> Just like the CEO of Wal Mart probably has no idea how much store number 78 > spends per month on electricity compared to store 139.
If the CEO of WalMart needed that information he could almost certainly have it in very short order, possibly in a matter of minutes. WalMart's management information systems are frighteningly efficient and detailed.
> It's unreasonable of him to expect more than $250,000.
Actually, they're complaining that it's unreasonable of him to expect more than *$250,000,000*. However, your point about whether they've actually paid him that much is well taken. In any case, as others have pointed out, if they haven't paid what they're contractually obligated to pay, it doesn't matter how much they've already paid him.
I believe we should each observe three minutes of silence in memory of him. Some of you may even have a timer for that.
Chris Mattern
Re:So let the flame wars begin!
on
The Birth of vi
·
· Score: 4, Insightful
> I'm obviously lacking in history when it comes to the Linux/Unix world, but > why the hell do so few apps make use of the Function keys ? It's always Ctrl- > something.. I'm fine with Ctrl-X and whatnot because they're where my hands > would sit, but how hard would it be to just alias F1 to Help, F2 to Save, F3 > to Open, in addition to the classic shortcuts..
Pretty damn hard, actually. DOS editors had the advantage of knowing they'd always be sitting on an IBM-standard PC, with the same scan codes for the functions keys. But function keys aren't standard. Control-letter codes are. UNIX utilities therefore have real difficulty with function keys. You have to use termcap/terminfo, and make sure that it's correctly configured. Control-something will always just work.
Sometimes it is set up for you, and it's always been possible to set it up for yourself. But most UNIX programmers have never cared that much because most UNIX programmers are touch typists...and touch typists hate function keys (and arrow keys, and mice) because they take your fingers off the home keys. Much better to use ctrl- or alt- codes that don't interrupt your typing.
>> for twenty games. I wish I knew more about some on the list.
> I'll try and help you out where I can.
>> 18. Medal of Honor: Airborne (Electronic Arts: Mid 2007)
> Never heard of it, but from the title, it sounds like a World War 2 fighter pilot game.
Uh, "Airborne" doesn't describe pilots, it describes paratroopers. Since Medal of Honor is a WWII FPS, this most likely serves up scenarios of the drops behind the beaches at the Normandy invasion. Maybe also Operation Market Garden, but I find that less likely.
>> 14. Vanguard: Saga of Heroes (Sigil Games: First Quarter of 2007)
> Never heard of it. Let's hope it's not another MMORPG!
It is.
>> 5. Supreme Commander (Gas Powered Games-THQ: March 2007)
> A real-time strategy set in the future. Don't know much other than that.
It's being made by the designer of Total Annihilation, which is enough to start making RTS fans who've been around long enough to remember TA (and some of us still play it) drool buckets.
> The automotive manufacturers are arguably helping reduce the accident > counts by making the various contributory technologies less distractive, > such as by building in hands-free calling.
That's a myth. It's been proven experimentally that a hands-free cellphone is just as distracting as one you hold. Both, incidentally, make you drive as badly as if you were legally drunk.
> THe Boeing 747 was a year late, overweight for much of its development cycle, > and had massive problems with the engines (resulting in over 30 aircraft sat > at Boeing Field without engines). Would you have also called that aircraft > 'vapourware'?
Yes. Until it was delivered to customers, it was vaporware.
Just because a product is vaporware at some point in its development doesn't mean it can't go on to be a success, although the odds are generally stacked against it.
I believe this situation is slightly different...the Amiga folks are releasing an operating system for a hardware platform that doesn't really exist any more...
I'm pretty sure he doesn't. The V in the original comic book is a true anarchist. He doesn't think governments should fear their people (although it's a step in the right direction), he thinks there should be *no governments*.
a) wasn't my original post...somebody else wrote it.
b) Capt. Louis Renault is a major character in the extrememly famous movie Casablanca...which is what the OP was drawing the entire analogy from (Capt. Renault, Rick, Rick's crooked gambling tables, the need to get a pass out of Casablanca or you're dead--all are taken directly from the movie). Which is why I knew Capt. Renault and Louis were the same person, and why the OP assumed other people would know that too.
Twarn't none. Memory-mapped video hardware was luxury yet to be invented in those days. You hand-coded running the bare video hardware right in the main code.
Slashdot Mirror
> Just like the CEO of Wal Mart probably has no idea how much store number 78
> spends per month on electricity compared to store 139.
If the CEO of WalMart needed that information he could almost certainly have it in
very short order, possibly in a matter of minutes. WalMart's management information
systems are frighteningly efficient and detailed.
Chris Mattern
> It's unreasonable of him to expect more than $250,000.
Actually, they're complaining that it's unreasonable of him to expect more than *$250,000,000*. However, your point about whether they've actually paid him that much is well taken. In any case, as others have pointed out, if they haven't paid what they're contractually obligated to pay, it doesn't matter how much they've already paid him.
Chris Mattern
> "What if they're teaching abiogenesis?"
That we all came from little robot dogs? Wait, no, that's *aibo*genesis...
Chris Mattern
> Yeah, I hear what you're saying, but come on, that 20% share of Acme Land Mines.
Well, most of happens to that coyote is his own damn fault.
Chris Mattern
> Them joining the EU is irrelevant. It's not like there's been a blockade on travel to Romania.
Yes, there was. It's called "customs and immigration". That blockade is now gone for anyone
travelling there from elsewhere in the EU.
Chris Mattern
I believe we should each observe three minutes of silence in memory of him. Some of you may even have a timer for that.
Chris Mattern
> I'm obviously lacking in history when it comes to the Linux/Unix world, but
> why the hell do so few apps make use of the Function keys ? It's always Ctrl-
> something.. I'm fine with Ctrl-X and whatnot because they're where my hands
> would sit, but how hard would it be to just alias F1 to Help, F2 to Save, F3
> to Open, in addition to the classic shortcuts..
Pretty damn hard, actually. DOS editors had the advantage of knowing they'd always
be sitting on an IBM-standard PC, with the same scan codes for the functions keys.
But function keys aren't standard. Control-letter codes are. UNIX utilities therefore
have real difficulty with function keys. You have to use termcap/terminfo, and
make sure that it's correctly configured. Control-something will always just work.
Sometimes it is set up for you, and it's always been possible to set it up for
yourself. But most UNIX programmers have never cared that much because most
UNIX programmers are touch typists...and touch typists hate function keys (and
arrow keys, and mice) because they take your fingers off the home keys. Much
better to use ctrl- or alt- codes that don't interrupt your typing.
Chris Mattern
>> for twenty games. I wish I knew more about some on the list.
> I'll try and help you out where I can.
>> 18. Medal of Honor: Airborne (Electronic Arts: Mid 2007)
> Never heard of it, but from the title, it sounds like a World War 2 fighter pilot game.
Uh, "Airborne" doesn't describe pilots, it describes paratroopers. Since Medal of
Honor is a WWII FPS, this most likely serves up scenarios of the drops behind the
beaches at the Normandy invasion. Maybe also Operation Market Garden, but I find
that less likely.
>> 14. Vanguard: Saga of Heroes (Sigil Games: First Quarter of 2007)
> Never heard of it. Let's hope it's not another MMORPG!
It is.
>> 5. Supreme Commander (Gas Powered Games-THQ: March 2007)
> A real-time strategy set in the future. Don't know much other than that.
It's being made by the designer of Total Annihilation, which is enough to
start making RTS fans who've been around long enough to remember TA (and
some of us still play it) drool buckets.
Chris Mattern
'Mid the yuccas an' the thistles
I'll watch the guided missiles
While the ol' FBI watches me (yee-hoo!)...
Chris Mattern
> So back then the internet was a magazine, eh?
I hear they have the internet on computers now!
Chris Mattern
> Every group embraces conformity.
>
> What should I do: dress up in Black and Red, Viva La Anarquia,
> and stick an Anarchist symbol on my bag?
Yes! Show your individuality just like all the other anarchists!
Chris Mattern
> The automotive manufacturers are arguably helping reduce the accident
> counts by making the various contributory technologies less distractive,
> such as by building in hands-free calling.
That's a myth. It's been proven experimentally that a hands-free cellphone is just as distracting as one you hold. Both, incidentally, make you drive as badly as if you were legally drunk.
Chris Mattern
Shouldn't that be "green ham and eggs"?
Chris Mattern
They have something called "Google" for those sorts of things. Googling on "usenet" and "september" would've gotten you a very quick answer.
Chris Mattern
I, for one, welcome our tired old joke overlords.
Chris Mattern
> THe Boeing 747 was a year late, overweight for much of its development cycle,
> and had massive problems with the engines (resulting in over 30 aircraft sat
> at Boeing Field without engines). Would you have also called that aircraft
> 'vapourware'?
Yes. Until it was delivered to customers, it was vaporware.
Just because a product is vaporware at some point in its development doesn't
mean it can't go on to be a success, although the odds are generally stacked
against it.
Chris Mattern
I believe this situation is slightly different...the Amiga folks are releasing an operating system for a hardware platform that doesn't really exist any more...
Chris Mattern
Wasn't that TNG?
Chris Mattern
I'm pretty sure he doesn't. The V in the original comic book is a true anarchist. He doesn't think governments should fear their people (although it's a step in the right direction), he thinks there should be *no governments*.
Chris Mattern
a) wasn't my original post...somebody else wrote it.
b) Capt. Louis Renault is a major character in the extrememly famous movie Casablanca...which is what the OP was drawing the entire analogy from (Capt. Renault, Rick, Rick's crooked gambling tables, the need to get a pass out of Casablanca or you're dead--all are taken directly from the movie). Which is why I knew Capt. Renault and Louis were the same person, and why the OP assumed other people would know that too.
CHris Mattern
Er, that's Captain Louis Renault. Same person.
Chris Mattern
> What about the video memory?
Twarn't none. Memory-mapped video hardware was luxury yet to be invented in those days. You hand-coded running the bare video hardware right in the main code.
Chris Mattern
> the only toys they have are teeth and claws which are
> pretty innocuous compared to, say, a car.
Because, after all, it's not like you can seriously injure and kill with teeth and claws. It's not like that's their *intended purpose.*
Oh, wait...
Chris Mattern
> Go on: quote me a well known line from Voyager.
"What is the nature of your medical emergency?"
Chris Mattern
Except they'll actually get to do it in the Star Trek Universe. And the captain won't be Kevin Sorbo.
Chris Mattern