Make your own, the gimp is awesome (though most reading this already know that). There is a lot of cool open source centric artwork out there to use either by itself or as part of your own unique creation. Kinkos can print it up in color for a fairly reasonable price. Viola...
What are the benifits of CF as opposed to an open and freely available tool like PHP or PERL? What do you tell potential customers to have them choose your CF development over another companies PHP development? Does CF support rival the near ubiquitous support for PHP and PERL? Do you feel at all locked into the proprietary software module (i.e. do you feel forced to upgrade when a new version comes out?) Do you feel confident security issues will be resolved in a timely manner (and what is the track record for CF security)?
I've used PHP and PERL for several years, I also have used proprietary web scripting tools like Progress WebSpeed, but since I am now working for myself full time, I'm interestedd to know what else is out there. And how it stacks up compared to the tools I am familiar with.
5 years ago I graduated with a very similiar unnamed BS degree. I was in the honors college, at my university and it encouraged individual exploration. I took advantage so that I could get out of school in 4 years, without ever having a real major. Hence when people ask what I graduated in I say a BS in BS.
In reality I studied CS, Small Business Administration and a smattering of philosophy and political science.
Basically, I couldn't make up my mind, but since I came up with a reasonable "plan" to present to my advisor, they ok'd it and I got through with minimum expense.
I recommend Netraverse win4lin for this type of application. It is about one third the cost (~$100 bucks.) I'm a web developer and I use it to test sites in several versions of IE, but it will run just about any software. see http://netraverse.com I am in no way affiliated with the company (other than being a happy customer)
I am going to drink a helluva lot of pepsi (and probably Mountain Dew) I already drink over 2 liters a day average. So a little more won't hurt. But I am hoping to win AND be able to sue, because there is no warning label on the bottles that my teeth may all rot and fall out.
I smell cash and a ride to the space station, which is will work out great because the mushy astronaut food will be all I can eat with out teeth.
If you plan to find a job in a large company, and remain mostly anonymous, your "stats" are more important, because your work will be viewed and used by many people you may never come into personal contact with. They will see your bio on the company intranet, and get an email from you (cc'd to about a hundred other managers and co-workers). Once you have been there long enough you'll be able to have a reputation that stands on its own, but until then your credentials will help your co-workers evaluate you and "judge" you.
Now on the other hand if you are the more adventuresome type, and are looking for a challenge more than a paycheck, and find a great job at a small company, a second major will be much less worth while. As the people will know you for who you are and what you can do.
I have personally worked at large and small companies, and now run my own. I think you're better off deciding what type of company and what type of job, when making decisions.
The number one bit of advise is enjoy your time in school. College represents the most freedom you'll ever have, most just don't see the forest through the trees (I know I didn't.)
What got me started on PHP was not its features, or its ubiquity, but rather the great on-line manual and documentation. I have been using PHP for 4 years now professionally, and it still is easier to find solutions to problems.
My experience with PERL is that it can do almost anything, but it is a lot harder to find out how.
CPAN is great, and the ORIELLY books helped me out tremendously, but I still struggle when I try expanding my PERL knowledge.
PHP on the other hand, with easy to use centralized docuemntation made my learning easy. I could pop onto php.net use the function library (with user notes) and I was off and running. Now zend.com has come along and provides a lot of easy to follow case studies and examples and snippets.
So overall there is less environment issues for the new person to worry about. Simply do a and you know what is installed. I know there are ways to do this with PERL, but they are not as obvisous to someone learning.
When I try to look up info and examples on PERL I end up finding several ways to do thigns, and those ways are subtly different, and it becomes a frustrating experience to sort it out. I am still very much a PERL novice, mainly because I cannot expanded my skills as quickly with PERL as I can with PHP, so if there is a for a project I choose PHP.
The other thing that made PERL difficult is trying to get modules installed was a bear, I didn't learn about perl -MCPAN -e shell for a long time, and even then I ran into some difficulties getting the modules compiled and installed.
These issues aren't show stoppers for me, in the sense that given enough time I did manage to get around them, but jump through those hoops always makes me thing twice when reaching in the figurative tool box and choosing between PERL, PHP or even a bash script.
I am glad I eventually learned enough PERL to do useful things relatively quickly, but it wwas a lot easier for me to self teach myself PHP than it was to self teach PERL.
So, at least for me the reason for learning and using PHP first, was the availability of self-help resources.
This has been MS2k weighing in on the PHP v. PERL debate . . .
I'm using YDL 2.3 on an ibook and it works great. I was initially hesitant to install YDL, mainly because I am unfamiliar with Macs and PPC (I have been a PC guy for many years though). In the end the challenge and learning experience won me over and I embarked on the road to PPC linux. Funny thing is it turned out to be not much of a road. It was very easy, and everything worked great. No problems with sound, video or even maconlinux emulation. Overall I am very pleased. Since I am a RedHat user, the YDL distro was very familiar.
All-in-all I am very happy with the Apple hardware, and the YDL distro. If it is missing something with the video drivers it is not obvisous to a casual user. Evolution, Mozilla, KDE (and all the goodies that come with it) worked great, so perhaps someone can explain better what the YDL distro lacks?
I don't know much about the fundemental architecture, but the transparency I get is from mosfets liquid theme.
http://www.mosfet.org/liquid.html
According to his site his theme uses custom QT widgets. But it is easy to install and not special tweaks were needed to the X server.
I really don't know squat about how it all works, I just thought I would point out this one particular way transparency is handled. Hope it helps get you started.
I inhereted one of the newer model ibooks, and promptly ditched Mas OS for YDL. I don't use it much, but when I saw this thread I figured i'd be a good place to ask if the multi monitor would work using linux (yellow Dog or another PPC version) since it seems to have been neutered from Apple's offerings.
It seems everyone is forgetting that his approach scores not only the body of the messag, but the headers as well. So even if the SPAMMER tries to get their crap through as an image, they would still have the non-trivial task of making their headers look legit to the filter. While it may not be impossible to defeat, it certainly is not trivial.
Besides the best approach for stoping SPAM will likely be a cocktail of appraoches, including whitelists, black hole lists, content analysis filtering, etc.
The root of the problem is that the average everyday user is too lazy to do anything about SPAM. What we need is effective tools at the server level that can be run effeciently and safely (0 false positives) so that the masses need not be bothered. That will be the most effective way to curb SPAM is getting buy-in at the ISP to preemptively stop SPAM from getting to the users, because it is the cluesless users that click through to p0rn sites and open viruses and otherwise do dumb things. With out a large market of novice/lazy users to see their message SPAM will become ineffective and be replaced by some other crap.
Yeah, The submitter lists a hotmail address. I know a lot use hotmail as SPAM filter, but given hotmail is a MS entity, I would think some additional info is needed.
Honestly all these posts are so knee jerk reactionary it makes the whole community look bad.
Come on at least post the full message source with headers so we can see that the mail at least *LOOKS* like it came from dell.
For cryin' out loud that type of unsubstantiated fodder is definately dragging down the community.
-MS2k
BTW here is a copy of an email I got from Intel:
Dear Valued Customers, Effective 12:01 am 09/01/2002 all Intel processors will no longer be supported on non-Microsoft Operating Systems. When we launch our newest flag ship processor the Redmondium.
We got a really big check from Billy G. which will underwrite the launch of our newest 64-bit architecture chip which will include an unprecedented level of intergration with the Windows family line.
The Redmondium 64 bit chip will offer these features:
Omnipresent BSOD - now you won't need to wait 10 minutes for boot up to experience the BSOD. With the Redmondium's new intergation Windows code will be executed during all critical moments in a PC's process so now experience true BSOD during RAM checks, during BIOS configuration, and even during an FDISK.
Room Heating cababilities - with the thermal expansion pack you can now heat up to a 3500 square foot home using just one processor. The thermal expansion pack includes all the tools needs to connect your PC directly to the duct system in your office or home.
We are really looking forward to ushering in this new era of innovation thanks valued customer.
Yours truely, Andy Grove
P.s. our servers are experincing a bit of a problem after switching to exchange, please address any responses to my backup email: intelexec@hotmail.com
I've thought about something similar for a long time. Basically it would be cool once digital radio catches on (and maybe sooner with digital cable music stations) to set up a computer to rip mp3/ogg off the digital broadcasts, since the digital broadcasts include enough info to build the id tags, it seems like it would be very easy to set up a computer to suck down all the songs for a given period (day/week/month), etc and amass a large collection. You could then "streamline" the collection by using a nice slick interface to search and delete unwanted songs or duplicates.
Essentially the whole process should be automated, so no more getting crappy mp3s of gnutella or kazaa or binary newsgroups etc. Even thoguh it may take longer to get a song, you'll eventually get the one you want. With local digital radio you may be able to call a radio staion and even request it, though they may get suspicious if your request list is a 500MB text file!!
I have been wanting to do this since the RIAA started persecuting napster. It seems to me it would be very hard to stop this type of thing, and it would be a great way to build a large a reasonably free music collection. Hopefully it would piss them off enought to start wasting more money on legal proceedings.
I figure if we keep doing enough things to piss them off they will try to sue everyone and go bankrupt on legal fees (though they of course would blame the pirates and a loss of sale, rather than look at their own wasteful and fruitless legal attempts to put a geniee back in a bottle.)
Can you share what problems you had?
I am considering this to, for very novice users. They will NOT be installing software, they will basically be using a few set applications searching the internet and doing limited e-mail.
-ms2k
I was telling my brotherr who is an artist for Midway Games, that this approach would be a great way to write and distribute games. Though my plan was to use linux as the platform independent OS rather than java.
My thoguhts were a bootable CD/DVD that contained the OS and the game, it could also have basic apps that a user might want to use during a game (like aim/icq/email word processor to keep a log/journal in, etc).
My thought was that game developers could use a base Linux spec for this common to most all platforms. They could use their own proprietary stuff in the games. The users could then choose to return to windows when the games was over (ala old DOS mode stuff) or stay and work is the Linux environment.
To me it would be a great way to get linux and OSS to the masses, though for every problem it solved it probably creates two, but regardless sony's plan sounded familiar.
Two summers ago Comcast called my parents house selling their @home service. My parents say sure, comcast takes their billing information and sets up an installation appointment. Two days later they call back, saying "sorry its not available on your street. ..maybe in a couple of weeks." A month later they call, "maybe in a month or so." Acouple of months later the same story. . .
They eventually gave up calling and renewed their dialup service. (DSL is not available either).
About two weeks ago a comcast sales person calls, asking if they would like theior new highspeed internet. Thinking that they have finanally got their act together after the @home fiasco, my parents again say sure. Again give their billing info and set an install date. The day before the install date Comcast again calls saying its not available it may be in a month or so. . .
Probably a dumb idea, but. ..as much as I hate organized labor in most industries , it does serve a purpose, it keeps companies from taking advantage of its employees. This sounds liek exactly what is/adn could happen to a lot of our co-patriots. I believe STRONGLY that in many many cases unions have gone too far, and do nothing but leech of the companies, but the fact remains they HAVE protected workers.
Anyway, perhaps we should think about organizing some type of programers union based on the principles of our open source community.
The few other programmer I know in the real world work for relatively small businesses, and would be sorely missed if they up and left. In some csaes it would be very difficult for their companies to replace them without serious consequences to the bottom line.
I am really not sure how this would work, as this is more or less an off the cuff response to the post.
I guess the one thing that a union would help the open source community do is shed the imagine of grassroots free spirited hippies communists which is unfortunately how a lot of old school IT managers still view us. A union would present a unified voice to the people who actually have to deal with the technoilogy boondogles we are often presented with.
This article Is about the two laywers on either side going at it during Allchin's questioning. I am waiting for Law and Order to rip this story and use it as the basis for an episode.
Anyway its pretty amusing to read how much they hate each other . . .
-ms2k
I very very nearly got scammed for about $1000. I was very excited about buying an Olympus E10 digital camera. i was too excited, I kept ignoring the clues of a scam.
first Clue: seller ignored pre-sale email asking questions. second clue: After I won the auction seller insisted on Western Union. When I protested at the high transaction fee ($75) on the ~$1000 purchase. He very cheerfully offered to pay it himself. Again in my niave excitement ignored this. third : refused to accept a cashiers check fourth : used copy and pasted info in item description fifth : claimed to be from boston, but mis-spelled Massachusettes (I cannot spell either but I am not from there. . . ) sixth: no feedback/transaction (I figured you gotta start somewhare. ..)
Anyway I lucked out solely because God and Western Union were looking out for me. WU called two minutes after I confirmed and said the name I was wiring money to was on their fraud list. So while I was lucky there must have been a few before me who were not.
Just thought I would share my somewhat off topic story in hopes it will save an over eager ebay buyer from trouble.
The comments on the interwingling of data is pretty exciting, and if even a only few of the features described are applied to view and organizing web links.
What would be great here is a mixing of those ideas and evolutions vFolder concept to push open-source far ahead of any commercial web and email programs I know of.
-MS2k
Most everyone of my projects both large and small have been done without formal specs,requirements,or even scribbles on a knapkin.
It is virtually imposible to accurately estimate. I have started developing my own tools to aid in reuse. This has helped out a lot, but nevertheless it is virtuyally impossible to estimate how long it will take you track down a bug or design an aesthetically pleasing interface.
So I usually give two quotes. The first is the estimated time for **BASIC** functionality, meaning it does what it was supposed to do, (aka I was asked to do w/ out specs) abosultely nothing more. The second part of the estimate is how long it will take to get it to a more useful state. This is usually double or triple the original estimate, since because the poor upfront planning leads to poor architecture, and "quick-fixes" that I try to clean up in the "revision" phase.
For Large projects I expect to go through several of these cycles. . .
Though I have found that as I matured with respect to the tools (PHP and PERL) and as I have bene able to build libraries of common tasks (generating forms based on DB tables, error checking, login code, etc) I have tremendously increased my programming productivity.
The other variable that effects my estimates is I were a lot of hats at the office. I am the programming/architect, tech support, and recently have been the sales and billing dept as well since we laid some people off. Not to mention I have multiple bosses who each have their own projects.
In short in most real world situations i think the problem of software estimation is impossible since there are so many outside factors that contribute.
MIT's magazine the Technology Review recently did an article on PayPal. Here is the link:
http://techreview.com/magazine/dec01/schwartz.asp I found the article interesting, I am personally kind of torn on the PayPal issue. I have an account, but am hesitant to push it. I just don't get the "warm and fuzzies" from PayPal, though it is by far the simplest and easist thing out there that I have found to accet the occassional payment.
Another reason they are both right is every kid is inherently DIFFERENT. Some will respond to computers and will be challenged, others, will not be. Too often (at least in public schools) children are taught based on the "lowest common denominator) i.e. the course work is laid out to be challenging to only the average student for any particular grade.
The point is computers are a tool, meant to enhance the education process. If teachers use the tool incorrectly to teach you will get kids who "suffer", by only using it for activities that they feel comfortable, like playing games, and interacting with friends on-line in the relatively safe and anonymous chat rooms/ IM programs.
If teachers succeed in showing kids that there is more to computers than simply typing a book report, sending an e-mail and playing the occasional game. By getting them interested in other topics, and using the computer to facilitate research, discussion and get this "EDUCATION" in that topic the kids will be better off.
Guns don't kill, people kill. Just like: computers don't teach, people teach. It is the people who make a difference. Our children need us to quit trying to blame everything for their problems. Media, tv, guns, violence, computers, porn, and on and on. . . My opinion is we need to give our kids attention, and understanding.
Teaching is a profession and a responsibility. Sometimes I think the teachers forget the responsibility part, and focus on the metrics of the profession. I.e. test scores, and grades, and forget the life lessons and the responsibility to the child. I believe that most of this is brought upon them by the climate we live in. Because administrators are clamoring for better scores, so the schools get more cash. The Parents are clamoring for better scores to inflate they're own egos, and as reassurance that they are "good" parents. While at the same time those same parents expect the teachers to raise their children.
Its sad. I come from a family with several teahcers and school administrators in it. I know they try and I here their frustrations. I am a parent now, and worry about the education my kids will recieve.
I believe they can learn more book smarts in a challenging environemnt of a privae school, or ven home-school, but at a young age I tend to believe it is more important to balance their early learning with people skills, and playing skills. I want my child to see kids and be around them. See how they play and how they interact.
I think I lost my point somewhere near the top of this rant. But hopefully my perscpective has added something to the discussion.
The author believes that we are a "transfer" species, and that mars was once the moon of a larger "home-world" that exploded. I admit I'd like to believe that, but, he says that 24.9 days is a martian day. And that coincides with our bio-rythem. However if his hypothesis is correct that mars was once the satelite of another "home-world", and humas are the descendents of that ancient race, wouldn't we have bio rythms of the home-world not the satellite (mars).
There are a lt of interesting theories. Regarding this sort of thing, I tend to beieve our history has missed something. For example it seems clear to me that the ancient Egyptians had exposure to higher technology than we have direct evidence for.
In more recent history we can see how technology can quickly be forgotten when anarchy takes over Read about the dark ages. It does seem possible for me to believe prehistoric "Martians" colonized the Erath, but perhaps crash landed and lost a great deal of technology in doing so. These imigrants peraps had some functional high-tech tools, but lost the knowledge to reproduce them. Perhaps they had a civil war upon landing and destroyed even more of they're technology. Gradually they're legacy became myth, and eventally was forgotten.
My speculation is certainly just that. However, I believe it should be easy to disprove. If we were once for another planet we could presume that earth had existing life before we migrated (we have fossil evidence to indicate that). Therefore humans should have DNA that isdistinctly different from local funa. Which It is not. (we share 99% of our DNA structure with Chimpanzees.) The likely hood that chimps are also migrants from a lost planet seems even more remote.
This site is entertaining, and raises interesting questions about another hominid like race, but does nothing to prove, or even adquetateky postulate that we are decendents of an alien race.
Slashdot Mirror
Make your own, the gimp is awesome (though most reading this already know that). There is a lot of cool open source centric artwork out there to use either by itself or as part of your own unique creation. Kinkos can print it up in color for a fairly reasonable price. Viola...
What are the benifits of CF as opposed to an open and freely available tool like PHP or PERL? What do you tell potential customers to have them choose your CF development over another companies PHP development? Does CF support rival the near ubiquitous support for PHP and PERL? Do you feel at all locked into the proprietary software module (i.e. do you feel forced to upgrade when a new version comes out?) Do you feel confident security issues will be resolved in a timely manner (and what is the track record for CF security)?
I've used PHP and PERL for several years, I also have used proprietary web scripting tools like Progress WebSpeed, but since I am now working for myself full time, I'm interestedd to know what else is out there. And how it stacks up compared to the tools I am familiar with.
Thanks,
MS2k
5 years ago I graduated with a very similiar unnamed BS degree. I was in the honors college, at my university and it encouraged individual exploration. I took advantage so that I could get out of school in 4 years, without ever having a real major. Hence when people ask what I graduated in I say a BS in BS.
In reality I studied CS, Small Business Administration and a smattering of philosophy and political science.
Basically, I couldn't make up my mind, but since I came up with a reasonable "plan" to present to my advisor, they ok'd it and I got through with minimum expense.
-MS2k
I recommend Netraverse win4lin for this type of application. It is about one third the cost (~$100 bucks.) I'm a web developer and I use it to test sites in several versions of IE, but it will run just about any software. see http://netraverse.com I am in no way affiliated with the company (other than being a happy customer)
I am going to drink a helluva lot of pepsi (and probably Mountain Dew) I already drink over 2 liters a day average. So a little more won't hurt. But I am hoping to win AND be able to sue, because there is no warning label on the bottles that my teeth may all rot and fall out.
I smell cash and a ride to the space station, which is will work out great because the mushy astronaut food will be all I can eat with out teeth.
If you plan to find a job in a large company, and remain mostly anonymous, your "stats" are more important, because your work will be viewed and used by many people you may never come into personal contact with. They will see your bio on the company intranet, and get an email from you (cc'd to about a hundred other managers and co-workers). Once you have been there long enough you'll be able to have a reputation that stands on its own, but until then your credentials will help your co-workers evaluate you and "judge" you.
Now on the other hand if you are the more adventuresome type, and are looking for a challenge more than a paycheck, and find a great job at a small company, a second major will be much less worth while. As the people will know you for who you are and what you can do.
I have personally worked at large and small companies, and now run my own. I think you're better off deciding what type of company and what type of job, when making decisions.
The number one bit of advise is enjoy your time in school. College represents the most freedom you'll ever have, most just don't see the forest through the trees (I know I didn't.)
MS2k
What got me started on PHP was not its features, or its ubiquity, but rather the great on-line manual and documentation. I have been using PHP for 4 years now professionally, and it still is easier to find solutions to problems.
My experience with PERL is that it can do almost anything, but it is a lot harder to find out how.
CPAN is great, and the ORIELLY books helped me out tremendously, but I still struggle when I try expanding my PERL knowledge.
PHP on the other hand, with easy to use centralized docuemntation made my learning easy. I could pop onto php.net use the function library (with user notes) and I was off and running. Now zend.com has come along and provides a lot of easy to follow case studies and examples and snippets.
So overall there is less environment issues for the new person to worry about. Simply do a and you know what is installed. I know there are ways to do this with PERL, but they are not as obvisous to someone learning.
When I try to look up info and examples on PERL I end up finding several ways to do thigns, and those ways are subtly different, and it becomes a frustrating experience to sort it out. I am still very much a PERL novice, mainly because I cannot expanded my skills as quickly with PERL as I can with PHP, so if there is a for a project I choose PHP.
The other thing that made PERL difficult is trying to get modules installed was a bear, I didn't learn about perl -MCPAN -e shell for a long time, and even then I ran into some difficulties getting the modules compiled and installed.
These issues aren't show stoppers for me, in the sense that given enough time I did manage to get around them, but jump through those hoops always makes me thing twice when reaching in the figurative tool box and choosing between PERL, PHP or even a bash script.
I am glad I eventually learned enough PERL to do useful things relatively quickly, but it wwas a lot easier for me to self teach myself PHP than it was to self teach PERL.
So, at least for me the reason for learning and using PHP first, was the availability of self-help resources.
This has been MS2k weighing in on the PHP v. PERL debate . . .
I'm using YDL 2.3 on an ibook and it works great. I was initially hesitant to install YDL, mainly because I am unfamiliar with Macs and PPC (I have been a PC guy for many years though). In the end the challenge and learning experience won me over and I embarked on the road to PPC linux. Funny thing is it turned out to be not much of a road. It was very easy, and everything worked great. No problems with sound, video or even maconlinux emulation. Overall I am very pleased. Since I am a RedHat user, the YDL distro was very familiar.
All-in-all I am very happy with the Apple hardware, and the YDL distro. If it is missing something with the video drivers it is not obvisous to a casual user. Evolution, Mozilla, KDE (and all the goodies that come with it) worked great, so perhaps someone can explain better what the YDL distro lacks?
-MS2k
I don't know much about the fundemental architecture, but the transparency I get is from mosfets liquid theme.
http://www.mosfet.org/liquid.html
According to his site his theme uses custom QT widgets. But it is easy to install and not special tweaks were needed to the X server.
I really don't know squat about how it all works, I just thought I would point out this one particular way transparency is handled. Hope it helps get you started.
MS2k
I inhereted one of the newer model ibooks, and promptly ditched Mas OS for YDL. I don't use it much, but when I saw this thread I figured i'd be a good place to ask if the multi monitor would work using linux (yellow Dog or another PPC version) since it seems to have been neutered from Apple's offerings.
It seems everyone is forgetting that his approach scores not only the body of the messag, but the headers as well. So even if the SPAMMER tries to get their crap through as an image, they would still have the non-trivial task of making their headers look legit to the filter. While it may not be impossible to defeat, it certainly is not trivial.
Besides the best approach for stoping SPAM will likely be a cocktail of appraoches, including whitelists, black hole lists, content analysis filtering, etc.
The root of the problem is that the average everyday user is too lazy to do anything about SPAM. What we need is effective tools at the server level that can be run effeciently and safely (0 false positives) so that the masses need not be bothered. That will be the most effective way to curb SPAM is getting buy-in at the ISP to preemptively stop SPAM from getting to the users, because it is the cluesless users that click through to p0rn sites and open viruses and otherwise do dumb things. With out a large market of novice/lazy users to see their message SPAM will become ineffective and be replaced by some other crap.
-MS2k
Yeah,
The submitter lists a hotmail address. I know a lot use hotmail as SPAM filter, but given hotmail is a MS entity, I would think some additional info is needed.
Honestly all these posts are so knee jerk reactionary it makes the whole community look bad.
Come on at least post the full message source with headers so we can see that the mail at least *LOOKS* like it came from dell.
For cryin' out loud that type of unsubstantiated fodder is definately dragging down the community.
-MS2k
BTW here is a copy of an email I got from Intel:
Dear Valued Customers,
Effective 12:01 am 09/01/2002 all Intel processors will no longer be supported on non-Microsoft Operating Systems. When we launch our newest flag ship processor the Redmondium.
We got a really big check from Billy G. which will underwrite the launch of our newest 64-bit architecture chip which will include an unprecedented level of intergration with the Windows family line.
The Redmondium 64 bit chip will offer these features:
Omnipresent BSOD - now you won't need to wait 10 minutes for boot up to experience the BSOD. With the Redmondium's new intergation Windows code will be executed during all critical moments in a PC's process so now experience true BSOD during RAM checks, during BIOS configuration, and even during an FDISK.
Room Heating cababilities - with the thermal expansion pack you can now heat up to a 3500 square foot home using just one processor. The thermal expansion pack includes all the tools needs to connect your PC directly to the duct system in your office or home.
We are really looking forward to ushering in this new era of innovation thanks valued customer.
Yours truely,
Andy Grove
P.s. our servers are experincing a bit of a problem after switching to exchange, please address any responses to my backup email:
intelexec@hotmail.com
I've thought about something similar for a long time. Basically it would be cool once digital radio catches on (and maybe sooner with digital cable music stations) to set up a computer to rip mp3/ogg off the digital broadcasts, since the digital broadcasts include enough info to build the id tags, it seems like it would be very easy to set up a computer to suck down all the songs for a given period (day/week/month), etc and amass a large collection. You could then "streamline" the collection by using a nice slick interface to search and delete unwanted songs or duplicates.
Essentially the whole process should be automated, so no more getting crappy mp3s of gnutella or kazaa or binary newsgroups etc. Even thoguh it may take longer to get a song, you'll eventually get the one you want. With local digital radio you may be able to call a radio staion and even request it, though they may get suspicious if your request list is a 500MB text file!!
I have been wanting to do this since the RIAA started persecuting napster. It seems to me it would be very hard to stop this type of thing, and it would be a great way to build a large a reasonably free music collection. Hopefully it would piss them off enought to start wasting more money on legal proceedings.
I figure if we keep doing enough things to piss them off they will try to sue everyone and go bankrupt on legal fees (though they of course would blame the pirates and a loss of sale, rather than look at their own wasteful and fruitless legal attempts to put a geniee back in a bottle.)
-ms2k
Can you share what problems you had? I am considering this to, for very novice users. They will NOT be installing software, they will basically be using a few set applications searching the internet and doing limited e-mail. -ms2k
Try http://www.claraocr.org/ I tried it a while ago and it worked well, but haven't had the need for ocr in a while. -ms2k
I was telling my brotherr who is an artist for Midway Games, that this approach would be a great way to write and distribute games. Though my plan was to use linux as the platform independent OS rather than java.
My thoguhts were a bootable CD/DVD that contained the OS and the game, it could also have basic apps that a user might want to use during a game (like aim/icq/email word processor to keep a log/journal in, etc).
My thought was that game developers could use a base Linux spec for this common to most all platforms. They could use their own proprietary stuff in the games. The users could then choose to return to windows when the games was over (ala old DOS mode stuff) or stay and work is the Linux environment.
To me it would be a great way to get linux and OSS to the masses, though for every problem it solved it probably creates two, but regardless sony's plan sounded familiar.
About two weeks ago a comcast sales person calls, asking if they would like theior new highspeed internet. Thinking that they have finanally got their act together after the @home fiasco, my parents again say sure. Again give their billing info and set an install date. The day before the install date Comcast again calls saying its not available it may be in a month or so. . .
Probably a dumb idea, but. . .as much as I hate organized labor in most industries , it does serve a purpose, it keeps companies from taking advantage of its employees. This sounds liek exactly what is/adn could happen to a lot of our co-patriots. I believe STRONGLY that in many many cases unions have gone too far, and do nothing but leech of the companies, but the fact remains they HAVE protected workers.
Anyway, perhaps we should think about organizing some type of programers union based on the principles of our open source community.
The few other programmer I know in the real world work for relatively small businesses, and would be sorely missed if they up and left. In some csaes it would be very difficult for their companies to replace them without serious consequences to the bottom line.
I am really not sure how this would work, as this is more or less an off the cuff response to the post.
I guess the one thing that a union would help the open source community do is shed the imagine of grassroots free spirited hippies communists which is unfortunately how a lot of old school IT managers still view us. A union would present a unified voice to the people who actually have to deal with the technoilogy boondogles we are often presented with.
Anyway its pretty amusing to read how much they hate each other . . . -ms2k
I very very nearly got scammed for about $1000. I was very excited about buying an Olympus E10 digital camera. i was too excited, I kept ignoring the clues of a scam.
.)
first Clue: seller ignored pre-sale email asking questions.
second clue: After I won the auction seller insisted on Western Union. When I protested at the high transaction fee ($75) on the ~$1000 purchase. He very cheerfully offered to pay it himself. Again in my niave excitement ignored this.
third : refused to accept a cashiers check
fourth : used copy and pasted info in item description
fifth : claimed to be from boston, but mis-spelled Massachusettes (I cannot spell either but I am not from there. . . )
sixth: no feedback/transaction (I figured you gotta start somewhare. .
Anyway I lucked out solely because God and Western Union were looking out for me. WU called two minutes after I confirmed and said the name I was wiring money to was on their fraud list. So while I was lucky there must have been a few before me who were not.
Just thought I would share my somewhat off topic story in hopes it will save an over eager ebay buyer from trouble.
-MS2k
What would be great here is a mixing of those ideas and evolutions vFolder concept to push open-source far ahead of any commercial web and email programs I know of. -MS2k
Most everyone of my projects both large and small have been done without formal specs,requirements,or even scribbles on a knapkin.
It is virtually imposible to accurately estimate. I have started developing my own tools to aid in reuse. This has helped out a lot, but nevertheless it is virtuyally impossible to estimate how long it will take you track down a bug or design an aesthetically pleasing interface.
So I usually give two quotes. The first is the estimated time for **BASIC** functionality, meaning it does what it was supposed to do, (aka I was asked to do w/ out specs) abosultely nothing more. The second part of the estimate is how long it will take to get it to a more useful state. This is usually double or triple the original estimate, since because the poor upfront planning leads to poor architecture, and "quick-fixes" that I try to clean up in the "revision" phase.
For Large projects I expect to go through several of these cycles. . .
Though I have found that as I matured with respect to the tools (PHP and PERL) and as I have bene able to build libraries of common tasks (generating forms based on DB tables, error checking, login code, etc) I have tremendously increased my programming productivity.
The other variable that effects my estimates is I were a lot of hats at the office. I am the programming/architect, tech support, and recently have been the sales and billing dept as well since we laid some people off. Not to mention I have multiple bosses who each have their own projects.
In short in most real world situations i think the problem of software estimation is impossible since there are so many outside factors that contribute.
my $.02
-MS2K
MIT's magazine the Technology Review recently did an article on PayPal. Here is the link:
http://techreview.com/magazine/dec01/schwartz.asp
I found the article interesting, I am personally kind of torn on the PayPal issue. I have an account, but am hesitant to push it. I just don't get the "warm and fuzzies" from PayPal, though it is by far the simplest and easist thing out there that I have found to accet the occassional payment.
-MS2K
Another reason they are both right is every kid is inherently DIFFERENT. Some will respond to computers and will be challenged, others, will not be. Too often (at least in public schools) children are taught based on the "lowest common denominator) i.e. the course work is laid out to be challenging to only the average student for any particular grade.
The point is computers are a tool, meant to enhance the education process. If teachers use the tool incorrectly to teach you will get kids who "suffer", by only using it for activities that they feel comfortable, like playing games, and interacting with friends on-line in the relatively safe and anonymous chat rooms/ IM programs.
If teachers succeed in showing kids that there is more to computers than simply typing a book report, sending an e-mail and playing the occasional game. By getting them interested in other topics, and using the computer to facilitate research, discussion and get this "EDUCATION" in that topic the kids will be better off.
Guns don't kill, people kill. Just like: computers don't teach, people teach. It is the people who make a difference. Our children need us to quit trying to blame everything for their problems. Media, tv, guns, violence, computers, porn, and on and on. . . My opinion is we need to give our kids attention, and understanding.
Teaching is a profession and a responsibility. Sometimes I think the teachers forget the responsibility part, and focus on the metrics of the profession. I.e. test scores, and grades, and forget the life lessons and the responsibility to the child. I believe that most of this is brought upon them by the climate we live in. Because administrators are clamoring for better scores, so the schools get more cash. The Parents are clamoring for better scores to inflate they're own egos, and as reassurance that they are "good" parents. While at the same time those same parents expect the teachers to raise their children.
Its sad. I come from a family with several teahcers and school administrators in it. I know they try and I here their frustrations. I am a parent now, and worry about the education my kids will recieve.
I believe they can learn more book smarts in a challenging environemnt of a privae school, or ven home-school, but at a young age I tend to believe it is more important to balance their early learning with people skills, and playing skills. I want my child to see kids and be around them. See how they play and how they interact.
I think I lost my point somewhere near the top of this rant. But hopefully my perscpective has added something to the discussion.
Thanks,
MS2k
The author believes that we are a "transfer" species, and that mars was once the moon of a larger "home-world" that exploded. I admit I'd like to believe that, but, he says that 24.9 days is a martian day. And that coincides with our bio-rythem. However if his hypothesis is correct that mars was once the satelite of another "home-world", and humas are the descendents of that ancient race, wouldn't we have bio rythms of the home-world not the satellite (mars).
There are a lt of interesting theories. Regarding this sort of thing, I tend to beieve our history has missed something. For example it seems clear to me that the ancient Egyptians had exposure to higher technology than we have direct evidence for.
In more recent history we can see how technology can quickly be forgotten when anarchy takes over Read about the dark ages. It does seem possible for me to believe prehistoric "Martians" colonized the Erath, but perhaps crash landed and lost a great deal of technology in doing so. These imigrants peraps had some functional high-tech tools, but lost the knowledge to reproduce them. Perhaps they had a civil war upon landing and destroyed even more of they're technology. Gradually they're legacy became myth, and eventally was forgotten.
My speculation is certainly just that. However, I believe it should be easy to disprove. If we were once for another planet we could presume that earth had existing life before we migrated (we have fossil evidence to indicate that). Therefore humans should have DNA that isdistinctly different from local funa. Which It is not. (we share 99% of our DNA structure with Chimpanzees.) The likely hood that chimps are also migrants from a lost planet seems even more remote.
This site is entertaining, and raises interesting questions about another hominid like race, but does nothing to prove, or even adquetateky postulate that we are decendents of an alien race.
MS2k
Nahn-noo nahn-noo