I don't support WalMart and I don't support Microsoft (I have a hatred for WalMart, Microsoft I'm just not interested in anymore).
DerajDezine: Im with you, re: walmart -- hell, is it really so hard to pay +5% more for food and daily sundries that are A) better quality and B) from a local speciality vendor?
Walmart is exploiting sprawl, and we're all paying for it.
It may be an ingenious way of paying open source developers and volunteers, Big Blue, but can it really be described as an invention?"
recent patent madness will only hasten their eventually becoming irrelevant. I love it. Whats next? Patent for a new Salad Dressing? Patent for a TShirt logo? Cookie recipe? (yes, i know the latter may best be covered by a copyright... but hell, should a copyright even be granted?)
I for one welcome our new corporate document-and-patent-the-world overlords.
Though to be fair "good things" in this case means fewer steelworkers will lose their jobs instead of all of them. Still, it's improvement, and who knows? If our costs really drop by 50%, demand very well could increase enough to justify keeping all the old workers around.
Bzzt wrong. You see, in $under-industrialized-nation the workers will work for $0.50 an hour in this Microwave Steel Foundry. Just like they do in the current foundries.
Your assertion that reducing costs "here" will keep jobs "here... not so, those technologies will just be used abroad to reduce *THERE* costs as well.
As long as there is inequality in labour standards, pay-rates, environmental-standards, taxes, health and safety standards, etc etc etc capitalists will seek to exploit the weakest standards -- this is why 'free trade' does not work.
On the other hand, Fair Trade is possible by realizing this reality and seeing that these things are considered in the economy, else, the lowest 'standards' will always get the job.... this is called "The Race to the Bottom." Its what is going to slap America's middle class in the face shortly.
Mandrake is selling a bootable-CDROM based distro called Mandrake Move. Your ~/ is stored on a USB Flash drive -- so, you boot the CD w/ the Flash installed and whatever PC your on is your own.... the way you 'left-it'.
Very cool idea. Now, if they could get the whole distro onto one of those card-sized cdroms we'd be set.
1. Make sure all suggestions are positioned from the perspective of how they will help the company achieve increased revenue, reduced costs, or a strategic advantage
translation: dazzle them with BS. You know how many times ive seen peers in other departments (production/maint) snow our upper management with "if we paint all the pipes the same colour we'll save $500,000 a year in reduced costs" -- this kind of manufactured, biased BS is silly -- I can prove anything in fictional dollars and cents.
2. Be ready to back up your suggestions with FACT. The "facts" are as I tell them. These "facts" are transient and amorphous and vague. "upper management" hasnt a clue exactly what is taking place, snowing them is trivial.
3. DO NOT discuss technical details, even if they ask. Simply state that you'd be happy to put together a timeline, staffing plan, and budget regarding the necessary effort to implement your suggestion if they'd like to see it.
Or say, "I need $100,000 for a new system or everything is going to crash", wait for their eyes to glaze over, and just get your work done. What are you, an MBA?
4. Be SURE to tie your suggestions to other business initiatives.
Good point. I agree. Use their own Made-Up Management initiative against them. Say, "I want $50,000 for ZYX in order to make the company more nimble and dynamic, to reduce lead time and improve in-company-customer satisfaction leading to the success of our ZLYXAKJ item in the Master Plan". Mix their BS together with your own, sorta the "your with us or against us" logic -- if they oppose *your* suggestion, they obviously dont support *their own* projects/initiatives. Either they agree, or they are truly setting *themselves* up for the failure of *their own* projects. This is brilliantly important.
Lastly, be sure to point out something positive about your team/group/department and it's leadership. You'll come across as a team player who is NOT just looking for personal glory, which will give them more reason to believe your suggestion has merit and has been thought out.
Yes, be as disingenuous and calculating as possible. Lie if necessary. Dont say "bob dropped the ball" (you know, its okay to fail sometimes right... your not really saying "fire bob") say "we are all doing fine just as it is" and let nothing useful be done. Which will actually lead to a culture of mistrust and back-stabbing -- instead of saying "we win as a team, loose as a team -- bob made a mistake, ***THAT IS OKAY*** he is valuable -- no one gets punished here, we work together come thick or thin. Lets forget it an move on to our next real success."
The HST is a big piece of equipment -- we all know that it is expensive to put *anything* in orbit, why let it burn up into the atmosphere/crash into ocean?
Tow the HST to the ISS. Once there, maybe some equipment/raw material can be salvaged (at least) -- if the HST cannot continue to be used and maintained by the ISS crew (MUCH preferd). If we are 'serious' about using the ISS for a while, why not give them something worthwhile to do? hell, is there a reason why you wouldnt (all things being equal) line up all the rest of the hubble-like space ships near the ISS? If nothing else, this will establish a "destination" in space that acts as a central hub for work in space....
Hell, arent the panels on the HST worthwhile? If they can tow it over to the IIS, maybe something on the HST might find itself usefull, either now or in the future. Spare parts? Sheet metal? Something.
I know someone will say "the panels are old/different voltage/designed for another purpose" or "its cheaper just to launch whatever you need than tow the HST" but my response is simple, if we are going to try and make this a permanent behabviour of man (off-world habitat) then we have to learn to be more nimble, adaptable and less dependant on MASSIVE planning efforts for every screw, bolt and hammer that gets into space.
We have to learn to utilize resources *AROUND THEM* and Make It Work. Hell, the ISS could be the 'hotel' for HST repairmen at least....
Witness! Fellow slashdotters; the Ad hominem attack!
ooohhh aaahhh
See for yourself, marvel at the absence of reason as our frind John Jorsett uses the tools of Propaganda101 to amaze and influence, decieve and misdirect.
loads burning up electricity in western households. These windows (if i remember correctly) are clear when a current is applied, opaque when it is removed.
What the world doesnt need is a 1000kWh-a-day window blind. sheesh.
They re-tell stolen stories. They create little original work, for instance; nemo; atlantis) not to mention it robes timeless popular tales then defends them as disney's own creation. They use child labour to make garbage for hyper-consumers in the west (for instance, from a little googling: "A Haitian worker earns only 7 cents for every pair of Disney Pocahontas pajamas she sews, which sells at Wal-Mart for $11.97. These wages amount to one-half of one percent of the sale price of these pajamas.")
True, but the only Fair and equitable distribution of wealth is allowing those who created the wealth to retain it. It's called Capitalism.
Except that A) The workers create the wealth B) Capitalism relies on the middle/lower classes to particiapte. Too much unequal distribution and you get a 30's depression (lotsa stuff/no-one to buy it) C) In a Democracy, people can make rules for the benefit of the community -- those rules are the eco-system in which 'the market' operates. Legislation can (rightly) change the market drastically.... one of those can be "make profit and money goes to help the community".
If the USA's method of government wasnt so broken and antiquated (no proportional representation, FPTP voting, electoral college) then maybe you wouldnt *need* a single-all-powerfull foe for the present current radical right-wing president. Maybe his myriad of stupid decisions would cause a group of people to say "enough or else" in the *present* government to temper this loons behaviour.
Think about it, there hasnt been a President for over 100years who *wasnt* a (multi-millionaire plutocratic) Republicrat.... they split the vote nearly 50/50 -- im sure there are groups and coalitions in that 50/50 that could agree on some things and make real acceptable progress. But they cant - on most issues the Rs must oppose the Ds and thats it... politics of attrition.
Speaking of bringing "good to people", not only does the War on Terror bring such goods as new nukes, but your old-and-busted War on Drugs (remember that?)
How about funding a plan in Colombia to use an untested pathogenic fungus -- fusarium oxysporum -- to wipe out coca. Critics say the plan proposes illegal acts of biological warfare, poses major ecological risks to Colombia -- one of the world's most bio-diverse countries -- and will increase suffering, by wreaking havoc with human health, water quality and food crops.
But hell, what is one out-of-control war-on-%something% from our well-meaning leaders like the Good-ol USA?
I happen to live in a desert.. there's plenty of life here.
you dont live in a desert with a desert's resources -- you probably divert/pipe in your water from elsewhere so you can water your fucking lawn.
We cant sensibly live on *this* planet (as an exampble, wasting water in LA's swimming pools while farmers fight for it...). We are not capable of living on this planet properly, why would we want to destroy Mars?
No, it's designed to purchase some people's votes with other people's money. The art of governmet consists of taking money from those who aren't going to vote for you anyway, and using those fund to purchase votes.
Poppycock. If the system is designed to only function in one way (pursuit of profit), some people arent going to be able to particiapte. Sorry, ANY systems will have people who are marginalized. So, if you are willing to stand for the chaos that ensues when you allow the strip-mining of a community for the profit-mongers at the top, while the marginalized are left in the street so be it.... just dont come crying to me when they rob you, grift you, rob a bank, steal your food, riot, or otherwise start a revolution.
Fair and equitable distribution of wealth is a noble goal. How you get there may be a debate, but if it is not your goal, god help you.
Here, in reality, people understand that poverty is not always a person's choice -- and not the worst fate of a person.... maybe they are smart enough to realize you need them (as part-time labourers, artists, parents (raising children instead of working))
Are you willing to live in a culture where only a peron's Economic Output is valued?
DRM is like antifreeze, to the MPAA/RIAA it's sweet, to the consumers it's poison
Well, if you allow the RIAA/MPAA to think of yourself, and your rights of only that of a "CONSUMER" than I guess your bound to lose. If, on the otherhand, you asserted yourself as a CITIZEN, who creates copyright law in the bounds of improving your community then you may have better luck.
Never allow yourself to be called a consumer. Consumers only have the rights they can purchase. Citizens otoh, are very powerfull.... far more powerfull than the RIAA/MPAA could ever be.
Yeah, well, if you mean 'simple, shallow-fashion oriented' stuff for girls because Building, Engineering and Design are Men's Work(TM) -- then Lego can keep there shitty crap away from my daughter (who dosnt exist yet...).
listen pal, being the most mindless, hated, filthy, warmongering, debt-ridden, unethical nation does not sucess make.
those 'socialist' timebombs have a higherstandard of living, and a more likely chance to survive challenge. America is going to collapse or start WWIII the first time some challenge arises that requires new-thinking and change.
the plutocratic status quo has you all so wrapped up in America-as-religion you couldnt see the forest for the trees.
I've looked at Kivio and others, and I can't begin to tell you how primitive they are. Also, at least my group does a lot of active development in Visual Basic to automate Visio and other programs.
If your group pays for Visio Licenses, why dont you convince instead spend some $$$ by sponsering a Kivio developer? If you can get him to add the Must-Haves to Kivio, maybe you'd be fine....?
What will happen is that IBM will be investing in/literally making the changes themselves so that IBM -- a 300k employee outfit -- has a capable Desktop OS.
What that means is they are going to really start riding the horse, driving it -- what is going to come out of this is, 'by the end of 2005' is *the* GNU/Linux desktop everyone's been clamouring about.
If its good enough for IBM, it will be good enough for you, me and everyone else....
THAT SAID -- what are the stock plays in this? Buy IBM? Who is going to benefit? Redhat? Novell?
Slashdot Mirror
I don't support WalMart and I don't support Microsoft (I have a hatred for WalMart, Microsoft I'm just not interested in anymore).
DerajDezine: Im with you, re: walmart -- hell, is it really so hard to pay +5% more for food and daily sundries that are A) better quality and B) from a local speciality vendor?
Walmart is exploiting sprawl, and we're all paying for it.
Ok, Sivar, what is an ODM? What is this valuable distinction from OEM that us Non-MBAs are missing....?
It may be an ingenious way of paying open source developers and volunteers, Big Blue, but can it really be described as an invention?"
recent patent madness will only hasten their eventually becoming irrelevant. I love it. Whats next? Patent for a new Salad Dressing? Patent for a TShirt logo? Cookie recipe? (yes, i know the latter may best be covered by a copyright... but hell, should a copyright even be granted?)
I for one welcome our new corporate document-and-patent-the-world overlords.
Though to be fair "good things" in this case means fewer steelworkers will lose their jobs instead of all of them. Still, it's improvement, and who knows? If our costs really drop by 50%, demand very well could increase enough to justify keeping all the old workers around.
Bzzt wrong. You see, in $under-industrialized-nation the workers will work for $0.50 an hour in this Microwave Steel Foundry. Just like they do in the current foundries.
Your assertion that reducing costs "here" will keep jobs "here... not so, those technologies will just be used abroad to reduce *THERE* costs as well.
As long as there is inequality in labour standards, pay-rates, environmental-standards, taxes, health and safety standards, etc etc etc capitalists will seek to exploit the weakest standards -- this is why 'free trade' does not work.
On the other hand, Fair Trade is possible by realizing this reality and seeing that these things are considered in the economy, else, the lowest 'standards' will always get the job.... this is called "The Race to the Bottom." Its what is going to slap America's middle class in the face shortly.
Mandrake is selling a bootable-CDROM based distro called Mandrake Move. Your ~/ is stored on a USB Flash drive -- so, you boot the CD w/ the Flash installed and whatever PC your on is your own.... the way you 'left-it'.
Very cool idea. Now, if they could get the whole distro onto one of those card-sized cdroms we'd be set.
1. Make sure all suggestions are positioned from the perspective of how they will help the company achieve increased revenue, reduced costs, or a strategic advantage
translation: dazzle them with BS. You know how many times ive seen peers in other departments (production/maint) snow our upper management with "if we paint all the pipes the same colour we'll save $500,000 a year in reduced costs" -- this kind of manufactured, biased BS is silly -- I can prove anything in fictional dollars and cents.
2. Be ready to back up your suggestions with FACT.
The "facts" are as I tell them. These "facts" are transient and amorphous and vague. "upper management" hasnt a clue exactly what is taking place, snowing them is trivial.
3. DO NOT discuss technical details, even if they ask. Simply state that you'd be happy to put together a timeline, staffing plan, and budget regarding the necessary effort to implement your suggestion if they'd like to see it.
Or say, "I need $100,000 for a new system or everything is going to crash", wait for their eyes to glaze over, and just get your work done. What are you, an MBA?
4. Be SURE to tie your suggestions to other business initiatives.
Good point. I agree. Use their own Made-Up Management initiative against them. Say, "I want $50,000 for ZYX in order to make the company more nimble and dynamic, to reduce lead time and improve in-company-customer satisfaction leading to the success of our ZLYXAKJ item in the Master Plan". Mix their BS together with your own, sorta the "your with us or against us" logic -- if they oppose *your* suggestion, they obviously dont support *their own* projects/initiatives. Either they agree, or they are truly setting *themselves* up for the failure of *their own* projects. This is brilliantly important.
Lastly, be sure to point out something positive about your team/group/department and it's leadership. You'll come across as a team player who is NOT just looking for personal glory, which will give them more reason to believe your suggestion has merit and has been thought out.
Yes, be as disingenuous and calculating as possible. Lie if necessary. Dont say "bob dropped the ball" (you know, its okay to fail sometimes right... your not really saying "fire bob") say "we are all doing fine just as it is" and let nothing useful be done. Which will actually lead to a culture of mistrust and back-stabbing -- instead of saying "we win as a team, loose as a team -- bob made a mistake, ***THAT IS OKAY*** he is valuable -- no one gets punished here, we work together come thick or thin. Lets forget it an move on to our next real success."
The HST is a big piece of equipment -- we all know that it is expensive to put *anything* in orbit, why let it burn up into the atmosphere/crash into ocean?
Tow the HST to the ISS. Once there, maybe some equipment/raw material can be salvaged (at least) -- if the HST cannot continue to be used and maintained by the ISS crew (MUCH preferd). If we are 'serious' about using the ISS for a while, why not give them something worthwhile to do? hell, is there a reason why you wouldnt (all things being equal) line up all the rest of the hubble-like space ships near the ISS? If nothing else, this will establish a "destination" in space that acts as a central hub for work in space....
Hell, arent the panels on the HST worthwhile? If they can tow it over to the IIS, maybe something on the HST might find itself usefull, either now or in the future. Spare parts? Sheet metal? Something.
I know someone will say "the panels are old/different voltage/designed for another purpose" or "its cheaper just to launch whatever you need than tow the HST" but my response is simple, if we are going to try and make this a permanent behabviour of man (off-world habitat) then we have to learn to be more nimble, adaptable and less dependant on MASSIVE planning efforts for every screw, bolt and hammer that gets into space.
We have to learn to utilize resources *AROUND THEM* and Make It Work. Hell, the ISS could be the 'hotel' for HST repairmen at least....
Witness! Fellow slashdotters; the Ad hominem attack!
ooohhh aaahhh
See for yourself, marvel at the absence of reason as our frind John Jorsett uses the tools of Propaganda101 to amaze and influence, decieve and misdirect.
Accept no substitutes!
I use them both. When Mozilla leaps Firebird (like this) I will use Mozilla for a while, when Firebird implements the latest gecko-engine, i run it.
loads burning up electricity in western households. These windows (if i remember correctly) are clear when a current is applied, opaque when it is removed.
What the world doesnt need is a 1000kWh-a-day window blind. sheesh.
lamness filter me hello I orange juice
save disney? are you joking?
They re-tell stolen stories. They create little original work, for instance; nemo; atlantis) not to mention it robes timeless popular tales then defends them as disney's own creation. They use child labour to make garbage for hyper-consumers in the west (for instance, from a little googling: "A Haitian worker earns only 7 cents for every pair of Disney Pocahontas pajamas she sews, which sells at Wal-Mart for $11.97. These wages amount to one-half of one percent of the sale price of these pajamas.")
disney also plans on undermining poor sustanance fishermen in HongKong, dredging up toxic material in order to build a themepark.
Fuck Disney their immoral greedmongers -- They'll never get a single dime from me.
True, but the only Fair and equitable distribution of wealth is allowing those who created the wealth to retain it. It's called Capitalism.
Except that A) The workers create the wealth
B) Capitalism relies on the middle/lower classes to particiapte. Too much unequal distribution and you get a 30's depression (lotsa stuff/no-one to buy it)
C) In a Democracy, people can make rules for the benefit of the community -- those rules are the eco-system in which 'the market' operates. Legislation can (rightly) change the market drastically.... one of those can be "make profit and money goes to help the community".
Reagonomics eh? Sit down, no one is going to buy pork-barrel corporate welfare as trickle down benefit.
There's no powerful candidate to oppose him.
If the USA's method of government wasnt so broken and antiquated (no proportional representation, FPTP voting, electoral college) then maybe you wouldnt *need* a single-all-powerfull foe for the present current radical right-wing president. Maybe his myriad of stupid decisions would cause a group of people to say "enough or else" in the *present* government to temper this loons behaviour.
Think about it, there hasnt been a President for over 100years who *wasnt* a (multi-millionaire plutocratic) Republicrat.... they split the vote nearly 50/50 -- im sure there are groups and coalitions in that 50/50 that could agree on some things and make real acceptable progress. But they cant - on most issues the Rs must oppose the Ds and thats it... politics of attrition.
Speaking of bringing "good to people", not only does the War on Terror bring such goods as new nukes, but your old-and-busted War on Drugs (remember that?)
How about funding a plan in Colombia to use an untested pathogenic fungus -- fusarium oxysporum -- to wipe out coca. Critics say the plan proposes illegal acts of biological warfare, poses major ecological risks to Colombia -- one of the world's most bio-diverse countries -- and will increase suffering, by wreaking havoc with human health, water quality and food crops.
But hell, what is one out-of-control war-on-%something% from our well-meaning leaders like the Good-ol USA?
I happen to live in a desert.. there's plenty of life here.
you dont live in a desert with a desert's resources -- you probably divert/pipe in your water from elsewhere so you can water your fucking lawn.
We cant sensibly live on *this* planet (as an exampble, wasting water in LA's swimming pools while farmers fight for it...). We are not capable of living on this planet properly, why would we want to destroy Mars?
No, it's designed to purchase some people's votes with other people's money. The art of governmet consists of taking money from those who aren't going to vote for you anyway, and using those fund to purchase votes.
Poppycock. If the system is designed to only function in one way (pursuit of profit), some people arent going to be able to particiapte. Sorry, ANY systems will have people who are marginalized. So, if you are willing to stand for the chaos that ensues when you allow the strip-mining of a community for the profit-mongers at the top, while the marginalized are left in the street so be it.... just dont come crying to me when they rob you, grift you, rob a bank, steal your food, riot, or otherwise start a revolution.
Fair and equitable distribution of wealth is a noble goal. How you get there may be a debate, but if it is not your goal, god help you.
Here, in reality, people understand that poverty is not always a person's choice -- and not the worst fate of a person.... maybe they are smart enough to realize you need them (as part-time labourers, artists, parents (raising children instead of working))
Are you willing to live in a culture where only a peron's Economic Output is valued?
DRM is like antifreeze, to the MPAA/RIAA it's sweet, to the consumers it's poison
Well, if you allow the RIAA/MPAA to think of yourself, and your rights of only that of a "CONSUMER" than I guess your bound to lose.
If, on the otherhand, you asserted yourself as a CITIZEN, who creates copyright law in the bounds of improving your community then you may have better luck.
Never allow yourself to be called a consumer. Consumers only have the rights they can purchase. Citizens otoh, are very powerfull.... far more powerfull than the RIAA/MPAA could ever be.
So, kids used to appreciate cool toys like Lego. Now, they only like video-games and DVDs.
Want to really startle a child? Show him how to grow a plant -- on the kitchen counter -- that will completely blow his mind.
Any significantly advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. Legos just arent magic anymore.
What is the GeoPolitical impact of Isreal undermining the financial base of America's Intellect-Industry.?
Will Isreal's portion of foreign-aid increase or decrease?
Please, talk amounghst yourselves.
Yeah, well, if you mean 'simple, shallow-fashion oriented' stuff for girls because Building, Engineering and Design are Men's Work(TM) -- then Lego can keep there shitty crap away from my daughter (who dosnt exist yet...).
listen pal, being the most mindless, hated, filthy, warmongering, debt-ridden, unethical nation does not sucess make.
those 'socialist' timebombs have a higherstandard of living, and a more likely chance to survive challenge. America is going to collapse or start WWIII the first time some challenge arises that requires new-thinking and change.
the plutocratic status quo has you all so wrapped up in America-as-religion you couldnt see the forest for the trees.
I've looked at Kivio and others, and I can't begin to tell you how primitive they are. Also, at least my group does a lot of active development in Visual Basic to automate Visio and other programs.
If your group pays for Visio Licenses, why dont you convince instead spend some $$$ by sponsering a Kivio developer? If you can get him to add the Must-Haves to Kivio, maybe you'd be fine....?
What will happen is that IBM will be investing in/literally making the changes themselves so that IBM -- a 300k employee outfit -- has a capable Desktop OS.
What that means is they are going to really start riding the horse, driving it -- what is going to come out of this is, 'by the end of 2005' is *the* GNU/Linux desktop everyone's been clamouring about.
If its good enough for IBM, it will be good enough for you, me and everyone else....
THAT SAID -- what are the stock plays in this? Buy IBM? Who is going to benefit? Redhat? Novell?