The convention with statistics is to say "near" when rounding up, not down. A more common way of expressing 72% in round figures would be "fewer than 3 in 4" or simply "fewer than 75% of Europeans."
but can you imagine writing a driver for your favorite coffee cup?
I can't program, but boy, could I come up with some ideas:
- An in-desk coffee warmer that senses where you set the cup down (and quickly returns the rest of the desk to room temp so you don't burn your hand). - A weight sensor that alerts the coffeemaker to brew more coffee. It could also log how much coffee you drink to alert you to buy more. - A cup detector that alters the desk's color scheme to match the mug you chose today. - A spill detector that brings a roll of paper towels up from a cabinet below. - A sort of normative recommender system: "People who drink this much coffee should visit this site on renal health." - Recognizing that two or more cups means there's a meeting going on. Load drivers for video conferencing. - The desk should compare notes with the kitchen counter to remind you to wash your mug once in a while.
Actually, someone did above. But I appreciate you doing so also!
Among the liberatrian-minded (as most of the people commenting here appear to be, though that's no surprise at Slashdot), Greens are given a bad rap as carrying on the worst elements of state socialism. In fact, this is not the case:
And some of you will remember that 2004 Green Party Presidential candidate David Cobb and Libertarian Party Presidential candidate Michael Badnarik appeared together in the most lucid and respectful debates in generations -- and then fought together for the integrity of the vote after the election that neither of them managed to win. They disagreed on some topics, but actually agreed on more.
Nader needs to be kicked out of the party and stuffed into a retirement home.
How can you be a registered Green and not know that Nader has never been in the party? He promised his dying father he'd never join a political party, and it would appear that applies even to parties that run him for President.
I thought he did a great job for the party in 2000, gave us a serious kick in the shins in 2004. I'm not interested in running him next time, and am giving ever-increasing attention to the question of who it might be instead.
Slashdotters might be interested in reading what our 2004 candidate, David Cobb, answered to his Slashdot interview, which (ahem) I arranged. He lays out where Greens stand on free software and software patents, among other topics.
1. Find a way to use this stuff to make computer chips, as well as monitors. 2. Start using 3D printers to make them. Suddenly, hardware is open source. 3. ??? 4. Profit!
There's nothing you list off that can't be done on a simple web page. When I was in grad school, I was a contrarian, and absolutely refused to use PowerPoint at all for class presentations. I used a web browser, reading local files. And you know, it worked fine. In fact, sometimes it worked a lot better.
You seem to be missing the point that I don't need to be convinced. I was convinced five years ago, and was making inquiries three years before that. I have put up with a LOT of frustration to install and use Linux.
That doesn't matter. What matters is that others will not put up with a lot of frustration. As much as they hate "computers" (read: Windows), they won't try something new, because either they've memorized what to do when things go wrong (Cntl+Alt+Del) or they have someone to go to that has a nominal understanding of the system. Linux is the devil they don't know.
I'm beginning to believe that there will never be a Year of the Linux Desktop. Rather, we'll all eventually transition over to Google Apps and/or their successors. The server will run GPL software, and the local OS will be a non-issue. Why this model? Because it does what you expect it to. Given the choice, people will consistently choose a system that flawlessly meets moderate expectations over a system that might or might not meet high expectations.
There are an awful lot of people out there who only know what they get from the mass media. This article, and others like it, will serve to raise Linux from "Mysterious and Scary" to "Mysterious, but Substantially Less Scary."
My year of Linux on the desktop was 2002, but I've also had a lot frustrations along the way... including with the upgrade to my Ubuntu upgrade today. I eventually solved it by using vim to comment out lines 543 and 544 (not lines 541 and 542, like it said in the Ubuntu Forums) of/usr/bin/pycentral. This is not something I want to have to explain to my mom, my girlfriend, or my neighbor -- nor do I want to do it for them.
I had a sad realization today, reading an earlier Slashdot post. To beat Windows (much less Mac OS) on the desktop of people who are not early adopters, Linux does not have to be as good -- as I believe it is, on balance. Rather, it has to be better, and conspicuously better.
For some people, this will mean games. For others, multimedia. For still others, CAD, or other occupation-specific apps. But for everyone, it means "When I want to do _______, it better work on the first try."
You're right -- instead of the white people on their high horses at cocktail parties, we better listen to the white people shouting at each other over the pro wrestling on TV as they slurp their Bud Light.
Or we could leave the ad homenim attacks aside, and take a look at the evidence.
Because I bought it used. It wasn't the very latest and greatest, but it works just fine, thanks. And yes, they really did sell it to me without an OS.
...and I will confirm, this can be done. And yeah, it's nice to be in a beautiful tropical setting to do your work. But, it's also nice to just bike down to your local coffeeshop and hang out there and work. I'm in my cubicle here at work now, and the idea is very distracting...
Normally, I'd agree. I think there's a lot to the philosophy of "do one thing, and do it very well." Google, however, does a lot of things... very well. Their maps and apps and whatever else are all clever, clean, and tasteful, not to mention highly effective. Ballmer calling them "cute" is an attempt to damn them with faint praise, which is to say, dismiss them. He can say what he likes, but Google will continue to chip away their market share.
I do agree with you that their rate of growth is not sustainable, but I also suspect that as soon as it slows, people will immediately go "Google's hiring is down! Are they in trouble? Are they just not good enough to stand up to Microsoft after all?"
There is only one catch, and that is Catch-22, which specifies that a concern for national security in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was a process that has to be kept secret. AT&T has the public interest in mind, therefore it cannot tell the public what it does. If it told the public what it does, it would no longer be working for the public. If it's good for us, they can't tell us why; if they told us why, it wouldn't be good for us.
Because it does not exist there is no way it can be repealed, undone, overthrown, or denounced.
Slashdot Mirror
The convention with statistics is to say "near" when rounding up, not down. A more common way of expressing 72% in round figures would be "fewer than 3 in 4" or simply "fewer than 75% of Europeans."
I believe it's 1.5 miles high.
You know how to link to actual paper from the web? That's a pretty good trick.
Tell me, Mr. Anderson, what good is a phone call?
but can you imagine writing a driver for your favorite coffee cup?
I can't program, but boy, could I come up with some ideas:
- An in-desk coffee warmer that senses where you set the cup down (and quickly returns the rest of the desk to room temp so you don't burn your hand).
- A weight sensor that alerts the coffeemaker to brew more coffee. It could also log how much coffee you drink to alert you to buy more.
- A cup detector that alters the desk's color scheme to match the mug you chose today.
- A spill detector that brings a roll of paper towels up from a cabinet below.
- A sort of normative recommender system: "People who drink this much coffee should visit this site on renal health."
- Recognizing that two or more cups means there's a meeting going on. Load drivers for video conferencing.
- The desk should compare notes with the kitchen counter to remind you to wash your mug once in a while.
Good.
Actually, someone did above. But I appreciate you doing so also!
Among the liberatrian-minded (as most of the people commenting here appear to be, though that's no surprise at Slashdot), Greens are given a bad rap as carrying on the worst elements of state socialism. In fact, this is not the case:
Greens favor devolving power to states and even municipalities
Greens want government out of our bedrooms
Greens want to decriminalize (most) drugs
Greens have no interest in taking guns away from law-abiding citizens
Greens understand that so-called "free-trade" treaties are just the government shilling for corporate power
Greens are big fans of free software
And some of you will remember that 2004 Green Party Presidential candidate David Cobb and Libertarian Party Presidential candidate Michael Badnarik appeared together in the most lucid and respectful debates in generations -- and then fought together for the integrity of the vote after the election that neither of them managed to win. They disagreed on some topics, but actually agreed on more.
Nader needs to be kicked out of the party and stuffed into a retirement home.
How can you be a registered Green and not know that Nader has never been in the party? He promised his dying father he'd never join a political party, and it would appear that applies even to parties that run him for President.
I thought he did a great job for the party in 2000, gave us a serious kick in the shins in 2004. I'm not interested in running him next time, and am giving ever-increasing attention to the question of who it might be instead.
Slashdotters might be interested in reading what our 2004 candidate, David Cobb, answered to his Slashdot interview, which (ahem) I arranged. He lays out where Greens stand on free software and software patents, among other topics.
What if Frodo had had a spaceship with an Improbability Drive?
(this post is long, so please bare with me if you want).
I most certainly not "bare" with you. This is Slashdot.
James Doohan is having a good chuckle. And then rolling his eyes.
That zooming noise you just heard can be avoided by stopping in to your local library and picking up a copy of "Humor Appreciation" by Marge Inovera.
1. Find a way to use this stuff to make computer chips, as well as monitors.
2. Start using 3D printers to make them. Suddenly, hardware is open source.
3. ???
4. Profit!
Ducks?
There's nothing you list off that can't be done on a simple web page. When I was in grad school, I was a contrarian, and absolutely refused to use PowerPoint at all for class presentations. I used a web browser, reading local files. And you know, it worked fine. In fact, sometimes it worked a lot better.
What are you talking about? All I wanted when I was 18 was a set of wheels!
You seem to be missing the point that I don't need to be convinced. I was convinced five years ago, and was making inquiries three years before that. I have put up with a LOT of frustration to install and use Linux.
That doesn't matter. What matters is that others will not put up with a lot of frustration. As much as they hate "computers" (read: Windows), they won't try something new, because either they've memorized what to do when things go wrong (Cntl+Alt+Del) or they have someone to go to that has a nominal understanding of the system. Linux is the devil they don't know.
I'm beginning to believe that there will never be a Year of the Linux Desktop. Rather, we'll all eventually transition over to Google Apps and/or their successors. The server will run GPL software, and the local OS will be a non-issue. Why this model? Because it does what you expect it to. Given the choice, people will consistently choose a system that flawlessly meets moderate expectations over a system that might or might not meet high expectations.
There are an awful lot of people out there who only know what they get from the mass media. This article, and others like it, will serve to raise Linux from "Mysterious and Scary" to "Mysterious, but Substantially Less Scary."
/usr/bin/pycentral. This is not something I want to have to explain to my mom, my girlfriend, or my neighbor -- nor do I want to do it for them.
My year of Linux on the desktop was 2002, but I've also had a lot frustrations along the way... including with the upgrade to my Ubuntu upgrade today. I eventually solved it by using vim to comment out lines 543 and 544 (not lines 541 and 542, like it said in the Ubuntu Forums) of
I had a sad realization today, reading an earlier Slashdot post. To beat Windows (much less Mac OS) on the desktop of people who are not early adopters, Linux does not have to be as good -- as I believe it is, on balance. Rather, it has to be better, and conspicuously better.
For some people, this will mean games. For others, multimedia. For still others, CAD, or other occupation-specific apps. But for everyone, it means "When I want to do _______, it better work on the first try."
You have to go in order. First, you get your honorary bachelor's, then your honorary master's, and finally, your honorary doctorate.
I'm posting this AC for obvious reasons
You're afraid to have your name -- excuse me, your Slashdot nick -- associated with your ideas?
You're right -- instead of the white people on their high horses at cocktail parties, we better listen to the white people shouting at each other over the pro wrestling on TV as they slurp their Bud Light.
Or we could leave the ad homenim attacks aside, and take a look at the evidence.
Because I bought it used. It wasn't the very latest and greatest, but it works just fine, thanks. And yes, they really did sell it to me without an OS.
...and I will confirm, this can be done. And yeah, it's nice to be in a beautiful tropical setting to do your work. But, it's also nice to just bike down to your local coffeeshop and hang out there and work. I'm in my cubicle here at work now, and the idea is very distracting...
Normally, I'd agree. I think there's a lot to the philosophy of "do one thing, and do it very well." Google, however, does a lot of things... very well. Their maps and apps and whatever else are all clever, clean, and tasteful, not to mention highly effective. Ballmer calling them "cute" is an attempt to damn them with faint praise, which is to say, dismiss them. He can say what he likes, but Google will continue to chip away their market share.
I do agree with you that their rate of growth is not sustainable, but I also suspect that as soon as it slows, people will immediately go "Google's hiring is down! Are they in trouble? Are they just not good enough to stand up to Microsoft after all?"
There is only one catch, and that is Catch-22, which specifies that a concern for national security in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was a process that has to be kept secret. AT&T has the public interest in mind, therefore it cannot tell the public what it does. If it told the public what it does, it would no longer be working for the public. If it's good for us, they can't tell us why; if they told us why, it wouldn't be good for us.
Because it does not exist there is no way it can be repealed, undone, overthrown, or denounced.