There is NOTHING fun in having to install THREE (simultaneous) versions of.NET on a client to finally find the.NET framework that the.NET application needs to work.
Try explaining that to grandma who knows NOTHING about computers.
On the other hand, I don't mind MS giving me extra income.
Microsoft and Ballmer have both lost opportunities and blown the opportunities they've been given extra chances on.
Take Vista/7 OS for example. Is there a reason to have both 32 and 64 bit versions of all six (think there are that many) SKUs???
If MS had vision, it would have simply made Windows 7, all versions, complete 64 bit, and forgot about backwards compatibility when it didn't make sense; no 32 bit version. It would have solved all sorts of problems going forward. 32 bit is going away in the next year or two anyways. AND the only reason 32 bit exists is for "backwards compatibility".
Right now, I'm making the following recommendations for ALL OS choices, 32 bit gets XP, and 64 bit requires Win 7 (no 32 bit 7). If your app doesn't work in Win 7/64 then you get XP, and get stuck in the past.
THAT would be "vision" on a small scale. IT is what SHOULD have been done, by executive decision from the top.
I dunno. Ask Franken how he feels about "Fairness Doctrine", and see if he is all for "free speech" or if he has some other agenda.
Look neither the (R) or (D) don't have a monopoly on virtue. Both sides are concerned more with power than "the little guy".
While I normally don't agree with the Senator from MN, I agree with him on THIS ONE ISSUE. The sad thing is, Mr Smalley (aka Franken is not doing it for the "small guy" or even to stick it to the man, he's doing it for himself.
As for Net Neutrality, I'd much rather have people vote with their dollars, than have some bogus legislation that, in theory, to doing something but in reality doesn't (except aggregate power into the hands of a few elites).
THE real solution is to the whole problem is to take a different approach to the last mile problem. Municipalities should build out the last mile infrastructure, put conditions on use, and auction off the capacity. That way if the company cannot perform it can be offered to another who will do the job correctly.
I live in a fairly small town, and there is MILES and MILES of dark fiber laying underground here. I only wish someone had access to it to bring FIOS to the last mile.
I tell you, as a person who has seen the horrible effects of daily and continual use of things like marijuana on friends (former most of them) and relatives, the effects of usage is truly disastrous. The problems however don't materialize overnight. They only appear after decades of daily use.
The effect is a 49 year old man who is mentally 14 or so (the year he started daily smoking), dropping trou and snapping bras like a JR High Schooler at a Thanksgiving Dinner.
The worst part is the "whadIdo" disbelief when called on it.
SO, you're experiences aren't the same as mine. I've smoked my share of doobies and bongs in my day (nicknamed Iron Lungs at one point). But at some point I realized that I had to grow up, and couldn't remain a 15 year old into my thirties. Pot smokers, are the age (maturity) they started smoking at.
That all being said, I'm quite libertarian about drugs. All the laws against dope haven't stopped people from staying off them. I do have big problem having society having to pay for their addiction. Legalize it, and tax the crap out of it.
We can increase the prices of drugs without banning them. My solution has always been to legalize them, and tax them into oblivion. We'll end up like cigarettes are today. People will still smoke, but it is controlled, expensive habit. AND it reduced usage.
Let the people kill themselves with drugs, they're gonna do it anyway, might as well run some part of government off the stupid people.
All of the "exceptions" you listed (signatures, comments penned by hand) are NOT OCRed, making it text searchable as needed by the ORIGINAL concept.
Changing processes would solve the need to OCR documents that already exist as searchable text elsewhere. EVEN if you have need to document signatures and other hand written notes.
It is a real need (searchable text), I never said that it wasn't. I'm just quibbling over the process to attain the goal.
There are plenty of alternatives to take your WORD (or whatever) doc and get it into a searchable PDF without scanning the damn thing into a TIFF and then OCRing it back to text later.
This may affect more than Wordpress if what you're saying is right. It will affect all sorts of other applications; CMS', Bulletin Boards, Helpdesks and so on.
On the other hand, if it is, as I suspect, more closely related to APIs (documented calls) This would be akin to LINUX kernel (GPL) requiring all libraries that touch it also be GPL. IT obviously doesn't.
PHP is a scripting language, and the APIs of WP and other similar "web applications" are there expressly to handle data sharing. However, most of the PHP code is touching something like a MySQL database using PHP based MySQL APIs.
Here is what I figure is my test for whether something is "part" of a program or not. Can you add, remove, and otherwise change the "module" without breaking/modifying code of the original program? If so, then it is not PART of the program, but a completely separate program that functions through open APIs designed for the express purpose of data exchange.
Similar to the same way that vi isn't part of the Linux kernel, but uses the kernel(among others) APIs to function.
Further, attempting to appropriate code/modules/templates that are NOT part of the distribution, but are distributed separately would be another great distinction of separation. WP doesn't need X to function, and X is not included in the distribution, therefore X does not need to follow the licensing of the distribution (GPL).
If, however the code for the template/module contains code found in GPL distributed application, then all bets are off as that is a clear derivative.
Most, if not ALL of the documents being scanned into PDF format, are generated on computers already, so why go through the whole OCR process, and not get the actual document from the original source in a PDF version that is already text searchable?
THIS is exactly the problem with document management and processing today! Doing things the hard way because we can't be bothered changing processes that will save tons of money, be more effective, and accurate.
I know people who type a document in WORD and then print it to the Copier/scanner/fax device, go pick up the document, put it on the document scanner, scans it to email (PDF) and sends it that way.
You're right if it is a "single" third party. However if they system broke down enough that we had parties representing the SF Liberal, Southern Blue Dog, Tea Party, Neocons, and more, completely shattering the duopoly, it could and would work.
We just need to get sick enough of the current batch to do it. It would create some fairly strange bedfellows in the end, but that would break the (R) good/bad (D) bad/good paradigm with only rapes the electorate of a real voice.
What if this is a way to give away Mac OS X for use on DIY hardware?
I don't think you understand WHY 1-6 are working. Apple doesn't sell HW. They don't sell SW. They don't sell phones.
They are selling the experience. In short they sell the sizzle, not the steak.
Putting the OS on commodity HW and giving it away with ADs popping up violates the whole approach. It has been done with the default bloat/crap/malware installs on HP and Dell computers sold at Walmart for years, and why most people NEED quad cores to run Windows.
It's like saying when the democrats screw up, people will vote third party, when in truth, they'll vote republican... again.
And in four years, they'll vote the Democrats back, but with a (R) president (or Hillary) knowing exactly what to expect, but hoping they are wrong.
I really wish third parties got together, setting aside their differences and pooling their national campaigns into a "status quo (D) and (R) sucks, vote third party" type campaign.
Two party system sucks, and one party cannot represent the constituency it is supposed to represent.
My three year old Blackberry sees a phone number, in just about every app, and if you highlight it (single click), it pulls up a menu asking what you want to do with it, including DIALING it (SMS, Add to phonebook, copy, etc).
Email addresses, web addresses and whatnot all have similar options. Anything less in my next phone will be a deal breaker.
There are two kinds of product managers out there.
The first one is the Rah-rah sales person who only wants to see "good" news about product. They tend to ignore problems (minimize), while extolling worthless features (maximize). They don't want to hear what is wrong, they want it buried.
The second product manager is often indistinguishable from the first at first glance. However, they are always looking at what is "wrong" with a product to make it better. They may want to hide problems, but only until they have them solved.
When you see a problem or when you get a report, if you bury it, you're an idiot. it is far to hard to keep things hidden today. A vocal dissatisfied customer means you've got several others out there that aren't being vocal. Address the problem.
I've said it before, if I was a product manager, I'd want to hear about problems because I view things like that as opportunities in disguise. Resolving problems is hard, but fixing problems has its own rewards.
1) Pity those airports and the customer's they (don't) serve.
2) Check in late? BUMMER. Would you be willing to pay a premium for window or isle seats? BTW, I'm fairly tall at 6'5", so I always check in early so I can get a bulkhead seat(More legroom). ALWAYS.
3) Oh well. Not my problem
4) This was a problem. It has been corrected by oversight by regulation. THIS regulation I don't mind.
5) High Speed Rail is a boondogle that looses money everywhere it is employed. ALL HSR is government subsidized.
6) SWA flies only 737 to simplify their fleet and support costs for servicing their fleet. I would suspect that in some point in the future, they will switch to some other mid class jet that is newer more efficient.
7) Nobody handles check in better than others. Checkin is a hassle only if you're expecting something different. It is what it is.
8) SWA is consistent for the most part. It what is what it was 10 years ago. They don't dink you, but they are no frills. The lower expectations of SWA are comforting when you need a flight, because even though they aren't great, they are at least palatable, and you're not going to get a surprise when you book them.
What you over regulated people fail to comprehend is that Over regulation only serves the purpose of those with short attention spans who want instant gratification and life of ease over the hard work and long term approach that really pays dividends.
Life is hard work. Any "regulation" designed to make it "easy" doesn't work, and makes life more difficult.
Don't like the hidden fees? DON'T PATRONIZE the companies that do that. It is REALLY that simple.
WHY would you want government to fix this for you?
"because I'm a lazy bastard who can't be bothered doing something about it myself"
It seems to me that the more scientists learn about the Earth and our place in the Universe, the more the religious fundamentalists disbelieve them.
Actually, I find those acting like "religious fundamentalists" are those promoting AGW. I'm one of those people who, to use your example of Galileo, are saying "let me see".
The problem is that the priestly class of scientists are saying "no, you can't see the secrets of the Vatican, you're just a stupid peasant.
When it comes to "show us" there is nothing but smoke and mirrors (falsified data) and hand wringing.
You do know that the church used to lock people out right? Which is a lot like the whole climategate scandal. "We can't show you, you're the unwashed masses. It is our secret formula".
Yeah, show us. PLEASE do, just don't tell us what you see through the telescope and expect us to believe it.
And you'll still want to drive your car/truck/suv and want cheap gas. You'll want fresh produce brought from far away places via vehicles, boats and planes using the petroleum. Farmed by farm equipment running on petroleum.
And you'll probably still vote for the people doing this all of this in your name, because thay are better than the other guy. You'll reject tort reforms so the lawyers will still win, or you will support Tort reform and keep victims from suing for bazillions they are owed. You'll own stock in the very companies you hate in your 401k equity funds.
Yeah, you're right. Back to business as usual.
My point? We ALL are to blame for this one way or another. Some more so than others. I'm not passing the buck pass BP at all. They surely deserve a lions share of the blame. But so does all the people who are STILL getting in the way of cleaning up this mess. Bill Clinton was right when he said there will be enough time later to play the blame game, and we should have been focusing on the problem 100%.
On a side note, I'm happy for the relatively good news. Let us hope that it holds.
Slashdot Mirror
There is NOTHING fun in having to install THREE (simultaneous) versions of .NET on a client to finally find the .NET framework that the .NET application needs to work.
Try explaining that to grandma who knows NOTHING about computers.
On the other hand, I don't mind MS giving me extra income.
No Vision is right.
Microsoft and Ballmer have both lost opportunities and blown the opportunities they've been given extra chances on.
Take Vista/7 OS for example. Is there a reason to have both 32 and 64 bit versions of all six (think there are that many) SKUs???
If MS had vision, it would have simply made Windows 7, all versions, complete 64 bit, and forgot about backwards compatibility when it didn't make sense; no 32 bit version. It would have solved all sorts of problems going forward. 32 bit is going away in the next year or two anyways. AND the only reason 32 bit exists is for "backwards compatibility".
Right now, I'm making the following recommendations for ALL OS choices, 32 bit gets XP, and 64 bit requires Win 7 (no 32 bit 7). If your app doesn't work in Win 7/64 then you get XP, and get stuck in the past.
THAT would be "vision" on a small scale. IT is what SHOULD have been done, by executive decision from the top.
I dunno. Ask Franken how he feels about "Fairness Doctrine", and see if he is all for "free speech" or if he has some other agenda.
Look neither the (R) or (D) don't have a monopoly on virtue. Both sides are concerned more with power than "the little guy".
While I normally don't agree with the Senator from MN, I agree with him on THIS ONE ISSUE. The sad thing is, Mr Smalley (aka Franken is not doing it for the "small guy" or even to stick it to the man, he's doing it for himself.
As for Net Neutrality, I'd much rather have people vote with their dollars, than have some bogus legislation that, in theory, to doing something but in reality doesn't (except aggregate power into the hands of a few elites).
THE real solution is to the whole problem is to take a different approach to the last mile problem. Municipalities should build out the last mile infrastructure, put conditions on use, and auction off the capacity. That way if the company cannot perform it can be offered to another who will do the job correctly.
I live in a fairly small town, and there is MILES and MILES of dark fiber laying underground here. I only wish someone had access to it to bring FIOS to the last mile.
It was like this one time at band camp ....
I tell you, as a person who has seen the horrible effects of daily and continual use of things like marijuana on friends (former most of them) and relatives, the effects of usage is truly disastrous. The problems however don't materialize overnight. They only appear after decades of daily use.
The effect is a 49 year old man who is mentally 14 or so (the year he started daily smoking), dropping trou and snapping bras like a JR High Schooler at a Thanksgiving Dinner.
The worst part is the "whadIdo" disbelief when called on it.
SO, you're experiences aren't the same as mine. I've smoked my share of doobies and bongs in my day (nicknamed Iron Lungs at one point). But at some point I realized that I had to grow up, and couldn't remain a 15 year old into my thirties. Pot smokers, are the age (maturity) they started smoking at.
That all being said, I'm quite libertarian about drugs. All the laws against dope haven't stopped people from staying off them. I do have big problem having society having to pay for their addiction. Legalize it, and tax the crap out of it.
We can increase the prices of drugs without banning them. My solution has always been to legalize them, and tax them into oblivion. We'll end up like cigarettes are today. People will still smoke, but it is controlled, expensive habit. AND it reduced usage.
Let the people kill themselves with drugs, they're gonna do it anyway, might as well run some part of government off the stupid people.
All of the "exceptions" you listed (signatures, comments penned by hand) are NOT OCRed, making it text searchable as needed by the ORIGINAL concept.
Changing processes would solve the need to OCR documents that already exist as searchable text elsewhere. EVEN if you have need to document signatures and other hand written notes.
It is a real need (searchable text), I never said that it wasn't. I'm just quibbling over the process to attain the goal.
Print to PDF, ever heard of that?
OpenOffice Export to PDF, ever heard of that?
Acrobat Professional, ever heard of that?
How about copy/paste into email?
There are plenty of alternatives to take your WORD (or whatever) doc and get it into a searchable PDF without scanning the damn thing into a TIFF and then OCRing it back to text later.
This may affect more than Wordpress if what you're saying is right. It will affect all sorts of other applications; CMS', Bulletin Boards, Helpdesks and so on.
On the other hand, if it is, as I suspect, more closely related to APIs (documented calls) This would be akin to LINUX kernel (GPL) requiring all libraries that touch it also be GPL. IT obviously doesn't.
PHP is a scripting language, and the APIs of WP and other similar "web applications" are there expressly to handle data sharing. However, most of the PHP code is touching something like a MySQL database using PHP based MySQL APIs.
Here is what I figure is my test for whether something is "part" of a program or not. Can you add, remove, and otherwise change the "module" without breaking/modifying code of the original program? If so, then it is not PART of the program, but a completely separate program that functions through open APIs designed for the express purpose of data exchange.
Similar to the same way that vi isn't part of the Linux kernel, but uses the kernel(among others) APIs to function.
Further, attempting to appropriate code/modules/templates that are NOT part of the distribution, but are distributed separately would be another great distinction of separation. WP doesn't need X to function, and X is not included in the distribution, therefore X does not need to follow the licensing of the distribution (GPL).
If, however the code for the template/module contains code found in GPL distributed application, then all bets are off as that is a clear derivative.
Most, if not ALL of the documents being scanned into PDF format, are generated on computers already, so why go through the whole OCR process, and not get the actual document from the original source in a PDF version that is already text searchable?
THIS is exactly the problem with document management and processing today! Doing things the hard way because we can't be bothered changing processes that will save tons of money, be more effective, and accurate.
I know people who type a document in WORD and then print it to the Copier/scanner/fax device, go pick up the document, put it on the document scanner, scans it to email (PDF) and sends it that way.
SERIOUSLY???
Don't you mean upside down??? ;)
You must have seen the news that Dell was shipping a trojan on one (admitted) server Motherboard.
http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/shortsharpscience/2010/07/pc-giant-warns-of-hardware-tro.html
You're right if it is a "single" third party. However if they system broke down enough that we had parties representing the SF Liberal, Southern Blue Dog, Tea Party, Neocons, and more, completely shattering the duopoly, it could and would work.
We just need to get sick enough of the current batch to do it. It would create some fairly strange bedfellows in the end, but that would break the (R) good/bad (D) bad/good paradigm with only rapes the electorate of a real voice.
I don't think you understand WHY 1-6 are working. Apple doesn't sell HW. They don't sell SW. They don't sell phones.
They are selling the experience. In short they sell the sizzle, not the steak.
Putting the OS on commodity HW and giving it away with ADs popping up violates the whole approach. It has been done with the default bloat/crap/malware installs on HP and Dell computers sold at Walmart for years, and why most people NEED quad cores to run Windows.
In short, I don't think so.
And in four years, they'll vote the Democrats back, but with a (R) president (or Hillary) knowing exactly what to expect, but hoping they are wrong.
I really wish third parties got together, setting aside their differences and pooling their national campaigns into a "status quo (D) and (R) sucks, vote third party" type campaign.
Two party system sucks, and one party cannot represent the constituency it is supposed to represent.
Well see, that's a problem for me.
My three year old Blackberry sees a phone number, in just about every app, and if you highlight it (single click), it pulls up a menu asking what you want to do with it, including DIALING it (SMS, Add to phonebook, copy, etc).
Email addresses, web addresses and whatnot all have similar options. Anything less in my next phone will be a deal breaker.
There are two kinds of product managers out there.
The first one is the Rah-rah sales person who only wants to see "good" news about product. They tend to ignore problems (minimize), while extolling worthless features (maximize). They don't want to hear what is wrong, they want it buried.
The second product manager is often indistinguishable from the first at first glance. However, they are always looking at what is "wrong" with a product to make it better. They may want to hide problems, but only until they have them solved.
When you see a problem or when you get a report, if you bury it, you're an idiot. it is far to hard to keep things hidden today. A vocal dissatisfied customer means you've got several others out there that aren't being vocal. Address the problem.
I've said it before, if I was a product manager, I'd want to hear about problems because I view things like that as opportunities in disguise. Resolving problems is hard, but fixing problems has its own rewards.
Fox News Anchors being the exception.
Next time your boss acts immature, you can point out the irony that they block "mature" content and that it must have rubbed off.
I stopped watching TV on my TV, and ... my satisfaction is up 100% over last year when I had Cable.
High Speed Internet provides a better experience for me. Between things like HULU and NETFLIX ... I get most of what I want, when I want it.
I do miss a few things here and there, but not a whole lot.
1) Pity those airports and the customer's they (don't) serve.
2) Check in late? BUMMER. Would you be willing to pay a premium for window or isle seats? BTW, I'm fairly tall at 6'5", so I always check in early so I can get a bulkhead seat(More legroom). ALWAYS.
3) Oh well. Not my problem
4) This was a problem. It has been corrected by oversight by regulation. THIS regulation I don't mind.
5) High Speed Rail is a boondogle that looses money everywhere it is employed. ALL HSR is government subsidized.
6) SWA flies only 737 to simplify their fleet and support costs for servicing their fleet. I would suspect that in some point in the future, they will switch to some other mid class jet that is newer more efficient.
7) Nobody handles check in better than others. Checkin is a hassle only if you're expecting something different. It is what it is.
8) SWA is consistent for the most part. It what is what it was 10 years ago. They don't dink you, but they are no frills. The lower expectations of SWA are comforting when you need a flight, because even though they aren't great, they are at least palatable, and you're not going to get a surprise when you book them.
What you over regulated people fail to comprehend is that Over regulation only serves the purpose of those with short attention spans who want instant gratification and life of ease over the hard work and long term approach that really pays dividends.
Life is hard work. Any "regulation" designed to make it "easy" doesn't work, and makes life more difficult.
Don't like the hidden fees? DON'T PATRONIZE the companies that do that. It is REALLY that simple.
WHY would you want government to fix this for you?
"because I'm a lazy bastard who can't be bothered doing something about it myself"
Actually, I find those acting like "religious fundamentalists" are those promoting AGW. I'm one of those people who, to use your example of Galileo, are saying "let me see".
The problem is that the priestly class of scientists are saying "no, you can't see the secrets of the Vatican, you're just a stupid peasant.
When it comes to "show us" there is nothing but smoke and mirrors (falsified data) and hand wringing.
You do know that the church used to lock people out right? Which is a lot like the whole climategate scandal. "We can't show you, you're the unwashed masses. It is our secret formula".
Yeah, show us. PLEASE do, just don't tell us what you see through the telescope and expect us to believe it.
Whatever, beer snob!
Everest Glacier Ice makes the BEST bong water! QED
And you'll still want to drive your car/truck/suv and want cheap gas. You'll want fresh produce brought from far away places via vehicles, boats and planes using the petroleum. Farmed by farm equipment running on petroleum.
And you'll probably still vote for the people doing this all of this in your name, because thay are better than the other guy. You'll reject tort reforms so the lawyers will still win, or you will support Tort reform and keep victims from suing for bazillions they are owed. You'll own stock in the very companies you hate in your 401k equity funds.
Yeah, you're right. Back to business as usual.
My point? We ALL are to blame for this one way or another. Some more so than others. I'm not passing the buck pass BP at all. They surely deserve a lions share of the blame. But so does all the people who are STILL getting in the way of cleaning up this mess. Bill Clinton was right when he said there will be enough time later to play the blame game, and we should have been focusing on the problem 100%.
On a side note, I'm happy for the relatively good news. Let us hope that it holds.