IMHO you won't ever see a Redhat branded BSD - Bob Young doesn't like the license (I asked him about it at an expo) - GPL protects the code they release, whereas BSD License doesn't - that was his specific concern.
Portability, Python's main GUI toolkit is Tkinter, which is one and the same as Tcl/Tk's. Python's 'killer app' is that it's RAD, its simple to learn, clean - and indentation counts, meaning that Python code is usually more readable than other code. It is also easily extensible with C/C++ (and recently Java) - for lower level control or optimisation, make it work first then optimise later - RAD huh?
The best thing of all is that it runs on so many platforms, I've got it installed on all my OS's - so I can code on Win32, Linux, && my WindowsCE PDA.
One of the things is that Python is used in many areas and doesn't have the profile that Perl has, like RedHat's installer, or in some apps as the embedded scripting language, and (in Australia at least) it's used to control quite a few of our major stadium TV screens/scoreboards, not to mention that its apparently used extensively in CG places like Industrial Light & Magic et al as a glue language because its a RAD language.
Nearly forgot, some have also said that Python's best use is in Zope, an object based web publisher (with server built in). And did I mention it's RAD?
you should think about teaching them Python, they can get instant feedback on ideas by trying them out in the interpreter, and it doesn't have the complexity of C/C++ - plus it has fairly normal syntax AND (what I think is also important to get into the habit of early on) is that since in Python whitespace matters, they're going to write properly indented/spaced code tahts clearer to go through (also when they look at other peoples code, it's well indented).
As well as the other good things about Python (like x-platform IDE's coming out, x-platform language, etc) is the fact that the more into it they get - and thus the better programmers they become - Python provides a nice on-ramp into C/C++ (and now Java via JPython) they can start coding modules in a compiled language, and learn that while they're increasing Python skills.
Oh, and with Tkinter, they can build GUI's - which is something everyone wants to do - nothing is so delightful as being able to click buttons and make things pop-up onscreen:^D
saw these gizmos at the Linux Expo in Sydney, apparently they've been running them for quite some time in government departments - I think some were being used for a long time testing in the RAAF at the Defence Force Academy, its only just recently that they've released them to the public.
I remember at the Linux Expo in Sydney this year, maddog gave a talk on linux and pianolas... what seemed like a weird pairing, was all made clear (turns out he collects the things... I'd never have guessed that by the end I'd be actually interested in the evils of proprietary interests in the pianola world)
the major problem I can see with this (especially with information beong leaned from media sources - "it must be true, its on the internet/newspaper/tv"?!) is that aliases aren't always recognised as such (in Australia you only have to provide your correct name in traffic accidents, AFAIK). This happens even with police records, but at least if someone checks your records at the station - and gets an alias used by someone else - you have a chance of rebuttal, not so with a mob, or when your resume has been mailed in to a company.
Imagine: Mr(s) NoGoodnick gets picked up and convicted for something, but they give your name as an alias, that alias is now referenced every time you have a record check, the as far as anyone knows the crime is on your Permanent Record(tm)!
eh, you never know, with the censorship laws down here they might mention the word paedophile or something to many times and get banned;-) would SurfWatch or NetNanny censor it if you were looking for paedophiles in the area?
thast the way its doen in Auatralia, they have a separate network running on their own lines. The computers hooked to the internet aren't connected with the defense intranet at all.
Wireless comms aren't totally secure though, just harder. (Ok, a helluva lot harder, but for the people that REALLY wanna do it, they'd have resources at their disposal - not thinking of 15 yr old 1337 H4X0R's with Netbus)
this sounds a bit extreme - they NEED to reach as many ppl with software as they can, someone covered it before about MS share options and the need for profits to continus rising else they fall in a heap - but I digress. If the MSOFFICE for Linux is designed to only run on their version of Linux, this would mean some sort of additional call made to the kernel to verify that it is in fact MSLinux - correct? now, since the source code MUST be available, you could simpy take this code fragment, insert it into YOUR kernel, recompile, and voila, MSOFFICE for Linux can now run (OK, its a simplified view, but, as a concept). So in conclusion, I don't think that what you outlined in the post will/would happen - MS aren't that stupid.
The BSD license is also slightly suspect this way, I think, but the real-world risk of it happening with any major project approaches zero (I hope).
The BSD license is suspect this way, Robert Young says that this was one of the reasons why he deliberately didn't do anything with BSD. Because as (hypothetically) Red Hat BSD they could develop all sorts of whizz bang things for the kernel or whatever, and then someone could come take it all and make their modifications to it proprietry. Thats verbatim from him (as well as I can remember.
While the biochip is really more useful for bio/genetic enginbeering purposes, surely it would be possible to change the cell type to obtain a chip useful in more situations - ie faster rate of change.
For many applications, a millisecond is just too long, if instead a nerve cell, say a squid's - which are amongst the very fastest (its in a New Scientist from a year ago) were to be used, then the chip could become more than simply a slow acting gateway for mostly gene therapy purposes.
of course, now that I think of it, except for these purposes, what are you going to do with it?
While reading the article at work on Saturday, a thought occurred as I read the words 'non-exclusive license'.
Did anyone else (particularly Aussies) think that we could have cost price domain names by simply forming an association and registering domains for free (not including Internic fees or whatever).
Judging by Elz's attitude that the net should be free, would it seem feasible that he would allow a second organisation to register names? I know there was the whole.au.com fiasco, but that was another commercial venture. Imagine the share prices for Melb. IT plummet if it was allowed.
is this idea feasible?
if the week before's articles are still available there was a nice story on John Lions you might wanna check out.
Slashdot Mirror
IMHO you won't ever see a Redhat branded BSD - Bob Young doesn't like the license (I asked him about it at an expo) - GPL protects the code they release, whereas BSD License doesn't - that was his specific concern.
they've got a heap of info up at L0pht's site here
The best thing of all is that it runs on so many platforms, I've got it installed on all my OS's - so I can code on Win32, Linux, && my WindowsCE PDA.
One of the things is that Python is used in many areas and doesn't have the profile that Perl has, like RedHat's installer, or in some apps as the embedded scripting language, and (in Australia at least) it's used to control quite a few of our major stadium TV screens/scoreboards, not to mention that its apparently used extensively in CG places like Industrial Light & Magic et al as a glue language because its a RAD language.
Nearly forgot, some have also said that Python's best use is in Zope, an object based web publisher (with server built in). And did I mention it's RAD?
just my slightly one eyed opinion ;-)
As well as the other good things about Python (like x-platform IDE's coming out, x-platform language, etc) is the fact that the more into it they get - and thus the better programmers they become - Python provides a nice on-ramp into C/C++ (and now Java via JPython) they can start coding modules in a compiled language, and learn that while they're increasing Python skills.
Oh, and with Tkinter, they can build GUI's - which is something everyone wants to do - nothing is so delightful as being able to click buttons and make things pop-up onscreen :^D
just my $0.02
saw these gizmos at the Linux Expo in Sydney, apparently they've been running them for quite some time in government departments - I think some were being used for a long time testing in the RAAF at the Defence Force Academy, its only just recently that they've released them to the public.
An interesting guy...
Imagine: Mr(s) NoGoodnick gets picked up and convicted for something, but they give your name as an alias, that alias is now referenced every time you have a record check, the as far as anyone knows the crime is on your Permanent Record(tm)!
eh, you never know, with the censorship laws down here they might mention the word paedophile or something to many times and get banned ;-) would SurfWatch or NetNanny censor it if you were looking for paedophiles in the area?
just my $0.02
Wireless comms aren't totally secure though, just harder. (Ok, a helluva lot harder, but for the people that REALLY wanna do it, they'd have resources at their disposal - not thinking of 15 yr old 1337 H4X0R's with Netbus)
this sounds a bit extreme - they NEED to reach as many ppl with software as they can, someone covered it before about MS share options and the need for profits to continus rising else they fall in a heap - but I digress. If the MSOFFICE for Linux is designed to only run on their version of Linux, this would mean some sort of additional call made to the kernel to verify that it is in fact MSLinux - correct? now, since the source code MUST be available, you could simpy take this code fragment, insert it into YOUR kernel, recompile, and voila, MSOFFICE for Linux can now run (OK, its a simplified view, but, as a concept). So in conclusion, I don't think that what you outlined in the post will/would happen - MS aren't that stupid.
The BSD license is suspect this way, Robert Young says that this was one of the reasons why he deliberately didn't do anything with BSD. Because as (hypothetically) Red Hat BSD they could develop all sorts of whizz bang things for the kernel or whatever, and then someone could come take it all and make their modifications to it proprietry. Thats verbatim from him (as well as I can remember.
For many applications, a millisecond is just too long, if instead a nerve cell, say a squid's - which are amongst the very fastest (its in a New Scientist from a year ago) were to be used, then the chip could become more than simply a slow acting gateway for mostly gene therapy purposes.
of course, now that I think of it, except for these purposes, what are you going to do with it?
hmm, sorry to bash a typo
Did anyone else (particularly Aussies) think that we could have cost price domain names by simply forming an association and registering domains for free (not including Internic fees or whatever).
Judging by Elz's attitude that the net should be free, would it seem feasible that he would allow a second organisation to register names? I know there was the whole .au.com fiasco, but that was another commercial venture. Imagine the share prices for Melb. IT plummet if it was allowed.
is this idea feasible?
if the week before's articles are still available there was a nice story on John Lions you might wanna check out.