Who says they must live there? I lived in the Aleutians when I was younger, and you'd have to pay me a chunk to go back there, but on the mainland, it wouldn't be nearly so bad. Plus, most employees would work shirts, two weeks on, two off, most likely, and fly back and forth. I wouldn't have to be paid much above market rates to do that for a few years; your next vacation is only two weeks away, at most! Then, if you get the company to pay for flights?
Using a river in a city to cool a server farm won't be nearly as effective as an ocean in Alaska...not to mention the cost of river-front real estate, in a city, for a one-million square foot building. Then you have to pay the power company for your energy, assuming they can even provide it (ie. California's electricity crisis recently).
You make it sound like "only one (!!!)" fiber optic cable means one single strand of glass...if anything, they laid down several bundles of optic cable, each bundle is many more than one single strand, though I don't have an exact number (I want to say several hundred, but could easily be more as each strand of glass itself (not considering the sheathing) can be thinner than a human hair...) I seriously doubt a server farm, or even several server farms, could eat up that much bandwidth, at least at this point in time. But if it can eat it up, I think the cost would end up diffused enough across the board that it's not gonna break the company's back if they were required to aid in paying for a new line run up to Alaska...
The heat given off from a nuclear power plant's reactor core will not compare to the thermal pollution from a server farm; you are correct though, environmentalists will still throw a fit.
Uh, lets think about this two seconds? "...house at least half a million computer servers." I think these servers would provide sufficient heat. Keep in mind, the article is not thinking the building will just have open windows to the outside...it's not going to be a refrigerator with computers in it. There are HVAC (Heating/Ventilation/Air Conditioning) systems that use air from outside, filter it, and run it through the furnace (if need be...but I think they would just recycle a certain amount of air from inside, and bring in the rest of the air from outside to keep a constant temp.)
I don't see Microsoft's business practice as something wrong, at the basic level (I'm just talking about bundling IE, media players, whatever) with the OS. I'm not getting into the actual business practices of Microsoft here, either. But this is common, as far as I can tell...Wal-Mart opens a store in a relatively rural area, and can put small local stores out of business in a year: clothing stores, hardware stores, grocery stores now, with some Wal-Marts...because they offer so many cheap but sufficient services.
You can walk into your local grocery store and get a cup of coffee while you shop, but it's nasty coffee at their little counter. Or some mediocre meat in the deli-section, yada yada. But if you want good coffee, or some prime cuts of meat, you go to a coffee shop or a butcher. The coffee shop/butcher offer a better product because they specialize in it, like Norton focuses on security and control of your OS. I'll be damned if I'll rely on the built-in firewall of Windows XP...Linux is the butcher for OSes right now, or Macs I guess, but for most of us, it's Linux, but like the premium cut of meat, Linux comes at a cost in the form of a severe learning curve. Geeks are content to spend three days getting a computer working properly and just playing around, but someone who wants to type a paper and check their e-mail will have no patience for this kind of work to use their computer. This is, in my opinion, the biggest drawback to linux right now (but it's getting better all the time, with easier installations, more intuitive interfaces, etc.)
Granted, Wal-Mart doesn't hold a 90% market share, and as is mentioned elsewhere, MS does not make it easy to remove these programs and features. I updated messenger on accident in windows update, and I had to go through three times and remove the registry entries that start messenger.
I dunno...I've never seen MS as the evil others have, but their getting pretty rediculous...getting time to go to linux exclusively for me.
According to that article, MSN messenger will now be installed and started whenever XP is started. Who knows if MS will remove tools like the system configuration utility or regedit to prevent us from unloading the program...
Agreed. However, we're talking about the "baby ducks" as yerricde mentioned, which means the people who've never used another OS or a diverse selection of software.
I'll agree the Gnome/KDE are nearing windows "quality," (for lack of a better word) but try teaching a 45 year-old english teacher Linux if all he's ever used is an old mac. (I think this has been iterated already...) I think for linux to be welcomed into a setting like a public school though, the GUI must become mac-like for the teachers. Of course, the students will still have the command line to traipse around in and play.
You may be correct, but educational software is developed more often by educators (i.e. CompSci folk) and would [hopefully] imply a better design and follow-through. We all know this is not always the case though . . .
Really though, if Linux is to have a stronger future we have to indoctrinate more kids at younger ages, get them before they become ingrained with Windows. Then when they get a bit better at it, they can look around, decide the software is crap, and fix it! (Now who's getting ideal?) But honestly, what will it take for us to drastically improve the process for developing open-source software? There must be a demand created for it somewhere, and it's never going to even reach the chicken-egg situation, because no one wants to switch to an inferior (well, bad word, I'll say less refined for the end-user) system in the hopes that it will improve in the future, but that's what must happen for progress.
Lets not forget this is for public schools we're talking about here (at least in the immediate future). That means that these schools are upgrading (assuming they had something before hand) from MS Win 3.1 (most likely). Type-writers would be more processing power than what they had before, I don't think they'll be bitching too much about booting off the network (we'll see in a year though...)
ben_degonzague wrote:This is a great idea. But it will probably take a bunch of talented people to volunteer their time to the local school to implement it.
So what're you doing next Monday afternoon?
Seriously, how many high schools have a dozen or two extremely linux-profficient students sitting in their basements all afternoon and night? I know I was in HS (though I'm still not a pro in Linux). How tough would it be to give these guys something to do other than hack the high school networks? Give `em a job and some great experience setting up networks in elementary, middle and high schools. Now tutoring the teachers and IS admins in the schools is another story . ..
I'm sorry, but this has what to do with technology/computer/nerd news? Don't get me wrong, the movie looks good an all, and I'll probably go see it, but what the hell is this discussion on/. for?
"generally Saturday mornings at 19:30 am on boston's channel 2"
Uhm, 19:30 am? if you're using the 24 hour clock, you omit specifying AM/PM. If you're going on a 12 hour clock, then you're kinda messed up as your TV Guide lists the show at 19:30.
Wrong. Physics is completely derived from mathematics. Do one single physics calculation whitout math? You can't. You're confusing a motive and a source. Math is not derived from physics, but physics was a driving force in the development of mathematical theory. 1+1=2 has nothing to do with physics as a science.
I agree to a certain extent. I'm in the CS program at the University of Minnesota, and the first course we took was using Scheme and Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs and it went fairly well in the end. That book as an intro is a bit over some people's heads, and the book is very obviously written by a geek (in that it's not the easiest to follow or understand, and doesn't define all the terms it uses.)
The second intro course is taught using Java, which I felt was a very good course. It gave a good intro to OO, and if taught right, you can link Scheme to Java in introducing the basic concept and process of object orientation (as was done for me.) It's important to learn OO, but I agree with you that Java is a very difficult introductory language to teach with because of the amount of syntax to learn, in addition to the basic data structures. Scheme Worked very well in this respect.
The new two-way DirecPC system offers the same high-speed delivery of Internet content and file downloads to consumers and businesses, long the hallmarks of the DirecPC service, as well as a new satellite-based uplink from the user to the Internet.
This satellite uplink bypasses the need for a dial-up connection, providing affordable "always on" high-speed transmissions from the user out to the Internet. The new system offers return channel speeds up to 128 Kbps, optionally 256 Kpbs, and delivers data at the same speeds as the current product, at rates of up to 400 Kbps. Pricing will be competitive to other available broadband services.
The service isn't quite availablet yet. (Source Article)
Why not just unplug the internet? That'll solve the DoS problems. Maybe DOS as well...
Really though, DoS (or DDoS) attacks don't do anything except spank the owners of the site for not protecting themselves as best as possible, no? It's expensive for them, yes, and nothing's perfect, but as far as I know, it doesn't cause other vulnerabilities; so it seems to be a matter of convenience for most sites.
Perhaps I'm just insanely naive?
...He was old
With years and wisdom, fifty winters
A king, when a dragon awoke from its darkness...(92)
Stardates from Star Trek!! If we're gonna change our calendar and time system, we may as well wait and do it all at once when we have real motivation to, other than some nutcase who wanted to see his name in papers next to the words "nut-case."
Hot damn! Where do I tune in?
on
Nobel Prizes
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· Score: 1
So does this mean we get to see 3 commercials per human interest story, and 2 human interest stories per event (award)? If so, I'm there! The two weeks of the Olympics wasn't enough.
I agree. I tend to think of olympic as a large "thing" (for lack of a better word due to no sleep) or competition. And I think that IOC is full of money-grubbing morons, and it saddens me that people are so worried about anyone coming remotely close to threating an organization as large as IOC is, and I don't know that using the reputation of the IOC would be the best boost for business. I can see protecting your rights if someone is slandering you, using your name for impure purposes that could directly taint your reputation, etc. But forcing an ISP called olympic.net is rediculous. I know I'd be pissed as all hell if I had a business that I'd worked my ass off for 3 years to build up, and they forced me to change my name, I would be severely upset, and I think a law-suit would almost be warranted. But then if they ruled that ou had to change your company name, you might not win:/ Last point, what about the special olympics? As far as I'm aware, the two organizations are totally unrelated other than the name. Is the IOC gonna go after them too??? Rediculous.
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Using a river in a city to cool a server farm won't be nearly as effective as an ocean in Alaska...not to mention the cost of river-front real estate, in a city, for a one-million square foot building. Then you have to pay the power company for your energy, assuming they can even provide it (ie. California's electricity crisis recently).
You make it sound like "only one (!!!)" fiber optic cable means one single strand of glass...if anything, they laid down several bundles of optic cable, each bundle is many more than one single strand, though I don't have an exact number (I want to say several hundred, but could easily be more as each strand of glass itself (not considering the sheathing) can be thinner than a human hair...) I seriously doubt a server farm, or even several server farms, could eat up that much bandwidth, at least at this point in time. But if it can eat it up, I think the cost would end up diffused enough across the board that it's not gonna break the company's back if they were required to aid in paying for a new line run up to Alaska...
The heat given off from a nuclear power plant's reactor core will not compare to the thermal pollution from a server farm; you are correct though, environmentalists will still throw a fit.
Uh, lets think about this two seconds? "...house at least half a million computer servers." I think these servers would provide sufficient heat. Keep in mind, the article is not thinking the building will just have open windows to the outside...it's not going to be a refrigerator with computers in it. There are HVAC (Heating/Ventilation/Air Conditioning) systems that use air from outside, filter it, and run it through the furnace (if need be...but I think they would just recycle a certain amount of air from inside, and bring in the rest of the air from outside to keep a constant temp.)
You can walk into your local grocery store and get a cup of coffee while you shop, but it's nasty coffee at their little counter. Or some mediocre meat in the deli-section, yada yada. But if you want good coffee, or some prime cuts of meat, you go to a coffee shop or a butcher. The coffee shop/butcher offer a better product because they specialize in it, like Norton focuses on security and control of your OS. I'll be damned if I'll rely on the built-in firewall of Windows XP...Linux is the butcher for OSes right now, or Macs I guess, but for most of us, it's Linux, but like the premium cut of meat, Linux comes at a cost in the form of a severe learning curve. Geeks are content to spend three days getting a computer working properly and just playing around, but someone who wants to type a paper and check their e-mail will have no patience for this kind of work to use their computer. This is, in my opinion, the biggest drawback to linux right now (but it's getting better all the time, with easier installations, more intuitive interfaces, etc.)
Granted, Wal-Mart doesn't hold a 90% market share, and as is mentioned elsewhere, MS does not make it easy to remove these programs and features. I updated messenger on accident in windows update, and I had to go through three times and remove the registry entries that start messenger.
I dunno...I've never seen MS as the evil others have, but their getting pretty rediculous...getting time to go to linux exclusively for me.
According to that article, MSN messenger will now be installed and started whenever XP is started. Who knows if MS will remove tools like the system configuration utility or regedit to prevent us from unloading the program...
step two: right-click and voila!
Agreed. However, we're talking about the "baby ducks" as yerricde mentioned, which means the people who've never used another OS or a diverse selection of software.
I'll agree the Gnome/KDE are nearing windows "quality," (for lack of a better word) but try teaching a 45 year-old english teacher Linux if all he's ever used is an old mac. (I think this has been iterated already...) I think for linux to be welcomed into a setting like a public school though, the GUI must become mac-like for the teachers. Of course, the students will still have the command line to traipse around in and play.
Really though, if Linux is to have a stronger future we have to indoctrinate more kids at younger ages, get them before they become ingrained with Windows. Then when they get a bit better at it, they can look around, decide the software is crap, and fix it! (Now who's getting ideal?) But honestly, what will it take for us to drastically improve the process for developing open-source software? There must be a demand created for it somewhere, and it's never going to even reach the chicken-egg situation, because no one wants to switch to an inferior (well, bad word, I'll say less refined for the end-user) system in the hopes that it will improve in the future, but that's what must happen for progress.
Lets not forget this is for public schools we're talking about here (at least in the immediate future). That means that these schools are upgrading (assuming they had something before hand) from MS Win 3.1 (most likely). Type-writers would be more processing power than what they had before, I don't think they'll be bitching too much about booting off the network (we'll see in a year though...)
So what're you doing next Monday afternoon? .
Seriously, how many high schools have a dozen or two extremely linux-profficient students sitting in their basements all afternoon and night? I know I was in HS (though I'm still not a pro in Linux). How tough would it be to give these guys something to do other than hack the high school networks? Give `em a job and some great experience setting up networks in elementary, middle and high schools. Now tutoring the teachers and IS admins in the schools is another story . .
I'm sorry, but this has what to do with technology/computer/nerd news? Don't get me wrong, the movie looks good an all, and I'll probably go see it, but what the hell is this discussion on /. for?
Uhm, 19:30 am? if you're using the 24 hour clock, you omit specifying AM/PM. If you're going on a 12 hour clock, then you're kinda messed up as your TV Guide lists the show at 19:30.
Wrong. Physics is completely derived from mathematics. Do one single physics calculation whitout math? You can't. You're confusing a motive and a source. Math is not derived from physics, but physics was a driving force in the development of mathematical theory. 1+1=2 has nothing to do with physics as a science.
The second intro course is taught using Java, which I felt was a very good course. It gave a good intro to OO, and if taught right, you can link Scheme to Java in introducing the basic concept and process of object orientation (as was done for me.) It's important to learn OO, but I agree with you that Java is a very difficult introductory language to teach with because of the amount of syntax to learn, in addition to the basic data structures. Scheme Worked very well in this respect.
Really though, DoS (or DDoS) attacks don't do anything except spank the owners of the site for not protecting themselves as best as possible, no? It's expensive for them, yes, and nothing's perfect, but as far as I know, it doesn't cause other vulnerabilities; so it seems to be a matter of convenience for most sites.
Perhaps I'm just insanely naive?
With years and wisdom, fifty winters
A king, when a dragon awoke from its darkness...(92)
Stardates from Star Trek!! If we're gonna change our calendar and time system, we may as well wait and do it all at once when we have real motivation to, other than some nutcase who wanted to see his name in papers next to the words "nut-case."
So does this mean we get to see 3 commercials per human interest story, and 2 human interest stories per event (award)? If so, I'm there! The two weeks of the Olympics wasn't enough.
I agree. I tend to think of olympic as a large "thing" (for lack of a better word due to no sleep) or competition. And I think that IOC is full of money-grubbing morons, and it saddens me that people are so worried about anyone coming remotely close to threating an organization as large as IOC is, and I don't know that using the reputation of the IOC would be the best boost for business. I can see protecting your rights if someone is slandering you, using your name for impure purposes that could directly taint your reputation, etc. But forcing an ISP called olympic.net is rediculous. I know I'd be pissed as all hell if I had a business that I'd worked my ass off for 3 years to build up, and they forced me to change my name, I would be severely upset, and I think a law-suit would almost be warranted. But then if they ruled that ou had to change your company name, you might not win :/ Last point, what about the special olympics? As far as I'm aware, the two organizations are totally unrelated other than the name. Is the IOC gonna go after them too??? Rediculous.