A few days ago, someone was trying to map Tolkien characters to Software personalities, starting with Bill Gates == Sauron.
Someone suggested Steve Jobs == Gandalf. Close, but not close enough. Might I suggest a different wizard, one who started out with the best intentions, but was then snared by evil into remaking his world into a child's imitation of Sauron's, yes, Steve Jobs == Saruman.
Then it starts to fall into place:
Mordor == Redmond
Orthanc == San Jose (or wherever Apple is located, Cupertino maybe?).
Denethor == some OS/2 executive, ensared by Bill Gates evil plan, as Denethor was ensnared by the Palantir.
That leaves Gandalf, might I suggest UNIX == Gandalf, for UNIX was almost dead, until Linux came along and created a resurgence.
Which leads to NT == Balrog, something almost good enough to kill UNIX.
And RMS == Galadriel, as they both helped rejuvanate their peers, and both wear green tights.
Of course, Linux == Aragorn
ERS == Boromir
Allan Cox == Gimli
Steve Ballmer == Mouth of Sauron
I see far too many obvious trolls being given accounts.
Just today I saw a new poster, Patrick McCrotch. Now, seriously, Pat McCrotch, do you think that's real?
For the sake of Slashdot, please stop the spread of trolls, and don't give them accounts. Please work with the FBI to track down the trolls that are ruining Slashdot, and have them be quietly captured in the dark of the night and locked in a warm cell with Christina Ricci styled nymphomaniacal fembots until they die of dehydration!
Why not encourage students to rat out their parents for suspicious activities as well? This would certainly create a much safer home environment for government-educated students. You could create a special law enforcement unit just for this purpose. Just for kicks, we could call them the "Thought Police".
DARE, Drug Abuse Resistance Education, is notorious for brain washing school children into turning in their parents.
As far as I can recall, free lending libraries were invented in Philadelphia, by Ben Franklin.
Prior to Ben starting one, libraries were typically privately owned, or member supported. Back in the 18th century and earlier, the idea of a citizenry who could educate themselves with open libraries scared the shit out of the governments, books and literacy were fine for the nobles, but they would give funny ideas to the hoi polloi.
Sadly, this idea that common people can't think for themselves is still too common, we've all heard too much about governments that won't allow their citizens to browse certain auction sites because they may contain disturbing historical artifacts.
Women are less aggressive and territorial?! Have you seen the way most women bicker and become catty either at each other or behind each others backs? I'm not saying all women are like that, but please, to say women are less worse than men about issues of territory or aggression, you arent taking everything into account. Women are the same way, but of course differently.
While that is an astute observation, you're probably not aware of the fact that such behavior is common among oppressed people. Think about it, if you were a person who was reminded hourly of your alleged shortcomings and failures and inferiorities, wouldn't you get a little touchy.
Do a little sociological research into more matriarchal societies, the woman are the peacemakers and argument settlers, the men are somewhat surplus. I suggest starting with the matriarchal Native American tribes, the Iroqios perhaps.
and it only takes a back of the envelope calculations to figure that out.
Women are smaller, and require less food, water and oxygen.
The average woman astronaut, at 100 pounds, is 2/3 the weight of the average male astronaut at 150 pounds. With present day launch costs of 10,000 USD per pound, replacing a 6 person male shuttle crew with 6 females results in a cost savings of $3,000,000 dollars, or 300 extra pounds of equipment and payload. Factor in the reduced fod, water and oxygen requirements, and you might be able to loft 500 extra pounds into orbit.
Women are hardier.
Woman live longer than men, and are healthier in general. When you are talking about expeditions lasting 3+ years (ala Mars), you want the healthiest people you can going.
Women are less aggressive and territorial than men.
When you are talking about being locked in the space the size of 2 cubibles with 5 other people for 3+ years, you want low aggression, non-territorial people there, to avoid infighting and chaos. While Europe is making admirable strides towards breeding a complacent, passive population, for now, the best. most compatible crew would be woman.
However, due to the stranglehold that the caucasian patricarchy has on the space program, don't expect this to be acknowledged, or to even see more than a token amount of women in space. Pity the Israelis don't have a space program, they don't have the resources for false pride and propping up insecure males, the would go for the gusto and have woman like Golda Meir in orbit.
Man am I getting sick of Lanier. He took once somewhat novel idea, vurtual reality, that had been written about extensively in science fiction for years, and proceeded to turn it into a bully pulpit for his ludicrous ramblings.
Oh no, the command line is making a resurgence. I was too lame to understand UNIX 20 years ago, I guess everyone else is, too.
Oh no, there might be limits on digital music. In 4 years, every analog piece of sound equipment, and every non-compliant digital piece of sound equipment, will disappear.
Now, Jarod, I'm not a humongous music fan, but let me count my music equipment.
3 car cassette decks.
1 car C deck.
4 high end tape decks (Nakamichi, BIC).
1 lower end tape deck (TEAC)
2 walkmans type tape players
1 portable CD player
1 regular CD player
1 turntable
1 CD burner
4 computer CD players
Now, all this eqipment is going to become obsolete in the next 4 years?
While a PC is a good start in getting Brazil's masses on the internet, it's only a start in making them internet literate.
The Brazilian government needs to start a massive program of internet cultural literacy for it's citizens before they step onto the info super-highway, in order that they understand the existing culture, and don't destory the existing culture. This program will consist of:
forced exposure to classic Star Wars and most Star Trek franchises.
Console gaming history, from Atari to PS/2.
Many Lego.
Repeated RPG sessions, starting with AD&D.
Reading and understanding key internet texts, like Lord of the Rings, Stranger in a Strange Land, Neuromancer and Snow Crash.
Then, and only then, will Brazilians be able to understand the internet.
Only then
Or are you comparing apps included for free with Windows, versus apps included with Linux, in which case you can make one hundred more/. stories. ie:
Linux has IRC, Windows doesn't.
Linux has a Photoshop 3.0 clone, Windows doesn't.
Linux has a lame space strategy game, Windows doesn't.
Linux has vi, Windows doesn't.
I'm the AC that wrote the prior post, and I'm wondering if you ever wrote anything? If you did, you would have known that you had to pick a title, titles don't come flying out of the sky.
Why did OSC pick Shadow of the Hegemon? Why is he associating shadow with an evil, dangerous force?
Why not Spectre of the Hegemon or some other title without loaded racial connotations?
For instance, in an erotica writing club I belong too, a woman's story was removed becuase it talked about her sexual experiences as a teen.
I realize it's mostly a moot point with the Slashdot crowd (hell, I was a 20 year old virgin), but if you had a sexual experience at 13, would you want the right to talk about it?
"It's the 21st centurion, and we must end ftps. Native Americans should be able to live in ranch houses and department buildings, not these ftps and wigwams."
So all the junk mail I get doesn't bother, because it keeps my mailing rates down (and I mail a lot of music CD's out).
If you eliminated junk mail, we might be paying $0.50 a letter and $0.40 each additional ounce, which would nearly double my postage bill.
Plus, all the junk mail we get helps me explain why we keep getting those Adam & Eve catalogs to the honey, "Well, we must be on some list somewhere. Say, look, French Ticklers!"
In the old days, ca 1985, if I wanted porn, I had to drive to a newstand or an adult bookstore, burning precious gasoline.
Now I can sit at home and download it, saving energy.
You can apply this to any other kind of shopping you want to, also.
Traveller has this in the 80's
on
Space Diving
·
· Score: 1
If you had to most vac suits had a kit for a re-entry.
You fill a plastic formed bag with an ablative foam, fire the retro rockets, plow through the atmosphere and the open your parachute.
I think the saving throw was 6 or better on 2d6. A little hazardous, I preferred to send a distress signal, and then hijack the ship sent to rescue me.
Slashdot Mirror
Well, if you're going to pull the Silmarillion into this, might I add:
Dennis Ritchie == Feanor
Hmm, IBM == Morgoth? This makes me uneasy, is there an old mainframe company with odious business practices who is completely out of business?
A few days ago, someone was trying to map Tolkien characters to Software personalities, starting with Bill Gates == Sauron.
Someone suggested Steve Jobs == Gandalf. Close, but not close enough. Might I suggest a different wizard, one who started out with the best intentions, but was then snared by evil into remaking his world into a child's imitation of Sauron's, yes, Steve Jobs == Saruman.
Then it starts to fall into place:
Mordor == Redmond
Orthanc == San Jose (or wherever Apple is located, Cupertino maybe?).
Denethor == some OS/2 executive, ensared by Bill Gates evil plan, as Denethor was ensnared by the Palantir.
That leaves Gandalf, might I suggest UNIX == Gandalf, for UNIX was almost dead, until Linux came along and created a resurgence.
Which leads to NT == Balrog, something almost good enough to kill UNIX.
And RMS == Galadriel, as they both helped rejuvanate their peers, and both wear green tights.
Of course, Linux == Aragorn
ERS == Boromir
Allan Cox == Gimli
Steve Ballmer == Mouth of Sauron
and howabout
Commander Taco == Frodo
Hemos == Samwise
Any more?
That way you could get 30 gigs.
This would be a lot like LP's, an obsolete form of analog music reproduction. Ask your mom or dad about them.
Having a high kharma is kind of like having an 8 inch (that's 24 cm to you UKians) penis.
You can't show a lot of people, but word gets around, and people are impressed, heh heh heh
You think I would have learned after I got my ass kicked laughing at Benjamin Dover.
I see far too many obvious trolls being given accounts.
Just today I saw a new poster, Patrick McCrotch. Now, seriously, Pat McCrotch, do you think that's real?
For the sake of Slashdot, please stop the spread of trolls, and don't give them accounts. Please work with the FBI to track down the trolls that are ruining Slashdot, and have them be quietly captured in the dark of the night and locked in a warm cell with Christina Ricci styled nymphomaniacal fembots until they die of dehydration!
Thanks!
Even better, you can repost them here!
If you don't feel up to it, I will.
hey dude, welcome back.
I'm getting a mindstorms (the scout) for my birthday soon, we'll have to trade mindstorms desugns.
Why not encourage students to rat out their parents for suspicious activities as well? This would certainly create a much safer home environment for government-educated students. You could create a special law enforcement unit just for this purpose. Just for kicks, we could call them the "Thought Police".
DARE, Drug Abuse Resistance Education, is notorious for brain washing school children into turning in their parents.
As far as I can recall, free lending libraries were invented in Philadelphia, by Ben Franklin.
Prior to Ben starting one, libraries were typically privately owned, or member supported. Back in the 18th century and earlier, the idea of a citizenry who could educate themselves with open libraries scared the shit out of the governments, books and literacy were fine for the nobles, but they would give funny ideas to the hoi polloi.
Sadly, this idea that common people can't think for themselves is still too common, we've all heard too much about governments that won't allow their citizens to browse certain auction sites because they may contain disturbing historical artifacts.
tin soldiers and dubya coming
4 arrested in O-hi-O
naah, doesn't have the same ring
I'm pretty sure Pournelle first described this, in his High Frontier polemic ca. early '80's.
Niven and Pournelle then used it in Footfall.
The precedent to this was the mass driver lunar launched cargo shells in Heinlein's Moon is a Harsh Mistress.
Women are less aggressive and territorial?! Have you seen the way most women bicker and become catty either at each other or behind each others backs? I'm not saying all women are like that, but please, to say women are less worse than men about issues of territory or aggression, you arent taking everything into account. Women are the same way, but of course differently.
While that is an astute observation, you're probably not aware of the fact that such behavior is common among oppressed people. Think about it, if you were a person who was reminded hourly of your alleged shortcomings and failures and inferiorities, wouldn't you get a little touchy.
Do a little sociological research into more matriarchal societies, the woman are the peacemakers and argument settlers, the men are somewhat surplus. I suggest starting with the matriarchal Native American tribes, the Iroqios perhaps.
The average woman astronaut, at 100 pounds, is 2/3 the weight of the average male astronaut at 150 pounds. With present day launch costs of 10,000 USD per pound, replacing a 6 person male shuttle crew with 6 females results in a cost savings of $3,000,000 dollars, or 300 extra pounds of equipment and payload. Factor in the reduced fod, water and oxygen requirements, and you might be able to loft 500 extra pounds into orbit.
Woman live longer than men, and are healthier in general. When you are talking about expeditions lasting 3+ years (ala Mars), you want the healthiest people you can going.
When you are talking about being locked in the space the size of 2 cubibles with 5 other people for 3+ years, you want low aggression, non-territorial people there, to avoid infighting and chaos. While Europe is making admirable strides towards breeding a complacent, passive population, for now, the best. most compatible crew would be woman.
However, due to the stranglehold that the caucasian patricarchy has on the space program, don't expect this to be acknowledged, or to even see more than a token amount of women in space. Pity the Israelis don't have a space program, they don't have the resources for false pride and propping up insecure males, the would go for the gusto and have woman like Golda Meir in orbit.
Thanks,
Man am I getting sick of Lanier. He took once somewhat novel idea, vurtual reality, that had been written about extensively in science fiction for years, and proceeded to turn it into a bully pulpit for his ludicrous ramblings.
Oh no, the command line is making a resurgence. I was too lame to understand UNIX 20 years ago, I guess everyone else is, too.
Oh no, there might be limits on digital music. In 4 years, every analog piece of sound equipment, and every non-compliant digital piece of sound equipment, will disappear.
Now, Jarod, I'm not a humongous music fan, but let me count my music equipment.
3 car cassette decks.
1 car C deck.
4 high end tape decks (Nakamichi, BIC).
1 lower end tape deck (TEAC)
2 walkmans type tape players
1 portable CD player
1 regular CD player
1 turntable
1 CD burner
4 computer CD players
Now, all this eqipment is going to become obsolete in the next 4 years?
Yeah, pass me some of what you're smoking.
The Brazilian government needs to start a massive program of internet cultural literacy for it's citizens before they step onto the info super-highway, in order that they understand the existing culture, and don't destory the existing culture. This program will consist of:
Then, and only then, will Brazilians be able to understand the internet.
Only then
Pray tell, what OS does Dragon work on?
/. stories. ie:
Or are you comparing apps included for free with Windows, versus apps included with Linux, in which case you can make one hundred more
Linux has IRC, Windows doesn't.
Linux has a Photoshop 3.0 clone, Windows doesn't.
Linux has a lame space strategy game, Windows doesn't.
Linux has vi, Windows doesn't.
I'm the AC that wrote the prior post, and I'm wondering if you ever wrote anything? If you did, you would have known that you had to pick a title, titles don't come flying out of the sky.
Why did OSC pick Shadow of the Hegemon? Why is he associating shadow with an evil, dangerous force?
Why not Spectre of the Hegemon or some other title without loaded racial connotations?
For instance, in an erotica writing club I belong too, a woman's story was removed becuase it talked about her sexual experiences as a teen.
I realize it's mostly a moot point with the Slashdot crowd (hell, I was a 20 year old virgin), but if you had a sexual experience at 13, would you want the right to talk about it?
"It's the 21st centurion, and we must end ftps. Native Americans should be able to live in ranch houses and department buildings, not these ftps and wigwams."
So all the junk mail I get doesn't bother, because it keeps my mailing rates down (and I mail a lot of music CD's out).
If you eliminated junk mail, we might be paying $0.50 a letter and $0.40 each additional ounce, which would nearly double my postage bill.
Plus, all the junk mail we get helps me explain why we keep getting those Adam & Eve catalogs to the honey, "Well, we must be on some list somewhere. Say, look, French Ticklers!"
Multiple sets of Ni-Cad D cells, with a 120V charger.
Voila, more power drain.
A troll with a 4 digit UID.
Beats my 5 digit one.
In the old days, ca 1985, if I wanted porn, I had to drive to a newstand or an adult bookstore, burning precious gasoline.
Now I can sit at home and download it, saving energy.
You can apply this to any other kind of shopping you want to, also.
If you had to most vac suits had a kit for a re-entry.
You fill a plastic formed bag with an ablative foam, fire the retro rockets, plow through the atmosphere and the open your parachute.
I think the saving throw was 6 or better on 2d6. A little hazardous, I preferred to send a distress signal, and then hijack the ship sent to rescue me.