. . . as a major among incoming freshmen has dropped. ..
Oh thank God. It's about bloody time.
I don't suppose this means that the colleges can once again start teaching computer science to those who are actually interested in the subject and leave the application and HTML "programming" training to the private trade schools where it belongs?
It seems to me that SSN now has to be considered in the second category.
And just what is it about a number that, by law, is not a general ID, and whose only legitimate use is in dealing with government tax authorities, that makes it "public" information?
Disclaimer: I'm British, so I may have misunderstood some aspect of the problem.
Yes, that would be my guess. It is a federal tax number that by law is not supposed to be used as ID for any other purpose and which you have the legal right to refuse to give for any nonlegitimate purpose.
I have this tendency to respond to serious posts with a joke, and jokes with a serious post. I tend to come at problems from angles of perception that other people do not see.
This is what the best developers do, otherwise they would simply come up with the same mediocre to bad solutions that everyone else does, no?
They do, however, have this really annoying tendency to see everything from the same "Man from Mars" perspective, not restricting themselves to viewing only code differently than most do. This can make them appear "insane" to the general populace.
In the land of the blind the one eyed man is a paranoid schizophrenic.
Insanity is percieving things not as they really are. If the majority percieve things not as they really are the man who does so will give the perception of being insane when he acts upon his perceptions, those acts being unintelligable to the majority.
And thus is born the image of the "quirky" genius. All will hail his new invention, but titter quietly about how he wears his socks, never for one minute stopping to take the obvious point of view that there just might be something of genius in the way he wears his socks, because he wears his socks differently than the majority do.
And being the same is sanity, right?
Nevermind that we innately wipe out genius in one swell foop with that attitude. It enforces a regression to the median, if it weren't for the fact that half the populace would have to progress to the median somehow, which, trust me, they just ain't gonna do. So instead of a regression to the median we get a regression the "really dumb."
Take the current fad for "Playskool" interfaces. . ..please.
Of course, some "geniuses" really are just insane and "luck into" some discovery through their insane perception of things.
So how do you tell the difference? Well, takes one to know one I'm afraid. It would be nice if it didn't seem as if the people who end up in charge of "mental health" weren't all, themselves dimwitted morons at best, and completely, utterly crackers at worst.
They're coming to take me away, HO,HO! HEE, HEE! HA, HA!
I think it's something about the way I wear my socks.
In the same manner that a reporter you give permission to follow you around is not "spying" on you, but some guy who follows you around without your knowing about it is.
In the same way that using the key to her apartment a woman gave you to let yourself in when she isn't home and leave her a gift is not stalking, but breaking and entering to put a hidden camera in her shower is.
In the same manner that the NSA choosing to share antiterrorist intelligence with the Russians is not spying, but the Russians installing a mole in the NSA is.
It's all about the knowledge and acquiescence of the subject.
How you make the logical leap to "cure cancer" is beyond me.
Of course you have to be willing to accept quite a large dollop of dark with your humor.
Willing to accept? Damn, that's the best kind and one of the things I love about Pratchett is his willingness to, and ability to, deal with death as being really quite humorous at times.
I haven't caught up with JAG, it's going to be a long weekend I guess.
I have to admit I've not only not seen this yet, but had forgotten all about it. I shall have to get me hence to the library this weekend if I have the time.
Come to think of it, I haven't seen Tartovsky's version either. Looks like a double feature if I can dig up a copy of that.
I'm holding my breath though, especially in the the context of the current discussion, because I get the impression that while the movie did a good job of handling the "Blade Runner" aspects of the story it was entirely missing Lem's Swiftian humor, which is what I most adore about his writing and what I feel Gilliam may have been able to inject into the film without detracting from it's serious side.
The value of Solaris lies innately in its novel format, just as does Gulliver's Travels. They are internal works.
I certainly have no aversion to thinking "deep thoughts," anyone who's read more than a few of my posts could gather that, but I also have a fondness for satire, which not only adds humor, but layers the thoughts deeper, if you can think that deep I guess. Gilliam can.
I found them a bit "cute." Amusing, even a few good jokes, but very "lite."
Get the hence to Stanislaw Lem if though wishest to see the true master of the craft at work.
There is, of course, also Terry Pratchett. Runs a bit hot and cold, but when he's hot, he's hot.
There's only one man in the known universe who could make a movie out of either of these gentleman's works and stand even half a chance of them not turning out crap, but since that isn't likely to happen there's no use losing sleep over the prospect.
Yes, in fact if you drive a Pinto the courts have valued it at $100K.
Mercedes drivers, of course, have a higher value.
There is, like it or not, a price on your head, and you can be sold for it. Mark Twain, in his brilliant article "To the Person Sitting in Darkness", Read it here, remonstrates Christian missionaries for overcharging for a life.
Those of us who take our spiritual guidance from some text other than the Bible might well have a broader definition of life than yourself. If you wish to see life reduced to a commodity you can do very little better than visiting a modern pig "farm."
No child can visit one of these without weeping, because a child has to yet to be indoctrinated with a morality derived from a text. They know suffering, cruelty and immoral behavior when they see it.
God has written it on their hearts and they know the difference between good and evil as a God, not as a man.
You have fired the wrong shot of criticism across the bow of your adversary and have thus missed the target. He need not even take the trouble to back sails to avoid your onslaught.
No, what you should have pointed out was that Bush knows damned (excuse me) well that you wouldn't be diseased in the first place if you weren't evil and receiving a just punishment.
. ..he'll have a 50% strike rate on invading for legitimate reasons!
Nah! After Mars is reduced to a giant, radioactive Christmas tree ornament it will turn out that the above letter was a "misinterpretation" by the "intelligence" community.
It will come to light that the actual letter said:
"A disease has wiped out most of our male population. Mars needs geeks to insure the survival of our species, and our women are HOT! Them pulp novel covers? Phhhhhhhhbt! You ain't seen nothin' yet, Earth nerd. Because our need is so pressing and so great we have converted an asteroid into a transport ship and will be sending it right over. Fill it up with everyone who knows how to root, if you know what I mean."
Dude, you obviously missed all the studies showing that the TCO for Windows is lower than that for Linux, if. ..
you've got a room full of lawyers who'll work for a two litre bottle of Mountain Dew and a bag of Doritos now and then.
And nothing drives up the TCO like a BSA audit, even if they find you in full compliance. God help you if you unintentionally slipped up somewhere.
Just ask someone in the city hall of Virginia Beach about this. ..but wear earplugs and this experiment is not suitable for children.
In a shop with just three people doing your best to insure license compliance can run into the thousands per year, and you'll likely fail anyway (Google on "Three body problem").
Funny how the studies of TCO never include the concurrent and absolutely necessary legal expenses of contracting with (or even simply clicking on a EULA) Microsoft, nevermind the equally necessary costs of trying to insure compliance with the contract and/or license over time.
So, does your company have a viable policy for maintaining contract/license compliance? If a a tech does not routinely check your box for unlicensed software the answer is most likely "No."
Has your company insured itself against/budgeted for a BSA audit? Oh. Dudes. You are soooooooooooo fucked.
Here, have a copy of a POSIX compliant OS, with included office suite, I downloaded from the internet. Feel free to make as many copies as you like and install them on as many machines as you like, and so long as you don't alter the source code (included) and restribute outside your legal entity you may feel free to treat it as if it were in the public domain.
Total legal expenses incured so far, and to be incured in the future for compliance, el zippo; and you don't have to sign diddely squat. Now let's total up those TCO figures again.
If, in future, someone comes up with evidence that you are already not in compliance with the GPL you may get a call from the FSF, but these boys are actually rather nice, if you're not intentionally being a dick, and much nicer than the BSA even if you are.
If nothing else they have to be, because you have signed diddely squat.
"In this case, lost works by Sopholces are invaluable; we have only 7 of his plays complete."
As Carl Sagan explained it:
Imagine that we had some plays by this Shakespeare fellow, Titus Andronicus, Coriolanus, Cymbaline, Pericles, The Life of Timon of Athens, The Winter's Tale and Troilus and Cressida.
Fine plays all. We know from the record that he wrote a few other plays that were well regarded in his time, but alas, those have been lost.
. . . just how many BitMover shares does Linus own?
Considerable, if what we're talking about is "mind shares."
Linus has a strong personal stake in useing Bit Keeper and a personal relationship built up by working with Larry over the past few years. Despite being a Finn he is experiencing something called "emotion."
Emotion can tend to make one say and do dumb shit that one wouldn't otherwise do or say, like that dumb shit you do and say when trying to talk to a pretty girl, or, if you're a geek, about a particularly pretty piece of software that you've been living with for years.
She moved out. He's going to miss her. I'll cut him a bit of slack during his grieving period. He'll get over it. Killer apps are like busses, someone tries to introduce a new propriatary model every year.
Slashdot Mirror
. . . as a major among incoming freshmen has dropped. . .
Oh thank God. It's about bloody time.
I don't suppose this means that the colleges can once again start teaching computer science to those who are actually interested in the subject and leave the application and HTML "programming" training to the private trade schools where it belongs?
Or would that effect their bottom line?
KFG
It seems to me that SSN now has to be considered in the second category.
And just what is it about a number that, by law, is not a general ID, and whose only legitimate use is in dealing with government tax authorities, that makes it "public" information?
Disclaimer: I'm British, so I may have misunderstood some aspect of the problem.
Yes, that would be my guess. It is a federal tax number that by law is not supposed to be used as ID for any other purpose and which you have the legal right to refuse to give for any nonlegitimate purpose.
KFG
KFG
Just wait until you see the next story, which extolls the incredible power of . . . string.
KFG
I take it your not the sort who grew up viewing trash day as a major holiday?
Two words dude: "Duct Tape."
Oh, and get thee hence and obtain a copy of "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance." Pay particular attention the bit about making valve shims.
KFG
A toaster oven, a lumber planer, a piano-forte, a CD player, an automobile, a machine lathe, a clock, a cook stove, etc, etc, etc.
KFG
Cost to have someone wed you is minimal.
.the real expense is the bride and then their is not much one can do about that...
Approximating $0 if you have it done where you got the license.
. .
Just say, "No."
KFG
. . .would you care to explain what you mean by ""Playskool" interfaces". . .
An interface that looks as if it were made by Playskool.
KFG
Playskool interfaces are great because they're what computer illiterate users want.
I wasn't talking about computers.
KFG
A really good piece of software will tend to get that way through the work of experienced and talented individuals.
So the question devolves to one of, "Where do these experienced and talented individuals tend to end up?"
In my experience they tend to be over in the corner banging their heads against the wall.
KFG
so let's keep it civil, eh?
Oh! Civility. I'm afraid we don't have much call for that around these parts. May I interest you in some irony?
KFG
I have this tendency to respond to serious posts with a joke, and jokes with a serious post. I tend to come at problems from angles of perception that other people do not see.
.please.
This is what the best developers do, otherwise they would simply come up with the same mediocre to bad solutions that everyone else does, no?
They do, however, have this really annoying tendency to see everything from the same "Man from Mars" perspective, not restricting themselves to viewing only code differently than most do. This can make them appear "insane" to the general populace.
In the land of the blind the one eyed man is a paranoid schizophrenic.
Insanity is percieving things not as they really are. If the majority percieve things not as they really are the man who does so will give the perception of being insane when he acts upon his perceptions, those acts being unintelligable to the majority.
And thus is born the image of the "quirky" genius. All will hail his new invention, but titter quietly about how he wears his socks, never for one minute stopping to take the obvious point of view that there just might be something of genius in the way he wears his socks, because he wears his socks differently than the majority do.
And being the same is sanity, right?
Nevermind that we innately wipe out genius in one swell foop with that attitude. It enforces a regression to the median, if it weren't for the fact that half the populace would have to progress to the median somehow, which, trust me, they just ain't gonna do. So instead of a regression to the median we get a regression the "really dumb."
Take the current fad for "Playskool" interfaces. . .
Of course, some "geniuses" really are just insane and "luck into" some discovery through their insane perception of things.
So how do you tell the difference? Well, takes one to know one I'm afraid. It would be nice if it didn't seem as if the people who end up in charge of "mental health" weren't all, themselves dimwitted morons at best, and completely, utterly crackers at worst.
They're coming to take me away, HO,HO! HEE, HEE! HA, HA!
I think it's something about the way I wear my socks.
KFG
In the same manner that a reporter you give permission to follow you around is not "spying" on you, but some guy who follows you around without your knowing about it is.
In the same way that using the key to her apartment a woman gave you to let yourself in when she isn't home and leave her a gift is not stalking, but breaking and entering to put a hidden camera in her shower is.
In the same manner that the NSA choosing to share antiterrorist intelligence with the Russians is not spying, but the Russians installing a mole in the NSA is.
It's all about the knowledge and acquiescence of the subject.
How you make the logical leap to "cure cancer" is beyond me.
KFG
Of course you have to be willing to accept quite a large dollop of dark with your humor.
Willing to accept? Damn, that's the best kind and one of the things I love about Pratchett is his willingness to, and ability to, deal with death as being really quite humorous at times.
I haven't caught up with JAG, it's going to be a long weekend I guess.
KFG
OK, I'll bite. Who?
.
Gilliam. Yes, even for the more serious stuff.
However. .
And didn't you like Solaris?
I have to admit I've not only not seen this yet, but had forgotten all about it. I shall have to get me hence to the library this weekend if I have the time.
Come to think of it, I haven't seen Tartovsky's version either. Looks like a double feature if I can dig up a copy of that.
I'm holding my breath though, especially in the the context of the current discussion, because I get the impression that while the movie did a good job of handling the "Blade Runner" aspects of the story it was entirely missing Lem's Swiftian humor, which is what I most adore about his writing and what I feel Gilliam may have been able to inject into the film without detracting from it's serious side.
The value of Solaris lies innately in its novel format, just as does Gulliver's Travels. They are internal works.
I certainly have no aversion to thinking "deep thoughts," anyone who's read more than a few of my posts could gather that, but I also have a fondness for satire, which not only adds humor, but layers the thoughts deeper, if you can think that deep I guess. Gilliam can.
Soderbergh thinks Hollywood "deep."
KFG
I found them a bit "cute." Amusing, even a few good jokes, but very "lite."
Get the hence to Stanislaw Lem if though wishest to see the true master of the craft at work.
There is, of course, also Terry Pratchett. Runs a bit hot and cold, but when he's hot, he's hot.
There's only one man in the known universe who could make a movie out of either of these gentleman's works and stand even half a chance of them not turning out crap, but since that isn't likely to happen there's no use losing sleep over the prospect.
KFG
Is a life a commodity?
Yes, in fact if you drive a Pinto the courts have valued it at $100K.
Mercedes drivers, of course, have a higher value.
There is, like it or not, a price on your head, and you can be sold for it. Mark Twain, in his brilliant article "To the Person Sitting in Darkness", Read it here, remonstrates Christian missionaries for overcharging for a life.
Those of us who take our spiritual guidance from some text other than the Bible might well have a broader definition of life than yourself. If you wish to see life reduced to a commodity you can do very little better than visiting a modern pig "farm."
No child can visit one of these without weeping, because a child has to yet to be indoctrinated with a morality derived from a text. They know suffering, cruelty and immoral behavior when they see it.
God has written it on their hearts and they know the difference between good and evil as a God, not as a man.
You have fired the wrong shot of criticism across the bow of your adversary and have thus missed the target. He need not even take the trouble to back sails to avoid your onslaught.
No, what you should have pointed out was that Bush knows damned (excuse me) well that you wouldn't be diseased in the first place if you weren't evil and receiving a just punishment.
KFG
Suppose you were an idiot and suppose you were a member of Congress, but wait, I repeat myself. --Mark Twain
If it was good enough for Sam, it's good enough for me. At least his tar brush gave fair coverage to all. I shall endevour to do likewise.
KFG
. . .he'll have a 50% strike rate on invading for legitimate reasons!
Nah! After Mars is reduced to a giant, radioactive Christmas tree ornament it will turn out that the above letter was a "misinterpretation" by the "intelligence" community.
It will come to light that the actual letter said:
"A disease has wiped out most of our male population. Mars needs geeks to insure the survival of our species, and our women are HOT! Them pulp novel covers? Phhhhhhhhbt! You ain't seen nothin' yet, Earth nerd. Because our need is so pressing and so great we have converted an asteroid into a transport ship and will be sending it right over. Fill it up with everyone who knows how to root, if you know what I mean."
Oops.
KFG
They were both "collaborations" with. . .her mom, who I presume actually handled the crayon in transcribing the tape for the uncredited ghost writer.
Sheesh.
KFG
And next week we'll present the history of this week.
Britney Spears appears to have published two autobiographies so far.
Here's a hot tip to all teenybooper pop stars who think maybe it's about time to write the story of their life:
First, get one!
KFG
Life is basically a process of wasting time until you die, so you might as well enjoy the time "wasted."
KFG
I think you will find the root of the problem embeded in a single word from your post:
"Franchise."
KFG
Dude, you obviously missed all the studies showing that the TCO for Windows is lower than that for Linux, if. . .
.but wear earplugs and this experiment is not suitable for children.
you've got a room full of lawyers who'll work for a two litre bottle of Mountain Dew and a bag of Doritos now and then.
And nothing drives up the TCO like a BSA audit, even if they find you in full compliance. God help you if you unintentionally slipped up somewhere.
Just ask someone in the city hall of Virginia Beach about this. .
In a shop with just three people doing your best to insure license compliance can run into the thousands per year, and you'll likely fail anyway (Google on "Three body problem").
Funny how the studies of TCO never include the concurrent and absolutely necessary legal expenses of contracting with (or even simply clicking on a EULA) Microsoft, nevermind the equally necessary costs of trying to insure compliance with the contract and/or license over time.
So, does your company have a viable policy for maintaining contract/license compliance? If a a tech does not routinely check your box for unlicensed software the answer is most likely "No."
Has your company insured itself against/budgeted for a BSA audit? Oh. Dudes. You are soooooooooooo fucked.
Here, have a copy of a POSIX compliant OS, with included office suite, I downloaded from the internet. Feel free to make as many copies as you like and install them on as many machines as you like, and so long as you don't alter the source code (included) and restribute outside your legal entity you may feel free to treat it as if it were in the public domain.
Total legal expenses incured so far, and to be incured in the future for compliance, el zippo; and you don't have to sign diddely squat. Now let's total up those TCO figures again.
If, in future, someone comes up with evidence that you are already not in compliance with the GPL you may get a call from the FSF, but these boys are actually rather nice, if you're not intentionally being a dick, and much nicer than the BSA even if you are.
If nothing else they have to be, because you have signed diddely squat.
KFG
"In this case, lost works by Sopholces are invaluable; we have only 7 of his plays complete."
As Carl Sagan explained it:
Imagine that we had some plays by this Shakespeare fellow, Titus Andronicus, Coriolanus, Cymbaline, Pericles, The Life of Timon of Athens, The Winter's Tale and Troilus and Cressida.
Fine plays all. We know from the record that he wrote a few other plays that were well regarded in his time, but alas, those have been lost.
KFG
. . . just how many BitMover shares does Linus own?
Considerable, if what we're talking about is "mind shares."
Linus has a strong personal stake in useing Bit Keeper and a personal relationship built up by working with Larry over the past few years. Despite being a Finn he is experiencing something called "emotion."
Emotion can tend to make one say and do dumb shit that one wouldn't otherwise do or say, like that dumb shit you do and say when trying to talk to a pretty girl, or, if you're a geek, about a particularly pretty piece of software that you've been living with for years.
She moved out. He's going to miss her. I'll cut him a bit of slack during his grieving period. He'll get over it. Killer apps are like busses, someone tries to introduce a new propriatary model every year.
KFG