I am running 7.0 on an Intel platform at work, about to download 7.1 for my new box. I am also getting the Sparc ISO (not UltraSparc - this is for my old Sparc 2). Does anyone want to know how it goes under Sparc hardware?
If only I could get that 450 they are not using in IT..
For us (anyone, not just NASA/Americans, but the world) to go out into space?
I love the space program. I loved watching the first man land on the moon when I was a kid. I still get exited when the space shuttle goes up, the Hubble returns photographs, or we get some fuzzy gray reminder that Voyager is still out there - (the real one, not Janeway's).
It would be neat to go to Mars, to send manned expeditions to the asteroid belt, to build larger ships and stations offworld in Earth orbit or to build a permanent presence on the Moon.
The problem is money, time and most of all interest. We no longer have the Russians and Americans competeting for space. We no longer want to know things for the sake of knowing them. We know longer encourage young people to be an astronaut or a scientist like we did in the 50's and 60's. Most of our great labs are closed or shrinking for lack of funds.
We have forgotten that many of the things we take for granted, micro-electronics as in PC's, were the direct result of their need in the space program in the 60's and 70's, for instance. It becomes too indirect to convince the average joe/liberal/conservative/flat earther of the benefits of space travel.
Of course there is the constant argument of "What about our problems here on Earth?". I find myself agreeing with that sentiment and attempt to spend part of every day trying to figure out a way to eradicate two thirds of the world's human population without leaving an ecological disaster behind for out plant and animal friends - Joke, son, its a joke, you know,ha-ha..
But seriously, maybe it is time we really started a grass roots effort to remind the world how proud and unified we felt as a human family when we, as a race, stepped onto the Moon. How? I dunno, I believe activism means moving from my computer/car to the car/refrigerator.
I think I will only vote for persons with a record of supporting an active and agressive space program. I will write regular emails to news organizations asking why American news media covers space news less than their Eurpean counterparts. I think I will inquire about investments into private companies that focus on space-related businesses.
Cisco produces routers - hardware used to route traffic on the Internet.
Cisco hardware is used by most national ISP's.
Cisco does not own its own backbone or anyone elses.
Cisco may have a high valuation due to the value of its stock, but that is subject to change on a daily basis.
No matter the sentiments..
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Napster Wars
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· Score: 1
Digital copies of popular music are out there waiting to be shared. If Napster and the other sharing web sites are shut down, there will only be another half dozen options created to take advantage of this medium's popularity - and it will not be limited to warez sites either.
MP3.com made a few people rich and it still will. Money like that will attract others like blood in the ocean attracts sharks.
Eventually, the RIAA will spend all of their time chasing one company after another until their legal resources are exhausted.
I hate being one of the gang, but I am afraid many of the posters here are correct: It is too late, there is very little they can do, short of confiscating computers and turning off Internet access to the public.
They are in China, safe and sound. They got them in a package deal with Most Favored Nation Status and the right to beat their citizens into submission.
.. and while they are there they can ask to examine the Brits' wonderful bill of rights. I think it is somewhere between Brigadoon and the Loch Ness monster.
If you are tired of people like Helms and Armey, tell their idiot constituents to quit voting for them. Sheesh, you think those numbnuts would no better and quit reelecting those guys for so many years in a row!
"That 'Lending distinction to the school' means that you attract more students so can afford more staff, it's a jungle out there where the modern university has to fight for every single student"
And it is a real drag when students pay +20,000.00 grand a year to have Professor Arrogant's class taught by an unintelligible graduate assistant because Prof Arrogant is too busy sleeping off last night's facilty party in honor of his last publication. Half of my college professors suffered from the inability to teach the classes they are being paid for.
"OK so there are fools out there who believe that if people are not out there working to improve the state of industry then they're wasting their time. but a lot of arts graduates take up a useful role in society someone has to make the TV programs you watch, someone has to look after the homeless (Unless you think it should all be down to policemen with clubs)"
Who said anything bad about arts graduates? (Although I think some would take issue with your about their place in society involving TV production). Reread my post. And that bit with the homeless, slow down with the coffee! Reread the original post and try again.
"Universitys are not First and foremost industries, they mainly exist to educate and enhance the culture of the society in which they are based."
And most private universities are in trouble financially because their ivory tower view of "enhancing the culture" is at total odds with reality.
"narrowing the spectrum of teaching into purely what would be useful for industry and therefore make money would make our institutions a shadow of themselves"
Universities are already a shadow of themselves. Pick a problem.. elimination of testing and grading systems, admission based upon color rather than achievment, sexual harrassment, etc.. need I go on?
.. but Harvard's. Maybe if Harvard was not so hard up for money, (worrying about Intel dropping their sponsorship for graduation), then they could have told Intel "tough".
Harvard needs money and therefore has to give in to these type of demands because..
) They have too many tenured, non-teaching, too worried about publishing, 'professors' who cost too much but are at Harvard only to lend some sort of distinction to the school.
) Waste too much time and money on non-productive majors related to ethno-centric, gender specific or social theory and planning. They should give that junk up and produce some money making alums.
) Spend far to much time and energy on politically correct behavior and policies rather than teaching and graduating students.
I direct your attention to the Harvard web site for further information.
Their need for funds, like so many other institutions of higher learning, is related to the corner they have painted themselves into.
MILLIONS OF EMAIL ADDRESSES AVAILABLE ON CD!
on
Microsoft Quickies
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· Score: 1
Now that I have your attention,
Bill Gates wants this breakup to happen. Bill used to be a programmer. Good programmers plan for unforseen things to be forseen.
MS is broken into two companies. Shareholders will get stock in both companies. In a nutshell, shares will double in value. Who stands to gain the most in such a scenario? Bill.
The CEO of Windows will be the CEO of the OS company. A new CEO will be chosen to run the application division. Bill is no longer CEO but Chief Scientist. He is now free to dabble in both companies.
If the company did not breakup, Bill would still be on top. If it did, he will still benefit. He cannot lose in this scenario. That is why after his last meeting with Pres. Clinton, he walked out smiling. He told Mr. Clinton the news: Either way, I win, you lose.
Bill was so delighted, he invited Al Gore to speak to a gathering of MS employees at Redmond. Heretofore, an unknown event. He also gave Al a large check and several more. This was to rub it in Clinton's face and to buy the possible future president.
But, you say, Bush is beating Gore in the polls? No problem, Bill has gotten to Bush already who has made a statement to the effect that the government should let private companies alone.
Bill wins if Bush wins because Bush will not take Bill's contribution to Gore out on him. Rather, he will have to stand by his previous statement.
The fight is over. In fact, it was over before it began. And Bill won.
Battlefield Earth is further evidence of the erosion of small businesses, the loss of freedom of speech, the growth of multinational corporations and the lack of good parking spaces for Mr. Katz. When John wrote this review, he had just walked eight blocks, uphill, in driving toner particle soaked rain to the SlashDot offices.
Along the way he witnessed two men in black step out of a minivan and brutally beat the owner of John's favorite locally-owned department store. The men obviously were sent there by Walmart or Target to run the hapless owner out of town.
Two minutes later, he watched as the last local newspapers' presses ground to a stop. Rumor had it, Time Warner/AOL had bought it out and closed it. But there was no proof as all of the employees were missing.
Finally, he watched as a widow and her 14 children were turned out of their shoe because the woman had no email address to give their landlord; they could not afford Internet access, much less a home computer.
John shook his head and climbed the four flights of stairs to his office. Along the way, he had to hide in the men's room from his new Albanian boss, the one from New York assigned to "cut costs" at SlashDot after their recent assimilation into the corporate world. After hearing the jackbooted footsteps fade away in the hallway, John carefully stepped off the comode and continued to his office.
After tucking his brown bag lunch and plaid Thermos under his chair, he turned on his Apple II and began the seven and a half minute process of booting up. This gave him time to carefully move his chair out of range of the "security" camera installed in the corner of his cubbyhole office. Not too far out of range; his superiors had a history of writing up employees who were not visible at all times.
After reading the eight Post-it notes stuck to his monitor (Email is forbidden for interoffice communication as is all Internet access - too many people wasting valuable company time), John turned and stared out the grime-stained window in his office and looked over the gray, industrial landscape beneath him, choked with homeless refugees, pollution-belching factories, and gasmask clad, baton-swinging, corporate policemen and remembered briefly his boyhood home in Wisconsin. Wisconsin, once beautiful and alive, now a contaminated wasteland after the Green Bay Cheese War of 2006 between Kraft and Philly Cream Cheese.
John's Apple beeped signifying that once again it cheated death and had groaned to life. As he turned to the flickering, green monitor, the light from the single, bare lightbulb in the office, caught a tear rolling down his tired face. Unconsciously, he wept.
Further on this subject, I think this is a result of McCarthyism and the blacklists of the 1950's. As the old studio heads died off and the country changed with the 1960's and 1970's, opposing viewpoints came into power in Hollywood.
Unfortunately, the opposite is happening. If an actor, director, technician, etc in Hollywood does not share the same political viewpoints, or support certain causes (take the obligatory AIDS ribbons at award ceremonies for instance. Why can't Pierce Bronson where something for breast cancer to support his late wife?) or if you make your opposing political viewpoints public, you stand to be "professionally" blacklisted, i.e. Spielberg won't even consider you for his next movie.
A good example of their rudeness could be seen at the last Oscars when Spielberg and others refused to stand for the director Kazan. The poor guy was so old and addled he was no threat to anyone. But these rude, jerks sat on their hands and scowled.
Please inform Mr. Nader that I am still having problems with my Corvair. It has now flipped over 143 times when making right hand turns. I hope he will be able to do something about it because my poor head is starting to hurt! I have to run now, Art Linkletter will be on the Philco soon.
You are right, but you seem to be forgetting some things.
First, there are the voters who are duped into believing that some issues are so urgent the Constitution and rule of law should be circumvented in order to solve the problem.
Second, are the government officials in the Justice Department, federal and local law enforcement who are duped into believing they are really working on a specific problem, i.e. freeing Elian Gonzalez, getting guns from the hands of criminals. They get so caught up in their actions they forget what they are fighting for.
Finally, are the people who are behind it and have the overall agenda. All plans revolve around total control, if not direct then indirectly. The motivation for their actions are "We know what is best for you (average joe) because you are too dumb to know what is best for you". This applies to guns, drugs, tobacco and a few other things today. Soon it will apply to nearly everything.
Re:Why all Internet access should be taxed
on
EU Web Tax Proposed
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· Score: 2
Please provide the data that shows the losses incured by "traditional businesses" due to Internet sales.
Times up. That is the problem. Down here in Texas, the Mayor of Dallas, went on a crusade to tax all Internet sales - It failed. His problem was with the proof; all of his evidence was anecdotal.
There is no data available yet that shows conclusively that internet sales are hurting government revenues. Only some politicans' fear that they are missing out on another revenue stream.
Also, please remember, the government seldom imposes taxes and lowers them at a future date. They generally raise them.
But it sure sounds like the sentiments of so many of the posters on/.
And Katz commenting on it? Makes sense. I wanted to rip up the whole article, but why bother, I will limit myself to this one piece..
"Politicians and cititizens appear to have dozed right through the fact that small businesses are vanishing, that free speech is withering, that the political system is being bought, that a once-free press is nearly completely in corporate hands.."
* Small businesses are being created and growing faster than nearly any other segment of the private sector. Because of the marketing and infomation resources available through the Internet, just about anyone can start a virtual business with minimal capital.
* Free speech is actually stronger than ever before. How many websites have you seen which deal with white supremecy, sexual abuse, conspiracy theories, revolution, pirated copywrite material, illegal home agriculture and manufacturing, etc? Why? Because of the Internet. How many "Free Speech" outlets, newspapers, TV, radio, magazines, were producing this stuff before the Internet was delivered to the average Joe's hands?
* The political system had been and will be bought several times over, but not just by private corporations. Politicians are swayed and courted by special interest groups like the NRA and Handgun Control, Inc. They are bought by foreign governments such as the allegations against VP Gore and the Chinese. And they are bought by other politicians through political favor, "You vote for the dam project in my state and I will vote your bill to buy jet fighters made in your home district". Why do we limit ourselves to "Evil Corporations" and not deal with the whole truth?
* The press has been privately controlled for centuries, kids. They are owned and operated by private companies and individuals. Sure, there was a time when the cost of running a newspaper or radio station was possible for an individual or a small group of persons - in fact, it still happens throughout the US today. The problem is the cost of running such operations has skyrocketed due to fuel costs, licensing fees, affiliate rights and worse of all, liability insurance. Regardless the press is even more free today than it was 50 years ago. How many papers would not print the truth about Babe Ruth's drinking or would film FDR in his wheelchair for fear it would "demoralize" people? And what is the opposite? Government controlled press? Um yeah, that's good. Maybe government rules to ensure a free press?
The problem with all of this started, as near as I can tell, in the past 30 or 40 years. TV programs and movies began casting villians as business people and heros were nearly always public employees (teachers, policemen, public lawyers or public hospital doctors). Business people were about stealing, killing and lying. It was ironic because all TV and movie companies are privately owned business operations. Maybe some writer or director had it out for his boss who told him to quit going over budget? Who knows and who cares?
Those of you who fall for this blind "All corporations are bad" are as dumb as those who completely believe the opposite. Quit being rubes.
More and more websites require that Javascript be enabled as well as cookies be accepted, regardless which host sent them. Don't even ask for plain text versions of web sites.
With so many broadband options available to so many people and now that marketing dopes have realized that some people are actually using the Internet, expect this to only get worse.
There are two parties, both receive most of their money from large donors a) individual wealthy people - example, Bill Gates, b) private corporations - example, DuPont, Microsoft, c) special interest groups - example, NRA, League of Jewish Voters.
There are a number of smaller parties in the States, Libertarian and United We Stand, for instance, who will never make a dent in the overall political process except as a spoiler because a) they never attract the kind of money and connections that the Big 2 do and b) they cannot attract candidates with big name recognition to run for their party. Therefore, they will always be locked out.
Some believed that because of the "New Economy", that is technology and Internet based companies with their financial success, media exposure and new generation of personalities (Bill Gates, Larry Ellison, Jeff Bezoes, etc), there would be a trend to buck traditonal trends, including political affiliation and platforms.
That has hardly happened as even the new technology sector has embraced the big 2 parties - examine campaign contributions for both candidates.
There are several things that would cause a change to the existing system. First and foremost is not the law, campaign contributions, media coverage or the Internet. The root cause is getting the majority of Americans to really care about changing this. Regardless of what side of the fence you sit on, most Americans are satisfied with the Big 2 status quo.
You are right. In the near future, we will have bar codes tatooed across our face in order to identify us. We will wear color-coded jump suits in order to identify our profession. We will live in gray, block style apartment buildings each with identical floor patterns. We will have two way "media devices" in each room which will be required to be on constantly. Firearms, tobacco, alcohol, non-approved food and beverages, and pointy objects will be outlawed. Marriage will be illegal, rather, we will be assigned a genetically matched breeding partner for scheduled population maitenance. The world will be controlled by a handful of Corporate Overlords who will determine where people will live, what they will eat and what jobs they will perform that will benefit the greater good of society. When a person no longer contributes to The Bottom Line, they will be jettisoned into space or be forced to run on a treadmill to generate electricity until their heart gives out.
This was planned out several decades ago. It was not to be implemented until 2040, but because of Slashdot, its' readers and Linux, the plan will be escalated and put in place in the next 10 years.
The only way to stop this madness is for everyone to quit posting to Slashdot and load Windows.
Rarely do I agree with most people's sentiments here, but this is a case of correct routing protocols vs. marketing.
Someone at Excite saw a new potential for revenue via a new product scheme. This goes against accepted routing behavior between ISP's. An IPS's responsibility to other backbones is to make the least amount of noise; route all packets correctly and deliver them on time.
Fortunately, much to the chagrin of the "less free enterprise" denizens of SlashDot, capitalism will prevail. There are dozens of equally, if not greater connected providers out there. If you are not happy with Excite, move.
It is hard to market low sales and fleeing customers. I have an idea this plan will bomb.
And you have been brainwashed by 100 years of leftist rhetoric (you know, the guys who lost in the 20th century yet continue to wail and lament on the TV?).
Government owned and operated companies are prime examples of slow-moving waste. They disdain competition, new ideas and input from their employees. The owners of these companies are not the citizens of a country, but the persons who directly benefit from their moribund performance; the persons who run them - sounds alot like MS vs. open source OS, does'nt it?
Cite your sources for the 3 richest men/GNP/48 poor countries. Post it here or email me, I want proof - otherwise you are just spewing. In addition, I can most likely take any one of those countries and use it as an example of what I am stating here. i.e. That most poor countries are not capitalist but corrupt, single party despotic dictatorships with government control over all forms of commerce, transportation, communications and power production - Ethiopia under Mengitsu, Cuba under Castro, North Korea, Yemen, Myamar, etc.
Redistribution of wealth through government, when taken to the extremes you suggest leads to a handful of govt. goons living high on the hog off the very people who elected them. Read up on the history of the Soviet Union, Romania, Bulgaria, and Cuba in recent years.
"extremly progressiv tax for the super rich and big corporations to limit their influence. while on the other hand helping small startup companies"
Won't work. People start small companies to be successful. Maybe over in Europe you guys still love the little "Mater und Pater" store, but over here, every person who starts a convinience store in his neighborhood dreams of being the next 7-11. Taxing someone when they get successful (and hire more people, btw), is wrong. Don't tax success, tax failure.
"helping small and independent media."
I have no idea what you mean by help or independent in this context. What, making sure that Nipple Piercing Monthly continues to publish? If a media outlet fails it is for one reason, nobody wanted to buy it, plain and simple. Furthermore, once you provide assistance, they are no longer independent, are they?
"make political party financialy independent from corporate money (pay them from taxes"
Oh, that's good. I start a party, let's say the Hitler Emulation Party of Austria. Nobody in their right mind would support me except for a few lederhosen-wearing oompah band playing skinheads. Under normal circumstances, this party would go under due to lack of financial support. But under your plan, regardless of my belief or number of supporters, I would get to live off taxpayers. What a dandy idea! Don't forget, once they take taxpayer money they are no longer independent are they?
"help independent science (pay from taxes instead corporate money)"
Um, yeah, pay from taxpayers money. Taxpayers may not have the need or desire to know about the mating habits of snails, the affect the moon has on hair growth or the length of an aardvark's tonsils. Most successful R/D today is paid for by (drumroll, please), private business! Think about it the next time you go to buy cold medicine, computer memory or a digital, spread-spectrum, telephone. These wonderful advances were brought to you by greedy, corporate goons who knew you wanted them in exchange for your money. Shame on them! (and once again, once anyone takes taxpayer money, they are no longer independent!).
"free and uncensored internet".
Free. Oh yeah. Quick, get a T1 to dermond in Vienna, he can't download MP3's fast enough! Sorry buddy, someone has got to pay for it. Nothing is free, no more than your time or creativity is.
Uncensored? I have never seen a word more abused than in slashdot. Most media outlets are privately owned. If your local ISP is privately owned and is not interested in carrying a newsgroup you want to read, that is not censorship, that is choice. When the Government (those tax eating pals of yours you believe can run things more fairly) decides to stop the flow of information, than you have censorship. Look up the word and get back to me.
"helping critical NGO/NPO organisations".
If an organization is critical, than it should be able to stand on its' own feet due to its' altruistic merits. I hate when a charity is having financial trouble. But you know what? Most of them survive fine because people believe in the work they are doing. Some days are better than other, but I have yet to see the United Way, Salvation Army or Red Cross bite the bullet, even under the worse financial conditions. Oh, by the way, do you know what lowers contributions to NPO's faster than anything? Higher taxes. You see, people have so much income; there is food, electricity, rent, and TAXES. What is left is called discretionary income. Of this remainder, we get charitable contributions. When the portion for living grows higher, charities suffer because there is less discretionary income. Makes sense doesn't it?
"etc"...
I agree with this. Nothing like a good "etc" from time to time.:)
Remember, the government needs tax money to take care of things. The more things it wants to take care of, the more tax money they need. All tax money eventually comes from people - whether directly or through higher prices charged by companies to compensate for their higher tax burden. Sorry, but I pay nearly 40% of my income to government (local, state, federal) already. I think I would like to see the fruits of my labor rather than have it redistributed unfairly to someone who did not earn it.
Sorry, Dermond. You sound like you are young, underemployed and idealistic. Don't worry, someday you will get married, have children and realize that you have better answers than those goons in Vienna who call the shots.
I always love the "poor Cubans are dying due to the embargo caused by the evil US".
Europeans are putting up luxury hotels on Cuban beaches. Spaniards and Portugese are flocking to cheap Cuba for vacations. Cuban resorts will only accept foreign money, preferably American $ if they can get them. All accepted money HAS to be changed for Cuban money at government-run money changing institutions and possession of foreign money without permission is a crime.
Meanwhile, the Cuban government has control of all funds generated by Euro-tourism in Cuba. Fidel, (president for life, BTW) and his cronies have no shortage of medical supplies, food or sattelite TV from America.
Before you blame the US, look at the system in place in Cuba. Most people starve or suffer in this world not due to lack of intervention on the part of the US, but due to poor distribution systems and political corruption on the part of their own country.
Check the facts and quick spewing the rhetoric and propoganda. Truth hurts, buckwheat.
Slashdot Mirror
I am running 7.0 on an Intel platform at work, about to download 7.1 for my new box. I am also getting the Sparc ISO (not UltraSparc - this is for my old Sparc 2). Does anyone want to know how it goes under Sparc hardware?
If only I could get that 450 they are not using in IT..
For us (anyone, not just NASA/Americans, but the world) to go out into space?
I love the space program. I loved watching the first man land on the moon when I was a kid. I still get exited when the space shuttle goes up, the Hubble returns photographs, or we get some fuzzy gray reminder that Voyager is still out there - (the real one, not Janeway's).
It would be neat to go to Mars, to send manned expeditions to the asteroid belt, to build larger ships and stations offworld in Earth orbit or to build a permanent presence on the Moon.
The problem is money, time and most of all interest. We no longer have the Russians and Americans competeting for space. We no longer want to know things for the sake of knowing them. We know longer encourage young people to be an astronaut or a scientist like we did in the 50's and 60's. Most of our great labs are closed or shrinking for lack of funds.
We have forgotten that many of the things we take for granted, micro-electronics as in PC's, were the direct result of their need in the space program in the 60's and 70's, for instance. It becomes too indirect to convince the average joe/liberal/conservative/flat earther of the benefits of space travel.
Of course there is the constant argument of "What about our problems here on Earth?". I find myself agreeing with that sentiment and attempt to spend part of every day trying to figure out a way to eradicate two thirds of the world's human population without leaving an ecological disaster behind for out plant and animal friends - Joke, son, its a joke, you know,ha-ha..
But seriously, maybe it is time we really started a grass roots effort to remind the world how proud and unified we felt as a human family when we, as a race, stepped onto the Moon. How? I dunno, I believe activism means moving from my computer/car to the car/refrigerator.
I think I will only vote for persons with a record of supporting an active and agressive space program. I will write regular emails to news organizations asking why American news media covers space news less than their Eurpean counterparts. I think I will inquire about investments into private companies that focus on space-related businesses.
That can be my start, what do you want to do?
And if the taxpayers pay for it, does that not give the government control over it essentially creating a government run monopoly?
Same bird, different funding.
Cisco produces routers - hardware used to route traffic on the Internet.
Cisco hardware is used by most national ISP's.
Cisco does not own its own backbone or anyone elses.
Cisco may have a high valuation due to the value of its stock, but that is subject to change on a daily basis.
Digital copies of popular music are out there waiting to be shared. If Napster and the other sharing web sites are shut down, there will only be another half dozen options created to take advantage of this medium's popularity - and it will not be limited to warez sites either.
MP3.com made a few people rich and it still will. Money like that will attract others like blood in the ocean attracts sharks.
Eventually, the RIAA will spend all of their time chasing one company after another until their legal resources are exhausted.
I hate being one of the gang, but I am afraid many of the posters here are correct: It is too late, there is very little they can do, short of confiscating computers and turning off Internet access to the public.
They are in China, safe and sound. They got them in a package deal with Most Favored Nation Status and the right to beat their citizens into submission.
.. and while they are there they can ask to examine the Brits' wonderful bill of rights. I think it is somewhere between Brigadoon and the Loch Ness monster.
If you are tired of people like Helms and Armey, tell their idiot constituents to quit voting for them. Sheesh, you think those numbnuts would no better and quit reelecting those guys for so many years in a row!
"That 'Lending distinction to the school' means that you attract more students so can afford more staff, it's a jungle out there where the modern
university has to fight for every single student"
And it is a real drag when students pay +20,000.00 grand a year to have Professor Arrogant's class taught by an unintelligible graduate assistant because Prof Arrogant is too busy sleeping off last night's facilty party in honor of his last publication. Half of my college professors suffered from the inability to teach the classes they are being paid for.
"OK so there are fools out there who believe that if people are not out there working to improve the state of industry then they're wasting their time. but a lot of arts graduates take up a useful role in society someone has to make the TV programs you watch, someone has to look after the homeless (Unless you think it should all be down to policemen with clubs)"
Who said anything bad about arts graduates? (Although I think some would take issue with your about their place in society involving TV production). Reread my post. And that bit with the homeless, slow down with the coffee! Reread the original post and try again.
"Universitys are not First and foremost industries, they mainly exist to educate and enhance the culture of the society in which they are based."
And most private universities are in trouble financially because their ivory tower view of "enhancing the culture" is at total odds with reality.
"narrowing the spectrum of teaching into purely what would be useful for industry and therefore make money would make our institutions a shadow of themselves"
Universities are already a shadow of themselves. Pick a problem.. elimination of testing and grading systems, admission based upon color rather than achievment, sexual harrassment, etc.. need I go on?
.. but Harvard's. Maybe if Harvard was not so hard up for money, (worrying about Intel dropping their sponsorship for graduation), then they could have told Intel "tough".
Harvard needs money and therefore has to give in to these type of demands because..
) They have too many tenured, non-teaching, too worried about publishing, 'professors' who cost too much but are at Harvard only to lend some sort of distinction to the school.
) Waste too much time and money on non-productive majors related to ethno-centric, gender specific or social theory and planning. They should give that junk up and produce some money making alums.
) Spend far to much time and energy on politically correct behavior and policies rather than teaching and graduating students.
I direct your attention to the Harvard web site for further information.
Their need for funds, like so many other institutions of higher learning, is related to the corner they have painted themselves into.
Now that I have your attention,
Bill Gates wants this breakup to happen. Bill used to be a programmer. Good programmers plan for unforseen things to be forseen.
MS is broken into two companies. Shareholders will get stock in both companies. In a nutshell, shares will double in value. Who stands to gain the most in such a scenario? Bill.
The CEO of Windows will be the CEO of the OS company. A new CEO will be chosen to run the application division. Bill is no longer CEO but Chief Scientist. He is now free to dabble in both companies.
If the company did not breakup, Bill would still be on top. If it did, he will still benefit. He cannot lose in this scenario. That is why after his last meeting with Pres. Clinton, he walked out smiling. He told Mr. Clinton the news: Either way, I win, you lose.
Bill was so delighted, he invited Al Gore to speak to a gathering of MS employees at Redmond. Heretofore, an unknown event. He also gave Al a large check and several more. This was to rub it in Clinton's face and to buy the possible future president.
But, you say, Bush is beating Gore in the polls? No problem, Bill has gotten to Bush already who has made a statement to the effect that the government should let private companies alone.
Bill wins if Bush wins because Bush will not take Bill's contribution to Gore out on him. Rather, he will have to stand by his previous statement.
The fight is over. In fact, it was over before it began. And Bill won.
Battlefield Earth is further evidence of the erosion of small businesses, the loss of freedom of speech, the growth of multinational corporations and the lack of good parking spaces for Mr. Katz. When John wrote this review, he had just walked eight blocks, uphill, in driving toner particle soaked rain to the SlashDot offices.
Along the way he witnessed two men in black step out of a minivan and brutally beat the owner of John's favorite locally-owned department store. The men obviously were sent there by Walmart or Target to run the hapless owner out of town.
Two minutes later, he watched as the last local newspapers' presses ground to a stop. Rumor had it, Time Warner/AOL had bought it out and closed it. But there was no proof as all of the employees were missing.
Finally, he watched as a widow and her 14 children were turned out of their shoe because the woman had no email address to give their landlord; they could not afford Internet access, much less a home computer.
John shook his head and climbed the four flights of stairs to his office. Along the way, he had to hide in the men's room from his new Albanian boss, the one from New York assigned to "cut costs" at SlashDot after their recent assimilation into the corporate world. After hearing the jackbooted footsteps fade away in the hallway, John carefully stepped off the comode and continued to his office.
After tucking his brown bag lunch and plaid Thermos under his chair, he turned on his Apple II and began the seven and a half minute process of booting up. This gave him time to carefully move his chair out of range of the "security" camera installed in the corner of his cubbyhole office. Not too far out of range; his superiors had a history of writing up employees who were not visible at all times.
After reading the eight Post-it notes stuck to his monitor (Email is forbidden for interoffice communication as is all Internet access - too many people wasting valuable company time), John turned and stared out the grime-stained window in his office and looked over the gray, industrial landscape beneath him, choked with homeless refugees, pollution-belching factories, and gasmask clad, baton-swinging, corporate policemen and remembered briefly his boyhood home in Wisconsin. Wisconsin, once beautiful and alive, now a contaminated wasteland after the Green Bay Cheese War of 2006 between Kraft and Philly Cream Cheese.
John's Apple beeped signifying that once again it cheated death and had groaned to life. As he turned to the flickering, green monitor, the light from the single, bare lightbulb in the office, caught a tear rolling down his tired face.
Unconsciously, he wept.
Further on this subject, I think this is a result of McCarthyism and the blacklists of the 1950's. As the old studio heads died off and the country changed with the 1960's and 1970's, opposing viewpoints came into power in Hollywood.
Unfortunately, the opposite is happening. If an actor, director, technician, etc in Hollywood does not share the same political viewpoints, or support certain causes (take the obligatory AIDS ribbons at award ceremonies for instance. Why can't Pierce Bronson where something for breast cancer to support his late wife?) or if you make your opposing political viewpoints public, you stand to be "professionally" blacklisted, i.e. Spielberg won't even consider you for his next movie.
A good example of their rudeness could be seen at the last Oscars when Spielberg and others refused to stand for the director Kazan. The poor guy was so old and addled he was no threat to anyone. But these rude, jerks sat on their hands and scowled.
That's real evil.
Please inform Mr. Nader that I am still having problems with my Corvair. It has now flipped over 143 times when making right hand turns. I hope he will be able to do something about it because my poor head is starting to hurt! I have to run now, Art Linkletter will be on the Philco soon.
You are right, but you seem to be forgetting some things.
First, there are the voters who are duped into believing that some issues are so urgent the Constitution and rule of law should be circumvented in order to solve the problem.
Second, are the government officials in the Justice Department, federal and local law enforcement who are duped into believing they are really working on a specific problem, i.e. freeing Elian Gonzalez, getting guns from the hands of criminals. They get so caught up in their actions they forget what they are fighting for.
Finally, are the people who are behind it and have the overall agenda. All plans revolve around total control, if not direct then indirectly. The motivation for their actions are "We know what is best for you (average joe) because you are too dumb to know what is best for you". This applies to guns, drugs, tobacco and a few other things today. Soon it will apply to nearly everything.
Please provide the data that shows the losses incured by "traditional businesses" due to Internet sales.
Times up. That is the problem. Down here in Texas, the Mayor of Dallas, went on a crusade to tax all Internet sales - It failed. His problem was with the proof; all of his evidence was anecdotal.
There is no data available yet that shows conclusively that internet sales are hurting government revenues. Only some politicans' fear that they are missing out on another revenue stream.
Also, please remember, the government seldom imposes taxes and lowers them at a future date. They generally raise them.
But it sure sounds like the sentiments of so many of the posters on /.
And Katz commenting on it? Makes sense. I wanted to rip up the whole article, but why bother, I will limit myself to this one piece..
"Politicians and cititizens appear to have dozed
right through the fact that small businesses are vanishing, that free speech is withering, that the political system is being bought, that a once-free press is nearly completely in corporate hands.."
* Small businesses are being created and growing faster than nearly any other segment of the private sector. Because of the marketing and infomation resources available through the Internet, just about anyone can start a virtual business with minimal capital.
* Free speech is actually stronger than ever before. How many websites have you seen which deal with white supremecy, sexual abuse, conspiracy theories, revolution, pirated copywrite material, illegal home agriculture and manufacturing, etc? Why? Because of the Internet. How many "Free Speech" outlets, newspapers, TV, radio, magazines, were producing this stuff before the Internet was delivered to the average Joe's hands?
* The political system had been and will be bought several times over, but not just by private corporations. Politicians are swayed and courted by special interest groups like the NRA and Handgun Control, Inc. They are bought by foreign governments such as the allegations against VP Gore and the Chinese. And they are bought by other politicians through political favor, "You vote for the dam project in my state and I will vote your bill to buy jet fighters made in your home district". Why do we limit ourselves to "Evil Corporations" and not deal with the whole truth?
* The press has been privately controlled for centuries, kids. They are owned and operated by private companies and individuals. Sure, there was a time when the cost of running a newspaper or radio station was possible for an individual or a small group of persons - in fact, it still happens throughout the US today. The problem is the cost of running such operations has skyrocketed due to fuel costs, licensing fees, affiliate rights and worse of all, liability insurance. Regardless the press is even more free today than it was 50 years ago. How many papers would not print the truth about Babe Ruth's drinking or would film FDR in his wheelchair for fear it would "demoralize" people? And what is the opposite? Government controlled press? Um yeah, that's good. Maybe government rules to ensure a free press?
The problem with all of this started, as near as I can tell, in the past 30 or 40 years. TV programs and movies began casting villians as business people and heros were nearly always public employees (teachers, policemen, public lawyers or public hospital doctors). Business people were about stealing, killing and lying. It was ironic because all TV and movie companies are privately owned business operations. Maybe some writer or director had it out for his boss who told him to quit going over budget? Who knows and who cares?
Those of you who fall for this blind "All corporations are bad" are as dumb as those who completely believe the opposite. Quit being rubes.
Aint that the truth..
More and more websites require that Javascript be enabled as well as cookies be accepted, regardless which host sent them. Don't even ask for plain text versions of web sites.
With so many broadband options available to so many people and now that marketing dopes have realized that some people are actually using the Internet, expect this to only get worse.
I doubt it. Here's why.
There are two parties, both receive most of their money from large donors a) individual wealthy people - example, Bill Gates, b) private corporations - example, DuPont, Microsoft, c) special interest groups - example, NRA, League of Jewish Voters.
There are a number of smaller parties in the States, Libertarian and United We Stand, for instance, who will never make a dent in the overall political process except as a spoiler because a) they never attract the kind of money and connections that the Big 2 do and b) they cannot attract candidates with big name recognition to run for their party. Therefore, they will always be locked out.
Some believed that because of the "New Economy", that is technology and Internet based companies with their financial success, media exposure and new generation of personalities (Bill Gates, Larry Ellison, Jeff Bezoes, etc), there would be a trend to buck traditonal trends, including political affiliation and platforms.
That has hardly happened as even the new technology sector has embraced the big 2 parties - examine campaign contributions for both candidates.
There are several things that would cause a change to the existing system. First and foremost is not the law, campaign contributions, media coverage or the Internet. The root cause is getting the majority of Americans to really care about changing this. Regardless of what side of the fence you sit on, most Americans are satisfied with the Big 2 status quo.
You are right. In the near future, we will have bar codes tatooed across our face in order to identify us. We will wear color-coded jump suits in order to identify our profession. We will live in gray, block style apartment buildings each with identical floor patterns. We will have two way "media devices" in each room which will be required to be on constantly. Firearms, tobacco, alcohol, non-approved food and beverages, and pointy objects will be outlawed. Marriage will be illegal, rather, we will be assigned a genetically matched breeding partner for scheduled population maitenance. The world will be controlled by a handful of Corporate Overlords who will determine where people will live, what they will eat and what jobs they will perform that will benefit the greater good of society. When a person no longer contributes to The Bottom Line, they will be jettisoned into space or be forced to run on a treadmill to generate electricity until their heart gives out.
This was planned out several decades ago. It was not to be implemented until 2040, but because of Slashdot, its' readers and Linux, the plan will be escalated and put in place in the next 10 years.
The only way to stop this madness is for everyone to quit posting to Slashdot and load Windows.
Hurry, you are our last hope.
Quit complaining and quit giving ATT business. If you have a cable modem, dump it. If you use them for cellular, long distance, whatever dump them.
The laws and rules are not going to change tommorrow - vote with your bucks.
Then dump TCI and get something else. ISDN, DSL, sattelite, 56k, two cans and string, etc.
If it is such a bad product and bad company quit dreaming that your municipality will wake up some day and feel the same way you do.
Vote with your bucks.
Rarely do I agree with most people's sentiments here, but this is a case of correct routing protocols vs. marketing.
Someone at Excite saw a new potential for revenue via a new product scheme. This goes against accepted routing behavior between ISP's. An IPS's responsibility to other backbones is to make the least amount of noise; route all packets correctly and deliver them on time.
Fortunately, much to the chagrin of the "less free enterprise" denizens of SlashDot, capitalism will prevail. There are dozens of equally, if not greater connected providers out there. If you are not happy with Excite, move.
It is hard to market low sales and fleeing customers. I have an idea this plan will bomb.
Dermond,
And you have been brainwashed by 100 years of leftist rhetoric (you know, the guys who lost in the 20th century yet continue to wail and lament on the TV?).
Government owned and operated companies are prime examples of slow-moving waste. They disdain competition, new ideas and input from their employees. The owners of these companies are not the citizens of a country, but the persons who directly benefit from their moribund performance; the persons who run them - sounds alot like MS vs. open source OS, does'nt it?
Cite your sources for the 3 richest men/GNP/48 poor countries. Post it here or email me, I want proof - otherwise you are just spewing. In addition, I can most likely take any one of those countries and use it as an example of what I am stating here. i.e. That most poor countries are not capitalist but corrupt, single party despotic dictatorships with government control over all forms of commerce, transportation, communications and power production - Ethiopia under Mengitsu, Cuba under Castro, North Korea, Yemen, Myamar, etc.
Redistribution of wealth through government, when taken to the extremes you suggest leads to a handful of govt. goons living high on the hog off the very people who elected them. Read up on the history of the Soviet Union, Romania, Bulgaria, and Cuba in recent years.
Ciao,
Hello, Vienna!
:)
You wrote:
"extremly progressiv tax for the super rich and big corporations to limit their influence. while on the other hand helping small startup companies"
Won't work. People start small companies to be successful. Maybe over in Europe you guys still love the little "Mater und Pater" store, but over here, every person who starts a convinience store in his neighborhood dreams of being the next 7-11. Taxing someone when they get successful (and hire more people, btw), is wrong. Don't tax success, tax failure.
"helping small and independent media."
I have no idea what you mean by help or independent in this context. What, making sure that Nipple Piercing Monthly continues to publish? If a media outlet fails it is for one reason, nobody wanted to buy it, plain and simple. Furthermore, once you provide assistance, they are no longer independent, are they?
"make political party financialy independent from corporate money (pay them from taxes"
Oh, that's good. I start a party, let's say the Hitler Emulation Party of Austria. Nobody in their right mind would support me except for a few lederhosen-wearing oompah band playing skinheads. Under normal circumstances, this party would go under due to lack of financial support. But under your plan, regardless of my belief or number of supporters, I would get to live off taxpayers. What a dandy idea! Don't forget, once they take taxpayer money they are no longer independent are they?
"help independent science (pay from taxes instead corporate money)"
Um, yeah, pay from taxpayers money. Taxpayers may not have the need or desire to know about the mating habits of snails, the affect the moon has on hair growth or the length of an aardvark's tonsils. Most successful R/D today is paid for by (drumroll, please), private business! Think about it the next time you go to buy cold medicine, computer memory or a digital, spread-spectrum, telephone. These wonderful advances were brought to you by greedy, corporate goons who knew you wanted them in exchange for your money. Shame on them! (and once again, once anyone takes taxpayer money, they are no longer independent!).
"free and uncensored internet".
Free. Oh yeah. Quick, get a T1 to dermond in Vienna, he can't download MP3's fast enough! Sorry buddy, someone has got to pay for it. Nothing is free, no more than your time or creativity is.
Uncensored? I have never seen a word more abused than in slashdot. Most media outlets are privately owned. If your local ISP is privately owned and is not interested in carrying a newsgroup you want to read, that is not censorship, that is choice. When the Government (those tax eating pals of yours you believe can run things more fairly) decides to stop the flow of information, than you have censorship. Look up the word and get back to me.
"helping critical NGO/NPO organisations".
If an organization is critical, than it should be able to stand on its' own feet due to its' altruistic merits. I hate when a charity is having financial trouble. But you know what? Most of them survive fine because people believe in the work they are doing. Some days are better than other, but I have yet to see the United Way, Salvation Army or Red Cross bite the bullet, even under the worse financial conditions. Oh, by the way, do you know what lowers contributions to NPO's faster than anything? Higher taxes. You see, people have so much income; there is food, electricity, rent, and TAXES. What is left is called discretionary income. Of this remainder, we get charitable contributions. When the portion for living grows higher, charities suffer because there is less discretionary income. Makes sense doesn't it?
"etc"...
I agree with this. Nothing like a good "etc" from time to time.
Remember, the government needs tax money to take care of things. The more things it wants to take care of, the more tax money they need. All tax money eventually comes from people - whether directly or through higher prices charged by companies to compensate for their higher tax burden. Sorry, but I pay nearly 40% of my income to government (local, state, federal) already. I think I would like to see the fruits of my labor rather than have it redistributed unfairly to someone who did not earn it.
Sorry, Dermond. You sound like you are young, underemployed and idealistic. Don't worry, someday you will get married, have children and realize that you have better answers than those goons in Vienna who call the shots.
Viel glucken und auf wedersein, mein freund.
I always love the "poor Cubans are dying due to the embargo caused by the evil US".
Europeans are putting up luxury hotels on Cuban beaches. Spaniards and Portugese are flocking to cheap Cuba for vacations. Cuban resorts will only accept foreign money, preferably American $ if they can get them. All accepted money HAS to be changed for Cuban money at government-run money changing institutions and possession of foreign money without permission is a crime.
Meanwhile, the Cuban government has control of all funds generated by Euro-tourism in Cuba. Fidel, (president for life, BTW) and his cronies have no shortage of medical supplies, food or sattelite TV from America.
Before you blame the US, look at the system in place in Cuba. Most people starve or suffer in this world not due to lack of intervention on the part of the US, but due to poor distribution systems and political corruption on the part of their own country.
Check the facts and quick spewing the rhetoric and propoganda. Truth hurts, buckwheat.