We've heard a lot about it, and the prerelease of the users manual is out on the web and being checked for typos and such. However, there's no communication with the community at all as to where Emacs 21 currently is, progresswise.
Thus my question -- when will the community find out how Emacs 21 is progressing?
Finally, one of the states is doing something right. These tests are worth absolutely nothing as far as real knowledge. Some background:
My parents were very enthusiastic about me getting good grades, and so they naturally wanted me to do well on the SAT. As such, I took it once in 7th grade for the Midwest Talent Search(1160), once in 9th grade(1350) and once in my junior year(1590). I missed the sum total of one math question the final time.
Now, what changed between those years? It certainly wasn't preparation in school -- our school had none of the "SAT prep" nonsense that others seem. What changed was the fact that the final time I actually bought one of the stupid SAT prep books and used it. Wow. That's a real proof of intelligence -- being able to drop $25 on a book and get a good score because of it.
However, good numbers don't mean much in the college application process today. I had a 4.0 in AP classes, got the abovementioned score on the SAT, and a 34 on the ACT,plus 700+ scores on my SAT IIs, and MIT and Caltech both turned me down. This was probably because my essays were really bad, and I didn't have enough research credentials, but the point remains -- numbers are NOT everything.
However, I'm very happy where I ended up, so I think it's for the better that we're seeing the end of a very artificial system that causes needless stress and redirects attention from those areas which really are crucial(learning in school).
PS -- for the trolls talking about racially-biased application processes. Yes, I am a white male. Do I think this affected my chances of acceptance at schools? No -- mainly because they're not looking for statistics, they're looking for good people. Talk to the applications selectors at a college some time. It might teach you a thing or two about the process.
There are actually several comics out there that are worth it -- Boondocks is one of them. Others include Liberty Meadows, for the satire and the stunning art. Frank Cho is really, really good. The Washington Post carries it, as do a couple of others.
For those who prefer something more sarcastic and biting, Sinfest is an amusing comic that can make some good points. Again, the art is very nice -- it's somewhat of a homage to manga. Be warned that the strips should probably be marked "mature content" -- not visually,but verbally.
I would personally reccomend reading the book it's based on as well as watching the movie. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Phillip K. Dick was one of the weirder books I've ever read, but even today you can start to see some of the things he predicted coming through. Be warned that the movie didn't follow the plot all that closely(different characters received more and less emphasis, some plot points changed), but it's worth the reading nonetheless. I wonder when everyone starts dialing their emotions in the morning... we've already figured out how to do happy -- now just doing it without drugs is the trick
Slashdot Mirror
We've heard a lot about it, and the prerelease of the users manual is out on the web and being checked for typos and such. However, there's no communication with the community at all as to where Emacs 21 currently is, progresswise.
Thus my question -- when will the community find out how Emacs 21 is progressing?
Finally, one of the states is doing something right. These tests are worth absolutely nothing as far as real knowledge. Some background:
My parents were very enthusiastic about me getting good grades, and so they naturally wanted me to do well on the SAT. As such, I took it once in 7th grade for the Midwest Talent Search(1160), once in 9th grade(1350) and once in my junior year(1590). I missed the sum total of one math question the final time.
Now, what changed between those years? It certainly wasn't preparation in school -- our school had none of the "SAT prep" nonsense that others seem. What changed was the fact that the final time I actually bought one of the stupid SAT prep books and used it. Wow. That's a real proof of intelligence -- being able to drop $25 on a book and get a good score because of it.
However, good numbers don't mean much in the college application process today. I had a 4.0 in AP classes, got the abovementioned score on the SAT, and a 34 on the ACT,plus 700+ scores on my SAT IIs, and MIT and Caltech both turned me down. This was probably because my essays were really bad, and I didn't have enough research credentials, but the point remains -- numbers are NOT everything.
However, I'm very happy where I ended up, so I think it's for the better that we're seeing the end of a very artificial system that causes needless stress and redirects attention from those areas which really are crucial(learning in school).
PS -- for the trolls talking about racially-biased application processes. Yes, I am a white male. Do I think this affected my chances of acceptance at schools? No -- mainly because they're not looking for statistics, they're looking for good people. Talk to the applications selectors at a college some time. It might teach you a thing or two about the process.
There are actually several comics out there that are worth it -- Boondocks is one of them. Others include Liberty Meadows, for the satire and the stunning art. Frank Cho is really, really good. The Washington Post carries it, as do a couple of others. For those who prefer something more sarcastic and biting, Sinfest is an amusing comic that can make some good points. Again, the art is very nice -- it's somewhat of a homage to manga. Be warned that the strips should probably be marked "mature content" -- not visually,but verbally.
I would personally reccomend reading the book it's based on as well as watching the movie. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Phillip K. Dick was one of the weirder books I've ever read, but even today you can start to see some of the things he predicted coming through. Be warned that the movie didn't follow the plot all that closely(different characters received more and less emphasis, some plot points changed), but it's worth the reading nonetheless. I wonder when everyone starts dialing their emotions in the morning... we've already figured out how to do happy -- now just doing it without drugs is the trick