The biggest "innovation" of the community for which Linux is currently the poster child (Open Source, Free Software,... use the flag of your choice) is the development model. It's not what the software does (end results), but how it is produced (how you get there) that's significant.
<RANT>So, I can write the dodgiest piece of crap, but if it's open source, it's good software? Or do you think that everything M$ releases is crap because you can't have the source? Look at IE, it's not perfect, but it's about as good as browsers are likely to get; they are just about the most complex programs out there these days, they need to render cutting-edge stuff, and still work with pages for NS1.0....</RANT>
I have one of these (a 450 celeron 7500). It's bloody fast, i have an 18gb hdd and 256 mb of ram. I had a bit of trouble getting linux up, and I sure as hell will appreciate sound and network drivers from Dell.
To anybody out there who hasn't tried one, do it. They're bloody amazing. It cost me AU$7000, but I'd pay almost that much just for an lcd as good as this. It does 1400x1050, and now I don't even like working on my 17' trinitron coz compared it looks like a fishbowl!
I've been on the mailing list for freeMWare since it started, and although I'm quiet, I pay attention. It really is coming along, and is (unlike other group projects I've followed) actually being led somewhere by the remarkable mr Kevin Lawton (sp?). I have to say, congrats to all the contributors, as this is a big step in the right direction.
I know, it sucks. We all think it sucks. And we'd all like to think the Australian government cares about what the geek masses think.
Well I can assure you they do not, and this will be a complete law in practice soon.
So what can I do to stop people getting into my computer? And don't tell me to run linux, because I'm a designer for a living and hence can't live without photoshop.
Here's a point: Everybody pipes up and says "frames are bad because XXXXX", of which some are valid, but a few are not:
"what about older browsers?" I have to say, if a browser is so old it can't display frames, then it sure isn't going to handle a complex graphical navigation table either.
"Use ssi,cgi,asp,php,lmnop,or xyz!" just because every slashdot reader (except me) can write perl, doesn't mean other people should have to. and compared to serving a plain frames page, server-side parsing is sloooooooooooooow.
"search engines don't work" - so put tags in your index.html. And let's face it, unless you've been around for years, ir the customer knows how to use a search engine properly, and/or is looking for you in particular, chances are they aren't going to find you anyway. I love searching for "java programming" or something similar and getting "nasty teen amateur cheerleaders" or whatever.
"If you need a speed increase you suck anyway: I'm a web developer for a living, and I'm still stuck on a 33.6 connection. We don't all live in the US where access is cheap and fast.
If you find kiddie porn in Australia, you are in violation of the law. If you report it, you are in violation of downloading it, even if you didn't mean to- if you delete it, or clear your cache, you are distroying evidence as well- you can't report seeing kiddie porn anywhere.
But they expect me to call the aba when I find some nasty shit on the internet.
The header says it all. I mean, I am, by all common standards, a geek- I'm a software engineer, I have a pentium3, a palm5, an 8810, a n64, and a gameboy....
So what?
I have a good job, I'm very good at what I do. I also have a 6' beautiful blonde girlfriend.
It's all about priorities- Sure every now and then I work 80-hour weeks- and I demand massive overtime because it shits my girlfriend, and my employers know they need me more than I need them. Mostly, I sleep in with my girlfriend, and I go to work, and leave berween 5 and 6 every day- if I have extra shit that needs doing, I do it while she studies next to me, or while she's at work. I also like to go out, get pissed and dance, and watch the footy (go the broncos).
The bottom line is, I put the _important_ parts of my personal life first, unless there's an emergency at work, and everybody's happy...
...Except for the last week, coz I need to get a massive shopping mall finished coz we have a huge launch soon. Can we spell s-t-r-e-s-s?;-)
I was sitting around the office the other day, reading the latest amiga news on/. and at the top of my lungs yelled out "I'm f**king sick of amiga! They're going the way of transmeta! If they don't bring out hal9000 on a watch I'm just gonna snap!"
Slashdot Mirror
The biggest "innovation" of the community for which Linux is currently the poster child (Open Source, Free Software, ... use the flag of your choice) is the development model. It's not what the software does (end results), but how it is produced (how you get there) that's significant.
<RANT>So, I can write the dodgiest piece of crap, but if it's open source, it's good software? Or do you think that everything M$ releases is crap because you can't have the source? Look at IE, it's not perfect, but it's about as good as browsers are likely to get; they are just about the most complex programs out there these days, they need to render cutting-edge stuff, and still work with pages for NS1.0....</RANT>
--
G-funk
I have one of these (a 450 celeron 7500). It's bloody fast, i have an 18gb hdd and 256 mb of ram. I had a bit of trouble getting linux up, and I sure as hell will appreciate sound and network drivers from Dell.
To anybody out there who hasn't tried one, do it. They're bloody amazing. It cost me AU$7000, but I'd pay almost that much just for an lcd as good as this. It does 1400x1050, and now I don't even like working on my 17' trinitron coz compared it looks like a fishbowl!
Cheers to Dell!
I've been on the mailing list for freeMWare since it started, and although I'm quiet, I pay attention. It really is coming along, and is (unlike other group projects I've followed) actually being led somewhere by the remarkable mr Kevin Lawton (sp?). I have to say, congrats to all the contributors, as this is a big step in the right direction.
-Josh G
I know, it sucks. We all think it sucks. And we'd all like to think the Australian government cares about what the geek masses think.
Well I can assure you they do not, and this will be a complete law in practice soon.
So what can I do to stop people getting into my computer? And don't tell me to run linux, because I'm a designer for a living and hence can't live without photoshop.
Here's a point: Everybody pipes up and says "frames are bad because XXXXX", of which some are valid, but a few are not:
- "what about older browsers?" I have to say, if a browser is so old it can't display frames, then it sure isn't going to handle a complex graphical navigation table either.
- "Use ssi,cgi,asp,php,lmnop,or xyz!" just because every slashdot reader (except me) can write perl, doesn't mean other people should have to. and compared to serving a plain frames page, server-side parsing is sloooooooooooooow.
- "search engines don't work" - so put tags in your index.html. And let's face it, unless you've been around for years, ir the customer knows how to use a search engine properly, and/or is looking for you in particular, chances are they aren't going to find you anyway. I love searching for "java programming" or something similar and getting "nasty teen amateur cheerleaders" or whatever.
- "If you need a speed increase you suck anyway: I'm a web developer for a living, and I'm still stuck on a 33.6 connection. We don't all live in the US where access is cheap and fast.
MyIf you find kiddie porn in Australia, you are in violation of the law. If you report it, you are in violation of downloading it, even if you didn't mean to- if you delete it, or clear your cache, you are distroying evidence as well- you can't report seeing kiddie porn anywhere.
But they expect me to call the aba when I find some nasty shit on the internet.
Isn't my government kewl?
The header says it all. I mean, I am, by all common standards, a geek- I'm a software engineer, I have a pentium3, a palm5, an 8810, a n64, and a gameboy....
;-)
So what?
I have a good job, I'm very good at what I do. I also have a 6' beautiful blonde girlfriend.
It's all about priorities- Sure every now and then I work 80-hour weeks- and I demand massive overtime because it shits my girlfriend, and my employers know they need me more than I need them. Mostly, I sleep in with my girlfriend, and I go to work, and leave berween 5 and 6 every day- if I have extra shit that needs doing, I do it while she studies next to me, or while she's at work. I also like to go out, get pissed and dance, and watch the footy (go the broncos).
The bottom line is, I put the _important_ parts of my personal life first, unless there's an emergency at work, and everybody's happy...
...Except for the last week, coz I need to get a massive shopping mall finished coz we have a huge launch soon. Can we spell s-t-r-e-s-s?
-Gfunk
I was sitting around the office the other day, reading the latest amiga news on /. and at the top of my lungs yelled out "I'm f**king sick of amiga! They're going the way of transmeta! If they don't bring out hal9000 on a watch I'm just gonna snap!"
And people thought starwars was too hyped????
G-funk
Get an old laptop, download a wave file, and there you go. Remove all software but windows and media player :-)