The keyboard I use (see my sig) has no Windows logo (it has "Start" instead), and it has dedicated keys for copying, cutting, pasting plus a couple of other useful functions ("app" and "shuffle"). These are set up for Windows but a Linux system can be mapped to use them if it's not already.
Plus, the keyboard in the article is too big (IMHO). My keyboard is much smaller and better suits a minimalistic "Linux" aesthetic.
All you people complaining about Java GUIs need to check out SWT. It's the GUI framework used for Eclipse. It's pretty fast, cross-platform, easy to program for*, and takes advantage of native widgets so your apps look like native ones. I also recommend this book on it if you're new to SWT as I am.
*You still need to use layout managers as in the other frameworks, but this is a given for cross-platform apps.
How do I resolve these issues? Stop the application that is responsible for the failing connection attempts.
Me: "Mr. Goodwrench, my car makes this horrible knocking noise and it will only go 40 miles per hour. What do I do?" Mr. Goodwrench: "Stop driving the car."
Who cares if Dvorak takes over? It's not like everybody has to switch before anybody can use it. I think it's better, and that's why I use it. However, this is a different argument than whether it actually IS better, and whether it was designed for the sake of change.
There is an excellent description of the Dvorak layout on the web, along with a brief history. The inventor of the keyboard conducted extensive keyboarding studies that fed into the design; nevertheless they (and the studies that followed) can only be taken for so much truth before succumbing to the "lies, damn lies, and benchmarks" argument, usually due to whether you believe the study director was biased. Regardless, I think it's clear Dvorak designed the keyboard because he thought he could improve upon Qwerty, not because he just wanted to be different.
In a more general sense, I think it would be stupid to think we can't improve on things that already are functional standards. Quick show of hands: how many/. readers think Windows can't be improved on? How about another one: how many people think the plurality election method is the best one possible? How many people even know there are alternatives? (/. readers are an exception here). Criticizing folks for questioning the status quo is just bad for everybody.
Anyway, back to the point: you're right there's no real cry for improvement, but this could be due to any number of factors. Most people don't even know Dvorak exists; others already know Qwerty and are resistant to change; others have concrete practical reasons for using Qwerty, like the need to use special software like Autocad; or, Qwerty may just be better. Regardless, I don't think anybody's suggesting that everybody switch to Dvorak en masse.
I tend to think that this type of analysis is at best very difficult, and at worst impossible. I think most people (including market analysts) are far too quick to assign causality - they're a victim of the fact that their own brains are hard-wired to look for patterns where they may or may not exist, and it takes serious effort to restrain this tendency. Of course I may be wrong and somebody could make serious money by "cracking the code" so to speak, but as others here have pointed out, their success would change the nature of the game, necessitating more analysis, ad infinitum.
I can recommend another book in a similar vein: Armor, by John Steakley. It's similar in that humans in powered, armored suits fight vaguely giant-insect-like aliens, but it's less focused on the military aspect and more on the psychological. It's about this poor guy who, due to a computer glitch, keeps getting sent on dangerous drops, as a Scout (the most dangerous role). More reviews here and here. I thought it was pretty good.
The wife of a coworker of mine works for the CDC, and she travels all over the place doing field studies. She remarked of a recent trip to Haiti that people practically worship the Gates family for their support of health clinics. In fact I remember one story she told of an occasion when Bill and Melinda visited there, and some locals were dropping their pants to show them that they were healed of whatever diseases were affecting their genital regions. Needless to say, Melinda was pretty embarrassed;-) Apparently people aren't very shy in Haiti compared to the U.S.
Sorry to be nitpicky - but that's paranoia, not cynicism. Of course they're related. Not that I think you should have too much of either (some is healthy I suppose).
I do this in my car. I accelerate to a speed slightly higher than the traffic around me, then coast (I have a standard transmission). I try to time the coasts so that I'm coasting downhill and can maintain the speed while idling, or uphill and decelerating.
With this technique I get an improvement in fuel efficiency of 5-7 mpg, which equates to 20-25%. Not much but it's better than nothing... of course it does add wear and tear to my clutch.
I think you have a valid point here. The advent of web services makes it practical to build Windows forms (not browser-based) applications that have the same central administration and scalability benefits that web apps have, only with a more usable interface. Although Microsoft has bent over backwards to come up with a good development platform for web apps (ASP.NET), some developers in my company feel that the next wave will be a return to native-UI apps based on web services.
Further evidence of this can be found in the new programming model for Windows apps present in Longhorn, code-named Avalon, which makes it possible to build Windows apps using a declarative syntax similar to HTML (XAML). I can't say yet whether I think this approach is good and their implementation will live up to its promises, but it's always been clear to me that HTML was sorely lacking in the UI (forms) department, the biggest shortcoming being a lack of widgets. XAML appears to address that.
Anyway, my point is that I agree Microsoft may be transitioning away from pure web applications, for better or for worse.
I (and the company I work for) use ASSP and have been very impressed with its results. Spam in my boss's inbox went from 100-200 messages per day down to a handful... I'd like to see it compared to the other anti-spam packages mentioned.
You're more right on than you think. The biggest problem with our election system is NOT the voting machines - it's our election method. Under the current system, LOTS of people can't accurately express their preferences. There are numerous other drawbacks.
Better alternatives exist (approval voting being the most practical), but the media has decided that it's not a sexy enough issue to report on, and those who aren't ignorant of it are apathetic about it. If Florida had been using approval voting, I'm pretty sure Al Gore would have been elected.
Ultimately, a rational election method produces a more accurate picture of the public's preferences, and the theory is that this leads to better decisions (i.e., better leaders in office). Given our current system I'm pessimistic about our ability to put anyone with any sense into office.
1) A single manufacturer will put out a whole suite of appliances that interact with each other in a well-thought-out way, but using proprietary protocols.
2) Standards and protocols will be developed to enable arbitrary communication among devices.
The first scenario won't fly because most people don't like to get all their stuff at one time, from the same manufacturer. This scenario is also likely to be expensive for the consumer.
The second takes a long time to develop due to the large number of players involved. Case in point: look at how long it has taken to get real B2B integration via web services. Many would argue it's *still* not off the ground; and IMO it's a simpler case.
I predict "convergence" won't happen in a meaningful way for another 5-10 years at least.
Hmmm... I have mod points and thought it would be funny to mod your complaint down as Offtopic, but I figured the point would be lost. Hence this reply instead:)
I was taught in typing class way back when that if you have 3 or more capital letters to type in a row, it's worth it to hit Caps Lock. Given the number of TLAs (three-letter acronyms) in the computer world, I would think it would come in handy for a lot of people. It's good to have for gaming too - you can map it to whatever you want.
That said, the keyboard I use (see my sig) has it at the top of the keyboard, in the middle. I don't use it all that much, and I think it's a good enough spot for it.
Slashdot Mirror
Imagine a Beowulf cluster of these....
;-)
Admit it - it beats most Beowulf clusters by a long shot
Mike
The keyboard I use (see my sig) has no Windows logo (it has "Start" instead), and it has dedicated keys for copying, cutting, pasting plus a couple of other useful functions ("app" and "shuffle"). These are set up for Windows but a Linux system can be mapped to use them if it's not already.
Plus, the keyboard in the article is too big (IMHO). My keyboard is much smaller and better suits a minimalistic "Linux" aesthetic.
Oh - and it switches between Qwerty and Dvorak.
All you people complaining about Java GUIs need to check out SWT. It's the GUI framework used for Eclipse. It's pretty fast, cross-platform, easy to program for*, and takes advantage of native widgets so your apps look like native ones. I also recommend this book on it if you're new to SWT as I am.
*You still need to use layout managers as in the other frameworks, but this is a given for cross-platform apps.
Won't this require twice the bandwidth to transmit?
From the article:
How do I resolve these issues?
Stop the application that is responsible for the failing connection attempts.
Me: "Mr. Goodwrench, my car makes this horrible knocking noise and it will only go 40 miles per hour. What do I do?"
Mr. Goodwrench: "Stop driving the car."
Who cares if Dvorak takes over? It's not like everybody has to switch before anybody can use it. I think it's better, and that's why I use it. However, this is a different argument than whether it actually IS better, and whether it was designed for the sake of change.
/. readers think Windows can't be improved on? How about another one: how many people think the plurality election method is the best one possible? How many people even know there are alternatives? (/. readers are an exception here). Criticizing folks for questioning the status quo is just bad for everybody.
There is an excellent description of the Dvorak layout on the web, along with a brief history. The inventor of the keyboard conducted extensive keyboarding studies that fed into the design; nevertheless they (and the studies that followed) can only be taken for so much truth before succumbing to the "lies, damn lies, and benchmarks" argument, usually due to whether you believe the study director was biased. Regardless, I think it's clear Dvorak designed the keyboard because he thought he could improve upon Qwerty, not because he just wanted to be different.
In a more general sense, I think it would be stupid to think we can't improve on things that already are functional standards. Quick show of hands: how many
Anyway, back to the point: you're right there's no real cry for improvement, but this could be due to any number of factors. Most people don't even know Dvorak exists; others already know Qwerty and are resistant to change; others have concrete practical reasons for using Qwerty, like the need to use special software like Autocad; or, Qwerty may just be better. Regardless, I don't think anybody's suggesting that everybody switch to Dvorak en masse.
I tend to think that this type of analysis is at best very difficult, and at worst impossible. I think most people (including market analysts) are far too quick to assign causality - they're a victim of the fact that their own brains are hard-wired to look for patterns where they may or may not exist, and it takes serious effort to restrain this tendency. Of course I may be wrong and somebody could make serious money by "cracking the code" so to speak, but as others here have pointed out, their success would change the nature of the game, necessitating more analysis, ad infinitum.
A decent book that explores this argument is Fooled By Randomness.
I can recommend another book in a similar vein: Armor, by John Steakley. It's similar in that humans in powered, armored suits fight vaguely giant-insect-like aliens, but it's less focused on the military aspect and more on the psychological. It's about this poor guy who, due to a computer glitch, keeps getting sent on dangerous drops, as a Scout (the most dangerous role). More reviews here and here. I thought it was pretty good.
...To the left was a room with a design so powerful that it could only exist in the home of the richest man in the world....
;-)
Am I the only one wondering what the hell this room looks like? Thanks for providing so little detail - now I won't be able to sleep for days
The wife of a coworker of mine works for the CDC, and she travels all over the place doing field studies. She remarked of a recent trip to Haiti that people practically worship the Gates family for their support of health clinics. In fact I remember one story she told of an occasion when Bill and Melinda visited there, and some locals were dropping their pants to show them that they were healed of whatever diseases were affecting their genital regions. Needless to say, Melinda was pretty embarrassed ;-) Apparently people aren't very shy in Haiti compared to the U.S.
Not to mention many other reasons to like the moon, here and here...
See my sig. I'm really happy with the TypeMatrix EZR-2030.
Well, I listen to NPR and to traditional Irish dance music. I guess that makes me a Luddite?
Don't read too much into the MCP-Britney connection - I'm an MCSD (certified in Java too) and I think her music sucks donkey balls.
Sorry to be nitpicky - but that's paranoia, not cynicism. Of course they're related. Not that I think you should have too much of either (some is healthy I suppose).
They've hit the dupes limit and are compensating by combining stories ;-)
I do this in my car. I accelerate to a speed slightly higher than the traffic around me, then coast (I have a standard transmission). I try to time the coasts so that I'm coasting downhill and can maintain the speed while idling, or uphill and decelerating.
With this technique I get an improvement in fuel efficiency of 5-7 mpg, which equates to 20-25%. Not much but it's better than nothing... of course it does add wear and tear to my clutch.
I think you have a valid point here. The advent of web services makes it practical to build Windows forms (not browser-based) applications that have the same central administration and scalability benefits that web apps have, only with a more usable interface. Although Microsoft has bent over backwards to come up with a good development platform for web apps (ASP.NET), some developers in my company feel that the next wave will be a return to native-UI apps based on web services.
Further evidence of this can be found in the new programming model for Windows apps present in Longhorn, code-named Avalon, which makes it possible to build Windows apps using a declarative syntax similar to HTML (XAML). I can't say yet whether I think this approach is good and their implementation will live up to its promises, but it's always been clear to me that HTML was sorely lacking in the UI (forms) department, the biggest shortcoming being a lack of widgets. XAML appears to address that.
Anyway, my point is that I agree Microsoft may be transitioning away from pure web applications, for better or for worse.
I (and the company I work for) use ASSP and have been very impressed with its results. Spam in my boss's inbox went from 100-200 messages per day down to a handful... I'd like to see it compared to the other anti-spam packages mentioned.
At our office we have "beer o'clock" every Friday at 4 pm. Wish it could be more often :)
You're more right on than you think. The biggest problem with our election system is NOT the voting machines - it's our election method. Under the current system, LOTS of people can't accurately express their preferences. There are numerous other drawbacks.
Better alternatives exist (approval voting being the most practical), but the media has decided that it's not a sexy enough issue to report on, and those who aren't ignorant of it are apathetic about it. If Florida had been using approval voting, I'm pretty sure Al Gore would have been elected.
Ultimately, a rational election method produces a more accurate picture of the public's preferences, and the theory is that this leads to better decisions (i.e., better leaders in office). Given our current system I'm pessimistic about our ability to put anyone with any sense into office.
This will only happen in two scenarios:
1) A single manufacturer will put out a whole suite of appliances that interact with each other in a well-thought-out way, but using proprietary protocols.
2) Standards and protocols will be developed to enable arbitrary communication among devices.
The first scenario won't fly because most people don't like to get all their stuff at one time, from the same manufacturer. This scenario is also likely to be expensive for the consumer.
The second takes a long time to develop due to the large number of players involved. Case in point: look at how long it has taken to get real B2B integration via web services. Many would argue it's *still* not off the ground; and IMO it's a simpler case.
I predict "convergence" won't happen in a meaningful way for another 5-10 years at least.
Hmmm... I have mod points and thought it would be funny to mod your complaint down as Offtopic, but I figured the point would be lost. Hence this reply instead :)
I agree on your point though.
This is pretty nitpicky, but it irritates me when people and the media use the word 'terror' when they mean 'terrorism'. 'Terror' is an emotion.
That said, I do appreciate your defining what you mean by 'terror'.
I liked the stylized, animated cut-scenes in Interstate '76. That was a great game. Ya dig?
I was taught in typing class way back when that if you have 3 or more capital letters to type in a row, it's worth it to hit Caps Lock. Given the number of TLAs (three-letter acronyms) in the computer world, I would think it would come in handy for a lot of people. It's good to have for gaming too - you can map it to whatever you want.
That said, the keyboard I use (see my sig) has it at the top of the keyboard, in the middle. I don't use it all that much, and I think it's a good enough spot for it.