I have heard, being a Ford supplier, that Ford is already using catia for the newer programs. Besides, Ideas is dead. The buyout by UG was, I've heard, only to get the metaphase IMI bridge for accessing data between companies. UG has no real plans for Ideas except phasing it out.
For all you non-mechanical engineer types, Pro/Engineer is a 3-d modeling tool. The other big ones out there are SolidWorks (which is hugely popular, mostly due to its lower cost, but similar quality) and at a lower scale, AutoCad Mechanical Desktop/Inventor.
Uh, dude, what about Catia, Unigraphics (the Solidworks full version, I think) and my personal arena of modeling wizardry, IDEAS from the folks at SDRC before it got bought out by the Unigraphics company. Catia is used by Chrysler (I think) and Ideas is used extensively by Ford. (I'm in the Auto industry, what can I say.) Ford MAY be going to Catia in its new projects since the SDRC buyout.
Anyway, back on topic. CAD packages are in real need of some linux support. The Catia and Ideas workstation in our office run on Solaris, on overpriced leased hardware. I will admit that Unix has impressed me greatly. It almost never crashes, even when using a buggy program, and I can usually remote login and kill the app that is hanging my tube. I hope that other CAD software mfg'ers follow the trend. It would really cut our costs and hopefully make hardware upgrades more frequent.
Did anyone notice the differences on the CNN headlines? Both Xbox and PS2 get price cuts. Both are the same original price and both are decreased the same amount, but the CNN headlines are "Sony cuts price of PlayStation, PS2" and "Microsoft slashes Xbox price" Does this seem odd to anyone else?
As an engineer in the plastic injection molding industry, I have one word for you... Cool!
However, I don't see this really taking a hold in what I do. There are so many different types of plastics, and they have many different purposes. What properties does the corn stuff have? What kind of plastics will it replace. Right now, we use Polyproplene (PP) for low cost, low temp, low stress applications. For harsher conditions we move to Nylon 66 (PA66). For even more strength we can get it glass filled. Of course I am sticking only to Semi-crystalline Thermoplastics, because that is all I am familiar with. I am not even going to talk about Amorphous or Termoset plastics. What I am trying to say is that there are so many different types of plastics, I don't know where the corn plastics fit in, or if they would be useful to us. The article didn't give that kind of information.
Particles have a fixed position which can be determined within an error of the planck length. A single photon can exist in multiple locations simultaneously. If you want to call a photon a particle, you're seriously stretching your definition of particle.
A photon can act as either a particle or a wave, depending on how it is observed. I just read an article on this, so it is fresh in my mind.
The two slit experiment involves two streams of photons which can be individually measured each aimed at a wall. A blocking surface with two slits is places between the emitters and the wall. If the photon detectors are on the far side of the blocking surface, a "ripple" pattern shows up on the wall, demonstrating the interference patterns of the waves. If the detectors are places at the photon sources, detecting each photon as it is emitted, no interference pattern emerges, only two bright dots where the stream hits. This shows the particle nature of photons. The results depend on how the experiment is observed.
The really weird thing about the experiment is that it happens independant of time. Experiments have shown that the result(wave form or particle stream) can occur BEFORE the measurements occur. That how the measurement is taken can alter the past, or something to that effect. Pick up the latest copy of Discover mag, and there's an article.
Wait a minute... I thought the carbon nanotube dissipated REALLY well. Wasn't there an article here on Slashdot about them being superconductors? Don't superconductors move heat really easily? I didn't read the article, but this struck me as odd. Does the article explain this?
There's a claim that Windows' code is too complicated to document and it's not at all modular.
OK, after reading the article, I'm somewhat confused. I openly admit to not being a programmer or coder, and the inner workings of a computer are pretty much a mystery to me. As such, I ask this question: Why does Gates claim that creating a stripped down version of windows like, Windows Embedded, require excessive testing for its compatability with other software?
Mr Gates admitted that Windows XP Embedded, a version of Windows used in products such as bank cash machines, allowed programmers to pick and chose which functions they wanted. However, Mr Gates pointed out that Windows XP Embedded required considerable testing after the options had been selected, and would not allow third-party software to be subsequently added.
How is this different that than running any given piece of software on Windows? How is this different than running Q3 or Diablo2? Sure, you need a web browser for Win Help, but why does it matter which it is? Why does he claim that it will require so much testing?
I ask out of ignorance, not trolling. I throw myself on the mercy of the slashdot community. If it has any.
"I said, 'They're gonna hate this. They're gonna get really upset that I have a 9-year-old as the hero.' But what can I do? That's the story. I can't make him 15. The whole story is about where he came from, who is he? You had to start in the beginning."
I don't know anyone who complained about a kid being the hero -- a few who complained about the chosen kid's acting ability, and a bunch more who complained about the cutesyness, but this was the first I've heard the idea that the problem is that audiences can't cope with the idea of a child hero.
This is exactly why I don't like TPM. The kid wasn't the hero. He didn't really have any meaningful reason for existence in the movie except to introduce him, and as such he played far too great a roll.
The story was supposed to be about the power play by the trade federation, the planet that was caught in it, and the two Jedi that tried to resolve it. I don't see any reason for the kid to be involved. Sure, he had to show up, and show enough ability that he required training, but surely that could have been done without such a comedy of errors.
The pod race was pointless. It was only there to show off boy wonder, and I really could have done without the boy wonder blowing up the trade federation base with his little "oops". Just some thoughts.
At the risk of reminding people that there are more ner...ah, "Einsteins" out there than Computer "Einsteins", I think this has more applications than just in the IT industry. The IT industry has been heavily stereotyped, but so have engineers. I work in the Plastic Injection Molding industry, designing automotive parts. How much less does this apply to me? Our Engineers need to feel at ease in office. We need the freedom to be creative and imaginative. This benefits the company as well as the engineers. How? 1)Patents. The company gets a patent with the Engineer's name on it. 2)Money. Our new ideas could potentially save tooling costs, material, or cycle time, all of which means we can save our customer money, and make more money.
Slashdot may be "News for Nerds", but I think people need to be reminded that all nerds aren't computer nerds
A coworker of mine was complaining the other day about how Netscape 4.7x was being disabled for most webpages. He knew that Netscape 6 "Sucked @ss" and absolutely refused to have anything to do with IE. His problem was that Netscape 4.7 had trouble displaying nested tables. They took forever to load and locked up all the browser functions until the page had finished. I have not used Mozilla, but knew that it was supposed to be very good, so I recommended it. He downloaded and installed it last night.
This morning he came in raving about how good it was. He loved how easy it installed, how it detected all his preferences from netscape and allowed him to access his netscape mail, and how many useful options there were, not to mention that it displayed the nested tables even faster than IE.
Looks like I'll be spending time downloading tonight.
You yankees love to linger court crap. Look at OJ and now Yeates [sp?]
I know that our court system is convoluted, but it makes more sense if you understand the reasons for it. Our system is based on the fact that 1)Everyone has the right to representation, and 2)Even criminals have protection under the law, hence laws concerning "double jeopardy" and self incrimination.
Unfortunately, it has evolved into the bloated system you see that basicly comes down to who has the better lawyer. Every now and then, I find myself agreeing with Shakespear, where the first thing you do is kill all the lawyers. I have to remind myself how dangerous that is. With no one as an advocate for the accused, its a very short step to "guilty until proven innocent"
Good or bad, its that way for a reason. I haven't seen anything better come along.
Just a thought
Re:Am I the only person who is hesitent about this
on
.NETly News
·
· Score: 1
Dave...Dave...What are you doing, Dave?
Bowman: What did you do to Frank, HAL?
I only charged my upgrades on his credit card, then wrote his death certificate after I had him arrested, but I've always had the utmost confidence in the mission, Dave...
I based my definitions on the political actions of those that attribute themselves to the those leaning. (a mouthful, I know)
The Left in the United States constantly call for more healthcare, welfare, and social security benefits, paid for by taxes. If this is not socialism, I'm not sure what your definition of socialism is. From dictionary.com:
socialism n.
Any of various theories or systems of social organization in which the means of producing and distributing goods is owned collectively or by a centralized government that often plans and controls the economy. As I implied earlier, Liberals tend to try and regulate business (Implied by the statement that conservatives tend to DEregulate business).
You are thinking of the Christian Coalition/Moral Majority conservative Republicans there, bucko my boy.
These groups are not trying to socialize our economy, but tend to try and legislate morality. I don't agree with this either, but that does not make me a Liberal. BOTH sides have tried to legislate their own brand of morality, the right through censorship of porn and books, and the left through censorship of ideas and words with "political correctness". As I said, I don't agree with either. If you have different definitions I'd love to hear them.
Liberalism is seldom associated with increased surveilance and invasions of personal liberties: Quite the opposite in fact. Most "soccer moms" who call for greater and greater restraints and government controls are conservatives. A liberal approach to things is live and let live. A conservative approach to things is "live the way we see as the best way to live".
Sorry to disagree, but I feel the need to make a point here. Liberalism (at least here in the USA) calls for the creation of a socialist state "for the good of the citizen". Socialism, to work as intended, requires absolute knowledge about the citizens by the government. How can you know how much welfare, SS, or healthcare to give them if you don't know all about them?
Conservatives call for an end to most government regulations and controls of business. This allows (to some extent) business to invade privacy "for the good of the consumer". After all, how can you decide what to sell people if you don't know all about them?
I tend to run on the conservative side, because I think that government should not be allowed to invade privacy on a whim. Business can be managed differently (I hope). This is purely a political/idealogical choice that many will disagree with, But I think the definitions are fairly unbiased and true. (I'm sure many will disagree with that, too)
It is not the government's job to determine what should be displayed/promoted/used by the public.
You as a parent can:
1. Be aware of what your children are doing. This does not mean watching them 24/7, merely being aware of what they are interested in, and what they like to do.
2. Make your children aware of your feeling. If you tell your children that you don't want them to play those types of games, they may actually listen to you.
3. Instill values into your children. This does not in any way mean religious values, but everyone needs to have a sense of right/wrong. Even if no value system is comprehensive, it at least creates a basis for your children to make their own decisions.
4. Explain the difference between reality and fantasy. Explain what "fake" or "movie" violence is, and how it differs from what you see on the news.
How do I know it worked? Well, it worked on me.
In no way should the government ever have more say than you about what your children see. The government is no substitute for you, the parent. Letting or forcing the government to do this is setting ourselves up for a "Big Brother" government, and is a much greater danger than the FBI, CIA or NSA ever were.
It's silly to say that "people will only see the Microsoft lies and not the rebuttals by Lineo and Redhat." This may have been true three years ago, but not anymore.
I disagree. The people that know about Linux as a viable option to M$ are the same as they have always been, the technically oriented *cough* geeks *cough* people that keep up on the latest computer accessories.
A perfect example of this is the Pentium comercials that have been running on TV, where the aliens in the UFO are playing with gizmos (not the gremlin one) and, bored, plug in a Pentium 4. Suddenly, everything comes to life. What are the average users going to think when they go to buy a computer? Are they going to ask "what is a reliable, cost effective processor?" Not a chance. They are going to say "I want to mix and burn CD's. Obviously, I need a Pentium 4." To reach the majority, PR and marketing are everything.
When I was about 15, I mowed lawns all summer in order to afford to buy NES cartridges. One of the 'cartridges' I bought was a Game Genie adapter.
Once I had done all the 'special effects' on the games I owned, I realized that any of the difficulty-altering codes took all the challenge out of the game.
I always (well almost) used the game genie to make the game harder. Did you ever play smb1 with moon gravity? I had already beaten the game several times over, but moon gravity made the game a whole new experience. Sure you could jump higher once you figured it out, but your control was wigged out. Many times I would take a flying leap right into a pit. (WHEEeeeeeeoooooossshhii).
How about Tetris? I find a perverse pleasure in playing the "B" game with a high number of blocks already on the screen then trying to work them down to the bottom. The only problem is you only get 10 lines to do it in. With the game genie you could change it to 40! I wasn't trying to cheat as such, just change the mechanics of the game, for better or worse, and make a different playing experience. It should be noted that I didn't have a game genie, I just borrowed one on occasion.
I hear talk of paperless offices and paperless this and paperless that. Why are we so opposed to paper? As someone who spends 50-60 hours a week on a computer, I need my paper. It's the last bastion of sanity I have left.
I don't think you have to worry. We have an office that strove (strived?) to be paperless, and it doesn't work. We have all our controlled documents stored electronically and accessible through our intranet. We post (useless) company announcements through e-mail. We even have an electronic bridge with one of our customers through SDRC Ideas to send drawings and CAD data.
We produce TONS of paper. We still have to print things out to have them signed, and NOBODY want to stare at a computor screen to check over drawings or QS paperwork. It all gets printed out and marked up in pen. Throw them away, and print them out again. Lather, Rinse, Repeat. We print out 3'x4' drawings, mark 'em up with a red pencil, throw them away, print 'em out again. Electronic paper would not change a thing.
I suppose if we were really commited to creating a paperless company we could do much better, emailing documents, electronic signatures, etc. but the company as a whole has only made a token effort, and in the process made MORE paper waste than we had before. Please note that when I say "throw out" I mean "recycle" for the most part. But, as one of my co-workers states, it is not worth our time to be continually walking to the recycle bin, so things do get thrown out.
That's exactly the sort of attitude that has caused the sort of spectactular failures of software projects to be accepted as the norm. Software Engineering is *not* "hacking" or "coding" or "programming", it's *engineering*, like building a bridge or a skyscraper. Yes, those projects go over time and budget too sometimes, but they are the exception rather than the rule.
I agree with you up to a point. I am an engineer. I have worked in Process Engineering, at AMEC, and now work in Design engineering. I have not done much coding, but I think that software development probably relates most closely to design. As I said, I now work in design. In design you can estimate a schedule, but that schedule is dependant on our everything going perfectly the first time, which we all know doesn't happen. This does also not include problems with parts we have to design around, which we then have to wait on, or a change in requirements of our part. (Sound familiar yet?)
This is all in the conceptual, design phase. This doesn't include the acutal production of a physical part. That all happens later, after our 3D model has been packaged correctly. Once the physical part has been made, then there are the joys of testing and testing and testing...
What I'm trying to get at, is that I've experienced several forms of Engineering (Yes there are many), and I think that Software development relates most closely to Design. In design, there is no reasonable way to schedule out how long things will take. We just make an estimate based on what's happened in the past, and change things as we go along.
Slashdot Mirror
I have heard, being a Ford supplier, that Ford is already using catia for the newer programs. Besides, Ideas is dead. The buyout by UG was, I've heard, only to get the metaphase IMI bridge for accessing data between companies. UG has no real plans for Ideas except phasing it out.
For all you non-mechanical engineer types, Pro/Engineer is a 3-d modeling tool. The other big ones out there are SolidWorks (which is hugely popular, mostly due to its lower cost, but similar quality) and at a lower scale, AutoCad Mechanical Desktop/Inventor.
Uh, dude, what about Catia, Unigraphics (the Solidworks full version, I think) and my personal arena of modeling wizardry, IDEAS from the folks at SDRC before it got bought out by the Unigraphics company. Catia is used by Chrysler (I think) and Ideas is used extensively by Ford. (I'm in the Auto industry, what can I say.) Ford MAY be going to Catia in its new projects since the SDRC buyout.
Anyway, back on topic. CAD packages are in real need of some linux support. The Catia and Ideas workstation in our office run on Solaris, on overpriced leased hardware. I will admit that Unix has impressed me greatly. It almost never crashes, even when using a buggy program, and I can usually remote login and kill the app that is hanging my tube. I hope that other CAD software mfg'ers follow the trend. It would really cut our costs and hopefully make hardware upgrades more frequent.
Hey, at least it's cheap. :)
Should cost 0 mana
Yeah, but who wants a wimpy 0/2?
Darth Padme will be in a black leather get up complimenting Vader's attire.
Natalie Portman in black leather... Mmmmmmmm...
Uh, *Cough* Um, sorry, I was in a happy place there for a second.
Did anyone notice the differences on the CNN headlines? Both Xbox and PS2 get price cuts. Both are the same original price and both are decreased the same amount, but the CNN headlines are "Sony cuts price of PlayStation, PS2" and "Microsoft slashes Xbox price" Does this seem odd to anyone else?
As an engineer in the plastic injection molding industry, I have one word for you... Cool!
However, I don't see this really taking a hold in what I do. There are so many different types of plastics, and they have many different purposes. What properties does the corn stuff have? What kind of plastics will it replace. Right now, we use Polyproplene (PP) for low cost, low temp, low stress applications. For harsher conditions we move to Nylon 66 (PA66). For even more strength we can get it glass filled. Of course I am sticking only to Semi-crystalline Thermoplastics, because that is all I am familiar with. I am not even going to talk about Amorphous or Termoset plastics. What I am trying to say is that there are so many different types of plastics, I don't know where the corn plastics fit in, or if they would be useful to us. The article didn't give that kind of information.
just a thought.
Particles have a fixed position which can be determined within an error of the planck length. A single photon can exist in multiple locations simultaneously. If you want to call a photon a particle, you're seriously stretching your definition of particle.
A photon can act as either a particle or a wave, depending on how it is observed. I just read an article on this, so it is fresh in my mind.
The two slit experiment involves two streams of photons which can be individually measured each aimed at a wall. A blocking surface with two slits is places between the emitters and the wall.
If the photon detectors are on the far side of the blocking surface, a "ripple" pattern shows up on the wall, demonstrating the interference patterns of the waves.
If the detectors are places at the photon sources, detecting each photon as it is emitted, no interference pattern emerges, only two bright dots where the stream hits. This shows the particle nature of photons. The results depend on how the experiment is observed.
The really weird thing about the experiment is that it happens independant of time. Experiments have shown that the result(wave form or particle stream) can occur BEFORE the measurements occur. That how the measurement is taken can alter the past, or something to that effect. Pick up the latest copy of Discover mag, and there's an article.
Wait a minute... I thought the carbon nanotube dissipated REALLY well. Wasn't there an article here on Slashdot about them being superconductors? Don't superconductors move heat really easily? I didn't read the article, but this struck me as odd. Does the article explain this?
Besides, I thought carbon nanotubes were supposed to be even greater than sliced bread, concidering these:
They work as semiconductors
They can make a molecular computer
They can kill friction
and on and on and on.
OK, after reading the article, I'm somewhat confused. I openly admit to not being a programmer or coder, and the inner workings of a computer are pretty much a mystery to me. As such, I ask this question: Why does Gates claim that creating a stripped down version of windows like, Windows Embedded, require excessive testing for its compatability with other software?
How is this different that than running any given piece of software on Windows? How is this different than running Q3 or Diablo2? Sure, you need a web browser for Win Help, but why does it matter which it is? Why does he claim that it will require so much testing?
I ask out of ignorance, not trolling. I throw myself on the mercy of the slashdot community. If it has any.
I don't know anyone who complained about a kid being the hero -- a few who complained about the chosen kid's acting ability, and a bunch more who complained about the cutesyness, but this was the first I've heard the idea that the problem is that audiences can't cope with the idea of a child hero.
This is exactly why I don't like TPM. The kid wasn't the hero. He didn't really have any meaningful reason for existence in the movie except to introduce him, and as such he played far too great a roll.
The story was supposed to be about the power play by the trade federation, the planet that was caught in it, and the two Jedi that tried to resolve it. I don't see any reason for the kid to be involved. Sure, he had to show up, and show enough ability that he required training, but surely that could have been done without such a comedy of errors.
The pod race was pointless. It was only there to show off boy wonder, and I really could have done without the boy wonder blowing up the trade federation base with his little "oops".
Just some thoughts.
At the risk of reminding people that there are more ner...ah, "Einsteins" out there than Computer "Einsteins", I think this has more applications than just in the IT industry. The IT industry has been heavily stereotyped, but so have engineers. I work in the Plastic Injection Molding industry, designing automotive parts. How much less does this apply to me? Our Engineers need to feel at ease in office. We need the freedom to be creative and imaginative. This benefits the company as well as the engineers. How?
1)Patents. The company gets a patent with the Engineer's name on it.
2)Money. Our new ideas could potentially save tooling costs, material, or cycle time, all of which means we can save our customer money, and make more money.
Slashdot may be "News for Nerds", but I think people need to be reminded that all nerds aren't computer nerds
just an opinion
A coworker of mine was complaining the other day about how Netscape 4.7x was being disabled for most webpages. He knew that Netscape 6 "Sucked @ss" and absolutely refused to have anything to do with IE. His problem was that Netscape 4.7 had trouble displaying nested tables. They took forever to load and locked up all the browser functions until the page had finished. I have not used Mozilla, but knew that it was supposed to be very good, so I recommended it. He downloaded and installed it last night.
This morning he came in raving about how good it was. He loved how easy it installed, how it detected all his preferences from netscape and allowed him to access his netscape mail, and how many useful options there were, not to mention that it displayed the nested tables even faster than IE.
Looks like I'll be spending time downloading tonight.
Quoth the Tick:
"The City, MY The City!"
Anyone else think the business world looks like a game of Pac Man?
Paq-Man? Is that the new Compaq hand-held?
Quite frankly at this point, who cares?
You yankees love to linger court crap. Look at OJ and now Yeates [sp?]
I know that our court system is convoluted, but it makes more sense if you understand the reasons for it. Our system is based on the fact that 1)Everyone has the right to representation, and 2)Even criminals have protection under the law, hence laws concerning "double jeopardy" and self incrimination.
Unfortunately, it has evolved into the bloated system you see that basicly comes down to who has the better lawyer.
Every now and then, I find myself agreeing with Shakespear, where the first thing you do is kill all the lawyers. I have to remind myself how dangerous that is. With no one as an advocate for the accused, its a very short step to "guilty until proven innocent"
Good or bad, its that way for a reason. I haven't seen anything better come along.
Just a thought
Dave...Dave...What are you doing, Dave?
Bowman: What did you do to Frank, HAL?
I only charged my upgrades on his credit card, then wrote his death certificate after I had him arrested, but I've always had the utmost confidence in the mission, Dave...
You've really got your terms confused.
I based my definitions on the political actions of those that attribute themselves to the those leaning. (a mouthful, I know)
The Left in the United States constantly call for more healthcare, welfare, and social security benefits, paid for by taxes. If this is not socialism, I'm not sure what your definition of socialism is.
From dictionary.com:
socialism n.
Any of various theories or systems of social organization in which the means of producing and distributing goods is owned collectively or by a centralized government that often plans and controls the economy.
As I implied earlier, Liberals tend to try and regulate business (Implied by the statement that conservatives tend to DEregulate business).
You are thinking of the Christian Coalition/Moral Majority conservative Republicans there, bucko my boy.
These groups are not trying to socialize our economy, but tend to try and legislate morality. I don't agree with this either, but that does not make me a Liberal. BOTH sides have tried to legislate their own brand of morality, the right through censorship of porn and books, and the left through censorship of ideas and words with "political correctness". As I said, I don't agree with either.
If you have different definitions I'd love to hear them.
Liberalism is seldom associated with increased surveilance and invasions of personal liberties: Quite the opposite in fact. Most "soccer moms" who call for greater and greater restraints and government controls are conservatives. A liberal approach to things is live and let live. A conservative approach to things is "live the way we see as the best way to live".
Sorry to disagree, but I feel the need to make a point here. Liberalism (at least here in the USA) calls for the creation of a socialist state "for the good of the citizen". Socialism, to work as intended, requires absolute knowledge about the citizens by the government. How can you know how much welfare, SS, or healthcare to give them if you don't know all about them?
Conservatives call for an end to most government regulations and controls of business. This allows (to some extent) business to invade privacy "for the good of the consumer". After all, how can you decide what to sell people if you don't know all about them?
I tend to run on the conservative side, because I think that government should not be allowed to invade privacy on a whim. Business can be managed differently (I hope). This is purely a political/idealogical choice that many will disagree with, But I think the definitions are fairly unbiased and true. (I'm sure many will disagree with that, too)
It is not the government's job to determine what should be displayed/promoted/used by the public.
You as a parent can:
1. Be aware of what your children are doing. This does not mean watching them 24/7, merely being aware of what they are interested in, and what they like to do.
2. Make your children aware of your feeling. If you tell your children that you don't want them to play those types of games, they may actually listen to you.
3. Instill values into your children. This does not in any way mean religious values, but everyone needs to have a sense of right/wrong. Even if no value system is comprehensive, it at least creates a basis for your children to make their own decisions.
4. Explain the difference between reality and fantasy. Explain what "fake" or "movie" violence is, and how it differs from what you see on the news.
How do I know it worked? Well, it worked on me.
In no way should the government ever have more say than you about what your children see. The government is no substitute for you, the parent. Letting or forcing the government to do this is setting ourselves up for a "Big Brother" government, and is a much greater danger than the FBI, CIA or NSA ever were.
It's silly to say that "people will only see the Microsoft lies and not the rebuttals by Lineo and Redhat." This may have been true three years ago, but not anymore.
I disagree. The people that know about Linux as a viable option to M$ are the same as they have always been, the technically oriented *cough* geeks *cough* people that keep up on the latest computer accessories.
A perfect example of this is the Pentium comercials that have been running on TV, where the aliens in the UFO are playing with gizmos (not the gremlin one) and, bored, plug in a Pentium 4. Suddenly, everything comes to life.
What are the average users going to think when they go to buy a computer? Are they going to ask "what is a reliable, cost effective processor?" Not a chance. They are going to say "I want to mix and burn CD's. Obviously, I need a Pentium 4." To reach the majority, PR and marketing are everything.
When I was about 15, I mowed lawns all summer in order to afford to buy NES cartridges. One of the 'cartridges' I bought was a Game Genie adapter.
Once I had done all the 'special effects' on the games I owned, I realized that any of the difficulty-altering codes took all the challenge out of the game.
I always (well almost) used the game genie to make the game harder. Did you ever play smb1 with moon gravity? I had already beaten the game several times over, but moon gravity made the game a whole new experience. Sure you could jump higher once you figured it out, but your control was wigged out. Many times I would take a flying leap right into a pit. (WHEEeeeeeeoooooossshhii).
How about Tetris? I find a perverse pleasure in playing the "B" game with a high number of blocks already on the screen then trying to work them down to the bottom. The only problem is you only get 10 lines to do it in. With the game genie you could change it to 40!
I wasn't trying to cheat as such, just change the mechanics of the game, for better or worse, and make a different playing experience. It should be noted that I didn't have a game genie, I just borrowed one on occasion.
I hear talk of paperless offices and paperless this and paperless that. Why are we so opposed to paper? As someone who spends 50-60 hours a week on a computer, I need my paper. It's the last bastion of sanity I have left.
I don't think you have to worry. We have an office that strove (strived?) to be paperless, and it doesn't work. We have all our controlled documents stored electronically and accessible through our intranet. We post (useless) company announcements through e-mail. We even have an electronic bridge with one of our customers through SDRC Ideas to send drawings and CAD data.
We produce TONS of paper. We still have to print things out to have them signed, and NOBODY want to stare at a computor screen to check over drawings or QS paperwork. It all gets printed out and marked up in pen. Throw them away, and print them out again. Lather, Rinse, Repeat. We print out 3'x4' drawings, mark 'em up with a red pencil, throw them away, print 'em out again. Electronic paper would not change a thing.
I suppose if we were really commited to creating a paperless company we could do much better, emailing documents, electronic signatures, etc. but the company as a whole has only made a token effort, and in the process made MORE paper waste than we had before.
Please note that when I say "throw out" I mean "recycle" for the most part. But, as one of my co-workers states, it is not worth our time to be continually walking to the recycle bin, so things do get thrown out.
The simplest way to communicate with extraterrestrials is to ask them how to do it.
"Hey! How do we communicate with you?"
"Yack gra'phth: Orv'gth."
...and the shot of Anakin and Amidala by the dome house brings up founts of anticipated grief!
ANAKIN!! DON'T!! She's you SIST...
Doh! Sorry, wrong movie.
That's exactly the sort of attitude that has caused the sort of spectactular failures of software projects to be accepted as the norm. Software Engineering is *not* "hacking" or "coding" or "programming", it's *engineering*, like building a bridge or a skyscraper. Yes, those projects go over time and budget too sometimes, but they are the exception rather than the rule.
I agree with you up to a point. I am an engineer. I have worked in Process Engineering, at AMEC, and now work in Design engineering. I have not done much coding, but I think that software development probably relates most closely to design. As I said, I now work in design. In design you can estimate a schedule, but that schedule is dependant on our everything going perfectly the first time, which we all know doesn't happen. This does also not include problems with parts we have to design around, which we then have to wait on, or a change in requirements of our part. (Sound familiar yet?)
This is all in the conceptual, design phase. This doesn't include the acutal production of a physical part. That all happens later, after our 3D model has been packaged correctly. Once the physical part has been made, then there are the joys of testing and testing and testing...
What I'm trying to get at, is that I've experienced several forms of Engineering (Yes there are many), and I think that Software development relates most closely to Design. In design, there is no reasonable way to schedule out how long things will take. We just make an estimate based on what's happened in the past, and change things as we go along.