But its on digg, and therefore Slashdot is required to post it...
Maybe I'm trolling here, but it seems like a voluminous number of articles these days are already on diggs front page. Not sure whats so hard about finding new and interesting things to post.
It doesn't mean what Dell or Microsoft wants it to mean.
High initial returns on Linux netbooks is most likely due to inaccurate advertising. The market for Linux netbooks is primarily for people who already know what Linux is and desire it. Selling Linux netbooks to people seeking Windows isn't a good business plan. Dell thought it would be profitable and it wasn't.
It doesn't mean Linux sucks either, just that people prefer to stick with Windows because it's familiar-and we already knew that.
This is really an ignorant comment about security.
Just because you trust yourself, the only user doesn't mean you can trust all your software. If you typically use a user account and you unintentionally run a piece of malicious software, it should have the ability to destroy your user data at the most.
Local privilege escalations are very dangerous because thats how rootkits get injected.
Naturally, the constitution describes rights of the people with respect to actions and policies of the government. It does not, nor was it intended to determine rights of people with respect to other people or companies.
My view on this however has been changing over time. As credit reporting is a legislated and regulated industry, I believe they should be held to a higher standard. Consumers have little recourse to challenge the decisions made by these companies about their credit files and it can have disastrous effects on consumers.
I don't call it socialism. I call it wealthy people paying more for the abuses they inflict on those below them that allowed them to become rich in the first place.
I don't hold any animosity towards people who make just $100-$200k, but most people making millions of dollars per year do so at the expense and detriment of other people.
It's impossible to not participate. As a tax payer, you're paying for the program whether you like it or not. Sure, maybe $5 of your yearly federal income tax will go towards the CARS program, but you're funding it regardless.
I agree with you regarding fiscal responsibility, but such a heavy handed view disregards the fact that credit reports are very often inaccurate.
Recourse to fix inaccuracies is likened to arbitration that is controlled by an interested party. In real arbitration, the arbiter is supposed to be unbiased and have no interest in the outcome. Credit reporting agencies very often disregard evidence provided by consumers outlining the incorrect data and make decisions with complete disregard.
I agree completely. Another point of thought here is that consumers should be entitled to copies of their credit reports as often as they chose, for free, and without affecting their credit score.
Those who are in the midst of cleaning up their credit have to obtain them monthly or several times per year to be sure their creditors are accurately reporting debts as paid. Consumers should be entitled to know what the credit reporting agencies are saying about them at any given time.
In the US, a credit report can contain anything you can swindle a company to report for you.
It can contain: Utility bills Mortgages Fixed balance secured loans Fixed balance unsecured loans Employment history Structured settlements Salary history Defaulted contracts Credit cards
There are plenty of ways to get a bad credit rating without getting a credit card or a loan. A good example is cell phone carriers making billing errors and refusing to correct them; if you dont pay, you get bad credit for their mistake. I only use this example because anecdotally at least, this happens frequently based on what I've heard and read.
A file can be started for anyone, even if they do not have any loans or credit cards. It is incredibly difficult to improve credit scores because many merchants do not report you to credit reporting agencies unless you owe them money. Often times, when consumers have bad credit, they must pay outrageous fees to shady credit card companies who will report to credit reporting companies monthly. They typically include things like high monthly fees, annual membership fees, high interest rates, ATM fees, and for people with really bad credit they require deposits.
Consumers need more control over what is reported. Often times a consumer may have little in their file other than a delinquency which makes their report look bad.
As a former employee of a notable product safety testing company, I understand this complaint completely. However, I believe the potential for honest, hard working people to be unjustly denied a position outweighs the benefits.
Unless someone is in a managerial position or deals with money directly(credit card processors for instance), employers have no right to my credit information. Given how notoriously difficult it is to clean up a credit report, its unfair.
IMO, unless you work directly with cash or are in a position where fraud would be easy, employers have no right to that information.
Shit happens in peoples lives leaving them in precarious positions and things dont get paid on time. Having employers deny applicants based on their credit could put people in a downward financial spiral.
Consumers will bitch and moan at AT&T customer service and they will respond by lying to the consumer saying they can't sue and must go through arbitration.
If most consumers actually called a lawyer, AT&T would be up shit creek in a lot of states.
No, prospective employers are never 100% honest but their response is still useful. As a prospective hire, it's your job to learn about the company before you show up for the interview. It will help you decide how to ask more intelligent follow up questions when you think you're getting a BS answer.
Best question I know is: What is your long term strategy for growth?
You'll get a wide range of responses and it reflects a LOT about how they treat their employees. If they talk much about cost savings, you know from the start your very position will be under periodic scrutiny. If they talk about outsourcing, you know that your job may not be secure, depending on what you do. If they talk about serving the customers and meeting their needs, you know any extra effort you take to serve the customer will be valued.
For me, my 14" HP is the sweet spot. I got good resolution and great battery life.
A 12" seems to be right in the middle of two distinct classes - the netbook and the laptop.
At 12", its too big to have the convenience of a netbook, but its too small to serve as a fully functional laptop. I'm not sure how well the 12" was selling, but for myself at least I would never buy a 12" because it wouldn't be ideal for anything I want to do.
My app accesses SQLite locally on single user installations and PostgreSQL over TCP/IP in centrally controlled network environments.
Visualization code is not done yet because the physical simulation code isn't done either. It's gotta be able to handle some pretty heavy math for determining heat generated due to friction to predict tool breakage. The physical simulation is multi-threaded, and I don't have any idea how I could do that in a webapp without using Java.
Regarding ease of distribution, well I guess I dont mind having an installer be required. My app definitely isn't open source and it does have some subtle anti-piracy features built in. 95% of users wont even know they're there unless they start deleting things they shouldn't.
I really think the web-based app would have been the wrong decision and I'm confident I am headed in the right direction.
Well yeah actually it does matter how the application is implemented. Native code will always be much faster than scripted. I can imagine a few corner cases where this might not be true, but those exist in a vacuum and wouldn't ever happen.
I'm a hobbyist software developer working on a large project right now and I chose Qt for cross-platform development. A lot of people tout web based software as "write once run anywhere" but in practice that isn't really the case. It needs to be able to access PostgreSQL and SQLite databases, as well as visualize the results of a simulation of a specific industrial machine. If I tried to make it a web based app, I would probably be over 100k lines of code instead of the 15,000 I'm at now. Not to mention, I'd still need something to handle my database access and provide results through JSON and the database access would be platform dependent. Clunky eh? With Qt, I literally have 1 codebase with almost no platform specific code and it works seamlessly in Windows and Linux. Haven't tried it on a Mac, but I bet it would work just fine.
j/k j/k in all seriousness, the uses for 3D support in a browser is pretty limited I think. I can think of a few corner cases, such as large set data visualization, but for general use, I think it will end up being misapplied everywhere.
I did some web programming in JavaScript years ago when browser compatibility was a serious problem and I hated it. I've heard it has gotten much better now, but I don't do web design anymore so I don't really care.
I find myself in agreement with the GP though that there is a general trend of moving traditional desktop applications to web apps in cases where it makes little sense. Developers are working hard to come up with ways to preserve functionality and use these applications even while disconnected from a network. I think the whole thing is an exercise in futility because there will always be people like me who demand snappy, native applications that are locally stored. For security, privacy, responsiveness and other reasons, I don't see myself changing my mind on this topic any time soon.
As another commenter pointed out, most Windows and even Linux GUI programs all have a similar interface structure.
The reason for that is you want users to have a consistent interface feel between the majority of their desktop applications because this improves productivity. You could take a long-time OOo user and sit them down in front of MS Office 2000 and they will be fairly proficient at even moderately complex tasks in just minutes.
However, you take a long time MS Office user such as myself and put them down in front of MS Office 2007 for the first time, it will be quite a lot longer before they can accomplish the same complex tasks.
The interface might be intuitive for people who are new to computers and don't use other Windows applications, but it is so different from anything else in the Windows software world as hinder natural interface discovery, the process by which a user can learn to utilize a program without reading any documentation.
I can imagine a large variety of useful ways to use pressure sensitive keys in gaming and media editing. Specifically, with applying paint tools in GIMP or Photoshop.
If you're talking about Windows Notepad, you're right. It's quite mediocre at just about everything you would use it for.
Lack of support for tabbed or MDI editing, lack of support for Unix style line feeds, extremely slow loading of large files. These are just a few reasons to not use Notepad.
It is a Qt based editor that supports syntax highlighting for a gazillion web and programming formats, functions for conversion, analysis, even generating morse code(lol?), has several color palettes including green on black(my fav).
An easy argument could be made that it has suffered some feature creep, but it remains easy to use regardless.
I haven't read the article yet, but my own personal list of nice OSS Windows software is as follows:
PostgreSQL - The installer is silky smooth and the DB is extremely reliable.
Visual SVN - This is a windows management console front-end for Subversion administration. The installer is very nice and the MMC snap-in is easy to use.
Qt Creator - I have virtually entirely replaced MS Visual Studio for my windows development needs. It has very nice integration with MinGW and doesn't require Cygwin-a functional but slow pile of junk.
OpenOffice - This probably was on the list, and for good reason. The functionality just keeps getting better, to the point where I rarely use the copy of MS Office I keep around for compatibility reasons.
Pidgin - Probably the most feature-complete IM program around and the windows version works just as good as the linux version.
Inkscape - There is no easier to use vector drawing program for windows, including closed source alternatives. The installer sucks though, it's extremely slow.
Slashdot Mirror
C++ is like a double edged sword. In the hands of an idiot, it will let you create catastrophic type safety failure.
Then again, in the hands of a true coding genius, multiple inheritance, polymorphism and dynamic casting can allow some truly ingenious coding.
I can write unmaintainable shitty Java code. The language doesn't prevent me from being a complete idiot.
Want to watch?
But its on digg, and therefore Slashdot is required to post it...
Maybe I'm trolling here, but it seems like a voluminous number of articles these days are already on diggs front page. Not sure whats so hard about finding new and interesting things to post.
It doesn't mean what Dell or Microsoft wants it to mean.
High initial returns on Linux netbooks is most likely due to inaccurate advertising. The market for Linux netbooks is primarily for people who already know what Linux is and desire it. Selling Linux netbooks to people seeking Windows isn't a good business plan. Dell thought it would be profitable and it wasn't.
It doesn't mean Linux sucks either, just that people prefer to stick with Windows because it's familiar-and we already knew that.
This is really an ignorant comment about security.
Just because you trust yourself, the only user doesn't mean you can trust all your software. If you typically use a user account and you unintentionally run a piece of malicious software, it should have the ability to destroy your user data at the most.
Local privilege escalations are very dangerous because thats how rootkits get injected.
Naturally, the constitution describes rights of the people with respect to actions and policies of the government. It does not, nor was it intended to determine rights of people with respect to other people or companies.
My view on this however has been changing over time. As credit reporting is a legislated and regulated industry, I believe they should be held to a higher standard. Consumers have little recourse to challenge the decisions made by these companies about their credit files and it can have disastrous effects on consumers.
I don't call it socialism. I call it wealthy people paying more for the abuses they inflict on those below them that allowed them to become rich in the first place.
I don't hold any animosity towards people who make just $100-$200k, but most people making millions of dollars per year do so at the expense and detriment of other people.
It's impossible to not participate. As a tax payer, you're paying for the program whether you like it or not. Sure, maybe $5 of your yearly federal income tax will go towards the CARS program, but you're funding it regardless.
I agree with you regarding fiscal responsibility, but such a heavy handed view disregards the fact that credit reports are very often inaccurate.
Recourse to fix inaccuracies is likened to arbitration that is controlled by an interested party. In real arbitration, the arbiter is supposed to be unbiased and have no interest in the outcome. Credit reporting agencies very often disregard evidence provided by consumers outlining the incorrect data and make decisions with complete disregard.
I agree completely. Another point of thought here is that consumers should be entitled to copies of their credit reports as often as they chose, for free, and without affecting their credit score.
Those who are in the midst of cleaning up their credit have to obtain them monthly or several times per year to be sure their creditors are accurately reporting debts as paid. Consumers should be entitled to know what the credit reporting agencies are saying about them at any given time.
In the US, a credit report can contain anything you can swindle a company to report for you.
It can contain:
Utility bills
Mortgages
Fixed balance secured loans
Fixed balance unsecured loans
Employment history
Structured settlements
Salary history
Defaulted contracts
Credit cards
There are plenty of ways to get a bad credit rating without getting a credit card or a loan. A good example is cell phone carriers making billing errors and refusing to correct them; if you dont pay, you get bad credit for their mistake. I only use this example because anecdotally at least, this happens frequently based on what I've heard and read.
A file can be started for anyone, even if they do not have any loans or credit cards. It is incredibly difficult to improve credit scores because many merchants do not report you to credit reporting agencies unless you owe them money. Often times, when consumers have bad credit, they must pay outrageous fees to shady credit card companies who will report to credit reporting companies monthly. They typically include things like high monthly fees, annual membership fees, high interest rates, ATM fees, and for people with really bad credit they require deposits.
Consumers need more control over what is reported. Often times a consumer may have little in their file other than a delinquency which makes their report look bad.
As a former employee of a notable product safety testing company, I understand this complaint completely. However, I believe the potential for honest, hard working people to be unjustly denied a position outweighs the benefits.
Unless someone is in a managerial position or deals with money directly(credit card processors for instance), employers have no right to my credit information. Given how notoriously difficult it is to clean up a credit report, its unfair.
IMO, unless you work directly with cash or are in a position where fraud would be easy, employers have no right to that information.
Shit happens in peoples lives leaving them in precarious positions and things dont get paid on time. Having employers deny applicants based on their credit could put people in a downward financial spiral.
Consumers will bitch and moan at AT&T customer service and they will respond by lying to the consumer saying they can't sue and must go through arbitration.
If most consumers actually called a lawyer, AT&T would be up shit creek in a lot of states.
Yeah, actually I have.
No, prospective employers are never 100% honest but their response is still useful. As a prospective hire, it's your job to learn about the company before you show up for the interview. It will help you decide how to ask more intelligent follow up questions when you think you're getting a BS answer.
Best question I know is: What is your long term strategy for growth?
You'll get a wide range of responses and it reflects a LOT about how they treat their employees. If they talk much about cost savings, you know from the start your very position will be under periodic scrutiny. If they talk about outsourcing, you know that your job may not be secure, depending on what you do. If they talk about serving the customers and meeting their needs, you know any extra effort you take to serve the customer will be valued.
For me, my 14" HP is the sweet spot. I got good resolution and great battery life.
A 12" seems to be right in the middle of two distinct classes - the netbook and the laptop.
At 12", its too big to have the convenience of a netbook, but its too small to serve as a fully functional laptop. I'm not sure how well the 12" was selling, but for myself at least I would never buy a 12" because it wouldn't be ideal for anything I want to do.
My app accesses SQLite locally on single user installations and PostgreSQL over TCP/IP in centrally controlled network environments.
Visualization code is not done yet because the physical simulation code isn't done either. It's gotta be able to handle some pretty heavy math for determining heat generated due to friction to predict tool breakage. The physical simulation is multi-threaded, and I don't have any idea how I could do that in a webapp without using Java.
Regarding ease of distribution, well I guess I dont mind having an installer be required. My app definitely isn't open source and it does have some subtle anti-piracy features built in. 95% of users wont even know they're there unless they start deleting things they shouldn't.
I really think the web-based app would have been the wrong decision and I'm confident I am headed in the right direction.
Well yeah actually it does matter how the application is implemented. Native code will always be much faster than scripted. I can imagine a few corner cases where this might not be true, but those exist in a vacuum and wouldn't ever happen.
I'm a hobbyist software developer working on a large project right now and I chose Qt for cross-platform development. A lot of people tout web based software as "write once run anywhere" but in practice that isn't really the case. It needs to be able to access PostgreSQL and SQLite databases, as well as visualize the results of a simulation of a specific industrial machine. If I tried to make it a web based app, I would probably be over 100k lines of code instead of the 15,000 I'm at now. Not to mention, I'd still need something to handle my database access and provide results through JSON and the database access would be platform dependent. Clunky eh? With Qt, I literally have 1 codebase with almost no platform specific code and it works seamlessly in Windows and Linux. Haven't tried it on a Mac, but I bet it would work just fine.
I miss VRML.
j/k j/k in all seriousness, the uses for 3D support in a browser is pretty limited I think. I can think of a few corner cases, such as large set data visualization, but for general use, I think it will end up being misapplied everywhere.
I did some web programming in JavaScript years ago when browser compatibility was a serious problem and I hated it. I've heard it has gotten much better now, but I don't do web design anymore so I don't really care.
I find myself in agreement with the GP though that there is a general trend of moving traditional desktop applications to web apps in cases where it makes little sense. Developers are working hard to come up with ways to preserve functionality and use these applications even while disconnected from a network. I think the whole thing is an exercise in futility because there will always be people like me who demand snappy, native applications that are locally stored. For security, privacy, responsiveness and other reasons, I don't see myself changing my mind on this topic any time soon.
As another commenter pointed out, most Windows and even Linux GUI programs all have a similar interface structure.
The reason for that is you want users to have a consistent interface feel between the majority of their desktop applications because this improves productivity. You could take a long-time OOo user and sit them down in front of MS Office 2000 and they will be fairly proficient at even moderately complex tasks in just minutes.
However, you take a long time MS Office user such as myself and put them down in front of MS Office 2007 for the first time, it will be quite a lot longer before they can accomplish the same complex tasks.
The interface might be intuitive for people who are new to computers and don't use other Windows applications, but it is so different from anything else in the Windows software world as hinder natural interface discovery, the process by which a user can learn to utilize a program without reading any documentation.
I can imagine a large variety of useful ways to use pressure sensitive keys in gaming and media editing. Specifically, with applying paint tools in GIMP or Photoshop.
Sorry, forgot to mention the name of the program. it's called "tea".
http://tea-editor.sourceforge.net/downloads.html
If you're talking about Windows Notepad, you're right. It's quite mediocre at just about everything you would use it for.
Lack of support for tabbed or MDI editing, lack of support for Unix style line feeds, extremely slow loading of large files. These are just a few reasons to not use Notepad.
It is a Qt based editor that supports syntax highlighting for a gazillion web and programming formats, functions for conversion, analysis, even generating morse code(lol?), has several color palettes including green on black(my fav).
An easy argument could be made that it has suffered some feature creep, but it remains easy to use regardless.
Hah aren't you funny.
I haven't read the article yet, but my own personal list of nice OSS Windows software is as follows:
PostgreSQL - The installer is silky smooth and the DB is extremely reliable.
Visual SVN - This is a windows management console front-end for Subversion administration. The installer is very nice and the MMC snap-in is easy to use.
Qt Creator - I have virtually entirely replaced MS Visual Studio for my windows development needs. It has very nice integration with MinGW and doesn't require Cygwin-a functional but slow pile of junk.
OpenOffice - This probably was on the list, and for good reason. The functionality just keeps getting better, to the point where I rarely use the copy of MS Office I keep around for compatibility reasons.
Pidgin - Probably the most feature-complete IM program around and the windows version works just as good as the linux version.
Inkscape - There is no easier to use vector drawing program for windows, including closed source alternatives. The installer sucks though, it's extremely slow.