CD-ROM drives webcams printers digital video cameras external DVD burners wireless mice fax/scanner/copier
You want to compare KDE and Gnome to Windows or MacOS? Then try actually looking at the software element instead of the physical box. Because comparing phsyical adjustable glass shelves to the core software operating element of a computer isn't the right comparison.
If I want to change the GUI of Windows and keep the kernel, (like keeping the Linux Kernel and choosing a different Window Manager) I can simply go out on the web and pick a new shell. Such as LiteStep or AstonShell or any of the dozens of others that tickle my fancy. Or if I just want to change the Desktop look, I can download any one of the many thousands of themes that exist for Windows. Here's an example link (Many of which will extend the capability of the Window frame to add features such as window shading, pinned windows, translucent/transparent windows, etc..)
Are you Linux Zealots really that blinded by your own childish desire to be "l33t", "unique", and "nonconforming"? News flash: There are millions of other childish, nonconforming rebels out there... just like you.
Responding to an AC (don't feel like being responsible for your words?), shame on me.
Uhh... yeah. That's it. Because I care so much about Slashdot.
Read for content. I was comparing the pro-Linux crowd to the "minority car ethusiast" crowd. And stating that Linux is probably not for the "average" user.
Should have made that clear the first time. End of conversation. I agree whole heartedly. Linux is great for the minority of people whom, like myself, actually care about the intricate details of computer systems. But, unlike the unsilent Linux Zealot crowd, I don't think less of someone just because they own a Mac or prefer to run Windows XP.
World Domination? I don't give a moment's thought to that, it's a joke Linus started that the media likes to use all the time. I like my OS just the way it is, and I don't care if you use it or not.
That's awesome. The Linux community needs more people like yourself to speak out. No, I'm not being sarcastic. That is genuinely how I feel. That's why I'm loud and outspoken. To help nullify the noise of the average elitisit Linux user. Over the past few years I have become the antithesis of a Linux Zelot.
You could be more wrong, but you'd really have to work at it.
A thousand pardons my good sir. Forgive my tactless, inept, attidue. I had you mistaken for someone without a brain.
Yes but they do care how the product performs. They want different sizes, colours and intefaces. Fridges are split left/right, freezer up top, freezer at bottom, or no freezer at all. Let alone all the other features. This CHOICE matters.
BS analogy. Like with a refrigerator, people can choose the external appearance by choosing among Dell, Gateway, Sony, Compaq, etc. They can have a full size tower, a mid size tower, a desktop box, etc. And just like the function of the refrigerator (to keep food fresh and cold), the computers all have a similar function. (Check e-mail, surf the web, play games, write a document, etc.)
People couldn't care less that beneath the plastic interior of the refrigerator there is a 22" copper cooling coil instead of an 20" copper cooling coil.
So you are saying you just go to the car salesman and say "Gimme a car. I don't care which one, I don't like to choose. I just want to get in it and drive"?
Yes. That is exactly what I am saying. How intelligent of you to come to that conclusion. Kudos, genius.
Yeah, that's why all microwaves have the same interface, and all cars use the same type of engine and have the wheel on the same side.
Are you actually insinuating that it is as difficult to switch from a GE brand Microwave to a Sharp brand Microwave as it would be for the average Joe Walmart shopper to switch from a Windows installation to Linux?
"The average user doesn't know--or care--about the underlying operating system, the idea of GUI interfaces, the various types of file systems, or about any other "technical" aspect of using a computer."
I think this is the best point of the article and the point most often overlooked by technically savvy people. Pick your analogy, driving a car, building a home, operating a microwave or television, etc... The general public cares as little about computers as "we" do about how our cars operate. We just want to get in them and drive.
When you're wiring up your home so that you can have high-quality, practically uncompressed high definition video coming from a central video server such that every room can be watching a different stream simultaneously, while some may be actively editing data and rerendering, you're going to want the fastest, fattest pipe you can get.
True enough. But it's not going to matter much having all that bandwidth in your house when you're still poking about the Internet at pathetically slow speeds by comparison. The bottleneck that exists between the ISP and the home needs to be delt with before we worry about astronomical bandwidth between the kitchen and the livingroom.
The article is already slashdotted so I can't read it. So what is it refering to? 10Tb LAN speeds? If so - who cares? My existing 100Mb (200Mb switched full duplex) LAN is hardly the weakest link.
That's my definition of repetitive gameplay. So long as I am not bored, the game is not repetitive.
Your definition differs. If the basic model of a game is the same as previous games, you label the game as repetitive.
Actually I think I agree with you. As long as I'm not bored, the game is perfectly acceptable to play. But where you and I (apparently) differ is that you still find enjoyment in running around 3D mazes blowing stuff up. (Yeah, yeah, yeah... that's probably an unfair simplification. But in my mind, that is the bottom line.) That's awesome. I envy you. I miss the days where I could stay up for a day or two at a time playing Doom with my buddies over my LAN without ever blinking.
I have no doubt that I'll buy Half Life 2. Hopefully it will have some new and interesting element which will make it stand out enough from it's predecessor to afford me weeks of enjoyment. Doubtful, but I'm hopeful.
I wasn't going to reply, but since you welcomed a logical reply, then I can assume you are a level headed person and wont lash out at me. (I don't do the flameware thing.)
First of all, I'm looking forward to Half Life 2 myself. I've seen the video trailer for it and I think it looks awesome. However I don't think there is anything about it that looks particularly unique. It's just prettier looking.
If you look at the history of FPS games, I don't really see where much has changed, fundamentally, since GL Quake.
Wolfenstein 3D was the first game I ever played that resembled an FPS in the traditional way that we think of an FPS. Doom surpassed Wolfenstein by leaps and bounds. Doom brought in varying wall angles, varying floor and ceiling heights, varying lighting, multiplayer, and so on. Then Quake came along and brought us true 3D environments. Shortly after Quake came around, we were blessed with the GL expansion (if you had the appropriate hardware). If you have ever seen the difference between GL Quake and non GL Quake, then you understand how huge of a difference it makes.
In my opinion, that was the last massively significant change in FPS gaming. All the changes since then have been evolutionary, not revolutionary.
Now they just need to release a worm that cleans up the blaster virus by formatting the machine and installing linux
That wouldn't work too well. You would have to download the virus yourself, make sure the virus was compatible with your hardware, make sure you had all the necessary dependencies for the virus to run properly, then you would have to modify the virus source code to work with your particular setup, then go out on newsgroups seeking help when you can't get it to work, and in the end you would end up giving up, re-installing Windows, then posting an article on Slashdot about how Linux "isn't quite ready for the masses yet."
The "best" cell phone service is simply which ever service works best for any given person. I've had Sprint PCS for 18 months and (Orlando/Daytona, FL area) I'm perfectly happy with it. The price is right and the coverage and quality of service is impeccable. So I have no desire to roll the dice with another provider.
No doubt there are going to be others in this same area who will say their Sprint PCS service sucks. That it costs too much and that their coverage is horrible. Thus proving my point.
Ethics != legalities. Ethics == right and wrong == morals. Look it up on dictionary.com.
I have looked them up on dictionary.com and you'll notice that while the ethics definition does use the word moral as a reference, it also states that they are choices made by people. And further says "The rules or standards governing the conduct of a person or the members of a profession"
Morals on the other hand are about character.
It is a common theme in movies to play off of the difference between morals and ethics. Heros often find themselves at odds with the morally corrupt law of the land. The Hero has good character and high integrity, and will choose to be ethically wrong, to disregard the law of the land, if it means upholding his moral principles.
Here's a link that talks about the difference between morals and ethics I found from a google search.
Here's a quote from that link: "Ethics is the science of morals; & morals are the practice of ethics." It is possible to act morally with no ethical understanding, and possible to claim to be ethical while acting immorally. Morals is about a certain kind of behavior; ethics is thinking about that behavior.
I think it's more of a moral issue than it is an ethical issue. Ethics are more about what is legal and what is not. Morals are more about what is right and wrong on a more personal level regardless of the legalities of it.
There are ethical issues for what he is doing. I'm sure his ISP has an EULA that states he can not sub lease his DSL line, which he is doing. So it is legally and ethically wrong to do so.
Neither do I actually. I just thought your comment was kind of ummm... funny or something.
The following is just a general statement, not directed to the parent. There just aren't enough hours in the day for me to care about the importance of Open Source any more. I have things to do and unfortunately, (and at the risk of being flamed), Linux is just too "complicated" for my needs. I'm sure there are thousands of users out there who find Linux a much better option than OSX or Windows. Kudos to you. Keep using it and be happy. But it doesn't work for my needs, so keep your condescending comments to yourself please.
Personally I would like to see one or two really great Linux distributions become the defacto standard by which all other distributions are compared. As opposed to having dozens of really crappy inconsequential ones like now.
I've heard that so many times from so many people, but it always goes away after the "oooo new" factor wears off. They say it to sound "hip" and tech savvy.
How long do you think it'll be before he deletes the partition and returns to windows full time?
Slashdot Mirror
There are still more features.
... just like you.
CD-ROM drives
webcams
printers
digital video cameras
external DVD burners
wireless mice
fax/scanner/copier
You want to compare KDE and Gnome to Windows or MacOS? Then try actually looking at the software element instead of the physical box. Because comparing phsyical adjustable glass shelves to the core software operating element of a computer isn't the right comparison.
If I want to change the GUI of Windows and keep the kernel, (like keeping the Linux Kernel and choosing a different Window Manager) I can simply go out on the web and pick a new shell. Such as LiteStep or AstonShell or any of the dozens of others that tickle my fancy. Or if I just want to change the Desktop look, I can download any one of the many thousands of themes that exist for Windows. Here's an example link (Many of which will extend the capability of the Window frame to add features such as window shading, pinned windows, translucent/transparent windows, etc..)
Are you Linux Zealots really that blinded by your own childish desire to be "l33t", "unique", and "nonconforming"? News flash: There are millions of other childish, nonconforming rebels out there
Go take a bath. You'll feel better.
attidue
attitude
Responding to an AC (don't feel like being responsible for your words?), shame on me.
Uhh... yeah. That's it. Because I care so much about Slashdot.
Read for content. I was comparing the pro-Linux crowd to the "minority car ethusiast" crowd. And stating that Linux is probably not for the "average" user.
Should have made that clear the first time. End of conversation. I agree whole heartedly. Linux is great for the minority of people whom, like myself, actually care about the intricate details of computer systems. But, unlike the unsilent Linux Zealot crowd, I don't think less of someone just because they own a Mac or prefer to run Windows XP.
World Domination? I don't give a moment's thought to that, it's a joke Linus started that the media likes to use all the time. I like my OS just the way it is, and I don't care if you use it or not.
That's awesome. The Linux community needs more people like yourself to speak out. No, I'm not being sarcastic. That is genuinely how I feel. That's why I'm loud and outspoken. To help nullify the noise of the average elitisit Linux user. Over the past few years I have become the antithesis of a Linux Zelot.
You could be more wrong, but you'd really have to work at it.
A thousand pardons my good sir. Forgive my tactless, inept, attidue. I had you mistaken for someone without a brain.
Yes but they do care how the product performs. They want different sizes, colours and intefaces. Fridges are split left/right, freezer up top, freezer at bottom, or no freezer at all.
Let alone all the other features. This CHOICE matters.
BS analogy. Like with a refrigerator, people can choose the external appearance by choosing among Dell, Gateway, Sony, Compaq, etc. They can have a full size tower, a mid size tower, a desktop box, etc. And just like the function of the refrigerator (to keep food fresh and cold), the computers all have a similar function. (Check e-mail, surf the web, play games, write a document, etc.)
People couldn't care less that beneath the plastic interior of the refrigerator there is a 22" copper cooling coil instead of an 20" copper cooling coil.
So you are saying you just go to the car salesman and say "Gimme a car. I don't care which one, I don't like to choose. I just want to get in it and drive"?
Yes. That is exactly what I am saying. How intelligent of you to come to that conclusion. Kudos, genius.
Yeah, that's why all microwaves have the same interface, and all cars use the same type of engine and have the wheel on the same side.
Are you actually insinuating that it is as difficult to switch from a GE brand Microwave to a Sharp brand Microwave as it would be for the average Joe Walmart shopper to switch from a Windows installation to Linux?
From the article:
"The average user doesn't know--or care--about the underlying operating system, the idea of GUI interfaces, the various types of file systems, or about any other "technical" aspect of using a computer."
I think this is the best point of the article and the point most often overlooked by technically savvy people. Pick your analogy, driving a car, building a home, operating a microwave or television, etc... The general public cares as little about computers as "we" do about how our cars operate. We just want to get in them and drive.
When you're wiring up your home so that you can have high-quality, practically uncompressed high definition video coming from a central video server such that every room can be watching a different stream simultaneously, while some may be actively editing data and rerendering, you're going to want the fastest, fattest pipe you can get.
True enough. But it's not going to matter much having all that bandwidth in your house when you're still poking about the Internet at pathetically slow speeds by comparison. The bottleneck that exists between the ISP and the home needs to be delt with before we worry about astronomical bandwidth between the kitchen and the livingroom.
Therefore 10 Tb ethernet will be called 10000000/1000000/100000/10000/1000/100/10Base
Just call it E.Everything
The article is already slashdotted so I can't read it. So what is it refering to? 10Tb LAN speeds? If so - who cares? My existing 100Mb (200Mb switched full duplex) LAN is hardly the weakest link.
That's my definition of repetitive gameplay. So long as I am not bored, the game is not repetitive.
Your definition differs. If the basic model of a game is the same as previous games, you label the game as repetitive.
Actually I think I agree with you. As long as I'm not bored, the game is perfectly acceptable to play. But where you and I (apparently) differ is that you still find enjoyment in running around 3D mazes blowing stuff up. (Yeah, yeah, yeah... that's probably an unfair simplification. But in my mind, that is the bottom line.) That's awesome. I envy you. I miss the days where I could stay up for a day or two at a time playing Doom with my buddies over my LAN without ever blinking.
I have no doubt that I'll buy Half Life 2. Hopefully it will have some new and interesting element which will make it stand out enough from it's predecessor to afford me weeks of enjoyment. Doubtful, but I'm hopeful.
I wasn't going to reply, but since you welcomed a logical reply, then I can assume you are a level headed person and wont lash out at me. (I don't do the flameware thing.)
First of all, I'm looking forward to Half Life 2 myself. I've seen the video trailer for it and I think it looks awesome. However I don't think there is anything about it that looks particularly unique. It's just prettier looking.
If you look at the history of FPS games, I don't really see where much has changed, fundamentally, since GL Quake.
Wolfenstein 3D was the first game I ever played that resembled an FPS in the traditional way that we think of an FPS. Doom surpassed Wolfenstein by leaps and bounds. Doom brought in varying wall angles, varying floor and ceiling heights, varying lighting, multiplayer, and so on. Then Quake came along and brought us true 3D environments. Shortly after Quake came around, we were blessed with the GL expansion (if you had the appropriate hardware). If you have ever seen the difference between GL Quake and non GL Quake, then you understand how huge of a difference it makes.
In my opinion, that was the last massively significant change in FPS gaming. All the changes since then have been evolutionary, not revolutionary.
Note to moderators, Beowulf cluster jokes CANNOT be offtopic.
How about moderating them down for unoriginality then.
Personally I think games are dumbed down and repetitive. I'm looking forward to Half-Life 2
[no comment needed on my part]
Now they just need to release a worm that cleans up the blaster virus by formatting the machine and installing linux
That wouldn't work too well. You would have to download the virus yourself, make sure the virus was compatible with your hardware, make sure you had all the necessary dependencies for the virus to run properly, then you would have to modify the virus source code to work with your particular setup, then go out on newsgroups seeking help when you can't get it to work, and in the end you would end up giving up, re-installing Windows, then posting an article on Slashdot about how Linux "isn't quite ready for the masses yet."
The "best" cell phone service is simply which ever service works best for any given person. I've had Sprint PCS for 18 months and (Orlando/Daytona, FL area) I'm perfectly happy with it. The price is right and the coverage and quality of service is impeccable. So I have no desire to roll the dice with another provider.
No doubt there are going to be others in this same area who will say their Sprint PCS service sucks. That it costs too much and that their coverage is horrible. Thus proving my point.
"You can take your guess based on ....
No you can't. Linus has always maintained that a kernel will be released "when it's done". Why would he change now?
Dude - do you what the word guess means?
guess - a. To predict (a result or an event) without sufficient information. b. To assume, presume, or assert (a fact) without sufficient information.
I also agree - NOT insightful.
Ethics != legalities. Ethics == right and wrong == morals. Look it up on dictionary.com.
I have looked them up on dictionary.com and you'll notice that while the ethics definition does use the word moral as a reference, it also states that they are choices made by people. And further says "The rules or standards governing the conduct of a person or the members of a profession"
Morals on the other hand are about character.
It is a common theme in movies to play off of the difference between morals and ethics. Heros often find themselves at odds with the morally corrupt law of the land. The Hero has good character and high integrity, and will choose to be ethically wrong, to disregard the law of the land, if it means upholding his moral principles.
Here's a link that talks about the difference between morals and ethics I found from a google search.
Here's a quote from that link: "Ethics is the science of morals; & morals are the practice of ethics." It is possible to act morally with no ethical understanding, and possible to claim to be ethical while acting immorally. Morals is about a certain kind of behavior; ethics is thinking about that behavior.
I think it's more of a moral issue than it is an ethical issue. Ethics are more about what is legal and what is not. Morals are more about what is right and wrong on a more personal level regardless of the legalities of it.
There are ethical issues for what he is doing. I'm sure his ISP has an EULA that states he can not sub lease his DSL line, which he is doing. So it is legally and ethically wrong to do so.
No, actually, I don't anymore.
Neither do I actually. I just thought your comment was kind of ummm... funny or something.
The following is just a general statement, not directed to the parent. There just aren't enough hours in the day for me to care about the importance of Open Source any more. I have things to do and unfortunately, (and at the risk of being flamed), Linux is just too "complicated" for my needs. I'm sure there are thousands of users out there who find Linux a much better option than OSX or Windows. Kudos to you. Keep using it and be happy. But it doesn't work for my needs, so keep your condescending comments to yourself please.
Personally I would like to see one or two really great Linux distributions become the defacto standard by which all other distributions are compared. As opposed to having dozens of really crappy inconsequential ones like now.
but for many people, "drivers that some guy built" just don't cut it
I guess you don't use Linux at all then eh?
I've heard that so many times from so many people, but it always goes away after the "oooo new" factor wears off. They say it to sound "hip" and tech savvy.
How long do you think it'll be before he deletes the partition and returns to windows full time?
My sentiments exactly.
How much distance can you run with your audio cables before you start to get significant loss of quality?
How about an RTS game Parody that makes fun of Blizzard's bully tactics? Instead of humans vs. orcs, it's Free Software Developers vs. Blizzard.