Seriously. Port the data itself to MySQL, PostGres, MSSQL7 (If you're a bank, you can likely afford it.;) ) or something like that.
If you have custom front-ends built in Access, you don't have to abandon them -- using ODBC, link the tables from the database server to the forms/reports/queries you're using now in the Access database. It may take a little bit of doing, but I think you'll find it'll work much better.
What if you disconnect and reconnect with a totally different IP address? (especially likely if you're a mobile user...you could be connecting to a completely different network).
Then, you're fucked. *shrug*
Cool, so if I want to get to your information, all I have to do it pull up your history folder:-)
Yeah, maybe. For URL-embedded tokens, anyhoo. Lets hope us smart developers put a session timeout in, huh?
I don't mean to say that they are. And I don't know that there's really a "formal" creative design process. "Formal" and "Creative" used together are almost a contradiction. : )
I only mean to say that if the goal is to make a game [for Linux]that can attract an audience, compete head-to-head with Windows or Console games, and maybe make a buck or two, you're probably going to want to put it together like the big boys do. You're going to want to start with the strongest concept available, not necessarily the bestest programmers.
You could very well be right, and I don't mean at all to suggest that programmers can't have good ideas for games. I'm rather prolific, myself. I program, I write, I do graphic design, music, you name it. I only mean to suggest that, as written, the plan of attack isn't all the clear and/or is going about things the wrong way.
Looking at how most games are made today -- or even back in Tetris' day -- Tetris was an exception, not the rule. In rare instances, the same person will have not only the conceptual insight, but the technical skill to bring it to reality by himself.
Yeah, the first Ultima or two were created by one guy. (A guy that if I ever meet, I wanna buy him a beer.) But after that, teams of people put those games together, under Garriot's conceptual lead, I'd imagine. Given the quasi-theatrical nature of most games today, most times, the programmers are just one of many groups of people carrying out the Will of the Conceptualfolk.
Michael, it still sounds, though, that you're using "developers" as synonymous with "programmers", when, in fact, "developers" *are* the artists, musicians, conceptual design folks, project managers, programmers, and so on. That's flawed thinking. The developers are everyone involved.
Honestly, too, I think some of the other folks in this discussion have a much better idea: Let folks submit concepts for a while. The concepts can then be evaluated for originality, creativity, happyfuntime potential, feasibility, and -- and this is an important one that I've seen _noone_ mention yet -- marketability. (The almightly dollar does still rule things around here, and there's no sense putting any time and effort into something you can't sell.)
If you want to try to put 8 conceptual people in a room, rather than programmers, to come up with something, have at it. But I think you'd be have a better chance of success with a larger pool of ideas, initially.
Once you've got a strong concept, THEN start puttin g together the larger team, under the direction of both a project manager and the head of the conceptual team. The conceptual team should guide all development. (With, of course the occasional whip-cracking of the project management staff.) The programmers, musicians and artists -- while their feedback and suggestions will ultimately be valuable -- exist primarily to do what they're asked, when they're asked to do it, and to please have it done by such and such a date.
If you want to let them help to Name That Game Company (which, I think, makes a cool name for a game company, don't you?:) ) that's all well and good, but don't assume that the 8 best programmers for the job are the perfect creative, conceptual lead for such a project.
Lest I offend programmers out there, I do not mean, with any of this, to say that a programmer can't have good ideas. They can. Just that you should start with the idea, rather than the code, and in all likelyhood, the ideafolk won't be the programmerfolk.)
I'll probably get trolled for this. Oh well. Troll me if ya gotta if you really wanna miss the point.
I'm sorry to be the one to say it, but as you've set up this process, you've doomed yourselves to failure.
Hiring the programmers first and the designers, artists, later, you're putting the cart before the horse.
You don't start making a moving by hiring actors. There's a script. A director. A lot of storyboarding. Conceptual Design. Location planning. Scene planning. Shot planning. You know, for the most part, how every piece fits together before there's any action in front of the camera.
A game doesn't start with programmers. A game starts with an idea. A concept. A concept that is then fleshed out by writers, artists, etc... Quite possibly one or two programmers/developers with a knowledge of whatever game engine will be used (and/or maybe helped choose the appropriate one in the first place.) are available to consult with the conceptual team and prototype some things along the way. But the code is more than likely the LAST thing to be written.
It's a shame. It sounds like an interesting project. It's one I'd certainly like to lend my artistic talents, writing, and imagination to. But it's going to fail unless things are done in the right order. You can't tell 8 programmers "make a game, we'll make it pretty and give it a plot and music and a look, etc... later." You've got to take the proper time to conceptualize your game _before_ you get programmers on-board.
According to this rather old news article, they may offer some kind of API to address getting at the data stored inside. You might want to phone their supportenfolken.
Greg Bear's "Forge of God" and "Anvil of Stars" are two of the best SF books I've read recently. I don't know how I didn't pick these up earlier, as they've both been out for years.
Sorry, a brainfart on my part. Cryptonomicon was the one I fed to the landfill.
I'm sorry, but his style could be a lot of things, but fast-paced it was not, or I wouldn't still be wondering when the story is going to start on page 100. You want fast-paced, read Vachss. I mentioned him above.
You're probably right, though. Cryptonomicon is perfectly suited for the Slashdot crowd. Read *that* one between the lines at your own risk. (Caveat... caveat... crap... how does one say "sheep" and in latin?)
I do *not* want to start a flamewar here, so I'd appreciate it if you'd take this reply as the fill-in-the-blank that it is. You won't convince me it was any good, and I won't convince you it sucks, that's the beauty about opinion, and let us please leave it at that.
If you want to try some stuff that isn't SF, try Andrew Vachss for some really dark, hard crime stories with a message (more on the web site). I recommend his Burke series (too many books to list) or Graphic novels (if you can find them) to anyone. He's done a Batman or two, too, I think.
Harry Turtledove's Colonization series (I don't remember the names) -- taking place after his "WorldWar" series, are very good reading, but the series kinda "ends" leaving too much hanging, IMHO. Again, not completely new, but if you haven't read it, you might like to.
I'm probably the only one that will tell you this, but I tried reading Neal Stephenson/Stevenson/However you spell it, and threw it out less than 100 pages in. Not just put it away, THREW IT OUT. Neal is apparently the James Joyce of SF, That is to say, he uses too many freaking words and doesn't really ever gets to the damn point, nor does he tell all that great a story. It's an "emperors new clothes" kind of book. The sophists will tell you it's great, but only because they think they *have* to in order to stay in the "in" sophist crowd. Well, I'm that little boy telling his daddy that the king is walking around naked. Not a good book.
Not only do I think you could find a market, I think you're selling yourself short thinking of only student-run university/college newpapers, and of the scope of what your application could do.
First, consider this: While there's a lot of generic content-management solutions out there in PHP, Cold Fusion, etc..., (I know. I wrote one myself.) There are few, if any that are geared towards and encompass the workflow of news publishing -- assigning stories, investigation/reporting, submitting stories, editting, fact-checking, etc... (I'm sure I'm missing a lot, because I never worked for a school paper. I'm a conservative; they wouldn't let me.;) )
Second, consider this: A newspaper's online product is usually secondary to their print product. But a lot of smaller places, like a college or university, probably doesn't have an application to manage the print production. With the appropriate process change at the organization, and the proper sales spin, an app such as the one you wish to create could be used to manage the print creation process as well.
Third, consider this: There are a number of other potential buyers for this type of product: from High Schools or local School Districts, to small-to-medium hometown newspapers, local radio or TV stations (that are not owned by someone HUGE.) that offer their news online, Catholic Diocesan newspapers... virtually *any* organization that creates a printed newspaper and/or offers a news product on the web. I do wish you luck. All I ask is that when these Ideas of mine *do* make you a few bucks, you send a big fat check to me at:
Ed Zahurak 121 Barnhart Street Johnstown, PA 15905
I have a few very good friends who are or were dairy farmers and/or veal farmers. I've been on their farms, I've WORKED on their farms. Thank you for being insulting, but I *do* think I have a little better frame of reference than you assumed.
The point is, though -- and you seem to agree -- is that the only reason these critters are around today in the numbers that they are is that they meet human needs.
I'm not forgetting about the other uses -- there really wouldn't be any or many, at least not enough to maintain the species at it's current numbers. We can already make cheese from artificial sources. Even if we keep cows around for dairy products and leather (well, you don't really keep cows around for leather, do you?) The species numbers would decline to levels far below what they are today, due mostly to the fact that we eat so many of them. (Cow nummy.)
And cows don't make really good pets, and we tend to use horses for riding and moving stuff. At least jockeys and the Amish do.
again, the only reason we raise and breed these animals is that they meet human needs.
Well, if those need can be met via other means, the number of animals necessary to meet the remaining needs declines, and there won't be nearly as many of them around. If we meet enough needs with such so-called "Animal Friendly" methods, well, we end up not needing the animal, and we discard it -- so those means end up ultimately harming the animal more than helping it.
Cultured Meat would *not* be Animal-Friendly.
on
Lab-Grown Steak
·
· Score: 2
"animal friendly filet mignon," the post says. That could not be more off-the-mark.
Consider this:
If you produce "animal friendly" meat without using animals, you no longer have the need to kill the animal. While you could consider that "friendly" to the animal facing the shotgun slug between the eyes, to the species of animal as a whole, it's quite unfriendly.
If you can raise the meat instead of the animal, you don't have the expensive of raising the animal, feeding the animal, keeping the animal healthy, providing shelter for the animal, and so on. In short: You don't need the animal.
But, see, the animals are domesticated, and have been for thousands of years. They depend on us for everything. If we don't provide for them, they will die off.
Perhaps they could make the switch from domesticated to wild/feral again over the course of a generate, but, at least in most developed countries, there wouldn't be the room to have these big critters roaming free. Shortage of proper habitat would doom them.
Folks, I hate to break this to you, but if we didn't eat cows and chickens and pigs (oh my!) -- they'd all be extinct or on the verge of extinction right now. And that's pretty gosh-darned animal-unfriendly, don't ya think?
Please note: I'm not an environmentalist or animal rights advocate. Not at all. I'm just trying to paint the larger picture that most animal rights folks would not think about. For me, personally, if I could buy a Chia Steak at the local WalMart, and eat steak every night so long as I kept the thing watered, well, shit, sign me up!
Had these black boxes been in Ford's Explorers a few years back, we may have known 1) more quickly and 2) without speculating the way we did what exactly was causing these things to jump tread and roll.
And I suspect that that may be precisely why automakers don't want this...
If every vehicles's data is telling the manufacturer that there's a defect in the vehicle, and *anyone* can read this standardized data and interpret it as such, there goes the market share, stock price, and here come the trial lawyers.
Slashdot Mirror
There's nothing that I'm aware of that says that you can't SELL open source software.
*Another* bunch of spiders chewing up my bandwidth, ignoring my robots.txt files, and bringing my server(s) to their knees.
Joy of freaking joys.
Complex. Napoleon Complex. I think that's what you mean.
If you have Napoleon Fantasies, (someone has his penis in a jar somewhere, I hear.) please, SEEK HELP. The very thought scares the bejesus outta me.
Seriously. Port the data itself to MySQL, PostGres, MSSQL7 (If you're a bank, you can likely afford it. ;) ) or something like that.
If you have custom front-ends built in Access, you don't have to abandon them -- using ODBC, link the tables from the database server to the forms/reports/queries you're using now in the Access database. It may take a little bit of doing, but I think you'll find it'll work much better.
Shit, it reminds me of Spirograph.
What if you disconnect and reconnect with a totally different IP address? (especially likely if you're a mobile user...you could be connecting to a completely different network).
:-)
Then, you're fucked. *shrug*
Cool, so if I want to get to your information, all I have to do it pull up your history folder
Yeah, maybe. For URL-embedded tokens, anyhoo. Lets hope us smart developers put a session timeout in, huh?
1. Session based on incoming IP address.
2. Session based on URL- or POST-embedded token.
3. Session based on a session cookie *not* generated by the load balancer, but instead by the app(s) running behind it.
[Pound, a very simple, elegant open-source load balancer, can handle these top three.]
4. Session based on Authorization/Authentication information send with each browser request.
5. Session based on browser-stored certificate. (This is sorta cheating; very similar to item 4.)
Well, damn. I can only come up with 5.
I don't mean to say that they are. And I don't know that there's really a "formal" creative design process. "Formal" and "Creative" used together are almost a contradiction. : )
I only mean to say that if the goal is to make a game [for Linux]that can attract an audience, compete head-to-head with Windows or Console games, and maybe make a buck or two, you're probably going to want to put it together like the big boys do. You're going to want to start with the strongest concept available, not necessarily the bestest programmers.
You could very well be right, and I don't mean at all to suggest that programmers can't have good ideas for games. I'm rather prolific, myself. I program, I write, I do graphic design, music, you name it. I only mean to suggest that, as written, the plan of attack isn't all the clear and/or is going about things the wrong way.
Your sarcasm is noted.
Looking at how most games are made today -- or even back in Tetris' day -- Tetris was an exception, not the rule. In rare instances, the same person will have not only the conceptual insight, but the technical skill to bring it to reality by himself.
Yeah, the first Ultima or two were created by one guy. (A guy that if I ever meet, I wanna buy him a beer.) But after that, teams of people put those games together, under Garriot's conceptual lead, I'd imagine.
Given the quasi-theatrical nature of most games today, most times, the programmers are just one of many groups of people carrying out the Will of the Conceptualfolk.
Michael, it still sounds, though, that you're using "developers" as synonymous with "programmers", when, in fact, "developers" *are* the artists, musicians, conceptual design folks, project managers, programmers, and so on. That's flawed thinking. The developers are everyone involved.
:) ) that's all well and good, but don't assume that the 8 best programmers for the job are the perfect creative, conceptual lead for such a project.
Honestly, too, I think some of the other folks in this discussion have a much better idea: Let folks submit concepts for a while. The concepts can then be evaluated for originality, creativity, happyfuntime potential, feasibility, and -- and this is an important one that I've seen _noone_ mention yet -- marketability. (The almightly dollar does still rule things around here, and there's no sense putting any time and effort into something you can't sell.)
If you want to try to put 8 conceptual people in a room, rather than programmers, to come up with something, have at it. But I think you'd be have a better chance of success with a larger pool of ideas, initially.
Once you've got a strong concept, THEN start puttin g together the larger team, under the direction of both a project manager and the head of the conceptual team. The conceptual team should guide all development. (With, of course the occasional whip-cracking of the project management staff.) The programmers, musicians and artists -- while their feedback and suggestions will ultimately be valuable -- exist primarily to do what they're asked, when they're asked to do it, and to please have it done by such and such a date.
If you want to let them help to Name That Game Company (which, I think, makes a cool name for a game company, don't you?
Lest I offend programmers out there, I do not mean, with any of this, to say that a programmer can't have good ideas. They can. Just that you should start with the idea, rather than the code, and in all likelyhood, the ideafolk won't be the programmerfolk.)
I'll probably get trolled for this. Oh well. Troll me if ya gotta if you really wanna miss the point.
I'm sorry to be the one to say it, but as you've set up this process, you've doomed yourselves to failure.
Hiring the programmers first and the designers, artists, later, you're putting the cart before the horse.
You don't start making a moving by hiring actors. There's a script. A director. A lot of storyboarding. Conceptual Design. Location planning. Scene planning. Shot planning. You know, for the most part, how every piece fits together before there's any action in front of the camera.
A game doesn't start with programmers. A game starts with an idea. A concept. A concept that is then fleshed out by writers, artists, etc... Quite possibly one or two programmers/developers with a knowledge of whatever game engine will be used (and/or maybe helped choose the appropriate one in the first place.) are available to consult with the conceptual team and prototype some things along the way. But the code is more than likely the LAST thing to be written.
It's a shame. It sounds like an interesting project. It's one I'd certainly like to lend my artistic talents, writing, and imagination to. But it's going to fail unless things are done in the right order. You can't tell 8 programmers "make a game, we'll make it pretty and give it a plot and music and a look, etc... later." You've got to take the proper time to conceptualize your game _before_ you get programmers on-board.
When this technology can be shrunk down and put in a wrist watch, it will be the drunk man's best friend.
No more waking up next to Bo Diddly.
According to this rather old news article, they may offer some kind of API to address getting at the data stored inside. You might want to phone their supportenfolken.
...halfway through printing you'll run out of spleen.
Greg Bear's "Forge of God" and "Anvil of Stars" are two of the best SF books I've read recently. I don't know how I didn't pick these up earlier, as they've both been out for years.
Sorry, a brainfart on my part. Cryptonomicon was the one I fed to the landfill.
I'm sorry, but his style could be a lot of things, but fast-paced it was not, or I wouldn't still be wondering when the story is going to start on page 100. You want fast-paced, read Vachss. I mentioned him above.
You're probably right, though. Cryptonomicon is perfectly suited for the Slashdot crowd. Read *that* one between the lines at your own risk. (Caveat... caveat... crap... how does one say "sheep" and in latin?)
I do *not* want to start a flamewar here, so I'd appreciate it if you'd take this reply as the fill-in-the-blank that it is. You won't convince me it was any good, and I won't convince you it sucks, that's the beauty about opinion, and let us please leave it at that.
James P. Hogan, James P. Hogan, James P. Hogan. Great hardcore SF. Might not be new to you, but if you've been out of it for a while, you've missed a few books.
If you want to try some stuff that isn't SF, try Andrew Vachss for some really dark, hard crime stories with a message (more on the web site). I recommend his Burke series (too many books to list) or Graphic novels (if you can find them) to anyone. He's done a Batman or two, too, I think.
Harry Turtledove's Colonization series (I don't remember the names) -- taking place after his "WorldWar" series, are very good reading, but the series kinda "ends" leaving too much hanging, IMHO. Again, not completely new, but if you haven't read it, you might like to.
I'm probably the only one that will tell you this, but I tried reading Neal Stephenson/Stevenson/However you spell it, and threw it out less than 100 pages in. Not just put it away, THREW IT OUT. Neal is apparently the James Joyce of SF, That is to say, he uses too many freaking words and doesn't really ever gets to the damn point, nor does he tell all that great a story. It's an "emperors new clothes" kind of book. The sophists will tell you it's great, but only because they think they *have* to in order to stay in the "in" sophist crowd. Well, I'm that little boy telling his daddy that the king is walking around naked. Not a good book.
(God, I hate that cliche, but it fits here.)
;) )
You're not thinking about it *big* enough.
Not only do I think you could find a market, I think you're selling yourself short thinking of only student-run university/college newpapers, and of the scope of what your application could do.
First, consider this: While there's a lot of generic content-management solutions out there in PHP, Cold Fusion, etc..., (I know. I wrote one myself.) There are few, if any that are geared towards and encompass the workflow of news publishing -- assigning stories, investigation/reporting, submitting stories, editting, fact-checking, etc... (I'm sure I'm missing a lot, because I never worked for a school paper. I'm a conservative; they wouldn't let me.
Second, consider this: A newspaper's online product is usually secondary to their print product. But a lot of smaller places, like a college or university, probably doesn't have an application to manage the print production. With the appropriate process change at the organization, and the proper sales spin, an app such as the one you wish to create could be used to manage the print creation process as well.
Third, consider this: There are a number of other potential buyers for this type of product: from High Schools or local School Districts, to small-to-medium hometown newspapers, local radio or TV stations (that are not owned by someone HUGE.) that offer their news online, Catholic Diocesan newspapers... virtually *any* organization that creates a printed newspaper and/or offers a news product on the web.
I do wish you luck. All I ask is that when these Ideas of mine *do* make you a few bucks, you send a big fat check to me at:
Ed Zahurak
121 Barnhart Street
Johnstown, PA 15905
*grin*
I have a few very good friends who are or were dairy farmers and/or veal farmers. I've been on their farms, I've WORKED on their farms. Thank you for being insulting, but I *do* think I have a little better frame of reference than you assumed.
The point is, though -- and you seem to agree -- is that the only reason these critters are around today in the numbers that they are is that they meet human needs.
I'm not forgetting about the other uses -- there really wouldn't be any or many, at least not enough to maintain the species at it's current numbers. We can already make cheese from artificial sources. Even if we keep cows around for dairy products and leather (well, you don't really keep cows around for leather, do you?) The species numbers would decline to levels far below what they are today, due mostly to the fact that we eat so many of them. (Cow nummy.)
And cows don't make really good pets, and we tend to use horses for riding and moving stuff. At least jockeys and the Amish do.
again, the only reason we raise and breed these animals is that they meet human needs.
Well, if those need can be met via other means, the number of animals necessary to meet the remaining needs declines, and there won't be nearly as many of them around. If we meet enough needs with such so-called "Animal Friendly" methods, well, we end up not needing the animal, and we discard it -- so those means end up ultimately harming the animal more than helping it.
"animal friendly filet mignon," the post says. That could not be more off-the-mark.
Consider this:
If you produce "animal friendly" meat without using animals, you no longer have the need to kill the animal. While you could consider that "friendly" to the animal facing the shotgun slug between the eyes, to the species of animal as a whole, it's quite unfriendly.
If you can raise the meat instead of the animal, you don't have the expensive of raising the animal, feeding the animal, keeping the animal healthy, providing shelter for the animal, and so on. In short: You don't need the animal.
But, see, the animals are domesticated, and have been for thousands of years. They depend on us for everything. If we don't provide for them, they will die off.
Perhaps they could make the switch from domesticated to wild/feral again over the course of a generate, but, at least in most developed countries, there wouldn't be the room to have these big critters roaming free. Shortage of proper habitat would doom them.
Folks, I hate to break this to you, but if we didn't eat cows and chickens and pigs (oh my!) -- they'd all be extinct or on the verge of extinction right now. And that's pretty gosh-darned animal-unfriendly, don't ya think?
Please note: I'm not an environmentalist or animal rights advocate. Not at all. I'm just trying to paint the larger picture that most animal rights folks would not think about. For me, personally, if I could buy a Chia Steak at the local WalMart, and eat steak every night so long as I kept the thing watered, well, shit, sign me up!
Had these black boxes been in Ford's Explorers a few years back, we may have known 1) more quickly and 2) without speculating the way we did what exactly was causing these things to jump tread and roll.
And I suspect that that may be precisely why automakers don't want this...
If every vehicles's data is telling the manufacturer that there's a defect in the vehicle, and *anyone* can read this standardized data and interpret it as such, there goes the market share, stock price, and here come the trial lawyers.
Knowledge may be power, but it's also liability.
1. We've now come full circle back to the shell.
2. If windows was insecure WITHOUT a shell, imagine the nightmare it's going to be NOW.