When it comes to implementing technology policy in any organization unfortunately the only way to be successful is to have 100% support from upper mgmt (or in your case administration). You can always regulate on your own and act like you have the authority, but sooner or later you'll piss off the wrong person and that person will just so happen to be best buds with your boss. Good luck.
It truly amazes me how many times I've been hired or contracted to do something but not had the authority to follow through.
I use Blender all the time. I really hope they open-source it. Please send email to the board and to B@rt or who ever would be appropriate pleading for them to open-source Blender so it doesn't become abandonware.
I'm sorry but I have to be honest here. I have known a number of people in a number of different companies that use Citrix. Some of the people were in IT, some weren't. They all have one thing in common, nightmares. I could go on and on about the different stories but they all boil down to one thing. Citrix is flaky, flakier than Windows. I think that creates some new higher order of flakiness. Windows is not UNIX. Do not attempt to expect the same remote user experience. One OS was built for single user and one was built from day 0 to be multiuser.
Look at it this way: If your Exchange server goes down, that's fine it'll be up in a few hours, you can live without email for a few hours. If your intranet server goes down, you can live without it too for a few hours. If your gateway goes down for a few hours, you can live through that too. There's always something else you can work on, hell Word dosn't need internet access (typically). On the other hand: If the Citrix server goes down productivity is toast. You can't work on something else unless you use pen & paper. And don't think they dont go down... oh yes... they go down all the time... like a dirty two bit whore beggin for crack crumbs... *grumble* *grumble*
Find some Citrix customers in your area... no not the ones that Citrix is giving a licensing discount to lie to you, find them yourself. Ask them what their experience has been....and the truth shall set you free.
I know that there are some themeing standards out there. WindowBlinds uses one of them. It would be nice if I could use all of the beautiful themes that exist for Windows on my Linux box. Sadly, there are more artists amongst the Windows crowd than the Linux crowed. Granted, tigert, raster, and star88, all rock.
Anyway, I'd just like to say that this has been a long time comin. I have no freaking idea why my WM, and the different GUI toolkits all can't get along Look and Feel wise. If Unix (outside of OSX) is to ever be a desktop competitor, this is one component of the UI equation that must be solved.
This just in...
A Dept. of Commerce spokesperson just discovered the Internet. She was quoted today as saying: "The Internet is cool." In her first IRC apperance she posed this notable question to #hackers: "w1LL j00 t34ch m3 t0 h4XX0r?".
If slashdot could maintain "editorial independence" from VA Linux when they were bought, why couldn't Red Hat negotiate some kind of persistence of it's vision? If Red Hat kept it's vision and motivations, but had more money, why then wouldn't Alan want to stay?
Now I'm not naive enough to forget that with money comes advice but... let's say AOL wants to create version of Red Hat Linux more targeted for Windows lusers. So now Red Hat might have a product line like: Embedded, Standard, *Home*, Professional, Deluxe Professional, Data Center, etc.. How is this bad for the community and Red Hat in general? I know alot of people don't want to see Linux beginning to pander to Windows lusers, but does anyone in their right mind think that Linus & Co. would pander to Windows users or Red Hat for that matter? Is Lindows going to destroy our beautiful Linux and wonderful community? NO! Then why do people think that Red Hat will allow itself and it's goals to be destroyed by a lesser evil than Microsoft?
I believe the stability of Red Hat is important to the future of Linux becoming mainstream. One more thing.... necessity makes for strange bedfellows.
Maybe this would explain the extreme flakiness of my box. I've searched and troubleshooted high and low for a solution to the constant crashing and hanging of my system:
ASUS A7A266
512MB Crucial DDR
Athalon 1.4GHz (266FSB)
Nvidia GeForce2 GTS 32MB
Red Hat 7.2
Uhhh... is the plot not a matter of public record, published in magazines, books (one in particular named Black Hawk Down), and of course TV news for several weeks after it happend?
My response to you would be to create a "tax plan" or something else that people can understand. In it, you can plan to sell your Microsoft Windows/Office licenses and replace them with Linux using StarOffice. Cite Largo, FL as an example.
One thing I would avoid though is starting a discussion on esoteric issues. Remember that 99% of the voters out there probably don't even know there is an alternative to Windows and what you don't want is a debate to begin about issues that the public isn't interested/educated in. Focus on issues that matter to the people: reducing taxes, or better yet paying teachers more without increasing taxes! That's a sure fire winner. Avoid putting yourself into a situation where your agenda can get shot down prematurely by the public/media's ignorance on the specifics. Do you remember if Bush ever had to defend all the numbers and specifics within his tax plan last election? No, he didn't. If you say you'll pay teachers more and not increase taxes, and you say you'll do it by cutting gov't waste, people just believe you.
If you are at some point forced to make a case defending Open Source software, then you can bring in some OS heavy weights to make the case for you.
One last thing, call Red Hat (they're in your own backyard) and visit your local Linux User Group. Republican or Democrat, they'll all vote for you because us Linux people are mostly bigots. I'm a hard-core conservative Republican and I'd vote for you if you would replace Houston's IT infrastructure with open source.
Every time I hear about Linux being used to bridge the digital divide I wonder to myself: "How are they going to bridge the Microsoft divide?"
I think it's wonderful to teach computer skills to inner city students, I'm considering become a teacher for this purpose myself. The problem remains though, these kids are going to get into a work place and be effectively totally uneducated. Using Gnome and Open Office as I do will not prepare someone with no computer experience for using Windows and MS Office. Granted many metaphors are the same between the two. Still, if you have no computer experience and only know Linux, you are going to have a tough time with Windows (especially it's crashes:-).
I think Lindows might be an answer to this problem because you can run it (Linux) on older donated PC's and presumably run Microsoft Office on it. Another answer would be for Open Source desktop software to gain more acceptance in business, until this happens though, these kids are going to be (as usual) the victims of misdirected compassion.
"Instead, it's become write once, debug everywhere."
Where are you getting this? I've been writing Java for 4 years and never had a problem with my code not running the same on a different OS. Back in the 1.1.x days stuff was quite flaky from one version to the next but as long as you knew what VM version your code was tested in, you had no problems. Nowadays I NEVER have that problem. I run plenty of 1.2 compiled code in 1.3 and up VM's without problem.
Your statement about debugging everywhere makes absolutely no sense. I am baffled, I've written so much code on Windows that was later deployed Me thinks all you know of Java is what somebody told you.
It's very plausible that the CLR is how MS plans to insure it's monopoly in what's becoming the commoditization of the operating system and the diversification of computing platforms (set top box, PDA, cell phone, etc..). Java and Linux run on just about anything, that is: Linux running on about any hardware, and Java running on about any operating system. MS usually "get's it" and twists "it" to their advantage. It doesn't surprise me that they would "get" WORA as well as the fact that their OS needs to run on diverse hardware. Think back to Shared Source, or any other good idea that MS took and bastardized for their own use. People that think MS will obsolete themselves forget that MS is not what IBM was. MS has hoards of cash; lots of savvy, aggressive, very bright business people; and an army of programmers. If they "get" anything they have all the resources they need available to them to capitalize on it. If you think the gov't is going to actually do anything to stop them, get real.
This is why I keep repeating the fact that us Free Software and Open Source hackers need to stop following MS and others, and jump ahead. Why didn't Gnome or KDE leap ahead in terms of UI like (arguably) OSX and XP have? Because we were to busy copying Windows and UNIX. I'll get flammed for this but, why must Linux be so UNIX like? It's a kernel, the rest of the OS could become anything we dream up. Why aren't we setting the pace and doing the innovating? Why not dream up an entirely new set of operating system metaphors?
After loving MS Office (even though I freaking hate MS) I discovered OpenOffice and I have totally mastered it. I have to say, OpenOffice gives me much more control over my documents and it is cross platform. Not to mention an open file format and Basic, Java, and other API's.
You might give it a try, I use it exclusively for all my programming design/documentation these days. I have a whole library of document, drawing, and spreadsheet templates I've created.
Slashdot Mirror
When it comes to implementing technology policy in any organization unfortunately the only way to be successful is to have 100% support from upper mgmt (or in your case administration). You can always regulate on your own and act like you have the authority, but sooner or later you'll piss off the wrong person and that person will just so happen to be best buds with your boss. Good luck.
It truly amazes me how many times I've been hired or contracted to do something but not had the authority to follow through.
Somebody please Tivo this for me. I can't get it here.
At what point do intrusions of privacy like this become illegal? Granted, this was probably in the EULA.
I use Blender all the time. I really hope they open-source it. Please send email to the board and to B@rt or who ever would be appropriate pleading for them to open-source Blender so it doesn't become abandonware.
Shameless plug, hit: autopr0n
pr0n for geeks, by geeks.
I have DirecTV and get IFC and Bravo but not Sundance. Would someone mind Tivo'ing this and hooking me up with the mpg? I have broadband.
Thanks,
-ryan
I hate that show it is so NOT geeky. It's probably what hollywood thinks is geeky. I fscking hate that show.
I'm sorry but I have to be honest here. I have known a number of people in a number of different companies that use Citrix. Some of the people were in IT, some weren't. They all have one thing in common, nightmares. I could go on and on about the different stories but they all boil down to one thing. Citrix is flaky, flakier than Windows. I think that creates some new higher order of flakiness. Windows is not UNIX. Do not attempt to expect the same remote user experience. One OS was built for single user and one was built from day 0 to be multiuser.
... no not the ones that Citrix is giving a licensing discount to lie to you, find them yourself. Ask them what their experience has been. ...and the truth shall set you free.
Look at it this way: If your Exchange server goes down, that's fine it'll be up in a few hours, you can live without email for a few hours. If your intranet server goes down, you can live without it too for a few hours. If your gateway goes down for a few hours, you can live through that too. There's always something else you can work on, hell Word dosn't need internet access (typically).
On the other hand: If the Citrix server goes down productivity is toast. You can't work on something else unless you use pen & paper. And don't think they dont go down... oh yes... they go down all the time... like a dirty two bit whore beggin for crack crumbs... *grumble* *grumble*
Find some Citrix customers in your area
-ryan
I'm dissappointed to see that Acentury1 didn't get the contract.
-ryan
I know that there are some themeing standards out there. WindowBlinds uses one of them. It would be nice if I could use all of the beautiful themes that exist for Windows on my Linux box. Sadly, there are more artists amongst the Windows crowd than the Linux crowed. Granted, tigert, raster, and star88, all rock.
Anyway, I'd just like to say that this has been a long time comin. I have no freaking idea why my WM, and the different GUI toolkits all can't get along Look and Feel wise. If Unix (outside of OSX) is to ever be a desktop competitor, this is one component of the UI equation that must be solved.
-ryan
Ximian Setup Tools has a beautiful Perl backend that spits out XML and that you can send XML into to make changes.... very nice.
-ryan
This just in...
A Dept. of Commerce spokesperson just discovered the Internet. She was quoted today as saying: "The Internet is cool." In her first IRC apperance she posed this notable question to #hackers: "w1LL j00 t34ch m3 t0 h4XX0r?".
-ryan
Amen brother! :-P
"Perhaps if you Redhat lamers would compile your own kernel to support the AMD"
sorry bub, your little generalization there doesn't stick. I configure and compile my own kernel, as well as the majority of my software.
If slashdot could maintain "editorial independence" from VA Linux when they were bought, why couldn't Red Hat negotiate some kind of persistence of it's vision? If Red Hat kept it's vision and motivations, but had more money, why then wouldn't Alan want to stay?
Now I'm not naive enough to forget that with money comes advice but... let's say AOL wants to create version of Red Hat Linux more targeted for Windows lusers. So now Red Hat might have a product line like: Embedded, Standard, *Home*, Professional, Deluxe Professional, Data Center, etc.. How is this bad for the community and Red Hat in general? I know alot of people don't want to see Linux beginning to pander to Windows lusers, but does anyone in their right mind think that Linus & Co. would pander to Windows users or Red Hat for that matter? Is Lindows going to destroy our beautiful Linux and wonderful community? NO! Then why do people think that Red Hat will allow itself and it's goals to be destroyed by a lesser evil than Microsoft?
I believe the stability of Red Hat is important to the future of Linux becoming mainstream. One more thing.... necessity makes for strange bedfellows.
Maybe this would explain the extreme flakiness of my box. I've searched and troubleshooted high and low for a solution to the constant crashing and hanging of my system:
ASUS A7A266
512MB Crucial DDR
Athalon 1.4GHz (266FSB)
Nvidia GeForce2 GTS 32MB
Red Hat 7.2
Spoilage warning: plot discussed, not ending.
Uhhh... is the plot not a matter of public record, published in magazines, books (one in particular named Black Hawk Down), and of course TV news for several weeks after it happend?
Who in the hell *doesn't* know how it ends?
My response to you would be to create a "tax plan" or something else that people can understand. In it, you can plan to sell your Microsoft Windows/Office licenses and replace them with Linux using StarOffice. Cite Largo, FL as an example.
One thing I would avoid though is starting a discussion on esoteric issues. Remember that 99% of the voters out there probably don't even know there is an alternative to Windows and what you don't want is a debate to begin about issues that the public isn't interested/educated in. Focus on issues that matter to the people: reducing taxes, or better yet paying teachers more without increasing taxes! That's a sure fire winner. Avoid putting yourself into a situation where your agenda can get shot down prematurely by the public/media's ignorance on the specifics. Do you remember if Bush ever had to defend all the numbers and specifics within his tax plan last election? No, he didn't. If you say you'll pay teachers more and not increase taxes, and you say you'll do it by cutting gov't waste, people just believe you.
If you are at some point forced to make a case defending Open Source software, then you can bring in some OS heavy weights to make the case for you.
One last thing, call Red Hat (they're in your own backyard) and visit your local Linux User Group. Republican or Democrat, they'll all vote for you because us Linux people are mostly bigots. I'm a hard-core conservative Republican and I'd vote for you if you would replace Houston's IT infrastructure with open source.
Should I encounter any problems moving from 2.4.14 to 2.5.2 on a RH 7.2 box?
Every time I hear about Linux being used to bridge the digital divide I wonder to myself: "How are they going to bridge the Microsoft divide?"
:-).
I think it's wonderful to teach computer skills to inner city students, I'm considering become a teacher for this purpose myself. The problem remains though, these kids are going to get into a work place and be effectively totally uneducated. Using Gnome and Open Office as I do will not prepare someone with no computer experience for using Windows and MS Office. Granted many metaphors are the same between the two. Still, if you have no computer experience and only know Linux, you are going to have a tough time with Windows (especially it's crashes
I think Lindows might be an answer to this problem because you can run it (Linux) on older donated PC's and presumably run Microsoft Office on it. Another answer would be for Open Source desktop software to gain more acceptance in business, until this happens though, these kids are going to be (as usual) the victims of misdirected compassion.
haha, your prof said it.... i should've guessed
"Instead, it's become write once, debug everywhere."
Where are you getting this? I've been writing Java for 4 years and never had a problem with my code not running the same on a different OS. Back in the 1.1.x days stuff was quite flaky from one version to the next but as long as you knew what VM version your code was tested in, you had no problems. Nowadays I NEVER have that problem. I run plenty of 1.2 compiled code in 1.3 and up VM's without problem.
Your statement about debugging everywhere makes absolutely no sense. I am baffled, I've written so much code on Windows that was later deployed Me thinks all you know of Java is what somebody told you.
It's very plausible that the CLR is how MS plans to insure it's monopoly in what's becoming the commoditization of the operating system and the diversification of computing platforms (set top box, PDA, cell phone, etc..). Java and Linux run on just about anything, that is: Linux running on about any hardware, and Java running on about any operating system. MS usually "get's it" and twists "it" to their advantage. It doesn't surprise me that they would "get" WORA as well as the fact that their OS needs to run on diverse hardware. Think back to Shared Source, or any other good idea that MS took and bastardized for their own use. People that think MS will obsolete themselves forget that MS is not what IBM was. MS has hoards of cash; lots of savvy, aggressive, very bright business people; and an army of programmers. If they "get" anything they have all the resources they need available to them to capitalize on it. If you think the gov't is going to actually do anything to stop them, get real.
This is why I keep repeating the fact that us Free Software and Open Source hackers need to stop following MS and others, and jump ahead. Why didn't Gnome or KDE leap ahead in terms of UI like (arguably) OSX and XP have? Because we were to busy copying Windows and UNIX. I'll get flammed for this but, why must Linux be so UNIX like? It's a kernel, the rest of the OS could become anything we dream up. Why aren't we setting the pace and doing the innovating? Why not dream up an entirely new set of operating system metaphors?
Stop following, start leading.
After loving MS Office (even though I freaking hate MS) I discovered OpenOffice and I have totally mastered it. I have to say, OpenOffice gives me much more control over my documents and it is cross platform. Not to mention an open file format and Basic, Java, and other API's.
You might give it a try, I use it exclusively for all my programming design/documentation these days. I have a whole library of document, drawing, and spreadsheet templates I've created.
Do we need another windowing system? How about just getting an existing one right?