The rarest of Slashdot's rarities, civilized discussion! Let's enjoy...
I totally agree with you about Bush and so do many conservatives. Just because we voted for G.W. instead of the alternatives does not mean that we are any less Ronald Reagan types.
Well, I'm a conservative too. I liked Goldwater, liked Reagan, and were I an Usian, I'd have voted for them. But Bush II gives me the creeps. How could he have been RE-elected is beyond me. You know, fooled once, shame on you, fooled twice...
My point was that America's right wing is totally different than Europe's version of right wing.
Just as America's left wing is totally different from Europe's version of left wing. You see, USA's political spectrum is orthogonal with the rest of the world's (not just Europe's). IMHO yours is saner, but as a result of the very unique circumstances of USA's geography and history, is unexportable. It has failed to catch even in your colony, the UK, despite the best efforts of Maggie the First.
Now, I'm going to invoke a Godwin's Law exception, in order to talk about Nazis.;>)
Americans, as a rule, are ignorant about European political history (no offense intended, you have no reason not to be). They think of Nazism and Fascism as the loony fringe of the European right, wich they're not. They're a profoundly different ideology, a poisonous caricature of right wing tought, in almost every way opposed to traditional conservative values, wich were old and established before Columbus set sail. But the point is, Hitler, Mussolini et al took their respective countries' right wingers for a ride into disaster. And Bush II is no conservative. He's just the sock puppet of a profoundly different ideology, a poisonous caricature of right wing tought, in almost every way opposed to traditional conservative values, and he indeed took American conservatives for a ride. A ride to where, is another discussion.
They have communist socialists on the left and nationalist socialists on the right. Either way you get socialism.
Let me guess, you're reading Hayek and Mises? We all did. Not a bad influence at a certain age, you'll outgrow them. Like a first love, really.
After the just released MSFT quarter, the stock dropped 11%. One of the reasons the analysts gave was the increased R&D spend
May I disagree?
My reading of the drop is not that WS disapproved of R&D per se, but they rather tought the extra money would be squandered fighting battles MSFT has no reason to fight, and no hope to win. Think land war in Asia. I guess that for once, WS "analysts" are onto something.
Actually, I use both online banking and web apps at work. I see your point. Fair enough.
Both you and the guy you were answering to have points, because we all live in a mixed environment. We do some things locally, and some in the network.
But, IMHO, we're seeing a trend towards using more and more web apps for everyday tasks. They're just convenient, but tend to go unnoticed, perhaps because they just work. At least that has been my experience, and my box is anything but thin.
The right wing in America are Ronald Reagan, free market, less government, freedom and democracy loving, family value types. Where have you been? Living in the 60s?
Or is it that you're living in the 80s?
Friend, Bush II is emphatically NOT RR, neither even Bush I (talk about lowering the bar).
I'll say it here, but it applies to many many of the other posts I've read today - this is not a great political statement he has made. It was a comedian act, in an event that hosts such act every year. He's a comedian. He was invited to this event to deliver political humor in front of political-aware people, and he delivered. Trust me, nobody (president included) lost sleep over it. Nobody in the press reported on it, because it's NOT NEWSWORTHY.
Wosh! Wosh! Woooshhhh!...
(Sound of every and each one issue discussed here going over your head)
There is roughly zero probability of a "Perry Mason Moment(tm)" where 10,000 scientists bread down on the stand and admit that it was all just an elaborate hoax.
You saw the fuss created for 100,000 Katrina refugees? Imagine 200 million of them, worldwide.
Maybe you lost a zero somewhere?
Because if you look at a world map, and count just seaports, you reach 200 million really,really fast. And that's without taking in account that with just a few meters of increase in sea level whole countries (i.e. the Netherlands, or Bangladesh) are goners. I suspect the real number is counted in billions.
I don't think their goal is to get rid of Microsoft, per say.
But, since Microsoft's goal appears to be getting rid of everybody else, Oracle et al will have the battle forced upon them. It is not if, but when, and they know it much better than you or I.
You have industries with a small number of players where it is difficult or impossible for anyone new to enter the industry because the existing players have hundreds or thousands of patents covering the product. Even if a lot of those patents are complete nonsense, it is expensive to fight them -- and it only takes a single injunction to kill a challenger. As a result, the number of players in the arena slowly shrinks, and all players cross-license their patents (so producing a patent produces no competitive advantage).
So, the patent system has degenerated into just a way to enforce cartels?
Didn't see it before, but actually makes perfect sense. Thanks for the insight.
Open Source Developers are very often individuals, non-profit organisations, or a loose collection of interested parties. There may be no clearly defined target, or nobody with deep pockets worth sueing.
Yes, but in an hypothetical "MSFT suing $OSSdeveloper" lawsuit, the reason would be not extorting his lunch money for mucho $$$, but intimidating OSS developers.
You see, most people are justifiably afraid of being pulled in court, even if they have law and right on their side, because they cannot afford the expense, time, stress, and general disruption of life that a lawsuit implies.
So, if MSFT, or $evil_corporation can actually get away with filing nuisance suits against individual developers, they'd have a powerful weapon for slowing the OSS juggernaut.
Doesn't look very probable right now, but in a few years, when they're really desperate...
Denigrar a tu pais delante de extranjeros no te convierte magicamente en WASP. Para ellos, seguis siendo un sudaca. Solamente logras ser despreciado, por ellos y nosotros.
Putting a computer in the hands of a nerd can be a powerful thing. I am sure if the said computer was given to Chuck Norris as a child, the computer would have ended up as a totally shattered thing.
Or Chuck Norris woul've grown to be a computer scientist, and we'd been spared from Texas Ranger.
In my country (Argentina) all those computers will end up in wrong hands. We dont need computers for education; it seems that americans believe that are helping the world, but from this side of the counter it is all different.
In my country (also Argentina) your rant is beyond moronic.
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The rarest of Slashdot's rarities, civilized discussion! Let's enjoy...
;>)
I totally agree with you about Bush and so do many conservatives. Just because we voted for G.W. instead of the alternatives does not mean that we are any less Ronald Reagan types.
Well, I'm a conservative too. I liked Goldwater, liked Reagan, and were I an Usian, I'd have voted for them. But Bush II gives me the creeps. How could he have been RE-elected is beyond me. You know, fooled once, shame on you, fooled twice...
My point was that America's right wing is totally different than Europe's version of right wing.
Just as America's left wing is totally different from Europe's version of left wing.
You see, USA's political spectrum is orthogonal with the rest of the world's (not just Europe's). IMHO yours is saner, but as a result of the very unique circumstances of USA's geography and history, is unexportable. It has failed to catch even in your colony, the UK, despite the best efforts of Maggie the First.
Now, I'm going to invoke a Godwin's Law exception, in order to talk about Nazis.
Americans, as a rule, are ignorant about European political history (no offense intended, you have no reason not to be).
They think of Nazism and Fascism as the loony fringe of the European right, wich they're not. They're a profoundly different ideology, a poisonous caricature of right wing tought, in almost every way opposed to traditional conservative values, wich were old and established before Columbus set sail.
But the point is, Hitler, Mussolini et al took their respective countries' right wingers for a ride into disaster.
And Bush II is no conservative. He's just the sock puppet of a profoundly different ideology, a poisonous caricature of right wing tought, in almost every way opposed to traditional conservative values, and he indeed took American conservatives for a ride. A ride to where, is another discussion.
They have communist socialists on the left and nationalist socialists on the right. Either way you get socialism.
Let me guess, you're reading Hayek and Mises? We all did.
Not a bad influence at a certain age, you'll outgrow them. Like a first love, really.
Best wishes,
CC
You look pretty informed about VMS, so may I pick your brain?
Who owns the IP for the original VMS IP (patents, copyrights, whatever)? HP/Compaq?
Was there any talk ever about opensourcing it?
Cheers,
CC
After the just released MSFT quarter, the stock dropped 11%. One of the reasons the analysts gave was the increased R&D spend
May I disagree?
My reading of the drop is not that WS disapproved of R&D per se, but they rather tought the extra money would be squandered fighting battles MSFT has no reason to fight, and no hope to win. Think land war in Asia.
I guess that for once, WS "analysts" are onto something.
Cheers,
CC
Actually, I use both online banking and web apps at work. I see your point. Fair enough.
Both you and the guy you were answering to have points, because we all live in a mixed environment. We do some things locally, and some in the network.
But, IMHO, we're seeing a trend towards using more and more web apps for everyday tasks. They're just convenient, but tend to go unnoticed, perhaps because they just work.
At least that has been my experience, and my box is anything but thin .
Cheers,
CC
Thanks for the mature reply. It brings a lot to the discussion.
Maybe it's not a lot, but still is much more that what you brought.
Relax a little.
Cheers,
CC
The right wing in America are Ronald Reagan, free market, less government, freedom and democracy loving, family value types. Where have you been? Living in the 60s?
Or is it that you're living in the 80s?
Friend, Bush II is emphatically NOT RR, neither even Bush I (talk about lowering the bar).
Cheers,
Bill O'Rielly might be "right" of you, but he's left of most conservatives. I would consider him a moderate for the most part.
Hey, Adolf! Nice to hear you're still alive.
So, there's Internet in the Paraguayan jungle?
Your attitude is exactly why half the world hates Americans.
My friend, you're being rather modest.
Reality is more like:
Everybody minus Tony Blair
Cheers,
CC
I'll say it here, but it applies to many many of the other posts I've read today - this is not a great political statement he has made. It was a comedian act, in an event that hosts such act every year. He's a comedian. He was invited to this event to deliver political humor in front of political-aware people, and he delivered. Trust me, nobody (president included) lost sleep over it. Nobody in the press reported on it, because it's NOT NEWSWORTHY.
Wosh! Wosh! Woooshhhh!...
(Sound of every and each one issue discussed here going over your head)
Cheers,
CC
You don't get my point.
No, he did. The problem is that your point is stupid (or a good troll).
Cheers,
CC
I fail to see how they could afford the production and distribution costs that get spent putting that CD on the shelves
;>)
Have you heard about the Internet?
Putting real CDs on shelves is sooo last century...
Cheers,
CC
Gentlemanly
Glad to know.
Best wishes,
CC
There is roughly zero probability of a "Perry Mason Moment(tm)" where 10,000 scientists bread down on the stand and admit that it was all just an elaborate hoax.
Loved that! (chuckles)
Cheers,
CC
it probably would help my case if I didn't spell like a 10 year old. =)
Gentlemanly or sarcastic?
I'm afraid my English isn't good enough for nuances
IMWTK
Cheers,
CC
You saw the fuss created for 100,000 Katrina refugees? Imagine 200 million of them, worldwide.
Maybe you lost a zero somewhere?
Because if you look at a world map, and count just seaports, you reach 200 million really,really fast.
And that's without taking in account that with just a few meters of increase in sea level whole countries (i.e. the Netherlands, or Bangladesh) are goners.
I suspect the real number is counted in billions.
Cheers,
Oh, wait...Cheers?
CC
I don't think their goal is to get rid of Microsoft, per say.
But, since Microsoft's goal appears to be getting rid of everybody else, Oracle et al will have the battle forced upon them. It is not if , but when , and they know it much better than you or I.
And, sorry for nitpicking, but is per se .
Cheers,
CC
So, the patent system has degenerated into just a way to enforce cartels?
Didn't see it before, but actually makes perfect sense.
Thanks for the insight.
Cheers,
CC
Yes, but in an hypothetical "MSFT suing $OSSdeveloper" lawsuit, the reason would be not extorting his lunch money for mucho $$$, but intimidating OSS developers.
You see, most people are justifiably afraid of being pulled in court, even if they have law and right on their side, because they cannot afford the expense, time, stress, and general disruption of life that a lawsuit implies.
So, if MSFT, or $evil_corporation can actually get away with filing nuisance suits against individual developers, they'd have a powerful weapon for slowing the OSS juggernaut.
Doesn't look very probable right now, but in a few years, when they're really desperate...
Cheers,
CC
Denigrar a tu pais delante de extranjeros no te convierte magicamente en WASP. Para ellos, seguis siendo un sudaca.
Solamente logras ser despreciado, por ellos y nosotros.
Es el sindrome del guia turistico.
Woshhhhh.... (Sound of sarcasm going over your head)
Cheers,
CC
Putting a computer in the hands of a nerd can be a powerful thing.
I am sure if the said computer was given to Chuck Norris as a child, the computer would have ended up as a totally shattered thing.
Or Chuck Norris woul've grown to be a computer scientist, and we'd been spared from Texas Ranger.
Cheers,
CC
In my country (also Argentina) your rant is beyond moronic.
Please, rent a brain, or STFU.
If he tried to sell all the shares and so on, the share price would soar
No disrespect intended, but what exactly does soar mean for you?
Cheers,
I'd never expect to be excused from wrongdoing because I work hard, especially if (like Bill Gates) I work hard at wrongdoing.
Beautiful!
Cheers,
CC
This communication gap is a theme in many of Lem's books, not just Fiasco. I'd argue that its the central theme in Solaris as well.
I'd argue that the central theme in "Solaris" is the impossibility of communicating with ourselves .
Cheers,
Carlos Cesar