To list the things that you find in the U.S. v. China, or in Europe v. China, that I find superior in U.S., or Europe, or Japan, or wherever?
But those are First World countries! They should be superior in EVERY WAY!
Nonsense. This First World/Third World delineation is extremely rough, at best.
China is a rapidly developing country. While there are factors which still relegate it status to 'third' world, they have come a long way, and will make it to first world soon.
The thing is, you don't always get optimum deployment of technology in a wealthier society, and this has little to do with the economic system (Capitalism, Communism, Socialism, Anythingism).
In a nutshell: The economic system determines who has the power to allocate wealth/resources.
Then, this decision maker decides how much of societies resources should be spent on what developments.
If 'smart' stoplights are not a high priority, even if 'dumb' ones are an annoyance, you won't get them, period. Even in Utopia.
In China, government decision makers simply implemenent whatever policy they feel is appropriate.
In the U.S., popular demand determines the allocation of wealth and resources. Don't think that I am naive enough to not realize that large companies&governments are capable of influencing this demand. Still, by deciding how much you are willing to pay for a certain service, or expressing your political preference by voting, you contribute to averaged indicators that establish this allocation.
In the U.S., people are willing to spend less of the adjusted per capita wealth on cell phones than are people living in Europe, or Japan.
As such, our cell service is crappier. Sure, there are geeks like you (slashdot reader) & me who want better service. But the Jane Doe's of the U.S. bring the average down.
The same thing probably happens with regards to Jane Doe's preferences. I might not be interested in what she wants, and as such, I bring the average allocation down with regards to her preferences.
You see clear, similar trends with regards to broadband service. Price is simply more important that quality of service/performance, and as such, as a society we allocate less towards our Broadband, and we have crappier service.
Now that you are conceptualizing resource allocation as I have described, the effects of government become clearer.
In much of the rest of the world, governments have 'kickstarted' demand by providing for an initial investments in broadband, cell service, and other 'public' goods.
You get better service, but the costs involved in the government 'kickstarting' necessairly come from somewhere else.
This government influence necessairly introduces economic inefficeny.
Not that that is always bad, mind you. I certainly accept that economic inefficency is necessary such that our resource allocation is not totally mindless/mob oriented.
But we need to consider that it is a spectrum. Somewhere between total government control of everything economic allocation, and total free market laissez faire absurditiy, is the world where I want to live.
Wow. This has been rather long winded. In sum, and in short, all I'm really trying to say is that a certain country not having, or having, various technology improvements does not mean that country is doing worse, or better, than other nations. Specific aspects of resource allocation are not a good way to summarize notions of wealth.
They are more important indicators. Not that the U.S. is doing particularly well in these other indicators. But we aren't doing so badly, and I feel that discussions of these indicators are far more important that discussions of anti-theft slip covers, or smart traffic lights.
Most department stores in the U.S. (excluding Wal-mart, as well as discount 'outlet' stores) have tailoring, and most of the ones I go to have free tailoring.
I always thought that gallup was one of the most reliable sources of poll data, but I guess I'm wrong.
On electoral-vote.com, Penn is Kerry, 50-46.
On gallup.com, Penn is Bush, 50-46.
On electoral-vote.com, Wisconsin is Kerry, 51-44.
On gallup.com, Wisconsin is Bush, 51-44.
I'm confused, I thought electoral-vote.com used the gallup data where appropriate, but that seems to not be the case. Where can I find the other source data (not the graphs on electoral-vote.com, but rather, the actual site/sites where the data is coming from).
I use Baysian spam filters in my e-mail clients, and SpamAssassin filtering on the servers.
I use Gmail, and Godaddy.com e-mail services for some of my associates.
The few Windows systems we need for specific applications run on VMware for Linux, with their harddisks imaged. Very restricted internet access.
Get a Spyware problem? Restore the image.
I have no problems with the state of the internet. From my perspective, things are very rosy, actually.
Gone from the dark ages of my Spyware/Virus/Trojan storms, I'm enjoying ever-increasing speeds from my ISPs, and greater connectivity for my phones/laptop/random peripherals.
-1, Troll. If your corner of the Computing Universe is a nightmare, your using the wrong software/systems.
You misunderstand the GPL. It is a hack of the intellectual property system. It is a license that denies profit-motivated people the very things they want to have protected, and gives the users the one thing they want: freedom. It turns the IP system on its head, intentionally. It is a form of moneky-wrenching. If it weren't for the screwed-up IP system we have to endure, there'd be no need for the GPL. Nonsense.
You are mistaking the political beliefs of RMS for the operative functionality of the GPL.
Without the protections of the GPL, derived through the notion of copyright, profit-motivated people COULD defintely protect the very things they wish to keep.
All they have to do is take open code, add whatever they want, only released obfusciated binaries, and retain control over their version of the project.
The economic implications, and the market reorientations that an end of copyright would precipate are not entirely clear, however, 'rights' that the GPL grants would no longer have the same clear meaning that they do now.
I TOTALLY disagree that no IP would be a better situation than a GPL'd world.
I LIKE that the GPL encourages indivduals/projects/companies to contribute to a community.
It most certainly is NOT a hack, or monkey-wrenching. It is a creative use of the rights created by the notion of copyright, and it forces community development of community projects.
Copyright in and of it self, the monopoly granted to you by the government over works that you have created, is not a bad thing. The way major corporations use it has been disgusting.
The GPL, and similar licenses, are a way of fighting back.
The whole battlefield changes if you eliminate or radically alter the notion of copyright, and I'm not sure that our position would improve in that world.
In other words, I'm very happy with the way the GPL works out. People who want to lock up their code can do so, and the rest of us can live in a community oriented world, with no risk of people 'stealing' our work.
A)Stop patching pirated copies of Windows. B)Have Windows Update sabotage pirated copies of Windows. C)Break compatability with newer versions of MS apps (Office, Outlook Express, Internet Explorer, Windows Media Player) with pirated versions of Windows. D)Legally crack down on pirates like none-other.
Right now, we exist in a world where it is okay to get Windows for free (pirate), and the cost is subsidized by the rest of the world.
If EVERYONE that used Windows was forced to considered the market(monopoly) value of it, Windows marketshare would fall off considerably.
I used to pirate Windows. One day, I made the decision to keep all my systems 'legal'.
This brought the level of problems I've had with my Linux systems into focus.
Of course, this hasn't been hurt by the general improvements in Linux distros. SuSE 9.1, IMHO, is a very polished, easy to use distro.
Force people to understand the true costs of using MS software, both upfront (end piracy), and TCO (patching, clearing viruses/worms, spyware crap, other generalized Windows issues), and the costs of using Linux don't seem to bad (have to be picky with hardware, much smaller software base (counterweighed by tons of free software), training needed to become familiar with the layout of your particular distro).
In order for the Free Software community to become more succesful than it already has, and continue to claim more and more marketshare, we need to have a VERY strong respect for Intellectual Property rights.
The very same protections that gave us the GPL highlight the BEST economic advantages of F/OSS.
1. IP is not the enemy. The very notion of IP protects GPL software. Without the ideaology of copyright, or the government granting a MONOPOLY on a certain intellectual representation to you, you would not be able to release your code to the world with the precondition that others would have to release their code as well (I understand the GPL is slightly more complex, but you can figure out what I mean).
2. This research is BullShit(TM). Every store bought PC I've ever gotten has been formated and had Linux installed. 100%. It's like 15 machines. I'm sure I'm not the only one. Ancedotal, yes. Suggestive? Yes, as well. Definetely needs to be considered in any serious research.
3. Is Windows pirating worse than Linux purchase one, install many? I dunno. In absolute terms, probably. So many Windows users, piracy is rampant, 2+2=big numbers. But, at the same time, many institutions purchase 1 copy of Linux, and install it several times. I've gotten 1 copy of SuSE for my office, and install it on 6-7 machines. I've done this with every edition of SuSE that has been released. (I've got a row of SuSE boxes on my shelf). Linux marketshare numbers also do not include roll your own 'puters, as well as Debian installs, which can be hugely widespread (Debian is a 'top 5' linux, for what little that is worth).
General market trends do NOT make sense in the Linux world. The Linux market is NOT big enough for the assumption that pre-installs are the primary indicator of Linux marketshare.
It might be true, and it might become more true in the future, but I won't believe any research/conclusions predicated on that assumption.
Just made a post about how private wireless is poping up all over Chicago.
Duh. The economist in me speaks out.
How should cities establish free, city-wide wireless access?
Tax credits.
You are eligilble for a tax credit=cost of providing a wireless internet access to your local area. You are required to provide at least port 80 (http) access, and other capabilities are optional.
Most companies are more than willing to do stuff like this, if they can do it on the cheap/free. By allowing them to shirk on their taxes, they'll totally do it. You'll have access point popping up on buildings all over the place.
Not just internet cafes, either, though they'd go nuts with such a proposal. I'm think that nearly any company that has a reasonable internet connection would participate in such an agreement.
I know ours would.
Just my 2 cents.
How to get to this point? Form a working group. Meet up with whoever you can in your area. Write a proposal. Take it to a minor city official, but don't ask them to push it for you. Instead, ask them how they would write it. Make those changes. Take your revised proposal to every internet cafe/coffee shop with internet access. Get them to sign off on it.
Return to city official. Show it to local media. Etc, etc.
You can get fixed wireless broadband in most of the city, and some of the NW-burbs.
You can get 802.11b from many internet cafes all over the city, and some of them have setup additional access points/repeaters such that you can pick them up for several blocks in most directions.
It's taking a long time, but there will be access all over chicago, supplied by the market.
Not free, unfortunately, but given the way Chicago politcs work, any 'city' free wireless program would probably cost hundreds of millions, involve only union contracts, and would run 10 years behind schedule.
I love Chicago, but if you can stay out of local politics, you are much better off (I've got friends in both the Daley administration and the Blagoevich(sp?) administration, and both seem 'dirty' as hell).
Everyone talks about the reliabiltiy issues, and the control/level of skill issues.
Seems to me that the 'ideal' flying car would have no controls at all.
The reason we don't have autopilots in all of our cars is because we can't retrofit every car on the road. We can't design an 'autopilot' system that interacts with human drivers.
I'm DAMN sure we can design an 'autopilot' that functions autonmously as part of a road control system.
Every other car would have to be part of the system, too.
With flying cars, this infrastructure can be designed from day 1.
Originally, I started writing this post with a way I thought it might be possible.
As I worked out the specifics, I decided that ANY way you slice it, this will be TOTALLY arbitrary, and will do NOTHING for consumers.
It will descend into a way for consumers to be hoodwinked into buying more substandard hardware, like they do now.
But this video card has 256MB of ram on it! It's the Best!!! It's Level 12! (Geforce FX 5200, PCI).
Worse, if Windows autocalculates a level, automagically (not that this would affect me anymore, I despise Windows, and refuse to use it) silly things might 'disqualify' a system. My gaming rig, for example, doesn't have any kind of CD/DVD drive.(No, I don't pirate, I either download(Savage), or Network mount/CD crack) You can bet that these 'levels' will require totally nonsensical configurations. (You need a Level 12 PC for Quake XI. Level 12 means you need to get a DVD+/-RW-Quad-layer).
In short, its hopeless. Fine if MS/HP/whoever wants to do it, but I pray that gaming companies don't start requiring certain 'levels' of computer for the games to work.
This inspired me to look at the SuSE 9.1 default aliases. Dunno why, but never bothered to check before.
Wow! There is some funny stuff in there!
Some good ones:
alias A:='echo -e '\''Error: There is no such thing as a drive A: in Linux.\n If you want to access your floppy, try "mount/dev/fd0" and then look\n in the directory/media/floppy !'\'
alias C:='echo -e '\''Error: There is no such thing as a drive C: in Linux!\n Your harddisk should already be mounted (via/etc/fstab or autofs).'\'''
alias chkdsk='echo -e '\''Error: Your filesystems are checked on bootup.\n If you want to do it manually, use fsck.\n Use df and mount for an overview of your disks.'\'''
alias format='echo -e '\''Error: The DOS concept of formatting disk media is screwed.\n If you want to create a filesystem use "mkfs". To format a floppy, use\n "fdformat/dev/fd0" and then "mkfs.minix/dev/fd0".'\'' #'
alias sys='echo -e '\''Error: Linux cannot be transferred like that.\n If you want to install Linux or create bootfloppies, please use YaST.'\'' #'
Our company manufactures all varieties of cleaning chemicals, and we make a deodorizer that was originally designed as part of a suite for treating pig manure.
It's environmentally friendly, has a pleasing odor, and I believe is non-conductive (can be used on electronics).
The tendencies towards efficieny is a natural outgrowth of evolutionary development. Having everyone 'benefit' is mistakenly applying localized conclusions to society using a utilitarian calculus, and that's not entirely a valuable assumption.
Who says you can't have a fulfilling and satisfying existence during tought times?
Really, the counter argument that the trappings ofmodernity are undermining the social and spirtual basis for an emotionally conscious life is rather compelling.
Break from evolution, and you find yourself enjoying the freedom of the Spanish Wolf.
A team of M.I.T. analysts(led by a guy name Godot, I think) indicates that if we managed to let go of the current 'paradigm' of economic thought, a new one will present itself within a reasonable timeframe.
It's not your fault the capitalist world is so closed minded--- You just haven't had a chance to try something better.
I haven't had your experience, but mine has been pretty good.
I've had a couple pieces of junk which frustrated me: A) UMAX parallel scanner. This might work now, but not when I first wanted to use it. B) Brother MFC-4350 laser/fax/printer. Erractically works then doesn't work. Won't work at all in later 2.4/2.6 kernels. C) Some degree of frustration with getting OpenGL acceleration working, either open DRI ATI drivers, closed binary ATI drivers, or binary Nvidia drivers. Eventually, I can get it to work, but sometimes its frustrating. SuSE deals with these remarkably well, though. D) ACPI Suspend never works on my Inspiron 8200. APM Suspend works on it, but crashed 1/4 of the time restoring.
Most of these issues are from between 1 to 6 years ago.
Things have gotten substantially better. I think that for the most part it is people who have been using Linux for a long time used to get really frustrated with hardware compatabilities. I certainly did, but things have improved so much that I can safely say I have fewer problems with Linux hardware drivers than Windows hardware drivers. I hate gathering up all my Windows drivers for a reinstall. Drives (no pun intended) me nuts.
This is especially true if you put a modicum of thought into your purchasing decisions, i.e. don't get an S3 graphics card--- Don't poo poo me, they are pieces of crap in Windows, too.
BTW: Driverloader deals with proprietary wireless cards great. Runs any Windows XP 802.11a/b/g driver (just about). www.linuxant.com. Costs ~30 bucks. ndiswrapper works too, but not as well.
Also, I'm familiar with that TI chipset, the acx100 (and its big brother, the acx110 (802.11g version)). There are now opensource drivers for it, it works extremely well in Driverloader, and works under ndiswrapper.
If you use SuSE, YaST Online Update will automatically install the card firmware/driver, and then you can easily set it up---works great, 22 Mb/s too.
Slashdot Mirror
To list the things that you find in the U.S. v. China, or in Europe v. China, that I find superior in U.S., or Europe, or Japan, or wherever?
But those are First World countries! They should be superior in EVERY WAY!
Nonsense. This First World/Third World delineation is extremely rough, at best.
China is a rapidly developing country. While there are factors which still relegate it status to 'third' world, they have come a long way, and will make it to first world soon.
The thing is, you don't always get optimum deployment of technology in a wealthier society, and this has little to do with the economic system (Capitalism, Communism, Socialism, Anythingism).
In a nutshell: The economic system determines who has the power to allocate wealth/resources.
Then, this decision maker decides how much of societies resources should be spent on what developments.
If 'smart' stoplights are not a high priority, even if 'dumb' ones are an annoyance, you won't get them, period. Even in Utopia.
In China, government decision makers simply implemenent whatever policy they feel is appropriate.
In the U.S., popular demand determines the allocation of wealth and resources. Don't think that I am naive enough to not realize that large companies&governments are capable of influencing this demand. Still, by deciding how much you are willing to pay for a certain service, or expressing your political preference by voting, you contribute to averaged indicators that establish this allocation.
In the U.S., people are willing to spend less of the adjusted per capita wealth on cell phones than are people living in Europe, or Japan.
As such, our cell service is crappier. Sure, there are geeks like you (slashdot reader) & me who want better service. But the Jane Doe's of the U.S. bring the average down.
The same thing probably happens with regards to Jane Doe's preferences. I might not be interested in what she wants, and as such, I bring the average allocation down with regards to her preferences.
You see clear, similar trends with regards to broadband service. Price is simply more important that quality of service/performance, and as such, as a society we allocate less towards our Broadband, and we have crappier service.
Now that you are conceptualizing resource allocation as I have described, the effects of government become clearer.
In much of the rest of the world, governments have 'kickstarted' demand by providing for an initial investments in broadband, cell service, and other 'public' goods.
You get better service, but the costs involved in the government 'kickstarting' necessairly come from somewhere else.
This government influence necessairly introduces economic inefficeny.
Not that that is always bad, mind you. I certainly accept that economic inefficency is necessary such that our resource allocation is not totally mindless/mob oriented.
But we need to consider that it is a spectrum. Somewhere between total government control of everything economic allocation, and total free market laissez faire absurditiy, is the world where I want to live.
Wow. This has been rather long winded. In sum, and in short, all I'm really trying to say is that a certain country not having, or having, various technology improvements does not mean that country is doing worse, or better, than other nations. Specific aspects of resource allocation are not a good way to summarize notions of wealth.
They are more important indicators. Not that the U.S. is doing particularly well in these other indicators. But we aren't doing so badly, and I feel that discussions of these indicators are far more important that discussions of anti-theft slip covers, or smart traffic lights.
Just my 20000000 cents.
Nonsense.
Most department stores in the U.S. (excluding Wal-mart, as well as discount 'outlet' stores) have tailoring, and most of the ones I go to have free tailoring.
This is in the Chicagoland area.
I always thought that gallup was one of the most reliable sources of poll data, but I guess I'm wrong.
On electoral-vote.com, Penn is Kerry, 50-46.
On gallup.com, Penn is Bush, 50-46.
On electoral-vote.com, Wisconsin is Kerry, 51-44.
On gallup.com, Wisconsin is Bush, 51-44.
I'm confused, I thought electoral-vote.com used the gallup data where appropriate, but that seems to not be the case. Where can I find the other source data (not the graphs on electoral-vote.com, but rather, the actual site/sites where the data is coming from).
Death of the Internet.
Blah, Blah, Blah.
I don't get Virus, Spyware, or Trojans.
Everything I work on runs Mac OS X, or Linux.
I use Baysian spam filters in my e-mail clients, and SpamAssassin filtering on the servers.
I use Gmail, and Godaddy.com e-mail services for some of my associates.
The few Windows systems we need for specific applications run on VMware for Linux, with their harddisks imaged. Very restricted internet access.
Get a Spyware problem? Restore the image.
I have no problems with the state of the internet. From my perspective, things are very rosy, actually.
Gone from the dark ages of my Spyware/Virus/Trojan storms, I'm enjoying ever-increasing speeds from my ISPs, and greater connectivity for my phones/laptop/random peripherals.
-1, Troll. If your corner of the Computing Universe is a nightmare, your using the wrong software/systems.
They spam computers.
'Setup your MSN Passport'
'Click here for MSN messenger'
'Use this wizard to sign up for MSN internet service'
Blah, Blah, Blah.
You misunderstand the GPL. It is a hack of the intellectual property system. It is a license that denies profit-motivated people the very things they want to have protected, and gives the users the one thing they want: freedom. It turns the IP system on its head, intentionally. It is a form of moneky-wrenching. If it weren't for the screwed-up IP system we have to endure, there'd be no need for the GPL.
Nonsense.
You are mistaking the political beliefs of RMS for the operative functionality of the GPL.
Without the protections of the GPL, derived through the notion of copyright, profit-motivated people COULD defintely protect the very things they wish to keep.
All they have to do is take open code, add whatever they want, only released obfusciated binaries, and retain control over their version of the project.
The economic implications, and the market reorientations that an end of copyright would precipate are not entirely clear, however, 'rights' that the GPL grants would no longer have the same clear meaning that they do now.
I TOTALLY disagree that no IP would be a better situation than a GPL'd world.
I LIKE that the GPL encourages indivduals/projects/companies to contribute to a community.
It most certainly is NOT a hack, or monkey-wrenching. It is a creative use of the rights created by the notion of copyright, and it forces community development of community projects.
Copyright in and of it self, the monopoly granted to you by the government over works that you have created, is not a bad thing. The way major corporations use it has been disgusting.
The GPL, and similar licenses, are a way of fighting back.
The whole battlefield changes if you eliminate or radically alter the notion of copyright, and I'm not sure that our position would improve in that world.
In other words, I'm very happy with the way the GPL works out. People who want to lock up their code can do so, and the rest of us can live in a community oriented world, with no risk of people 'stealing' our work.
I want MS to:
A)Stop patching pirated copies of Windows.
B)Have Windows Update sabotage pirated copies of Windows.
C)Break compatability with newer versions of MS apps (Office, Outlook Express, Internet Explorer, Windows Media Player) with pirated versions of Windows.
D)Legally crack down on pirates like none-other.
Right now, we exist in a world where it is okay to get Windows for free (pirate), and the cost is subsidized by the rest of the world.
If EVERYONE that used Windows was forced to considered the market(monopoly) value of it, Windows marketshare would fall off considerably.
I used to pirate Windows. One day, I made the decision to keep all my systems 'legal'.
This brought the level of problems I've had with my Linux systems into focus.
Of course, this hasn't been hurt by the general improvements in Linux distros. SuSE 9.1, IMHO, is a very polished, easy to use distro.
Force people to understand the true costs of using MS software, both upfront (end piracy), and TCO (patching, clearing viruses/worms, spyware crap, other generalized Windows issues), and the costs of using Linux don't seem to bad (have to be picky with hardware, much smaller software base (counterweighed by tons of free software), training needed to become familiar with the layout of your particular distro).
In order for the Free Software community to become more succesful than it already has, and continue to claim more and more marketshare, we need to have a VERY strong respect for Intellectual Property rights.
The very same protections that gave us the GPL highlight the BEST economic advantages of F/OSS.
1. IP is not the enemy. The very notion of IP protects GPL software. Without the ideaology of copyright, or the government granting a MONOPOLY on a certain intellectual representation to you, you would not be able to release your code to the world with the precondition that others would have to release their code as well (I understand the GPL is slightly more complex, but you can figure out what I mean).
2. This research is BullShit(TM). Every store bought PC I've ever gotten has been formated and had Linux installed. 100%. It's like 15 machines. I'm sure I'm not the only one. Ancedotal, yes. Suggestive? Yes, as well. Definetely needs to be considered in any serious research.
3. Is Windows pirating worse than Linux purchase one, install many? I dunno. In absolute terms, probably. So many Windows users, piracy is rampant, 2+2=big numbers. But, at the same time, many institutions purchase 1 copy of Linux, and install it several times. I've gotten 1 copy of SuSE for my office, and install it on 6-7 machines. I've done this with every edition of SuSE that has been released. (I've got a row of SuSE boxes on my shelf). Linux marketshare numbers also do not include roll your own 'puters, as well as Debian installs, which can be hugely widespread (Debian is a 'top 5' linux, for what little that is worth).
General market trends do NOT make sense in the Linux world. The Linux market is NOT big enough for the assumption that pre-installs are the primary indicator of Linux marketshare.
It might be true, and it might become more true in the future, but I won't believe any research/conclusions predicated on that assumption.
Two goons on a hand cart in front of the train, demanding that it stop.
Think Soviet union.
The final 'software' arms race has begun.
MS v. World.
Lock and Load.
Duh-duh-DUH!
haha. funny stuff.
Just made a post about how private wireless is poping up all over Chicago.
Duh. The economist in me speaks out.
How should cities establish free, city-wide wireless access?
Tax credits.
You are eligilble for a tax credit=cost of providing a wireless internet access to your local area. You are required to provide at least port 80 (http) access, and other capabilities are optional.
Most companies are more than willing to do stuff like this, if they can do it on the cheap/free. By allowing them to shirk on their taxes, they'll totally do it. You'll have access point popping up on buildings all over the place.
Not just internet cafes, either, though they'd go nuts with such a proposal. I'm think that nearly any company that has a reasonable internet connection would participate in such an agreement.
I know ours would.
Just my 2 cents.
How to get to this point? Form a working group. Meet up with whoever you can in your area. Write a proposal. Take it to a minor city official, but don't ask them to push it for you. Instead, ask them how they would write it. Make those changes. Take your revised proposal to every internet cafe/coffee shop with internet access. Get them to sign off on it.
Return to city official. Show it to local media. Etc, etc.
Not entirely true.
You can get fixed wireless broadband in most of the city, and some of the NW-burbs.
You can get 802.11b from many internet cafes all over the city, and some of them have setup additional access points/repeaters such that you can pick them up for several blocks in most directions.
It's taking a long time, but there will be access all over chicago, supplied by the market.
Not free, unfortunately, but given the way Chicago politcs work, any 'city' free wireless program would probably cost hundreds of millions, involve only union contracts, and would run 10 years behind schedule.
I love Chicago, but if you can stay out of local politics, you are much better off (I've got friends in both the Daley administration and the Blagoevich(sp?) administration, and both seem 'dirty' as hell).
Have everyone switch their e-mail to Hotmail, make everyone get an MS Passport, and then only use MS services.
.
Duh, any idiot could have told you that. . . .
*evil grin*
Everyone talks about the reliabiltiy issues, and the control/level of skill issues.
Seems to me that the 'ideal' flying car would have no controls at all.
The reason we don't have autopilots in all of our cars is because we can't retrofit every car on the road. We can't design an 'autopilot' system that interacts with human drivers.
I'm DAMN sure we can design an 'autopilot' that functions autonmously as part of a road control system.
Every other car would have to be part of the system, too.
With flying cars, this infrastructure can be designed from day 1.
Originally, I started writing this post with a way I thought it might be possible.
As I worked out the specifics, I decided that ANY way you slice it, this will be TOTALLY arbitrary, and will do NOTHING for consumers.
It will descend into a way for consumers to be hoodwinked into buying more substandard hardware, like they do now.
But this video card has 256MB of ram on it! It's the Best!!! It's Level 12! (Geforce FX 5200, PCI).
Worse, if Windows autocalculates a level, automagically (not that this would affect me anymore, I despise Windows, and refuse to use it) silly things might 'disqualify' a system. My gaming rig, for example, doesn't have any kind of CD/DVD drive.(No, I don't pirate, I either download(Savage), or Network mount/CD crack) You can bet that these 'levels' will require totally nonsensical configurations. (You need a Level 12 PC for Quake XI. Level 12 means you need to get a DVD+/-RW-Quad-layer).
In short, its hopeless. Fine if MS/HP/whoever wants to do it, but I pray that gaming companies don't start requiring certain 'levels' of computer for the games to work.
This inspired me to look at the SuSE 9.1 default aliases. Dunno why, but never bothered to check before.
/dev/fd0" and then look\n in the directory /media/floppy !'\'
/etc/fstab or autofs).'\'''
/dev/fd0" and then "mkfs.minix /dev/fd0".'\'' #'
Wow! There is some funny stuff in there!
Some good ones:
alias A:='echo -e '\''Error: There is no such thing as a drive A: in Linux.\n If you want to access your floppy, try "mount
alias C:='echo -e '\''Error: There is no such thing as a drive C: in Linux!\n Your harddisk should already be mounted (via
alias chkdsk='echo -e '\''Error: Your filesystems are checked on bootup.\n If you want to do it manually, use fsck.\n Use df and mount for an overview of your disks.'\'''
alias format='echo -e '\''Error: The DOS concept of formatting disk media is screwed.\n If you want to create a filesystem use "mkfs". To format a floppy, use\n "fdformat
alias sys='echo -e '\''Error: Linux cannot be transferred like that.\n If you want to install Linux or create bootfloppies, please use YaST.'\'' #'
Then had a crazy idea.
/me goes back to sleep, leaves stupid dreamland.
Imagine: The Google Desktop Environment.
Complete with Gbrowser, the universal filemanager/web browser/gmail client, uber everything all rolled into one.
Windows, Linux, Mac versions available now.
*shivers*
And, of course, all your 'google' apps are all cross-platform, since the client is all crazy java/web stuff anyways.
Sorta google toolbar on steroids.
Seems more appropriate to call it grokle
But thats just me.
I can't imagine saying did you gbrowse it.
But, well, you grok, right?
Our company manufactures all varieties of cleaning chemicals, and we make a deodorizer that was originally designed as part of a suite for treating pig manure.
It's environmentally friendly, has a pleasing odor, and I believe is non-conductive (can be used on electronics).
Lemme find out.
E-mail me at moornblade at graffiti dot net
The tendencies towards efficieny is a natural outgrowth of evolutionary development. Having everyone 'benefit' is mistakenly applying localized conclusions to society using a utilitarian calculus, and that's not entirely a valuable assumption.
Who says you can't have a fulfilling and satisfying existence during tought times?
Really, the counter argument that the trappings ofmodernity are undermining the social and spirtual basis for an emotionally conscious life is rather compelling.
Break from evolution, and you find yourself enjoying the freedom of the Spanish Wolf.
We don't have a couterexample yet.
A team of M.I.T. analysts(led by a guy name Godot, I think) indicates that if we managed to let go of the current 'paradigm' of economic thought, a new one will present itself within a reasonable timeframe.
It's not your fault the capitalist world is so closed minded--- You just haven't had a chance to try something better.
No.
/.
But you are supposed to cut-n-paste the link for the main article into your endlessly repeating wget cron job.
Or, if you are truely 1337, then into the IRC master control bot to tell your zombies what to DDOS.
That's why there should only be 1 or 2 links---otherwise, we can't effectively
DWL650+, if advertised as the one capable of 22Mb/s operation, is a TI acx100 chipset.
Functions well under driverloader and ndiswrapper, and the opensource acx100 driver ain't so bad, either.
SuSE 9.1 will automatically install the acx100 driver, and download the necessary firmware.
Works great, even at 22 Mb/s. 4x mode works too.
It's pretty easy to get it working.
What distro, I'll walk you through it.
WhiteWolf
e-mail me at
moornblade2gmail>google>com
I haven't had your experience, but mine has been pretty good.
I've had a couple pieces of junk which frustrated me:
A) UMAX parallel scanner. This might work now, but not when I first wanted to use it.
B) Brother MFC-4350 laser/fax/printer. Erractically works then doesn't work. Won't work at all in later 2.4/2.6 kernels.
C) Some degree of frustration with getting OpenGL acceleration working, either open DRI ATI drivers, closed binary ATI drivers, or binary Nvidia drivers. Eventually, I can get it to work, but sometimes its frustrating. SuSE deals with these remarkably well, though.
D) ACPI Suspend never works on my Inspiron 8200. APM Suspend works on it, but crashed 1/4 of the time restoring.
Most of these issues are from between 1 to 6 years ago.
Things have gotten substantially better. I think that for the most part it is people who have been using Linux for a long time used to get really frustrated with hardware compatabilities. I certainly did, but things have improved so much that I can safely say I have fewer problems with Linux hardware drivers than Windows hardware drivers. I hate gathering up all my Windows drivers for a reinstall. Drives (no pun intended) me nuts.
This is especially true if you put a modicum of thought into your purchasing decisions, i.e. don't get an S3 graphics card--- Don't poo poo me, they are pieces of crap in Windows, too.
BTW: Driverloader deals with proprietary wireless cards great. Runs any Windows XP 802.11a/b/g driver (just about). www.linuxant.com. Costs ~30 bucks. ndiswrapper works too, but not as well.
Also, I'm familiar with that TI chipset, the acx100 (and its big brother, the acx110 (802.11g version)). There are now opensource drivers for it, it works extremely well in Driverloader, and works under ndiswrapper.
If you use SuSE, YaST Online Update will automatically install the card firmware/driver, and then you can easily set it up---works great, 22 Mb/s too.