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User: Not+Your+Average+PHB

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  1. Re:***TROLL ALERT*** on FTC Gets Angry Over "Free" PC Offers · · Score: 1
    PBG, please go away. The inchfan trolls are part of /. culture we enjoy them and unless you are a bedwetting highschool kid, you can spot them pretty easily. We do. So please, we don't need a PBG troll police force, we can manage on our own just fine.

  2. Re:Power Management on IBM To Demo Crusoe Thinkpad · · Score: 1
    I've had a much different history with the IBM "Stinkpads". We used them throughout our shop because IBM sold us a shitload of them at reduced cost. The DSP drivers were difficult at best, the patches always seemed to be out of date and the video was a bear to say the least. I don't know how the new Transmeta chip will impact the overall product, but I don't think I'll go donw the thinkpad road again if I have a choice. They were just too dificult.

    On the positive side though, with the Video Teleconferencing HW, such as ISDN cards and Pictel units, they did seem to work better than any of the other laptop/docker setup we run.

  3. Re:Two thoughts on Microsoft's Watered-down Version Of DOJ Remedy · · Score: 1
    It's my understanding that if you simply restructure with the wording in the findings of fact and other misc. antitrust lawsuits that the board takes a huge financial hit as well, sort of like the difference between a LLP and a not for profict organization like the red cross.

    If they push for divestiture, the board is in the clear financially and the divestiture laws written similar to that which broke up AT&T allow for huge tax breaks. The Government forcing you to break up for "moral" reasons like being anti competetive, is easier on the company that having it restructured for simply leagal findings. If MS can keep it tagged as divestiture, they will be in pretty good shape.

  4. Re:Now that we have the what,what about the how? on Optical Microchip Breakthrough In Canada? · · Score: 1
    How about a Free the crystals capaign.

    They have feelings too. It's not right to farm them. We must set them free,

    Actually it does bring new meaning to the whole pet rock thing of the mid 70's.

  5. Re:Developers only earn 1/2 pay on What are Your Programming Goals? · · Score: 1
    Here I was thinking it was management with only basic skills making misinformed decisions, when it was actually just the "law of convservation of headaches".

    LOL! That's very good. And surprisingly quite accurate. Only it think the buzz word term we like to use is, "it's our headache conservation management strategy for creating world class products and industrial strength infrastructure which will make our vision of being successful both in our market and in our industy".

  6. Re:You forgot to mention... on What are Your Programming Goals? · · Score: 1
    Operations Staff - compensate for their lack of status by shrouding their work in techno-babble, creating the impression that they do the work of 10 on a shoestring budget.

    LOL Very good.

    BTW, Go Avs!

  7. Why do developers develop? on What are Your Programming Goals? · · Score: 1
    Why do developers develop? Aside from the love of technology and hacking, we do it for money, plain and simple. How much is enough? Depends. I hit a point a few years ago when I was coding 20+ hours a day, making more money than I knew how to spend and was generally really unhappy. At that point I hit that magical point where I discovered that quality of life is not something to save for retirement.

    Now, I code on the side, mostly for the fun of hacking, and work as an IT phb, I make a good living which supports my family well and most of all I hit that good balance where I get all the hacking time I could want, I live around technology and most important have that peace of mind and fufilling family time with my kids and my wife.

    As a lot of folks said on this thread, It all depends on what makes you happy. Hope you find it and the serenety that comes from living your life as you want, regardless of what paths you take.

  8. Re:About Time--But Does It Matter? on Europe Sets Encryption free, USA Protests · · Score: 2
    It's about time. But i do have mixed thoughts on if globally it's a good idea. Being an American I generally have a scewed Amarican view on global policy, especially when it comes to the net, privacy and basic freedoms. This case however makes me grin however because the American government beleives the global internets, their policy and technology is subject to American laws and policy.

    It's nice to see the American government slapped down a few notches and maybe this will be an "time to end the ignorance" wake up call for Captial Hill and the FCC.

  9. Re:DOH! on Jor-not-a Pocket PC? · · Score: 1
    . I have a LaserJet 2100N - leaving the almost useless JetDirect managent software aside, it FOLDS OVER the top of pages when I'm trying to print double sided (and jams every 6 or so). OK on single pages, but why use twice the paper? I don't have the room for a full-duplex printer.

    Use better paper.

    Then there's my external CD-RW drive, a 7200e with driver software by Shuttle - utter shit. The only way I made that lemon useful was to take the drive out of the enclosure and put it in a machine as an IDE device. The early 620LX CE machine had hinge problems, and keyboard that felt DEAD. It's a long, long list, and a sad one when you remember the quality of earlier products, like their calculators and older printers (wish I had my 6MP back).

    Those are OEM'd by HP, they are actually made by Mitsubishi.

    As for the overall quality of those products though, you get what you pay for, the market HP is going after with those level of products is joe average home pc user, not a user that needs real industrial strength.

  10. Re:Retarded on Jor-not-a Pocket PC? · · Score: 1
    Pollmastah has a sid Pollmastah has a sid here

  11. Same High Quality on Jor-not-a Pocket PC? · · Score: 1
    As with all HP products, the HP Jornada 540 Series Pocket PCs come with the same high quality and reliability expected by customers.

    Yeah, except that's not what was bought, and furthermore how can they claim yadda yadda yadda high quality on the Jornada 540 if they spec'd it for 16 bit and it came out 12 and nobody noticed?

  12. Re:DOH! on Jor-not-a Pocket PC? · · Score: 1
    I though with the new CEO and new management over at HP, this sort of bad PR would go away. Guess things slip in a big company, but it makes one wonder about quality control . If they are having trouble with validaing a single products architechture before it goes to press, what else is slipping through?

  13. Re:Govt regulation (=loopholes)will eliminate priv on FTC Asks To Regulate Privacy; Doubleclick Hires PR Team · · Score: 1
    The 'net simply moves/changes too fast for legislators and their regulators.

    Not only that, most of the current legislation is based upon telemarketing based laws which although similar in many respects are different and cannot be used as a base from which to port new laws. It's unfortunate but legislatures main background information for this area on which their decisions are made come from the telecom lobby which is notorious for bashing privacy.

  14. Re:Corporations taking over... on FTC Asks To Regulate Privacy; Doubleclick Hires PR Team · · Score: 1
    Soon to be G9. China won preliminary approval to be part of our caring global babysitters. Nothing like adding a member with such a glowing track record.

  15. Formula for disater on FTC Asks To Regulate Privacy; Doubleclick Hires PR Team · · Score: 2
    Congress faces are extremely tough, said Rep. Billy Tauzin (R-La.), one of the organizers of the weekend retreat. While no lawmaker wants to appear to be anti-privacy, he said, the risk of poorly-thought-out legislation could mean that, "Instead of protecting people's rights, we might end up making it difficult for them to protect their rights."

    A couple of thoughts. . .

    1- If find it difficult to beleive that the legislators and psuedo board members really had balancing our rights as their number one focus suring the recent retreat to Leesburg. I think the focus was more than likely on balancing their drinks while on the 10th fairway. Nothing like spending our tax dollars on a little vacation. To me this is not a very good precident on the way to send a positive message that the hugely impacting pricacy policies are being managed over drinks and golf.

    2- So now they are looking at "poorly thought out legislation". So in a remedy for that they are going to pass more, with input from folks such as former NSA officials, and we're supposed to support this and blindly go along beleiving that the results will really be in our best interest? Don't think so. This is a true formula for disaster as far as our privacy right go.

  16. Oh No, we're in for a tough round. on FTC Asks To Regulate Privacy; Doubleclick Hires PR Team · · Score: 1
    These folks are not going to do us any favors. The big money lobbyists are apparently having an impact.

    Get involved if you want to help curb these misguided efforts, I we and our peers do raise the volume, who will?

  17. Re:Is that DHMO Snow ? on Io Has Geysers, Lakes And Snow · · Score: 1
    It is worth noting however that these items force IO to have a climate that's almost fit for human habitation.

    The press release said something like the atmosphere is 1/billionth the density of that on earth. That could make it a little tough for human habitation.

  18. Good news for NASA/JPL on Io Has Geysers, Lakes And Snow · · Score: 1
    It's good to see NASA JPL having some good press and some success after the recent troubles.

    Galileo has been studying Jupiter and its moons for 4-1/2 years. It completed a two-year primary mission in December 1997 and a two-year extended mission in December 1999. Galileo is continuing its studies under yet another extension, the Galileo Millennium Mission. On Sat., May 20, the spacecraft will fly by Jupiter's moon Ganymede, the largest moon in the solar system, for the first time since May 7, 1997

  19. IO on Io Has Geysers, Lakes And Snow · · Score: 4
    poison gas plumes, erupting molten rock and yellow fields of snow.

    Yup, sounds like Iowa to me. Ever been to Cedar Rapids?

  20. The have the right foundation now, on Lineo Plans IPO · · Score: 1
    And it's the right time.

    With Inup and Fireplug under their belt for cashflow, this is a good time for them to IPO. They now have enough base to support the post IPO ebb and tides that will surely follow. After the frenzy of investors and then the inevitable downturn in value, the smoke will clear and Lineo and it's sister company to Caldera Systems will have won due to their past expansion efforts. The previously bought companies will help Lineo's effort to propagate Linux in "embedded" devices--single-purpose equipment that typically has limited computing abilities.

  21. Ethics are important for those who have them on Bertrand Meyer's "The Ethics of Free Software" · · Score: 1
    Only the ethical firms play by the ethical rules relating to Open Source, and Free whatever. Look at what MS just did last week. Took an open product, and made it theirs, then pitched a fit when it was made public without their license. They didn't play by the ethical rules as many don't.

    With this environment, the one big thing Open/Free source has going against it is that nice guys finish last. This is a huge hurdle to overcome and so far the open/free source community is really fairing well. It's nice to see good guys win once in a while.

  22. Re:Doh! Inc. on Web-Based Helpdesks? · · Score: 1
    We can't be bought again (We're owned by the biggest dog on the block)

    Don't be so sure, look at MCI and Worldcom. Easily done these days. WCOM had revenue less that 1/30th of MCI and they purchased the company based soley on the leverage of future earnings from the joint cmpany, not from internal capital.

  23. Re:Doh! Inc. on Web-Based Helpdesks? · · Score: 1
    So basically you're saying, even when the guy is obviously a moron, don't blame the person, blame the process???

    Yes, that is what I'm saying. If thew process was firm, the moron employee would have had a much smaller impact to the business.

    Also, I really don't see how your teacher reference fits the discussion.

  24. Re:It is still legacy-ware on IBM Cranks OS/2 Curtain, Compaq Revives OpenVMS · · Score: 1
    Actually it was Compaq OS/2, and the DEC efforts were integrated under the "Pathworks" label.

  25. Re:Is OpenVMS really opensourced? on IBM Cranks OS/2 Curtain, Compaq Revives OpenVMS · · Score: 1
    No.

    The "Open" in Open VMS means open systems, not open source. Basically means the OS/NOS in the release plays nice in the sandbox with other OS/NOS's