Now, this is interesting (and completely unrelated to the article, but still). Is doing a website like that on SF a violation of their terms? After all, it's about 1/5th software development there.
Seems to me that's a cheap and unslashdottable way to get a homepage!
I agree with most of what you wrote - I'm not one to put down his technical contributions, far from it. But that wasn't my point.
Just one observation here -
He's not very connected to reality of the day to day aspects of earning a living
Then why would anyone in their right mind try to apply his philosophy verbatim to the real world? Because if you go half way (as in the company in the article) then you're vilified and flamed to no end. That's the kind of radicalism I object to. I have nothing against open source or free software or even most of the ideals thet go with it - but writing code is a craft that should be rightly rewarded and as far as I can tell no one has figured out how to make money off of something that is given away gratis.
Actually you were looking rather stupid there. Very l337, but stupid nonetheless.
h^x0rz like yourself are what make the Open Source adventure all the more entertaining, at least for most of us normal folk. While I can't relate to fighting with a computer (or creating religions around the software it runs) instead of using it, the 'tude is charming still. So, don't let me stop you - you were saying?
They're already giving you the software for free. Must you bitch about them wanting to make a few bucks off the docs?
As I understand it, the business model for open source software relies on services and support. Isn't the documentation considered a value added service and support?
Since the justification for the poor support inherent to free/open software is "you have the code, figure it out", I can't see why you can't look at the code and, well, figure it out. YMMV of course, but isn't that the point? They're giving it to you for free.
And this may sound like a troll, but I've never been able to understand this sort of attitude. Gimme, gimme, gimme. And if the giving is not absolute and complete, we're pissed off. If anything, this is the one of the things that keep companies from opening up their products.
Imagine your home town is built on a moonscape, epic in cracked earth, hard sun, dust storms, thunderstorms, rainbow sherbet sunrises and tie-dyed sunsets that move you and your neighbors to applause.
Last week I submitted a story about an interview on a Samoan gazette with my friend Guido "asbestus" Flackenheimer, who is an AtheOS specificicist, and it got rejected!!1!
Ok, because, we don't agree with your stance we're zealots now?
Insofar as the prevalent reason d'etre around here is anyone who doesn't wholly agree with your stance is a "fucking M$ suporter" [sic], how is this surprising to you?
Hi there, AC! Boy, that was some piece of insight you provided!! Does your method get rid of the control panel entry? The registry settings? Nooo? Wow!
So, next time, perhaps you could log in and post like a "Linux man" and perhaps I can make you look even more ridiculous!
I knew a shop where all the boxes had the same names as the 80's action figure toys. They're mostly one or two syllables, very hard to forget and fun.
Of course, you can't beat the internal memos that go something like Yesterday, Destro crashed at around noon. Xamot and SgtSlaughter were brought online to compensate, and Duke is our hot standby for the moment
Not only that - their software can't uninstall cleanly to save its life. Try upgrading from one version of the JRE to another one... sheer fright caused by monumentally incompetent "cross-platform" design.
That is exactly the point - Microsoft has repeatedly and for no good reason introduced incompatiblities on every upgrade of Word - a standardized XML schema would prevent that. Since incompatiblities are how Microsoft forces everybody to upgrade, it is unlikely they would change.
I hate to break it to you, but barring some formatting weirdness, Word 97 can still open Word XP documents just fine.
You mean like how every version of Wordperfect can open any WordPerfect document, as long as you don't use features added in the newer version?
See above.
Of course, those methods exist only under Windows, and only if the appropriate DLL is present. Have you ever looked at the very files you claim to be an expert on, without a Microsoft supplied DLL between you and the data?
I missed the part where I (or anyone else) said that Microsoft was going to provide an implementation of the compound document for Linux or BSD. In any case, first, neither you or I have looked at the files so it's kinda dumb to fight over whether or not they will have that format. For all I know they've dropped it. Second, the compound document layout hasn't changed much since OLE2 was released back in the WFW311 time, so I'm guessing it'd be child's play to write a library that will read from them.
And, BTW, I don't claim to be an expert OLE compound documents and structured storage - I am.
And that is the real nub - once you have recovered the data, how do you format it - information that is curiously undocumented - and that is my point
Nope. Your point was that "the file would be a COM stream" and that it would be impossible to get the XML out of it if that was the case. Read your original post.
Re:Visual Studio .NET
on
Linus Is A Hero
·
· Score: 0, Flamebait
I'm sorry moron, but you're confusing quality of development tools with the viability of a language (or the lack thereof).
So, you were feeding the trolls, and you managed to reply with the worst possible non-sequitur I've seen in a while here in Slashdot, and that's saying a lot.
And, BTW, regardless of your smartass rationalizations, Microsoft development tools are absolutely second to none. Writing C in vi or emacs is very nice and gives you that coveted CLI geek aura, but it does squat for your productivity.
Hope this helps, and have yourself a very merry christmas!
Slashdot Mirror
Seems to me that's a cheap and unslashdottable way to get a homepage!
Just one observation here -
He's not very connected to reality of the day to day aspects of earning a living
Then why would anyone in their right mind try to apply his philosophy verbatim to the real world? Because if you go half way (as in the company in the article) then you're vilified and flamed to no end. That's the kind of radicalism I object to. I have nothing against open source or free software or even most of the ideals thet go with it - but writing code is a craft that should be rightly rewarded and as far as I can tell no one has figured out how to make money off of something that is given away gratis.
Actually you were looking rather stupid there. Very l337, but stupid nonetheless.
h^x0rz like yourself are what make the Open Source adventure all the more entertaining, at least for most of us normal folk. While I can't relate to fighting with a computer (or creating religions around the software it runs) instead of using it, the 'tude is charming still. So, don't let me stop you - you were saying?
Wouldn't that be "business sense knows no license"?
After all, they're just trying to target 90% of the browser market. I'd say that makes sense.
Perhaps the next book he releases will be available as a free download, then. Or perhaps not.
It's painfully obvious that "free" and "open" are terms better applied to other people, especially when you're trying to pay the bills.
Or you happen to be comfortably funded by MIT.
As I understand it, the business model for open source software relies on services and support. Isn't the documentation considered a value added service and support?
Since the justification for the poor support inherent to free/open software is "you have the code, figure it out", I can't see why you can't look at the code and, well, figure it out. YMMV of course, but isn't that the point? They're giving it to you for free.
And this may sound like a troll, but I've never been able to understand this sort of attitude. Gimme, gimme, gimme. And if the giving is not absolute and complete, we're pissed off. If anything, this is the one of the things that keep companies from opening up their products.
<Atari Hug>
I live in Phoenix.
Not fair!
Insofar as the prevalent reason d'etre around here is anyone who doesn't wholly agree with your stance is a "fucking M$ suporter" [sic], how is this surprising to you?
BTW, sorry you had to take a karma hit at the hands of our friendly neighborhood crackhead moderators on speed.
Thanks.
Is anyone else seeing this post scored 5 when it's really 2?
I was going to say "Welcome to Slashdot" but then I noticed your UIN =)
So, next time, perhaps you could log in and post like a "Linux man" and perhaps I can make you look even more ridiculous!
Of course, you can't beat the internal memos that go something like Yesterday, Destro crashed at around noon. Xamot and SgtSlaughter were brought online to compensate, and Duke is our hot standby for the moment
Today's saturday. Whew!
Judge Judy orders RedHat to bundle BonziBuddy with Linux, film at 11
Not only that - their software can't uninstall cleanly to save its life. Try upgrading from one version of the JRE to another one... sheer fright caused by monumentally incompetent "cross-platform" design.
I hate to break it to you, but barring some formatting weirdness, Word 97 can still open Word XP documents just fine.
You mean like how every version of Wordperfect can open any WordPerfect document, as long as you don't use features added in the newer version?
See above.
Of course, those methods exist only under Windows, and only if the appropriate DLL is present. Have you ever looked at the very files you claim to be an expert on, without a Microsoft supplied DLL between you and the data?
I missed the part where I (or anyone else) said that Microsoft was going to provide an implementation of the compound document for Linux or BSD. In any case, first, neither you or I have looked at the files so it's kinda dumb to fight over whether or not they will have that format. For all I know they've dropped it. Second, the compound document layout hasn't changed much since OLE2 was released back in the WFW311 time, so I'm guessing it'd be child's play to write a library that will read from them.
And, BTW, I don't claim to be an expert OLE compound documents and structured storage - I am.
And that is the real nub - once you have recovered the data, how do you format it - information that is curiously undocumented - and that is my point
Nope. Your point was that "the file would be a COM stream" and that it would be impossible to get the XML out of it if that was the case. Read your original post.
So, you were feeding the trolls, and you managed to reply with the worst possible non-sequitur I've seen in a while here in Slashdot, and that's saying a lot.
And, BTW, regardless of your smartass rationalizations, Microsoft development tools are absolutely second to none. Writing C in vi or emacs is very nice and gives you that coveted CLI geek aura, but it does squat for your productivity.
Hope this helps, and have yourself a very merry christmas!
I doubt it - Microsoft is and always has been profitable.
HTH!
Now please FOAD and leave /. alone. Serves you right. I wish kuro5hin would have done the same and just blocked your IP for all eternity.
Have a nice day!
*grin* Does anyone remember trying this in Heretic... and being majorly pissed?
Trying to cheat eh? Now you die!