I actually saw this on tv last night and they had this one set of robots that were designed, programmed and built to gather 'food' (little yellow pucks). They were also programmed to get the most food in as efficent a manner as possible. From this some would become comabtive, others would become sneaky, and basicly they would start employing tactics we expect in humans. This display was a little unnerving to me.
Course then the reporter tried to say that when your computer crashes and nobody knows why - that's emergent behavior. -cpd
I don't think anyone is really claiming that businesses will have PSX2's at the worker's desks. (Although I'd be happier coming to work) I think what is possible is using the Emotion Engine chip that they were refering to and using that as part of a pc. Kinda like using the StrongArm in the netwinder. The new PSX2 chip seems very well suited for things like medical imaging, CAD programs, VR schtuff, etc...
Word processing is probably not its strong suit. Complex molecular visualizations though would probably be well done on it. -cpd
I personally wonder about the quote "neither OS can have tunes, patches or bug fixes applied that were not used in or that were not available at the time of Mindcraft's second test" Does this mean that if Mindcraft didn't tune linux then the experts can't tune it for the Mindcraft Config? Or do the tunes/patches just need to be available? Little confused on the wording. On the other hand - maybe they are trying...
Assuming this site gets useful content soon - has anyone told the people at Mindcraft about it? Seeing as how it is in response to their 'complaints' more or less. -cpd
Or at least that's what this silly little card I carry says I am:)
I could easily see programmers getting certified in the same way as engineers. Just as a quick overview of how this happens - First you must meet the requirements (4 year degree or 20? years of experience). Then you take a test. Then you are a Engineer Intern. Then you learn from a Professional Engineer for 5+ years. Then you take the PE exam. The first test is a general test that covers the most common, but technically difficult, things (or at least this is my rememberence). There were questions you'd expect any (mechanical) engineer to know. Some basic physics, math, etc. There were also a set of ethics questions. There were even a set on project managment and budgeting. You had to study for them, they were very difficult, and personally I needed sever Guinness afterwards.
Now I'm certified to learn from a PE for 5 years to become one. Instead I'm programming. Not every engineer is a PE or Intern. What you need (by the PE rules) is a PE to sign off on any official project. Also you can't bill yourself as an engineer (in public view) unless you have a PE. One other rule is that you can't claim knowledge in areas where you don't have knowledge.
Applying this process to programming, then you would end up with a viable possibility. However remember trivial things aren't nessecarily covered. (i.e. my father built a deck himself, he didn't need a PE to sign off on the design, but he did need a building permit) So putting this together you would end up with the ACM (or appropriate group) putting together a test - difficult covering basic concepts of programming. Passing this makes you a Programmer Intern. You must then work under a Pro. Programmer for 5 years to become one yourself. This would then qualify you to sign off on programs that are considered ummm critical. The definition of critical would need some work. Is a game critical - no. Is a web page critical - probably not. Is the microcde that controls a pace maker critical - YES. Some things start getting hairy - financial systems - maybe they are (banks), maybe not (something I wrote to balance my checkbook). What about OS'? They would have to be certified if someone was going to use this in a critical area.
As for some of the other arguments - It costs too much - not really in this model, the test (when I took it) was $60. I think $100 for the PE. Not execatly expensive esp if then Pro. Programmers would make bundles (based on PE's making large $$$). Programming an art - yes and engineering is too. Really it is. But there are still some fundamental concepts in both. The question is what are those fundamental concepts in programming (and I really don't know). Writing code the same way - silly argument I think. Most cars are signed off by PE's but not too many look the same. Or even have the same design concepts. Obseletion of Certs - When you get a PE (my understanding) is that the test is more of an intelligence test kinda. It tests how well you know how the real world works, not how the academic one works. This is why the tests focus on basic principles that really haven't changed and how they work in actual projects - you are also expected to stay up to date as part of the PE code. This would be a sticky point in any certification process. Programmers can't kill people - oh yes we can. A programmer wrote the code for the Space Shuttle's computers. What if that screwed up - thing crashes. Plane's autopilot? Heart monitors? Drug manufacturing lines? Ok games won't kill anyone, neither _should_ operating systems, but programmers can have direct effects on people.
I think it could be a good/nessecary thing if done correctly. The requirements would have to change from those of the PE, but the idea could be made to work I think. -cpd
Funny its seems I've heard Gates say similar things. The comments about religion, its nothing new, no "road map" (oh oh buzzword bingo), must have companies for real tests, intellectual property fear, and of course companies want to buy from "real" companies. My god - does he write stuff for M$ or just read it and repeat?
Why don't people ask Mindcraft to rerun the test? And offer to help tune the Linux box appropriately. Conceivably they can reproduce the results from the NT box already. Rerun the same set of tests after some knowledgable Linux people tune their box. Or even run the tests themselves? Maybe somebody like VAResearch could provide the tests? (They should have the boxes around at least)
Personally I would offer, but I know I do not have the knowledge. I just started using linux and was happy enought to get my ppp connection working last week. -cpd
But if what you said is true then Linus must be paid for anybody using linux in business. Technically it helped employers.
Now I don't think its true because either your definition is wrong (I don't really know), or there is a loophole to allow for things like waiving of personal IP rights (the GPL).
wait wait wait. This makes sense. The Roswell UFO incident happened July 4, 1947. Al Gore was born on Mar 31, 1948. That's ~9 months. Assuming a normal gestation cycle.... This explains how Gore invented the internet. He's an alien. Its so clear now. If you thought Roger Clinton was bad, wait until Gore's "relatives" show up.
I would strongly suggest reading 'The Art of War' by Sun Tzu. Especially the part about "Fire Attacks". It has been claimed that in every war the winning side used the principles set in that text. Corralaries can be drawn to today's technologies and (my understanding of it is that) Fire Attacks generally corrolate most closely to air wars. They could further likened to the techno wars that are spoken of here. A key point that Sun Tzu makes is that if you do not know your enemies limits than you will not be able to win the war. In the case of Kosovo I don't think the US quite understands what the Serbs are willing to do and why they are willing to do it. Here's a link to the "Art of War". There are others out there if you search for them.
Well I do have a cell phone, and pager, and email, and stuff. But honestly prefer being away. The cell phone stays in my car, unless I need it. Nobody really has my pager, unless they need it. I will ignore call waiting if I'm talking to someone I consider important. Basically I have the tech if I need it, but don't always use it.
Personally though my favorite gadget still has to be the Cessna-152 (703DF) that I fly. Not that I own it, but boy does it have knobs, buttons, and switches. -cpd
Interesting - A bug will be evident to one in a million eyes. A bad post will be evident to one in 400 eyes.
Hurm. OpenSource moderation????
As for making it entirely public, think of the idea of letting everyone recode the linux kernel and having it effect everyone. If everyone was a moderator then the "First Poster" could moderate his up till it was a high enough moderated comment to be read. -cpd
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I actually saw this on tv last night and they had this one set of robots that were designed, programmed and built to gather 'food' (little yellow pucks). They were also programmed to get the most food in as efficent a manner as possible. From this some would become comabtive, others would become sneaky, and basicly they would start employing tactics we expect in humans. This display was a little unnerving to me.
Course then the reporter tried to say that when your computer crashes and nobody knows why - that's emergent behavior.
-cpd
I don't think anyone is really claiming that businesses will have PSX2's at the worker's desks. (Although I'd be happier coming to work) I think what is possible is using the Emotion Engine chip that they were refering to and using that as part of a pc. Kinda like using the StrongArm in the netwinder. The new PSX2 chip seems very well suited for things like medical imaging, CAD programs, VR schtuff, etc...
Word processing is probably not its strong suit. Complex molecular visualizations though would probably be well done on it.
-cpd
I personally wonder about the quote "neither OS can have tunes, patches or bug fixes applied that were not used in or that were not available at the time of Mindcraft's second test"
Does this mean that if Mindcraft didn't tune linux then the experts can't tune it for the Mindcraft Config? Or do the tunes/patches just need to be available? Little confused on the wording.
On the other hand - maybe they are trying...
Assuming this site gets useful content soon - has anyone told the people at Mindcraft about it? Seeing as how it is in response to their 'complaints' more or less.
-cpd
Or at least that's what this silly little card I carry says I am :)
I could easily see programmers getting certified in the same way as engineers. Just as a quick overview of how this happens -
First you must meet the requirements (4 year degree or 20? years of experience).
Then you take a test.
Then you are a Engineer Intern.
Then you learn from a Professional Engineer for 5+ years.
Then you take the PE exam.
The first test is a general test that covers the most common, but technically difficult, things (or at least this is my rememberence). There were questions you'd expect any (mechanical) engineer to know. Some basic physics, math, etc. There were also a set of ethics questions. There were even a set on project managment and budgeting. You had to study for them, they were very difficult, and personally I needed sever Guinness afterwards.
Now I'm certified to learn from a PE for 5 years to become one. Instead I'm programming. Not every engineer is a PE or Intern. What you need (by the PE rules) is a PE to sign off on any official project. Also you can't bill yourself as an engineer (in public view) unless you have a PE. One other rule is that you can't claim knowledge in areas where you don't have knowledge.
Applying this process to programming, then you would end up with a viable possibility. However remember trivial things aren't nessecarily covered. (i.e. my father built a deck himself, he didn't need a PE to sign off on the design, but he did need a building permit) So putting this together you would end up with the ACM (or appropriate group) putting together a test - difficult covering basic concepts of programming. Passing this makes you a Programmer Intern. You must then work under a Pro. Programmer for 5 years to become one yourself. This would then qualify you to sign off on programs that are considered ummm critical. The definition of critical would need some work. Is a game critical - no. Is a web page critical - probably not. Is the microcde that controls a pace maker critical - YES. Some things start getting hairy - financial systems - maybe they are (banks), maybe not (something I wrote to balance my checkbook). What about OS'? They would have to be certified if someone was going to use this in a critical area.
As for some of the other arguments -
It costs too much - not really in this model, the test (when I took it) was $60. I think $100 for the PE. Not execatly expensive esp if then Pro. Programmers would make bundles (based on PE's making large $$$).
Programming an art - yes and engineering is too. Really it is. But there are still some fundamental concepts in both. The question is what are those fundamental concepts in programming (and I really don't know).
Writing code the same way - silly argument I think. Most cars are signed off by PE's but not too many look the same. Or even have the same design concepts.
Obseletion of Certs - When you get a PE (my understanding) is that the test is more of an intelligence test kinda. It tests how well you know how the real world works, not how the academic one works. This is why the tests focus on basic principles that really haven't changed and how they work in actual projects - you are also expected to stay up to date as part of the PE code. This would be a sticky point in any certification process.
Programmers can't kill people - oh yes we can. A programmer wrote the code for the Space Shuttle's computers. What if that screwed up - thing crashes. Plane's autopilot? Heart monitors? Drug manufacturing lines? Ok games won't kill anyone, neither _should_ operating systems, but programmers can have direct effects on people.
I think it could be a good/nessecary thing if done correctly. The requirements would have to change from those of the PE, but the idea could be made to work I think.
-cpd
Funny its seems I've heard Gates say similar things. The comments about religion, its nothing new, no "road map" (oh oh buzzword bingo), must have companies for real tests, intellectual property fear, and of course companies want to buy from "real" companies. My god - does he write stuff for M$ or just read it and repeat?
-cpd
Why don't people ask Mindcraft to rerun the test? And offer to help tune the Linux box appropriately. Conceivably they can reproduce the results from the NT box already. Rerun the same set of tests after some knowledgable Linux people tune their box. Or even run the tests themselves? Maybe somebody like VAResearch could provide the tests? (They should have the boxes around at least)
Personally I would offer, but I know I do not have the knowledge. I just started using linux and was happy enought to get my ppp connection working last week.
-cpd
But if what you said is true then Linus must be paid for anybody using linux in business. Technically it helped employers.
Now I don't think its true because either your definition is wrong (I don't really know), or there is a loophole to allow for things like waiving of personal IP rights (the GPL).
wait wait wait. This makes sense. The Roswell UFO incident happened July 4, 1947. Al Gore was born on Mar 31, 1948. That's ~9 months. Assuming a normal gestation cycle....
This explains how Gore invented the internet. He's an alien. Its so clear now. If you thought Roger Clinton was bad, wait until Gore's "relatives" show up.
I would strongly suggest reading 'The Art of War' by Sun Tzu. Especially the part about "Fire Attacks". It has been claimed that in every war the winning side used the principles set in that text. Corralaries can be drawn to today's technologies and (my understanding of it is that) Fire Attacks generally corrolate most closely to air wars. They could further likened to the techno wars that are spoken of here. A key point that Sun Tzu makes is that if you do not know your enemies limits than you will not be able to win the war. In the case of Kosovo I don't think the US quite understands what the Serbs are willing to do and why they are willing to do it.
Here's a link to the "Art of War". There are others out there if you search for them.
Well I do have a cell phone, and pager, and email, and stuff. But honestly prefer being away. The cell phone stays in my car, unless I need it. Nobody really has my pager, unless they need it. I will ignore call waiting if I'm talking to someone I consider important. Basically I have the tech if I need it, but don't always use it.
Personally though my favorite gadget still has to be the Cessna-152 (703DF) that I fly. Not that I own it, but boy does it have knobs, buttons, and switches.
-cpd
Interesting -
A bug will be evident to one in a million eyes.
A bad post will be evident to one in 400 eyes.
Hurm. OpenSource moderation????
As for making it entirely public, think of the idea of letting everyone recode the linux kernel and having it effect everyone. If everyone was a moderator then the "First Poster" could moderate his up till it was a high enough moderated comment to be read.
-cpd