The Internet has basically catalyzed the formation of a virtual direct democracy, albeit in its nascent stages. When ordinary citizens can easily announce their complaints to the world, when citizens can easily organize campaigns against errant corporations, and when grassroots movements (such as drug policy reform) are growing like they've got Miracle Grow feeding them, you just have to know that something is up.
The "brains" in the big corporations see all this coming at them in spades, and thus, unsurprisingly, they are rabidly coming up with schemes to reverse this powerful trend.
Along with the nascent Anti-Globalization "movement" (I cannot call it a movement until the organizers discover what their focus should be), we are seeing the beginning of a major power conflict between the common citizenry and corporate behemoths.
This is a conflict that the common citizenry *must* win. Or else it's 1984.
Normally, I don't reply to my own posts, but from the responses so far, I gather that the only good new features are ClearType (ripoff/who cares?) and the.NET framework (only good to MS programmer drones).
I must say that I am now very much compelled to upgrade. Riiiiiiiiight.
For those of you who are webmastering (and who isn't, at least on the side), think about placing EFF's blue ribbon on the front page of your site. Besides being really cool, it helps get out the message that the DMCA is curtailing OUR freedom of speech and keeping an innocent man in jail.
If XP were blocked, the computer industry might not recover at all this year.
It's not the duty of consumers to prop up criminal monopolies or support a business sector that isn't innovating and providing products that are actually useful. Period.
Heck, we need a break from "Upgrade-itis" anyway.:)
Since we've already established that XP provides no useful new features and that Microsoft is a maniacal, criminal monopolist, then perhaps we should all do the obvious??
The people I feel bad for are those who buy a new computer.
Just tell those who have plans to purchase PC's in the next year or so to go out NOW and buy a full license for Windows 2000 Professional, which is less than $300. Then, when they get their "fabulous" XP-installed box, they just wipe it all out and get a fresh install of Microsoft's only successful attempt at producing a quality operating system.
Licensing matters aside, I just don't trust Microsoft to deliver a quality operating system (esp. one where they're combining the business and consumer markets into one).
Of course, the most heinous destructive power of the DMCA is allowing ridiculous (in my opinion, unAmerican) outfits like the Southern Building Code Congress International to write laws that are copyright-protected and thus cannot be republished by citizens freely on the web.
When I recently wrote the SBCCI one of my lovely nastygrams, I got back a reply that basically said "we are proud and the DMCA backs up our every shitty attack on the American way of life".
In the Veeck vs. SBCCI circuit court decision, District Judge Little provides a powerful dissent. Judge Little states: "The minute burden that might befall the standards-writing organizations because of the actions of Veeck and others like him is outweighed by the benefit of Veeck's act of enhancing unfettered access to the law."
It's *our* law. All law must be public domain. Period. If there's anything that steams me so much, it's private entities working to effectively hide the law from the citizenry.
Now, does anyone really *need* to upgrade to XP? Come on!
Steve Magruder
Another Case of a Poor Linear Projection
on
Review: A.I.
·
· Score: 1
Even though I appreciate the disturbing sentiments expressed in this film (and very well-documented by others in this thread), I have to say that they're somewhat immaterial. That's because this future is not going to occur. I harken back to an old view of the future, expressed in wild visions at past World's Fairs or in the early sci-fi flicks. This is the future where technology advances continuously without ebb into a perfect flowering of what we now reckon as our technological achievements to date.
What's wrong with AI is not in how the story is told or how it's presented as much as in how the story is based on old preconceived notions of a future that can't be.
The basic problem is that Moore's Law applies to hardware, not software. Jaron Lanier, in his essay One Half a Manifesto expresses what I think a lot of us programmers know to be true. He states: "This breathtaking vista [of unending advancement in hardware] must be starkly contrasted with the Great Shame of computer science, which is that we don't seem to be able to write software much better as computers get much faster." I would encourage everyone to read Mr. Lanier's very compelling thoughts about how the "cybernetic totalists" are so very, very stupidly wrong.
I think the more realistic future will evolve not as robots replacing humanity, but rather humankind finding increasingly optimal ways to create a universal conscience or mind with technology. And the great thing about this technology is that it's a far simpler endeavor to connect human minds than it is to recreate them. The current degree of software evolution will be able to handle this rather nicely. Otherwise, if we keep up the trip of developing a true AI, humankind will be spinning its wheels for a very long time to come, and for what bloody purpose?
This is why people hate Microsoft. It's the mean-spirited, FUD-producing, criminal business practices, stupid! It's the breaking of antitrust law, stupid! It's the thumbing of noses at federal/state laws and the well-being of the general public, stupid! It's the "embrace-and-extend-instead-of-true-innovation" crap, stupid!
Faith, like hope, has no value. Knowledge and action, their true opposites, are invaluable.
Steve Magruder
Unions good for talented programmers too
on
IT Unions?
·
· Score: 1
As long as seniority issues stay out of the mix, having a union to deal with issues related to training, work hours, benefits and sometimes even salary could be very beneficial to talented and untalented alike. Who wants to work long hours? (Answer: Those without a life, a family or a clue).
Talent isn't hampered at all by an 8 by 5 workweek. In fact, it's arguable that it would make the talented even more productive than they already are.
What if this scheme wasn't applied to individual plaintiffs, but only organizational ones? Of course, nowadays, corporations get legal treatment as individuals, which is perverted. So, take away that perversion and we might start to see the beginning of the end to some of this madness.
Bully for all you said, and I'm now starting to lament that I didn't cast my vote for Nader last November. Ralph was right about corporatism.
We're seeing increasing "attacks" (for loss of a better word) against ordinary consumers and citizens by corporations who think there are no limits to what they can perpetrate, all in the name of profit. This is all not just an issue with the SDMI and RIAA, but a much more far-reaching issue.
The next time you feel your freedom being restricted, like in the case of simply not being able to make a copy of your favorite music, remember that a corporation or corporate-financed organization is most likely to blame. And compared to the auspices of government, corporations are in the process of building up far greater power than governments could ever muster in trampling the people's will and economic well-being. This is what the anti-globalists are ranting about... the eventual loss of freedom in favor of the new "corporate monarchies."
Yes, I believe in capitalism, but only as part of an overall scheme that embraces wide competition, true democracy, freedom of information and the self-determination of all people. The big corporations DO NOT WANT THIS SCHEME... they want ABSOLUTE POWER.
Well, the DMCA is obviously one of the worst laws ever passed by Congress. But instead of expecting good people like Felten to undergo the punishment of expensive legal wrangling to eventually overturn the DMCA in the courts, why not attempt to democratically bring down the law in Congress itself?
This whole situation is making matters ripe for a strong grassroots movement to begin doing the good work to force Congress to repeal this bad law. We've got the Internet to spread this movement like wildfire. What's stopping us?
Oh, that's right. The elected dictators don't give a shit about what's best for the public. But it's at least worth a try to shake up the politician-elite class (from their brain-dead antics) as hard as we can.
The Chinese people think that their gov't caved in way to easily over the embassy bombing, so their going to take out their frustration by holding on for a real apology.
That's one great reason why the USA should *never* apologize. Let the Chinese people get angry at their leaders!
as we had phenomenal web startup growth, combined with the beginning of the three year corporate ramp-up to Y2K. In 1996, the web was still "new" and Y2K was a joke. Recall that internet development technologies (remember those cute little useless Java applets?) and best practices were still in their infancy in 1996, and 1997 was pretty much the beginning of the maturation period.
I agree with the 2002 hardware recovery scenario, and it will easily extend through 2004, getting stronger along the way.
Here's a thought: Practical, moderate resolution of real issues instead of ideological baiting, pandering, warring and dysfunction.
All left-right battles do for us is polarize and create circus sideshows so that the huge, silent middle won't be able to pay as much attention to what's really going on.
OK, I know I'm going to be blasted for saying this, but this SourceCast product looks like it will be great for closed source efforts in startup software firms as well. More and more companies are having to hire people in disparate geographic regions (I'm a case in point), and source control is a freaking nightmare. Yes, it's already a nightmare if everyone is in-house, but raise it to the next order of magnitude for widely-distributed development.
While we're on this point, are there any other online resources that compare to the services that SourceCast is planning to offer?
those few inquiries that *are* genuinely helpful can work like serendipity in that they may not be positions you would target yourself for, but may end up being a good fit anyway. And it's pretty easy to sort the wheat (personally written inquiries) from the chaff (form letters).
Slashdot Mirror
The Internet has basically catalyzed the formation of a virtual direct democracy, albeit in its nascent stages. When ordinary citizens can easily announce their complaints to the world, when citizens can easily organize campaigns against errant corporations, and when grassroots movements (such as drug policy reform) are growing like they've got Miracle Grow feeding them, you just have to know that something is up.
The "brains" in the big corporations see all this coming at them in spades, and thus, unsurprisingly, they are rabidly coming up with schemes to reverse this powerful trend.
Along with the nascent Anti-Globalization "movement" (I cannot call it a movement until the organizers discover what their focus should be), we are seeing the beginning of a major power conflict between the common citizenry and corporate behemoths.
This is a conflict that the common citizenry *must* win. Or else it's 1984.
Steve Magruder
Steve Magruder
Normally, I don't reply to my own posts, but from the responses so far, I gather that the only good new features are ClearType (ripoff/who cares?) and the .NET framework (only good to MS programmer drones).
I must say that I am now very much compelled to upgrade. Riiiiiiiiight.
Steve Magruder
For those of you who are webmastering (and who isn't, at least on the side), think about placing EFF's blue ribbon on the front page of your site. Besides being really cool, it helps get out the message that the DMCA is curtailing OUR freedom of speech and keeping an innocent man in jail.
Steve Magruder
If XP were blocked, the computer industry might not recover at all this year.
It's not the duty of consumers to prop up criminal monopolies or support a business sector that isn't innovating and providing products that are actually useful. Period.
Heck, we need a break from "Upgrade-itis" anyway. :)
Steve Magruder
Steve Magruder
The people I feel bad for are those who buy a new computer.
Just tell those who have plans to purchase PC's in the next year or so to go out NOW and buy a full license for Windows 2000 Professional, which is less than $300. Then, when they get their "fabulous" XP-installed box, they just wipe it all out and get a fresh install of Microsoft's only successful attempt at producing a quality operating system.
Licensing matters aside, I just don't trust Microsoft to deliver a quality operating system (esp. one where they're combining the business and consumer markets into one).
Steve Magruder
Of course, the most heinous destructive power of the DMCA is allowing ridiculous (in my opinion, unAmerican) outfits like the Southern Building Code Congress International to write laws that are copyright-protected and thus cannot be republished by citizens freely on the web.
When I recently wrote the SBCCI one of my lovely nastygrams, I got back a reply that basically said "we are proud and the DMCA backs up our every shitty attack on the American way of life".
In the Veeck vs. SBCCI circuit court decision, District Judge Little provides a powerful dissent. Judge Little states: "The minute burden that might befall the standards-writing organizations because of the actions of Veeck and others like him is outweighed by the benefit of Veeck's act of enhancing unfettered access to the law."
It's *our* law. All law must be public domain. Period. If there's anything that steams me so much, it's private entities working to effectively hide the law from the citizenry.
Steve Magruder
Steve Magruder
Even though I appreciate the disturbing sentiments expressed in this film (and very well-documented by others in this thread), I have to say that they're somewhat immaterial. That's because this future is not going to occur. I harken back to an old view of the future, expressed in wild visions at past World's Fairs or in the early sci-fi flicks. This is the future where technology advances continuously without ebb into a perfect flowering of what we now reckon as our technological achievements to date.
What's wrong with AI is not in how the story is told or how it's presented as much as in how the story is based on old preconceived notions of a future that can't be.
The basic problem is that Moore's Law applies to hardware, not software. Jaron Lanier, in his essay One Half a Manifesto expresses what I think a lot of us programmers know to be true. He states: "This breathtaking vista [of unending advancement in hardware] must be starkly contrasted with the Great Shame of computer science, which is that we don't seem to be able to write software much better as computers get much faster." I would encourage everyone to read Mr. Lanier's very compelling thoughts about how the "cybernetic totalists" are so very, very stupidly wrong.
I think the more realistic future will evolve not as robots replacing humanity, but rather humankind finding increasingly optimal ways to create a universal conscience or mind with technology. And the great thing about this technology is that it's a far simpler endeavor to connect human minds than it is to recreate them. The current degree of software evolution will be able to handle this rather nicely. Otherwise, if we keep up the trip of developing a true AI, humankind will be spinning its wheels for a very long time to come, and for what bloody purpose?
Steve Magruder
"Ill-gotten gains! Ill-gotten gains!"
This is why people hate Microsoft. It's the mean-spirited, FUD-producing, criminal business practices, stupid! It's the breaking of antitrust law, stupid! It's the thumbing of noses at federal/state laws and the well-being of the general public, stupid! It's the "embrace-and-extend-instead-of-true-innovation" crap, stupid!
Steve Magruder
Steve Magruder
As long as seniority issues stay out of the mix, having a union to deal with issues related to training, work hours, benefits and sometimes even salary could be very beneficial to talented and untalented alike. Who wants to work long hours? (Answer: Those without a life, a family or a clue).
Talent isn't hampered at all by an 8 by 5 workweek. In fact, it's arguable that it would make the talented even more productive than they already are.
Steve Magruder
That's actually not a half-bad idea.
Too bad it won't make it out of committee. :)
Steve Magruder
Steve Magruder
Steve Magruder
Bully for all you said, and I'm now starting to lament that I didn't cast my vote for Nader last November. Ralph was right about corporatism.
We're seeing increasing "attacks" (for loss of a better word) against ordinary consumers and citizens by corporations who think there are no limits to what they can perpetrate, all in the name of profit. This is all not just an issue with the SDMI and RIAA, but a much more far-reaching issue.
The next time you feel your freedom being restricted, like in the case of simply not being able to make a copy of your favorite music, remember that a corporation or corporate-financed organization is most likely to blame. And compared to the auspices of government, corporations are in the process of building up far greater power than governments could ever muster in trampling the people's will and economic well-being. This is what the anti-globalists are ranting about... the eventual loss of freedom in favor of the new "corporate monarchies."
Yes, I believe in capitalism, but only as part of an overall scheme that embraces wide competition, true democracy, freedom of information and the self-determination of all people. The big corporations DO NOT WANT THIS SCHEME... they want ABSOLUTE POWER.
Steve Magruder
Well, the DMCA is obviously one of the worst laws ever passed by Congress. But instead of expecting good people like Felten to undergo the punishment of expensive legal wrangling to eventually overturn the DMCA in the courts, why not attempt to democratically bring down the law in Congress itself?
This whole situation is making matters ripe for a strong grassroots movement to begin doing the good work to force Congress to repeal this bad law. We've got the Internet to spread this movement like wildfire. What's stopping us?
Oh, that's right. The elected dictators don't give a shit about what's best for the public. But it's at least worth a try to shake up the politician-elite class (from their brain-dead antics) as hard as we can.
Steve Magruder
The Chinese people think that their gov't caved in way to easily over the embassy bombing, so their going to take out their frustration by holding on for a real apology.
That's one great reason why the USA should *never* apologize. Let the Chinese people get angry at their leaders!
Steve Magruder
as we had phenomenal web startup growth, combined with the beginning of the three year corporate ramp-up to Y2K. In 1996, the web was still "new" and Y2K was a joke. Recall that internet development technologies (remember those cute little useless Java applets?) and best practices were still in their infancy in 1996, and 1997 was pretty much the beginning of the maturation period.
I agree with the 2002 hardware recovery scenario, and it will easily extend through 2004, getting stronger along the way.
Steve Magruder
Steve Magruder
Here's a thought: Practical, moderate resolution of real issues instead of ideological baiting, pandering, warring and dysfunction.
All left-right battles do for us is polarize and create circus sideshows so that the huge, silent middle won't be able to pay as much attention to what's really going on.
Steve Magruder
OK, I know I'm going to be blasted for saying this, but this SourceCast product looks like it will be great for closed source efforts in startup software firms as well. More and more companies are having to hire people in disparate geographic regions (I'm a case in point), and source control is a freaking nightmare. Yes, it's already a nightmare if everyone is in-house, but raise it to the next order of magnitude for widely-distributed development.
While we're on this point, are there any other online resources that compare to the services that SourceCast is planning to offer?
Steve Magruder
Steve Magruder
those few inquiries that *are* genuinely helpful can work like serendipity in that they may not be positions you would target yourself for, but may end up being a good fit anyway. And it's pretty easy to sort the wheat (personally written inquiries) from the chaff (form letters).
Steve Magruder