I can't imagine why exactly I need a kickass FPU. Last time I checked none of the software I used really cared especially if I had an FPU. Compilers, web servers, version control systems, databases. None of those need an FPU. A lot of people use their computers for things other than playing Quake.
Does anyone honestly believe that the US government is more accountable than the Canadian, British, or Australian governments? America has always struck me as more authoritarian than a lot of other countries (which coincidentally don't have constitutional rights to guns).
Don't complain about a lack of software, do something about it!
The problem is I have way better things to do with my time that reinvent the wheel for the 600th time. I'm not going to write an Outlook clone just so I can use linux. I'm only going to use linux when there is an Outlook available.
Doing something about the lack of software only makes sense if you have a vested interested in seeing the platform survive. I don't. Linux is just an OS.
You are the one who can't get your hands around a relativly simple distinction
If the distinction is so simple why don't you share it with us unenlightened, unwashed masses rather than insult us?
I don't see how you can compare freedom of speech (which stops the government from limiting your ability to create speech) with freedom of software (which stops companies from limiting your ability to mess with their software).
One deals with governments, the other doesn't. One deals with your ability to create, the other doesn't. I see nothing in commercial software that limits your ability to create software.
Due to your right to freedom of speech, you can't be prohibited from passing information to others.
Okay, I'm with you so far. Nothing the FSF has done or does today contributes to this. The government cannot restrict me from passing code to others. On the other hand, private enterprise can limit me from passing code. But private enterprise can limit me from passing information as well.
free software gives you the right to inspect, modify, and redistribute it as long as you don't infringe other's rights
But now I feel you have ventured far afield from the definition of "freedom of speech". Despite my freedom of speech I can sell my words, I can limit your ability to modify my words (e.g. quoting me out of context or trying to pass them off as your own). Even your ability to "inspect" my words has nothing to do with freedom of speech. I have a freedom of speech -- you don't have a freedom to hear my speech, otherwise you would be infringing on my privacy.
If I write a book, I don't have to sell it to you. I don't have to have a conversation with you. You don't have a right to "inspect" my speech. You certainly don't have a right to modify and redistribute my speech.
So I guess I'm still confused how "free" software is even remotely comparable to free speech.
[Imagine a GPL on speech. Anytime I refer to a statistic I have created a derivative work which I cannot sell. So long non-fiction. Anytime I quote someone I have a work I can't sell. So long anthologies of quotes. Shakespeare wouldn't have been able to write a single thing. I think a GPL on speech would pretty much mean the end of human civilization.]
To a real OO programmer, multiple dispatch separates the Dylans and Cecils of the world from the C++s of the world.
I don't know why anyone would limit themselves to single dispatch with C++ especially since multimethods have several well known advantages like a simple solution to the "binary method" problem, cleaner implementations of the "visitor", "strategy", and similar design patterns, and a form of "open objects".
I'm serious in concept but joking in tone. C++ has its place, too. I think it's called a museum.;-)
Hmmm...that's kinda what I'm starting to think. I've been wondering what the hell free beer and free speech have to do with "free" software. Apparently it is just a stupid marketdroid slogan being chanted repeatedly by mindless drones of the Opensource Liberation Front.
A variation of melissa with a nice (C) on it could be an effective way of protesting daft IP laws.
You don't even need to do this. Everything you write is automatically copyrighted by yourself regardless of whether you put a (C) on it or not. Of course, if you haven't filed the appropriate paperwork with the appropriate government agencies then defending that copyright in court can be difficult.
It would be interesting to see what affected companies would say if you sued them for copyright infringement for running your virus without a license.:-)
For someone who claims to be interested in the facts your apparent ignorance of the McDonald's case is interesting.
The coffee, maintained at a scalding 180F-190F because the customers supposedly "like it hot", caused severe third-degree burns. She spent seven days in the hospital and was treated with skin grafts.
Initially she only wanted payment for her medical bills but McDonald's refused to even negotiate with her. Consequently she contacted an attorney who had settled another coffee burn case with McDonald's. In the course of the trial company documents revealed that "in the past decade McDonald's had received at least 700 reports of coffee burns ranging from mild to third-degree, and had settled claims arising from scalding injuries for more than $500,000."
Despite knowledge of the hazard, company officials refused to warn its customers. "There are more serious dangers in restaurants." And given the 1 billion cups of coffee sold annually, McDonald's considered the number of burn complaints to be "statistically insignificant".
After hearing such testimony a jury found McDonald's liable and awarded $200,000 in compensatory damages. The jurors deducted $40,000 for contributory negligence. Also, given McDonald's conduct, the jury awarded $2.7 million in punitive damages, which was equal to 2 days of coffee sales.
Later the judge reduced the punitive award to $480,000. While awaiting appeal the two parties settled out of court for an undisclosed sum.
The #1 sickening thing about the whole McDonald's coffee hype is how it distracts from the facts. I suppose you just glibly believed whatever it was the mass media told you about that McDonald's case didn't you? Why do you expect anyone else to behave differently when it comes to the hacker culture (or whatever you want to call it today)?
If OSS is indeed created the scratch an itch, the developers itch, how do needs that the developers don't have get met?
Very true. How many developers have a need for ERP systems? Or huge multi-terabyte databases? Or storage area networks? Or OC-12 line rate switches?
OSS might be a lot of things but I have a hard time seeing it as a driving force for innovation. And innovation is what spurs economic growth nowadays.
Imagine if OSS took over the world. We'd still be using carrier pigeons since there would be no decent switches or routers...but we'd have 436,354 different front ends to tar and mpg123.;-)
I think that most developers are motivated by such things as the desire for respect or prestige, etc.
I wonder how much this has to do with the fact that (at least in my very limited experience) most developers are decidedly middle income (either thanks to their own initiative or their parents'). Just like Maslow's Hierarchy of Whatchamacallits. Developers can afford to be driven by respect and prestige because they aren't all that worried about putting food on the table. I don't know if that's the case but I can't help but wonder why so many people seem to think that developers are driven by the desire for respect and prestige but pizza delivery people aren't (or at least not to the same extent).
I thought Marx himself made no distinction between "communism" and "socialism" and that the distinction was only later introduced as the Leninists tried to legitimize their revolution of state controlled capitalism in the eyes of the people?
Did you just ignore the part where he wrote "a lot of open source software can only compete on price, not features"? He said "a lot". Not all.
How about reliability? I can think of a lot of drivers for Win that are more reliable than linux drivers. There are a lot of CD player programs for Windows that are more stable than their open source counterparts.
Performance? My proprietary compiler beats GCC hands down every day in speed of code produce and speed at which code is produced.
I think his point is valid. What features, reliability, or performance does gdb have over a commercial compiler? Your average open source project is nothing more than an attempt to clone and make free something that was innovated by your traditional proprietary company.
Besides, why are you comparing open source software to only MS alternatives? Do you actually think postgreSQL outperforms or is more reliable than my Oracle database?
I thought one of the points that the FSF often makes is that programmers love their jobs so much they don't need to be paid so much for them. If you don't love your job why should you stick with it? To prove to someone else that you can do it? Why let yourself be a slave to other people's opinions if you don't have to?
I think he's right. It's been a year and they don't have jack (= a shipping product) to show for it. I'm sure he has better things to do with his time.
Can you prove to me that you aren't merely a collection of algorithms and software to simulate what I think is humanity? For that matter, can I prove to you the same? Can you prove to me that you are conscious? How do I know that you feel "good" or enjoy "praise" and aren't simply going through the algorithms that make me think you do?
I suppose we need to tell your friends to buy toasters and ditch you:-)
For most of us importing region encoded CDs is more relevant than taking them with you on trips. There are a couple of Japanese DVD releases that I would be interested in importing.
Slashdot Mirror
Yes, and originally it had nothing to do with computers. Those damn computer geeks just corrupted the original meaning of the word.
Hey, just like the media is doing now.
Isn't that pretty much the definition of hypocrisy?
I don't think this counts as mission critical. If the flight simulators crash Northwest will still fly its planes and makes its money.
What makes you think they could use any operating system they wanted to? Do you think cost wasn't a consideration in their decision?
I think Fast Company also ran an article talking about how herding cats was actually pretty easy.
I can't imagine why exactly I need a kickass FPU. Last time I checked none of the software I used really cared especially if I had an FPU. Compilers, web servers, version control systems, databases. None of those need an FPU. A lot of people use their computers for things other than playing Quake.
Imagine that.
Does anyone honestly believe that the US government is more accountable than the Canadian, British, or Australian governments? America has always struck me as more authoritarian than a lot of other countries (which coincidentally don't have constitutional rights to guns).
Don't complain about a lack of software, do something about it!
The problem is I have way better things to do with my time that reinvent the wheel for the 600th time. I'm not going to write an Outlook clone just so I can use linux. I'm only going to use linux when there is an Outlook available.
Doing something about the lack of software only makes sense if you have a vested interested in seeing the platform survive. I don't. Linux is just an OS.
I'm not sure what you mean. You can do visual mode and select a bunch of stuff and then do
:s/^/\t/g to your .vimrc
:s/^/\t/g
And if you want you could add something like
vmap
the next-generation OS kernel.
If you mean "next generation" as in "ground breaking" or "innovative" then I'm curious what about it you consider next generation.
Or do you simply mean "comes later chronologically"?
You are the one who can't get your hands around a relativly simple distinction
If the distinction is so simple why don't you share it with us unenlightened, unwashed masses rather than insult us?
I don't see how you can compare freedom of speech (which stops the government from limiting your ability to create speech) with freedom of software (which stops companies from limiting your ability to mess with their software).
One deals with governments, the other doesn't. One deals with your ability to create, the other doesn't. I see nothing in commercial software that limits your ability to create software.
Due to your right to freedom of speech, you can't be prohibited from passing information to others.
Okay, I'm with you so far. Nothing the FSF has done or does today contributes to this. The government cannot restrict me from passing code to others. On the other hand, private enterprise can limit me from passing code. But private enterprise can limit me from passing information as well.
free software gives you the right to inspect, modify, and redistribute it as long as you don't infringe other's rights
But now I feel you have ventured far afield from the definition of "freedom of speech". Despite my freedom of speech I can sell my words, I can limit your ability to modify my words (e.g. quoting me out of context or trying to pass them off as your own). Even your ability to "inspect" my words has nothing to do with freedom of speech. I have a freedom of speech -- you don't have a freedom to hear my speech, otherwise you would be infringing on my privacy.
If I write a book, I don't have to sell it to you. I don't have to have a conversation with you. You don't have a right to "inspect" my speech. You certainly don't have a right to modify and redistribute my speech.
So I guess I'm still confused how "free" software is even remotely comparable to free speech.
[Imagine a GPL on speech. Anytime I refer to a statistic I have created a derivative work which I cannot sell. So long non-fiction. Anytime I quote someone I have a work I can't sell. So long anthologies of quotes. Shakespeare wouldn't have been able to write a single thing. I think a GPL on speech would pretty much mean the end of human civilization.]
To a real OO programmer, multiple dispatch separates the Dylans and Cecils of the world from the C++s of the world.
;-)
I don't know why anyone would limit themselves to single dispatch with C++ especially since multimethods have several well known advantages like a simple solution to the "binary method" problem, cleaner implementations of the "visitor", "strategy", and similar design patterns, and a form of "open objects".
I'm serious in concept but joking in tone. C++ has its place, too. I think it's called a museum.
Hmmm...that's kinda what I'm starting to think. I've been wondering what the hell free beer and free speech have to do with "free" software. Apparently it is just a stupid marketdroid slogan being chanted repeatedly by mindless drones of the Opensource Liberation Front.
Here's something I've never understood (and couldn't find anything on the FSF's site to explain to me):
How is free software like free speech?
A variation of melissa with a nice (C) on it could be an effective way of protesting daft IP laws.
:-)
You don't even need to do this. Everything you write is automatically copyrighted by yourself regardless of whether you put a (C) on it or not. Of course, if you haven't filed the appropriate paperwork with the appropriate government agencies then defending that copyright in court can be difficult.
It would be interesting to see what affected companies would say if you sued them for copyright infringement for running your virus without a license.
For someone who claims to be interested in the facts your apparent ignorance of the McDonald's case is interesting.
The coffee, maintained at a scalding 180F-190F because the customers supposedly "like it hot", caused severe third-degree burns. She spent seven days in the hospital and was treated with skin grafts.
Initially she only wanted payment for her medical bills but McDonald's refused to even negotiate with her. Consequently she contacted an attorney who had settled another coffee burn case with McDonald's. In the course of the trial company documents revealed that "in the past decade McDonald's had received at least 700 reports of coffee burns ranging from mild to third-degree, and had settled claims arising from scalding injuries for more than $500,000."
Despite knowledge of the hazard, company officials refused to warn its customers. "There are more serious dangers in restaurants." And given the 1 billion cups of coffee sold annually, McDonald's considered the number of burn complaints to be "statistically insignificant".
After hearing such testimony a jury found McDonald's liable and awarded $200,000 in compensatory damages. The jurors deducted $40,000 for contributory negligence. Also, given McDonald's conduct, the jury awarded $2.7 million in punitive damages, which was equal to 2 days of coffee sales.
Later the judge reduced the punitive award to $480,000. While awaiting appeal the two parties settled out of court for an undisclosed sum.
The #1 sickening thing about the whole McDonald's coffee hype is how it distracts from the facts. I suppose you just glibly believed whatever it was the mass media told you about that McDonald's case didn't you? Why do you expect anyone else to behave differently when it comes to the hacker culture (or whatever you want to call it today)?
:-) Damn keys were in the wrong places after I switched from emacs to vi.
If OSS is indeed created the scratch an itch, the developers itch, how do needs that the developers don't have get met?
;-)
Very true. How many developers have a need for ERP systems? Or huge multi-terabyte databases? Or storage area networks? Or OC-12 line rate switches?
OSS might be a lot of things but I have a hard time seeing it as a driving force for innovation. And innovation is what spurs economic growth nowadays.
Imagine if OSS took over the world. We'd still be using carrier pigeons since there would be no decent switches or routers...but we'd have 436,354 different front ends to tar and mpg123.
I think that most developers are motivated by such things as the desire for respect or prestige, etc.
I wonder how much this has to do with the fact that (at least in my very limited experience) most developers are decidedly middle income (either thanks to their own initiative or their parents'). Just like Maslow's Hierarchy of Whatchamacallits. Developers can afford to be driven by respect and prestige because they aren't all that worried about putting food on the table. I don't know if that's the case but I can't help but wonder why so many people seem to think that developers are driven by the desire for respect and prestige but pizza delivery people aren't (or at least not to the same extent).
I thought Marx himself made no distinction between "communism" and "socialism" and that the distinction was only later introduced as the Leninists tried to legitimize their revolution of state controlled capitalism in the eyes of the people?
Did you just ignore the part where he wrote "a lot of open source software can only compete on price, not features"? He said "a lot". Not all.
How about reliability? I can think of a lot of drivers for Win that are more reliable than linux drivers. There are a lot of CD player programs for Windows that are more stable than their open source counterparts.
Performance? My proprietary compiler beats GCC hands down every day in speed of code produce and speed at which code is produced.
I think his point is valid. What features, reliability, or performance does gdb have over a commercial compiler? Your average open source project is nothing more than an attempt to clone and make free something that was innovated by your traditional proprietary company.
Besides, why are you comparing open source software to only MS alternatives? Do you actually think postgreSQL outperforms or is more reliable than my Oracle database?
Has this guy ever had a real job?
I thought one of the points that the FSF often makes is that programmers love their jobs so much they don't need to be paid so much for them. If you don't love your job why should you stick with it? To prove to someone else that you can do it? Why let yourself be a slave to other people's opinions if you don't have to?
I think he's right. It's been a year and they don't have jack (= a shipping product) to show for it. I'm sure he has better things to do with his time.
Can you prove to me that you aren't merely a collection of algorithms and software to simulate what I think is humanity? For that matter, can I prove to you the same? Can you prove to me that you are conscious? How do I know that you feel "good" or enjoy "praise" and aren't simply going through the algorithms that make me think you do?
:-)
I suppose we need to tell your friends to buy toasters and ditch you
For most of us importing region encoded CDs is more relevant than taking them with you on trips. There are a couple of Japanese DVD releases that I would be interested in importing.
This may be one best fielded by Katz
Did you not notice that Mitch Haile wrote this and not Jon Katz?