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User: DVega

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Comments · 205

  1. Not entirely GPL? on Quicktime In Linux · · Score: 1
    "... the Crossover is not entirely GPL. See the above for more information."

    It is a propietary, comercial, closed and non-free application. It is as far from GPL as it can be!

  2. Fair price ? on Brazil Breaks Patent to Make AIDS Drug · · Score: 1
    "Country refuses to pay a fair price for drugs to save its own people"

    A Fair Price?? Brasil is capable of producing this drug at 40% of the cost. So, he is saving more people. We habe to remember people like Jonas Salk, whose only interest was the public wellfare.

    Edward R. Murrow: Who owns the patent on this vaccine?
    Jonas Salk: Well, the people, I would say. There is no patent. Could you patent the sun?

  3. Tux Racer NOT Windows-only on Tux Racer 1.0 To Be Closed Source, Windows Only · · Score: 1

    http://www.sunspirestudios.com/

    "Despite what some (very misleading) news articles have recently reported, the retail version of Tux Racer will be released for both Linux and Windows (and most likely the Macintosh); the binaries for all versions will be in the same box. Don't believe the hype!

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  4. This is Sad on Tux Racer 1.0 To Be Closed Source, Windows Only · · Score: 1

    Tux has lost his freedom, his name and also his color !! Now he is a flying green penguin ???

    This is really sad.

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  5. Re:Pi: Not Random - Omega: Random (sort of) on Are The Digits of Pi Random? · · Score: 1

    Neither do I have enough background to argue with you.

    Some years ago I attended a course at University of Buenos Aires, about Omega number and randomness. I've also had the idea that omega can be approximated but never computed.

    This year I went to a conference that Chaitin made in Argentina. It was a "simple" conference for general public, and I remember he mentioned the "Coin Toss" argument. I was rather surprised about that. I thought I had been wrong, so the digits of Omega were unpredictable.

    I'm not sure if any digits can be computed or not. But sure Omega is more random than Pi. :-)

    Greetings ...

    ps: I don't pretend to be cool or inteligent. I am not.

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  6. Re:Pi: Not Random - Omega: Random (sort of) on Are The Digits of Pi Random? · · Score: 1

    Omega is computable in a weak sense, but its binary digits or bits are algorithmically random and cannot be distinguished from the result of independent tosses of a fair coin


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  7. Pi: Not Random - Omega: Random (sort of) on Are The Digits of Pi Random? · · Score: 1

    Pi is not random, because there is an algorithm that computes its digits. It only "seems" like random.

    Omega is a number that is well defined and has a value, but we are unable to compute it.

    Omega is not random. It's a constant. But If someone (God?) gives us the value of Omega and the value of any random number, and we have to choose wich one is Omega, we have no logical way to decide.

    For more information see : The "Omega Number" & Foundations of Math

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  8. Do you mean "Free" ? on Britannica and Free Content · · Score: 1
    "It's all about freedom (in the sense of free speech), but there are implications for freedom (in the sense of free beer)"

    I think it's about time to create 2 new english words to represent Free (as in beer) and Free (as in speech). Many languajes have 2 words for these 2 meanings (e.g. French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Esperanto).

    Some suggestions

    • Freer, Freech
    • Bree, Spree
    • Gratis, Libre

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  9. The FSF has approved nothing on Vidomi GPL Violation Case Resolved · · Score: 2
    The FSF has approved the resulting arrangement as compliant with the GPL

    Please read the letter!

    I am providing my opinion in the present context to Slo-Media, which has retained me to give legal advice concerning the status of its intended product distribution.

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  10. Re:I hate to be the blasphemer, but... on Linux-Based OS For Palm Hardware · · Score: 3
    What can Linux do on a Palm device that PalmOS already does admirably well?

    Multitasking

    Also multihreading

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  11. Thus Spake Stallman on Why Open Source Software/Free Software? · · Score: 1

    So, I've talked about how free software affects most business. But how does it affect that particular narrow area which is software business? Well, the answer is mostly not at all. And the reason is that 90% of the software industry, from what I'm told, is development of custom software, software that's not meant to be released at all. For custom software, this issue, or the ethical issue of free or proprietary, doesn't arise. You see, the issue is, are you users free to change, and redistribute, the software? If there's only one user, and that user owns the rights, there's no problem. That user is free to do all these things. So, in effect, any custom program that was developed by one company for use in-house is free software, as long as they have the sense to insist on getting the source code and all the rights.

    And the issue doesn't really arise for software that goes in a watch or a microwave oven or an automobile ignition system. Because those are places where you don't download software to install. It's not a real computer, as far as the user is concerned. And so, it doesn't raise these issues enough for them to be ethically important. So, for the most part, the software industry will go along, just as it's been going. And the interesting thing is that since such a large fraction of the jobs are in that part of the industry, even if there were no possibilities for free software business, the developers of free software could all get day jobs writing custom software.


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  12. The Microsoft Antitrust Trial and Free Software on Microsoft to Change OEM Licensing · · Score: 2
    I believe the FSF proposed something along these lines, but I can't find a link.

    Richard Stallman -- The Microsoft Antitrust Trial and Free Software

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  13. Fair and Reasonable ? on Adobe Responds to KIllustrator · · Score: 1
    Now, Adobe has some courses of action. The one they are taking is by far the mildest and most polite. They need to protect their trademark. They need KIllustrator to get a new name. They can take this court, they can aim for monetary damages. They aren't.

    I agree that KIllustrator name was a trademark infringement and I congratulate Adobe for his decision. But, do you think that Adobe would have been so nice if OpenSource comunity was calm and silent about that ?

    I don't know the answer ...

    The last KIllustrator post on Slashdot had 863 replies. Quite a lot!

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  14. Privacy or Piracy ??? on Deciphering Windows Product Activation · · Score: 1
    Fully Licensed GmbH seems to have deciphered and analyzed the WPA code that Microsoft plans to use to protect from privacy in future products.

    Privacy ??? Shouldn't it be Piracy ???

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  15. Read the release notes on Mozilla 0.9.2 Storms Out The Gates · · Score: 1

    From the release notes

    There is a new turbo mode pref on Windows which allows you to "pre-load" Mozilla when you boot in order to reduce browser startup time. (Bug 84882)

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  16. I always write passwords in my palm on The Psychology of Passwords · · Score: 2

    I use a little PalmOs utility to store passwords. Its name is Strip. It stores all your passwords encripted with DES or Idea encription algorithms. It's GPLes and very useful.

    But don't use the password generator tool. It has a big security flaw.

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  17. Re:Aren't we being a little closed-minded here? on Debian's apt-get vs Mandrake's urpmi? · · Score: 1
    Sure, some things may require a reboot, but there is a lot of Linux software that also requires a reboot to function properly.

    Can you please tell me about any of them ?

    The only thing that comes to my mind is a new kernel.

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  18. Why this provision ? on Microsoft EULA stokes crusade · · Score: 1

    Why did they add this provision ?

    Wasn't obvious that a person is not allowed to change the software license ?

    Why the prohibition to use OpenSource tools ?

  19. Search in Slashdot on Searching for Pro-Napster Experts and Speakers? · · Score: 1

    I think the best place to search for pro-Napster (and anti-Napster) info is Slashdot.

    From Slashdot stories I could remember two articles :

  20. I don't agree on Red Hat Working w/UCITA Backers to Change Law · · Score: 1
    Company X can sabotage Company Y by fostering the development of an open source equivalent of Product B so as to cut off the revenue Company Y ...

    Is this bad ? We'd have an open source version of Product B!! Anyone can use it, even people with little or no money. Anyone can modify and extend it.

    Is this bad for Company Y ? Sure it is. But it is very good for society. Go to hell Company Y!!!

    Do you mean that Linux is a bad thing ? Do you mean that Wine is evil ? Do you mean that Mozilla should be outlawed ?

    I don't agree. Open source is the best thing it could happen to any software product. We all benefit from that.

    While Microsoft's free equivalent didn't happen to be open source ...

    You are right. EMM386.EXE was not open source. So this example is meaningless.

  21. Missing poll option on Sony Violating GPL? · · Score: 1

    Where is the "All above" option ?

    What if one manager made the decision to evilly include a GPL'ed program in the product, and when the company found out, they fired the manager and changed the product to be GPL compliant? Then will the Slashdot community remove or apologize for all the flaming that will follow this?

    No, you are still responsible as a company of your managers decisions.

  22. The Disadvantages on NTFS vs. FAT32 · · Score: 5

    There were some posts talking about the advantages. Now the disadvantages. (At least the ones I know)

    You can not access NTFS disks from DOS or Win9x. If you have any programs that don't run on WinNT (eg. some DOS games) you will be unable to run those programs, unless you also have a FAT/32 (FAT or FAT32) partition.

    If you create a FAT/32 partition in orther to dual boot, you will be unable to access the files on the NTFS partition when you boot from the FAT/32 partition.

    From Linux the read/write access to files on NTFS partitions is not as reliable as FAT/32. The NTFS driver is still in "experimental" stage (At least in kernel 2.2.x, I didn't check 2.4.x). If you don't use Linux, this is not a problem.

    I don't know if there are any undelete utilities for NTFS.

    Nevertheless, I think NTFS is a good choice if you use WinNT (or any variant).

  23. Why is a computer program expressive speech? on Report From The 2600 Appeal Hearing · · Score: 2

    Donald E. Knuth professor emeritus of computer science at Stanford University and author of the series of books The Art of Computer Programming , once said in an interview with Dr. Dobb's Journal: magazine:

    The first thing I would say is that when you write a program, think of it primarily as a work of literature. You're trying to write something that human beings are going to read. Don't think of it primarily as something a computer is going to follow. The more effective you are at making your program readable, the more effective it's going to be: You'll understand it today, you'll understand it next week, and your successors who are going to maintain and modify it will understand it.

  24. Re:Embedded Input Forms in Email on New Mail RFCs Released · · Score: 1

    Some email clients don't support HTML mail. Others support HTML but don't support HTML Forms in email (But you can always include the URL of a Web Form in plain text email).

    You need a Web server available. Not every people who may find this feature useful have access to a Web Server, the knowlegde or resources to create a web application.

    Some people have access to email but restricted Internet Access. They can not fill online forms.

    Some people connects with dial-up lines and prefer to read and reply the email while offline.

    Even if the replies are processed manually, this standar would be useful because the person who sends the email has an idea of what information is needed, an the person who recieves the emails have them completed the same way.

    Perhaps the standard could allow to define also the format of the mail body that it is send as reply to be human readable or computer readable.

    Something like a mail body template:

    You have recieved a Service Request

    Customer Name: &CUSTOMER_NAME
    Customer Address: &CUSTOMER_ADDRESS
    Telephone: &CUSTOMER_TELEHONE

    ----------
  25. Embedded Input Forms in Email on New Mail RFCs Released · · Score: 1

    I think there should be a standard that defines a syntax to include some input fields in the body of emails.

    For example, a System Administrator may send an email to all users asking them for some information. When users hit the replay button an input form appears in the body of the mail were they can enter the requested information. Later, when the System Administrator got the replies he/she can process them manually or automatically because the information is submited in a predefined format.

    This standard could also be used for shopping, customer support, workflow notifications, invitations to meetings and a lot of other things. The replies can be "read" by computer program who takes de proper action (ie, place a product order, record a customer support request, etc.).

    The syntax could be similar to HTML Forms. Perhaps it could also include some JavaScript code for basic validations. Many applications can be made using this proposed feature.

    Nobody thought about that before? Is there any proposed standard already written ?