Piracy is all prevalent and is not restricted to movies and music. In my country, you can get any brand whether it is Nike, Adidas or any other for 10 % of the cost of the original. Of course they are all duplicates but to an inexperienced user, they look and feel the same. You go to any computer shop and ask for a windows 2000 professional or windows XP professional CD, and you can get it for just $1. Same is the case for movies. If this trend has to be reduced, then the people making these products should reduce the price of the product to the level that is affordable to the majority of the people in a particular country. This is where the open source and GPLed softwares score over their propritery counterparts. For example, in the USA, there could be one price list according to the earning potential of the people and in a third world country they could have a different lower price list. In the case of movies, if there are pay per view sites which stream these movies to people having access to broadband internet at a nominal cost, then it will help reduce the illegal sharing of the movies.
I think, going by the trend, that google is consolidating its hold on the internet by getting itself integrated into the lives of all people using computers irrespective of the OS that is being used. Now the question whether Google is another Microsoft in the making can only be answered a few years from now when most of the competition gets swalowed by google or gets waylayed - if it ever comes to that. For now it is a good thing for the users who get all these wonderful technologies for free. -- http://linuxhelp.blogspot.com/
The article says... The research could lead to smart biological devices that could detect hazardous substances or bioterrorism chemicals, scientists say. Eventually, the process might be used to direct the construction of useful devices or the growth of new tissue, perhaps restoring function to a severed spinal cord.
Reading the above line(s) brings to mind the scenes in the movie Terminator , in which Arnold Swasnegger (sorry about the spelling:) ) playing the part of terminator says that his outer skin is actually a mass of living tissue. And then there is the movie matrix in which the computer takes control of every human life including their thought process.
Really scary in one way but if used in the right direction can be a boon to mankind. I guess science is a tool which can be put to constructive as well as destructive purposes. It all depends on the wielder of the tool.
On the Plus side, in the near (or far) future we might have computers which are actually made of billions of bacteria which are used to run softwares. And these computers will most probably be tiny which you can say implant just below your skin for instance. So all you have to do is go to a Information hotspot where there are monitors, keyboards and mice and just start doing your work. You may not have to plug in these devices to your computer as it will be totally wireless. Ofcourse there is a downside to this because it will be easy to track your movements . You will have to forfiet your privacy.
I think that with the great support enjoyed by Linux of such reputed companies like IBM, Oracle and Novell, it is only a matter of time before solaris goes the Sco Unix way. ie down the slippery hole so to speak. And their introducing solaris 10 with a new (open ?) licence is fact enough for the above reasoning. Sun's major products are solaris and java. And java was free from the onset. Now with solaris too becoming free (to download), I really wonder from where they are going to get money to pay their bills.
I believe, there are real alternatives to linux. As linux is just a kernel. What we use and are comfortable - the numerous programs and utilities that run in the OS space are the GPLed GNU softwares which can run on linux alternatives too like FreeBSD, MacOS, OpenBSD, NetBSD and so on. For the diehard fans of GPLed software , there is the GNU Hurd which can be embraced instead of Linux kernel. And the end user will never know the difference. This scenario of lack of testing will not occur for Hurd because it is a purely non-profit venture whereby even the developers do not rely on the project for their livelyhood. For them, it is a pure hobby and pleasure to work on the project and that is incentive enough for them to put in man hours in bettering the software.
I think Adobe buying Macromedia for 3.4 billions is a very positive step for all - that includes developers and users alike. The name Adobe has been synonymous to such excellent softwares like Photoshop, Illustrator and Acrobat. And buying a company having popular products like flash and dreamweaver will make the products in the Adobe forte stronger. I concede that flash and dreamweaver may not be sustained. But all the good things of both these products will surely find its way into adobe's flagship products which as far as the end user is concerned is a big plus. Think of pdf documents having flash (like) animations and videos.
And why would'nt they bring out a version of their product also for linux (or maybe redhat and suse linux? ) After all they are said to have the microsoft phobia and what better way to strike microsoft than to port their excellent products to the linux platform - it is like literally pulling the rug from under microsoft's feet. That will open the flood gates of people moving over to linux. That could also be a nail in the coffin of Apple;).
Now the rumour of microsoft interested in macromedia - I think is a bit far out to be true. For one: microsoft is a giant with so much money that it supasses even the GDP of many countries. Microsoft has the financial strength as well as the monopoly enjoyed by its Os and it is fully capable - as of this point of time - to bring out its own products in which ever area of the IT field it chooses. And 3.4 billion is peanuts to microsoft. If it were interested in macromedia, it could have succeeded in bidding more than adobe - which it did not.
When I say, linux is secure the first time you log on, I mean it w.r.t a person using it as a desktop OS and not as a server. While windows OS, once you install the OS , it installs with default security of "everyone having access " to all the folders. It is the users prerogative and duty to implement the security. Which is not the case with linux/unix. That is what I meant.
The best way to deal with this kind of theft is by refusing to shop online using ones credit cards, how much ever tempted you may be. Infact after the globalization of market, you can get every thing in your city itself which might be just a short drive by car or walking distance. 2) Do not store any sensitive data like your personal information and bank account details on the computer if possible. And if you do store it, make sure it is stored in encrypted form. There are numerous encryption softwares available like "gnupg" and "PGP". 3) Use a stable modern operating system like linux or freebsd which is secure even the first time you log on. And as an added precaution make sure that your personal details are in a user account other than the one you use for internet browsing. 4) Do not click on a link or a button before reading and understanding what it states. 5) Do not visit p0rn sites as a rule using your computer. If you are in the mood, borrow a cd from the video library in your neighbourhood;). 6) Make it a habit to change your passwords to important accounts on the web on a constant basis - maybe once a week.
The starter edition is a big joke. I will stick to linux anytime- not because it is free but because it gets my work done without any viruses thrown in between.
I fully agree with you about monoculture part. Monoculture = monopoly of a kind.
What should be given importance is that all operating systems irrespective of windows, linux or mac os, should follow open standards in communicating with each other and favour applications which save files in open formats. For example, it helps to save data in XML format instead of some propritery format thus avoiding vendor lock in.
Ultimately, it filters to having choice. And more choice equates to more freedom.
Re:Space telescopes are obsolete
on
Hope for Hubble
·
· Score: 1
Hubble or Rubble that is the major question on everybody's minds. I personally think that this whole astronomy or gazing stars using expensive ( billion dollar ) play toys is a waste of resources. Think of all the poor people that could be fed with the money being blown up by investing in these ventures. There are millions of poor people in this world who struggle to have even a simgle meal a day. I think elevating human suffering should be given more priority over gazing stars. Of course my above remarks do not cover aero space ventures like sending a communication or weather satellite in orbit which has lots of benefits for humanity.
I use firefox for all the browsing and checking my Email. And let me tell you, I find this browser really top class. But some times, I am forced to switch over to Internet Explorer in windows. Especially when I want to log in to my ISP's site to check my bandwidth utilization (I have got a broadband cable connection and they offer time based and bandwidth based packages) because their site is coded in ASP and it says it needs IE 6.0 or greater to view the contents of the site - How frustrating. Also I have found that more and more cyber cafes at least in my city are giving a choice to the customer by installing both internet explorer and Netscape Navigator on their machines - which is a move in the right direction. But I have yet to see firefox on their machines. But individuals who have machines at home prefer using firefox over IE - I know atleast a few of them who have switched over to firefox. So even though firefox is an excellent browser and it is being downloaded millions of times, it has a long way to go to take over the web browser market. But that is not really a question mark on the quality of firefox because when firefox came into existance, IE was already being used by 95% of PC users. IE had the first movers advantage, so to speak, in the browser market and it didn't help even a bit that it came preinstalled with the windows operating system.
Why couldn't they just leave the name mandrake unchanged? It is bad marketing technique. Look at what novell is doing.... just because it brought SuSe, it didn't change the SuSe name to NovSe or something else.Because a lot of people know what SuSe is . And by changing the name, you are actually destroying the marketing advantage that product enjoys. It is like ripping out the brand from the product. See what happens if Nike decided to not put its name on its shoes... It would be like any other shoes and people will not buy it.
I have always browsed news.google.com for the latest news around the world and am very impressed by the various perspectives that it threw at the reader. Infact, It is like reading 100s of newspaper sources at the same time. I think google is doing a great job in the news front. It is only logical that others are also trying to jump into the news agregation bandwagon because obviously they also want to have a finger (or the whole hand maybe) in the pie and reap the rewards.
I think that there should be revisions in the GPL licence because I believe in the saying that there is NO FREE LUNCH!!
Fine , we are all using GPL programs and voicing our opinion in favour of GPLed softwares. But how many of us have donated even a little money for the project. For example, Suppose I find GIMP really very useful and I am able to get the job done. Now is it asking too much if I am asked to donate some (no specific amount but according to my financial capacity) money for the project? After all some one out there has donated his valuable time to maintain and code the project ( And I dare say he has done it with the time he could have spent with his family).
Agreed FSF says that they don't have any financial troubles. But I feel that it is each one of us's duty to put in ones mite for the movement and if we can afford it, there is no harm in donating some money. And it holds particularly true for multinational corporations who have hitched on to the Free Software band wagon and are making a killing in the market in terms of money.
And I guess it was a foreign teenager who sometime back barged into a highschool somewhere in the US and opened fire on the school students killing a number of them.
Reading your post brings to my mind this quote... "People who live in glass houses should not throw stones at other peoples homes".
Slashdot Mirror
Piracy is all prevalent and is not restricted to movies and music. In my country, you can get any brand whether it is Nike, Adidas or any other for 10 % of the cost of the original. Of course they are all duplicates but to an inexperienced user, they look and feel the same. You go to any computer shop and ask for a windows 2000 professional or windows XP professional CD, and you can get it for just $1. Same is the case for movies. If this trend has to be reduced, then the people making these products should reduce the price of the product to the level that is affordable to the majority of the people in a particular country. This is where the open source and GPLed softwares score over their propritery counterparts. For example, in the USA, there could be one price list according to the earning potential of the people and in a third world country they could have a different lower price list.
In the case of movies, if there are pay per view sites which stream these movies to people having access to broadband internet at a nominal cost, then it will help reduce the illegal sharing of the movies.
I think, going by the trend, that google is consolidating its hold on the internet by getting itself integrated into the lives of all people using computers irrespective of the OS that is being used. Now the question whether Google is another Microsoft in the making can only be answered a few years from now when most of the competition gets swalowed by google or gets waylayed - if it ever comes to that. For now it is a good thing for the users who get all these wonderful technologies for free.
--
http://linuxhelp.blogspot.com/
The article says...
:) ) playing the part of terminator says that his outer skin is actually a mass of living tissue.
The research could lead to smart biological devices that could detect hazardous substances or bioterrorism chemicals, scientists say. Eventually, the process might be used to direct the construction of useful devices or the growth of new tissue, perhaps restoring function to a severed spinal cord.
Reading the above line(s) brings to mind the scenes in the movie Terminator , in which Arnold Swasnegger (sorry about the spelling
And then there is the movie matrix in which the computer takes control of every human life including their thought process.
Really scary in one way but if used in the right direction can be a boon to mankind. I guess science is a tool which can be put to constructive as well as destructive purposes. It all depends on the wielder of the tool.
On the Plus side, in the near (or far) future we might have computers which are actually made of billions of bacteria which are used to run softwares. And these computers will most probably be tiny which you can say implant just below your skin for instance. So all you have to do is go to a Information hotspot where there are monitors, keyboards and mice and just start doing your work. You may not have to plug in these devices to your computer as it will be totally wireless. Ofcourse there is a downside to this because it will be easy to track your movements . You will have to forfiet your privacy.
I think that with the great support enjoyed by Linux of such reputed companies like IBM, Oracle and Novell, it is only a matter of time before solaris goes the Sco Unix way. ie down the slippery hole so to speak. And their introducing solaris 10 with a new (open ?) licence is fact enough for the above reasoning.
Sun's major products are solaris and java. And java was free from the onset. Now with solaris too becoming free (to download), I really wonder from where they are going to get money to pay their bills.
2. zones/containers (e.g. kernel isolation)
That is not true. Linux can have zones too. See UserMode Linux
I believe, there are real alternatives to linux. As linux is just a kernel. What we use and are comfortable - the numerous programs and utilities that run in the OS space are the GPLed GNU softwares which can run on linux alternatives too like FreeBSD, MacOS, OpenBSD, NetBSD and so on.
For the diehard fans of GPLed software , there is the GNU Hurd which can be embraced instead of Linux kernel. And the end user will never know the difference. This scenario of lack of testing will not occur for Hurd because it is a purely non-profit venture whereby even the developers do not rely on the project for their livelyhood. For them, it is a pure hobby and pleasure to work on the project and that is incentive enough for them to put in man hours in bettering the software.
I think Adobe buying Macromedia for 3.4 billions is a very positive step for all - that includes developers and users alike. The name Adobe has been synonymous to such excellent softwares like Photoshop, Illustrator and Acrobat. And buying a company having popular products like flash and dreamweaver will make the products in the Adobe forte stronger.
;).
I concede that flash and dreamweaver may not be sustained. But all the good things of both these products will surely find its way into adobe's flagship products which as far as the end user is concerned is a big plus. Think of pdf documents having flash (like) animations and videos.
And why would'nt they bring out a version of their product also for linux (or maybe redhat and suse linux? ) After all they are said to have the microsoft phobia and what better way to strike microsoft than to port their excellent products to the linux platform - it is like literally pulling the rug from under microsoft's feet. That will open the flood gates of people moving over to linux. That could also be a nail in the coffin of Apple
Now the rumour of microsoft interested in macromedia - I think is a bit far out to be true. For one: microsoft is a giant with so much money that it supasses even the GDP of many countries. Microsoft has the financial strength as well as the monopoly enjoyed by its Os and it is fully capable - as of this point of time - to bring out its own products in which ever area of the IT field it chooses. And 3.4 billion is peanuts to microsoft. If it were interested in macromedia, it could have succeeded in bidding more than adobe - which it did not.
When I say, linux is secure the first time you log on, I mean it w.r.t a person using it as a desktop OS and not as a server. While windows OS, once you install the OS , it installs with default security of "everyone having access " to all the folders. It is the users prerogative and duty to implement the security. Which is not the case with linux/unix. That is what I meant.
The best way to deal with this kind of theft is by refusing to shop online using ones credit cards, how much ever tempted you may be. Infact after the globalization of market, you can get every thing in your city itself which might be just a short drive by car or walking distance. ;).
2) Do not store any sensitive data like your personal information and bank account details on the computer if possible. And if you do store it, make sure it is stored in encrypted form. There are numerous encryption softwares available like "gnupg" and "PGP".
3) Use a stable modern operating system like linux or freebsd which is secure even the first time you log on. And as an added precaution make sure that your personal details are in a user account other than the one you use for internet browsing.
4) Do not click on a link or a button before reading and understanding what it states.
5) Do not visit p0rn sites as a rule using your computer. If you are in the mood, borrow a cd from the video library in your neighbourhood
6) Make it a habit to change your passwords to important accounts on the web on a constant basis - maybe once a week.
The starter edition is a big joke. I will stick to linux anytime- not because it is free but because it gets my work done without any viruses thrown in between.
Does bash support unicode? I mean can I get error messages in my favourate language in bash?
I fully agree with you about monoculture part.
Monoculture = monopoly of a kind.
What should be given importance is that all operating systems irrespective of windows, linux or mac os, should follow open standards in communicating with each other and favour applications which save files in open formats. For example, it helps to save data in XML format instead of some propritery format thus avoiding vendor lock in.
Ultimately, it filters to having choice.
And more choice equates to more freedom.
Hubble or Rubble that is the major question on everybody's minds.
I personally think that this whole astronomy or gazing stars using expensive ( billion dollar ) play toys is a waste of resources. Think of all the poor people that could be fed with the money being blown up by investing in these ventures.
There are millions of poor people in this world who struggle to have even a simgle meal a day. I think elevating human suffering should be given more priority over gazing stars.
Of course my above remarks do not cover aero space ventures like sending a communication or weather satellite in orbit which has lots of benefits for humanity.
I bet even microsoft is neck deep into reverse engineering. Some of the UI that windows have at present was stolen from the Apple's mac os.
Every body does it. But no body claims it.
I use firefox for all the browsing and checking my Email. And let me tell you, I find this browser really top class. But some times, I am forced to switch over to Internet Explorer in windows. Especially when I want to log in to my ISP's site to check my bandwidth utilization (I have got a broadband cable connection and they offer time based and bandwidth based packages) because their site is coded in ASP and it says it needs IE 6.0 or greater to view the contents of the site - How frustrating.
Also I have found that more and more cyber cafes at least in my city are giving a choice to the customer by installing both internet explorer and Netscape Navigator on their machines - which is a move in the right direction. But I have yet to see firefox on their machines. But individuals who have machines at home prefer using firefox over IE - I know atleast a few of them who have switched over to firefox. So even though firefox is an excellent browser and it is being downloaded millions of times, it has a long way to go to take over the web browser market. But that is not really a question mark on the quality of firefox because when firefox came into existance, IE was already being used by 95% of PC users. IE had the first movers advantage, so to speak, in the browser market and it didn't help even a bit that it came preinstalled with the windows operating system.
Why couldn't they just leave the name mandrake unchanged? It is bad marketing technique. Look at what novell is doing.... just because it brought SuSe, it didn't change the SuSe name to NovSe or something else .Because a lot of people know what SuSe is . And by changing the name, you are actually destroying the marketing advantage that product enjoys. It is like ripping out the brand from the product. See what happens if Nike decided to not put its name on its shoes... It would be like any other shoes and people will not buy it.
Heh heh... I feel the same way. Though I won't mind if there is some sort of monetary payment involved for facilitating this service to them.
It could happen if it is burned in a DVD. But for installing, I personally favour both the live cd and the install cd to be seperate.
I have had bad experiences in trying to install livecd distro into the harddisk in the past (gnopix).
Any way I like ubuntu a lot. And they are doing a great service for increasing the popularity of linux by shipping it free of cost.
Ubuntu or more specifically kubuntu is bringing out kde 3.4 in its latest version of distro.
:/ 08/ 1213250&tid=162&tid=121&tid=106
I sort of like ubuntu and they also ship the cds free which contains a live CD too.
see slashdot news at
http://linux.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/04
I have always browsed news.google.com for the latest news around the world and am very impressed by the various perspectives that it threw at the reader. Infact, It is like reading 100s of newspaper sources at the same time. I think google is doing a great job in the news front.
It is only logical that others are also trying to jump into the news agregation bandwagon because obviously they also want to have a finger (or the whole hand maybe) in the pie and reap the rewards.
But when you buy an apple computer, you get the OSX free right?
h ts2005.blogspot.com
--
http://linuxhelp.blogspot.com
http://thoug
I think that there should be revisions in the GPL licence because I believe in the saying that there is NO FREE LUNCH!!
h ts2005.blogspot.com
Fine , we are all using GPL programs and voicing our opinion in favour of GPLed softwares. But how many of us have donated even a little money for the project. For example, Suppose I find GIMP really very useful and I am able to get the job done. Now is it asking too much if I am asked to donate some (no specific amount but according to my financial capacity) money for the project? After all some one out there has donated his valuable time to maintain and code the project ( And I dare say he has done it with the time he could have spent with his family).
Agreed FSF says that they don't have any financial troubles. But I feel that it is each one of us's duty to put in ones mite for the movement and if we can afford it, there is no harm in donating some money. And it holds particularly true for multinational corporations who have hitched on to the Free Software band wagon and are making a killing in the market in terms of money.
--
http://linuxhelp.blogspot.com
http://thoug
I love star wars sequels and I try my best not to miss any of them. I am waiting eagerly to see the latest one.
/ thoughts2005.blogspot.com
Did you know that to make star wars, george lucas made use of linux - especially the image rendering and special effects.
that is another feather in the cap for linux.
--
http://linuxhelp.blogspot.com
http:/
My dear friend .... I fear you have got indo-phobia. And the only cure is to travel to India and staying there for 3 months.
And I guess it was a foreign teenager who sometime back barged into a highschool somewhere in the US and opened fire on the school students killing a number of them.
... "People who live in glass houses should not throw stones at other peoples homes".
Reading your post brings to my mind this quote