I'd definitely prefer algorithm based problems to langauge specific type problems. something like the ones in Programming Pearls by Jon Bentley.
It'd be interesting to see how maybe someone struggles and turns out a page of C++ code and someone else does it in a couple of lines of Haskell (or whatever).
Oh yeah, and I want prizes:), first (correct) post would actually mean something:)
As someone who regulary indulges in biscuits and cheese I find the use of the term "cracker" in a derogatory manner plain offensive.
Couldn't somebody find a less heavily loaded term that doesn't deride my favourite snack.
I'm sure that thousands of people like me object to being labelled a criminal for doing nothing more offensive than devoting a small portion of our time to eating.
I'd say a more fitting comparison technology wise would be pippin, thats what happens when you try and squeeze a computer into a console's box.
Albeit M$ have a tonne more money, and that was when apple were going through an especially shit marketing period. Still, you cant cram a computer into a console box, it doesn't work, It'll be overpriced and under specced for a games box, and not be flexible enough, or marketable as, a full PC. Oh well.
But I guess if one company can afford to subsidize their hardware that far it's microsoft.
Seriously, can general purpose PC type hardware deliver the games performance people want at a sub-console price, I dont think so, you pay for the flexibility of a PC and I reckon dedicated hardware like PS2 will wipe the floor with it.
OTOH if it does come out like that at that price, I'm going to buy one and butcher it for components for my current (P200) PC.
I was of course talking about the 3D support "coming soon" to XFree86:p
I understand it's hard to get things absolutely correct in an article, but I am not a journalist, he is.
I'm a firm believer of making sure even if you are explaining to a non technical audience what you say must be correct, make it as simple as possible but no simpler.
personally even if I'm reading a physics story or something else that I know practically nothing about, I'd rather be technically out of my depth, and have to do further research into whatever aspect interested me, than to be patronised by a dumbed down version. It's amazing how quickly you can pick stuff up if you dive in at the deep end.
I wonder what the Linux Killer will be? Any suggestions?
There is no Linux killer, or at least something newer and better may come along and replace the Linux kernel but there will still be a huge body of free software available and it will only grow and improve.
One reason, there will always be academics and volunteers forming a core of developers, wether they believe in a moral crusade to make free software available, or whether to scratch an itch.
Another, it makes no sense for a Large company that makes the bulk of it's money through services embracing a business model that produces less reliable software, thus diminishing the value of those services, this is perhaps less certain than point number one, but I believe it will hold true.
On a side note, what the author needs to grok is that if he posts technically ill informed details about something people believe passionately about, he is bound to meet some resistance, "Red Hat ships Linux with a Windows-like graphical user interface (GUI)" What??? in what way is X "Windows like"?? "the Linux GIU(sic) does not cover many tasks" whatever.
Another thing, why does Linux need a Windows emulator? surely a more complete version of WINE would be a better solution. And in what way is X incomplete (apart from the "coming soon" 3D support)?
I think that using the argument that it is impractical to copy DVDs or bradcast high quality content is a week one, using it gives the impression that this is the only barrier to a mass of illegal copying, and using this bad argument lends credibility to other stuff arguments the MPAA put forward (in the eyes of someone impartial).
They can always give the example of recordable CD which has dramatically reduced in price.
What the argument should purely focus on is our right to use information we have payed for however we like.
The question which put forward this argument was the only one with a valid counter argument.
Look no one is begrudging you anything you idiot. Write your own software, use your own code and do whatever the fuck you want with it. The GPL can't touch you. If on the other hand you decide that you want to use other peoples code then pay their price. The price of GPLed code is that you must give back to the community which you took from.
You're talking rubbish here, didn't you know that running GPL'ed software starts the GPLd which runs in the background adding random chunks of GPL code to your own (other licence) code.
That, or maybe Mr Glass is that stupid that he'd open up a copy of his (other licence) code, and some GPL code and accidentally scroll past the large comment at the top of the GPL code saying "this code is covered by the GPL available at blah, blah, blah..." and paste some of the GPL'ed code in with his own, realising his error, he is then forced to release all his code under GPL. Either that or he accidentally release the code under GPL without reading and thinking about the license first, Doh!!
Given that they now have virtually no overhead for production or distribution $3-6 sounds about right for a whole album if that (artist's royalties + Sony's cut for hosting and delivering the music) have you seen the breakdown of costs of a cd, its shocking, and they've just taken most of that out cost of the loop.
Whats the point in splitting MS, then they'd just have 2 (or however many) monopolies. The obvious answer is that they need to free their file formats and APIs I dont know exactly how that would work, I guess an impartial 3rd party would look after it, take requests for extensions to the standards (from microsoft or whoever).
This would give any company who wanted to play against microsoft an equal footing (well apart from the time up to when the request for change was committed). Microsoft would have to compete on which software the user prefers rather than having them tied in by competitors products not working with 90-odd% of other computers out there.
Hmmm, I wonder how much of the cost of a PC is taken up by the operating system and tech support, because I'd rather buy one with neither. Why should I subsidise all these people who think their machine has crashed when the screen saver kicks in?
No you're right these commands do have to be learned, similarly a GUI must be learned, but I'd say whereis would be pretty easy knowledge to retain because of it obviousness after you've used it once. And once you've got a few of these tools memorised it's fairly easy to use them to find out more (which is another stumbling block I find when I use Windows, If something is non obvious its pretty hard to find out. did you ever look at Windows' online help? )
You have to hold down shift to get the 'open with' option on the right click menu. If a 'Microsoft HTML Document' defaults to open in Internet Explorer and I want to edit it in notepad that's how its done (well one way of doing it as has been pointed out:) ).
And I have had some experience with MFC but it was very traumatic and I'm trying to eliminate those memories.
Funny, that's the reason I'd give that I prefer Linux, it lets me work the way I want to amd provides me with more than one way to carry out a task:).
Personally I find Windows more restrictive because it does not integrate well with a command line. I'm not some CLI obsessive, but it's nice to have that optioon when it fits the task at hand.
Another small thing, it always wants me to save to 'my documents'. I could probably change this by messing with the registry or some parameter hidden deep in some dialogue box somewhere, but I don't really have the inclination (it's certainly not intuitive).
Well, I think the difference between using pure X + a window manager is that Mac and Windows users like to have the root window represent some directory, and be able to drag and drop files onto the root window and have them stored in that directory, and shown as icons.
Now that both Gnome and KDE supply that facility I think the only decent reason that people don't change (in terms of user interfaces) is that X + Gnome or KDE is not Windows or MacOS, they are unwilling to unlearn what they know about their current and more widespread interface.
Take for instance opening a file which defaults to Internet Explorer in Photoshop, in X you may go to an XTerm and type:
$photoshop myimage.png
Which seems pretty intuitive to me, whereas in Windows you would hold down shift and right click the icon for the file, select open with and select photoshop from the list, *really* quick and intuitive.
Or maybe you want to copy a file, in Windows hold down ctrl and drag the file to it's new location. So intuitive, how could anyone not work that out?
So it's really not a problem with the interface, it's just a matter of convincing people that it's worth the effort of starting from scratch and learning how use free software.
By the way, has the guy who wrote the article done any good research on user interfaces, because he seems misinformed about the use of skins in free software, I thought the current craze came from WinAmp, which is not free software. Is he actually talking about the choice of window managers available? or could it be the choice of themeable widget sets available?
The fact that they control the content and the medium by which it is delivered is the most dangerous thing. There was an example mentioned in a previous discussion about how AOL used it's power to block delivery of a mailing list with some anti AOL content.
As anther example of why this is bad take the British film industry, Warner owns the studios (in the US) as well as the distrubution channels and the cinemas (in the UK), is it any wonder that british made films only ever see light of day in a few art house theatres?
One difference between physical objects and digital information is that digital information can be duplicated at no cost, and the original information is still just as valid.
Digital/Sun/Whoever may have lost any advantage they had through depriving people of that information, but they didn't lose the information itself or any benefits it may have to their systems.
Slashdot Mirror
I'd definitely prefer algorithm based problems to langauge specific type problems. something like the ones in Programming Pearls by Jon Bentley.
:)
It'd be interesting to see how maybe someone struggles and turns out a page of C++ code and someone else does it in a couple of lines of Haskell (or whatever).
Oh yeah, and I want prizes:), first (correct) post would actually mean something
-----------------------------------
As someone who regulary indulges in biscuits and cheese I find the use of the term "cracker" in a derogatory manner plain offensive.
Couldn't somebody find a less heavily loaded term that doesn't deride my favourite snack.
I'm sure that thousands of people like me object to being labelled a criminal for doing nothing more offensive than devoting a small portion of our time to eating.
Thanks!!
-----------------------------------
TAOCP homepage
Put it this way, volume 5 isn't estimated to be done until 2009, when work on vol 6 and 7 will start:)
-----------------------------------
Anyone remember the M2
That was the sequel to 3DO(A) right? AKA bulldog.
I'd say a more fitting comparison technology wise would be pippin, thats what happens when you try and squeeze a computer into a console's box.
Albeit M$ have a tonne more money, and that was when apple were going through an especially shit marketing period. Still, you cant cram a computer into a console box, it doesn't work, It'll be overpriced and under specced for a games box, and not be flexible enough, or marketable as, a full PC. Oh well.
-----------------------------------
But I guess if one company can afford to subsidize their hardware that far it's microsoft.
Seriously, can general purpose PC type hardware deliver the games performance people want at a sub-console price, I dont think so, you pay for the flexibility of a PC and I reckon dedicated hardware like PS2 will wipe the floor with it.
OTOH if it does come out like that at that price, I'm going to buy one and butcher it for components for my current (P200) PC.
-----------------------------------
I was of course talking about the 3D support "coming soon" to XFree86 :p
I understand it's hard to get things absolutely correct in an article, but I am not a journalist, he is.
I'm a firm believer of making sure even if you are explaining to a non technical audience what you say must be correct, make it as simple as possible but no simpler.
personally even if I'm reading a physics story or something else that I know practically nothing about, I'd rather be technically out of my depth, and have to do further research into whatever aspect interested me, than to be patronised by a dumbed down version. It's amazing how quickly you can pick stuff up if you dive in at the deep end.
-----------------------------------
I wonder what the Linux Killer will be? Any suggestions?
There is no Linux killer, or at least something newer and better may come along and replace the Linux kernel but there will still be a huge body of free software available and it will only grow and improve.
One reason, there will always be academics and volunteers forming a core of developers, wether they believe in a moral crusade to make free software available, or whether to scratch an itch.
Another, it makes no sense for a Large company that makes the bulk of it's money through services embracing a business model that produces less reliable software, thus diminishing the value of those services, this is perhaps less certain than point number one, but I believe it will hold true.
On a side note, what the author needs to grok is that if he posts technically ill informed details about something people believe passionately about, he is bound to meet some resistance, "Red Hat ships Linux with a Windows-like graphical user interface (GUI)" What??? in what way is X "Windows like"?? "the Linux GIU(sic) does not cover many tasks" whatever.
Another thing, why does Linux need a Windows emulator? surely a more complete version of WINE would be a better solution. And in what way is X incomplete (apart from the "coming soon" 3D support)?
Whatever, Later
-----------------------------------
I think that using the argument that it is impractical to copy DVDs or bradcast high quality content is a week one, using it gives the impression that this is the only barrier to a mass of illegal copying, and using this bad argument lends credibility to other stuff arguments the MPAA put forward (in the eyes of someone impartial).
They can always give the example of recordable CD which has dramatically reduced in price.
What the argument should purely focus on is our right to use information we have payed for however we like.
The question which put forward this argument was the only one with a valid counter argument.
-----------------------------------
Look no one is begrudging you anything you idiot. Write your own software, use your own code and do whatever the fuck you want with it. The GPL can't touch you. If on the other hand you decide that you want to use other peoples code then pay their price. The price of GPLed code is that you must give back to the community which you took from.
You're talking rubbish here, didn't you know that running GPL'ed software starts the GPLd which runs in the background adding random chunks of GPL code to your own (other licence) code.
That, or maybe Mr Glass is that stupid that he'd open up a copy of his (other licence) code, and some GPL code and accidentally scroll past the large comment at the top of the GPL code saying "this code is covered by the GPL available at blah, blah, blah..." and paste some of the GPL'ed code in with his own, realising his error, he is then forced to release all his code under GPL. Either that or he accidentally release the code under GPL without reading and thinking about the license first, Doh!!
-----------------------------------
I have to agree, it would be interesting to see what instruction sets people come up with.
I quite like the idea of a code morphing layer for MMIX (mentioned in this interview with donald Knuth at advogato).
Why shouldn't I be able to write programs for MMIX and have them work on the next chip just by rewriting the code morphing layer?
-----------------------------------
Given that they now have virtually no overhead for production or distribution $3-6 sounds about right for a whole album if that (artist's royalties + Sony's cut for hosting and delivering the music) have you seen the breakdown of costs of a cd, its shocking, and they've just taken most of that out cost of the loop.
-----------------------------------
$3 a track = $36 for an album!!!
Will people actually pay that when they can just rip from a CD?
-----------------------------------
Whats the point in splitting MS, then they'd just have 2 (or however many) monopolies. The obvious answer is that they need to free their file formats and APIs I dont know exactly how that would work, I guess an impartial 3rd party would look after it, take requests for extensions to the standards (from microsoft or whoever).
This would give any company who wanted to play against microsoft an equal footing (well apart from the time up to when the request for change was committed). Microsoft would have to compete on which software the user prefers rather than having them tied in by competitors products not working with 90-odd% of other computers out there.
Has the DOJ considered this? Found it flawed?
-----------------------------------
Hmmm, I wonder how much of the cost of a PC is taken up by the operating system and tech support, because I'd rather buy one with neither. Why should I subsidise all these people who think their machine has crashed when the screen saver kicks in?
-----------------------------------
Intuitive :p
No you're right these commands do have to be learned, similarly a GUI must be learned, but I'd say whereis would be pretty easy knowledge to retain because of it obviousness after you've used it once. And once you've got a few of these tools memorised it's fairly easy to use them to find out more (which is another stumbling block I find when I use Windows, If something is non obvious its pretty hard to find out. did you ever look at Windows' online help? )
-----------------------------------
I'll agree that Woolsey's struggles are similar to those of much of his generation - uncertainty, doubt, fear ...
I just found this quite amusing, Woolsey's struggles seem similar to those experienced on slashdot:).
-----------------------------------
You have to hold down shift to get the 'open with' option on the right click menu. If a 'Microsoft HTML Document' defaults to open in Internet Explorer and I want to edit it in notepad that's how its done (well one way of doing it as has been pointed out:) ).
And I have had some experience with MFC but it was very traumatic and I'm trying to eliminate those memories.
-----------------------------------
Funny, that's the reason I'd give that I prefer Linux, it lets me work the way I want to amd provides me with more than one way to carry out a task:).
Personally I find Windows more restrictive because it does not integrate well with a command line. I'm not some CLI obsessive, but it's nice to have that optioon when it fits the task at hand.
Another small thing, it always wants me to save to 'my documents'. I could probably change this by messing with the registry or some parameter hidden deep in some dialogue box somewhere, but I don't really have the inclination (it's certainly not intuitive).
-----------------------------------
Well, I think the difference between using pure X + a window manager is that Mac and Windows users like to have the root window represent some directory, and be able to drag and drop files onto the root window and have them stored in that directory, and shown as icons.
Now that both Gnome and KDE supply that facility I think the only decent reason that people don't change (in terms of user interfaces) is that X + Gnome or KDE is not Windows or MacOS, they are unwilling to unlearn what they know about their current and more widespread interface.
Take for instance opening a file which defaults to Internet Explorer in Photoshop, in X you may go to an XTerm and type:
$photoshop myimage.png
Which seems pretty intuitive to me, whereas in Windows you would hold down shift and right click the icon for the file, select open with and select photoshop from the list, *really* quick and intuitive.
Or maybe you want to copy a file, in Windows hold down ctrl and drag the file to it's new location. So intuitive, how could anyone not work that out?
So it's really not a problem with the interface, it's just a matter of convincing people that it's worth the effort of starting from scratch and learning how use free software.
By the way, has the guy who wrote the article done any good research on user interfaces, because he seems misinformed about the use of skins in free software, I thought the current craze came from WinAmp, which is not free software. Is he actually talking about the choice of window managers available? or could it be the choice of themeable widget sets available?
-----------------------------------
The fact that they control the content and the medium by which it is delivered is the most dangerous thing. There was an example mentioned in a previous discussion about how AOL used it's power to block delivery of a mailing list with some anti AOL content.
As anther example of why this is bad take the British film industry, Warner owns the studios (in the US) as well as the distrubution channels and the cinemas (in the UK), is it any wonder that british made films only ever see light of day in a few art house theatres?
-----------------------------------
Doesn't theft require that you take something?
One difference between physical objects and digital information is that digital information can be duplicated at no cost, and the original information is still just as valid.
Digital/Sun/Whoever may have lost any advantage they had through depriving people of that information, but they didn't lose the information itself or any benefits it may have to their systems.
-----------------------------------