I don't care about risk analysis. If there's a chance at all, (as others have pointed out) you can get a shredder for ~ 20 USD. I told my aunt to buy me a crosscut shredder for Christmas or something so got it free.
Besides, the cost and the risk are not the point (for me). I just freaking love the feeling I get when I run solicitations through it. Jesus I love that scrunchy crunchy grinding noise it makes.
I swear my blood pressure gets a few points closer to normal every time I shred something. Paper shredders: they do a body good!
I get a little sick of minimum, recommended, etc. settings. By definition, if it's *minimum* then it should be good enough.
I think game makers/distributors are sacrificing gameplay and quality in the effort to not lock out as many buyers and therefore increase sales.
Besides, everybody knows the minimum specs required to actually USE a piece of software are the "recommended" specs. The stated "minimum" specs are just the specs it takes to keep the EXE from CRAPPING OUT before or immediately after loading.
not until all the standards crap settles down and I know what I get wont be useless 2 months later.
Do you have a DVD drive now? Do you have a PC with a DVD-ROM drive? If so, what format will they read? There's your standard. Who gives a Gary's ass if person X or corporation Y says -R is the way to go if the equipment you already possess is incompatible? And if the equipment you already have will read -R or +R or both, why do you care what "the standard" is?
Yeah, but most states' property and marital laws are such that what's yours is hers already. That's why when people divorce, they have to go through things and decide who gets what...
I see the logic in this. I mean, increasing the penalty on drug users has sure been working miracles in that other war.
But really, this is yet another example of: a) bad politicians in corporate back-pockets; b) treating the symptoms instead of fixing the problem; c) desperation; d) adding new laws instead of enforcing existing ones; and, e) thought control.
These Reps may realize how this bill will be defeated and all...but think about it: it forces the issue, it immediately shapes the discussion to favor the current regime, it places fear (you could get a virus!), uncertainty (it could create governmental security breaches!) and doubt (what about the children?) in the minds of politicians looking to get re-elected, it shows their campaign funders that they get their money's worth, and if all else fails...guess who will become well-paid RIAA lobbyists if they're not re-elected?
With Excel, I can "Get External Data" to query a database and return my result set directly into my spreadsheet. That is a useful feature. Is there any similar feature in Gnumeric that allows me to directly query any ODBC database and return my results into the worksheet?
I couldn't find anything on the gnumeric site. The manual appears to have a section on getting external data but when you look at it, all it says is: "This has not yet been written. "
Yeah, but until browsers become status symbols to joe shmoe (like cars are -- at least in the US) users won't care if they have Brand X Browser... the one with the GPS and all leather interior and that can go off-road on the "Information Super Highway."
As it is, the browser is only a status symbol to geeks...and it is...really. I can't tell you how many times I've read "I use Opera" or "I use Mozilla" or whatever in geek communities because it IS a symbol of geek chic.
I'm not sure it'll ever be important to non-geeks because as far as "status" goes, most folk would DIE if they came off as a geek. Only geeks think geeks are cool.
I know. I am one...and, btw: I primarily use opera. I actually bought it. I paid money for my status symbol. How cool is that?
Reminds me of an old National Lampoon comedy routine. It was a "dial-an-insult" bit. Caller would dial a number and this monotone voice would spout insults. My favorite was: "He or she has the intellectual agility of a small soap dish."
God, how I'd love to tell some of our clients that.
I don't know. I don't recall seeing as many dup posts, same story different day, and old news as I notice now. Maybe I've just found other places that get me my news fix as fast as slashdot. Of course, I've already been modded down into oblivion...imagine that.
Where else can I go to get my news? I'm looking for someplace informative and "out of the way" if you know what I mean. I used to think/. was *the* place to go for "news for nerds" but I'm sick of this place.
It's like a song that just keeps repeating the same lines over and over again. "SCO...M$...Whiners...People like me whining about whiners...old news..."
I'm serious, if anybody can point me to a gem hidden among the piles of crap that make up most of the Internet, I'd really appreciate it.
Ditto. I've looked around for different solutions for a while and finally settled on SpamBayes. I've been using it only a two weeks, but it has correctly identified every single spam that has come through in that time (414 of them) and not one "false positive" classification of ham as spam.
I'm saying it's not an excuse, and it is unprofessional to vary the quality of your work depending on how closely you are examined. Ethical behavior is fundamentally something you ask of yourself.
I am not excusing it. I am acknowledging it. It happens, sometimes unconsciously. Your initial reply implied it was an excuse. I am simply saying it is the way it is. People tend to behave this way. In the context of which development model (closed or open source) produces the best results over time, I think this tends to work in open source's favor.
Then they should not be paid to do the work. I don't care if it's human nature or not.
Ahh, but the crux is this: the decision is often made to pay them for the ends of their work, not the means. I'm not saying it's right, just that it *is*. I've met some ingenious developers who could do things with systems that even the original developers could not. And many have egos to match their genious. I believe (for right or wrong) it is common for developers to have an "if you can't understand it, that's your problem" attitude. And management often allows it because they don't care. Sometimes, I've seen management approve of it because they are proud of their "wizards" in the basement.
Who said it was the right decision? In fact, your example (which I am not familiar with) proves my point that commercial software have various pressures that free software don't. This allows and causes them to optimize in different directions.
You said: "Customers (real or imagined) demand that the software be released at a particular time, ready or not." This says to me that you believe commercial software developers have to put release schedule ahead of feature completeness due to customer restraints. This tells me you would think Oracle's release of 11i because of some idea that customers required an arbitrary release date be met instead of allowing the relase to slide so the product be shipped with a few thousand fewer bugs, feature complete, and actually working was the right decision. All my illustration proves is that your original claim that customers "demand" delivery by a specific time "ready or not" is untrue. Customers do not demand you ship them incomplete, nonfunctional product.
While it is true that a project completely oblivious to its customers will doubtlessly fail, free software does get away with more author-driven development.
Precisely because the author is often the customer. When dealing with larger-scale projects like apache or PHP, there is a large body of customers that demand feature completeness. Admittedly, the relationship is different. IMHO, developers of open source software are more likely to prioritize completeness over schedule. I don't think it's because there is no "customer" to demand timeliness. I just think the people running those projects have a better understanding that users prioritize feature completeness over release dates.
However, if you have months of free time at the end of a project, and still fail to document your code because nobody is looking, that's human nature, and that's unprofessional.
Agreed. And again, I'm not excusing said behavior. I believe understanding human nature allows compensation for it.
I would also appreciate if you left your profanities at home, if you are actually interested in discussion. That's another sign of professionalism.
Three things:
slashdot being what it is, I am hard-pressed to think it matters
I felt insulted that you read my comments as an excuse for poor behavior rather than an acknowledgement that people behave certain ways...my humble, imperfect self included...and branded me as unprofessional (not that that excuses name-calling...my bad)
"Profanity is the attempt
of a lazy and feeble mind to express itself forcefully." - Anonymous (If it bothers you, I am perfectly capable of communicating without it)
So, you disagree that human nature makes folk work harder when someone they think is important is paying attention?
Then you're fooling yourself. My job is (in priority order):
make sure it works
deliver it on time
document it
I'm not making that up. That's the order of priority as it comes down from the CEO. And the fact is, number 3 is just what it looks like: the lowest priority. It often can be left undone because the "next big thing" comes along requiring me to work on #1 for it.
There is no restraint that any code I produce be pretty, adhere to any standard, use variable names other than x, y, z, etc., or be particularly cool.
Many professional developers I know care about the functionality of the code they put out, don't know any better than to use archaic naming schemes, sufficient-but-not-elegant algorithms, lackadaisical code comments (if any at all), and will argue to the death that obfuscated code is perfectly understandable to THEM so the problem must be with YOU. They don't care if anybody or everybody is looking.
But in general, the developers I've come across have pride in their work and wish to be well regarded by their peers. That being said, they will undoubtedly put more effort into making a positive impression if/when they know the code will be seen by others (even if it's just the co-workers, as you mention) than if they know NOBODY will ever see -- or more accurately, be able to tie code to them.
Now, as for commercial software having customers and open source not: Hey, lookout! That clue-bus barely missed you! Every project out there is developed for somebody regardless of the model used to develop it. Apache, PHP, sendmail, bind, Evolution, ghostscript, gimp, (shall I continue) all have customers. Some of them even pay. Just because it's open source doesn't mean people don't buy it. And it certainly doesn't mean it has no constraint to meet the expectations of the people paying for the project. Releasing software before it's ready just to "make the date" is fucked up. Look at Oracle 11i. Guess the users wanted it, so it must've been the right decision, eh? Oh, I'm sorry. That's right...the users hated it because Oracle *THOUGHT* they had to make the date even though it wasn't ready. (See my priorities above. Remember which is #1 and which is #2.)
Stop blaming your customers for your need to hack in stupid features. Blame management.
Oh, and fuck off. You can come right down off your high horse and cut the holier than thou bullshit. You and I both know people tend to cut corners when nobody's looking. I didn't say my house was a fucking wreck when nobody's around. I said it's not immaculate. It's clean and orderly, but not immaculate. Get it? It's the same with code. A professional without peer review or boss review or similar will tend to write clean, functional code that would likely be done better if that review process were in place. Acknowledging human behavior doesn't make me unprofessional...it makes me better because I understand the tendencies that might lead to weaker code. Ignoring human nature and calling someone unprofessional for acknowledging it doesn't make you better. It just makes you an ass.
Slashdot Mirror
yeah...so then I can put this in my host file:
127.0.0.1 sco.slashdot.org
Umm...uh...hey...uh...what's up?
I don't care about risk analysis. If there's a chance at all, (as others have pointed out) you can get a shredder for ~ 20 USD. I told my aunt to buy me a crosscut shredder for Christmas or something so got it free.
Besides, the cost and the risk are not the point (for me). I just freaking love the feeling I get when I run solicitations through it. Jesus I love that scrunchy crunchy grinding noise it makes.
I swear my blood pressure gets a few points closer to normal every time I shred something. Paper shredders: they do a body good!
I get a little sick of minimum, recommended, etc. settings. By definition, if it's *minimum* then it should be good enough.
I think game makers/distributors are sacrificing gameplay and quality in the effort to not lock out as many buyers and therefore increase sales.
Besides, everybody knows the minimum specs required to actually USE a piece of software are the "recommended" specs. The stated "minimum" specs are just the specs it takes to keep the EXE from CRAPPING OUT before or immediately after loading.
Just use what works
You forgot the "Copy Free Zones" around all elementary schools.
Yeah, but most states' property and marital laws are such that what's yours is hers already. That's why when people divorce, they have to go through things and decide who gets what...
I see the logic in this. I mean, increasing the penalty on drug users has sure been working miracles in that other war.
But really, this is yet another example of: a) bad politicians in corporate back-pockets; b) treating the symptoms instead of fixing the problem; c) desperation; d) adding new laws instead of enforcing existing ones; and, e) thought control.
These Reps may realize how this bill will be defeated and all...but think about it: it forces the issue, it immediately shapes the discussion to favor the current regime, it places fear (you could get a virus!), uncertainty (it could create governmental security breaches!) and doubt (what about the children?) in the minds of politicians looking to get re-elected, it shows their campaign funders that they get their money's worth, and if all else fails...guess who will become well-paid RIAA lobbyists if they're not re-elected?
Plus, that way you get those amazing liner notes!
How 'bout this:
Unknown: Knock. Knock.
DHS: Who's there?
(silence)
DHS: AAAAGGGHHH!!!!! (falls to floor, dead)
*_*-*_*-*_*-* h4x0r3d *_*-*_*-*_*-*
M$: Oh, shit...forgot to lock the back door...
Yeah, I know...where's "unfunny" when you need it?
Windows would make it OSAMAB~1
Nit-picky, I know...
I don't know...so I'm asking:
With Excel, I can "Get External Data" to query a database and return my result set directly into my spreadsheet. That is a useful feature. Is there any similar feature in Gnumeric that allows me to directly query any ODBC database and return my results into the worksheet?
I couldn't find anything on the gnumeric site. The manual appears to have a section on getting external data but when you look at it, all it says is: "This has not yet been written. "
Personally, I'd use BSD...but I hear that's dead.
And as long as Yahoo.com provides me a place where I can play Fantasy Football for free on the Internet, I'll keep coming back.
I pretty much agree with everything else you said...
Yeah, but until browsers become status symbols to joe shmoe (like cars are -- at least in the US) users won't care if they have Brand X Browser ... the one with the GPS and all leather interior and that can go off-road on the "Information Super Highway."
As it is, the browser is only a status symbol to geeks...and it is...really. I can't tell you how many times I've read "I use Opera" or "I use Mozilla" or whatever in geek communities because it IS a symbol of geek chic.
I'm not sure it'll ever be important to non-geeks because as far as "status" goes, most folk would DIE if they came off as a geek. Only geeks think geeks are cool.
I know. I am one...and, btw: I primarily use opera. I actually bought it. I paid money for my status symbol. How cool is that?
I don't doubt you. My comment was an allusion to Monty Python. Apparently, nobody saw it, or got it, or thought it was funny. That's my life.
Reminds me of an old National Lampoon comedy routine. It was a "dial-an-insult" bit. Caller would dial a number and this monotone voice would spout insults. My favorite was: "He or she has the intellectual agility of a small soap dish."
God, how I'd love to tell some of our clients that.
No, it's Banana shaped...
I don't know. I don't recall seeing as many dup posts, same story different day, and old news as I notice now. Maybe I've just found other places that get me my news fix as fast as slashdot. Of course, I've already been modded down into oblivion...imagine that.
Then again, maybe I'm just ragging today.
OK...Mod me down...yada, yada...
/. was *the* place to go for "news for nerds" but I'm sick of this place.
Where else can I go to get my news? I'm looking for someplace informative and "out of the way" if you know what I mean. I used to think
It's like a song that just keeps repeating the same lines over and over again. "SCO...M$...Whiners...People like me whining about whiners...old news..."
I'm serious, if anybody can point me to a gem hidden among the piles of crap that make up most of the Internet, I'd really appreciate it.
Ditto. I've looked around for different solutions for a while and finally settled on SpamBayes. I've been using it only a two weeks, but it has correctly identified every single spam that has come through in that time (414 of them) and not one "false positive" classification of ham as spam.
I'm sold...but wait, it's free!
I am not excusing it. I am acknowledging it. It happens, sometimes unconsciously. Your initial reply implied it was an excuse. I am simply saying it is the way it is. People tend to behave this way. In the context of which development model (closed or open source) produces the best results over time, I think this tends to work in open source's favor.
Then they should not be paid to do the work. I don't care if it's human nature or not.
Ahh, but the crux is this: the decision is often made to pay them for the ends of their work, not the means. I'm not saying it's right, just that it *is*. I've met some ingenious developers who could do things with systems that even the original developers could not. And many have egos to match their genious. I believe (for right or wrong) it is common for developers to have an "if you can't understand it, that's your problem" attitude. And management often allows it because they don't care. Sometimes, I've seen management approve of it because they are proud of their "wizards" in the basement.
Who said it was the right decision? In fact, your example (which I am not familiar with) proves my point that commercial software have various pressures that free software don't. This allows and causes them to optimize in different directions.
You said: "Customers (real or imagined) demand that the software be released at a particular time, ready or not." This says to me that you believe commercial software developers have to put release schedule ahead of feature completeness due to customer restraints. This tells me you would think Oracle's release of 11i because of some idea that customers required an arbitrary release date be met instead of allowing the relase to slide so the product be shipped with a few thousand fewer bugs, feature complete, and actually working was the right decision. All my illustration proves is that your original claim that customers "demand" delivery by a specific time "ready or not" is untrue. Customers do not demand you ship them incomplete, nonfunctional product.
While it is true that a project completely oblivious to its customers will doubtlessly fail, free software does get away with more author-driven development.
Precisely because the author is often the customer. When dealing with larger-scale projects like apache or PHP, there is a large body of customers that demand feature completeness. Admittedly, the relationship is different. IMHO, developers of open source software are more likely to prioritize completeness over schedule. I don't think it's because there is no "customer" to demand timeliness. I just think the people running those projects have a better understanding that users prioritize feature completeness over release dates.
However, if you have months of free time at the end of a project, and still fail to document your code because nobody is looking, that's human nature, and that's unprofessional.
Agreed. And again, I'm not excusing said behavior. I believe understanding human nature allows compensation for it.
I would also appreciate if you left your profanities at home, if you are actually interested in discussion. That's another sign of professionalism.
Three things:
Then you're fooling yourself. My job is (in priority order):
I'm not making that up. That's the order of priority as it comes down from the CEO. And the fact is, number 3 is just what it looks like: the lowest priority. It often can be left undone because the "next big thing" comes along requiring me to work on #1 for it.
There is no restraint that any code I produce be pretty, adhere to any standard, use variable names other than x, y, z, etc., or be particularly cool.
Many professional developers I know care about the functionality of the code they put out, don't know any better than to use archaic naming schemes, sufficient-but-not-elegant algorithms, lackadaisical code comments (if any at all), and will argue to the death that obfuscated code is perfectly understandable to THEM so the problem must be with YOU. They don't care if anybody or everybody is looking.
But in general, the developers I've come across have pride in their work and wish to be well regarded by their peers. That being said, they will undoubtedly put more effort into making a positive impression if/when they know the code will be seen by others (even if it's just the co-workers, as you mention) than if they know NOBODY will ever see -- or more accurately, be able to tie code to them.
Now, as for commercial software having customers and open source not: Hey, lookout! That clue-bus barely missed you! Every project out there is developed for somebody regardless of the model used to develop it. Apache, PHP, sendmail, bind, Evolution, ghostscript, gimp, (shall I continue) all have customers. Some of them even pay. Just because it's open source doesn't mean people don't buy it. And it certainly doesn't mean it has no constraint to meet the expectations of the people paying for the project. Releasing software before it's ready just to "make the date" is fucked up. Look at Oracle 11i. Guess the users wanted it, so it must've been the right decision, eh? Oh, I'm sorry. That's right...the users hated it because Oracle *THOUGHT* they had to make the date even though it wasn't ready. (See my priorities above. Remember which is #1 and which is #2.)
Stop blaming your customers for your need to hack in stupid features. Blame management.
Oh, and fuck off. You can come right down off your high horse and cut the holier than thou bullshit. You and I both know people tend to cut corners when nobody's looking. I didn't say my house was a fucking wreck when nobody's around. I said it's not immaculate. It's clean and orderly, but not immaculate. Get it? It's the same with code. A professional without peer review or boss review or similar will tend to write clean, functional code that would likely be done better if that review process were in place. Acknowledging human behavior doesn't make me unprofessional...it makes me better because I understand the tendencies that might lead to weaker code. Ignoring human nature and calling someone unprofessional for acknowledging it doesn't make you better. It just makes you an ass.
I know...big deal... Sully (of Monsters, Inc.) had over 2 million individual hairs.