Dirtside wrote:
>> "My point is, there is no reason to think that anything exists aside from what we can detect with our senses (and devices that enhance our senses, like radio telescopes)"
If sense perception is the criterion for existence, we'd have no notions of:
- Time. Sensory perception of time is impossible.
- Mind. Mind cannot perceive itself through sense.
- Consciousness likewise can't be "sensed".
Those are perhaps our three most important realities. Every person *experiences* them somehow -- but they are insensible. Does this mean they are "senseless"? Or non-existent?
In fairness, the OP seems to be pointing to the lack of evidence for "supernatural" entities or beings. Fine. I agree, for the most part. But pointing to the SENSES (and enhancing instruments) as reliable indicators of existence / non-existence is incredibly unintelligent.
It's refreshing to hear the "syntax is not an issue" perspective. With that attitude you can approach Python as a dialect of Lisp - albeit with very different syntax. ("Traditional" infix operators, minimal use of parentheses etc).
For a comparison of Python and Scheme, see:
http://www.python.org/doc/pythonVSscheme.html
For a comparison of Python and Common Lisp, see:
http://www.norvig.com/python-lisp.html
Can't comment on Perl. I don't use it.
Python makes it easy to express very complex ideas in simple and readable code. Definitely worth a try. Everyone who tries it seems to love it, from beginners to the AI cognoscenti.
Cool down folks. Don't let the free software movement become a personality cult.
GPL is a software license and a philosophy. KDE is distributed under its license, and abides by its philosophy. QT is now also going to be distributed under the same license and philosophy. No problem here.
If RMS chooses to give his personal endorsement to Gnome, so be it. If he feels some personal resentment toward KDE and Trolltech for past frustrations, so be it. It appears he is human. And it is beside the point.
The main point is that the licenses of KDE and Gnome are now ethically equivalent. Each of us has our preference - and the choice is now a technical one, not an ethical one.
Stallman's contribution to free software is immense, but the strength of it lies in the GPL, *not* in his personal endorsements, hair styles, political views, enthusiasm for Balkan folk dancing or anything else about him.
It seems (from afar) that you Americans are too easily influenced by personality cults in your philosophy and politics. Why not take it easy on the personalities of the major players and make your own minds up about the issues?
The licenses of KDE and Gnome are now equivalent. Hereafter, the choice between them is technical and personal. The "Crusade" is over, and the ethical battle has been won. Free software is the winner. Now stop seeking endorsement from on high and make up your own minds!
Quality and Freedom - What could be better?
on
Qt Going GPL
·
· Score: 2
This is the best tech news I have heard all year.
Like every other developer in my acquaintance, I believe QT stands head and shoulders above the competition in terms of its technical merit. It is one of a very few libraries that is beautifully designed, combining elegance, efficiency and full support for reusable components.
I believe even those who are strongly committed to the principles of Free Software (as defined by FSF) have long been enamoured with QT's high quality - but until now we/they have been prepared to forgo its benefits for the sake of Free Software ethics. At last, the release of QT under the GPL will relieve many a frustration for those of us who believe in the ethics of Free Software, but also want the highest quality tools available. This is truly excellent news!
Although I wish Gnome all the best (two high quality desktop environments can harm nobody), I strongly believe that QT and KDE (esp KParts) offer a much more technicaly sound platform for developers to build the fast and robust desktop systems of the future.
With KDE2 we'll have a visually appealing and functionally useful desktop environment. We'll have a web browser that has much better potential than Mozilla. But best of all, for developers, we've now got an advanced (but easy to learn and use) component architecture, a high quality free GUI toolkit, visual GUI development tools, language bindings for Python - and now we've got a community of talented AND committed people who can use all of this without reservations or uncertainties. For mine, this is almost too good to be true. The best technology is now free to win, and I sincerely hope it does.
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Dirtside wrote:
>> "My point is, there is no reason to think that anything exists aside from what we can detect with our senses (and devices that enhance our senses, like radio telescopes)"
If sense perception is the criterion for existence, we'd have no notions of:
- Time. Sensory perception of time is impossible.
- Mind. Mind cannot perceive itself through sense.
- Consciousness likewise can't be "sensed".
Those are perhaps our three most important realities. Every person *experiences* them somehow -- but they are insensible. Does this mean they are "senseless"? Or non-existent?
In fairness, the OP seems to be pointing to the lack of evidence for "supernatural" entities or beings. Fine. I agree, for the most part. But pointing to the SENSES (and enhancing instruments) as reliable indicators of existence / non-existence is incredibly unintelligent.
It's refreshing to hear the "syntax is not an issue" perspective. With that attitude you can approach Python as a dialect of Lisp - albeit with very different syntax. ("Traditional" infix operators, minimal use of parentheses etc).
For a comparison of Python and Scheme, see:
http://www.python.org/doc/pythonVSscheme.html
For a comparison of Python and Common Lisp, see:
http://www.norvig.com/python-lisp.html
Can't comment on Perl. I don't use it.
Python makes it easy to express very complex ideas in simple and readable code. Definitely worth a try. Everyone who tries it seems to love it, from beginners to the AI cognoscenti.
Cool down folks. Don't let the free software movement become a personality cult.
GPL is a software license and a philosophy. KDE is distributed under its license, and abides by its philosophy. QT is now also going to be distributed under the same license and philosophy. No problem here.
If RMS chooses to give his personal endorsement to Gnome, so be it. If he feels some personal resentment toward KDE and Trolltech for past frustrations, so be it. It appears he is human. And it is beside the point.
The main point is that the licenses of KDE and Gnome are now ethically equivalent. Each of us has our preference - and the choice is now a technical one, not an ethical one.
Stallman's contribution to free software is immense, but the strength of it lies in the GPL, *not* in his personal endorsements, hair styles, political views, enthusiasm for Balkan folk dancing or anything else about him.
It seems (from afar) that you Americans are too easily influenced by personality cults in your philosophy and politics. Why not take it easy on the personalities of the major players and make your own minds up about the issues?
The licenses of KDE and Gnome are now equivalent. Hereafter, the choice between them is technical and personal. The "Crusade" is over, and the ethical battle has been won. Free software is the winner. Now stop seeking endorsement from on high and make up your own minds!
This is the best tech news I have heard all year.
Like every other developer in my acquaintance, I believe QT stands head and shoulders above the competition in terms of its technical merit. It is one of a very few libraries that is beautifully designed, combining elegance, efficiency and full support for reusable components.
I believe even those who are strongly committed to the principles of Free Software (as defined by FSF) have long been enamoured with QT's high quality - but until now we/they have been prepared to forgo its benefits for the sake of Free Software ethics. At last, the release of QT under the GPL will relieve many a frustration for those of us who believe in the ethics of Free Software, but also want the highest quality tools available. This is truly excellent news!
Although I wish Gnome all the best (two high quality desktop environments can harm nobody), I strongly believe that QT and KDE (esp KParts) offer a much more technicaly sound platform for developers to build the fast and robust desktop systems of the future.
With KDE2 we'll have a visually appealing and functionally useful desktop environment. We'll have a web browser that has much better potential than Mozilla. But best of all, for developers, we've now got an advanced (but easy to learn and use) component architecture, a high quality free GUI toolkit, visual GUI development tools, language bindings for Python - and now we've got a community of talented AND committed people who can use all of this without reservations or uncertainties. For mine, this is almost too good to be true. The best technology is now free to win, and I sincerely hope it does.
Great work Trolls.