The most significant numbers I saw on the zeitgeist page was that there are the same number of linux users and win95 users hitting google...wohooo! next up: 98SE. Bill must be quakin'
To make sure you see the best of urban, and not-so-urban I recommend Boston, Mass and Banff/Jasper, Canada.
Boston is an excellent place, its a big city packed into a smallish space. More universities than you can count (you could try and see the Media Lab at MIT and talk to some geeks) Catch a Redsox game (hopefully against the Yankees). Hang out in Harvard Square and check out book stores, cafes, brewpubs and try to get in a conversation with some of the residents, both permanent and transient.
Banff and Jasper contain some of the most beautiful mountains and natural areas on this continent, its close to Calgary and several hundred km's to Vancouver so it is a good respite from the big cities.
Bike to work, walk to work, bike or walk to the market. Get out of your lazyboy and DO SOMETHING!
Most activities burn calories, TV watching is not an activity. I too sit in front of a computer all day, but I don't have a TV, I bike almost everywhere I go, I walk to go out to dinner with my wife and we split a meal, we don't need the tons of food we gorge ourselves on.
Diets don't work! You have to change the way you behave. Kill your Television, avoid your car, and enjoy life.....I'm done!
I agree, it IS important. Not the bashing, although it is fun sometimes, but rather the fact that this OS non-corporation called Linux is managed, marketed, funded, researched and developed by people like us.
The mucky-mucks at MS, or Apple, or any other software company work long days worrying about and getting all the info they can about other companies.
Since linux is non-corporate it is up to people like us to discuss, argue, trash-talk, and otherwise beat to death information and news about the competition.
Not really the point of the story, but thanks for the flame all the same. Lucky for me I'm not a software engineer, just someone who speaks his mind, because it is one of the dumbest things i ever heard.
In a phone conversation with an IT worker-bee at a State Government agency I was informed that we could not use certain software due to fact that it is freeware. The word freeware, not Open-Source was used. In my amazement I was blurted out that it was one of the "dumbest things I ever heard" and was told that the State IT governing board wanted a license just in case they needed to sue somebody. This begs the questions:
1. Doesn't the EULA, as mentioned in the story exclude most remedies, including litigation?
2. Do you really think you can win such a case?
3. If you do win (and pig's fly), will that change the software, or will you get some monetary settlement? Meaning your stuff is still broken.
This comparison is something I will definitely keep close for my next conversation involving proprietary vs OS licenses. BTW the software in question was Tomcat.
I think that a lot of these posts are missing a major point. There is a big difference between preservation of digital media (what NDIIP and LOC are doing) vs storage of digital media (what GOOGLE and P2P systems do). When you preserve digital media you have to try to make it so that in the future (100s of years or more) people will still be able to access and view/hear, etc. this data. This might mean continually updating the file format ("format transformation") or it might mean trying to create hardware/software systems that can play back this media ("emulation"). This is a MUCH harder task than just storing the media and many schools and research centers are trying to figure out the best way to do this.
My money is on BeOS. My reasons can be boiled down to three:
1. BeOS is built from the ground up as a Multi- Media OS. Its fast, its (relatively) small, and more reliable than WinXX. Perfect for the non- geeks who want good streaming web content, and basic utilities (word processor, spreadsheet).
2. BeOS has a nice standard interface, which can be slimmed down in size and functionality (if needed).
3. BeOS has already proven it can be used and offered at no cost to OEM's (see this link for Gasee's offer to manufacturers).
Either way (linux, BeOS) it will be nice to see another alternative to MS.
I do not want to sound conspiratorial (if thats possible), or off-topic, but didn't Bill Gates claim in his BBC interview that MS, and more specifically himself could not change or alter content. He claimed that MS just provides the tools, it does not tell people how/when to use them. But it seems to me MS dictated exactly as they saw fit, and even excluded certain types of users (non-Windows) from participating in this World chess match, either through neglect or by choice. In a world that becomes more and more dominated by a single company (MSN, Windows, Web-TV, hotmail, etc.) I have become concerned how the content and delivery of information are controlled in the future.
Giving admin rights to users is not one of the brighter things I have seen. Think of giving yourself id 0 on a Unix Box, one misplaced rm and your system will be hosed. It is probably similar on a NT. You can bring the entire system down and screw any other users on the machine, oops I forgot NT is not multi-user, but that should be left for a discussion on the Top 10 Dumb things that MS does.
Althought not a grad of MIT (or CS from anywhere for that matter) I believe we are not giving enough credit to the Faculty and students at MIT. MIT houses (correct me if i am wrong) Tim Berners-Lee, Richard Stallman, and a host of other standards or open-source evangelists. I do not think that MS can fool, or coax, or bribe MIT into becoming a satellite of Redmond. It is in MIT's best interest to fund itself, and if it is with MS, or Sun, or any other corporation so be it. MIT has helped develop standards, and I believe they will continue to do so, despite the MS marketing juggernaut.
My thought is the more 'open' any software becomes is a great advantage to everyone. Regardless of who wins (linux or solaris) the point is that the user community wins (read consumers).
I say we all (those of us who see it as a good idea) just start using metric in everyday life. A quiet revolution. Americans have forced english down everybodies throats, but they will not (thank goodness) be able to do the same with our backward measurement system. So lets take /. metric.
I have noticed a great deal of commentary from the tech press regarding Linux for appliances and sub $100 devices, but little mention of Linux as a viable desktop machine. Is this a case of well well orchestrated FUD or is this the direction Linux should be headed? With Window manangers (esp KDE) making great strides in ease of use and customizability it seems we only need more app porting to be just as viable as any other OS/WM.
If possible go to local PC vendors who build their own equipment. Most of these people are not tied into any agreement with MS, and it also helps support local business as opposed to the other mega corps, i.e. dell, compaq.
Slashdot Mirror
The most significant numbers I saw on the zeitgeist page was that there are the same number of linux users and win95 users hitting google...wohooo! next up: 98SE. Bill must be quakin'
Boston is an excellent place, its a big city packed into a smallish space. More universities than you can count (you could try and see the Media Lab at MIT and talk to some geeks) Catch a Redsox game (hopefully against the Yankees). Hang out in Harvard Square and check out book stores, cafes, brewpubs and try to get in a conversation with some of the residents, both permanent and transient.
Banff and Jasper contain some of the most beautiful mountains and natural areas on this continent, its close to Calgary and several hundred km's to Vancouver so it is a good respite from the big cities.
Have a great time!!!
Most activities burn calories, TV watching is not an activity.
I too sit in front of a computer all day, but I don't have a TV, I bike almost everywhere I go, I walk to go out to dinner with my wife and we split a meal, we don't need the tons of food we gorge ourselves on.
Diets don't work! You have to change the way you behave. Kill your Television, avoid your car, and enjoy life.....I'm done!
The mucky-mucks at MS, or Apple, or any other software company work long days worrying about and getting all the info they can about other companies.
Since linux is non-corporate it is up to people like us to discuss, argue, trash-talk, and otherwise beat to death information and news about the competition.
To me its just good business.
Not really the point of the story, but thanks for the flame all the same. Lucky for me I'm not a software engineer, just someone who speaks his mind, because it is one of the dumbest things i ever heard.
cheers
In a phone conversation with an IT worker-bee at a State Government agency I was informed that we could not use certain software due to fact that it is freeware. The word freeware, not Open-Source was used. In my amazement I was blurted out that it was one of the "dumbest things I ever heard" and was told that the State IT governing board wanted a license just in case they needed to sue somebody. This begs the questions:
1. Doesn't the EULA, as mentioned in the story exclude most remedies, including litigation?
2. Do you really think you can win such a case?
3. If you do win (and pig's fly), will that change the software, or will you get some monetary settlement? Meaning your stuff is still broken.
This comparison is something I will definitely keep close for my next conversation involving proprietary vs OS licenses. BTW the software in question was Tomcat.
I think that a lot of these posts are missing a major point. There is a big difference between preservation of digital media (what NDIIP and LOC are doing) vs storage of digital media (what GOOGLE and P2P systems do). When you preserve digital media you have to try to make it so that in the future (100s of years or more) people will still be able to access and view/hear, etc. this data. This might mean continually updating the file format ("format transformation") or it might mean trying to create hardware/software systems that can play back this media ("emulation"). This is a MUCH harder task than just storing the media and many schools and research centers are trying to figure out the best way to do this.
Wow 10 Petabytes!!
That is one big D:\ drive.
My money is on BeOS. My reasons can be boiled
down to three:
1. BeOS is built from the ground up as a Multi-
Media OS. Its fast, its (relatively) small, and
more reliable than WinXX. Perfect for the non-
geeks who want good streaming web content, and
basic utilities (word processor, spreadsheet).
2. BeOS has a nice standard interface, which can
be slimmed down in size and functionality (if
needed).
3. BeOS has already proven it can be used and
offered at no cost to OEM's (see this link for Gasee's offer to
manufacturers).
Either way (linux, BeOS) it will be nice to see
another alternative to MS.
I do not want to sound conspiratorial (if thats possible), or off-topic, but didn't Bill Gates claim in his BBC interview that MS, and more specifically himself could not change or alter content. He claimed that MS just provides the tools, it does not tell people how/when to use them. But it seems to me MS dictated exactly as they saw fit, and even excluded certain types of users (non-Windows) from participating in this World chess match, either through neglect or by choice. In a world that becomes more and more dominated by a single company (MSN, Windows, Web-TV, hotmail, etc.) I have become concerned how the content and delivery of information are controlled in the future.
Giving admin rights to users is not one of the brighter things I have seen. Think of giving yourself id 0 on a Unix Box, one misplaced rm and your system will be hosed. It is probably similar on a NT. You can bring the entire system down and screw any other users on the machine, oops I forgot NT is not multi-user, but that should be left for a discussion on the Top 10 Dumb things that MS does.
Althought not a grad of MIT (or CS from anywhere for that matter) I believe we are not giving enough credit to the Faculty and students at MIT. MIT houses (correct me if i am wrong) Tim Berners-Lee, Richard Stallman, and a host of other standards or open-source evangelists. I do not think that MS can fool, or coax, or bribe MIT into becoming a satellite of Redmond. It is in MIT's best interest to fund itself, and if it is with MS, or Sun, or any other corporation so be it. MIT has helped develop standards, and I believe they will continue to do so, despite the MS marketing juggernaut.
My thought is the more 'open' any software becomes is a great advantage to everyone. Regardless of
who wins (linux or solaris) the point is that the
user community wins (read consumers).
I say we all (those of us who see it as a good
idea) just start using metric in everyday life.
A quiet revolution. Americans have forced
english down everybodies throats, but they will
not (thank goodness) be able to do the same with
our backward measurement system. So lets take
/. metric.
I have noticed a great deal of commentary from the tech press regarding Linux for appliances and sub $100 devices, but little mention of Linux as a viable desktop machine. Is this a case of well
well orchestrated FUD or is this the direction Linux should be headed? With Window manangers (esp KDE) making great strides in ease of use and customizability it seems we only need more app porting to be just as viable as any other OS/WM.
If possible go to local PC vendors who build
their own equipment. Most of these people
are not tied into any agreement with MS, and
it also helps support local business as opposed
to the other mega corps, i.e. dell, compaq.