Maybe SGI don't see a future in old world big iron.
These days anyone with the cash can buy a hundred or so fast workstations and using clustering build a *super* computer. I am inclined to believe that SGI has forseen the end of mainframes the amount of work they have put into linux filesystems (the really high end stuff) they must have encountered beowulfs and the like
The problem is not what can and will be patented in the US but rather what can and will be fought for in the US legal system.
The patents held by US companies are worth nothing abroad, but they still try to fight them under US law.
When a product is availible the world over can a US patent holder fight a european developer, is this legal? moral? how about if I say my software is not for us in the US ( and other areas with patents in effect or pending) and someone uses it there, am I at fault? is the user at fault or the patent system? This one would effect me because if, for instance, I develop some software that uses GIF's, I think the patent is invalid in the UK, and I then distribute this software with the condition it is not to be used in the US (etc) if it is could unisys come knocking on my door?
Before I have my say I like to answer your questions.
1. Most web sites are incredibly juvenile in comparison.
some websites are juvenile, including this one at times, but some websites have incredible insight and are aimed at a more mature audiance.
2. There seems to be a glaring lack of knowledge and experience on many review-oriented web sites.
Again some reviewers are very, very poor online, but the same can be said of offline reviewers. There are weak links in everychain.
point 3, I agree, but if you are offended by such hype why are you a/.er? By being part of this community and posting intelligentlly on these topics, we (majority of/.ers) are continuing this tradition.
And now on to my point, I was reading the paper today (the guardian in the uk, online suppliment) and I saw an article on www.geekcruises.com I had a need to tell a few freinds about it, because it is relevent to a descussion we are having on a mailling list, a the article was online word for word. Why did I pay for the news if the news is availible for free at my desk? I didn't read the paper until after I was logged in anyway.
Maybe papers are a dieing breed, but Somehow I don't think hundreds of years are gonna die, they will just change the model of delivery.
first off every UK/.er must adopt thier MP!!! write to him/her at least once!! get your freinds etc to do the same. one of them will break they will see the error of their ways, everythink they have said about eBritain is bullshite unless they repele this law. the law is unjust and bad for business as well as the consumer, see stand.org.uk for further proof on this. DO NOT take this lightly, goverments are made and broken by direct action, everybody distrubute DeCSS on the day the law comes into effect, they will be breaking their own law if they try to protect the key! FIGHT IT we have the power. sparkes
Since when has the uk government listened to the eu, or anyother entity that disagrees with it's position. the only way to fight it is to adopt your mp's until one of the buggers wakes up and relises all the gumpf they have spouted about e this and e that is crap if encryption is weakened in anyway sparkes
The post above is really informative, if a little brief. Stand allows you adopt your MP a you get a little banner with the MP's invarablly ugly mug on your web site with a link to your MP's. If every UK/.er was to adopt thier MP it really would make a difference. follow this link to the adoption process. it is a little hard to find on the site, everybody adopt their MP's please. sparkes
What I wanted to say was, in the interests of fare reviews could you please send me a review copy of your book so I can review it for www.linuxuk.co.uk.
It will be used as one of our premier stories for our relaunch day (was hoping to get a announcement on/. but maybe thats not possible any more?)
Thanks in advance sparkes (PS email me for address if you really want an honest review (hey I even read douglas coupland/ruskof books with a straight face) )
I agree that many programs should come with a "do you really know what you are doing disclaimer. But lots of end user stuff has next to no instructions, it was this software i was having a go at. sparkes
Documentation is something most coders hate, but without the docs how the hell are we gonna encourage newbies to use our software?
The LDP does a great job of collecting all the relevent docs into one place but more often than not the how-to's wouldn't be needed if the guys on the project started to document there stuff better. how many times have you seen the install file say build it and use it or some such crap?
I recently installed a nameless piece of software that had a 10 line readme file! one line said if you don't know how to do this don't! what the f*** how the hell is this meant to encourage use?
We (the coders) need to start writing a little more, or at least finding a guy/gal who can write. Well I know what I am gonna have to do WRITE SOME DOCS lol.
sparkes
PS get in touch with you LUG to find willing doc writers! thats what I do;-)
ppl may be interested in http://www.useit.com Jakob Nielson makes several similar points in his alertbox pages. You may also be interested in http://www.alistapart.com for several interesting pieces on how it will soon be illegal in the states to have a web site that descriminates against the disabled, the site uses frames so definate links are hard but the main story of interest is "the clock is ticking" and it's follow ups. sparkes
It's pointless trying to port the epic Beowulf over to perl cos anglo-saxon is so similer to perl. It only really differs in its use of the semicolon;-)
sparkes it was ment to be funny so don't hit my karma for not being a coward.
I think/.ers should definatly give point 9 some carefull consideration.
We can never win a fight if our side of the story is never heard, don't forget these people are scared of hackers they can't tell whose a hacker, whose a cracker and who is a cival rights fighter with a pocket protector.
Slashdot Mirror
I see from your homepage you avoided patents when writing gzip, how do you feel about the current explosion of software related patents?
it seems to me that Compaq are going to sell a computer that is going to analysis the destrution of the south pacific.
This is not news it is evil and as geeks we should moblise against such acts against all decency.
1) email is not secure
2) a court order can seriously comprimise your privacy
3) is this what passes for news these days?
It is not illegal to import and psx but to export it from japan!!
How come this story gets to see the light of day when european stories never make it to the sight.
sparkes
it seems that every month new TLD's are descussed, will it ever happen?
OK, so will all know it's got to happen but lets get the IP's all sorted out first.
sparkes
Maybe SGI don't see a future in old world big iron.
These days anyone with the cash can buy a hundred or so fast workstations and using clustering build a *super* computer. I am inclined to believe that SGI has forseen the end of mainframes the amount of work they have put into linux filesystems (the really high end stuff) they must have encountered beowulfs and the like
sparkes
The problem is not what can and will be patented in the US but rather what can and will be fought for in the US legal system.
The patents held by US companies are worth nothing abroad, but they still try to fight them under US law.
When a product is availible the world over can a US patent holder fight a european developer, is this legal? moral? how about if I say my software is not for us in the US ( and other areas with patents in effect or pending) and someone uses it there, am I at fault? is the user at fault or the patent system? This one would effect me because if, for instance, I develop some software that uses GIF's, I think the patent is invalid in the UK, and I then distribute this software with the condition it is not to be used in the US (etc) if it is could unisys come knocking on my door?
sparkes
Before I have my say I like to answer your questions.
/.er? By being part of this community and posting intelligentlly on these topics, we (majority of /.ers) are continuing this tradition.
1. Most web sites are incredibly juvenile in comparison.
some websites are juvenile, including this one at times, but some websites have incredible insight and are aimed at a more mature audiance.
2. There seems to be a glaring lack of knowledge and experience on many review-oriented web sites.
Again some reviewers are very, very poor online, but the same can be said of offline reviewers. There are weak links in everychain.
point 3, I agree, but if you are offended by such hype why are you a
And now on to my point, I was reading the paper today (the guardian in the uk, online suppliment) and I saw an article on www.geekcruises.com I had a need to tell a few freinds about it, because it is relevent to a descussion we are having on a mailling list, a the article was online word for word. Why did I pay for the news if the news is availible for free at my desk? I didn't read the paper until after I was logged in anyway.
Maybe papers are a dieing breed, but Somehow I don't think hundreds of years are gonna die, they will just change the model of delivery.
Now scientists are working on a life size picture of the average /.'er troll brain.
This work should take about five years to finish due to the average being dragged down over the last few days.
sparkes
*** www.linuxuk.co.uk relaunches 1 Mar 2000 ***
first off every UK /.er must adopt thier MP!!!
write to him/her at least once!!
get your freinds etc to do the same.
one of them will break they will see the error of their ways, everythink they have said about eBritain is bullshite unless they repele this law.
the law is unjust and bad for business as well as the consumer, see stand.org.uk for further proof on this.
DO NOT take this lightly, goverments are made and broken by direct action, everybody distrubute DeCSS on the day the law comes into effect, they will be breaking their own law if they try to protect the key! FIGHT IT we have the power.
sparkes
*** www.linuxuk.co.uk relaunches 1 Mar 2000 ***
Since when has the uk government listened to the eu, or anyother entity that disagrees with it's position.
the only way to fight it is to adopt your mp's until one of the buggers wakes up and relises all the gumpf they have spouted about e this and e that is crap if encryption is weakened in anyway
sparkes
*** www.linuxuk.co.uk relaunches 1 Mar 2000 ***
I think you had a typo in that last message it should read....
What freedom of speech.
The UK is not the US (yet lol)
*** www.linuxuk.co.uk relaunches 1 Mar 2000 ***
The post above is really informative, if a little brief. Stand allows you adopt your MP a you get a little banner with the MP's invarablly ugly mug on your web site with a link to your MP's. If every UK /.er was to adopt thier MP it really would make a difference. follow this link to the adoption process. it is a little hard to find on the site, everybody adopt their MP's please. sparkes
*** www.linuxuk.co.uk relaunches 1 Mar 2000 ***
if you could see anyone interviewed on /. who would it be?
what question would you post?
*** www.linuxuk.co.uk relaunches 1 Mar 2000 ***
What I wanted to say was, in the interests of fare reviews could you please send me a review copy of your book so I can review it for www.linuxuk.co.uk.
/. but maybe thats not possible any more?)
It will be used as one of our premier stories for our relaunch day (was hoping to get a announcement on
Thanks in advance sparkes (PS email me for address if you really want an honest review (hey I even read douglas coupland/ruskof books with a straight face) )
*** www.linuxuk.co.uk relaunches 1 Mar 2000 ***
If I write a book will you review it?
*** www.linuxuk.co.uk relaunches 1 Mar 2000 ***
I agree that many programs should come with a "do you really know what you are doing disclaimer.
But lots of end user stuff has next to no instructions, it was this software i was having a go at.
sparkes
*** www.linuxuk.co.uk relaunches 1 Mar 2000 ***
Documentation is something most coders hate, but without the docs how the hell are we gonna encourage newbies to use our software?
;-)
The LDP does a great job of collecting all the relevent docs into one place but more often than not the how-to's wouldn't be needed if the guys on the project started to document there stuff better. how many times have you seen the install file say build it and use it or some such crap?
I recently installed a nameless piece of software that had a 10 line readme file! one line said if you don't know how to do this don't! what the f*** how the hell is this meant to encourage use?
We (the coders) need to start writing a little more, or at least finding a guy/gal who can write. Well I know what I am gonna have to do WRITE SOME DOCS lol.
sparkes
PS get in touch with you LUG to find willing doc writers! thats what I do
*** www.linuxuk.co.uk relaunches 1 Mar 2000 ***
In the UK it is generally called suzy as in the ladies name.
sparkes
*** www.linuxuk.co.uk relaunches 1 Mar 2000 ***
'real men'(tm) think curses is for wimps, just shows how you are not a 'real man'.
ahh fsuk it lets go the whole hog here 'real men' think that HEX is for wimps.
sparkes
*** www.linuxuk.co.uk relaunches 1 Mar 2000 ***
Yeah it took Alan Cox Two days to get home and his website beat /.
*** www.linuxuk.co.uk relaunches 1 Mar 2000 ***
What does KDE have that Gnome dosen't????
:-)
:-P
Kdevelop for a start!
and Mosfet.org to finish
sparkes
oh and me developing software
*** www.linuxuk.co.uk relaunches 1 Mar 2000 ***
ppl may be interested in http://www.useit.com Jakob Nielson makes several similar points in his alertbox pages. You may also be interested in http://www.alistapart.com for several interesting pieces on how it will soon be illegal in the states to have a web site that descriminates against the disabled, the site uses frames so definate links are hard but the main story of interest is "the clock is ticking" and it's follow ups. sparkes
*** www.linuxuk.co.uk relaunches 1 Mar 2000 ***
It's pointless trying to port the epic Beowulf over to perl cos anglo-saxon is so similer to perl. It only really differs in its use of the semicolon ;-)
sparkes
it was ment to be funny so don't hit my karma for not being a coward.
*** www.linuxuk.co.uk relaunches 1 Mar 2000 ***
I think /.ers should definatly give point 9 some carefull consideration.
We can never win a fight if our side of the story is never heard, don't forget these people are scared of hackers they can't tell whose a hacker, whose a cracker and who is a cival rights fighter with a pocket protector.
sparkes
*** www.linuxuk.co.uk relaunches 1 Mar 2000 ***