Why is this important? What, are we struggling to make Linux as vinerable to viruii as Windows. Why not just start having trivial user programs run as root.
Seriously... whats up with this?
I guess the only useful Windows apps are viruii anyway, I just thought I'd ask the question.
- they would have wireless Internet access
- Drivers with older cars would need to "upgrade" their cars in order to access the new bridge.
- Drivers would have to agree to a EULA in order to cross the bridge.
- Tourists would be charged under the DMCA for taking pictures of it.
It comes down to time and person-power. I think the biggest failing (from personal experience;) )of most software/system design comes from either a lack of time or a lack of planning for time. The promise of "Technology" is here and now, but the bedrock is a sandy beach.
The other important consideration is person power. It's not necessarily a lack of intelligent and capable people, but rather poor management of their time (either by themselves or from project managers). For example, working long hours in "crunch time" or being forced into the 9-5 cycle. Unfortunatly, my brain does not work on the 9-5. Sometimes I'll work for hours on end in an outpouring of inspiration while other times I'll be staring blankly at an equally blank screen.
Another thing that corrupts software is the idea of "catch-all" systems. That is, does your web-browser _really_ need an IRC client? or, for that matter, an e-mail client? I think it would be helpful to break software down into individual, streamlined components that does one job - and does it really well, instead of doing a lot of jobs poorly.
> If a user wants to be babied, they're not going
> to handle hardware installation, anyway.
> They're going to go to a shop. Providing idiot-
> proof systems is simply driving up the number
> of idiots and driving down the performance of
> computers.
You know what's really sad? I've seen a lot of shops where the 'techs' are marketing drones that were sat down and shown how to install a PCI card.
I remember a long time ago a friend of mine bought a internal modem. He had the guy at the shop install it and when he brought it home, the modem refused to work. He had already talked to the tech before calling me in. It was a simple matter of disabling the external COM port in the BIOS so the modem could use it instead. I told the tech at the store who replied "that's weird, PCI is supposed to configure itself - all you need to do is put the card in and power on."
--
I think a lot of people buy a computer for the sake of having a computer. If they only sat down and thought about what they needed it for, they could probably cut a few hundred off the sticker.
At present, no home user needs a 2000MHz system. But Intel will make them believe that they do.
The last PC I put together was AMD based. Before that, I had always gone Intel. What moved me over was the fact that I could get more performance for my dollar. As long as the processor is powerful enough to do what I want, I don't really care about the clock-speed. Yeah, having a more clock speed can bring "bragging rights", but every day we are shown that clockspeed is almost meaningless in terms of performance.
In my mind, however, hiding the clock-speed rating is equivlant to hiding the version number on software. It's no longer Windows 6.0, it's Windows XP, or 2000, or Windows "The Version that Makes Windows Good(tm)."
This whole processor coverup thing started with Intel and their "Pentium" series. It does make business sense, but it can tick off tech-savvy people. Why? The average consumer thinks "Processor" and not "80586 200MHz CODENAME CPU". Consumer understand brand names, and brand names help companies develp identies and products. That is why it is now Windows 2000 and Windows XP: it creates a sub-brand of the real product.
Think about this: Windows NT 5.0 and Windows NT 6.0 versus Windows 2000 and Windows eXPerience. The version numbers make it sound like a simple "upgrade" while the brand name make them seem like completly seperate products. It may be just enough to convince people that it is a world of change, regardless of what is actually in the box.
Back to processors, I think AMD is going to try to make some brands - focus on the name and image and push aside the gritty technical details. IE. "The AMD WhizBang(tm) processor is as powerful as the Intel Pentium 4 2000MHz." It's marketing... pure and simple.
I don't think it will matter what they call it or how fast the CPU runs. Independant benchmarks will show the true performance of the processors. This could be a good thing in that it may get ordinary consumers to become more informed about speed vs performance. IMHO, an informed consumer is much better than one that simply buys the one with the bigger MHz rating.;)
Students are required to do everything themselves. Life is easy for the school techs because they can support people as they need it and (when the load becomes heavy) simply point people to the fine reading materials while they wait.
(2) partial serve:
Students with more experience are hired as "assistants" who do the redundant stuff that any MCS... umm... trained mon... err... junior technician can handle. Anything out of the ordinary is handled by a trained, experienced, professional who hasn't been bogged down by the "usual" install stuff.
(3) full service
Technicians from the institution spoon-feed network goodness to all the new luse^H^H^H^Husers.
1 - low cost, high support requests, possible problems with badly configured computers.
2 - medium cost, low requests, (risk factors?)
3 - high cost, high requests, good results
I think 3 is a good option in environments where the network is sensetive to, oh... I don't know... clients running DHCP and DNS servers from their rooms... steal^H^H^H^H^Hborrowing IP addresses of others, etc.
OTOH, from a service standpoint, #2 might be the best choice. Have an immediate support person and, if a problem arises, a more technical person is available.
Work with what you have, and see where you can go.
Install = $50CDN
Service = ~$25CDN/mo (payable by term)
Our network (AFAIK) is a fully switched 100Mbps network with a gigabit backbone. We have one residence at each campus (~30KM apart) and each house about 800 people (I think). I'm not really a networking guy, so I don't know all the gritty details (I know enough about networks to (1) not touch them. I work in systems).
Someone decided we would buy a whold bunch of 3COM (3C905B-TX) 10/100 nics for residents. Currently these cards are loaned to the students (they never actually pay for the card unless they break or loose it) for the term. We are working towards rolling the network fees into the residence fee, but... well... one word: politics.
As a comparison, cable service is $55/mo and not nearly as fast or reliable (we have some really good network people).
It's not worth the hassle. I did it before without thinking and it came back to bite me in the ass. Whatever you choose to do, make sure that your manager is aware of it and approves of it.
As any service technician would do, ensure that you cannot be held (personally) liable for any damages (consequencial or otherwise). This doesn't mean that your employer isn't responsable - just not you personally (ie. "oh, he wasn't supposed to do that").
It sucks having to tell a customer that you are not allowed to violate the warranties of other companies, but there really is nothing that you can (or should) do. If the customer insists that you remove it, have them do it:).
Hits close to home
on
Dorm Storm?
·
· Score: 5, Funny
As a technician that will bear the sole responsability of installing over 500 network adaptors in the first few weeks of September, let me ask new and returning students for a few favours:
1) please be patient when wating for an appointment, and please don't be mad at the technician for scheduling difficulties.
2) understand that the technician has nothing to do with (a) network administration, (b) vanity hostname assignment, or (c) 'hooking people up' with free network access (it makes me fell like Jim Carrey's character from Cable Guy).
3) No, I will NOT configure your Linux box to route the connection into your other computers.
4) No, I will NOT help setup that webserver for you.
5) Please do not ask me why your cheap-ass soundcard is incompatable with the new ethernet adaptor.
6) No, a 386 does not have a PCI bus. No, I can't force it in. No, we don't carry any ISA cards, but will happily install one that you purchase.
7) The PCI cards cost $80. The PCMCIA cards cost $180. Smaller does not equal cheaper.
8) No, you can't have a vanity hostname (see 2.b)
9) Yes, this service is for 'academic use only'. Do I care if your research major is erotic adult material? No. And I don't want to know.
10) Please have your installation media handy. I don't care if it is a CD-R with a warez group name inked on the front - just have the fucking media... you have any idea of how many different versions of windows there are?
11) sorry, we do not support Linux.
12) No, you cannot run a DHCP server on our network.
13) Yes, we have a very fast connection.
14) No, you cannot use an analogue modem because the phone lines carry a charge. No, sir, an electrical voltage kind of charge.
15) No, I cannot give you a static IP (see 2.b)
16) No, I will not give you an upgrade to Windows 2000.
17) No, I do not have any Linux CD's with me.
18) No, I will NOT remove the warranty sticker. Please have your dealer install an interface card.
I am there to install an Ethernet card and install the drivers for our supported platforms - which are _clearly_ stated on all of the reading materials.
The thing that _pisses_ me off is people that complain about the cost of our network services. We run at least four times faster than cable (and download and upload speeds are the same and uncapped) and charge only HALF the price. Yes, that is still more than a regular dial-up ISP, but you are getting a LOT more value for your dollar.
I will NOT diagnose/repair general computer problems. I do not care that you've been waiting for a week because I have been working as fast as I can. Complain to my manager and maybe they'll get another technician on the job. I do not have the power to hire extra help.
Just another fustrated tech person who tries to do his best and get the job done well. We need your patience, cooperation, and support. Thanks.
I would like them (RIAA, Macrovision, etc) to explain why I don't have the right to convert CD audio into another format. I have a Creative Nomad (MP3 player that uses smartcards) and it is 10x better than a CD player (IMHO) - never skips, great quality, lots of features, etc. Isn't it fair use of the CD to convert it into a format that my MP3 player can understand? It's not like I'm ripping the CD and giving it to someone else - it's all for my own use, just like copying it to tape which, afaik, is perfectly legal (now, I understand that tapes are lower quality and this lower quality is RIAA's main reason for not caring).
???
Good thing I'm in Canada and not subjigated to the DMCA... oh wait... dammit... they're bringing that over here.... arugh.
Even so, I buy very few CD's anyway. Most of my favourite artists either give away MP3's and/or sell unprotected CD's. I adore the old Amiga tracker scene and all those great songs... so I'm happy;).
IBM has these new USB keys. They store ~8MB and transfer extremly fast (they claim 128MB/s). They are about the size of a small pen (but the width of the USB port) and are, actually, useful.
The only problem is "ejecting" the drive. If you forget to "eject" the USB drive, nothing will be written to the internal media. Oops.
From my experience with USB drives, "ejecting" them can be a pain. My observations of them indicate that filehandles are not completly closed until "ejection" of the device. However, if the app that created the handle dies without properly closing the handle, the USB drive cannot be ejected properly (it says the device is "in use"). Short of turning off the computer, removing the USB drive becomes impossible (without loosing your data, that is).
However, having it as a virtual drive is a lot more conveniant than having a special interface program (eg. palm "hotsync", nomad transfer, etc). I would hope, especially with this amount of data, it is easy to create some coherant directory structure without loosing the ability to fully index the content (eg. the software on the device should recurse into directories when desired).
I am very concerned about the storage - 10-12GB HDD... what kind of HDD? I've heard bad things about the Creative Jukebox where the HDD can be sensetive to motion. While the prospect of storing this amount of data on a very portable PDA, I am worried that it is (1) easily lost, (2) easily stolen, (3) easily broken. 10GB is a lot of data...
I like my smartcards and compact flash media. You can store/organize information and worry less about total loss (if you loose or break one, you aren't completly lost).
Before I run out and buy one, I'd want to know:
- reliability
- HDD specs (can I replace it cheap or do I need an expensive part)
- warranty options
I was just looking at a picture of the device and I was thinking - cellphone. It looks like a cellphone but does everything except make phone calls and prepare dinner... now if it could only prepare dinner... mmmm... dinner...;)
I was reading his sig and was like... did something happen while I was away? Did HTTP get upgraded or something?:)
I'm of the opinion that if you can't read it in lynx, it probably isn't worth reading. ---
Price, Quality, Time. Pick none. What, you thought you had a choice?
As far as I'm concerned, KaZa is the trojan. TopText is the payload of the trojan... it is a virus.
A trojan is a program that serves a particular desired purpose while secretly delivering a program of malicious intent (or, as you stated, a progam that does undesirable things to your computer). Therefore, TopText is a virus, not a trogan. ---
Price, Quality, Time. Pick none. What, you thought you had a choice?
107. Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use38
Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 106 and 106A, the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright. In determining whether the use made of a work in any particular case is a fair use the factors to be considered shall include-
(1) the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;
(2) the nature of the copyrighted work;
(3) the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and
(4) the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.
The fact that a work is unpublished shall not itself bar a finding of fair use if such finding is made upon consideration of all the above factors
---
Price, Quality, Time. Pick none. What, you thought you had a choice?
Title 17, Section 106A(2) [The copyright owner] shall have the right to prevent the use of his or her name as the author of the work of visual art in the event of a distortion, mutilation, or other modification of the work which would be prejudicial to his or her honor or reputation;
Their software clearly distorts/mutilates/modifies content without permission from the copyright holder. IANAL, but I doubt any such modification could be considered fair use (secion 101 defines a "derivative work" as a modification that, as a whole, represents an original work of authorship - inserting ads does not constitute this).
They are the ones that haven't a leg to stand on. ---
Price, Quality, Time. Pick none. What, you thought you had a choice?
I ocasionly get numbness in my hands... usually it happens after I sleep on them for a few hours, but I'm sure it's because of the typing that I do.
I've been typing for nearly 15 years and I think my carps are suffering for that. However, there are a few things that __I__ accept as my personal responsability:
1. I chose this lifestyle. I may not have fully understood the risks, but that's my own fault.
2. It is not the fault of my employer (past, present, or future) for my career choices - if I were working in a factory, I'd wear safety shoes.
3. While I feel that my carps _are_ squished (which is what cts is), I don't seem to suffer pain from them.
Carporal(sp) Tunnels, btw, are nerve bundles that run up the arm to the hand. They are divided into two sections - half for your thumb and index finger side and half for the other side. These nerve bundels exist in a tunnel - the carporal(sp) tunnels. The positions that a lot of people take when typing - putting excess weight or pressure on the wrists - can cause the tunnels to collapse. When this happens, nerve signals are interruped from that section of the hand - causeing numbness in part (or whole) of the hand.
I do not believe it is a "made-up" illness - that some/. users seem to think - rather that it is a valid personal injury that can occur. However, it is my opinion that you are responsable for ensuring that you are taking care of your own body. This may mean that you have to be responsable for your own RSI injuries. If you employer won't let you take a break from typing, go work elsewhere. I'm sure they will reconsider if they realize they will lose your skills.
That is all. ---
Computer Science: solving today's problems tomorrow.
> Whatever happened to the mantra here that the
> web is for the user, not the web designer? That
> designers should quit trying to control layout
> and style, but should instead leave it up to
> the user? Well, so much for that, because it
> looks like everybody here now thinks that the
> user should be forced to accept the designer's
> every last whim.
I really do like the idea that Microsoft has here - automatic contextual links. The only problem that I have with it is that Microsoft has the ability to control it more than anyone else. Yes, as far as I understand the article, other content providers can distribute their own "CoolLinks" but only the Microsoft "blessed" ones will be included with the initial release. I fear that Microsoft has the ability to control what content gets linked.
I think the most contrivertial impact of this feature (and what I would like to see) is the ability to see an alternate viewpoint. Example: you are browsing www.linuxrules.com and come across a rant filled Microsoft-bashing article. When the article says "Microsoft implements xxx new evil feature into Windows" you could click that and be taken to a site that either impartially discusses the new feature or takes Microsofts side. This would go vice-versa: come across a site touting a new Microsoft feature, click on the text, and be taken to an alternate view.
I always thought the World Wide Web was about linking related information together. This seems like another way of providing links between information. I just want to be sure, and I feel most people want this as well, that one company does not have the ability to control what information gets linked and how.
I agree. I did a little more reading after my post and I discovered a few things that are very important to remember when flaming Microsoft:
1. It will be an opt-in system (default: disabled)
2. Web authors can include a meta tag to disable it (although I'd prefer if it were the other way)
If it pans out like the document reads, it could be a useful tool. I believe, however, that it offers Microsoft too much control over the Internet "experience" that a user has. I don't think my words have any meaning, so we will see how it pans out:).
> Isn't Mozilla already instable enough? (Not a
> flamebait, just an attempt to point out a
> practical problem. If there are bugs in the
> existing featureset, adding newer features
> before fixing essential ones seems unwise.)
Perhaps the average user of/. will investigate technology before they pay for it. The average person, however, will not necessarily buy the most technologically superior product - look... it's got a big red sticker that says "New Version" therefore it must be better. We are a culture of mindless sheep.
> If you place your cursor on the underlined
> word, an icon appears, and if you click on the
> icon, a small window opens to display links to
> sites offering more information. For instance,
> in the new browser, a Washington Post Web
> article on Japanese baseball players was
> littered with eight Microsoft-generated links
> that the Post editors never placed on their
> site.
I'd like something like this. I think it actually gets the web closer to what it was originally envisioned as - a way of linking information together. This feature would allow you to get related information that is (1) current, (2) relevent, and (3) not necessarily a reflection of the author's opinions. It sounds great... until...
> In the beta version I tested, most of these
> links weren't functional yet, but Microsoft
> officials confirm that they will send users to
> Microsoft Web properties or to other properties
> blessed by Microsoft. One of the links did
> work: It launched Microsoft's mediocre search
> engine, which is packed with plugs for other
> Microsoft services.
This leaves the taste of sour berries in my mouth. A useful feature that will be used to promote one company. I think it would be awesome if the browser cross-referenced the words with a directory project like dmoz. However, Microsoft is obviously trying their darndest to monopolize and control all sources of information on the Internet.
Maybe the mozilla developers can implement something like this into their project. I think it is a really neat idea and it would be a shame to see a good idea closed up, patented, and restricted from fair and public use.
But hey... that's the world we live in. right? ---
Computer Science: solving today's problems tomorrow.
> Look at the Linux driver - sure it's legal, but
> is it open source? I know about the NDA
> problems, but why does that prevent them from
> releasing a lower performance open source
> driver? Answer: Because it's not in their
> commercial interests while they have the best
> performance on Linux why let that good
> performance get back into the community where
> other vendors might take advantage of it?
I suffer from this problem. I have never had a system that could run X (XFree86) properly. 99% of the problem was not having proper drivers. On my 486, I had some no-name trident that could barely pull off 72Hz at 800x600. I lived with Linux on the commandline and booted to Windows for gui stuff. On my newer comps, I went thru another Trident AGP card, a TNT, a GF1, GF2, and now a GF3, and I still get a shitty display.
Now that 3Dfx is dead, why can't they release their friggin drivers? Arguh.
> Who knows what the long term holds in this
> industry - we might all be using OS/2 on PPCs
> in 5 years!!
Slashdot Mirror
Why is this important? What, are we struggling to make Linux as vinerable to viruii as Windows. Why not just start having trivial user programs run as root.
Seriously... whats up with this?
I guess the only useful Windows apps are viruii anyway, I just thought I'd ask the question.
Adding to your comment,
- they would have wireless Internet access
- Drivers with older cars would need to "upgrade" their cars in order to access the new bridge.
- Drivers would have to agree to a EULA in order to cross the bridge.
- Tourists would be charged under the DMCA for taking pictures of it.
:)
It comes down to time and person-power. I think the biggest failing (from personal experience ;) )of most software/system design comes from either a lack of time or a lack of planning for time. The promise of "Technology" is here and now, but the bedrock is a sandy beach.
The other important consideration is person power. It's not necessarily a lack of intelligent and capable people, but rather poor management of their time (either by themselves or from project managers). For example, working long hours in "crunch time" or being forced into the 9-5 cycle. Unfortunatly, my brain does not work on the 9-5. Sometimes I'll work for hours on end in an outpouring of inspiration while other times I'll be staring blankly at an equally blank screen.
Another thing that corrupts software is the idea of "catch-all" systems. That is, does your web-browser _really_ need an IRC client? or, for that matter, an e-mail client? I think it would be helpful to break software down into individual, streamlined components that does one job - and does it really well, instead of doing a lot of jobs poorly.
Just my 2 cents.
Keep reading...
"Consumer[s] understand brand names, and brand names help companies develp identies and products"
I said that. Please read before firing off a witty comeback.
I agree with your last statement. I tried to say that, but may have failed in my attempt.
> If a user wants to be babied, they're not going
> to handle hardware installation, anyway.
> They're going to go to a shop. Providing idiot-
> proof systems is simply driving up the number
> of idiots and driving down the performance of
> computers.
You know what's really sad? I've seen a lot of shops where the 'techs' are marketing drones that were sat down and shown how to install a PCI card.
I remember a long time ago a friend of mine bought a internal modem. He had the guy at the shop install it and when he brought it home, the modem refused to work. He had already talked to the tech before calling me in. It was a simple matter of disabling the external COM port in the BIOS so the modem could use it instead. I told the tech at the store who replied "that's weird, PCI is supposed to configure itself - all you need to do is put the card in and power on."
--
I think a lot of people buy a computer for the sake of having a computer. If they only sat down and thought about what they needed it for, they could probably cut a few hundred off the sticker.
At present, no home user needs a 2000MHz system. But Intel will make them believe that they do.
Damn the Joneses. Damn them straight to IBM.
The last PC I put together was AMD based. Before that, I had always gone Intel. What moved me over was the fact that I could get more performance for my dollar. As long as the processor is powerful enough to do what I want, I don't really care about the clock-speed. Yeah, having a more clock speed can bring "bragging rights", but every day we are shown that clockspeed is almost meaningless in terms of performance.
;)
In my mind, however, hiding the clock-speed rating is equivlant to hiding the version number on software. It's no longer Windows 6.0, it's Windows XP, or 2000, or Windows "The Version that Makes Windows Good(tm)."
This whole processor coverup thing started with Intel and their "Pentium" series. It does make business sense, but it can tick off tech-savvy people. Why? The average consumer thinks "Processor" and not "80586 200MHz CODENAME CPU". Consumer understand brand names, and brand names help companies develp identies and products. That is why it is now Windows 2000 and Windows XP: it creates a sub-brand of the real product.
Think about this: Windows NT 5.0 and Windows NT 6.0 versus Windows 2000 and Windows eXPerience. The version numbers make it sound like a simple "upgrade" while the brand name make them seem like completly seperate products. It may be just enough to convince people that it is a world of change, regardless of what is actually in the box.
Back to processors, I think AMD is going to try to make some brands - focus on the name and image and push aside the gritty technical details. IE. "The AMD WhizBang(tm) processor is as powerful as the Intel Pentium 4 2000MHz." It's marketing... pure and simple.
I don't think it will matter what they call it or how fast the CPU runs. Independant benchmarks will show the true performance of the processors. This could be a good thing in that it may get ordinary consumers to become more informed about speed vs performance. IMHO, an informed consumer is much better than one that simply buys the one with the bigger MHz rating.
It all breaks down to a few lines of service:
(1) self serve:
Students are required to do everything themselves. Life is easy for the school techs because they can support people as they need it and (when the load becomes heavy) simply point people to the fine reading materials while they wait.
(2) partial serve:
Students with more experience are hired as "assistants" who do the redundant stuff that any MCS... umm... trained mon... err... junior technician can handle. Anything out of the ordinary is handled by a trained, experienced, professional who hasn't been bogged down by the "usual" install stuff.
(3) full service
Technicians from the institution spoon-feed network goodness to all the new luse^H^H^H^Husers.
1 - low cost, high support requests, possible problems with badly configured computers.
2 - medium cost, low requests, (risk factors?)
3 - high cost, high requests, good results
I think 3 is a good option in environments where the network is sensetive to, oh... I don't know... clients running DHCP and DNS servers from their rooms... steal^H^H^H^H^Hborrowing IP addresses of others, etc.
OTOH, from a service standpoint, #2 might be the best choice. Have an immediate support person and, if a problem arises, a more technical person is available.
Work with what you have, and see where you can go.
Good luck all.
Install = $50CDN
Service = ~$25CDN/mo (payable by term)
Our network (AFAIK) is a fully switched 100Mbps network with a gigabit backbone. We have one residence at each campus (~30KM apart) and each house about 800 people (I think). I'm not really a networking guy, so I don't know all the gritty details (I know enough about networks to (1) not touch them. I work in systems).
Someone decided we would buy a whold bunch of 3COM (3C905B-TX) 10/100 nics for residents. Currently these cards are loaned to the students (they never actually pay for the card unless they break or loose it) for the term. We are working towards rolling the network fees into the residence fee, but... well... one word: politics.
As a comparison, cable service is $55/mo and not nearly as fast or reliable (we have some really good network people).
It's not worth the hassle. I did it before without thinking and it came back to bite me in the ass. Whatever you choose to do, make sure that your manager is aware of it and approves of it.
:).
As any service technician would do, ensure that you cannot be held (personally) liable for any damages (consequencial or otherwise). This doesn't mean that your employer isn't responsable - just not you personally (ie. "oh, he wasn't supposed to do that").
It sucks having to tell a customer that you are not allowed to violate the warranties of other companies, but there really is nothing that you can (or should) do. If the customer insists that you remove it, have them do it
As a technician that will bear the sole responsability of installing over 500 network adaptors in the first few weeks of September, let me ask new and returning students for a few favours:
1) please be patient when wating for an appointment, and please don't be mad at the technician for scheduling difficulties.
2) understand that the technician has nothing to do with (a) network administration, (b) vanity hostname assignment, or (c) 'hooking people up' with free network access (it makes me fell like Jim Carrey's character from Cable Guy).
3) No, I will NOT configure your Linux box to route the connection into your other computers.
4) No, I will NOT help setup that webserver for you.
5) Please do not ask me why your cheap-ass soundcard is incompatable with the new ethernet adaptor.
6) No, a 386 does not have a PCI bus. No, I can't force it in. No, we don't carry any ISA cards, but will happily install one that you purchase.
7) The PCI cards cost $80. The PCMCIA cards cost $180. Smaller does not equal cheaper.
8) No, you can't have a vanity hostname (see 2.b)
9) Yes, this service is for 'academic use only'. Do I care if your research major is erotic adult material? No. And I don't want to know.
10) Please have your installation media handy. I don't care if it is a CD-R with a warez group name inked on the front - just have the fucking media... you have any idea of how many different versions of windows there are?
11) sorry, we do not support Linux.
12) No, you cannot run a DHCP server on our network.
13) Yes, we have a very fast connection.
14) No, you cannot use an analogue modem because the phone lines carry a charge. No, sir, an electrical voltage kind of charge.
15) No, I cannot give you a static IP (see 2.b)
16) No, I will not give you an upgrade to Windows 2000.
17) No, I do not have any Linux CD's with me.
18) No, I will NOT remove the warranty sticker. Please have your dealer install an interface card.
I am there to install an Ethernet card and install the drivers for our supported platforms - which are _clearly_ stated on all of the reading materials.
The thing that _pisses_ me off is people that complain about the cost of our network services. We run at least four times faster than cable (and download and upload speeds are the same and uncapped) and charge only HALF the price. Yes, that is still more than a regular dial-up ISP, but you are getting a LOT more value for your dollar.
I will NOT diagnose/repair general computer problems. I do not care that you've been waiting for a week because I have been working as fast as I can. Complain to my manager and maybe they'll get another technician on the job. I do not have the power to hire extra help.
Just another fustrated tech person who tries to do his best and get the job done well. We need your patience, cooperation, and support. Thanks.
:)
I would like them (RIAA, Macrovision, etc) to explain why I don't have the right to convert CD audio into another format. I have a Creative Nomad (MP3 player that uses smartcards) and it is 10x better than a CD player (IMHO) - never skips, great quality, lots of features, etc. Isn't it fair use of the CD to convert it into a format that my MP3 player can understand? It's not like I'm ripping the CD and giving it to someone else - it's all for my own use, just like copying it to tape which, afaik, is perfectly legal (now, I understand that tapes are lower quality and this lower quality is RIAA's main reason for not caring).
;).
???
Good thing I'm in Canada and not subjigated to the DMCA... oh wait... dammit... they're bringing that over here.... arugh.
Even so, I buy very few CD's anyway. Most of my favourite artists either give away MP3's and/or sell unprotected CD's. I adore the old Amiga tracker scene and all those great songs... so I'm happy
IBM has these new USB keys. They store ~8MB and transfer extremly fast (they claim 128MB/s). They are about the size of a small pen (but the width of the USB port) and are, actually, useful.
The only problem is "ejecting" the drive. If you forget to "eject" the USB drive, nothing will be written to the internal media. Oops.
From my experience with USB drives, "ejecting" them can be a pain. My observations of them indicate that filehandles are not completly closed until "ejection" of the device. However, if the app that created the handle dies without properly closing the handle, the USB drive cannot be ejected properly (it says the device is "in use"). Short of turning off the computer, removing the USB drive becomes impossible (without loosing your data, that is).
However, having it as a virtual drive is a lot more conveniant than having a special interface program (eg. palm "hotsync", nomad transfer, etc). I would hope, especially with this amount of data, it is easy to create some coherant directory structure without loosing the ability to fully index the content (eg. the software on the device should recurse into directories when desired).
Sigh.
Lemme just clean the drool from my keyboard...
;)
I am very concerned about the storage - 10-12GB HDD... what kind of HDD? I've heard bad things about the Creative Jukebox where the HDD can be sensetive to motion. While the prospect of storing this amount of data on a very portable PDA, I am worried that it is (1) easily lost, (2) easily stolen, (3) easily broken. 10GB is a lot of data...
I like my smartcards and compact flash media. You can store/organize information and worry less about total loss (if you loose or break one, you aren't completly lost).
Before I run out and buy one, I'd want to know:
- reliability
- HDD specs (can I replace it cheap or do I need an expensive part)
- warranty options
I was just looking at a picture of the device and I was thinking - cellphone. It looks like a cellphone but does everything except make phone calls and prepare dinner... now if it could only prepare dinner... mmmm... dinner...
I was reading his sig and was like... did something happen while I was away? Did HTTP get upgraded or something? :)
I'm of the opinion that if you can't read it in lynx, it probably isn't worth reading.
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Price, Quality, Time. Pick none. What, you thought you had a choice?
As far as I'm concerned, KaZa is the trojan. TopText is the payload of the trojan... it is a virus.
A trojan is a program that serves a particular desired purpose while secretly delivering a program of malicious intent (or, as you stated, a progam that does undesirable things to your computer). Therefore, TopText is a virus, not a trogan.
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Price, Quality, Time. Pick none. What, you thought you had a choice?
107. Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use38 Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 106 and 106A, the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright. In determining whether the use made of a work in any particular case is a fair use the factors to be considered shall include-
(1) the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;
(2) the nature of the copyrighted work;
(3) the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and
(4) the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.
The fact that a work is unpublished shall not itself bar a finding of fair use if such finding is made upon consideration of all the above factors
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Price, Quality, Time. Pick none. What, you thought you had a choice?
American Copyright Law,
Title 17, Section 106A(2) [The copyright owner] shall have the right to prevent the use of his or her name as the author of the work of visual art in the event of a distortion, mutilation, or other modification of the work which would be prejudicial to his or her honor or reputation;
Their software clearly distorts/mutilates/modifies content without permission from the copyright holder. IANAL, but I doubt any such modification could be considered fair use (secion 101 defines a "derivative work" as a modification that, as a whole, represents an original work of authorship - inserting ads does not constitute this).
They are the ones that haven't a leg to stand on.
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Price, Quality, Time. Pick none. What, you thought you had a choice?
I ocasionly get numbness in my hands... usually it happens after I sleep on them for a few hours, but I'm sure it's because of the typing that I do.
/. users seem to think - rather that it is a valid personal injury that can occur. However, it is my opinion that you are responsable for ensuring that you are taking care of your own body. This may mean that you have to be responsable for your own RSI injuries. If you employer won't let you take a break from typing, go work elsewhere. I'm sure they will reconsider if they realize they will lose your skills.
I've been typing for nearly 15 years and I think my carps are suffering for that. However, there are a few things that __I__ accept as my personal responsability:
1. I chose this lifestyle. I may not have fully understood the risks, but that's my own fault.
2. It is not the fault of my employer (past, present, or future) for my career choices - if I were working in a factory, I'd wear safety shoes.
3. While I feel that my carps _are_ squished (which is what cts is), I don't seem to suffer pain from them.
Carporal(sp) Tunnels, btw, are nerve bundles that run up the arm to the hand. They are divided into two sections - half for your thumb and index finger side and half for the other side. These nerve bundels exist in a tunnel - the carporal(sp) tunnels. The positions that a lot of people take when typing - putting excess weight or pressure on the wrists - can cause the tunnels to collapse. When this happens, nerve signals are interruped from that section of the hand - causeing numbness in part (or whole) of the hand.
I do not believe it is a "made-up" illness - that some
That is all.
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Computer Science: solving today's problems tomorrow.
100,000.00 CD's
;).
x $0.50 each
==========
$50,000.00
+ 10% shipping costs roughly 10%
==========
$55,000.00
Your "no-brainer" just got a tad expensive.
OTOH, shove the image on a bunch of servers and clamp the bandwidth at a max 28.8bps and laugh as us westerners try to download
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Computer Science: solving today's problems tomorrow.
> Whatever happened to the mantra here that the
> web is for the user, not the web designer? That
> designers should quit trying to control layout
> and style, but should instead leave it up to
> the user? Well, so much for that, because it
> looks like everybody here now thinks that the
> user should be forced to accept the designer's
> every last whim.
I really do like the idea that Microsoft has here - automatic contextual links. The only problem that I have with it is that Microsoft has the ability to control it more than anyone else. Yes, as far as I understand the article, other content providers can distribute their own "CoolLinks" but only the Microsoft "blessed" ones will be included with the initial release. I fear that Microsoft has the ability to control what content gets linked.
I think the most contrivertial impact of this feature (and what I would like to see) is the ability to see an alternate viewpoint. Example: you are browsing www.linuxrules.com and come across a rant filled Microsoft-bashing article. When the article says "Microsoft implements xxx new evil feature into Windows" you could click that and be taken to a site that either impartially discusses the new feature or takes Microsofts side. This would go vice-versa: come across a site touting a new Microsoft feature, click on the text, and be taken to an alternate view.
I always thought the World Wide Web was about linking related information together. This seems like another way of providing links between information. I just want to be sure, and I feel most people want this as well, that one company does not have the ability to control what information gets linked and how.
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Computer Science: solving today's problems tomorrow.
I agree. I did a little more reading after my post and I discovered a few things that are very important to remember when flaming Microsoft:
:).
1. It will be an opt-in system (default: disabled)
2. Web authors can include a meta tag to disable it (although I'd prefer if it were the other way)
If it pans out like the document reads, it could be a useful tool. I believe, however, that it offers Microsoft too much control over the Internet "experience" that a user has. I don't think my words have any meaning, so we will see how it pans out
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Computer Science: solving today's problems tomorrow.
> Isn't Mozilla already instable enough? (Not a
:)
> flamebait, just an attempt to point out a
> practical problem. If there are bugs in the
> existing featureset, adding newer features
> before fixing essential ones seems unwise.)
Very true! hehe.
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Computer Science: solving today's problems tomorrow.
Perhaps the average user of /. will investigate technology before they pay for it. The average person, however, will not necessarily buy the most technologically superior product - look... it's got a big red sticker that says "New Version" therefore it must be better. We are a culture of mindless sheep.
Baaaa.
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Computer Science: solving today's problems tomorrow.
> If you place your cursor on the underlined
> word, an icon appears, and if you click on the
> icon, a small window opens to display links to
> sites offering more information. For instance,
> in the new browser, a Washington Post Web
> article on Japanese baseball players was
> littered with eight Microsoft-generated links
> that the Post editors never placed on their
> site.
I'd like something like this. I think it actually gets the web closer to what it was originally envisioned as - a way of linking information together. This feature would allow you to get related information that is (1) current, (2) relevent, and (3) not necessarily a reflection of the author's opinions. It sounds great... until...
> In the beta version I tested, most of these
> links weren't functional yet, but Microsoft
> officials confirm that they will send users to
> Microsoft Web properties or to other properties
> blessed by Microsoft. One of the links did
> work: It launched Microsoft's mediocre search
> engine, which is packed with plugs for other
> Microsoft services.
This leaves the taste of sour berries in my mouth. A useful feature that will be used to promote one company. I think it would be awesome if the browser cross-referenced the words with a directory project like dmoz. However, Microsoft is obviously trying their darndest to monopolize and control all sources of information on the Internet.
Maybe the mozilla developers can implement something like this into their project. I think it is a really neat idea and it would be a shame to see a good idea closed up, patented, and restricted from fair and public use.
But hey... that's the world we live in. right?
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Computer Science: solving today's problems tomorrow.
> Look at the Linux driver - sure it's legal, but
;)
> is it open source? I know about the NDA
> problems, but why does that prevent them from
> releasing a lower performance open source
> driver? Answer: Because it's not in their
> commercial interests while they have the best
> performance on Linux why let that good
> performance get back into the community where
> other vendors might take advantage of it?
I suffer from this problem. I have never had a system that could run X (XFree86) properly. 99% of the problem was not having proper drivers. On my 486, I had some no-name trident that could barely pull off 72Hz at 800x600. I lived with Linux on the commandline and booted to Windows for gui stuff. On my newer comps, I went thru another Trident AGP card, a TNT, a GF1, GF2, and now a GF3, and I still get a shitty display.
Now that 3Dfx is dead, why can't they release their friggin drivers? Arguh.
> Who knows what the long term holds in this
> industry - we might all be using OS/2 on PPCs
> in 5 years!!
Hey, that sounds sweet.
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Computer Science: solving today's problems tomorrow.