Disclosing the source is nothing like opening it (people have already written a lot about that). If you disclose the source, it doesn't mean you have to give people the freedom to use it for anything. The reason MS wouldn't like disclosing their source is that they would not longer have the home field advantage. If everyone knew all the secret features of Windows and Office, MS couldn't use it as a weapon to keep the application market under control: it would be easy to create a product that did everything Word did, only better.
Most of the money MS makes does not come from coders who would be able to do anything with the source. The only reason it would matter if MS disclosed the source but kept it their IP would be that their competitors (who would be able to use the source, but wouldn't use it to avoid buying Office or Windows) would be able to use all of the secret APIs and formats that MS can use to create products that could replace Office and Windows. MS isn't worried that someone will use the source instead of a purchase, but rather that someone will use the information about how their products work to develop something that makes it unnessecary for users to make that purchase.
You can bet that very few Microsoft executives worry about WINE. But if WINE were developed by people who had complete and total knowledge of how all of Windows worked, you can bet that they would start.
The trick to letting people know you have a product is to distribute a lot of information to a lot of people. So your goal should be to create as much useful information (screenshots, complete specs, etc), organize it nicely, and then seek out places that will either post this information or link to it. Freshmeat is good for announcements, or you can get a whole project hosted at SourceForge.
Also, do things like adding yourself to search engines or putting ads on DoubleClick. It's the Internet equivilant of the YellowPages ads.
There are sites dedicated to selling used copies of old software, or FTP sites with huge shareware archives that are never updated. You can FTPSearch if you know the file name.
If the software isn't free, then it usually ends up in the hands of somebody rather than just wasting away. See if you can find records of the company (or some the companies assests) being sold to some other company.
But this is part of a large issue. In the free software world, a number of sites are set up to "take in" software that the maintainer no longer develops until a new maintainer can be found. Also, the FTPSearching is a lot more reliable. Maybe an agency could be set up that would look for interesting proprietary software that is about to (or already has) leave the active development cycle and buy it. It could do things like selling remaining inventory or acting like a auction house for "dead" products.
I remember a few years ago hearing about rumours of a Netscape project called Constellation (or some such. not Communicator, another name starting with a C). It would be a version of Navigator that integrated itself into the Windows desktop.
Microsoft didn't like this, so they built these features into IE4. In the meantime, Netscape decided they didn't like the project, didn't want to anger MS anymore, or whatever, and gave up their desktop integration project. But the MS project started to compete with it had already gained critical mass, so the Web and Windows became one. (Not really. But that's what they want you to think.)
Just as IE was bought from another company that had been working on a Mosaic-based browser (you can't see any information about where MS got the original project, but IE contains the message that it is based on NCSA Mosiac.) so that MS could stop Netscape from dominating this new market, the desktop integration was originally developed for the same reason.
Personally, I find most of the Web integration features annoying. I hate it when KDE opens an HTML document itself instead of launching something else. (one of the main reasons I don't use KDE). But whether you like or hate it, it is important to remember that MS didn't think this up to force Netscape out of the market, they thought it up to keep up with Netscape. It just went horribly wrong and MS turned it into a strategy.
Anyone else remember the Netscape desktop integration project? I can't recall any details, not even certain about the name.
Yeah, so it's not a consumer chip. But MacOS X isn't the old MacOS, either. It has all that BSD junk running under it. If I had to choose between MacOS X and Linux for this thing, I'd say MacOS X because I would get the MacOS and a BSD box in one.
You are right, this isn't a PowerPC chip; MacOS might not run, and I agree there would probably be a Linux version first. But if for some reason I had to choose, I'd go with the MacOS X.
The rule of thumb that's always worked for me is that each CPU added increases performance by something around 60% of the last increase. So the first CPU adds a 100% overall boost (from nothing to doing something), the second 60% overall, the third 36% overall, and so on. Doesn't always work, but it helps you get a rough idea of what's going on.
Yes, some interesting information about the CPU can be calculated from the BogoMIPS value. But there is one really important reason they matter: people think they do.
The most important thing to remember about security is that if you don't keep up to date about threats, you won't know what can happen and how to prevent it. It is important for such a class to cover sources of information, and how to evaluate and act upon information.
It is also important to remember that new versions of software fix old holes and create new ones, and that admins should look out for fixes and new dangers when installing software.
Hmmm.... With some work, NetBSD might run on a Commodore, I think it supports a variation of that processor... But the problem would be fitting it into enough space to use on a C64/128. That number is Kbytes, remember.
You can buy 1-2GB HDs from CMD, maybe some creative swapping routines or something.
Workable. But in the end, very difficult. Easier to just create a Bourne-type shell (you could do that in BASIC) that translated commands into the equivilents for use on the Commodore. Then create a C-to-BASIC (Or maybe Pascal-to-BASIC, sounds easier, and there are C-to-Pascal thingies.) that would figure out how to make something that depended on Unix stuff work with nothing but a BASIC interpreter.
Yeah, it might be possible. You would probably end up rewriting more than porting, but still... (for instance, XF86 would need to be replaced by a different X server)
How about computer manufactuarers who made two books? (The manual for mortal users and then the "technical reference") I remember getting my C64. The Tech book was twice as big as the manual. (Think it came seperatly, though. The manual did have some info in it, just not the assembly programming tutorial and such.)
Going through the comments on our server is entertaining. We have an assortment of shel scripts, perl, C, and misc. programs to keep the thing running, maintained on a "when I feel like it" basis by my collegues and myself.
Needless to say, they are filled with stupid things like
/*a- do this 10 times*/ /*d- i like 3 times better*/
and
/* l - who uses if statements? */
(These are copied out of the code. The letters id the programmer who wrote that section.)
When I write comments like that, I leave them in for other people to find. My boss told me that anything I would say to someone's face, I'm allowed to say in a comment.
Mac OS X for Intel can't be as important as this theory whould lead one to believe, or there would be more work being done on it. There is very little evidence of work on this compared to the PowerPC version, leading me to believe its not a ploy, just sort of "Yeah, you could do that, or you could get a real Mac..." thing. Sort of like NT for PowerPC (what? you don't remember NT for PowerPC? that's my point.).
Besides, the MHz rating of the G4 chips is even less comperable to x86 chips than ever. Run similar applications on a G4 and a Coppermine Pentium III, and, after accounting for whatever other factors are nessecary, you'll get similar results. There is a reason the US classified it as a export-restricted weapon, you know.
The major productivity applications such as the oft-cited Microsoft Office run on Mac OS, making it a useful computer for day-to-day tasks in a way that Linux can only dream of.
Who needs Word when you can use Emacs? There are replacements for all Office applications that are (gasp!) better than Office and run on Linux.
Get a gecko, and test for effects of adhesive (stick on walls to test for residue, dump in mud and test for dirt, rub with hairbrush and repeat other tests to test for wear.)
Then launch the gecko into space and stick it to the wall. Does it fall off? No.
During landing, jettison gecko into the Atlantic so that the waiting team of researchers can stick it to the underwater side of the boat.
I think we will agree that there is no way any of this could even begin to phase a creature as mighty as a gecko.
Slashdot Mirror
What? Who uses computers? I listen to the screeching noises from the phone to read Slashdot!
I've also noticed checks for "buttox" and "buckets_of_erogenous_yum" in e and imlib. I think they're just checking to see if we're paying attention.
Most of the money MS makes does not come from coders who would be able to do anything with the source. The only reason it would matter if MS disclosed the source but kept it their IP would be that their competitors (who would be able to use the source, but wouldn't use it to avoid buying Office or Windows) would be able to use all of the secret APIs and formats that MS can use to create products that could replace Office and Windows. MS isn't worried that someone will use the source instead of a purchase, but rather that someone will use the information about how their products work to develop something that makes it unnessecary for users to make that purchase.
You can bet that very few Microsoft executives worry about WINE. But if WINE were developed by people who had complete and total knowledge of how all of Windows worked, you can bet that they would start.
Also, do things like adding yourself to search engines or putting ads on DoubleClick. It's the Internet equivilant of the YellowPages ads.
If the software isn't free, then it usually ends up in the hands of somebody rather than just wasting away. See if you can find records of the company (or some the companies assests) being sold to some other company.
But this is part of a large issue. In the free software world, a number of sites are set up to "take in" software that the maintainer no longer develops until a new maintainer can be found. Also, the FTPSearching is a lot more reliable. Maybe an agency could be set up that would look for interesting proprietary software that is about to (or already has) leave the active development cycle and buy it. It could do things like selling remaining inventory or acting like a auction house for "dead" products.
Microsoft didn't like this, so they built these features into IE4. In the meantime, Netscape decided they didn't like the project, didn't want to anger MS anymore, or whatever, and gave up their desktop integration project. But the MS project started to compete with it had already gained critical mass, so the Web and Windows became one. (Not really. But that's what they want you to think.)
Just as IE was bought from another company that had been working on a Mosaic-based browser (you can't see any information about where MS got the original project, but IE contains the message that it is based on NCSA Mosiac.) so that MS could stop Netscape from dominating this new market, the desktop integration was originally developed for the same reason.
Personally, I find most of the Web integration features annoying. I hate it when KDE opens an HTML document itself instead of launching something else. (one of the main reasons I don't use KDE). But whether you like or hate it, it is important to remember that MS didn't think this up to force Netscape out of the market, they thought it up to keep up with Netscape. It just went horribly wrong and MS turned it into a strategy.
Anyone else remember the Netscape desktop integration project? I can't recall any details, not even certain about the name.
You are right, this isn't a PowerPC chip; MacOS might not run, and I agree there would probably be a Linux version first. But if for some reason I had to choose, I'd go with the MacOS X.
The rule of thumb that's always worked for me is that each CPU added increases performance by something around 60% of the last increase. So the first CPU adds a 100% overall boost (from nothing to doing something), the second 60% overall, the third 36% overall, and so on. Doesn't always work, but it helps you get a rough idea of what's going on.
Yes, some interesting information about the CPU can be calculated from the BogoMIPS value. But there is one really important reason they matter: people think they do.
Actually, O'Reilly has an (old) book about PalmPilots out already.
For some reason, /. split my end link tag in the textbox and did wierd things (wasn't my fault! honest!). The Watching and Waiting link is here.
It is also important to remember that new versions of software fix old holes and create new ones, and that admins should look out for fixes and new dangers when installing software.
rootprompt.org has a lot of security stuff. I find two serials paticularly interesting Watching and Waiting, about what happens when a system gets cracked, and Know your Enemy, about how a typical cracker works.
A few years ago I got a PalmPilot. Guess what I felt a need to carry with me everywhere?
Today, I installed Linux on a new machine, and got all my apps running. One of the first things I installed was...
As long as there are crazy people like me, pinball can never die.
Keep up the good work.
You can buy 1-2GB HDs from CMD, maybe some creative swapping routines or something.
Workable. But in the end, very difficult. Easier to just create a Bourne-type shell (you could do that in BASIC) that translated commands into the equivilents for use on the Commodore. Then create a C-to-BASIC (Or maybe Pascal-to-BASIC, sounds easier, and there are C-to-Pascal thingies.) that would figure out how to make something that depended on Unix stuff work with nothing but a BASIC interpreter.
Yeah, it might be possible. You would probably end up rewriting more than porting, but still... (for instance, XF86 would need to be replaced by a different X server)
How about computer manufactuarers who made two books? (The manual for mortal users and then the "technical reference") I remember getting my C64. The Tech book was twice as big as the manual. (Think it came seperatly, though. The manual did have some info in it, just not the assembly programming tutorial and such.)
Needless to say, they are filled with stupid things like
and
(These are copied out of the code. The letters id the programmer who wrote that section.)
Luckily, I'm a very rude person.
But I have a tendency to put comments in that are more along the lines of:
- Yeah, yeah, yeah
- life goes on
- Do you know what this does?
- Work! Work! Work! Aarrgh!
And others that are not fit for posting in a public forumIf you don't have the URL memorized, just click this.
Besides, the MHz rating of the G4 chips is even less comperable to x86 chips than ever. Run similar applications on a G4 and a Coppermine Pentium III, and, after accounting for whatever other factors are nessecary, you'll get similar results. There is a reason the US classified it as a export-restricted weapon, you know.
Who needs Word when you can use Emacs? There are replacements for all Office applications that are (gasp!) better than Office and run on Linux.
Slashback is Backslash backwards.
- Get a gecko, and test for effects of adhesive (stick on walls to test for residue, dump in mud and test for dirt, rub with hairbrush and repeat other tests to test for wear.)
- Then launch the gecko into space and stick it to the wall. Does it fall off? No.
- During landing, jettison gecko into the Atlantic so that the waiting team of researchers can stick it to the underwater side of the boat.
I think we will agree that there is no way any of this could even begin to phase a creature as mighty as a gecko.Repeat after me: always, always close tags.