Falkirk wheel in Scotland
on
The Geek Atlas
·
· Score: 1
Damn, I was in London/Europe up until 4 weeks ago and was thinking "wouldn't it be great if there were a travel guide exactly like this". Of course, it never occurred to me that such a thing would be a dead-tree book.
Oh well, here's my own contribution, if it's not already in the book - the Falkirk wheel, halfway between Edinburgh and Glasgow in Scotland. It's a massive rotating boat lift, used to replace a series of locks, quite ingenious the way the two 'buckets' are kept in perfect balance and fascinating to see in action.
OK, it's one thing to patent the idea (surely lots of people have thought of this idea before - I sure have), but quite another to actually produce something based on the patent.
So I'll believe it is actually feasible when I see one (or don't see one) working.
Disclaimer: I use Windows primarily and not Linux.
I think another problem is that even though newbies can learn to use a GUI faster than they can learn a command line, a lot of people don't get help "in person". ie. they get guidance over the phone or by reading HOWTOs, or via the net, etc. In that situation, description of what to do from a command line in easier than describing what to do with a GUI to achieve the same task.
If I'm helping someone in person and their using a GUI tool, even if I'm not familiar with the particular program I can usually figure it out enough to help them. But if I'm talking over the phone, it's easier just to say "type 'net stop/y iisadmin'" than it is to say "go to the control panel, go to the services, select the iisadmin service, click the stop button, click yes". Unfortunately the latter is probably going to make more sense when a user does it (and so they might actually remember it) compared to the string of crap I asked them to type in the first case.
It's a nifty idea, but I'm sure it wouldn't be so hard to implement something like this as a software emulator. Players for c64 SID music already exist, as do software synths like Buzz. They can produce some very cool music, though.
My mum's boyfriend has a DV iMac and it makes a horrible whining noise all the frickin' time. I can't even think straight in the same room as this beast.
I don't know if all DV iMacs are like this, but I sure hope not. I would go mad trying to do any useful work with that noise slowly eating away my sanity.
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Damn, I was in London/Europe up until 4 weeks ago and was thinking "wouldn't it be great if there were a travel guide exactly like this". Of course, it never occurred to me that such a thing would be a dead-tree book.
Oh well, here's my own contribution, if it's not already in the book - the Falkirk wheel, halfway between Edinburgh and Glasgow in Scotland. It's a massive rotating boat lift, used to replace a series of locks, quite ingenious the way the two 'buckets' are kept in perfect balance and fascinating to see in action.
Here's a time lapse movie
of it in action.
Give them time and they will. Wome wasn't built in a day, y'know.
OK, it's one thing to patent the idea (surely lots of people have thought of this idea before - I sure have), but quite another to actually produce something based on the patent.
So I'll believe it is actually feasible when I see one (or don't see one) working.
--
Disclaimer: I use Windows primarily and not Linux.
/y iisadmin'" than it is to say "go to the control panel, go to the services, select the iisadmin service, click the stop button, click yes". Unfortunately the latter is probably going to make more sense when a user does it (and so they might actually remember it) compared to the string of crap I asked them to type in the first case.
I think another problem is that even though newbies can learn to use a GUI faster than they can learn a command line, a lot of people don't get help "in person". ie. they get guidance over the phone or by reading HOWTOs, or via the net, etc. In that situation, description of what to do from a command line in easier than describing what to do with a GUI to achieve the same task.
If I'm helping someone in person and their using a GUI tool, even if I'm not familiar with the particular program I can usually figure it out enough to help them. But if I'm talking over the phone, it's easier just to say "type 'net stop
It's a nifty idea, but I'm sure it wouldn't be so hard to implement something like this as a software emulator. Players for c64 SID music already exist, as do software synths like Buzz. They can produce some very cool music, though.
I don't know if all DV iMacs are like this, but I sure hope not. I would go mad trying to do any useful work with that noise slowly eating away my sanity.