Unfortunately, I this type of situation is going to become more and more common in the future, as unpopular Internet services find themselves unable to continue to stay in business, and only companies like eBay, that do turn a profit (or at least break even), will stay around.
Remarq is a good example -- nobody really uses USENET anymore, and the site's readership was probably decreasing rapidly. It's funny; we usually think of Internet companies as only growing, but some of the older ones are actually going to find their market share shrinking (Yahoo vs. Google, for example). Simply put, not every Internet service is one that's going to be successful with consumers. For every eBay or Amazon.com, there's a WebGrocer or Boo.com.
As the Internet continues to become more and more a part of mainstream culture, we'll -- surprise! -- see mainstream opinions dictate what appears on the Internet more and more. Look at the rise of corporate homepages and useless Shockwave animations as an example. Joe Sixpack may like to buy stuff on eBay and browse pr0n, but he could probably care less about a text-based discussion feature like Remarq -- which is used mostly by the so-called Internet "elite."
What's to do be done about this situation? Not much, really -- it's more of an inevitably than anything else. You can't have both "mainstream" status and economic freedom. In this case, the Internet is drifting towards the former, and that's not necessarily bad -- it's just a situation we'll have to get used to.
Now, I don't own a ReplayTV, but a service like this seems really easy to abuse. We all know that crackers like to mess with anything they can get their hands on, and it doesn't seem it would it like be very difficult to crack this system. Imagine the havok that the script kiddies would wreck: people tape the wrong shows (hint: porn), people don't get any shows at all or get them all muted, people's TV keep incoherently flipping from channel and channel, etc.
Seriously, why would you want to control your TV from a web browser in the first place? Are some people so lazy that they can't even budge from their computer to adjust the volume? This all just seems like an invitation for script kiddies to mess with peoples' TVs. If I was a ReplayTV user, I'd be pissed.
Still, I can see how this would have some advantages, so hopefully ReplayTV will implement a secure-enough system (hint: security through obscurity never works!) that the lamer members of our population won't be able to ruin yet another new thing.
It's nice to see some clueful companies finally making use of solar power; it's been taking entirely too long to catch on. It's obviously cleaner, more efficient, and easier to use (the sun is everywhere, unlike fossil fuels) -- and here we still are applauding GM for "protecting the environment" by releasing an expensive electric car that no will ever buy.
Let's face it -- government regulations aren't working. Every time big industry gets close to having to adopt a cleaner power source, they moan and groan about how it will ravage "the economy" (read: Lee Iacoca's bottom line) and the government backs down again. We need to make it economically unsound to pollute. Why don't we environmentally-minded consumers just stop buying polluting products like cars and aerosol sprays? If enough people refuse to put up with pollution, everyone will be forced to follow the way of these kind of pioneers.
Oh joy, yet another US-centric article griping about imagined flaws in the American legal system. Price fixing is normal in other countries, and, believe it or not, none of them have been taken over by massiv evil corporationsy et. For example, many sectors of Japan's economy are controlled by huge monopolies (yes, including the record companies), and people the world over look up to Japan's amazing economic success. It's only when the government tried to deregulate the economy that it crashed.
Price fixing is not the end of the world. Sure, it might mean higher prices for consumers, but it doesn't mean that there's some huge Illuminati-like conspiracy out there trying to "get" consumers. So you have to pay more for a crappy CD. Who cares? Price fixing happens -- get over it!
Yes, this may be a boneheaded move, but let's stop bitching. Microsoft makes Windows; we don't. We may make GNU/Linux and BSD, but Windows isn't open source and it doesn't really matter what we think about it. Microsoft has the right to produce whatever kind of program it wants to, and we have no right to judge its endeavors. If we don't like it, we don't have to use it -- we just use Linux or our other operating system of choice.
I can't speak for the Slashbots, when Windows Millennium Edition ships, I'll be standing in line for my copy. Sure, I'll still probably use Linux more, but that shouldn't stop me from buying it. WinME has been development for a long time, with a lot of coders behind it, and I'm not going to pretend I'm somehow more important than Bill Gates.
Microsoft can drive its operating systems into the ground however it wants. You don't own the Windows concept; they do.
Most of the software you use is developed here
on
Hacker Crackdown?
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· Score: 1
Napster, Gnutella, DeCSS, Junkbusters, and almost all the other controversial programs you care to name were developed in the United States. If the services are shut down by a U.S. court, then you can't use them no matter where you live. No more new versions, nothing. In fact, Mr. Troll Gere, you're posting on an American website right now. If some American lawsuit caused this American site to close its American doors, you, a Canadian, would still be affected, because you can't post anymore. Sure, maybe Slashdot would have been okay in Canada. But that doesn't matter -- it's an American site!
Don't assume that what happens in other countries doesn't affect you. We live in an international world, and events in the United States or Zimbabwe or China affect people everywhere in the world.
C'mon, it's nice to have some choice, but do we really need this many formats? Having so many formats just makes compatibility more difficult -- your computer might communicate with one format, but someone else's computer might think in a different format. Let's stick with the oldest, proven format: ARC. It has a track record that no other format can beat; it's certainly been around longer. And just like UNIX-like operating systems beat out newcomers like Windows and MacOS, ARC beats out unnecessary new format like "tarballs."
[Reply to this message and add your name to the petition! Save Slashdot!]
Dear Rob "CmdrTaco" Malda,
As a loyal reader of Slashdot, I am growing more and more irritated with the constant spam that has deluded the site in the past month or so. I like to read at a threshold of -1 to see all the posts with low moderations -- some of them simply went against Slashdot popular opinion, or are humorous, intelligent trolls that are worth
Most of the spam posts simply regurgitate the same text over and over... for example, the "Napster and Google Sued" and "The Facts" [ZikZak conspiracy] posts show up several times on every story. Given that several "lameness filters" are in any place, it would be easy to institute a filter that simply blocks posts with those message bodies. Alternately, if all of these posts are originally from a certain IP, that IP could simply be banned from Slashdot. Please consider both of these alternatives.
I realize that censoring users may go against the ideals of Slashdot. However, the intelligent posters and "true" trolls are already being censored -- their voices are being drowned out by the idiot(s) who post the same offtopic posts on every single story. And no one will miss the MDMA guy and his idiot friends.
A few attention-starved morons should not be allowed to hijack a popular website and drive out all the other readers. Please don't let the spam epidemic overrun Slashdot -- a few simple filters or bans would solve the problem, and it's high time they were instituted.
Sincerely,
The loyal/. readership
Also translated from SuSE's page... (long)
on
SuSE 7.0
·
· Score: 2
Installation Hotline five days a week
Substantially extended the installation support contained in the purchase price. Now the SuSE Service Hotline is operating five - instead of the previous two - afternoons per week. Professional Edition customers have 90 days of support from the SuSE professionals, one month longer than previously. Users of the Personal or Update Version have 60 days installation support.
YaST2 & KDE 2.0 - and the Desktop lives!
The upgraded YaST2 offers more comfort. In addition now the Nachinstallieren and Deinstallieren are single packages, just like a NIS Client module or the configuration of the T-DSL-Access. YaST2 also includes a new graphic inetd.conf editor, with which server services also install separately from the Clients. KDE enthusiasts will be pleased to know about the more than 200 Tools of PRE-KDE 2.0, the all-newest stat of "Next Generation" Desktops.
Support of Braille lines with the installation
So far, SuSE Linux is the only operating system with a complete installation for blind users. The Braille lines are detected automatically at the start of the installation.
Hardware [This part may be a little off, I'm not much of an hardware expert;)]
Version 7.0 again again a true cornucopia of new features. Now, with XFree86 4.0 graphics power, the graphics chips benefit from ATI, NVidia and Matrox. Brand-new -- and found only in SuSE -- is support for the Diamond Fire GL1.
Even if it is not yet an official release, SuSE already now brings a Linux Kernel, which (owing to numerous extensions), we call confidently call 2.2.17-pre. The extended USB support supplies experimental support for ISDN, Floppy and Iomega Zip 250. For the first time, scanners on parallel ports can be addressed under Linux. The support for the Adaptec RAID Controller is also new. And for the SCSI adapters on NCR-Basis are drivers for the super-fast Symbios log IC chips SYM53C895A and SYM53C1010. Also, the advancement of the ATA standard on 100 MHz is supported with the new SuSE Linux 7.0. This pushes EIDE into the performance regions from SCSI before Big Brother, including videoconferencing in accordance with H.323-Standard. An extended bttv driver finally provides for a full support of TV cards. Also IBM and Sun's Java2 can be found in the Professional Edition. The Knaller from the ALSA labs: SuSE Linux 7.0 brings a hardware-supporting Plug and Play driver as the first distribution for all Yamaha-compatible Soundcards with YMF72x and YMF74x-Chips.
Linux Goes Enterprise
SuSE Linux 7.0 Professional distinguishes itself with improved Raw Device support, LFS (Large file support), and 4GB-[something] addressing [something], now as a server system for very large and complex applications of data bases. The optimized support for fully automatic installations and the new SuSE Tool ALICE (AUTOMATIC Linux Installation and Configuration Environment) are a logical configuration tool for enterprise networks.
I don't mean to rain on NASA's parade, but, seriously, who would want to live on other planets? Personally, I'd be extremely reluctant to leave everything I know behind on Earth and ship myself off to another planet where living conditions would likely be much poorer (at least at first) -- especially knowing that I'd probably never be able to come back.
Now, I realize I'm just one person, but a lot of people are going to be thinking the same thing. Few people would want to move to Mars until life on Mars becomes normal and comfortable -- and living conditions on Mars won't improve until more people arrive. It's a classic Catch-22 situation; and I honestly don't see extraplanetary settlement appealing to anyone except a few fringe groups or the inevitable "early adopters." There's also a lot of other factors to consider: Who will make the laws on Mars? What language(s) will be spoken? Will Mars be a colony of some Earth-based country, sparking a resurrection in colonialism? Or could we make Mars an international territory for the betterment of civilization?
Before you hit that reply button to flame me, sit back and think what you would really do if you could leave on a space shuttle for Mars tomorrow. Would you really want to abandon the Earth, home of humanity for many millenia, and all of its scenic mountains, awe-inspiring oceans, and beautiful forests to go live on a God-forsaken hump of red rock? I think not.
SuSE page translation (not just Babelfish!)
on
SuSE 7.0
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· Score: 5
SUSE Linux 7.0
With version 7.,0 SuSE goes in new directions. After seven years as the most successful Linux distro in the German market it is now popular (?) with Linux developers. With Personal SuSE for a desktop PC and on through the extensive Professional SuSE for workplaces, SuSE Linux meets all the demands and requests.
SuSE Linux 7.0 Personal
SuSE Linux 7.0 Personal is recommended for Linux developers and users who would like to become acquainted with the advantages of a free Unix clone on a desktop computer. In addition to thecurrent Linux system, the three CD-ROMs contain numerous games, multimedia, graphics, and Internet applications. StarOffice 5.2, a complete office package, is included, guaranteeing a smooth data exchange with other office applications thanks to its revised import and export filters.
Three easily understandable manuals arrange information on operating the new system for the Linux beginner: The "Quick Install manual" describes the Linux installation on 64 color pages with numerous step-by-step pictures. The new "Configuration" book teaches the user how to configure the printer, scanner, CD-R driver, how to merge sound and TV cards optimally, and how to arrange the KDE Desktop to your taste. The last manual, "The Programs" presents an overview of the most functions of Netscape Navigator, the GIMP, Acrobat Reader and Midnight Commander in compact form.
SuSE Linux 7,0 Professional
SuSE Linux Professional 7.0 offers to ambitious home users (such as IT professionals) an extensive collection of over 1,500 current Linux tools and software packages. SuSE Linux Profesional contains the tools to implement Intranet and Internet solutions, as well as the connection and protection of those networks. Professional users will find all the tools to operate WWW, proxy, mail, and news servers under Linux. The user can choose between 6 CD-ROMs or a DVD, all of which are contained in the Professional package. A total of four manuals supply over 1000 pages of current Linux know-how, as well as covering special topics such as network configuration and security.
SuSE Linux 7.0 updates
In addition, SuSE offers a economical update version to experienced Linux users. Its software scope is identical to SuSE Linux 7.0 Professional; in place of the detailed 650-page SuSE manual, a compressed 60-page informs users about the most important innovations.
(Okay, I haven't taken German in a few years, but this should at least provide some information...)
I think it's great that artists have the power to protect their work like this. Sure, most artists do want their work distributed through services like MP3.com, Napster, MP3Board etc. (free publicity!), but it's nice that there are alternatives for those who don't want this kind of distribution.
Remember, the goal of the free software movement is not to liberate other peoples' work. You don't see Linus or RMS pirating 0-day Windows 2000 betas or reverse-engineering competitors' formats. Instead, they built a brand new alternative from the ground up, and it's gaining new followers every day. Don't get me wrong, I'm not bashing Napster or Gnutella or anything; as I said, most artists are in support of them -- we just have to consider the needs of those who aren't.
Choice is always a good thing; in fact, it's the principle that the open source community was built on. We've got different distros to choose from, different window managers, different desktops, etc. It's nice to see that there's now different alternatives for digital music distribution.
Okay, I hate to have to borrow a term from the McCarthyists, but I think it really applies here. As more countries that adopt E-mail snooping laws, they'll put pressure on the remaining free countries to do the same. After all, those free countries wouldn't want to be seen as supportive of hackers (not crackers -- those are what you eat for lunch) or pornographers. As a result, they bow to international pressure and . After all, if it's okay in New Zealand, it must
This is why the trend towards internationalization is perhaps not as pleasant as it seems. Now, international communication like the kind on the Internet is fine with me -- it's mostly American-run, and no international bodies have any real power. But I hate to see Eastern Hemisphere governments somehow influencing public policy in the United States. Look at all the anti-land mine and anti-nuclear weapons treaties that keep getting signed -- treaties that are undermining the safety of our boys abroad (do you think rogue nations like North Korea or Cuba are going to play by those rules?). Why do they pass? Because the so-called "international community" puts so much pressure on the United States to do so.
Geeks always espouse the virutes of standing out from the masses and doing what's right, not what makes you look cool. Well, it's time to stop listening to the United Nations (aka "Microsoft") says and do what's right.
Slashdot.org has carried on its patent abuses for too long. Innovation in the architecture field is being stifled by Jeff "Hemos" Bates' oppressive patents on such basic tools as the "block" and "one-click building". We cannot have truly free (as in Willy) buildings until this unjust patent is revoked.
We must boycott Slashdot until they cease their abuse of the U.S. Patent Office and drop their suit against the author of DeBlockS. In the mean time, let's forget overrated corporate architects like Frank Lloyd Wright and support independent architects instead; you can find their building plans on popular blueprint-sharing services like Bluetella and Planster.
Face it -- Myst sucked! Who wants to run around a island and click on random stuff to try to solve its so-called "puzzles"? There wasn't a plot or any guns or anything! And where was the multiplayer mode?
This growing trend of "puzzle" and "adventure" games is really starting to disturb me. What's happened to all the first-person shooters -- classic games like DOOM, Quake, or Unreal? First-person shooters are real games; they're the only ones that are actually training our kids to become valiant soldiers. I don't see anyone practicing their aim by playing Monkey Island.
What happens when Janet Reno decides to take all our guns away? Are we going to let her get away with, because our kids were too busy playing garbage like Riven? No! We need to fight back. We need to give our children the training they need to fight in the real world. If kids can't learn to solve their problems with violence, how will be able to defend our rights?
Enough with this "mystery game" crap. Bring back the first-person shooter!
Let's face it -- the people most likely to be affected by this kind of surveillance are the people who are doing bad stuff to begin with. And, I'm sorry, but if you're a child pornographer or a script kiddies, then you shouldn't be on the Internet to begin with.
Do you really honestly think the government cares about your dentist's appointment or your stupid chain letters? No, they're out after the warez monkeys and the international terrorists -- the kind of people we're better off without anyway.
It's nice to think that you're important, but I don't think anyone reading Slashdot is important enough that the government would want to read through his or her e-mail. The only people who have anything to fear from this are those are who going to get busted by it. The simple answer: Don't get busted.
It seems like yet another ignorant newbie wants to sell out artistic integrity for the sake of getting his favorite series on FOX.
While fansubs are nice, if you want to be able see all the anime that's in Japan, you really need to have large support from commercial companies.
And that's exactly the point -- who wants to deal with corporate America? Big business runs everything these days, and they can't seem to understand that Usagi's name is not "Serena", no matter what their "demographics" want them to believe.
Another good thing to notice is that Cable networks are showing Anime on US TV in the first place. That's the first step in getting your uncensored anime.
When I wanted uncensored anime, I buy it from Japan and watch in its original, intended language, just like any true otaku would.
I would hope that in the future, some shows might even be released at the same time in the US as in Japan, no need to wait a few years to get "old" anime.
Frankly, I don't think the U.S. is deserving of these masterpieces at all. If American audiences can't handle Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon or Fuushi Yuugi, then it's better than they not receive them at all. Maybe after the USians pull out of Kosovo, they can find the time to appreciate Shinseki Evangelion.
...Another anime topic and already have the posts are accused anime of being about sex and tentacle rape. Of course, any real otaku knows that anime is about everything but that -- these people seem to have confused Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon with X-Men.
Speaking of which, if the Cartoon Network episodes of Tenchi Muyo! are going to horribly hacked up (hell, I bet they're spelling Washuu's name as "Washu" or something equally stupid), then I don't see any reason that we, the anime community, should view, promote, or even acknowledge the existence of this travesty. Until companies learn that anime is not to be hacked up to suit network TV, then they have no right to try to take over beloved series like Tenchi Muyo! or Pocket Monsters.
...before the NSA and the FBI (Carnivore, anyone?) decides to knock out these backbones to stop those awful, awful criminals from trafficking in "pirated music" and "child pornography". And then what will happen to our web?
An emergency plan needs to be developed in case the USians ever try to take down the Internet. Who will become the primary nameservers? Who will register domain names? What will the central backbones be? I don't see any of this discussion, and I'm getting worried that there simply aren't any contigency plans -- the Web (and, consequently, the Internet) really could be taken out with a few simple attacks. Why isn't someone doing something about this? I think this is a great chance for the 'net community to ban together and forge a grassroots, international solution.
Don't just sit back and complain. Take action. Now.
Whatever happened to capitalism? If companies want to spy on this, that's their right; if we don't like them doing this, we simply don't have to give them any of our money. Don't like doubleclick.net? Don't visit any sites with doubleclick.net advertisemenets -- if enough people do it, dc.net will be forced to change its policies to get any business. It's called freedom, and it's what capitalism is all about.
Don't get me wrong, I'm sensitive about privacy too, which is why I have doubleclick.net cookies blocked. But I'm even more uncomfortable with the idea of the government regulating what websites can and can't do. Look at COPPA -- that's supposed to protect children's privacy, but it's preventing them from using ICQ or visiting Thomas The Tank Engine's web site. And the people who don't care about their privacy shouldn't be forced to have privacy just because other people wnat it.
We don't really have rights unless we have the right to sign those rights away.
Slashdot Mirror
Remarq is a good example -- nobody really uses USENET anymore, and the site's readership was probably decreasing rapidly. It's funny; we usually think of Internet companies as only growing, but some of the older ones are actually going to find their market share shrinking (Yahoo vs. Google, for example). Simply put, not every Internet service is one that's going to be successful with consumers. For every eBay or Amazon.com, there's a WebGrocer or Boo.com.
As the Internet continues to become more and more a part of mainstream culture, we'll -- surprise! -- see mainstream opinions dictate what appears on the Internet more and more. Look at the rise of corporate homepages and useless Shockwave animations as an example. Joe Sixpack may like to buy stuff on eBay and browse pr0n, but he could probably care less about a text-based discussion feature like Remarq -- which is used mostly by the so-called Internet "elite."
What's to do be done about this situation? Not much, really -- it's more of an inevitably than anything else. You can't have both "mainstream" status and economic freedom. In this case, the Internet is drifting towards the former, and that's not necessarily bad -- it's just a situation we'll have to get used to.
Seriously, why would you want to control your TV from a web browser in the first place? Are some people so lazy that they can't even budge from their computer to adjust the volume? This all just seems like an invitation for script kiddies to mess with peoples' TVs. If I was a ReplayTV user, I'd be pissed.
Still, I can see how this would have some advantages, so hopefully ReplayTV will implement a secure-enough system (hint: security through obscurity never works!) that the lamer members of our population won't be able to ruin yet another new thing.
Nova means "star" in Spanish; nobody would confuse it for "no va". The Chevy Nova sold well in Spanish-speaking countries.
Let's face it -- government regulations aren't working. Every time big industry gets close to having to adopt a cleaner power source, they moan and groan about how it will ravage "the economy" (read: Lee Iacoca's bottom line) and the government backs down again. We need to make it economically unsound to pollute. Why don't we environmentally-minded consumers just stop buying polluting products like cars and aerosol sprays? If enough people refuse to put up with pollution, everyone will be forced to follow the way of these kind of pioneers.
Price fixing is not the end of the world. Sure, it might mean higher prices for consumers, but it doesn't mean that there's some huge Illuminati-like conspiracy out there trying to "get" consumers. So you have to pay more for a crappy CD. Who cares? Price fixing happens -- get over it!
Would you like it if someone was observing you in the shower? Geez, guys, leave LINEAR alone.
I can't speak for the Slashbots, when Windows Millennium Edition ships, I'll be standing in line for my copy. Sure, I'll still probably use Linux more, but that shouldn't stop me from buying it. WinME has been development for a long time, with a lot of coders behind it, and I'm not going to pretend I'm somehow more important than Bill Gates.
Microsoft can drive its operating systems into the ground however it wants. You don't own the Windows concept; they do.
Don't assume that what happens in other countries doesn't affect you. We live in an international world, and events in the United States or Zimbabwe or China affect people everywhere in the world.
C'mon, it's nice to have some choice, but do we really need this many formats? Having so many formats just makes compatibility more difficult -- your computer might communicate with one format, but someone else's computer might think in a different format. Let's stick with the oldest, proven format: ARC. It has a track record that no other format can beat; it's certainly been around longer. And just like UNIX-like operating systems beat out newcomers like Windows and MacOS, ARC beats out unnecessary new format like "tarballs."
Hello! Earth doesn't an asteroid belt -- our sun has an asteroid belt, and the Earth orbits the sun.
Dear Rob "CmdrTaco" Malda,
As a loyal reader of Slashdot, I am growing more and more irritated with the constant spam that has deluded the site in the past month or so. I like to read at a threshold of -1 to see all the posts with low moderations -- some of them simply went against Slashdot popular opinion, or are humorous, intelligent trolls that are worth
Most of the spam posts simply regurgitate the same text over and over... for example, the "Napster and Google Sued" and "The Facts" [ZikZak conspiracy] posts show up several times on every story. Given that several "lameness filters" are in any place, it would be easy to institute a filter that simply blocks posts with those message bodies. Alternately, if all of these posts are originally from a certain IP, that IP could simply be banned from Slashdot. Please consider both of these alternatives.
I realize that censoring users may go against the ideals of Slashdot. However, the intelligent posters and "true" trolls are already being censored -- their voices are being drowned out by the idiot(s) who post the same offtopic posts on every single story. And no one will miss the MDMA guy and his idiot friends.
A few attention-starved morons should not be allowed to hijack a popular website and drive out all the other readers. Please don't let the spam epidemic overrun Slashdot -- a few simple filters or bans would solve the problem, and it's high time they were instituted.
Sincerely,
The loyal /. readership
Substantially extended the installation support contained in the purchase price. Now the SuSE Service Hotline is operating five - instead of the previous two - afternoons per week. Professional Edition customers have 90 days of support from the SuSE professionals, one month longer than previously. Users of the Personal or Update Version have 60 days installation support.
YaST2 & KDE 2.0 - and the Desktop lives!
The upgraded YaST2 offers more comfort. In addition now the Nachinstallieren and Deinstallieren are single packages, just like a NIS Client module or the configuration of the T-DSL-Access. YaST2 also includes a new graphic inetd.conf editor, with which server services also install separately from the Clients. KDE enthusiasts will be pleased to know about the more than 200 Tools of PRE-KDE 2.0, the all-newest stat of "Next Generation" Desktops.
Support of Braille lines with the installation
So far, SuSE Linux is the only operating system with a complete installation for blind users. The Braille lines are detected automatically at the start of the installation.
Hardware ;)]
[This part may be a little off, I'm not much of an hardware expert
Version 7.0 again again a true cornucopia of new features. Now, with XFree86 4.0 graphics power, the graphics chips benefit from ATI, NVidia and Matrox. Brand-new -- and found only in SuSE -- is support for the Diamond Fire GL1.
Even if it is not yet an official release, SuSE already now brings a Linux Kernel, which (owing to numerous extensions), we call confidently call 2.2.17-pre. The extended USB support supplies experimental support for ISDN, Floppy and Iomega Zip 250. For the first time, scanners on parallel ports can be addressed under Linux. The support for the Adaptec RAID Controller is also new. And for the SCSI adapters on NCR-Basis are drivers for the super-fast Symbios log IC chips SYM53C895A and SYM53C1010. Also, the advancement of the ATA standard on 100 MHz is supported with the new SuSE Linux 7.0. This pushes EIDE into the performance regions from SCSI before Big Brother, including videoconferencing in accordance with H.323-Standard. An extended bttv driver finally provides for a full support of TV cards. Also IBM and Sun's Java2 can be found in the Professional Edition. The Knaller from the ALSA labs: SuSE Linux 7.0 brings a hardware-supporting Plug and Play driver as the first distribution for all Yamaha-compatible Soundcards with YMF72x and YMF74x-Chips.
Linux Goes Enterprise
SuSE Linux 7.0 Professional distinguishes itself with improved Raw Device support, LFS (Large file support), and 4GB-[something] addressing [something], now as a server system for very large and complex applications of data bases. The optimized support for fully automatic installations and the new SuSE Tool ALICE (AUTOMATIC Linux Installation and Configuration Environment) are a logical configuration tool for enterprise networks.
Now, I realize I'm just one person, but a lot of people are going to be thinking the same thing. Few people would want to move to Mars until life on Mars becomes normal and comfortable -- and living conditions on Mars won't improve until more people arrive. It's a classic Catch-22 situation; and I honestly don't see extraplanetary settlement appealing to anyone except a few fringe groups or the inevitable "early adopters." There's also a lot of other factors to consider: Who will make the laws on Mars? What language(s) will be spoken? Will Mars be a colony of some Earth-based country, sparking a resurrection in colonialism? Or could we make Mars an international territory for the betterment of civilization?
Before you hit that reply button to flame me, sit back and think what you would really do if you could leave on a space shuttle for Mars tomorrow. Would you really want to abandon the Earth, home of humanity for many millenia, and all of its scenic mountains, awe-inspiring oceans, and beautiful forests to go live on a God-forsaken hump of red rock? I think not.
With version 7.,0 SuSE goes in new directions. After seven years as the most successful Linux distro in the German market it is now popular (?) with Linux developers. With Personal SuSE for a desktop PC and on through the extensive Professional SuSE for workplaces, SuSE Linux meets all the demands and requests.
SuSE Linux 7.0 Personal
SuSE Linux 7.0 Personal is recommended for Linux developers and users who would like to become acquainted with the advantages of a free Unix clone on a desktop computer. In addition to thecurrent Linux system, the three CD-ROMs contain numerous games, multimedia, graphics, and Internet applications. StarOffice 5.2, a complete office package, is included, guaranteeing a smooth data exchange with other office applications thanks to its revised import and export filters.
Three easily understandable manuals arrange information on operating the new system for the Linux beginner: The "Quick Install manual" describes the Linux installation on 64 color pages with numerous step-by-step pictures. The new "Configuration" book teaches the user how to configure the printer, scanner, CD-R driver, how to merge sound and TV cards optimally, and how to arrange the KDE Desktop to your taste. The last manual, "The Programs" presents an overview of the most functions of Netscape Navigator, the GIMP, Acrobat Reader and Midnight Commander in compact form.
SuSE Linux 7,0 Professional
SuSE Linux Professional 7.0 offers to ambitious home users (such as IT professionals) an extensive collection of over 1,500 current Linux tools and software packages. SuSE Linux Profesional contains the tools to implement Intranet and Internet solutions, as well as the connection and protection of those networks. Professional users will find all the tools to operate WWW, proxy, mail, and news servers under Linux. The user can choose between 6 CD-ROMs or a DVD, all of which are contained in the Professional package. A total of four manuals supply over 1000 pages of current Linux know-how, as well as covering special topics such as network configuration and security.
SuSE Linux 7.0 updates
In addition, SuSE offers a economical update version to experienced Linux users. Its software scope is identical to SuSE Linux 7.0 Professional; in place of the detailed 650-page SuSE manual, a compressed 60-page informs users about the most important innovations.
(Okay, I haven't taken German in a few years, but this should at least provide some information...)
Remember, the goal of the free software movement is not to liberate other peoples' work. You don't see Linus or RMS pirating 0-day Windows 2000 betas or reverse-engineering competitors' formats. Instead, they built a brand new alternative from the ground up, and it's gaining new followers every day. Don't get me wrong, I'm not bashing Napster or Gnutella or anything; as I said, most artists are in support of them -- we just have to consider the needs of those who aren't.
Choice is always a good thing; in fact, it's the principle that the open source community was built on. We've got different distros to choose from, different window managers, different desktops, etc. It's nice to see that there's now different alternatives for digital music distribution.
This is why the trend towards internationalization is perhaps not as pleasant as it seems. Now, international communication like the kind on the Internet is fine with me -- it's mostly American-run, and no international bodies have any real power. But I hate to see Eastern Hemisphere governments somehow influencing public policy in the United States. Look at all the anti-land mine and anti-nuclear weapons treaties that keep getting signed -- treaties that are undermining the safety of our boys abroad (do you think rogue nations like North Korea or Cuba are going to play by those rules?). Why do they pass? Because the so-called "international community" puts so much pressure on the United States to do so.
Geeks always espouse the virutes of standing out from the masses and doing what's right, not what makes you look cool. Well, it's time to stop listening to the United Nations (aka "Microsoft") says and do what's right.
Penicillin was also developed by NASA to protect the astronauts from infectious diseases.
We must boycott Slashdot until they cease their abuse of the U.S. Patent Office and drop their suit against the author of DeBlockS. In the mean time, let's forget overrated corporate architects like Frank Lloyd Wright and support independent architects instead; you can find their building plans on popular blueprint-sharing services like Bluetella and Planster.
Down with architecture patents! Free the block!
This growing trend of "puzzle" and "adventure" games is really starting to disturb me. What's happened to all the first-person shooters -- classic games like DOOM, Quake, or Unreal? First-person shooters are real games; they're the only ones that are actually training our kids to become valiant soldiers. I don't see anyone practicing their aim by playing Monkey Island.
What happens when Janet Reno decides to take all our guns away? Are we going to let her get away with, because our kids were too busy playing garbage like Riven? No! We need to fight back. We need to give our children the training they need to fight in the real world. If kids can't learn to solve their problems with violence, how will be able to defend our rights?
Enough with this "mystery game" crap. Bring back the first-person shooter!
Sounds like you're the Amero-centric one here.
Do you really honestly think the government cares about your dentist's appointment or your stupid chain letters? No, they're out after the warez monkeys and the international terrorists -- the kind of people we're better off without anyway.
It's nice to think that you're important, but I don't think anyone reading Slashdot is important enough that the government would want to read through his or her e-mail. The only people who have anything to fear from this are those are who going to get busted by it. The simple answer: Don't get busted.
While fansubs are nice, if you want to be able see all the anime that's in Japan, you really need to have large support from commercial companies.
And that's exactly the point -- who wants to deal with corporate America? Big business runs everything these days, and they can't seem to understand that Usagi's name is not "Serena", no matter what their "demographics" want them to believe.
Another good thing to notice is that Cable networks are showing Anime on US TV in the first place. That's the first step in getting your uncensored anime.
When I wanted uncensored anime, I buy it from Japan and watch in its original, intended language, just like any true otaku would.
I would hope that in the future, some shows might even be released at the same time in the US as in Japan, no need to wait a few years to get "old" anime.
Frankly, I don't think the U.S. is deserving of these masterpieces at all. If American audiences can't handle Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon or Fuushi Yuugi, then it's better than they not receive them at all. Maybe after the USians pull out of Kosovo, they can find the time to appreciate Shinseki Evangelion.
Speaking of which, if the Cartoon Network episodes of Tenchi Muyo! are going to horribly hacked up (hell, I bet they're spelling Washuu's name as "Washu" or something equally stupid), then I don't see any reason that we, the anime community, should view, promote, or even acknowledge the existence of this travesty. Until companies learn that anime is not to be hacked up to suit network TV, then they have no right to try to take over beloved series like Tenchi Muyo! or Pocket Monsters.
An emergency plan needs to be developed in case the USians ever try to take down the Internet. Who will become the primary nameservers? Who will register domain names? What will the central backbones be? I don't see any of this discussion, and I'm getting worried that there simply aren't any contigency plans -- the Web (and, consequently, the Internet) really could be taken out with a few simple attacks. Why isn't someone doing something about this? I think this is a great chance for the 'net community to ban together and forge a grassroots, international solution.
Don't just sit back and complain. Take action. Now.
Don't get me wrong, I'm sensitive about privacy too, which is why I have doubleclick.net cookies blocked. But I'm even more uncomfortable with the idea of the government regulating what websites can and can't do. Look at COPPA -- that's supposed to protect children's privacy, but it's preventing them from using ICQ or visiting Thomas The Tank Engine's web site. And the people who don't care about their privacy shouldn't be forced to have privacy just because other people wnat it.
We don't really have rights unless we have the right to sign those rights away.