Well, The Matrix had the advantage of being the first *good* cyberpunk movie.
... The Matrix isn't even remotely CP. CP is a child of the 80's -- moral/ethical issues about the environment, disparity of wealth and crime, corporate ethics and growing corporate/MNC power, the affects of globalization on culture, genetic engineering, affects of technology on socialization, etc. In other words, it tends to address social issues that we're facing today, that seem to be heading in a negative direction, and the main characters are more reluctant anti-heroes than anything else. I, for one, tend to worry more about, say, microsoft's monopolistic practices or the alleged overseas human-rights violations of Unocal than whether or not my brain is in a giant box somewhere.
The Matrix follows more along the lines of a science-fantasy heroic epic (ala Star Wars) that revolves around (admittedly dumbed-down) basic philosophical questions. It's cool, but it ain't cyberpunk. I'm sorry, but it takes more than a bunch of guns and black leather to qualify for the genre. To qualify as potential dating/masturbatory material, yes, to qualify as cyberpunk, no.
And really, the only scientific error you could say The Matrix made was that feeding the humans would take more energy than the computers could get out of them.
... Actually, the line was something akin to 'with this, combined with a form of fusion, the machines had all the energy they'd ever need.' Now, whatever this magical 'form of fusion' is, the implication is that the energy generated by humans serves to trigger a larger reaction. We're less like the batteries in a walkman, and more like the battery in a car. Not that it matters; as many others have pointed out: it ain't about science. It's just a bunch of cheesy pseudo-science to set the stage for what is, ultimately, a fantasy epic.
... God, I sound pretentious. =P
Re:Look for something amazing from this project
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New Desktop for Linux
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· Score: 1
As many people have astutely pointed out, Linux needs a lot of work before it's accessible to the average user. But I think people need to realize that there are two distinctly different types of users in two distinctly different types of environments:
Home users - Ultimately, these people are responsible for everything on their machine. Security, permissions, configuring new hardware, etc. It's lovely to think of granny playing aisle riot and emailing her grandkids from redhat, but let's remember too that under this model GRANNY IS ROOT. Think about the ramifications of this. When she fires up her pre-installed OS, who's she going to log in as? What happens when she starts saving her recipies in/etc? I'm not saying that linux can't evolve to meet the needs of these people, but it will definitely take a lot of time, and as others have pointed out, will probably require linux to turn into something muuuuch different than most/.ers know and love.
Workplace users - this is the target. Linux is a complex multiuser environment that realistically requires a systems administrator, if only occasionally. The workplace provides exactly that. IT can set up the system, assign a login, provide tips and hints on how to do certain tasks, restrict access from places where people shouldn't play, configure new hardware (and when necessary, software), be there to answer questions, etc. For the user the experience is relatively hassle-free and as time passes, they may even begin to learn a bit beyond point-and-click. As more time passes and they've developed a basic competency, then maybe they'll install it on their home machines. They'll be around to show it to their neighbors, evangalize how cool it is, and help them get set up.
The whole emphasis is wrong, provided there even is an emphasis (which there doesn't appear to be). Screw granny, and target Bob Smith, CPA. Smooth the learning curve so that the first few weeks' experience will not be one of continual frustration. In other words, seed the home market through the workplace.
Slashdot Mirror
The Matrix follows more along the lines of a science-fantasy heroic epic (ala Star Wars) that revolves around (admittedly dumbed-down) basic philosophical questions. It's cool, but it ain't cyberpunk. I'm sorry, but it takes more than a bunch of guns and black leather to qualify for the genre. To qualify as potential dating/masturbatory material, yes, to qualify as cyberpunk, no.
And really, the only scientific error you could say The Matrix made was that feeding the humans would take more energy than the computers could get out of them.
- Home users - Ultimately, these people are responsible for everything on their machine. Security, permissions, configuring new hardware, etc. It's lovely to think of granny playing aisle riot and emailing her grandkids from redhat, but let's remember too that under this model GRANNY IS ROOT. Think about the ramifications of this. When she fires up her pre-installed OS, who's she going to log in as? What happens when she starts saving her recipies in
/etc? I'm not saying that linux can't evolve to meet the needs of these people, but it will definitely take a lot of time, and as others have pointed out, will probably require linux to turn into something muuuuch different than most /.ers know and love. - Workplace users - this is the target. Linux is a complex multiuser environment that realistically requires a systems administrator, if only occasionally. The workplace provides exactly that. IT can set up the system, assign a login, provide tips and hints on how to do certain tasks, restrict access from places where people shouldn't play, configure new hardware (and when necessary, software), be there to answer questions, etc. For the user the experience is relatively hassle-free and as time passes, they may even begin to learn a bit beyond point-and-click. As more time passes and they've developed a basic competency, then maybe they'll install it on their home machines. They'll be around to show it to their neighbors, evangalize how cool it is, and help them get set up.
The whole emphasis is wrong, provided there even is an emphasis (which there doesn't appear to be). Screw granny, and target Bob Smith, CPA. Smooth the learning curve so that the first few weeks' experience will not be one of continual frustration. In other words, seed the home market through the workplace.