I have nothing to add to this thread except to note that Kent Hovind was my science teacher for about four months in middle school. He taught standard middle school science -- "Memorize the bones of the human skeleton" that kind of stuff. The course didn't get into any of his "special" areas. My original science teacher was called back to the National Zoo to tend to the giant octopus shortly after the second semester began, and Hovind was brought in as a long-term sub.
In person he can be very charismatic, as you might imagine. But he, like a lot of folks here in Pensacola, has some pretty interesting ideas about the legal system and the running of the government. As everyone knows, Christian Conspiracy Theory can go down the rabbit hole a long way (we have people who believe that CIty/County Charter Government is a tool of the United Nations). So, it wouldn't surprise me if he and his family's opinions about copyright law were also interesting.
That said, remember that a work is copyrighted at creation these days (for the last decade or so) and just because you casually claim that your work isn't copyrighted doesn't necessarily make it so without some legalese.
I'm sure a lot of people will go into detail, but I think Katz is wrong because:
* He focuses on marketshare, not profitability. Apple has been profitable for the past several years (with the exception of this one) and even when they were bleeding red ink they never has less than $2 billion in the bank. As long as Apple remains profitable, they remain successful. And they're on track to be profitable in 2002.
* Yes, mediocrity (good-enough) generally wins out in the marketplace, but there is always room for a deluxe, well-made product. Apple's analogy about BMW is relevant here. Furthermore, there are a lot of companies (Compaq, Gateway) that have followed roughly the same path as Microsoft and AOL and are fighting for survival. Business likes boring, but business is not the be-all and end-all of the market, and boring will not guarantee you life.
* Most importanly, Apple's emphasis is not on what is coolest, but on what is easiest for the consumer. That's the point of the Digital hub strategy. That's the point of the original iMac with no floppy drive and only USB connectors. That's the point of iPhoto, iTunes, i* etc.
* And, a little off-topic (but a general misconception)... I think a lot of the reason that people don't buy Macs is not because they're harder to use (they aren't) or more expensive (a little) or alien (any more than the computer they use at work is). It's because they can't pirate Apple software from their friends. They can't just drop by Bob from accounting and get the latest version of MS-Office to take home and install (Of course, that's becoming harder too with Microsoft's current registration schemes).
I don't dislike Katz, but I do think he often has some very basic perception problems. Either that or he's just taking a positon to spark discussion.
Leiji Matsumoto's masterpiece, and a classic of old-school anime. The animation is not considered cutting edge now (it was made in 1978), but the storyline has IMHO never been equalled and the character of Maetel is one of the most brilliant creations ever.
Just my two cents. Many probably disagree strongly.
I would just like to know where VMS fits into all this. It's much more stable than any of the *nixes. At Amherst, we've got one system that's been running for 3 years without a reboot, and I'm sure that someone somewhere has one that's gone much longer.
Alas, no one seems to remember VMS these days (other than a Userfriendly strip last month). A great OS in its time, and still much more stable than any *nix.
On the other hand, it is possible for a geek to be both massively productive and in a wonderful relationship. At least, that's the impression I get from the diaries of Mr. and Mrs. Cox. http://www.linux.org.uk/diary/ (for the one/. reader who doesn't have this URL bookmarked...). Telsa needles him quite a bit for his sleep and work habits, but on the whole they seem to lead a nicely balanced life whilst being in the center of the Linux Revolution. Of course, all I know is what I read on the Internet...
I'm still in college, so I haven't yet been exposed to the full brunt of the Big Bad World. But from my experience thus far and what others have told me, to be both a hard-workin' geek and in a committed, healthy relationship simultaneously simply requires that one get one's priorities in order and learn to manage one's work. Only do what is most important at work--don't live completely by the seat of your pants. And recognize that there is another person in your life who is (should be) more important to you than you and your work.
It is possible to contribute significantly at work without living solely for work. I suspect that the 65 hour work week ethic is often more the result of low self-confidence and an "autopilot" approach to time management than any actual pressures of the situation.
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I have nothing to add to this thread except to note that Kent Hovind was my science teacher for about four months in middle school. He taught standard middle school science -- "Memorize the bones of the human skeleton" that kind of stuff. The course didn't get into any of his "special" areas. My original science teacher was called back to the National Zoo to tend to the giant octopus shortly after the second semester began, and Hovind was brought in as a long-term sub.
In person he can be very charismatic, as you might imagine. But he, like a lot of folks here in Pensacola, has some pretty interesting ideas about the legal system and the running of the government. As everyone knows, Christian Conspiracy Theory can go down the rabbit hole a long way (we have people who believe that CIty/County Charter Government is a tool of the United Nations). So, it wouldn't surprise me if he and his family's opinions about copyright law were also interesting.
That said, remember that a work is copyrighted at creation these days (for the last decade or so) and just because you casually claim that your work isn't copyrighted doesn't necessarily make it so without some legalese.
I'm sure a lot of people will go into detail, but I think Katz is wrong because:
... I think a lot of the reason that people don't buy Macs is not because they're harder to use (they aren't) or more expensive (a little) or alien (any more than the computer they use at work is). It's because they can't pirate Apple software from their friends. They can't just drop by Bob from accounting and get the latest version of MS-Office to take home and install (Of course, that's becoming harder too with Microsoft's current registration schemes).
* He focuses on marketshare, not profitability. Apple has been profitable for the past several years (with the exception of this one) and even when they were bleeding red ink they never has less than $2 billion in the bank. As long as Apple remains profitable, they remain successful. And they're on track to be profitable in 2002.
* Yes, mediocrity (good-enough) generally wins out in the marketplace, but there is always room for a deluxe, well-made product. Apple's analogy about BMW is relevant here. Furthermore, there are a lot of companies (Compaq, Gateway) that have followed roughly the same path as Microsoft and AOL and are fighting for survival. Business likes boring, but business is not the be-all and end-all of the market, and boring will not guarantee you life.
* Most importanly, Apple's emphasis is not on what is coolest, but on what is easiest for the consumer. That's the point of the Digital hub strategy. That's the point of the original iMac with no floppy drive and only USB connectors. That's the point of iPhoto, iTunes, i* etc.
* And, a little off-topic (but a general misconception)
I don't dislike Katz, but I do think he often has some very basic perception problems. Either that or he's just taking a positon to spark discussion.
--Jieves
Leiji Matsumoto's masterpiece, and a classic of old-school anime. The animation is not considered cutting edge now (it was made in 1978), but the storyline has IMHO never been equalled and the character of Maetel is one of the most brilliant creations ever.
Just my two cents. Many probably disagree strongly.
I would just like to know where VMS fits into all this. It's much more stable than any of the *nixes. At Amherst, we've got one system that's been running for 3 years without a reboot, and I'm sure that someone somewhere has one that's gone much longer.
Alas, no one seems to remember VMS these days (other than a Userfriendly strip last month). A great OS in its time, and still much more stable than any *nix.
On the other hand, it is possible for a geek to be both massively productive and in a wonderful relationship. At least, that's the impression I get from the diaries of Mr. and Mrs. Cox.
http://www.linux.org.uk/diary/
(for the one
I'm still in college, so I haven't yet been exposed to the full brunt of the Big Bad World. But from my experience thus far and what others have told me, to be both a hard-workin' geek and in a committed, healthy relationship simultaneously simply requires that one get one's priorities in order and learn to manage one's work. Only do what is most important at work--don't live completely by the seat of your pants. And recognize that there is another person in your life who is (should be) more important to you than you and your work.
It is possible to contribute significantly at work without living solely for work. I suspect that the 65 hour work week ethic is often more the result of low self-confidence and an "autopilot" approach to time management than any actual pressures of the situation.
PYT WOTL
Johnnie