I can't imagine a place much better than Ashland, OR (pop. 18,000). Here's what it took to get me to move, and stay, here:
The city has its own fibre optic network over which it offers Internet access and cable television. The local cable company does the same. Yes, Ashland may be the only place on the planet where you can choose your cable company! High speed Internet access can be had for $20.00 a month.
Good jobs. There are lots of high tech firms that are hiring. Almost all sects of computing (Microsoft, Open Source, Mac) are represented. Wages are not as high as in the big cities, but there not bad, either.
Proximity to a larger city. Medford (pop. 45,000) is only 15 miles away, and has a Barnes and Noble for those late night book runs.
Good restaurants. A good Thai joint is a necessity. We've got two. The local breweries and cafes are very good, too.
An economy not based on local natural resources. Other similar sized towns in Oregon have languished because of a reliance on the timber and fishing industries, which are waning. Ashland has embraced tourism and high tech and is flourishing.
Good schools. Ashland has exellent schools, consistently outscoring the neighboring community's schools in both math and reading. Ashland also has a University with a better than average Computer Science program.
No commute. I live on the very edge of town and my commute is less than 5 minutes. By bike it's 10.
A liberal minded community. Ashland has great diversity in both individual and family lifestyles. People who would be outcasts in other places are accepted, or at least tolerated, in Ashland.
Good outdoor recreation. When I'm tired of looking at a CRT, I can drive 20 minutes and be hiking in old growth forest.
Unfortunetly, much of what I value cannot be reproduced in somplace like Pittsburgh. I feel that the best places are no longer in the big cities. Small, foward thinking, towns seem so much better, particularly if your a geek with a family.
When will the hacker (re: "Open Source") community learn to take responsibility for their programs? First they want to claim that they can make better software because of the supposed benefits that Open Source gives them, but then their self-proclaimed spokesman, Richard Stallman, turns around and says:
"We generally believe that big companies ought to be held to a strict standard of liability to their customers, because they can afford it and because it will keep them honest. On the other hand, individuals, amateurs, and good samaritans should be treated more favorably."
Software is software, no matter who writes it. Trying to judge the status of the programmer as a determinant of liability is absurd ("Let's see. He is self trained, but he didn't charge very much for the software. So I guess he isn't liable. Oh, but he has a business license! But he's the only employee. Does that make him and individual or a company?").
The Open Source community needs to grow up and stop living in the world of perpetual beta. If you're writing software, you better make damn sure you're not screwing up someone in the process. You are liable, even when you do things for free. The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.
Hopefully this legislation will pass and the Open Source community will have to face up to the real world of developing software, not the fantasy land they currently live in.
Slashdot Mirror
I can't imagine a place much better than Ashland, OR (pop. 18,000). Here's what it took to get me to move, and stay, here:
The city has its own fibre optic network over which it offers Internet access and cable television. The local cable company does the same. Yes, Ashland may be the only place on the planet where you can choose your cable company! High speed Internet access can be had for $20.00 a month.
Good jobs. There are lots of high tech firms that are hiring. Almost all sects of computing (Microsoft, Open Source, Mac) are represented. Wages are not as high as in the big cities, but there not bad, either.
Proximity to a larger city. Medford (pop. 45,000) is only 15 miles away, and has a Barnes and Noble for those late night book runs.
Good restaurants. A good Thai joint is a necessity. We've got two. The local breweries and cafes are very good, too.
An economy not based on local natural resources. Other similar sized towns in Oregon have languished because of a reliance on the timber and fishing industries, which are waning. Ashland has embraced tourism and high tech and is flourishing.
Good schools. Ashland has exellent schools, consistently outscoring the neighboring community's schools in both math and reading. Ashland also has a University with a better than average Computer Science program.
No commute. I live on the very edge of town and my commute is less than 5 minutes. By bike it's 10.
A liberal minded community. Ashland has great diversity in both individual and family lifestyles. People who would be outcasts in other places are accepted, or at least tolerated, in Ashland.
Good outdoor recreation. When I'm tired of looking at a CRT, I can drive 20 minutes and be hiking in old growth forest.
Unfortunetly, much of what I value cannot be reproduced in somplace like Pittsburgh. I feel that the best places are no longer in the big cities. Small, foward thinking, towns seem so much better, particularly if your a geek with a family.
Ha, ha, VB suckz! GPF! Ha, ha! GPF! GPF jokes are cool. You guys are so cool. Perl rockz, man. VB walkz, man. GPF! Ha, ha!
I think you could use a minimum age limit on the posters. You drive intelligent people away when you get bigotry instead of news.
When will the hacker (re: "Open Source") community learn to take responsibility for their programs? First they want to claim that they can make better software because of the supposed benefits that Open Source gives them, but then their self-proclaimed spokesman, Richard Stallman, turns around and says:
"We generally believe that big companies ought to be held to a strict standard of liability to their customers, because they can afford it and because it will keep them honest. On the other hand, individuals, amateurs, and good samaritans should be treated more favorably."
Software is software, no matter who writes it. Trying to judge the status of the programmer as a determinant of liability is absurd ("Let's see. He is self trained, but he didn't charge very much for the software. So I guess he isn't liable. Oh, but he has a business license! But he's the only employee. Does that make him and individual or a company?").
The Open Source community needs to grow up and stop living in the world of perpetual beta. If you're writing software, you better make damn sure you're not screwing up someone in the process. You are liable, even when you do things for free. The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.
Hopefully this legislation will pass and the Open Source community will have to face up to the real world of developing software, not the fantasy land they currently live in.