So then, Firewire can do 2Gb/s? And those spiffy Firewire switches have been out for a while, too, eh?
Don't get me wrong, I love my Firewire CDRW. Firewire is cool for consumer level storage and digital video applications. That doesn't change the fact that it doesn't have what it takes for real high performace video and storage. Only a full fabric Fibre Channel solution can really cover that realm right now.
Oh... and you might want to check w/Sony on that whole "Apple invented it" comment.
--
If your map and the terrain differ,
trust the terrain.
Grab a charger at TechCenter Labs, then wander over to Edmund Scientific for a solar battery charger. Reverse the leads & connect the two together and you have a solar powered charger for your Palm V/Vx. If you have another Palm, you could just charge NiCads I suppose.
--
If your map and the terrain differ,
trust the terrain.
Doing just a bit (<30 sec.) would have given the answer to this. From the CD Recordable FAQ:
CD-R was designed to be read by an infrared 780nm laser. DVD uses a visible red 635nm or 650nm laser, which aren't reflected sufficiently by the organic dye
polymers used in CD-R media. Some DVD players come with two lasers so that they can read CD-R.
CD-RW discs have a different formulation, and may work even on players that can't handle CD-R media.
I realize that it's/. standard to see Black Helecopters&tm everywhere, but this whole "Big Corporations are Evil and out to get us all" thing is getting old. When it's true, get the word out. But for the love of Eris, do some research!
--
If your map and the terrain differ,
trust the terrain.
Three bits means three "binary places". Each "place" is worth a power of two equal to it's offset from the rightmost place, just as each "place" in decimal is worth a power of ten equal to it's offset. So given three bits we can express the values 0 through 7 (000 through 111). With only one bit we can express 0 through 1 (0 or 1). It follows that eight grey values can represent three bits where two grey values could reresent one bit. Given that three is roughly three times the original capacity of one, my considered opinion is that, although your daughter's arithmatic is correct, your interpretation of it is not.
I'd suggest that you avoid embarassing gaffes like this by learning some basics. Perhaps visiting "How bytes and bits work" or asking your daughter to explain basic base-n math to you might be of some help.
Good luck!
--
If your map and the terrain differ,
trust the terrain.
"fucking" was an adjective in that sentance. As for the popsicle stick, that's his own damn business and I'll thank you to keep it out of this public forum.
As for the etext vs. eBook, I think you're making a distinction where there isn't one. I recognize that there are PD, free and proprietary ones. However the free and proprietary ones are different mostly in their terms of distribution. If you are silly enough to pay for docs you can only view with a specific viewer, that's your problem. All the etext I use are in standard formats, either.pdf or DOC mostly. No, not.doc, DOC (for Palm devices). And in fact, the ones that I've paid for don't even use the "copy protection" that.pdf allows for.
Finally, I know LCDs can read fairly well. I only use a CRT when I have no choice and then only if I am paid well to do it. That has little to do with my point. The experience (visual, olfactory and tactile) of reading an actual book is different than that of readin etext. Laptops don't allow for very comfortable "curling up" (not even my Z505LS). Palm doesn't show enough on the screen, but it's better. eBook and other silly single use devices might be better if they used better displays and could use more standard formats. But none the less, they just aren't books. When it comes to the overall experience technical issues don't matter, emotional ones do.
Deal with it. --
If your map and the terrain differ,
trust the terrain.
I'm starting to think that the AG is having people come to/. to persue an astro-turf campain.
You say [emphasis in original]:
"The issue is not that the authors say Amazon cannot and should not allow users to sell their used books. The issue is the PROMINENCE of these listings, and the fact that no controls are in place to prevent the sale of review or other preview copies of books (that is, copies sent out to publications before actual release so that reviews can be made)."
That is, at best, a misrepresentation of the AG's intent. The second to last paragraph of their letter reads [emphasis mine]:
"We believe the compromise is simple and straightforward:
restrict the blue-box link to out-of-print and collectible books and list all used book offerings after all new versions of a title are listed. Our members want nothing more than a fair opportunity to earn royalties for their book sales whatever the sales outlet. We hope that Amazon will respect this very reasonable professional goal."
You even contradict yourself in the very next sentance [emphasis mine]:
"The authors want the link to be less prominent,
or not there at all, for in-print books, so that the first thing a user sees is the actual new book, not the fact that they can get it for much less used."
And as for your comments about Open Source (or Free Software for that matter), this has nothing to do with "open source principles". This has to do with property rights --
If your map and the terrain differ,
trust the terrain.
Did you? Apparently not, given that the second to last comment reads [emphasis mine]:
We believe the compromise is simple and straightforward:
restrict the blue-box link to out-of-print and collectible books and list all used book offerings after all new versions of a title are listed. Our members want nothing more than a fair opportunity to earn royalties for their book sales whatever the sales outlet. We hope that Amazon will respect this very reasonable professional goal.
Bottom line is that they want a piece of every sale they see as likely. Hell, I'm surprised they didn't just as nicely demand^h^h^h^h^h^hrequest statistics on sales of out-of-print used books so that they could easily identify books to put back into print and make more $$ off of! Not that I'm opposed to making money. Not at all. I just don't take kindly to doing an end run around the rights of property owners. And buying a book makes that copy of it mine, to do with as I see fit. --
If your map and the terrain differ,
trust the terrain.
Jesus fucking Christ on a popsicle stick, could you use a broader brush?
My first reaction to this artcle was one of outrage. The position of the Authors Guild is disingenuous at best. But your caracterization of *authors* is just too much.
By your short sighted logic one cold as easily say: Just like the record and movie industry, coders would like software to be pay-per-use. After all, SPA espouses draconian licensing and "copy protection" practices.
Just once try thinking before posting. I know it's not popular here on/., but at least consider it.
In response to your ebooks comment, last I checked (about ten minutes ago, as I love to carry etext on my Palm), most etext is either free or sold in a manner very similar to books. My only concern (gods I hate allowing even half a point to you, but such is life as an intellectually honest person) is that sights like fictionwise.com don't seem to allow for the concept of first sale. Not that it's any easier to do so with etext than it is with software. Each copy would have to have a unique key in order to tell which one you actually purchased. So although there are possible issues there that must be worked out, it's not the black helicopter situation youseem to imply. Besides, ink on dead tree isn't going anywhere. For long format fiction it's still a far better experience that etext, IM(NS)HO. --
If your map and the terrain differ,
trust the terrain.
[grrr damn dog nudged my arm and made me hit enter after backspace while editing that. sorry for the messed up blockquote. Correct version follows. Mod the above down if you're bored]
All good points about the SPARC hardware.
Or not.
"No surprises on chipsets, disk controllers, etc."
Granted, resolving bizarre HW interactions is one of the "joys" of running x86 systems. All in all, though, if you use reasonably consistantly configured systems you can get more bang for your buck out of an x86. You even admit this in your second point.
"No need for klunky KVM switches."
I've got to give you at partial credit here. Although Linux does support console on the serial port, so if that "rack mount device" you speak of is a basic term-server/serial port switcher, you can manage your x86 Linux boxen the same damn way.
In your final paragraph you also state:
"The main criteria is whether we need a JVM... those running Java are stuck with Solaris for now"
Again my response must be: Or not. The Blackdown Project has Sparc ports. 1.2.2 is available, though I don't believe that 1.3 is yet. Frankly, with the exception of HP-UX, Slowaris... er, I mean Solaris... is one of the most painfull platforms to "write once, run anywhere" on. IMHO, of course.
I will grant you this, though: x86 equipment, on the whole, is drek compared to most Sparc based stuff. It just isn't designed as robustly. Kind of like comparing a Nissan to a Toyota. I love my Nissan, and certainly get better bang for the buck with it. No regrets at all. However, one drive in the eqiv Toy would reveal an obvious difference in robustness, design and fit & finish.
--
If your map and the terrain differ,
trust the terrain.
"No surprises on chipsets, disk controllers, etc."
Granted, resolving bizarre HW interactions is one of the "joys" of running x86 systems. All in all, though, if you use reasonably consistantly configured systems you can get more bang for your buck out of an x86. You even admit this in your second point.
"No need for klunky KVM switches."
I've got to give you at partial credit here. Although Linux does support console on the serial port, so if that "rack mount device" you speak of is a basic term-server/serial port switcher, you can manage your x86 Linux boxen the same damn way.
In your final paragraph you also state:
The main criteria is whether we need a JVM... those running Java are stuck with Solaris for now"
Again my response must be: Or not. The Blackdown Project has Sparc ports. 1.2.2 is available, though I don't believe that 1.3 is yet. Frankly, with the exception of HP-UX, Slowaris... er, I mean Solaris... is one of the most painfull platforms to "write once, run anywhere" on. IMHO, of course.
I will grant you this, though: x86 equipment, on the whole, is drek compared to most Sparc based stuff. It just isn't designed as robustly. Kind of like comparing a Nissan to a Toyota. I love my Nissan, and certainly get better bang for the buck with it. No regrets at all. However, one drive in the eqiv Toy would reveal an obvious difference in robustness, design and fit & finish.
--
If your map and the terrain differ,
trust the terrain.
Actually the only real difference between iLink and FireWire is the spelling. Both are implementations of IEEE1394, wich allows for both powered and unpowered ports (6-pin and 4-pin, respectivly).
If my 505's battery life were better I would have loved to have a 6-pin port, but most devices are self-powered anyway, so no big deal. --
If your map and the terrain differ,
trust the terrain.
I'm running the Silver cards w/WEP at home right now using Linux 2.2.17 and 2.4.0-test10. The 2.4 kernel support for pcmcia was giving me fits, so I'm back to running the pcmcia-cs package of kernel modules, but no problems so far. WEP, Ad-Hoc mode (I'm using an old P90 laptop as a IPMASQ/Firewall box for my cablemodem), microwave oven robustness, etc. All work fine.
Mind you, I'm not saying that BSD doesn't support the card just fine... I just don't know what you mean by better. --
If your map and the terrain differ,
trust the terrain.
I'm afraid I'm not willing to do away with the IEEE1394 CD-RW I recently grabbed. Linux 2.4.0-test10 is working like a champ on my Z505LS, including support for the "ILink" port. (Sony's name for IEEE1394. Apple's name for it is FireWire)
I know the USB suppor on BSD is good, but I've not heard much of anything about FireWire. I'd also be a bit worried about my ORiNOCO wireles LAN card.
Nothing agains BSD, mind you. In fact I run Slack on most of my home systems, which is rather BSDish in feel. --
If your map and the terrain differ,
trust the terrain.
Jesus H. Christ on a popsicle stick. Do you ever think before you type?
Wicca is no more a cult than Christianity is. In both, practitioners are asked to believe blindly in the faith's teachings. Other than the number of participants, I don't see the difference.
Put another way, how is Christianity not a cult if Wicca is? By your logic we should be rushing to outlaw Christianity (or at least not treat it as a "religion"; whatever your definition of "religion" is). Far more blood has been spilled by "rightious" Xians than all the most wacked out modern "cults" combined.
Personally I don't belive in *any* religion... I prefer to take my reality straight up, thank you. But I respect those who prefer it on the rocks. I don't give a fuck if you do, but I'm damn sure going to tell you how ignorant I think you are if you don't.
--
If your map and the terrain differ,
trust the terrain.
I use laptops exclusively for my personal machines, so I've become acclimated to the short-throw keyboard. In fact, the lovely long-throw, *click* IBM PC-AT 101 key tank that was my standard for years is now actually painfull to type on. My touch used to be sort of like typing with ball-peen hammers (or so my friends would say); today my touch is much lighter.
Because of my adaptation to the laptop-style keyboards, I've been continually disappointed by the desktop keyboards I've been given at work. So about a year ago I went out on lunch into that big, scarey blue room and bought a wireless keyboard at Office Depot or some such place. It is branded "PC Concepts" and it was $50 or so. I've seen the same keyboard online for $10 more with another brand name on it.
Bottom line is that, except for the "rubber nipple" pointing device on the right side of the keyboard, I love it. The feel is almost identical to my new Sony Z505LS, and was very close to my previous main machine, a Toshiba Sattelite 2545XCDT.
The battery life (it's IR remote) is good (haven't change them yet) and I like the "lock" indicators on the receiver. The range is good (30+ feet by my reconing) and the angles are good as well. I usually use it just like a normal keyboard, though.
Only downsides are so far are: (1) silly multi-media buttons at the top edge that I haven't taken the time to figure out how to support in Linux/BSD yet, (2) the "rubber nipple" I mentioned and (3) the increase in size due to (1) and (2).
I use a Logitec Trackman Marble Wheel for my pointer, which has saved my right wrist (and my coding career). I'll probably buy a cordless one when I replace it, if for no other reason than to give myself more flexibility.
So, if I could just chop off the "hand grips" on the left and right (about 2" on each side) and lop off the inch or so at the top where the buttons are, I'd be *really* happy. It would be the same size as my Happy Hacking kbd (now unused), but cordless and with the right feel and with arrow keys (another wrist killer for me when I used the HHK).
--
If your map and the terrain differ,
trust the terrain.
Last I checked, Mr. Heckler is VP of Sony Pictures Entertainment, Inc., a subsidiary of Sony Corp.
He doesn't speak for the whole corp. Today's major corporations are usually comprised of many independent units. Granted, Mr. Heckler is obvioulsy a loon and should be watched carefully, as I believe he represents a danger to himself and others.
I still just bought a Z505LS laptop. Bottom line: they rock. I also use a Roadrunner cable modem through Time-Warner Cable. Time-Warner itself sucks, but the cable system is ok, as cable systems go. Yes, I know they used to do all sorts of unfriendly stuff such as requre a login protocol with only Windows and Mac implementations provided. They are learning and improving tho. I still think that Time-Warner Media needs a solid *THWACK*.
--
If your map and the terrain differ,
trust the terrain.
This is similar to what Slackware users have had for several versions now. We call it ZipSlack...unzip a file & go. Hard to get less painfull than that, eh?
More recently there is a beast called BigSlack...same basic deal, but with all the goodies.
Neither makes much sense as a dayly driver, but they're great as a save test drive, or when you just need a Linux box *now* as a stop-gap.
Folks should really consider having a look at Slackware. Due to the influx of new folks who don't understand what it takes to build a stable system, Slack has developed an unfair rep as not being an innovative and current distro. See for yourself, don't take other people's word for it.
Remember: Most people are stupid.
Got Slack? -- If your map and the terrain differ, trust the terrain.
All OS tend toward Unix over time...
on
The End of Unix?
·
· Score: 1
Lets face it: Unix was designed to evolve. It will continute to do so. Witness Linux & *BSD. Many features of Unix lend themselves to a distributed environment. The file system is already distributed. RPC & newer varients plus clustering technology such as Beowulf already impliment distributed processing. The very modular Linux kernel is getting even more modular over time. In time even the kernel will be capable of distributed operation. Not sure why you'd want to for certain. Well, praps for 100% uptime with full multiple redundancy of all system units. Sortof like what HA Linux from Moto is doing only moreso.
Anyway, short answer is (with appologies to Mr. Twain):
"Reports of the death of Unix have been exaggerated." -- If your map and the terrain differ, trust the terrain.
Slack has some services enabled in inetd.conf. Specifically: time, ftp, telnet, comsat, shell, login, ntalk, pop3, imap2, finger and auth. This is the same list that most distros enable, though other distros may enable more of them (RH used to...to lazy to check if they still do, so take that with a large pinch of salt).
Besides, I was speaking of the the programs in the distro and the basic framework (suid root programs/scripts, group and user level security, other approriate file permissions, etc. For any given environment it is up to the admin/user to take necessary steps to provide configuration level security. Slack has had a respectably low number of security advisories over the years, esp. comared to other Linux distros. I think it would be great if setup took pains to get a reasonable take on the use intended for the machine and set configuration accordingly. But the admin/user will always need to take some steps, as there are just too many variables.
As for the new updates...I don't think Slack will disappear. Folks like it. I am concerned that it will become even more marginalized and that the Linux standards process is missing out on some good input.
You are correct about one thing, though. This is off topic. My bad.
-- If your map and the terrain differ, trust the terrain.
My immediate concern is how this will affect Walnut Creek's support of Slackware. Slack has been cursed with little to no PR as it is. Granted, this is partly due to Pat's refusal to cooperate in standards processes[1]. Slack has been the most stable and secure Linux OS for as long as I can remember (which would be back when I dloaded the A series of disks of of a local Citadel86 BBS using a 1200baud modem...no idea what year that was, but it was a ways back!). It hasn't had much by way of mainstream support and recognition for a few years now.
I would hate to see Slack go the way of the Dodo because of this. Granted, this announcement means that the box that I was going to wipe RH6.1 off of (I test each new RH, Deb and Slack distro as they come out and I have the time and drive space) and put Slack back onto will probably be getting a FBSD 3.4 install instead. Time to start playing in that space a bit. Most of the mainstream Linux distros (RH, Deb, SuSE, Turbo) don't suit me well. Deb is nice once it's set up, but the devel process is broken. Evolution will fix this, but I don't have the time to waste on it right now. Great distro, just not for me. RH...well, it's really not bad, but I don't much like their config style. Not the SYSV part...that's ok. The/etc/sysconfig directory mess is what I'm refering to. Makes the construction of the official admin tools easier, but at the expense of making manual or custom config/mgmt a pain. Don't even get me started about SuSE in this regard! As for Turbo, I've not done more than a simple install, so no comment. (And the crowd goes wild!!!)
Anyhoo....this rambled on longer than I had inteded. I suppose I should just email the Slack crew and WCCDROM for a real answer, rather than asking here. I would say that it was to save the time, but typing all this drivel took at least as long as the emails would have.
[1] Yes, I know they do a great job of following the file hierarchy standerd. I was refering the the LSB, which is going to be good, but would be better with Slack folk working on it, too. -- If your map and the terrain differ, trust the terrain.
Jesus H. Christ on a popsicle stick! A 30 second glance at the linked story would make it obvious that the charges stem from using the prog to actually break into systems. How can that possibly justify the hyperbole in the headline/blurb?
I don't expect slashdot to be the most journalistcally sound source of info, but this is pathetic. -- If your map and the terrain differ, trust the terrain.
Yup. And in Python you would get a syntax error at the else since the indentation is ambiguous.(assuming that you change the rest of the code to be Python, of course!;)
No dangling else issue.
'Course I never see those in C or Java either, since I *always* use braces, just like you need to for Perl.
-- If your map and the terrain differ, trust the terrain.
My gripe about Java isn't speed. It isn't the platform. These are implementation details.
My gripe about Java is that the language is *awkward*. It has all the B&D of C++. For a *really* large project this might be of use, but for my money I'll take consensus over language limitations every time.
Python strikes me as the current best of breed for general purpose programming languages. It has the necessary features for writing both large and small apps in a *very* unobtrusive package. The language just plain gets the hell out of your way and lets you get on with solving the problem.
It also seems to be near the top for WORA. I've written apps that run unchanged on Linux, Win95/98/NT, Solaris and AIX.
The only issue is WORA GUI, and I don't think that problem has been solved for *any* language yet. Tk comes close, though, and Python's interface to Tk rocks.
If Java would just get the hell out of my way it wouldn't be so bad.
-- If your map and the terrain differ, trust the terrain.
Wasn't being disingenuous. I don't see what the problem with seeking appropriate docs in a standard place is.
man works on Linux for basic stuff and much less than basic stuff. I'd love to see better man page coverage than there is...I'll readily admit that Linux man page support is less than it should be.
Your attempts to "define" what a standard centralized location is is silly. For Linux,/usr/doc is the location for LDP and non-man page docs. Would I like the non-LDP stuff in man pages instead? Of course. And most of it is.
As for the "not" examples...I'll grant netscape. I don't use it for docs. In the rare occasion that the docs I need are in HTML I use lynx. But I digress.
I fail to see how seeking out and reading the READMEs is a bad thing. I also fail to see how find | less is any less standard than man. man is just a fancy-schmancy locate | groff | less anyway. A *nice* fancy-schmancy locate | groff | less, mind you.
As for emacs, bleah. I, and more importantly my hands, prefer vi. Emacs is also not part of the standard install of some Linux distros. What does that have to do with centralised docs?
-- If your map and the terrain differ, trust the terrain.
> Linux is a great starting point for many, many new people in the Unix
Agreed.
> world. With that said, almost every single person I know that uses > *BSD is someone who came from linux, not from another OS. OpenBSD for > example comes locked-down out of the box. The ports tree in BSD lets
Which is a *good* thing. Closest thing to this I've used in the Linux world is a bone stock Slackware, tho many feel Debian is also reasonable. RedHat, tho a very nice distro, need not apply here!
> you install anything after that. A good comparison is between a Redhat > 6.1 install and an OpenBSD 2.6 install. Redhat's GUI frustrated me to > no end, and there was no way to break out of it that I could see.
Um...you mean other than reading the clearly described choices on the install boot screen and choosing the non-GUI install?
> Redhat does not have readily-identifiable links to it's docs from > their main page- Open and FreeBSD do. Open and Free also use man
Um...other than the section titled "Linux Documentation" with links to LDP, Redhat manuals, etc.? Did you ever even *go* to their site?
> pages- a central reference for any command in BSD. The 2.6 install was
Um...last I checked (just now) so does Linux. Have you every actually run Linux? We also have the LDP and a well defined place to put app specific docs (/usr/doc). Works for me.
> a little different, but I did not epxect it to be the same- so I printed > out the install.i386 html doc- I never had to ask a fellow user a > question when I installed Open 2.6. Let's Recap:
> Linux Pros: > Easy install (for even the lamers)
What is the point of the parenthetical there?
> Lots of Software > Lots of Documentation > Linux Cons: > >Not everyone wants or needs a GUI install.
Which is why many (most?) of us don't use 'em. Get your facts straight.
> >Messy dependencies, especially with RPM's
Or usefull ones, depending upon your perspective. For a home or small office user deps can be a godsend. I personally run Slack for the most part, and compile much of my own software, so it's pretty much a no issue for me. This point can be seen as either pro or con...thus there are choices ether way...the only choice that gets *really* messy is "both".
> >HOWTO's written by my baby brother- seemily never profread
Pot. Kettle. Black. Is any of this ringing a bell?
> BSD Pros: > >Centralized Documentation
Um... so man pages and/usr/doc doesn't count?
> >Ports Tree (ports.tar.gz rocks!) for *easy* installs of anything for BSD
This does work well. But most Linux distros have pretty damn easy package install tools as well. (RPM, apt, installpkg/upgradepkg)
> >Lean,mean installs- FTP installs from one floppy was never easier!
Um...deb comes damn close, and Slack can as well. Hell, even the much maligned Redhat can do a two floppy FTP install.
So what. CD install is usually easier & faster.
> BSD Cons: > >New users don't like to read, especially docs
Looks like that is a con for a certain BSD user trying Linux anyway. Sheesh. *Most* people are stupid. It's a fact of life. This is a problem for anything more complicated than dialing a phone. Sucks to be them.
Since this is the case, why not profit from making a no-brainer install for those to lame to even read the screen messages? Doesn't hurt those of us who don't need it.
> >Linux users are used to gurus massaging them through everything- this is > not the case with Open or Free
Well...some BSDers are happy to give help when asked, and some Linuxers are to lame or scared to admit they don't know it all to help. Works both ways. However, painting "Linux user" with such a broad brush is stupid. There are many more newbies running Linux than BSD. Comes with the 10+ times larger user base...even with the same percentage of newbies Linux would have around 10x more of 'em. "I canna' change the laws of physics, capn'" Er... make that arithmatic.
> >Gnome hasn't been ported to BSD (hooray!) due to problems with > security and Gnome. (not sure if this is a con)
Wa? What stops you from compiling it for BSD? Do your research, man. At least have enough facts straight to *appear* to know what you are talking about.
-- If your map and the terrain differ, trust the terrain.
Slashdot Mirror
Don't get me wrong, I love my Firewire CDRW. Firewire is cool for consumer level storage and digital video applications. That doesn't change the fact that it doesn't have what it takes for real high performace video and storage. Only a full fabric Fibre Channel solution can really cover that realm right now.
Oh ... and you might want to check w/Sony on that whole "Apple invented it" comment.
--
If your map and the terrain differ,
trust the terrain.
Grab a charger at TechCenter Labs, then wander over to Edmund Scientific for a solar battery charger. Reverse the leads & connect the two together and you have a solar powered charger for your Palm V/Vx. If you have another Palm, you could just charge NiCads I suppose.
--
If your map and the terrain differ,
trust the terrain.
I realize that it's /. standard to see Black Helecopters&tm everywhere, but this whole "Big Corporations are Evil and out to get us all" thing is getting old. When it's true, get the word out. But for the love of Eris, do some research!
--
If your map and the terrain differ,
trust the terrain.
Three bits means three "binary places". Each "place" is worth a power of two equal to it's offset from the rightmost place, just as each "place" in decimal is worth a power of ten equal to it's offset. So given three bits we can express the values 0 through 7 (000 through 111). With only one bit we can express 0 through 1 (0 or 1). It follows that eight grey values can represent three bits where two grey values could reresent one bit. Given that three is roughly three times the original capacity of one, my considered opinion is that, although your daughter's arithmatic is correct, your interpretation of it is not.
I'd suggest that you avoid embarassing gaffes like this by learning some basics. Perhaps visiting "How bytes and bits work" or asking your daughter to explain basic base-n math to you might be of some help.
Good luck!
--
If your map and the terrain differ,
trust the terrain.
"fucking" was an adjective in that sentance. As for the popsicle stick, that's his own damn business and I'll thank you to keep it out of this public forum.
As for the etext vs. eBook, I think you're making a distinction where there isn't one. I recognize that there are PD, free and proprietary ones. However the free and proprietary ones are different mostly in their terms of distribution. If you are silly enough to pay for docs you can only view with a specific viewer, that's your problem. All the etext I use are in standard formats, either .pdf or DOC mostly. No, not .doc, DOC (for Palm devices). And in fact, the ones that I've paid for don't even use the "copy protection" that .pdf allows for.
Finally, I know LCDs can read fairly well. I only use a CRT when I have no choice and then only if I am paid well to do it. That has little to do with my point. The experience (visual, olfactory and tactile) of reading an actual book is different than that of readin etext. Laptops don't allow for very comfortable "curling up" (not even my Z505LS). Palm doesn't show enough on the screen, but it's better. eBook and other silly single use devices might be better if they used better displays and could use more standard formats. But none the less, they just aren't books. When it comes to the overall experience technical issues don't matter, emotional ones do.
Deal with it.
--
If your map and the terrain differ,
trust the terrain.
You say [emphasis in original]:
That is, at best, a misrepresentation of the AG's intent. The second to last paragraph of their letter reads [emphasis mine]:
You even contradict yourself in the very next sentance [emphasis mine]:
And as for your comments about Open Source (or Free Software for that matter), this has nothing to do with "open source principles". This has to do with property rights
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If your map and the terrain differ,
trust the terrain.
Bottom line is that they want a piece of every sale they see as likely. Hell, I'm surprised they didn't just as nicely demand^h^h^h^h^h^hrequest statistics on sales of out-of-print used books so that they could easily identify books to put back into print and make more $$ off of! Not that I'm opposed to making money. Not at all. I just don't take kindly to doing an end run around the rights of property owners. And buying a book makes that copy of it mine, to do with as I see fit.
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If your map and the terrain differ,
trust the terrain.
My first reaction to this artcle was one of outrage. The position of the Authors Guild is disingenuous at best. But your caracterization of *authors* is just too much.
By your short sighted logic one cold as easily say: Just like the record and movie industry, coders would like software to be pay-per-use. After all, SPA espouses draconian licensing and "copy protection" practices.
Just once try thinking before posting. I know it's not popular here on /., but at least consider it.
In response to your ebooks comment, last I checked (about ten minutes ago, as I love to carry etext on my Palm), most etext is either free or sold in a manner very similar to books. My only concern (gods I hate allowing even half a point to you, but such is life as an intellectually honest person) is that sights like fictionwise.com don't seem to allow for the concept of first sale. Not that it's any easier to do so with etext than it is with software. Each copy would have to have a unique key in order to tell which one you actually purchased. So although there are possible issues there that must be worked out, it's not the black helicopter situation youseem to imply. Besides, ink on dead tree isn't going anywhere. For long format fiction it's still a far better experience that etext, IM(NS)HO.
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If your map and the terrain differ,
trust the terrain.
All good points about the SPARC hardware.
Or not.
Granted, resolving bizarre HW interactions is one of the "joys" of running x86 systems. All in all, though, if you use reasonably consistantly configured systems you can get more bang for your buck out of an x86. You even admit this in your second point.
I've got to give you at partial credit here. Although Linux does support console on the serial port, so if that "rack mount device" you speak of is a basic term-server/serial port switcher, you can manage your x86 Linux boxen the same damn way.
In your final paragraph you also state:
Again my response must be: Or not. The Blackdown Project has Sparc ports. 1.2.2 is available, though I don't believe that 1.3 is yet. Frankly, with the exception of HP-UX, Slowaris ... er, I mean Solaris ... is one of the most painfull platforms to "write once, run anywhere" on. IMHO, of course.
I will grant you this, though: x86 equipment, on the whole, is drek compared to most Sparc based stuff. It just isn't designed as robustly. Kind of like comparing a Nissan to a Toyota. I love my Nissan, and certainly get better bang for the buck with it. No regrets at all. However, one drive in the eqiv Toy would reveal an obvious difference in robustness, design and fit & finish.
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If your map and the terrain differ,
trust the terrain.
All good points about the SPARC hardware.
Or not.
Granted, resolving bizarre HW interactions is one of the "joys" of running x86 systems. All in all, though, if you use reasonably consistantly configured systems you can get more bang for your buck out of an x86. You even admit this in your second point.
--
If your map and the terrain differ,
trust the terrain.
If my 505's battery life were better I would have loved to have a 6-pin port, but most devices are self-powered anyway, so no big deal.
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If your map and the terrain differ,
trust the terrain.
I'm running the Silver cards w/WEP at home right now using Linux 2.2.17 and 2.4.0-test10. The 2.4 kernel support for pcmcia was giving me fits, so I'm back to running the pcmcia-cs package of kernel modules, but no problems so far. WEP, Ad-Hoc mode (I'm using an old P90 laptop as a IPMASQ/Firewall box for my cablemodem), microwave oven robustness, etc. All work fine.
Mind you, I'm not saying that BSD doesn't support the card just fine ... I just don't know what you mean by better.
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If your map and the terrain differ,
trust the terrain.
I know the USB suppor on BSD is good, but I've not heard much of anything about FireWire. I'd also be a bit worried about my ORiNOCO wireles LAN card.
Nothing agains BSD, mind you. In fact I run Slack on most of my home systems, which is rather BSDish in feel.
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If your map and the terrain differ,
trust the terrain.
Wicca is no more a cult than Christianity is. In both, practitioners are asked to believe blindly in the faith's teachings. Other than the number of participants, I don't see the difference.
Put another way, how is Christianity not a cult if Wicca is? By your logic we should be rushing to outlaw Christianity (or at least not treat it as a "religion"; whatever your definition of "religion" is). Far more blood has been spilled by "rightious" Xians than all the most wacked out modern "cults" combined.
Personally I don't belive in *any* religion ... I prefer to take my reality straight up, thank you. But I respect those who prefer it on the rocks. I don't give a fuck if you do, but I'm damn sure going to tell you how ignorant I think you are if you don't.
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If your map and the terrain differ,
trust the terrain.
Because of my adaptation to the laptop-style keyboards, I've been continually disappointed by the desktop keyboards I've been given at work. So about a year ago I went out on lunch into that big, scarey blue room and bought a wireless keyboard at Office Depot or some such place. It is branded "PC Concepts" and it was $50 or so. I've seen the same keyboard online for $10 more with another brand name on it.
Bottom line is that, except for the "rubber nipple" pointing device on the right side of the keyboard, I love it. The feel is almost identical to my new Sony Z505LS, and was very close to my previous main machine, a Toshiba Sattelite 2545XCDT.
The battery life (it's IR remote) is good (haven't change them yet) and I like the "lock" indicators on the receiver. The range is good (30+ feet by my reconing) and the angles are good as well. I usually use it just like a normal keyboard, though.
Only downsides are so far are: (1) silly multi-media buttons at the top edge that I haven't taken the time to figure out how to support in Linux/BSD yet, (2) the "rubber nipple" I mentioned and (3) the increase in size due to (1) and (2).
I use a Logitec Trackman Marble Wheel for my pointer, which has saved my right wrist (and my coding career). I'll probably buy a cordless one when I replace it, if for no other reason than to give myself more flexibility.
So, if I could just chop off the "hand grips" on the left and right (about 2" on each side) and lop off the inch or so at the top where the buttons are, I'd be *really* happy. It would be the same size as my Happy Hacking kbd (now unused), but cordless and with the right feel and with arrow keys (another wrist killer for me when I used the HHK).
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If your map and the terrain differ,
trust the terrain.
He doesn't speak for the whole corp. Today's major corporations are usually comprised of many independent units. Granted, Mr. Heckler is obvioulsy a loon and should be watched carefully, as I believe he represents a danger to himself and others.
I still just bought a Z505LS laptop. Bottom line: they rock. I also use a Roadrunner cable modem through Time-Warner Cable. Time-Warner itself sucks, but the cable system is ok, as cable systems go. Yes, I know they used to do all sorts of unfriendly stuff such as requre a login protocol with only Windows and Mac implementations provided. They are learning and improving tho. I still think that Time-Warner Media needs a solid *THWACK*.
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If your map and the terrain differ,
trust the terrain.
More recently there is a beast called BigSlack...same basic deal, but with all the goodies.
Neither makes much sense as a dayly driver, but they're great as a save test drive, or when you just need a Linux box *now* as a stop-gap.
Folks should really consider having a look at Slackware. Due to the influx of new folks who don't understand what it takes to build a stable system, Slack has developed an unfair rep as not being an innovative and current distro. See for yourself, don't take other people's word for it.
Remember: Most people are stupid.
Got Slack?
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If your map and the terrain differ,
trust the terrain.
Anyway, short answer is (with appologies to Mr. Twain):
"Reports of the death of Unix have been exaggerated."
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If your map and the terrain differ,
trust the terrain.
Bullshit.
Slack has some services enabled in inetd.conf. Specifically: time, ftp, telnet, comsat, shell, login, ntalk, pop3, imap2, finger and auth. This is the same list that most distros enable, though other distros may enable more of them (RH used to...to lazy to check if they still do, so take that with a large pinch of salt).
Besides, I was speaking of the the programs in the distro and the basic framework (suid root programs/scripts, group and user level security, other approriate file permissions, etc. For any given environment it is up to the admin/user to take necessary steps to provide configuration level security. Slack has had a respectably low number of security advisories over the years, esp. comared to other Linux distros. I think it would be great if setup took pains to get a reasonable take on the use intended for the machine and set configuration accordingly. But the admin/user will always need to take some steps, as there are just too many variables.
As for the new updates...I don't think Slack will disappear. Folks like it. I am concerned that it will become even more marginalized and that the Linux standards process is missing out on some good input.
You are correct about one thing, though. This is off topic. My bad.
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If your map and the terrain differ,
trust the terrain.
I would hate to see Slack go the way of the Dodo because of this. Granted, this announcement means that the box that I was going to wipe RH6.1 off of (I test each new RH, Deb and Slack distro as they come out and I have the time and drive space) and put Slack back onto will probably be getting a FBSD 3.4 install instead. Time to start playing in that space a bit. Most of the mainstream Linux distros (RH, Deb, SuSE, Turbo) don't suit me well. Deb is nice once it's set up, but the devel process is broken. Evolution will fix this, but I don't have the time to waste on it right now. Great distro, just not for me. RH...well, it's really not bad, but I don't much like their config style. Not the SYSV part...that's ok. The /etc/sysconfig directory mess is what I'm refering to. Makes the construction of the official admin tools easier, but at the expense of making manual or custom config/mgmt a pain. Don't even get me started about SuSE in this regard! As for Turbo, I've not done more than a simple install, so no comment. (And the crowd goes wild!!!)
Anyhoo....this rambled on longer than I had inteded. I suppose I should just email the Slack crew and WCCDROM for a real answer, rather than asking here. I would say that it was to save the time, but typing all this drivel took at least as long as the emails would have.
[1] Yes, I know they do a great job of following the file hierarchy standerd. I was refering the the LSB, which is going to be good, but would be better with Slack folk working on it, too.
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If your map and the terrain differ,
trust the terrain.
Jesus H. Christ on a popsicle stick! A 30 second glance at the linked story would make it obvious that the charges stem from using the prog to actually break into systems. How can that possibly justify the hyperbole in the headline/blurb?
I don't expect slashdot to be the most journalistcally sound source of info, but this is pathetic.
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If your map and the terrain differ,
trust the terrain.
Yup. And in Python you would get a syntax error at the else since the indentation is ambiguous.(assuming that you change the rest of the code to be Python, of course! ;)
No dangling else issue.
'Course I never see those in C or Java either, since I *always* use braces, just like you need to for Perl.
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If your map and the terrain differ,
trust the terrain.
My gripe about Java isn't speed. It isn't the platform. These are implementation details.
My gripe about Java is that the language is *awkward*. It has all the B&D of C++. For a *really* large project this might be of use, but for my money I'll take consensus over language limitations every time.
Python strikes me as the current best of breed for general purpose programming languages. It has the necessary features for writing both large and small apps in a *very* unobtrusive package. The language just plain gets the hell out of your way and lets you get on with solving the problem.
It also seems to be near the top for WORA. I've written apps that run unchanged on Linux, Win95/98/NT, Solaris and AIX.
The only issue is WORA GUI, and I don't think that problem has been solved for *any* language yet. Tk comes close, though, and Python's interface to Tk rocks.
If Java would just get the hell out of my way it wouldn't be so bad.
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If your map and the terrain differ,
trust the terrain.
Wasn't being disingenuous. I don't see what the problem with seeking appropriate docs in a standard place is.
/usr/doc is the location for LDP and non-man page docs. Would I like the non-LDP stuff in man pages instead? Of course. And most of it is.
man works on Linux for basic stuff and much less than basic stuff. I'd love to see better man page coverage than there is...I'll readily admit that Linux man page support is less than it should be.
Your attempts to "define" what a standard centralized location is is silly. For Linux,
As for the "not" examples...I'll grant netscape. I don't use it for docs. In the rare occasion that the docs I need are in HTML I use lynx. But I digress.
I fail to see how seeking out and reading the READMEs is a bad thing. I also fail to see how find | less is any less standard than man. man is just a fancy-schmancy locate | groff | less anyway. A *nice* fancy-schmancy locate | groff | less, mind you.
As for emacs, bleah. I, and more importantly my hands, prefer vi. Emacs is also not part of the standard install of some Linux distros. What does that have to do with centralised docs?
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If your map and the terrain differ,
trust the terrain.
> Linux is a great starting point for many, many new people in the Unix
/usr/doc doesn't count?
Agreed.
> world. With that said, almost every single person I know that uses
> *BSD is someone who came from linux, not from another OS. OpenBSD for
> example comes locked-down out of the box. The ports tree in BSD lets
Which is a *good* thing. Closest thing to this I've used in the Linux
world is a bone stock Slackware, tho many feel Debian is also reasonable.
RedHat, tho a very nice distro, need not apply here!
> you install anything after that. A good comparison is between a Redhat
> 6.1 install and an OpenBSD 2.6 install. Redhat's GUI frustrated me to
> no end, and there was no way to break out of it that I could see.
Um...you mean other than reading the clearly described choices on the
install boot screen and choosing the non-GUI install?
> Redhat does not have readily-identifiable links to it's docs from
> their main page- Open and FreeBSD do. Open and Free also use man
Um...other than the section titled "Linux Documentation" with links to
LDP, Redhat manuals, etc.? Did you ever even *go* to their site?
> pages- a central reference for any command in BSD. The 2.6 install was
Um...last I checked (just now) so does Linux. Have you every actually run
Linux? We also have the LDP and a well defined place to put app specific
docs (/usr/doc). Works for me.
> a little different, but I did not epxect it to be the same- so I printed
> out the install.i386 html doc- I never had to ask a fellow user a
> question when I installed Open 2.6. Let's Recap:
> Linux Pros:
> Easy install (for even the lamers)
What is the point of the parenthetical there?
> Lots of Software
> Lots of Documentation
> Linux Cons:
> >Not everyone wants or needs a GUI install.
Which is why many (most?) of us don't use 'em. Get your facts straight.
> >Messy dependencies, especially with RPM's
Or usefull ones, depending upon your perspective. For a home or small
office user deps can be a godsend. I personally run Slack for the most
part, and compile much of my own software, so it's pretty much a no
issue for me. This point can be seen as either pro or con...thus there
are choices ether way...the only choice that gets *really* messy is "both".
> >HOWTO's written by my baby brother- seemily never profread
Pot. Kettle. Black. Is any of this ringing a bell?
> BSD Pros:
> >Centralized Documentation
Um... so man pages and
> >Ports Tree (ports.tar.gz rocks!) for *easy* installs of anything for BSD
This does work well. But most Linux distros have pretty damn easy package
install tools as well. (RPM, apt, installpkg/upgradepkg)
> >Lean,mean installs- FTP installs from one floppy was never easier!
Um...deb comes damn close, and Slack can as well. Hell, even the much
maligned Redhat can do a two floppy FTP install.
So what. CD install is usually easier & faster.
> BSD Cons:
> >New users don't like to read, especially docs
Looks like that is a con for a certain BSD user trying Linux anyway.
Sheesh. *Most* people are stupid. It's a fact of life. This is a problem
for anything more complicated than dialing a phone. Sucks to be them.
Since this is the case, why not profit from making a no-brainer install
for those to lame to even read the screen messages? Doesn't hurt those of
us who don't need it.
> >Linux users are used to gurus massaging them through everything- this is
> not the case with Open or Free
Well...some BSDers are happy to give help when asked, and some Linuxers
are to lame or scared to admit they don't know it all to help. Works both
ways. However, painting "Linux user" with such a broad brush is stupid.
There are many more newbies running Linux than BSD. Comes with the 10+ times
larger user base...even with the same percentage of newbies Linux would have
around 10x more of 'em. "I canna' change the laws of physics, capn'" Er...
make that arithmatic.
> >Gnome hasn't been ported to BSD (hooray!) due to problems with
> security and Gnome. (not sure if this is a con)
Wa? What stops you from compiling it for BSD? Do your research, man. At least
have enough facts straight to *appear* to know what you are talking about.
--
If your map and the terrain differ,
trust the terrain.