing internet traffic.
First off, it will probably mean that they'll shift support toward proprietary solutions - those which they can have changed to suit their needs, and which can be deployed in a way which prevents tampering. In other words, compatibility barrier, binary distribution, security (of the protocol) through obscurity.
Second, they're gonna need cooperation. This means either a substantial chunk of the internet within the US becomes government sanctioned and controlled (with those servers being good and proper and volunteering whatever information the NSA, CIA, or whatever else wants this week) or (US) internet backbone sites will have to run the US-sanctioned software.
As governments get more involved in controlling localities of the internet, I think it'll become more fragmented and less free (speech/beer). Personally, I think that if terrorism and such can't be prevented without sweeping searches, indiscriminate monitoring of communications, and export restrictions on crypto, maybe it's not worth it.
(Responses) - The MPAA/DVDCCA doesn't want to stop Linux DVD players (tho they likely don't care about making sure one is available either) - but they do think they should have complete control over any software that is able to decode DVDs - meaning licensed players on Linux are possible - but that's where it becomes a matter of culture clash. To a lot of Linux users, it's not just a matter of "not wanting to" pay for a DVD player, for example, but not feeling they should have to - after all, if someone was clever enough to get an -unlicensed- player working, and it only takes a little extra effort to get it working, why on earth should someone have to buy a "Licensed" DVD decoder that can't be modified, shared, etc.? - The reason the article was posted to Slashdot is, I expect, because it's a convenient starting point. As he mentioned, it will likely be re-distributed. It also helps to rally the people who are interested in doing something to directly change the situation.
1: Protest at the Academy Awards - I think the powers that be are strongly dead-set against anything like this happening at the awards. Short of an award winner slipping it into their acceptance speech, I don't think it'd work.
2: Hand out literature/stage protests at theaters, vid. stores, etc. - I don't think protesting is a good idea at all - hand out literature PEACEFULLY if the owner of the establishment allows you to do so. "Peaceful protest" is still a crime if, for example, it unfairly targets a person's business (video stores and theaters are more slaves to the motion picture industry than the other way around)
3: Spreading the word in the ticket lines/Call-in radio - standard "advocacy" rules apply here - no disinformation, so make sure you're up to speed on all sides of the story. No one's gonna be impressed you tell them about DeCSS but can't tell them A: in what sense the MPAA is correct that it's a circumvention measure according to the DMCA, B: Why DeCSS was released as a Windows Binary, C: Why people should be able to view DVDs without an approved player, and D: why people should care even if they got a licensed player free with their DVD drive.
4: (Taking it to the paper) - not a bad idea - Remember to write for your audience. If an editorial seems too tech-centric, the paper likely won't print it.
5: ("Vote") - Voting by itself does very little. Where a person can have a more substantial impact is if they get more involved - at a minimum, thoroughly research the candidates first. If possible, find out how they feel about these issues you're interested in. Otherwise you're pretty much just casting a blind-vote, popularity contest style. If you get active in trying to convince other people to vote for something you're interested in, that's even better.
Under the DMCA, it's forbidden to write, distribute, or use any mechanism that compromises the terms of a copyrighted work's distribution. This means the RIAA could claim that MP3 tools, including rippers, encoders, players, any CD ROM drive with CDDA, and distribution channels can be put under that category and that the RIAA can try to stamp them out. Whether or not the tools have legitimate purposes (backup - CDs last about 10 years, or more convenient storage - IE an in-home fileserver rather than a huge CD changer) the RIAA can claim under DMCA that they are circumvention tools and potentially acquire injunctions against them.
Where it gets worse is in future standards. Probably even the RIAA can't stamp out MP3 at this point - but when the next major audio format (DVD audio maybe? Or those "copy proof" CDs they started running in Europe?) comes out, they'll be able to prevent legitimate archival and other fair use. When the next great codec comes along to replace MP3, they can outlaw it or limit it to proprietary products and enforce inclusion of copy-protection systems. Distribution channels are already under pressure.
The big thing here isn't that they can stop everything they don't like - but they can do a lot to -stifle- it. This can actually do a lot to limit open-source development, collaboration, and distribution of such products, since many of the software development and distribution channels we Linux-types use are non-profit - and would crumble under a big lawsuit. Think of Debian in 5 years without the future equivalent of cdparanoia, grip, etc.
> Well my relative note to this discussion. I too cannot wait for both systems to be released so that we can once again crown Nintendo winner of the console wars. hehe;)
...For the first time in 10 years, maybe.:P'
NES was a winner, SNES as well (I suppose - had issues with censorship, among other things). N64 had technical superiority, but at the cost of game diversity and affordability. (Like a less-skewed Neo Geo). PSX won the 1995-1999 console war, because it's a great system with lots of games -- even if its hardware does suck (as evidenced by non-tag-team Street Fighter "vs" games, etc.)
> I can't see that as a good enough reason for Sony.
Well, that's why you don't work for Sony's corporate planning division. It's obviously a good enough reason for them, since they're waiting an extra 6 mos. before releasing it elsewhere.
Consider this - there is a huge market for the console, of course, and if Sony screws up their launch, they'll be hurting very badly for at least the next 5 years in terms of the video game market. By initially releasing to a limited market, they can work out any production problems, firmware bugs, mechanical failures, and compatibility problems before releasing to their bulk market overseas. And the Japanese market may be favorable to them in other ways, as well - they have a large market with small deployment costs (lots of customers over a relatively small geographical area), probably no troubles getting the units sold, and likely the feedback they do get will be from people who have all kinds of experience with different brands and models of game machines, DVD players, computers, and other personal electronics, giving them useful information on all areas of the new product. Once the initial release is done and they have a good idea what needs to change, then they'll release an updated unit in Japan and overseas, step up production, and probably have no problems getting even a fair number of the PSX2.0 owners to get a PSX2.1. Especially if there are problems with PSX2.0 (what are the chances...?) - and if they do wind up having to do some kind of recall (an extreme case), again, the cost will be much lower than if they had to coordinate it overseas.
People who have no business experience and wish the world served their interests a lot more than it does often don't understand this. (Both of the above apply to me, I want a PSX2 w/o region encoding, and have no business experience) But you have to look at it from their perspective. If they screw this up, it's gonna cost them. Big time. That's the kind of thing that'll cost them their market lead. Making foreign markets wait 6 months is a safe move, which could also cost them (IE if Nintendo sneaks in a release) but almost certainly not nearly as much as a rush-release would.
Come on, "first post"? You weren't even close! I got in before you, and while I was trying to figure out what to write at least 10 other people got in before me.:) Get a grip.
Oh, and settle down. Looks like Carmack's got a firm grip on the situation.
Has this been an ongoing thing for a while? John mentioned that some other people mighta been harassing the mod author... Looks like he's handling it well, tho - being polite, giving the guy the benefit of the doubt, but standing up for his rights to the code he released under GPL...
I have a concern about this case - I think it's a little more serious than the possibility that the judge is biased or un-knowledgable about the technical issues here - and that is that despite all the enthusiasm and EFF support, the defendants just aren't making a good enough case.
Think about it - the plaintiffs have a lot of money. You know they have five-star lawyers, and they may have even had a certain (limited) amount of sway over the court itself. Needless to say, anyone from the industry who was expecting to speak at any of the hearings has been thoroughly briefed by the legal team - ensuring that everyone on the plaintiff's side tells the same story in the same way, relying on the same legal precedents and avoiding contradiction altogether.
Now, I have no way of knowing if the defendants are really disorganized or poorly represented - but my impressions on this are based on the judge's statements and have gradually built into fears about this case.:) From the statement I get the impression that more often than not, the defendants, <b>right or not</b>, are defending their positions poorly - both from a legal standpoint and a purely argumentative one. The judge's statement mentions repeatedly that the defendants failed to support various assertions in their positions - assertions many of us have probably made ourselves, particular, I expect, to a particular segment of computer-enthusiasts - if we agree with the defendants' position, the jusge and plaintiffs seem foolish - after all, how can they not understand that DeCSS is an interoperability tool? But the judge works in terms of law. If the defendants aren't prepared to state their position with a solid legal basis, they'll fail to convince the judge that there's a legal justification for their position, and may fail to convince the judge that the defendants' position is justifiable in any sense at all.
Sadly, it's not the judge's responsibility to relate to every subculture's ideas of right and wrong - it wouldn't be practical anyway, and we're a bit egocentric to think that a judge is un-knowledgable about the subject of computers if he/she doesn't agree with us. I'm concerned the defendants just aren't making a good enough case at this point. I really, really hope the defense is gonna wise up, if this is really the problem for them (and us) that I think it is.
It seems as though the defendants need to demonstrate that this <b>is</b> an interoperability issue, <b>why</b> DMCA is a bad thing... support their positions...
I don't relish the idea of losing this one.
---GEC (If DeCSS is outlawed, only outlaws will have DeCSS)
As I understand it, one of the key points in the DVD encryption scheme is a (more or less) unwritable, unreadable section of the disc which contains part of the information needed to decrypt the disc. The other part is contained within the DVD player itself. (Each DVD player manufacturer licenses a key to include in its firmware. This info + the special sector = the info you need to be able to decrypt)
This part of the copy-protection scheme is (as far as I can tell) similar to the way Sony (tries to) keep people from pirating Playstation games. Every PSX unit's firmware is programmed to only play games with the correct localization code and the correct format - and the localization code is written in a way that commercially available CD burners and the like can't duplicate. That doesn't mean that a person can't chip their playstation (bypass the security on the end-user unit), but it does make it very difficult for people without some -serious- equipment to pirate games to run on normal units.
If DeCSS is outlawed, only outlaws will have DeCSS. ---GEC
"I'm addressing the prevailing attitude that's being displayed: that things should be nailed down to the lboody floor to stop y'all from stealing it. And that if you don't use a big enough nail, then it's your own fault if it gets stolen."
1: Their CSS system for keeping DVD content secure from access by non-licensed players/readers was flawed. Illustrating the point that CSS is flawed by creating a CSS decoder is a reality check for them (IE they should know it's not secure, and if security is that important to them they should implement it better), and empowerment for those of us who work "outside the box" in some way - running an alternate OS perhaps. It's also empowerment for DVD pirates, but that actually is the DVD people's problem. 2: If they want to stop piracy, they should stop pirates. He wasn't brought in for copying and selling copyrighted DVDs, he was brought in for writing a tool. He didn't steal anything, DeCSS wasn't written by stealing information, just by a fair amount of hacking and analysis of the facts at hand. 3: Copying DVDs, copyrighted or not, IS NOT ILLEGAL. People are allowed to make backups, and to archive to a more convenient medium. It only becomes piracy if you make copies for other people. See point 2. 4: OK, sure, piracy is still piracy even if they didn't implement their security system well enough. But if you want to go back to your metaphor for a minute - DVD's aren't "on the floor" at all - they're on the -street-. Everyone has access to them. If you want to keep something like that secure, you don't just nail it down, you bolt it down to a large, immobile structure anchored in concrete. If I left my palmpilot lying on the sidewalk, I'd be crazy to think it'd still be lying there an hour later. They knew they couldn't trust everyone in the world to not pirate their content, they just didn't come up with a very good system to stop piracy.
If DeCSS is outlawed, only outlaws will have DeCSS. ---GEC
... That this is the reason there are multiple distros.
If Debian's tools are too primitive for your tastes, go with RedHat. Me, I think they're a happy medium between the (from my perspective) anal RedHat procedures and the super-chaotic Slackware/tarball approach. Now, why hasn't Debian cleaned up each and every one of their UI and install issues? Let me spell it out for you:
DEBIAN IS OPERATED, MAINTAINED, AND ADVANCED BY VOLUNTEERS.
RedHat has a nice business going, same with Caldera, etc. Debian is just about the software. Because Debian maintainers haven't chosen to target its installation and maintenance software at those who know very little about Linux, it does not mean that they're elitists - they've just got their priorities straight. Get it all working, and working well, then make it pretty. If you think their installation process is too hard, go ahead and write a better one, volunteer to maintain it, and I'm sure they'll include it.
Oh, and quit your bitching about dselect. apt has been around for quite a while now, and works quite well.
Okay, so it wound up being news in some circles... Now, why do you suppose Transmeta hired Linus? I wouldn't discount the fact that he's popular and well-recognized in various circles, but don't you think he has the skills to pull his own weight?
Think of it this way - you're looking for a job - something to take care of the bills and family, you need to write your resume. Do you suppose they'd be impressed by a line like
PROJECTS Initial developer of the LINUX operating system. Served as project leader of an international group of developers through the continued refinement of the system.
Whether or not they'd even heard of Linux? I think they would, here's why -
1: It's one hell of a project, no matter how you slice it, and it's only more impressive the more the prospective employer researches it. This plays into the Linux name recognition thing. 2: It demonstrates that he knows a lot about programming, PC architecture (as well as other architectures, special hardware and configurations, etc.) - in the interview they'd probably ask him how the project started, he could tell them all about Minix, early experimentation with protected-mode programming and context switching, leading to the earliest releases and growing interest. 3: It demonstrates that he has the discipline and management skills to establish a project like this, build it up, and then coordinate the other volunteer developers through its continuation.
So could it be that Transmeta hired him because they knew he was skilled, competent, and able to work and play well with others? I think so.
I just don't get it - what's the point in getting Slashdot source anyway? It seems as though it's a very well put together system, but did the Slashdot creators make any substantial pieces of software for the implementation of the system that would be useful in other contexts? Apart from the fact that it's been refined to a nice level of polish, is there anything particularly challenging about its implementation? What exactly would someone do with the source if they had it? It seems to me as though Linux users already have plenty of web tools available to them - Apache, various databases, PHP, GIMP, etc. - If you can't make something out of that, maybe you should try something simple, like "Welcome to my homepage, here you'll learn all about me, but bear with me, it's under construction..."
"...I'm just wondering... How the hell would you use emacs with a handheld?"
Have you heard of pen computing? Anything the GUI doesn't provide can be implemented as scribble-type input. As for chording, that's why you have shift-states, command strokes, etc.
And really, how much Emacs functionality do you suppose -wouldn't- be covered by 1: a command stroke equivalent to CTRL, and 2: one for Meta-X? (OK, you might need one stroke just for Meta or Escape itself... But not much)
Windows boxes are appliances. Linux boxes are tools. ---GEC
Re:Why? - cuz simple PDAs are very useful
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With this, I gotta say, damn straight... PalmOS is useful because the user doesn't have to bother with anything too complicated. It's easy, it's quick, and it works. Excellent for any geek (or non-geek, for that matter) who wants a handy item to keep track of all their assorted thoughts and plans.
So is Linux on a PDA useful? Yes. Here's why.
Consider the TRGPro. It's a Palm IIIx with 8MB of memory and a CompactFlash slot. It was mainly designed for corporations and such that had a specific need for such a slot on a small PDA-type device. Now anybody who has a specific need for one of these is probably gonna need to write software for it (CF features are not integrated into PalmOS at this point) - particularly if they have one specific role (IE inventory tracking with barcodes, etc.) in mind for it. They can use PalmOS for that, and everything's fine and dandy. Or, since they're using the devices internally, they might find it worthwhile to run Linux, and code their application on top of that. (Advantages would be the ability to tweak the OS, better networking support, multitasking, etc.) - in that particular case, some kinda company using the devices internally and for their own purposes, and writing their own software, having Linux available might be useful.
Then there's pure geek appeal - the ability to hack the system to make it do what you want. PalmOS is limited and legally bound up in this regard. ucLinux could potentially be quite a bit better - the obvious downside is that you lose the convenience of running it as a PDA - and if you don't manage the system right, it'll no longer have its famed long battery life, won't be handy for taking notes, etc. For those of us who mainly wanted a PDA to be able to hack on it anyway, that could be worthwhile - but I think for the most part it's just as well to wait for LinuxCE before trying to do that sort of thing.
To put it briefly, it would mean developers and users would NO LONGER HAVE TO BE 3Com's BITCH.
3Com has been getting progressively less developer-friendly, in my opinion. API headers can't be modified or redistributed without "express written consent" (a problem for the prc-tools guys, I imagine), they're doing their best to keep anyone from actually using the devsupport E-mail, and none of the debugging ROM images are accessable unless you sign an NDA. Needless to say, the situation can get a bit unpalatable for someone who writes GPL code.
As far as a switch to Linux - well, yeah, people still have to be careful that their software is reasonably quick on the limited hardware and that it doesn't crash for lack of memory - that much is worth a big fat "duh". All the GUI stuff that would presumably go with ucLinux is still unwritten. (The guys who wrote it -really- wrote it to be used in embedded microcontrollers. Palm Pilot was just a first, very convenient test platform)
The thing of it is, particularly for programmers and other geeks, Linux on a palmtop would mean simpler transition of code. That doesn't mean the code's gonna be any better suited to the palmtop when it gets there (IE you can cross-compile your favorite Scheme interpreter, but it won't have a GUI) but it means you can DO MORE than you can in the closed-source, somewhat limiting PalmOS, at least as far as geekish activities are concerned.
For general palmtop use, you're probably right. Someone would need to go to a lot of trouble to make Linux on a palmtop run as smoothly as PalmOS, and it would be a little more chaotic a system without the common database format and such.
My PalmOS Projects are on http://www.xnot.com/tetsujin/ ---GEC
That (segregating anything "pornographic" into a separate TLD on the internet and banning porn from all other parts of the net) is a pretty fucked-up idea.
Here's why - our nation's highest laws specifically protect freedom of ideas, beliefs, and expression. "Expression" can take all kinds of forms. If we codify what is and is not allowed outside the porn zone, we're limiting the freedom of expression of those who aren't publishing pornography. Artists, for starters. If the 1st ammendment doesn't protect artists' rights to express themselves, then it's really not good for much. How do you codify what is porn and what is art? By whether the artist calls themselves an artist? By whether it's any good, or whether it shows any thought? That doesn't work.
Who the hell decides what is "okay" for kids to know about anyway? I personally think people might grow up a lot more well-adjusted if they didn't have to wait for one of the most stressful, confusing, awkward periods of their life to be privvy to the real meaning of sex.
Like you said, anything less than absolute free speech is not free speech.
---GEC
Is the MP3 watch really big, as MP3 players go??
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OK, so it's big... for a watch. Does that mean that it's big for an MP3 player? Is it, say, more convenient than having a Rio strapped to your wrist?
Ya gotta keep in mind what a thing like this is gonna be used for - you want music (of your choice) and you want to take it with you. Maybe it's a sport thing (running, working out, whatever) but regardless, the idea here is not to have some klunky box on the end of your headphones... in that sense, even if it is big, it's not.
Slashdot Mirror
Palm Crashes -
In my experience, these usually have one of three causes
- Physical trauma - physical impact can sometimes mess up the device w/o any apparent permanent damage
- Low battery - if you get on the borderline of possible battery-induced memory loss, you can (I guess) lose enough that the thing will crash
- Bad database mojo - deleting or mangling an important DB, bad hacks, anything that will execute code when the Palm sends notifications or performs traps can crash the device if it or its data are broken.
Usefulness of PalmOS vs. other designs
Reasonably speaking, it's very important to understand that different people have different needs for these devices - a whole class of machines defined by nothing more than "handheld-size". IMO Palm and WinCE don't even address the same target - and really, each claims to cover the other's territory.
Personally, I see the Palm as a practical compromise - limited power in exchange for good battery life and the best portability. The compromise was especially good when the Pilot was introduced, but power-devices like WinCE are gonna gradually close the gap. It doesn't mean Palm's gonna die or even lose their lead necessarily - but it means change.
As for the usefulness of WinCE - It depends on needs. If I need a pocketable computer with a fair chunk of power, I have a good idea where to look. (I'd want the option of Linux on such a device, however - if I'm gonna have the extra weight, bulk, and decreased battery life of a heavyweight, I want the flexibility to run my favorite power tools)
I think the whole ordeal is a disgusting melee of marketing. There's more important stuff to worry about.
Make that 2-3 times the cost of a practical Palm device.
I haven't compared with WinCE devices, but the IIIc is not readable at all under sunlight. The reflective grayscale screens with switchable backlighting do better under a wider variety of light, even if they don't get the pretty color and super-sharp contrast indoors.
TrgPRO 8MB - $350 or so
Palm IIIxe 8MB - $250
Visor Pro 8MB - $250
The guy asked for advice on pricing a website, the slashdotters are giving the best advice they have. Maybe they're right, maybe they're wrong - but the guy's getting the answers he asked for, so what's your fucking problem?
First: "Geek Pride" implies "Gay"? How do you figure? Since when do only homosexuals have, or have need to show, pride?
:P'
Second: I wouldn't go so far as to say the situations are the same. Homosexuals are treated poorly because of irrational fears, misguided 'moral' stances, and insecurity - and because they make a good target for fear and hatred - the legal stance on them is still divided. The basic problem that geeks to have in common with homosexuals is the constant implication that what they are isn't right, or that they should feel obligated to change themselves to meet people's expectations.
There are differences in extent and causes, of course - homosexuals are persecuted, even if we as a group like to believe we're more enlightened by now. Geeks are merely misunderstood, and often not because of their interests and ideas, but because of poor social skills. The basic idea of the Geek Pride event still holds, however - these people who have one thing in common - being identified as geeks - have a right to be proud of themselves and who and what they are in spite of what they have probably heard from peers. The reason it's called a "Geek Pride" event rather than just a "Geek Social" is because pride is an important issue here - Geeks are often taught to be ashamed of their geekiness - being among others who have some common experience is a chance to deny that and have some fun in the process.
In short, get over it.
OK, so it's not, strictly-speaking, impossible for a virus to attack a system that's not 100% securely managed - but there are a few reasons why Linux viri are still -impractical-
1: In order to gain any substantial power on the system, the virus needs to use an exploit of some kind - the available exploits tend to change as software evolves, security information spreads, etc. So even if there are plenty of openings, they may not be the ones that were there when the virus was written.
2: The opportunities to spread are very limited. Unless there's a known remote exploit the virus can use to spread to other systems, it isn't likely to be able to do so. This means it'll really just wind up being a trojan horse program. And once the virus is found, and its source determined, the alert will be out and no one will get that "virus" anymore. Since remote exploits are taken very seriously these days, it's quite unlikely that any given exploit will exist long enough for a virus to take advantage of it.
3: Prepackaged Linux. Sure, so a lot of users aren't that security-minded - that's why low-maintenance prepackaged distros make it simpler. By not including unneeded service daemons, the potential for exploits is cut back. By providing most of the needed software on the distro site itself, most of the potential for introduction of malicious programs is removed. And while a lot of these systems will be running a lot of games, remember as well that SVGAlib is on the decline - systems like X DRI and framebuffers are on the way in - when game makers can rely on these technologies, there won't be need for any more SUID root games.
4: They're just not tolerated on Linux - it's really that simple. In the DOS/Windows world, viri are considered almost a fact of life - and if you get one, well it sucks to be you. In the Linux world, the existance of a virus indicates that there's some sort of flaw in the system design, and developers will work to disseminate information on the flaw, and fix it.
Techies will want to keep in mind what it will mean if the government intends to establish mechanisms for tracing internet traffic.
First off, it will probably mean that they'll shift support toward proprietary solutions - those which they can have changed to suit their needs, and which can be deployed in a way which prevents tampering. In other words, compatibility barrier, binary distribution, security (of the protocol) through obscurity.
Second, they're gonna need cooperation. This means either a substantial chunk of the internet within the US becomes government sanctioned and controlled (with those servers being good and proper and volunteering whatever information the NSA, CIA, or whatever else wants this week) or (US) internet backbone sites will have to run the US-sanctioned software.
As governments get more involved in controlling localities of the internet, I think it'll become more fragmented and less free (speech/beer). Personally, I think that if terrorism and such can't be prevented without sweeping searches, indiscriminate monitoring of communications, and export restrictions on crypto, maybe it's not worth it.
(Responses)
- The MPAA/DVDCCA doesn't want to stop Linux DVD players (tho they likely don't care about making sure one is available either) - but they do think they should have complete control over any software that is able to decode DVDs - meaning licensed players on Linux are possible - but that's where it becomes a matter of culture clash. To a lot of Linux users, it's not just a matter of "not wanting to" pay for a DVD player, for example, but not feeling they should have to - after all, if someone was clever enough to get an -unlicensed- player working, and it only takes a little extra effort to get it working, why on earth should someone have to buy a "Licensed" DVD decoder that can't be modified, shared, etc.?
- The reason the article was posted to Slashdot is, I expect, because it's a convenient starting point. As he mentioned, it will likely be re-distributed. It also helps to rally the people who are interested in doing something to directly change the situation.
1: Protest at the Academy Awards - I think the powers that be are strongly dead-set against anything like this happening at the awards. Short of an award winner slipping it into their acceptance speech, I don't think it'd work.
2: Hand out literature/stage protests at theaters, vid. stores, etc. - I don't think protesting is a good idea at all - hand out literature PEACEFULLY if the owner of the establishment allows you to do so. "Peaceful protest" is still a crime if, for example, it unfairly targets a person's business (video stores and theaters are more slaves to the motion picture industry than the other way around)
3: Spreading the word in the ticket lines/Call-in radio - standard "advocacy" rules apply here - no disinformation, so make sure you're up to speed on all sides of the story. No one's gonna be impressed you tell them about DeCSS but can't tell them A: in what sense the MPAA is correct that it's a circumvention measure according to the DMCA, B: Why DeCSS was released as a Windows Binary, C: Why people should be able to view DVDs without an approved player, and D: why people should care even if they got a licensed player free with their DVD drive.
4: (Taking it to the paper) - not a bad idea - Remember to write for your audience. If an editorial seems too tech-centric, the paper likely won't print it.
5: ("Vote") - Voting by itself does very little. Where a person can have a more substantial impact is if they get more involved - at a minimum, thoroughly research the candidates first. If possible, find out how they feel about these issues you're interested in. Otherwise you're pretty much just casting a blind-vote, popularity contest style. If you get active in trying to convince other people to vote for something you're interested in, that's even better.
DMCA -can- prevent free music - here's why
Under the DMCA, it's forbidden to write, distribute, or use any mechanism that compromises the terms of a copyrighted work's distribution. This means the RIAA could claim that MP3 tools, including rippers, encoders, players, any CD ROM drive with CDDA, and distribution channels can be put under that category and that the RIAA can try to stamp them out. Whether or not the tools have legitimate purposes (backup - CDs last about 10 years, or more convenient storage - IE an in-home fileserver rather than a huge CD changer) the RIAA can claim under DMCA that they are circumvention tools and potentially acquire injunctions against them.
Where it gets worse is in future standards. Probably even the RIAA can't stamp out MP3 at this point - but when the next major audio format (DVD audio maybe? Or those "copy proof" CDs they started running in Europe?) comes out, they'll be able to prevent legitimate archival and other fair use. When the next great codec comes along to replace MP3, they can outlaw it or limit it to proprietary products and enforce inclusion of copy-protection systems. Distribution channels are already under pressure.
The big thing here isn't that they can stop everything they don't like - but they can do a lot to -stifle- it. This can actually do a lot to limit open-source development, collaboration, and distribution of such products, since many of the software development and distribution channels we Linux-types use are non-profit - and would crumble under a big lawsuit. Think of Debian in 5 years without the future equivalent of cdparanoia, grip, etc.
I'm sure we could get some PERL heads together and come up with an automatic generator for these.
> Well my relative note to this discussion. I too cannot wait for both systems to be released so that we can once again crown Nintendo winner of the console wars. hehe ;)
:P'
...For the first time in 10 years, maybe.
NES was a winner, SNES as well (I suppose - had issues with censorship, among other things). N64 had technical superiority, but at the cost of game diversity and affordability. (Like a less-skewed Neo Geo). PSX won the 1995-1999 console war, because it's a great system with lots of games -- even if its hardware does suck (as evidenced by non-tag-team Street Fighter "vs" games, etc.)
> I can't see that as a good enough reason for Sony.
Well, that's why you don't work for Sony's corporate planning division. It's obviously a good enough reason for them, since they're waiting an extra 6 mos. before releasing it elsewhere.
Consider this - there is a huge market for the console, of course, and if Sony screws up their launch, they'll be hurting very badly for at least the next 5 years in terms of the video game market. By initially releasing to a limited market, they can work out any production problems, firmware bugs, mechanical failures, and compatibility problems before releasing to their bulk market overseas. And the Japanese market may be favorable to them in other ways, as well - they have a large market with small deployment costs (lots of customers over a relatively small geographical area), probably no troubles getting the units sold, and likely the feedback they do get will be from people who have all kinds of experience with different brands and models of game machines, DVD players, computers, and other personal electronics, giving them useful information on all areas of the new product. Once the initial release is done and they have a good idea what needs to change, then they'll release an updated unit in Japan and overseas, step up production, and probably have no problems getting even a fair number of the PSX2.0 owners to get a PSX2.1. Especially if there are problems with PSX2.0 (what are the chances...?) - and if they do wind up having to do some kind of recall (an extreme case), again, the cost will be much lower than if they had to coordinate it overseas.
People who have no business experience and wish the world served their interests a lot more than it does often don't understand this. (Both of the above apply to me, I want a PSX2 w/o region encoding, and have no business experience) But you have to look at it from their perspective. If they screw this up, it's gonna cost them. Big time. That's the kind of thing that'll cost them their market lead. Making foreign markets wait 6 months is a safe move, which could also cost them (IE if Nintendo sneaks in a release) but almost certainly not nearly as much as a rush-release would.
---GEC
I think Tux will be fine on his own. Take a look at This.
Come on, "first post"? You weren't even close! I got in before you, and while I was trying to figure out what to write at least 10 other people got in before me. :) Get a grip.
Oh, and settle down. Looks like Carmack's got a firm grip on the situation.
Has this been an ongoing thing for a while? John mentioned that some other people mighta been harassing the mod author... Looks like he's handling it well, tho - being polite, giving the guy the benefit of the doubt, but standing up for his rights to the code he released under GPL...
I have a concern about this case - I think it's a little more serious than the possibility that the judge is biased or un-knowledgable about the technical issues here - and that is that despite all the enthusiasm and EFF support, the defendants just aren't making a good enough case.
:) From the statement I get the impression that more often than not, the defendants, <b>right or not</b>, are defending their positions poorly - both from a legal standpoint and a purely argumentative one. The judge's statement mentions repeatedly that the defendants failed to support various assertions in their positions - assertions many of us have probably made ourselves, particular, I expect, to a particular segment of computer-enthusiasts - if we agree with the defendants' position, the jusge and plaintiffs seem foolish - after all, how can they not understand that DeCSS is an interoperability tool? But the judge works in terms of law. If the defendants aren't prepared to state their position with a solid legal basis, they'll fail to convince the judge that there's a legal justification for their position, and may fail to convince the judge that the defendants' position is justifiable in any sense at all.
Think about it - the plaintiffs have a lot of money. You know they have five-star lawyers, and they may have even had a certain (limited) amount of sway over the court itself. Needless to say, anyone from the industry who was expecting to speak at any of the hearings has been thoroughly briefed by the legal team - ensuring that everyone on the plaintiff's side tells the same story in the same way, relying on the same legal precedents and avoiding contradiction altogether.
Now, I have no way of knowing if the defendants are really disorganized or poorly represented - but my impressions on this are based on the judge's statements and have gradually built into fears about this case.
Sadly, it's not the judge's responsibility to relate to every subculture's ideas of right and wrong - it wouldn't be practical anyway, and we're a bit egocentric to think that a judge is un-knowledgable about the subject of computers if he/she doesn't agree with us. I'm concerned the defendants just aren't making a good enough case at this point. I really, really hope the defense is gonna wise up, if this is really the problem for them (and us) that I think it is.
It seems as though the defendants need to demonstrate that this <b>is</b> an interoperability issue, <b>why</b> DMCA is a bad thing... support their positions...
I don't relish the idea of losing this one.
---GEC
(If DeCSS is outlawed, only outlaws will have DeCSS)
As I understand it, one of the key points in the DVD encryption scheme is a (more or less) unwritable, unreadable section of the disc which contains part of the information needed to decrypt the disc. The other part is contained within the DVD player itself. (Each DVD player manufacturer licenses a key to include in its firmware. This info + the special sector = the info you need to be able to decrypt)
This part of the copy-protection scheme is (as far as I can tell) similar to the way Sony (tries to) keep people from pirating Playstation games. Every PSX unit's firmware is programmed to only play games with the correct localization code and the correct format - and the localization code is written in a way that commercially available CD burners and the like can't duplicate. That doesn't mean that a person can't chip their playstation (bypass the security on the end-user unit), but it does make it very difficult for people without some -serious- equipment to pirate games to run on normal units.
If DeCSS is outlawed, only outlaws will have DeCSS.
---GEC
"I'm addressing the prevailing attitude that's being displayed: that things should be nailed down to the lboody floor to stop y'all from stealing it. And that if you don't use a big enough nail, then it's your own fault if it gets stolen."
1: Their CSS system for keeping DVD content secure from access by non-licensed players/readers was flawed. Illustrating the point that CSS is flawed by creating a CSS decoder is a reality check for them (IE they should know it's not secure, and if security is that important to them they should implement it better), and empowerment for those of us who work "outside the box" in some way - running an alternate OS perhaps. It's also empowerment for DVD pirates, but that actually is the DVD people's problem.
2: If they want to stop piracy, they should stop pirates. He wasn't brought in for copying and selling copyrighted DVDs, he was brought in for writing a tool. He didn't steal anything, DeCSS wasn't written by stealing information, just by a fair amount of hacking and analysis of the facts at hand.
3: Copying DVDs, copyrighted or not, IS NOT ILLEGAL. People are allowed to make backups, and to archive to a more convenient medium. It only becomes piracy if you make copies for other people. See point 2.
4: OK, sure, piracy is still piracy even if they didn't implement their security system well enough. But if you want to go back to your metaphor for a minute - DVD's aren't "on the floor" at all - they're on the -street-. Everyone has access to them. If you want to keep something like that secure, you don't just nail it down, you bolt it down to a large, immobile structure anchored in concrete. If I left my palmpilot lying on the sidewalk, I'd be crazy to think it'd still be lying there an hour later. They knew they couldn't trust everyone in the world to not pirate their content, they just didn't come up with a very good system to stop piracy.
If DeCSS is outlawed, only outlaws will have DeCSS.
---GEC
... That this is the reason there are multiple distros.
If Debian's tools are too primitive for your tastes, go with RedHat. Me, I think they're a happy medium between the (from my perspective) anal RedHat procedures and the super-chaotic Slackware/tarball approach. Now, why hasn't Debian cleaned up each and every one of their UI and install issues? Let me spell it out for you:
DEBIAN IS OPERATED, MAINTAINED, AND ADVANCED BY VOLUNTEERS.
RedHat has a nice business going, same with Caldera, etc. Debian is just about the software. Because Debian maintainers haven't chosen to target its installation and maintenance software at those who know very little about Linux, it does not mean that they're elitists - they've just got their priorities straight. Get it all working, and working well, then make it pretty. If you think their installation process is too hard, go ahead and write a better one, volunteer to maintain it, and I'm sure they'll include it.
Oh, and quit your bitching about dselect. apt has been around for quite a while now, and works quite well.
---GEC
Okay, so it wound up being news in some circles... Now, why do you suppose Transmeta hired Linus? I wouldn't discount the fact that he's popular and well-recognized in various circles, but don't you think he has the skills to pull his own weight?
Think of it this way - you're looking for a job - something to take care of the bills and family, you need to write your resume. Do you suppose they'd be impressed by a line like
PROJECTS
Initial developer of the LINUX operating system. Served as project leader of an international group of developers through the continued refinement of the system.
Whether or not they'd even heard of Linux? I think they would, here's why -
1: It's one hell of a project, no matter how you slice it, and it's only more impressive the more the prospective employer researches it. This plays into the Linux name recognition thing.
2: It demonstrates that he knows a lot about programming, PC architecture (as well as other architectures, special hardware and configurations, etc.) - in the interview they'd probably ask him how the project started, he could tell them all about Minix, early experimentation with protected-mode programming and context switching, leading to the earliest releases and growing interest.
3: It demonstrates that he has the discipline and management skills to establish a project like this, build it up, and then coordinate the other volunteer developers through its continuation.
So could it be that Transmeta hired him because they knew he was skilled, competent, and able to work and play well with others? I think so.
---GEC
I just don't get it - what's the point in getting Slashdot source anyway? It seems as though it's a very well put together system, but did the Slashdot creators make any substantial pieces of software for the implementation of the system that would be useful in other contexts? Apart from the fact that it's been refined to a nice level of polish, is there anything particularly challenging about its implementation? What exactly would someone do with the source if they had it? It seems to me as though Linux users already have plenty of web tools available to them - Apache, various databases, PHP, GIMP, etc. - If you can't make something out of that, maybe you should try something simple, like "Welcome to my homepage, here you'll learn all about me, but bear with me, it's under construction..."
---GEC
"...I'm just wondering... How the hell would you use emacs with a handheld?"
Have you heard of pen computing? Anything the GUI doesn't provide can be implemented as scribble-type input. As for chording, that's why you have shift-states, command strokes, etc.
And really, how much Emacs functionality do you suppose -wouldn't- be covered by 1: a command stroke equivalent to CTRL, and 2: one for Meta-X? (OK, you might need one stroke just for Meta or Escape itself... But not much)
Windows boxes are appliances. Linux boxes are tools.
---GEC
With this, I gotta say, damn straight... PalmOS is useful because the user doesn't have to bother with anything too complicated. It's easy, it's quick, and it works. Excellent for any geek (or non-geek, for that matter) who wants a handy item to keep track of all their assorted thoughts and plans.
So is Linux on a PDA useful? Yes. Here's why.
Consider the TRGPro. It's a Palm IIIx with 8MB of memory and a CompactFlash slot. It was mainly designed for corporations and such that had a specific need for such a slot on a small PDA-type device. Now anybody who has a specific need for one of these is probably gonna need to write software for it (CF features are not integrated into PalmOS at this point) - particularly if they have one specific role (IE inventory tracking with barcodes, etc.) in mind for it. They can use PalmOS for that, and everything's fine and dandy. Or, since they're using the devices internally, they might find it worthwhile to run Linux, and code their application on top of that. (Advantages would be the ability to tweak the OS, better networking support, multitasking, etc.) - in that particular case, some kinda company using the devices internally and for their own purposes, and writing their own software, having Linux available might be useful.
Then there's pure geek appeal - the ability to hack the system to make it do what you want. PalmOS is limited and legally bound up in this regard. ucLinux could potentially be quite a bit better - the obvious downside is that you lose the convenience of running it as a PDA - and if you don't manage the system right, it'll no longer have its famed long battery life, won't be handy for taking notes, etc. For those of us who mainly wanted a PDA to be able to hack on it anyway, that could be worthwhile - but I think for the most part it's just as well to wait for LinuxCE before trying to do that sort of thing.
---GEC
To put it briefly, it would mean developers and users would NO LONGER HAVE TO BE 3Com's BITCH.
3Com has been getting progressively less developer-friendly, in my opinion. API headers can't be modified or redistributed without "express written consent" (a problem for the prc-tools guys, I imagine), they're doing their best to keep anyone from actually using the devsupport E-mail, and none of the debugging ROM images are accessable unless you sign an NDA. Needless to say, the situation can get a bit unpalatable for someone who writes GPL code.
As far as a switch to Linux - well, yeah, people still have to be careful that their software is reasonably quick on the limited hardware and that it doesn't crash for lack of memory - that much is worth a big fat "duh". All the GUI stuff that would presumably go with ucLinux is still unwritten. (The guys who wrote it -really- wrote it to be used in embedded microcontrollers. Palm Pilot was just a first, very convenient test platform)
The thing of it is, particularly for programmers and other geeks, Linux on a palmtop would mean simpler transition of code. That doesn't mean the code's gonna be any better suited to the palmtop when it gets there (IE you can cross-compile your favorite Scheme interpreter, but it won't have a GUI) but it means you can DO MORE than you can in the closed-source, somewhat limiting PalmOS, at least as far as geekish activities are concerned.
For general palmtop use, you're probably right. Someone would need to go to a lot of trouble to make Linux on a palmtop run as smoothly as PalmOS, and it would be a little more chaotic a system without the common database format and such.
My PalmOS Projects are on http://www.xnot.com/tetsujin/
---GEC
That (segregating anything "pornographic" into a separate TLD on the internet and banning porn from all other parts of the net) is a pretty fucked-up idea.
Here's why - our nation's highest laws specifically protect freedom of ideas, beliefs, and expression. "Expression" can take all kinds of forms. If we codify what is and is not allowed outside the porn zone, we're limiting the freedom of expression of those who aren't publishing pornography. Artists, for starters. If the 1st ammendment doesn't protect artists' rights to express themselves, then it's really not good for much. How do you codify what is porn and what is art? By whether the artist calls themselves an artist? By whether it's any good, or whether it shows any thought? That doesn't work.
Who the hell decides what is "okay" for kids to know about anyway? I personally think people might grow up a lot more well-adjusted if they didn't have to wait for one of the most stressful, confusing, awkward periods of their life to be privvy to the real meaning of sex.
Like you said, anything less than absolute free speech is not free speech.
---GEC
OK, so it's big... for a watch. Does that mean that it's big for an MP3 player? Is it, say, more convenient than having a Rio strapped to your wrist?
Ya gotta keep in mind what a thing like this is gonna be used for - you want music (of your choice) and you want to take it with you. Maybe it's a sport thing (running, working out, whatever) but regardless, the idea here is not to have some klunky box on the end of your headphones... in that sense, even if it is big, it's not.
---GEC