If that's exactly what they want, what could disappoint them more than providing a "security detail" of responsible geeks to ensure that the less mature members of our community don't end up representing us all?
I've got three cats. My wife plays piano, and works with various other instrumentalists and singers. What we've observed so far:
Cat #1: Seems to hate pretty much everything. All you have to do is reach for the piano keys and he leaves the room. It might be that he just hates piano.
Cat #2: She doesn't like piano much, but she *loves* sopranos. When a soprano starts singing, she's been known to run right over and flop at her feet. It's interesting that she doesn't seem to be as fond of countertenors.
Cat #3: She's pretty antisocial in general, so it's remarkable if she's around when there's anyone in the room who doesn't also live in the house. She doesn't seem to care much one way or another about piano, unless it's one of the young piano students playing. She has a knack of picking the ones who are terrified of cats. She tends to like sopranos too, although she'll usually leave them alone while they're singing.
So far, none of them seem very interested in cellos, violas, violins or tenors, although there's been less opportunities to observe, so it's hard to say whether it's indifference or dislike.
Dunno if this was an April Fools' post, but it's actually a valid question to me!
Wish I had moderator points right now.:-)
Every time I hear someone talking about Jordan like he's an excellent writer, I have to wonder what the standard of comparison is. But for anyone to suggest that Jordan will still be read in 50 years, or to compare him with Martin or Tolkien, to suggest his work will be taugh in school -- that makes me shudder.
I'm glad people can find his work entertaining. That's great. But to call it profound...
I guess they'll be watching Speed 2 and Wing Commander in theatres 50 years from now too.
And it comes with kernel... 2.2.18! Some things never change, and I am glad it works that way.
I for one would have lost respect for Slackware, or any other distribution, had it shipped with 2.4.0. Excepting "bleeding-edge" distributions, does anyone really expect distributions to ship a x.y.0 of any kernel? Do we always have to be so divisive?
I'm still running test10 (or maybe 11) on my box, and I'm looking forward to having the time to try 2.4.0 out. But that doesn't mean I want it in any distros yet as part of the default installation.
Why
should Peter let the uber-stable power user-oriented Slackware head towards
the bug infested hail-the-script-kiddies Red Hat?
I'm sure this perception only comes from a certain loud minority, but I'm getting so sick of seeing this crap go on in what used to be such a friendly, supportive community.
I also find it ironic and telling that it was the "bugs" in a particular version of Slackware that caused me to try out alternatives like RedHat. Slackware worked great for me for a while, then it let me down and I tried something else, which has worked great for me since. I don't see any need to bash Slackware, I'm sure all the problems were eventually fixed.
I'd prefer it if stupid attitudes like these weren't published on the home pages of major community sites, leading to people who don't know better taking it completely the wrong way (and probably out of context, too.)
I have cable service from Rogers@Home in Vancouver, BC. Like jamesm from Ottawa, I find the service to be horrible. And like him, I still use it, but for different reasons.
I don't know about all of you cable users who deal with other cable companies, but to me the issue isn't the 128k cap, it's the way they're implementing it.
These cable companies don't have a clue who their marketbase is. The majority of people paying twice as much as a casual analog service are going to be computer-savvy power users. The kind of user that reads "network upgrade" and "128k upload cap" in the same sentence and gets very angry.
This is just another example of the cable companies demonstrating a complete lack of comprehension about customer service. I would like to receive an email that says "Due to the abuse of outgoing bandwidth by some users, we have been forced to implement a 128kbps upload cap for all connections to improve the overall quality of service." There it is, plain to my face, what they've done and why they've done it. I can respect that, and understand it. If I don't like it, I can choose to leave, but I don't have a right to be angry.
But this "let's quietly lower the quality of their service, and if they notice, try to convince them it was actually an upgrade" is insulting. I'm not some schmuck who can't get the difference between left-click and right-click straight. And treating me like one really pisses me off.
Unfortunately this is not the first time, or the worst. When I signed up for cable service a year and a half ago, it was great. It was fast the service was almost 24/7.
Now, periods of no service lasting several hours are not uncommon and the service is always slow. I've had disconnections lasting longer than 24 hours. I've even had weeks go by where I've had no connection for more than half the time!
This too, I could deal with, if there was the slightest attempt at communication. A broadcast email apology for the lack of service and a promise that they are aware of it and working on it would be great. But instead there is nothing but silence, as if they expect that if they don't say anything, no one will notice, or the users will think it's something they're doing wrong. "Maybe I should double right-click on Netscape?"
Further, if you call the tech support line, you're greeted with a friendly message that tells you the average hold time is one hour. If you email their support department, you get a reply three weeks later that suggests you call their tech support line. If you call their automated report of service outages, your area is never listed. If you call their sales line, and ask to be transferred to someone who can take a complaint, the complaint line is always busy. Finally the poor salesperson tries to make you happy by taking down your complaint and filling out an escalation form. "A supervisor will call you back within two business days." That was two months ago, and I still haven't been called.
This is absolutely pathetic, and no company should be able to get away with it.
But unfortunately it comes down to having no choice, at least in my case. An analog connection is too slow, and for my usage needs would cost much more than a cable connection does. DSL service isn't available in my area yet. So I'm stuck. But there's no doubt that as soon as another ship comes along, I'm jumping off this one.
And all it would take to keep me content would be to talk to me, to listen to my problems, tell me what was going on, tell me when it was going to be fixed, apologize for the problems, and treat me like a valued, respected customer. If they just did that, I might be willing to put up with the frequent disconnections, the slow service, the oversubscription, and maybe even the ridiculous waits on the rare occassion I want to talk to someone from tech support that thinks my cable connection doesn't work because my hub has an IP address.
That's the point. It's the methodology, not the results. A 128kbps cap is a bandaid for the oversubscription and gross mismanagement of their network. But at least it's action, and it might make things a little better for a while.
But never, never, never will I accept a company trying to sneak something in behind my back, expecting me to be too ignorant to know the difference. This is just plain wrong.
Slashdot Mirror
If that's exactly what they want, what could disappoint them more than providing a "security detail" of responsible geeks to ensure that the less mature members of our community don't end up representing us all?
I've got three cats. My wife plays piano, and works with various other instrumentalists and singers. What we've observed so far:
Cat #1:
Seems to hate pretty much everything. All you have to do is reach for the piano keys and he leaves the room. It might be that he just hates piano.
Cat #2:
She doesn't like piano much, but she *loves* sopranos. When a soprano starts singing, she's been known to run right over and flop at her feet. It's interesting that she doesn't seem to be as fond of countertenors.
Cat #3:
She's pretty antisocial in general, so it's remarkable if she's around when there's anyone in the room who doesn't also live in the house. She doesn't seem to care much one way or another about piano, unless it's one of the young piano students playing. She has a knack of picking the ones who are terrified of cats. She tends to like sopranos too, although she'll usually leave them alone while they're singing.
So far, none of them seem very interested in cellos, violas, violins or tenors, although there's been less opportunities to observe, so it's hard to say whether it's indifference or dislike.
Dunno if this was an April Fools' post, but it's actually a valid question to me!
Wish I had moderator points right now.
Every time I hear someone talking about Jordan like he's an excellent writer, I have to wonder what the standard of comparison is. But for anyone to suggest that Jordan will still be read in 50 years, or to compare him with Martin or Tolkien, to suggest his work will be taugh in school -- that makes me shudder.
I'm glad people can find his work entertaining. That's great. But to call it profound...
I guess they'll be watching Speed 2 and Wing Commander in theatres 50 years from now too.
And it comes with kernel... 2.2.18! Some things never change, and I am glad it works that way.
I for one would have lost respect for Slackware, or any other distribution, had it shipped with 2.4.0. Excepting "bleeding-edge" distributions, does anyone really expect distributions to ship a x.y.0 of any kernel? Do we always have to be so divisive?
I'm still running test10 (or maybe 11) on my box, and I'm looking forward to having the time to try 2.4.0 out. But that doesn't mean I want it in any distros yet as part of the default installation.
I'm sure this perception only comes from a certain loud minority, but I'm getting so sick of seeing this crap go on in what used to be such a friendly, supportive community.
I also find it ironic and telling that it was the "bugs" in a particular version of Slackware that caused me to try out alternatives like RedHat. Slackware worked great for me for a while, then it let me down and I tried something else, which has worked great for me since. I don't see any need to bash Slackware, I'm sure all the problems were eventually fixed.
I'd prefer it if stupid attitudes like these weren't published on the home pages of major community sites, leading to people who don't know better taking it completely the wrong way (and probably out of context, too.)
It's not about the 128k cap, people.
I have cable service from Rogers@Home in Vancouver, BC. Like jamesm from Ottawa, I find the service to be horrible. And like him, I still use it, but for different reasons.
I don't know about all of you cable users who deal with other cable companies, but to me the issue isn't the 128k cap, it's the way they're implementing it.
These cable companies don't have a clue who their marketbase is. The majority of people paying twice as much as a casual analog service are going to be computer-savvy power users. The kind of user that reads "network upgrade" and "128k upload cap" in the same sentence and gets very angry.
This is just another example of the cable companies demonstrating a complete lack of comprehension about customer service. I would like to receive an email that says "Due to the abuse of outgoing bandwidth by some users, we have been forced to implement a 128kbps upload cap for all connections to improve the overall quality of service." There it is, plain to my face, what they've done and why they've done it. I can respect that, and understand it. If I don't like it, I can choose to leave, but I don't have a right to be angry.
But this "let's quietly lower the quality of their service, and if they notice, try to convince them it was actually an upgrade" is insulting. I'm not some schmuck who can't get the difference between left-click and right-click straight. And treating me like one really pisses me off.
Unfortunately this is not the first time, or the worst. When I signed up for cable service a year and a half ago, it was great. It was fast the service was almost 24/7.
Now, periods of no service lasting several hours are not uncommon and the service is always slow. I've had disconnections lasting longer than 24 hours. I've even had weeks go by where I've had no connection for more than half the time!
This too, I could deal with, if there was the slightest attempt at communication. A broadcast email apology for the lack of service and a promise that they are aware of it and working on it would be great. But instead there is nothing but silence, as if they expect that if they don't say anything, no one will notice, or the users will think it's something they're doing wrong. "Maybe I should double right-click on Netscape?"
Further, if you call the tech support line, you're greeted with a friendly message that tells you the average hold time is one hour. If you email their support department, you get a reply three weeks later that suggests you call their tech support line. If you call their automated report of service outages, your area is never listed. If you call their sales line, and ask to be transferred to someone who can take a complaint, the complaint line is always busy. Finally the poor salesperson tries to make you happy by taking down your complaint and filling out an escalation form. "A supervisor will call you back within two business days." That was two months ago, and I still haven't been called.
This is absolutely pathetic, and no company should be able to get away with it.
But unfortunately it comes down to having no choice, at least in my case. An analog connection is too slow, and for my usage needs would cost much more than a cable connection does. DSL service isn't available in my area yet. So I'm stuck. But there's no doubt that as soon as another ship comes along, I'm jumping off this one.
And all it would take to keep me content would be to talk to me, to listen to my problems, tell me what was going on, tell me when it was going to be fixed, apologize for the problems, and treat me like a valued, respected customer. If they just did that, I might be willing to put up with the frequent disconnections, the slow service, the oversubscription, and maybe even the ridiculous waits on the rare occassion I want to talk to someone from tech support that thinks my cable connection doesn't work because my hub has an IP address.
That's the point. It's the methodology, not the results. A 128kbps cap is a bandaid for the oversubscription and gross mismanagement of their network. But at least it's action, and it might make things a little better for a while.
But never, never, never will I accept a company trying to sneak something in behind my back, expecting me to be too ignorant to know the difference. This is just plain wrong.
I'm in! A well-planned online database of tweaks and tips would be an excellent resource. I'm surprised we haven't done it yet.