Part of the cost of support, in my opinion, includes the fact that building the binary packages has already been done and tested. I see no need to repeat these activities. Although I really have no preference between BSD and Linux, the time saving and initial quality control are well worth it.
I'm pretty impressed with Mandrake as a desktop distro, but I have to agree with your comments. I bought the "license" to keep myself up to date and to support their development. I especially like default support for the common desktop features that you see in that other O$.
I can't see myself doing this for my servers though. Fedora has me pretty happy and RHEL is my choice for mission critical boxes. It doesn't support some of the more windows-like features out of the box (mp3, etc.) but it is rock solid and stable and that's all I need for a server. Updates come fast and furious if necessary as well. I want to have my servers at an N-1 patch level as quickly as we can manage it. If our regression testing is the holdup that's OK. If the provider is the holdup, that's not.
I think a Mandrake front-end with a Fedora/RHEL back-end is where we will end up. Don't you love OS choice?
This is the kind of FUD that holds back nuclear rockets as a useful technology. The same campaign was executed against Cassini before it went up. Here is the official risk assessment from the Environmental Impact Statement from NASA for Cassini:
Since the material is highly insoluble, once it reaches the surface most of it would become trapped in the oceans or soils and not pose a health hazard. Thus, most of the released material would not be breathed in by people. The small amount of released material that would be breathed in would be distributed over much of the world. Since the amount to be breathed in is so tiny, the radiation dose that a person would be expected to receive is less than one millirem total over 50 years. This small radiation dose is indistinguishable when compared to the 15,000 millirem dose an average person will receive (over that same 50 year period) from natural background radiation. NASA Cassini Safety Page
Now granted this is a different technology, but the amount of fissile is comparable. The risk should be no greater.
I have logged 40000 miles in my car with XM and have noticed the following:
Bridges: no problem Parking deks: no problem Tunnels: problem, but how long do you spend in tunnels
As far as indoors: Home, Brick(portable device): no problem Office: Can be iffy if mobile and dead spots can be encountered. But where it works I would not want to be without it.
The service is fantastic I would recommend it to anyone. Small price to pay to get real music choice and almost no commercial interruption.
Agreed. When the developers admitted that they didn't put a lot of thought into the Galactic Civil War I knew this game was an implosion waiting to happen.
And now they're going to try and add space combat? Be afraid, be very afraid.
I totally agree with eveything in your post except the implication that the money should come from defense spending. The 2005 Federal Budget shows that that $450B, 18%, for Defense actually includes veterans pensions and other expenses.
In comparison, the United States spends a whopping $1.1T, or 41% of all federal dollars spent on Medicare/Medicaid and Social Security and it's only going to get worse.
I'm not sure where we can cut but I personally can see bigger potential targets than defense.
I agree, show them both. They're both worthless political vehicles full of facts that are dubious at best. Let the public see it all and decide for themselves.
Where I see the hypocrisy is that the "left" didn't raise a stink about Moore's piece and now they are all up in arms. Just like the "right" was all up in arms about Moore's piece and amazingly quiet about this.
I still contend that this activity is perfectly ethical in the limited scope of this situation. I think perhaps I wasn't clear enough with my response though. If you believe that this is unjust and are willing to stand up to the consequences if necessary for disobeying the law, then I can see your activity as being justified. It is a risk/benefits analysis with your principles as the metric.
Of course for me this is all hypothetical. Living in the US, We only censor extremes like nipples on open air broadcasting (right) and prayer in public buildings (left). Go figure.
With all due respect, there are those that believe it is perfectly ethical to disregard a law that one considers immoral or unjust as long as it does not present risk to anyone else. True, grabbing this title from P2P will not give any revenue to the developers, but they are not getting any revenue from Australia anyway. Also, P2P presents only risk to the person acquiring it instead of the person trying to illegally bring it into the country for someone else. I would say that if they can grab it, go for it. Be prepared to suffer the consequences if necessary.
Now, anyone who does this outside.au has my contempt.
Not that I like this system, but I have a question. What is to keep the independent candidates from buying prime-time TV air time and doing a real debate for the public. Wouldn't the Dems and Repubs almost be required to respond?
IMHO, if the deck is stacked against you, don't play the game.
Perhaps that's because Howard Stern is a complete moron. Perhaps he's too busy shockjocking to pay attention to something that actually has value.
Anyone with his following who's homepage tries to make a political statement by screaming "Clip the Bush" in 72 point text is not worth listening to. Talk about least common denominator.
...however, I would think the Republicans would be up in arms about this. After all, isn't the military the largest portion of the voting public abroad? And don't they overwhelmingly vote Republican?
Fair enough. I admit that what you said was true, I took a cursory look at the site, noticed some of the references and immediately formed an opinion without giving it due diligence. Since you responded with a well thought out reply, I will give you the courtesy of reading through the material and giving an objective opinion. Apologies for the knee-jerk reaction.
I have an economics paper due anyway, this may make an interesting subject.
Slashdot Mirror
Should I be concerned that the webpage touts "Coming Spring 2003"?
Precisely.
Part of the cost of support, in my opinion, includes the fact that building the binary packages has already been done and tested. I see no need to repeat these activities. Although I really have no preference between BSD and Linux, the time saving and initial quality control are well worth it.
I'm pretty impressed with Mandrake as a desktop distro, but I have to agree with your comments. I bought the "license" to keep myself up to date and to support their development. I especially like default support for the common desktop features that you see in that other O$.
I can't see myself doing this for my servers though. Fedora has me pretty happy and RHEL is my choice for mission critical boxes. It doesn't support some of the more windows-like features out of the box (mp3, etc.) but it is rock solid and stable and that's all I need for a server. Updates come fast and furious if necessary as well. I want to have my servers at an N-1 patch level as quickly as we can manage it. If our regression testing is the holdup that's OK. If the provider is the holdup, that's not.
I think a Mandrake front-end with a Fedora/RHEL back-end is where we will end up. Don't you love OS choice?
You mean start taking drugs. I personally am buying stock in an anti-depressant and a tranquilizer stock on November 1. :)
This is the kind of FUD that holds back nuclear rockets as a useful technology. The same campaign was executed against Cassini before it went up. Here is the official risk assessment from the Environmental Impact Statement from NASA for Cassini:
Since the material
is highly insoluble, once it reaches the surface
most of it would become trapped in the
oceans or soils and not pose a health hazard.
Thus, most of the released material would not
be breathed in by people. The small amount
of released material that would be breathed in
would be distributed over much of the world.
Since the amount to be breathed in is so tiny,
the radiation dose that a person would be expected
to receive is less than one millirem
total over 50 years. This small radiation dose
is indistinguishable when compared to the
15,000 millirem dose an average person will
receive (over that same 50 year period) from
natural background radiation.
NASA Cassini Safety Page
Now granted this is a different technology, but the amount of fissile is comparable. The risk should be no greater.
I don't know. I for one welcome Titan's new microphone wielding, oil-floating overlords.
Oh wait. That's us!
This is not entirely incorrect.
I have logged 40000 miles in my car with XM and have noticed the following:
Bridges: no problem
Parking deks: no problem
Tunnels: problem, but how long do you spend in tunnels
As far as indoors:
Home, Brick(portable device): no problem
Office: Can be iffy if mobile and dead spots can be encountered. But where it works I would not want to be without it.
The service is fantastic I would recommend it to anyone. Small price to pay to get real music choice and almost no commercial interruption.
Well said and documented. Too bad your argument is lost in this forum before you even began.
Agreed. When the developers admitted that they didn't put a lot of thought into the Galactic Civil War I knew this game was an implosion waiting to happen.
And now they're going to try and add space combat? Be afraid, be very afraid.
I totally agree with eveything in your post except the implication that the money should come from defense spending. The 2005 Federal Budget shows that that $450B, 18%, for Defense actually includes veterans pensions and other expenses.
In comparison, the United States spends a whopping $1.1T, or 41% of all federal dollars spent on Medicare/Medicaid and Social Security and it's only going to get worse.
I'm not sure where we can cut but I personally can see bigger potential targets than defense.
Since the AC is the only one who didn't flame me.
I agree, show them both. They're both worthless political vehicles full of facts that are dubious at best. Let the public see it all and decide for themselves.
Where I see the hypocrisy is that the "left" didn't raise a stink about Moore's piece and now they are all up in arms. Just like the "right" was all up in arms about Moore's piece and amazingly quiet about this.
I can't wait until this election is over.
Fahrenheit 911 is OK but this isn't? Doesn't that sound a little hypocritical?
Maybe the 4th presidential debate should be the /. pundits speaking out. Sounds like they are just as polarized as the candidates.
I still contend that this activity is perfectly ethical in the limited scope of this situation. I think perhaps I wasn't clear enough with my response though. If you believe that this is unjust and are willing to stand up to the consequences if necessary for disobeying the law, then I can see your activity as being justified. It is a risk/benefits analysis with your principles as the metric.
Of course for me this is all hypothetical. Living in the US, We only censor extremes like nipples on open air broadcasting (right) and prayer in public buildings (left). Go figure.
"Oh, my god! They killed commercial spaceflight!"
"You bastards!
With all due respect, there are those that believe it is perfectly ethical to disregard a law that one considers immoral or unjust as long as it does not present risk to anyone else. True, grabbing this title from P2P will not give any revenue to the developers, but they are not getting any revenue from Australia anyway. Also, P2P presents only risk to the person acquiring it instead of the person trying to illegally bring it into the country for someone else. I would say that if they can grab it, go for it. Be prepared to suffer the consequences if necessary.
.au has my contempt.
Now, anyone who does this outside
A bit colorful, but you are probably correct. It's not enough to have the saber. You have to rattle it once in a while to have any effect though.
Not that I like this system, but I have a question. What is to keep the independent candidates from buying prime-time TV air time and doing a real debate for the public. Wouldn't the Dems and Repubs almost be required to respond?
IMHO, if the deck is stacked against you, don't play the game.
Isn't the next flight scheduled for Monday, 10-OCT though? Fastest reusable spacecraft turnaround ever.
Perhaps that's because Howard Stern is a complete moron. Perhaps he's too busy shockjocking to pay attention to something that actually has value.
Anyone with his following who's homepage tries to make a political statement by screaming "Clip the Bush" in 72 point text is not worth listening to. Talk about least common denominator.
Mmmmmmmmm.....interstellar doughnuts.....
This is the biggest thing that ticks me off about the Republicans today. What the hell ever happened to Laissez-faire economics?
...however, I would think the Republicans would be up in arms about this. After all, isn't the military the largest portion of the voting public abroad? And don't they overwhelmingly vote Republican?
FYI.
Vonage provide immediate 911 identification today. Included with basic service.
Fair enough. I admit that what you said was true, I took a cursory look at the site, noticed some of the references and immediately formed an opinion without giving it due diligence. Since you responded with a well thought out reply, I will give you the courtesy of reading through the material and giving an objective opinion. Apologies for the knee-jerk reaction.
I have an economics paper due anyway, this may make an interesting subject.
More to come......