That just appears to be a list of issues which the scientific community may once have been sceptical about, but which they have come to accept as fact. By their very nature, he (and you) would not have quoted them if they were not things which have come to be accepted as scientific fact.
Anyway, who were these mysterious "consensus"es which appeared to be against them ? Who says there was a huge consensus opposing each of these discoveries ? Michael Crichton - a man famous for science fiction?
"It is just plain bad to have two completely disconnected desktops."
Not necessarily. Why is it bad that people have the option of using MacOS X instead of being forced to use windows ?
"It will permanently inhibit application development and support."
Free (as in price), high-quality open-source software will inhibit commercial application development and support. People like you saying we only need one version of everything will also inhibit application development if a similar program already exists, and if people actually listen to what you say.
"There is a massive duplication of effort that drains open source of its strength, the huge pool of manpower"
Oh come on. Of all the different applications, windows managers, desktop environments, and whole operating systems available, having two major operating systems is not going to drain the supply of open source developers.
You yourself quote wxWindows as an option. Isn't that a waste of effort ? Surely, all those wxWindows developers should pack up now, and get to work straight away on either KDE or Gnome ?
"It creates frustration for users and companies considering Linux deployments because they are immediately faced with a difficult choice."
As if switching from Windows to Linux wasn't a difficult choice already. But surely choice is the whole point ?
You're talking about the "File: Open Location" menu function, and not the "File: Open" and "File: Save As" functions, in which it can also be used - where it isn't documented at all.
"how much better might things be if the GNOME and KDE teams were working together instead of separately?"
Possibly much worse.
Without users leaving Gnome to use KDE instead, there would be no incentive for Gnome to fix any of their problems, or re-think any of their usability issues.
Without users leaving KDE to use Gnome instead, there would be no incentive for KDE to tidy up their user interface, or re-think any of their usability issues.
You said you had issues with Gnome's usability. Imagine how much worse it would be without a choice, or without PROOF that things can be done better. How would you ever get some of Gnome's "we-know-best" developers to acknowledge any of Gnome's weaknesses then ?
That's not to say every Gnome developer has a "we-know-best" attitude. But some seem determined to re-invent the wheel - and make it square this time (because some newbies just can't get used to wheels that insist on rolling around all over the place).
"I remember that the *"People of Han" (as they called themselves) who founded the original Chin Dynasty considered themselves the center of the universe. So naturally, they too considered themselves the center of all culture and refinement. I see modern communism as a more contemporary expression of this belief. It seems almost bred into their cultural psychology. A very deep meme that is very difficult to erase."
"This is the precise reason having multiple desktop environment projects is a bad idea."
"Gnome's button order.....logically makes sense and merely points out how other GUIs like Windows and KDE have been doing it wrong. This is why I prefer Gnome--....."
"When I use KDE, I see all the cool stuff it can do. But when I use Gnome, I actually feel comfortable as though this is something I could use all day and not go insane! Things just "make sense.""
"MacOS users are used to....."
Strange - you start by saying that multiple desktop environments are a bad idea. Then virtually everything else you say seems to show why having multiple desktop environments is a good idea.
Do you only think a single desktop environment project is good if it makes the decisions you like ? What if it didn't ? Wouldn't you like an alternative ?
"Maybe the European Union can focus on treating less developed countries, that were formally colonized by them, would treat them fairly and give them preferential treatment on imports."
Funny you should mention this. I believe the EU tried to do this with bananas imported from poor countries in the caribbean. The USA, prompted by large american banana companies, took them to the WTO to prevent it.
Yes, I'm a little surprised there hasn't been more of a fuss over this.
Is this really the best Microsoft can do ?
Whenever a URL with an "xxx[:yyy]@" prefix is clicked or entered, why couldn't they pop up a login dialog box, specifying the name of the site (WITHOUT the xxx[:yyy]@ prefix), filling in the user name and password (i.e. the "xxx" and "yyy" in the appropriate fields), and asking for confirmation of the site to be visited ?
Or at least allow a configurable option such as "Disallow username/password in URLs / Prompt with Dialog Box / Allow" (with the default set to Disallow). That way, advanced users would still be able to use the username:password@ syntax if they enable the option. It's actually pretty useful as a quick way to transfer files by FTP, so I hope it's still supported over FTP.
There may be a cash-flow advantage, too. Rather than having two "peaks" a year when new releases of the distro come out, they might end up with four, smaller "peaks", with some people going for the initial release, and others waiting for the "Official" release (if a significant number of people pay for the "download" edition CDs/DVDs, that is).
For a business, a smoother cash flow has got to be good. The Mandrake Club might also help with this.
"In our generation the protestant work ethic has died. People are willing to actually do some amount of work for the greater good of society."
I don't think the previous generations of people who put us where we are today need lecturing from us on how much better than them we are. Because I'm sure it isn't true.
"Contrary to what you believe, providing a bunch of choices doesn't please everybody, it just confuses and spreads energy across various, conflicting projects."
So much for capitalism and competition, then.
Why don't we get rid of political parties, too ? Surely it just confuses and spreads energy across various different parties ?
Why don't we just have one single government that tells us what to do ? Because choice is a bad thing, right ?
"It is NOT the job of the judiciary to MAKE law -- it's the job to interpret the law and make sure it falls within the frame work of the constitution."
Then perhaps it would be interesting to read the closing statement of the court's judgement in the case which this story is about.
"It is not the province of the courts, however, to rewrite the DMCA in order to make it fit a new and unforseen internet architecture, no matter how damaging that development has been to the music industry or threatens being to the motion picture and software industries. The plight of copyrightholders must be addressed in the first instance by the Congress; only the Congress has the constitutional authority and the institutional ability to accommodate fully the varied permutations of competing interests that are inevitably implicated by such new technology."
"Well, I personally have a problem with its obscure syntax."
Fair enough, it can be a little obscure.
"For instance, I frequently have to Google how to list the files in a package on my hard drive with rpm."
Surely, once you've found out how to do it the first time, a quick look at the man page will remind you what the option was again. And anyway, after doing something simple like that 2 or 3 times, most people start to remember how to do it - so I'm surprised you "frequently" have to Google.
"In other words, rpm man-page is close to useless because it does not include examples of the most common use."
It may be close to useless for people who don't spend more than a few seconds looking for something. But I do think you're right - for complex commands like "rpm", examples of the most common uses would help.
"You learn by doing...."
Then why do you "frequently" have to Google ? Why not use your computer to automate what appears to be a regular task:
Then use your own hints file whenever you need to look up something you've done before.
"I miss apt-get, but I like bleeding edge hardware more and it's usually only either Mandrake or Red Hat that installs cleanly."
You could install Mandrake and use "urpmi" which many people have mentioned in many Mandrake articles here.
"Another problem is that any package management system makes it hard to combine stuff that you've compiled yourself and regular packages."
That's why anything you compile yourself should go either in/opt or (preferably) in/usr/local. That's what/usr/local is there for. For locally-installed files, to keep them separate from operating-system files (i.e. those installed by RPM/URPMI).
Agreed, though, that this use of/usr/local should be documented somewhere for beginners (as well as adding/usr/local/bin to your path, if needed).
Slashdot Mirror
"Before you have a family you're better off with an SUV because single guys who drive minivans don't get laid."
Yeah, God forbid you should have to use your personality to attract women.
That just appears to be a list of issues which the scientific community may once have been sceptical about, but which they have come to accept as fact. By their very nature, he (and you) would not have quoted them if they were not things which have come to be accepted as scientific fact.
Anyway, who were these mysterious "consensus"es which appeared to be against them ? Who says there was a huge consensus opposing each of these discoveries ? Michael Crichton - a man famous for science fiction ?
Don't worry, we were Groening already.....
".....the owner/operators uuof foreign imagery services will profit enormously as US customers procure data from an open, unfettered market abroad".
But look what some in your government have planned for the rest of the world (including your allies (while you still have some, that is)): 'Negation'.
"It is just plain bad to have two completely disconnected desktops."
Not necessarily. Why is it bad that people have the option of using MacOS X instead of being forced to use windows ?
"It will permanently inhibit application development and support."
Free (as in price), high-quality open-source software will inhibit commercial application development and support. People like you saying we only need one version of everything will also inhibit application development if a similar program already exists, and if people actually listen to what you say.
"There is a massive duplication of effort that drains open source of its strength, the huge pool of manpower"
Oh come on. Of all the different applications, windows managers, desktop environments, and whole operating systems available, having two major operating systems is not going to drain the supply of open source developers.
You yourself quote wxWindows as an option. Isn't that a waste of effort ? Surely, all those wxWindows developers should pack up now, and get to work straight away on either KDE or Gnome ?
"It creates frustration for users and companies considering Linux deployments because they are immediately faced with a difficult choice."
As if switching from Windows to Linux wasn't a difficult choice already. But surely choice is the whole point ?
You're talking about the "File: Open Location" menu function, and not the "File: Open" and "File: Save As" functions, in which it can also be used - where it isn't documented at all.
So why is there absolutely no indication whatsoever that this is available ?
All it would take is a short text label, or a mouse-over tooltip.
Seems like a strange concept of "usability" to me.
"how much better might things be if the GNOME and KDE teams were working together instead of separately?"
Possibly much worse.
Without users leaving Gnome to use KDE instead, there would be no incentive for Gnome to fix any of their problems, or re-think any of their usability issues.
Without users leaving KDE to use Gnome instead, there would be no incentive for KDE to tidy up their user interface, or re-think any of their usability issues.
You said you had issues with Gnome's usability. Imagine how much worse it would be without a choice, or without PROOF that things can be done better. How would you ever get some of Gnome's "we-know-best" developers to acknowledge any of Gnome's weaknesses then ?
That's not to say every Gnome developer has a "we-know-best" attitude. But some seem determined to re-invent the wheel - and make it square this time (because some newbies just can't get used to wheels that insist on rolling around all over the place).
"As for teaching pigs to fly I dunno..."
Well if someone called Hogwash McFly doesn't know, who does know ?
An interesting quote.
But imagine if software developers took the same approach to debugging - no bugs would ever get fixed.
"I remember that the *"People of Han" (as they called themselves) who founded the original Chin Dynasty considered themselves the center of the universe. So naturally, they too considered themselves the center of all culture and refinement. I see modern communism as a more contemporary expression of this belief. It seems almost bred into their cultural psychology. A very deep meme that is very difficult to erase."
So.....nothing like the modern-day USA then ?
What Texans call a "small stack"...
Shouldn't that be: 'What Texans call a "small snack"...'
In the same way that "most people" think that IP is made by TCP ?
"Windows XPSE?
Could be.
Or what about Windows Special Edition XP ?
Since, as you say, it still uses the NT kernel it could be Windows Special Edition XP Original Technology.
Windows SEXPOT.
Sounds like a winner.
"This is the precise reason having multiple desktop environment projects is a bad idea."
"Gnome's button order.....logically makes sense and merely points out how other GUIs like Windows and KDE have been doing it wrong. This is why I prefer Gnome--....."
"When I use KDE, I see all the cool stuff it can do. But when I use Gnome, I actually feel comfortable as though this is something I could use all day and not go insane! Things just "make sense.""
"MacOS users are used to....."
Strange - you start by saying that multiple desktop environments are a bad idea. Then virtually everything else you say seems to show why having multiple desktop environments is a good idea.
Do you only think a single desktop environment project is good if it makes the decisions you like ? What if it didn't ? Wouldn't you like an alternative ?
"Maybe the European Union can focus on treating less developed countries, that were formally colonized by them, would treat them fairly and give them preferential treatment on imports."
Funny you should mention this. I believe the EU tried to do this with bananas imported from poor countries in the caribbean. The USA, prompted by large american banana companies, took them to the WTO to prevent it.
Link here.
That said, the EU is still too much like a rich man's club.
Yes, I'm a little surprised there hasn't been more of a fuss over this.
Is this really the best Microsoft can do ?
Whenever a URL with an "xxx[:yyy]@" prefix is clicked or entered, why couldn't they pop up a login dialog box, specifying the name of the site (WITHOUT the xxx[:yyy]@ prefix), filling in the user name and password (i.e. the "xxx" and "yyy" in the appropriate fields), and asking for confirmation of the site to be visited ?
Or at least allow a configurable option such as "Disallow username/password in URLs / Prompt with Dialog Box / Allow" (with the default set to Disallow). That way, advanced users would still be able to use the username:password@ syntax if they enable the option. It's actually pretty useful as a quick way to transfer files by FTP, so I hope it's still supported over FTP.
There may be a cash-flow advantage, too. Rather than having two "peaks" a year when new releases of the distro come out, they might end up with four, smaller "peaks", with some people going for the initial release, and others waiting for the "Official" release (if a significant number of people pay for the "download" edition CDs/DVDs, that is).
For a business, a smoother cash flow has got to be good. The Mandrake Club might also help with this.
Overall, I think it's a great idea.
"[so how much] does the 'community' get for beta testing?"
Everything they produce (including the 'Official' release), downloadable and useable for free.
"In our generation the protestant work ethic has died. People are willing to actually do some amount of work for the greater good of society."
I don't think the previous generations of people who put us where we are today need lecturing from us on how much better than them we are. Because I'm sure it isn't true.
"Contrary to what you believe, providing a bunch of choices doesn't please everybody, it just confuses and spreads energy across various, conflicting projects."
So much for capitalism and competition, then.
Why don't we get rid of political parties, too ? Surely it just confuses and spreads energy across various different parties ?
Why don't we just have one single government that tells us what to do ? Because choice is a bad thing, right ?
"But the truth is, people don't want to choose, they want you to choose for them."
Then why are they choosing Linux ?
Or MacOS X ?
"It is NOT the job of the judiciary to MAKE law -- it's the job to interpret the law and make sure it falls within the frame work of the constitution."
Then perhaps it would be interesting to read the closing statement of the court's judgement in the case which this story is about.
From The Register:
"It is not the province of the courts, however, to rewrite the DMCA in order to make it fit a new and unforseen internet architecture, no matter how damaging that development has been to the music industry or threatens being to the motion picture and software industries. The plight of copyrightholders must be addressed in the first instance by the Congress; only the Congress has the constitutional authority and the institutional ability to accommodate fully the varied permutations of competing interests that are inevitably implicated by such new technology."
Sounds like you got yourself into a sticky situation there.
Errrrr.......I mean out of a sticky situation........
Fair enough, it can be a little obscure.
"For instance, I frequently have to Google how to list the files in a package on my hard drive with rpm."
Surely, once you've found out how to do it the first time, a quick look at the man page will remind you what the option was again. And anyway, after doing something simple like that 2 or 3 times, most people start to remember how to do it - so I'm surprised you "frequently" have to Google.
"In other words, rpm man-page is close to useless because it does not include examples of the most common use."
It may be close to useless for people who don't spend more than a few seconds looking for something. But I do think you're right - for complex commands like "rpm", examples of the most common uses would help.
"You learn by doing...."
Then why do you "frequently" have to Google ? Why not use your computer to automate what appears to be a regular task:
mkdir doc
vi doc/my-rpm-hints.txt Then use your own hints file whenever you need to look up something you've done before.
"I miss apt-get, but I like bleeding edge hardware more and it's usually only either Mandrake or Red Hat that installs cleanly."
You could install Mandrake and use "urpmi" which many people have mentioned in many Mandrake articles here.
"Another problem is that any package management system makes it hard to combine stuff that you've compiled yourself and regular packages."
That's why anything you compile yourself should go either in
Agreed, though, that this use of