And today, nobody's aunt has a AS/400 sitting around. So the only way to learn is on-the-job, which means there's that chick-an-egg problem of: you can have the job if you have experience, you can get experience if you have the job.
Funny you should say that. My aunt actually does have an AS/400 sitting around in her home office, where she does programming (mostly COBOL) for area businesses that have have huge payroll, inventory, etc databases set up on mainframes. And she has more demands for her services than she knows what to do with.
Hmm, maybe I should think about visiting more often, to add another line to my resume . . .
BTW, I think you're right about the chicken-and-egg problem in general. My college used to have a required COBOL course, but it had been phased out before I started my CS degree. At the time, I thought it was a good idea. Now, however, I wonder if anyone who took that course now has a job working with mainframes . . .
Ah, right you are -- that's what I get for skimming the article instead of reading it in detail.:-) Not having a copy of NWN myself (yet!) I assumed you could get to the game data files directly from the disk. And we all know what assuming does.
Anyway, this brings up a question (though I think someone else has already mentioned this) -- I wonder if there is (or could be) a small program that would unpack the data from the CDs. I know such utilities exist for Windows CAB files, surely it wouldn't take BioWare much effort to write up something to give Linux users access to whatever format with which they've packed their data?
Not to troll, and kudos to the dev for doing this, but I mean this still relies on someone having paid the MS tax to play the game.
I don't look at this a Microsoft tax situation. Buying Neverwinter Nights does mean that, yes, you are buying the Windows client that you may never use. But you're also buying the data, which you will use. Think of it as though the Linux client came on the CD with NWN, and that the cost of the game bought playability on both platforms -- you know, like buying Diablo II or Warcraft III and getting both Windows and Mac versions on the same disk.
The Windows (or Linux, depending on you view) client is just an extra feature, just like an editor, or multiplayer, etc. -- if you use it, great, and if you don't, that's fine too. BioWare has consistantly delivered great games, and NWN promises to be another great game with a feature that most don't have -- the ability to run on my preferred OS.
If you read the article, you will notice that it's basically saying there are no ruffled feathers. All of that is just media buzz.
I did read it, and I got the impression that there was a tone of "why didn't Apple pick us -- we're better!" therein. But perhaps I'm reading more into the article than is there -- media buzz can do that to a person.:-)
The references to Safari using KHTML instead of Gecko in this article reminded me of a previous Slashdot story,
Mozilla Project Hurt by Apple's Decision to use KH
. My question is, why all the ruffled feathers regarding Apple choosing to use KHTML in Safari? I'm sure they shopped around and chose what they considered the best engine for their project. The article mentions that they evaluated an older version of Chimera (sorry, Camino), and some more technical details, but I can't shake the feeling that some of this discussion is simply sour grapes. The author goes on for a bit about standards, too, but I doubt that we're going to see "This site best viewed with Safari" any time soon.
In my experience, KHTML and Gecko are both good, and ideas get passed around between both and improve both. Apple has decided to use and improve KHTML, other companies choose to use and improve Gecko. Why is this a bad thing?
Cognito writes "AFFECT, Americans for Fair Electronic Commerce Transactions, is reporting that the American Bar Association has withdrawn its consideration for endorsing a resolution to approve UCITA, the Uniform Computer Information Transaction Act. This is a good thing.
Thank goodness the submitter told us that. For a second there I thought I was going to have to read the article and form my own opinion!:-)
In a broader sense, I believe what you are describing here is called the "tyranny of the majority." Pure democracy is not desirable, as it can lead to the just what you describe -- "an underclass whose views [or rights] are supressed by the will of the majority". This is why the Electoral College exists, to prevent the tyranny of the majority. (Whether it works is the subject of another discussion.) Pure capitalism works the same way. Left completely unchecked, it leads to monopolies which can be very detrimental to an economy as a whole.
I think this is the purpose that revolution serves -- when concentration of power results in the will of the many being detrimental to enough people, it will be changed. This happens in politics (American civil rights in the 1950s-60s), technology (rise of Linux is an easy example), and many more examples.
OpenDarwin.org - "OpenDarwin.org, jointly founded in April 2002 by Internet Software Consortium, Inc. (ISC) and Apple, is an attempt to take cooperative Darwin development to the next level. Membership in the OpenDarwin project and access to its works are open to everyone. The project is also fully independent, with control over its own web site, project news, bug tracking information and CVS repository, as well as any other services that the community owners may wish to provide. Neither Apple nor ISC take any responsibility for, or exercise any editorial control over, the OpenDarwin project."
Rendezvous - see also http://apple.slashdot.org/apple/02/08/29/2310214.s html?tid=107
Apple's tactics regarding 3rd party developers, its choice of licences, etc. are open to debate. However, I don't think it's correct to say that all Apple is doing is "stealing". And besides, Open Source software is meant to be copied, looked at, modified, redistributed. (I'll save the discussion about "if you want people to abide by GNU, you have to be willing to abide by other licences" for someone else). Apple is doing just this, and as far as I can tell creating good products. If you don't like them, or their busincess practices, or their licences, cool, get something else. Vive la difference, non?
Quoth the article: Second, tell 5 of your non-technical family, friends or acquaintances about EFF issues and about why they matter.
I find this interesting. In my experience, it's often those who are comfortable with technology that have attitudes which, IMHO, are counter-productive to intellectual property and copyright concerns. For example, I was recently talking with a friend (who happens to be in a very technical graduate program), and mentioned some CD that I was thinking of buying, but that I wasn't sure if I was going to have the cash. And my friend says, "Why not just download it?" I didn't want to get into an argument, so I made an excuse about wanting the better sound quality of the CD, knowing that it was ripped to MP3 by me and my standards, wanting the liner notes, etc. But I was taken aback that downloading the album seemed to be the default to my friend, and that paying for the album was more of a last resort option. And despite my views on record labels and price-fixing and DRM legislation and such, I don't think that violating current copyright law by downloading an album instead of buying it is the way to go.
So what's the point in all of this? I'm wondering how much the technical people need "told about EFF issues and why they matter" vs. non-technical people. My non-tech mom would be outraged if she suddenly couldn't record an episode of Babylon 5 from the TV -- as well she should be. But if this happened, I'm sure she would switch cable companies, buy a non-DRM recording device, or whatever would be required that would send a message to those who want unfair controls on intellectual property. But my tech friends would just find a way to download the material from somewhere. Perhaps technical and non-technical people alike need told about why these issues matter, and how the actions they take (for those who choose to download CDs, or share TV shows, or whatever) or don't take (like my mom not being concerned about the issues because so far, they haven't affected her) have an impact on all of us.
Food for thought. Hopefully I won't be marked as a troll or start a flamewar.
In fact, if memory serves, isn't the brushed metal theme supposed to be limited to apps which operate w/ other devices, according to Apple's own style guidelines? So it's ok for iPhoto, because it connects to my camera, and it's ok for iTunes, because it syncs with the iPod -- but it seems inappropiate for a browser.
One thing I've always liked about Apple is that the style guides are clear, sensible, and almost always followed. I'd hate to see them back away from the guidelines that help make Macs so good for getting work done (IMHO) just because the brushed metal looks "cool".
I dislike the implication that comes with lumping Star Trek together w/ Babylon 5. While I like Star Trek, it was very inconsistant, had a tendancy to recycle the same plots over and over, and has many one-dimentional characters. B5, OTOH, had levels upon levels of plot, amazing character development, and was entirely self-consistant -- first episode to last. Plus, they had a great musical score, and even had believeable physics in the space battles. If Firefly can be better than this, wonderful -- but I think you'd have to work real hard to make a sci-fi (or any other genre) TV program better than Babylon 5.
I agree, but I believe the birds should burn for a different reason: they wreak havoc both optical and radio astronomy. Their broadcasts are very close to a highly used radio astronomy band, and the birds themselves reflect sunlight well enough to be seen with the naked eye at certain times of night. Having a global communications system like Iridium may be cool, but it should not come at the cost of basic research.
The wierd guy with the beard is my dad.:-) And while on occation he does go out and track down sources of interference in the antenna-laden truck, most of the job involves administering the National Radio Quiet Zone -- trying to protect basic research from the encroachment of cell phones, pagers, radio, TV, and other radio communications schemes.
My father (Wesley Sizemore) is the person in charge of the National Radio Quiet Zone. Because of the combination of terrain shielding (i.e. mountains surrounding the site) and the protections the NRQZ provides Green Bank, the amount of RF interference is signifigantly less than other sites doing radio astronomy, such as the VLA near Socorro, NM.
However, with the increasing abundance of cell phones, pagers, and other wireless technologies, we're beginning to see serious threats to the NRQZ. It is the only area like it in the world -- I view it as a natural resource. Everywhere else you go, you're bombarded by all kinds of manmade RF noise. At least in Green Bank, there is some protection from that.
It is my hope that basic research doesn't suffer so we can have the convenience of using cell phones and other wireless devices.
I'm sure this is far too late for anyone to actually read it, but here goes, anyway.
Perhaps boycotting Amazon or AOL or whomever else won't hurt their bottom line. Perhaps the corporations won't even notice if every single Slashdot reader stops buying their product, listening to their music, or whatever. But in Ben's comments and others I see a far greater danger -- apathy.
If we think we can do nothing, then we've already allowed the other side to win. I agree with Ben -- DeCSS seems quite trivial compared with overpopulation, environmental threats, or even adequate healthcare and education. But shall we give up on those causes, too? The problems that we face in the coming years are going to be subtle, and take many forms. In the face of a surging Dow, low unemployment, and a boon of goods and services that make life easier, longer, and more enjoyable, who's going to believe someone who says that we're all doomed? The corporations have the power they do because we gave it to them. And we're the only ones who can take it back.
How we can accomplish that goal, I've no good idea. But what I do know is that a dedicated group of individuals can change the world. Look at the civil rights movement, women's rights, the French Revolution, even the Blue Ribbon Campaign. On large and small levels, all of them changed society and the world. We can't let ourselves feel helpless and small. We can't be apathetic. If we do, then we've allowed the other side to win. The Internet is a means of sharing knowledge, and I believe that knowledge is power. Let's do our best to share that power with everyone, not let it (and in turn, us) be controlled by a few wealthy megacorps -- to follow Ben's suggestion about educating those in power. And, let's go one step further -- for knowledge is useless without action. Let's get out of this apathetic GenX mentality and fight for what we believe.
Slashdot Mirror
Funny you should say that. My aunt actually does have an AS/400 sitting around in her home office, where she does programming (mostly COBOL) for area businesses that have have huge payroll, inventory, etc databases set up on mainframes. And she has more demands for her services than she knows what to do with.
Hmm, maybe I should think about visiting more often, to add another line to my resume . . .
BTW, I think you're right about the chicken-and-egg problem in general. My college used to have a required COBOL course, but it had been phased out before I started my CS degree. At the time, I thought it was a good idea. Now, however, I wonder if anyone who took that course now has a job working with mainframes . . .
Anyway, this brings up a question (though I think someone else has already mentioned this) -- I wonder if there is (or could be) a small program that would unpack the data from the CDs. I know such utilities exist for Windows CAB files, surely it wouldn't take BioWare much effort to write up something to give Linux users access to whatever format with which they've packed their data?
I don't look at this a Microsoft tax situation. Buying Neverwinter Nights does mean that, yes, you are buying the Windows client that you may never use. But you're also buying the data, which you will use. Think of it as though the Linux client came on the CD with NWN, and that the cost of the game bought playability on both platforms -- you know, like buying Diablo II or Warcraft III and getting both Windows and Mac versions on the same disk.
The Windows (or Linux, depending on you view) client is just an extra feature, just like an editor, or multiplayer, etc. -- if you use it, great, and if you don't, that's fine too. BioWare has consistantly delivered great games, and NWN promises to be another great game with a feature that most don't have -- the ability to run on my preferred OS.
I did read it, and I got the impression that there was a tone of "why didn't Apple pick us -- we're better!" therein. But perhaps I'm reading more into the article than is there -- media buzz can do that to a person. :-)
In my experience, KHTML and Gecko are both good, and ideas get passed around between both and improve both. Apple has decided to use and improve KHTML, other companies choose to use and improve Gecko. Why is this a bad thing?
Not whorin', just informin'.
Thank goodness the submitter told us that. For a second there I thought I was going to have to read the article and form my own opinion! :-)
In a broader sense, I believe what you are describing here is called the "tyranny of the majority." Pure democracy is not desirable, as it can lead to the just what you describe -- "an underclass whose views [or rights] are supressed by the will of the majority". This is why the Electoral College exists, to prevent the tyranny of the majority. (Whether it works is the subject of another discussion.) Pure capitalism works the same way. Left completely unchecked, it leads to monopolies which can be very detrimental to an economy as a whole.
I think this is the purpose that revolution serves -- when concentration of power results in the will of the many being detrimental to enough people, it will be changed. This happens in politics (American civil rights in the 1950s-60s), technology (rise of Linux is an easy example), and many more examples.
--
"Choose again."
Some examples to show that Apple isn't "stealing from the OSS community . . ."
- Darwin
- OpenDarwin.org - "OpenDarwin.org, jointly founded in April 2002 by Internet Software Consortium, Inc. (ISC) and Apple, is an attempt to take cooperative Darwin development to the next level. Membership in the OpenDarwin project and access to its works are open to everyone. The project is also fully independent, with control over its own web site, project news, bug tracking information and CVS repository, as well as any other services that the community owners may wish to provide. Neither Apple nor ISC take any responsibility for, or exercise any editorial control over, the OpenDarwin project."
- Rendezvous - see also http://apple.slashdot.org/apple/02/08/29/2310214.
s html?tid=107
Apple's tactics regarding 3rd party developers, its choice of licences, etc. are open to debate. However, I don't think it's correct to say that all Apple is doing is "stealing". And besides, Open Source software is meant to be copied, looked at, modified, redistributed. (I'll save the discussion about "if you want people to abide by GNU, you have to be willing to abide by other licences" for someone else). Apple is doing just this, and as far as I can tell creating good products. If you don't like them, or their busincess practices, or their licences, cool, get something else. Vive la difference, non?I find this interesting. In my experience, it's often those who are comfortable with technology that have attitudes which, IMHO, are counter-productive to intellectual property and copyright concerns. For example, I was recently talking with a friend (who happens to be in a very technical graduate program), and mentioned some CD that I was thinking of buying, but that I wasn't sure if I was going to have the cash. And my friend says, "Why not just download it?" I didn't want to get into an argument, so I made an excuse about wanting the better sound quality of the CD, knowing that it was ripped to MP3 by me and my standards, wanting the liner notes, etc. But I was taken aback that downloading the album seemed to be the default to my friend, and that paying for the album was more of a last resort option. And despite my views on record labels and price-fixing and DRM legislation and such, I don't think that violating current copyright law by downloading an album instead of buying it is the way to go.
So what's the point in all of this? I'm wondering how much the technical people need "told about EFF issues and why they matter" vs. non-technical people. My non-tech mom would be outraged if she suddenly couldn't record an episode of Babylon 5 from the TV -- as well she should be. But if this happened, I'm sure she would switch cable companies, buy a non-DRM recording device, or whatever would be required that would send a message to those who want unfair controls on intellectual property. But my tech friends would just find a way to download the material from somewhere. Perhaps technical and non-technical people alike need told about why these issues matter, and how the actions they take (for those who choose to download CDs, or share TV shows, or whatever) or don't take (like my mom not being concerned about the issues because so far, they haven't affected her) have an impact on all of us.
Food for thought. Hopefully I won't be marked as a troll or start a flamewar.
In fact, if memory serves, isn't the brushed metal theme supposed to be limited to apps which operate w/ other devices, according to Apple's own style guidelines? So it's ok for iPhoto, because it connects to my camera, and it's ok for iTunes, because it syncs with the iPod -- but it seems inappropiate for a browser.
One thing I've always liked about Apple is that the style guides are clear, sensible, and almost always followed. I'd hate to see them back away from the guidelines that help make Macs so good for getting work done (IMHO) just because the brushed metal looks "cool".
I dislike the implication that comes with lumping Star Trek together w/ Babylon 5. While I like Star Trek, it was very inconsistant, had a tendancy to recycle the same plots over and over, and has many one-dimentional characters. B5, OTOH, had levels upon levels of plot, amazing character development, and was entirely self-consistant -- first episode to last. Plus, they had a great musical score, and even had believeable physics in the space battles. If Firefly can be better than this, wonderful -- but I think you'd have to work real hard to make a sci-fi (or any other genre) TV program better than Babylon 5.
http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-7129089.html? tag=mn_hd
I agree, but I believe the birds should burn for a different reason: they wreak havoc both optical and radio astronomy. Their broadcasts are very close to a highly used radio astronomy band, and the birds themselves reflect sunlight well enough to be seen with the naked eye at certain times of night. Having a global communications system like Iridium may be cool, but it should not come at the cost of basic research.
The wierd guy with the beard is my dad. :-) And while on occation he does go out and track down sources of interference in the antenna-laden truck, most of the job involves administering the National Radio Quiet Zone -- trying to protect basic research from the encroachment of cell phones, pagers, radio, TV, and other radio communications schemes.
However, with the increasing abundance of cell phones, pagers, and other wireless technologies, we're beginning to see serious threats to the NRQZ. It is the only area like it in the world -- I view it as a natural resource. Everywhere else you go, you're bombarded by all kinds of manmade RF noise. At least in Green Bank, there is some protection from that.
It is my hope that basic research doesn't suffer so we can have the convenience of using cell phones and other wireless devices.
Perhaps boycotting Amazon or AOL or whomever else won't hurt their bottom line. Perhaps the corporations won't even notice if every single Slashdot reader stops buying their product, listening to their music, or whatever. But in Ben's comments and others I see a far greater danger -- apathy.
If we think we can do nothing, then we've already allowed the other side to win. I agree with Ben -- DeCSS seems quite trivial compared with overpopulation, environmental threats, or even adequate healthcare and education. But shall we give up on those causes, too? The problems that we face in the coming years are going to be subtle, and take many forms. In the face of a surging Dow, low unemployment, and a boon of goods and services that make life easier, longer, and more enjoyable, who's going to believe someone who says that we're all doomed? The corporations have the power they do because we gave it to them. And we're the only ones who can take it back.
How we can accomplish that goal, I've no good idea. But what I do know is that a dedicated group of individuals can change the world. Look at the civil rights movement, women's rights, the French Revolution, even the Blue Ribbon Campaign. On large and small levels, all of them changed society and the world. We can't let ourselves feel helpless and small. We can't be apathetic. If we do, then we've allowed the other side to win. The Internet is a means of sharing knowledge, and I believe that knowledge is power. Let's do our best to share that power with everyone, not let it (and in turn, us) be controlled by a few wealthy megacorps -- to follow Ben's suggestion about educating those in power. And, let's go one step further -- for knowledge is useless without action. Let's get out of this apathetic GenX mentality and fight for what we believe.