You mean where they lose laptops and hardrives all the time?
I recall one incident of one hard drive being misplaced for a while (and then found in the facility).
But even if that were true... has anyone stolen nuclear materiel from those labs? If not, your point is pretty much moot, because there isn't gonna be much secret information floating around a power station.
But hey, a little hyperbole at the expense of reason and accuracy never hurt an argument, right?
Well, here's the problem... you are talking about eugenics.
That in and of itself is not inherently evil, I think... your idea of simply encouraging people with real genetic problems to adopt instead of giving birth seems reasonable, at least on the surface.
But consider this: at some point, you have to write definitions. What defines a "demonstrably-problematic mutation-induced condition"? Is hereditary heart disease on the list? How about bad eyesight? Is it just things that we can't currently treat, and if so, is that really fair? After all, it took us a while to come up with eyeglasses, but we've pretty much got that problem effectively licked.
When you start governing fundamental biological functions (for instance, breeding), you'd better be very, very careful about people's rights. In fact, it's probably best to stay away from any laws that allow some to breed, but not others. (IMHO, a blanket law that limits the number of children a family can have is a different issue... that's a reasonable attempt by a nation to keep its population in check.)
I think it's also important to note that genetic problems are very often selected out socially. If a mutation causes a deformation, or causes obvious medical problems, quite often (for better or worse) the person bearing it simply will not find a willing mate.
We've done relatively well without skimming the gene pool... why start now?
If Sun's sole objective is to sell hardware, then how do you explain the x86 port? You must conceed that you are wrong.
If what I've been told is correct (and it seems reasonable), the reason for the x86 port is very simple... Sun employees, including Solaris engineers, sales people, etc. need laptops. Sun doesn't make laptops. Sun buys them x86 laptops because, well, nobody wants to carry a sparcbook around. So they made Solaris go on x86.
Well, it may be true that Slackware has one of the last remaining packaging systems that doesn't include a dependency-checking system, but to call dependencies integral to packaging ignores decades of packaging systems that never had dependencies. (Let's see how many times I can use those two words, here.;)
Look at it this way... in Slackware:
The installed software/docs/whatever is rolled into a single file
Installation scripts are generated and embedded
Information on what files on the system came from which of those distribution files is stored in a database
Tools exist for installing, upgrading, and removing components of the system using those distribution files
That sounds like a system of packaging software, to me.:)
It lacks the dependency-checking subsystem that many other packagers use, but consider that (A) that has yet to prove itself necessary, given the way we split our system into packages, (B) it adds complexity and brings new problems (note that most, if not all, of the packaging systems you refer to cannot have the same file exist in two different packages, without making a mess), (C) most dependancy systems force the user's hand in ways we don't approve of, and (D) if the need does arise, and the issues with current dependancy systems are worked out, that subsystem could be added with fairly little effort to our existing system.
They're not source archives. A Slackware package is compiled and installed software -- binaries, documentation, whatever needs to go onto the system -- that is tarred up from a pseudo (or real) / and packaged with an install script. The database is two directories of text files, one in/var/log/scripts and one in/var/log/packages. This means you can play with it to your heart's content with standard text utilities. (What package contains grep? "grep 'grep$'/var/log/packages/*" will tell you.)
The fact that they're gzipped tar files shouldn't lead you to believe that they're just source. That doesn't even make sense. You might also consider that because they're gzipped tar files, you only need gzip, tar, and a shell to manipulate them any way you like. You can blow open a slackware package, edit a few files in it, and then repackage the whole thing without in all of three steps-- tar zxpvf , edit the files, tar czpvf .
That's just one benefit of using a simple, popular, and easily-recognized file format. That the occasional idiot thinks everything with a.tgz extension is a source distribution is just something we live with, I guess. If you're going to be snotty about your packaging system of choice, you might at least consider having a clue about the ones you're slamming.
(Normally I'd be more polite, but misinformation is not something I'm dealing with well today.)
Slackware has a packaging system, but thanks for playing, fudboy.
wgetting the slakware/kde1 directory from -current and running installpkg *tgz will get you KDE 2.1. Idunno how current you've been keeping your system, though, so you may also need to upgradepkg your glibc packages.
I must have read it a thousand times in the development forum, and that's not bad considering there are only 6000 or so posts.
If you can find such a post, made by one of the Slackware developers, please let me know. I don't recall making any such statement myself, or reading any such from one of the other guys.
Actually it should be attributed to Rousseau. He said it FIRST (I think) sometime in the 1700's
Thanks for pointing this out... I'm finding several vague attributions of that quote to Rousseau, including a couple that explicitly state that JFK was quoting Rousseau, but I can't seem to find the original source.
(I'm posting this somewhat useless reply to get your information to a Score: 2, so people will see it.)
um, you know that's where the term "lunatic" comes from, right? Showed up in the 13th or 14th century because at the time madness was thought to be an effect of lunar cycles.
a person with a lot of book knowledge can score well on the SATs and not be able to do much of anything in real life.
Assuming for the sake of argument that this is true... so what? It's a test for college admissions, not for employment. College is primarily about "book knowledge".
As for your concern about kids taking easier classes than you, and thus having a higher GPA and making it difficult for you to compete, I wouldn't worry too much about it. When you apply to a college, they'll ask for your transcript. They'll know you weren't taking Intro to Basket Weaving 1, 2, and 3.
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Not that it mattered, much.
I recall one incident of one hard drive being misplaced for a while (and then found in the facility).
But even if that were true... has anyone stolen nuclear materiel from those labs? If not, your point is pretty much moot, because there isn't gonna be much secret information floating around a power station.
But hey, a little hyperbole at the expense of reason and accuracy never hurt an argument, right?
That in and of itself is not inherently evil, I think... your idea of simply encouraging people with real genetic problems to adopt instead of giving birth seems reasonable, at least on the surface.
But consider this: at some point, you have to write definitions. What defines a "demonstrably-problematic mutation-induced condition"? Is hereditary heart disease on the list? How about bad eyesight? Is it just things that we can't currently treat, and if so, is that really fair? After all, it took us a while to come up with eyeglasses, but we've pretty much got that problem effectively licked.
When you start governing fundamental biological functions (for instance, breeding), you'd better be very, very careful about people's rights. In fact, it's probably best to stay away from any laws that allow some to breed, but not others. (IMHO, a blanket law that limits the number of children a family can have is a different issue... that's a reasonable attempt by a nation to keep its population in check.)
I think it's also important to note that genetic problems are very often selected out socially. If a mutation causes a deformation, or causes obvious medical problems, quite often (for better or worse) the person bearing it simply will not find a willing mate.
We've done relatively well without skimming the gene pool... why start now?
um, maybe Sun sales people aren't *using* your laptop. Idunno... My post was hearsay. ;)
If what I've been told is correct (and it seems reasonable), the reason for the x86 port is very simple... Sun employees, including Solaris engineers, sales people, etc. need laptops. Sun doesn't make laptops. Sun buys them x86 laptops because, well, nobody wants to carry a sparcbook around. So they made Solaris go on x86.
Y'know, you can run any desktop you want on pretty much any major distribution. So you can have the same interface wherever you go.
Look at it this way... in Slackware:
- The installed software/docs/whatever is rolled into a single file
- Installation scripts are generated and embedded
- Information on what files on the system came from which of those distribution files is stored in a database
- Tools exist for installing, upgrading, and removing components of the system using those distribution files
That sounds like a system of packaging software, to me.It lacks the dependency-checking subsystem that many other packagers use, but consider that (A) that has yet to prove itself necessary, given the way we split our system into packages, (B) it adds complexity and brings new problems (note that most, if not all, of the packaging systems you refer to cannot have the same file exist in two different packages, without making a mess), (C) most dependancy systems force the user's hand in ways we don't approve of, and (D) if the need does arise, and the issues with current dependancy systems are worked out, that subsystem could be added with fairly little effort to our existing system.
The fact that they're gzipped tar files shouldn't lead you to believe that they're just source. That doesn't even make sense. You might also consider that because they're gzipped tar files, you only need gzip, tar, and a shell to manipulate them any way you like. You can blow open a slackware package, edit a few files in it, and then repackage the whole thing without in all of three steps-- tar zxpvf , edit the files, tar czpvf .
That's just one benefit of using a simple, popular, and easily-recognized file format. That the occasional idiot thinks everything with a .tgz extension is a source distribution is just something we live with, I guess. If you're going to be snotty about your packaging system of choice, you might at least consider having a clue about the ones you're slamming.
(Normally I'd be more polite, but misinformation is not something I'm dealing with well today.)
wgetting the slakware/kde1 directory from -current and running installpkg *tgz will get you KDE 2.1. Idunno how current you've been keeping your system, though, so you may also need to upgradepkg your glibc packages.
It was called "Star Wars - Episode IV: A New Hope".
This is the single funniest statement I've read in days.
If you can find such a post, made by one of the Slackware developers, please let me know. I don't recall making any such statement myself, or reading any such from one of the other guys.
We have?
I couldn't belive it, but sadly it dosen't suprise me much.
Well, the Pulitzer is named in honour of a guy who (in competition with William Randolph Hearst) pretty much invented yellow journalism.
So maybe this is fitting.
Who do you think is making this stuff, the Keebler elves?
;)
In all seriousness, I wouldn't worry about it.
Thanks for pointing this out... I'm finding several vague attributions of that quote to Rousseau, including a couple that explicitly state that JFK was quoting Rousseau, but I can't seem to find the original source.
(I'm posting this somewhat useless reply to get your information to a Score: 2, so people will see it.)
You can attribute that to John F. Kennedy. It's from his inaugural address.
logan@xxxx:~$ cat /etc/slackware-version
/var/log/packages/sendmail
./sendmail.tgz
7.1.0
logan@xxxx:~$ head
PACKAGE NAME: sendmail
COMPRESSED PACKAGE SIZE: 873 K
UNCOMPRESSED PACKAGE SIZE: 2230 K
PACKAGE LOCATION:
PACKAGE DESCRIPTION:
PACKAGE DESCRIPTION:
PACKAGE DESCRIPTION:
PACKAGE DESCRIPTION:
PACKAGE DESCRIPTION:
sendmail: sendmail 8.11.0.
I have it on good authority that VA is implementing it's 25% reduction is staff size by amputating all employee's legs at the kneecap.
um, you know that's where the term "lunatic" comes from, right? Showed up in the 13th or 14th century because at the time madness was thought to be an effect of lunar cycles.
Funny thing is, apparently so.
Assuming for the sake of argument that this is true... so what? It's a test for college admissions, not for employment. College is primarily about "book knowledge".
As for your concern about kids taking easier classes than you, and thus having a higher GPA and making it difficult for you to compete, I wouldn't worry too much about it. When you apply to a college, they'll ask for your transcript. They'll know you weren't taking Intro to Basket Weaving 1, 2, and 3.
gatech.edu