The problem with "supporting" independent artists is that music is not a political statement, at least for me. I like bands regardless of thier record deal, based on whether or not the music is any good. Maybe I'm just old fashioned.
Seriously, if Gates started calling himself head-janitor it wouldn't change the fact that he can lead the company around by the nose. I fail to see how he is "stepping down". More accurate would be "side-stepping". As in "side-stepping the anti-trust decision". This looks like another slick PR move for MS.
Most teachers rely heavily on textbooks, because they don't have time to prepare their own notes. Textbooks take something on the order of 3 or more years to get from the planning stage to the classroom, and that's just for a revised edition. They're out of date before they're even printed.
What really gets me is not when the course material is a few years old, but when it's flat out wrong. I think every science student has at some point been told or done a lab to show that different regions of the tongue taste different things. It's an absolute lie, and it was proven to be a lie 50 years ago, but it's still in the curriculum today. It does, however, teach students the valuable skill of fudging lab results to get the 'correct' answer.
Your work to advance technology as a whole can pay dividends in indirect and unforseen ways. Hell, you might be the one who figures out a low-cost, low-power sattelite modem that is used in the machine that's dropped to that little girl's family.
Or you could invent the technology that helps the government monitor the family and know when they're planning to flee to Canada so soldiers can come shoot the girl as a warning. The thing about technology is that there is no way to restrict its use once the discovery is made. Technology is neither good nor evil, and it will never solve the world's problems, it only changes them. You have to do the research because you enjoy it--if you focus on the possible altruistic possibilities you set yourself up to be crushed by the petty and self-serving uses it will actually be put to.
I work in tech, but not because I think it will make the world a better place. For that I volunteer.
I sincerely hope this is only getting posted because the stock jumped idiotically high. I used to read news.com almost as much as/. but now it's gone from a tech news site to a financial news site focused on tech stocks. I'd hate to see/. get littered with headlines about "product offerings" and companies "beating analyst estimates". It really doesn't interest me in the slightest.
Actually, according to a (fairly) recent study, the web is over 90% commercial sites, and less than 5% porn. Porn made the web what it is, but it doesn't own it anymore.
Would this have been posted had been any other company than Microsoft running the show?
Would this have happened at all if another company were running things?
I doubt ZDnet would've made such pathetic attempts at PR damage control, and they certainly wouldn't've had a Windows only requirement for their vote script to work. Any webmaster who puts up a poll (even an idiotic "boxers or briefs" type poll) without IP verification should be shot.
Using Microsoft software is like having unprotected sex.
While Sun will certainly get a marketting win out of each product they "open" the source to, they will not get any technology win at all. The reason? The management types who buy their products don't understand the license, but the developers who could potentially contribute code certainly do.
Would you spend weeks picking berries if you knew that you'd have to pay for each one you ate? I wouldn't, and I doubt many other people will either.
Management, on the other hand, knows only the simple equation: Open Source(tm) = Good Thing(tm) and doesn't really care whether it's truely open or not.
Using Microsoft software is like having unprotected sex.
I've always thought that rather than breaking up the divisions, they should clone them. Make four companies that all have the same products and code to start with. None of them would have a monopoly in any area, and this would hopefully make them all document their api calls and respect open standards. If there were four Office apps, and one of them breaks backward compatibility with.doc files, people would just buy the other 3.
Alternatively, I would be happy if the court ordered Bill Gates to take a pie in the face during every speaking engagement and product launch. But then, I'm a small, petty man in a lot of ways.
Using Microsoft software is like having unprotected sex.
Ignoring the fact that the AT&T guy said there is no deal in the works, the deal being speculated on had AT&T getting the @Home cable side, and AOL getting Excite. That wouldn't bother me nearly as much as having my ISP taken over by AOL.
Using Microsoft software is like having unprotected sex.
So, what you want children to be taught is how to sit still for 10-40 minutes at a time while the rest of the class works through what took our subject 30 seconds? Is that really a valuable lesson? You have to remember that we're talking about children, and while socializing is one goal of education, it is not an excuse for forcing children into a preconceived mold.
When a child acts out it should be a clue to the teacher that something is wrong, but not that something is wrong with the student. Learning shouldn't be a one way street, but with the current ratio of teachers to students there is a lot more take than give.
I'm sure I'm not the only poster on this forum who spent more time in school dealing with boredom than on any other subject.
Using Microsoft software is like having unprotected sex.
The MS spin-monkeys stand up there and say nothing, and the reporters know they're saying nothing, and even lead with the fact that nothing was said.
And yet, over 50% of the article that results is either repeating or paraphrasing the nothing that was said.
What this tells me is that MS doesn't need to actually announce anything anymore, they just need to hold an announcement-like event every few weeks, and it will keep their moniker in print. Remember the WinDNA 'announcement'?
Using Microsoft software is like having unprotected sex.
I remember playing Autoduel on the Apple II. Now that was a kick ass game. It followed the table game almost to the letter, plus added some fun things like courier contracts and a casino. I really wish someone would make a clone, because if they came out with a remake it would all be 3D graphics and 'cool' weapons, and it wouldn't be that fun to play.
Using Microsoft software is like having unprotected sex.
Assuming you think the computer crime laws should be enforced, a new agency does need to be created to do this. If there were an agency staffed by ex-hackers and crackers who know the scene, know the protocols, and could actually track criminal activity effectively in cyberspace, we wouldn't need all these anti-privacy laws. The existing agencies are old, lumbering beasts with their veins of communication clogged by bureaucracy, and are completely unable to keep up with the pace of the tech industry and it's criminal side-effects.
There was a post on one of the privacy threads from someone who claimed to be an ex-spy, all about how bureaucratic and downright lazy the whole operation has become. He said the reason he quit was that all the decisions were made by desk-jockeys who didn't care about anything but their numbers, and it got to the point where the protocols weren't being followed and it wasn't safe anymore. Without meaning to sound agist, the fact of the matter is we need a young agency, staffed by young geeks, with the flexibility and atmosphere of a tech startup. Otherwise, we'll end up with way more invasive legislation just so the existing agencies don't have to work as hard.
Using Microsoft software is like having unprotected sex.
I would be interested to read the book. Actually, I would like to have someone else read it so I could ask some simple questions. Specifically, did they provide any real evidence to back up their claims.
This article doesn't have a lot to it. A researcher went around looking at autistic kids and found their parents had symptoms. That's interesting, though not that unexpected. And Bill Gates being autistic proves nothing. Contrary to what the media may report, Bill Gates is actually just one person, and doesn't represent the computing industry as a whole.
Outside of those two points, the article consisted of unsupported suppositions and blatant stereotyping. Does the writer actually know any geeks, or is he basing this on Revenge of the Nerds? Because that's what it sounded like to me, when I read about the whiney voices, the physical awkwardness, and the snorting laugh. That described none of the people I work with. Most of them play sports, are in a relationship, and while perhaps more shy than your average bar-hopper, do not exhibit any of the symptoms the writer described for autism.
I am assuming, however, that the writer (of the aritcle) read the book and fixed on one little aspect which would make a good headline. I expect the book is better researched, more logically sound, and entirely not worth reading unless you're specifically interested in psychology.
Using Microsoft software is like having unprotected sex.
Open Source software relies on people who do other things for money. Most of these people write code for money. The fact that they don't need to be paid for everything they do in no way detracts from the fact that they need to be paid. How can participants in the capitalist system kill that system?
OSS exists outside the political spectrum. You could have it in a communist system, a capitalist system, or complete anarchy. But in each of these, the participants need a means to feed themselves first, or they won't feel so giving.
Using Microsoft software is like having unprotected sex.
Michael Stackpole wrote a bunch of new X-Wing books, which were an order of magnitude better than the new movie (or even Jedi, for that matter). Rather than expanding some trivial reference in one of the movies into a banal story, he took the universe Lucas created and wrote a respectable series in it. Not only did I like the stories better, I was really annoyed when he brought in Luke for a page or two, because the new characters were much more believable and likable.
Using Microsoft software is like having unprotected sex.
I bet you TMBG will get more paying downloads than Bowie. First of all, they've been doing stuff with the internet for years, and they released their last album as MP3's, thus showing that they have a clue. Bowie, on the other hand, is old enough to be part of the "I just got my son to set up the 'e-mail', but I haven't tried to use it yet" generation. Do you really think he will have any appeal with the online music crowd?
TMBG's album really was shareware music, because you only have to pay for it if you want to support the band. MS Audio is music as Warez. This is a Micros~1 PR blitz in exactly the same vein as when they used the Rollings Stones to launch Win95.
Using Microsoft software is like having unprotected sex.
Windows apps all carry harsh license agreements, and people who develop for windows are used to them by now. So the continue selling a proprietary version to the people who expect to pay for software and they open source the version for people who are into that.
Honestly, don't most people who want OSS for Windows want it to lead people away from Windows? Seems to me the fact that they are doing any open source at all gives them the marketting win they were looking for. And as an added bonus, they don't really have to support the free version because the source is right there, and you can bloody well fix it yourself.
Using Microsoft software is like having unprotected sex.
I don't know about you 'mericans, but here in B.C. (Canada) we got photo radar a while back, and everyone was up in arms. A few people did things like you're suggesting, including putting a screen over the plate to fuzz it to the camera or bright flourescent lights around the plate to over-expose the film.
The thing is, the fine for obscuring your plate is at least 3 times as much as the speeding ticket.
Using Microsoft software is like having unprotected sex.
I'm not sure how well it will actually work, though. First off, I disagree with the assertion that programmers make good writers, because I've read spec's and howto's written by the programmers I work with, and believe me they don't have the knack.
Second, I don't know that the open source model will translate to books. If every section is written by a different person, someone is going to have to spend a heck of a long time editting and rewriting, to even get to a semblance of a unified style.
And last but certainly not least, does it matter that people are getting paid? Even if the author doesn't get paid, the book is not going to be free. I don't know what the ratio is in tech books but in fiction the author gets about 3% of the selling price. I for one don't see that as a huge savings, and will continue to buy and recommend O'Reilley books, whether it's in the spirit of the community or not.
Using Microsoft software is like having unprotected sex.
Slashdot Mirror
The problem with "supporting" independent artists is that music is not a political statement, at least for me. I like bands regardless of thier record deal, based on whether or not the music is any good. Maybe I'm just old fashioned.
Seriously, if Gates started calling himself head-janitor it wouldn't change the fact that he can lead the company around by the nose. I fail to see how he is "stepping down". More accurate would be "side-stepping". As in "side-stepping the anti-trust decision". This looks like another slick PR move for MS.
What really gets me is not when the course material is a few years old, but when it's flat out wrong. I think every science student has at some point been told or done a lab to show that different regions of the tongue taste different things. It's an absolute lie, and it was proven to be a lie 50 years ago, but it's still in the curriculum today. It does, however, teach students the valuable skill of fudging lab results to get the 'correct' answer.
I think it's the dot.
I work in tech, but not because I think it will make the world a better place. For that I volunteer.
I sincerely hope this is only getting posted because the stock jumped idiotically high. I used to read news.com almost as much as /. but now it's gone from a tech news site to a financial news site focused on tech stocks. I'd hate to see /. get littered with headlines about "product offerings" and companies "beating analyst estimates". It really doesn't interest me in the slightest.
Would this have happened at all if another company were running things?
I doubt ZDnet would've made such pathetic attempts at PR damage control, and they certainly wouldn't've had a Windows only requirement for their vote script to work. Any webmaster who puts up a poll (even an idiotic "boxers or briefs" type poll) without IP verification should be shot.
Using Microsoft software is like having unprotected sex.
Would you spend weeks picking berries if you knew that you'd have to pay for each one you ate? I wouldn't, and I doubt many other people will either.
Management, on the other hand, knows only the simple equation: Open Source(tm) = Good Thing(tm) and doesn't really care whether it's truely open or not.
Using Microsoft software is like having unprotected sex.
Alternatively, I would be happy if the court ordered Bill Gates to take a pie in the face during every speaking engagement and product launch. But then, I'm a small, petty man in a lot of ways.
Using Microsoft software is like having unprotected sex.
Using Microsoft software is like having unprotected sex.
When a child acts out it should be a clue to the teacher that something is wrong, but not that something is wrong with the student. Learning shouldn't be a one way street, but with the current ratio of teachers to students there is a lot more take than give.
I'm sure I'm not the only poster on this forum who spent more time in school dealing with boredom than on any other subject.
Using Microsoft software is like having unprotected sex.
Using Microsoft software is like having unprotected sex.
And yet, over 50% of the article that results is either repeating or paraphrasing the nothing that was said.
What this tells me is that MS doesn't need to actually announce anything anymore, they just need to hold an announcement-like event every few weeks, and it will keep their moniker in print. Remember the WinDNA 'announcement'?
Using Microsoft software is like having unprotected sex.
Using Microsoft software is like having unprotected sex.
There was a post on one of the privacy threads from someone who claimed to be an ex-spy, all about how bureaucratic and downright lazy the whole operation has become. He said the reason he quit was that all the decisions were made by desk-jockeys who didn't care about anything but their numbers, and it got to the point where the protocols weren't being followed and it wasn't safe anymore. Without meaning to sound agist, the fact of the matter is we need a young agency, staffed by young geeks, with the flexibility and atmosphere of a tech startup. Otherwise, we'll end up with way more invasive legislation just so the existing agencies don't have to work as hard.
Using Microsoft software is like having unprotected sex.
This article doesn't have a lot to it. A researcher went around looking at autistic kids and found their parents had symptoms. That's interesting, though not that unexpected. And Bill Gates being autistic proves nothing. Contrary to what the media may report, Bill Gates is actually just one person, and doesn't represent the computing industry as a whole.
Outside of those two points, the article consisted of unsupported suppositions and blatant stereotyping. Does the writer actually know any geeks, or is he basing this on Revenge of the Nerds? Because that's what it sounded like to me, when I read about the whiney voices, the physical awkwardness, and the snorting laugh. That described none of the people I work with. Most of them play sports, are in a relationship, and while perhaps more shy than your average bar-hopper, do not exhibit any of the symptoms the writer described for autism.
I am assuming, however, that the writer (of the aritcle) read the book and fixed on one little aspect which would make a good headline. I expect the book is better researched, more logically sound, and entirely not worth reading unless you're specifically interested in psychology.
Using Microsoft software is like having unprotected sex.
OSS exists outside the political spectrum. You could have it in a communist system, a capitalist system, or complete anarchy. But in each of these, the participants need a means to feed themselves first, or they won't feel so giving.
Using Microsoft software is like having unprotected sex.
Using Microsoft software is like having unprotected sex.
TMBG's album really was shareware music, because you only have to pay for it if you want to support the band. MS Audio is music as Warez. This is a Micros~1 PR blitz in exactly the same vein as when they used the Rollings Stones to launch Win95.
Using Microsoft software is like having unprotected sex.
Honestly, don't most people who want OSS for Windows want it to lead people away from Windows? Seems to me the fact that they are doing any open source at all gives them the marketting win they were looking for. And as an added bonus, they don't really have to support the free version because the source is right there, and you can bloody well fix it yourself.
Using Microsoft software is like having unprotected sex.
The thing is, the fine for obscuring your plate is at least 3 times as much as the speeding ticket.
Using Microsoft software is like having unprotected sex.
Second, I don't know that the open source model will translate to books. If every section is written by a different person, someone is going to have to spend a heck of a long time editting and rewriting, to even get to a semblance of a unified style.
And last but certainly not least, does it matter that people are getting paid? Even if the author doesn't get paid, the book is not going to be free. I don't know what the ratio is in tech books but in fiction the author gets about 3% of the selling price. I for one don't see that as a huge savings, and will continue to buy and recommend O'Reilley books, whether it's in the spirit of the community or not.
Using Microsoft software is like having unprotected sex.