I'd like to thank everybody for their responses. I really appreciate hearing the bad stuff. There's really no need to learn everything the hard way!:^)
Our company sells text based accounting software that has been made with FoxPro. Yes, we are moving into graphic software, but there still is a willingness to put up with this kind of stuff.
Text is all we need when dealing with numbers.
My advice is to sell the advantage of speed. Customers who want good accounting software will rather put up with a good text based system that is fast, than a good gui based system that is slow. Time is money. We just need to make it easier to use.
For those who are planning on making text based software, might I recommend Twin? * it is text based * has windows [like ncurses] * has multitasking [unlike ncurses] * uses the mouse * has a desktop * can work with X11 * has a window manager [yes, you can maximize & minimize] * you can detach & reattach windows
I don't switch hands. I don't have problems. I suspect that I managed to avoid these problems because I clear up enough desk space to rest my entire forearm.
I've watched people type @ special typing tables, & it never looks comfortable or healthy. I honestly don't understand how those wrist things work for the keyboard.
I'm always trying to find a way to rest every part of my arm. When resting, my right hand fingers usually sit in between the arrow keys & the 6 keys above them. My left hand sits on the mouse or on the left side of the keyboard. I never leave it @ home row, unless I expect to start typing real soon.
By my book, for not giving a damn about what all of you mockers think, he's way more of a man than any of you will ever be.
Not giving a damn about what others might think is what makes a person a nerd & a loser. Giving a damn & making the best decision is what makes him a man. Even male ballet dancers wear dance belts. He said something about dressing up in costumes before. Was he just as immodest in those costumes? To be honest, just painting lines & clothes isn't that big of a deal.
Considering that he was the 1 who posted the story, I would say that he does give a damn what we think, but some people can't bring themselves to hear the negative criticism.
A warning of his genitals showing would have been nice, but maybe he was in denial. Maybe he didn't think it was noticable. Not all of us care to see men's genitals.
Use Linux. Insist on Linux software and *buy* it when it's available.
No!! They must give it to us for free!!! Just kidding. Just kidding. I agree with you. I'm actually trying to move away from open source software. I'm focusing more on open standards & standards compliance. But I digress...
Regarding Gentoo, there is a feature that allows us to install binary software that has no source available. You can install RealPlayer, & probably a few others. Some people will still complain, though.
I've actually considered writing Canadian tax software. The idea would be to give out the binaries for free on a bootable CD or floppy. This could be a way of getting my name out in the world. Selling it would be better, though. Another benefit of "free" binaries would be simply to help people through their taxes. I don't know about everybody else, but I find taxes stressful, because I don't want to break the laws, yet I find that there are situations where I honestly don't know what to fill in, & I'm not too sure how to ask for help. Like I said earlier, selling it would be better.
For those who are interested in writing Canadian tax software, I'd like to point out that the file formats are open & standardized. If you create software, then the government will send you about 20 fake income tax returns to test on your software. Once your software gets certified, then you get your company listed on their page. The entire process is free, so there is very little upfront risk. The only potential loss is your time, & whatever it took to create the code & binaries. If anybody wants to write Canadian tax software, then let me know. I'm interested in it as well.
Well, not anymore. I thought that I saw an instance of the spelling "Michelle" as a man's name. This could have been a misunderstanding @ the time, or just part of my imagination. I think part of my confusion may have come from the pronunciation of both names. If I understand correctly, they sound the same.
Hmm, even though I couldn't find any examples on Google, I decided to post that, because I seemed to remember examples of guys being called Michelle. However, I guess I was wrong.
In French, "Michelle", can be an man's name as well as a woman's name. The only clue that the author is a woman is the text @ the bottom. If that fellow's only fault is not reading the bottom, then I won't complain.
If you don't like it, extend it, fix it, or hire someone to do so. Don't dump your personal application requirements on community members who are just trying to share what they have.
But the thing is, they aren't just trying to share what they have. The open source community as a whole is trying to push for open source as the norm. They say that they aren't, & in some cases, they aren't. However, as a whole, they actually do want open source to be the norm.
That being said, I wish that she would have spent some time citing a few examples of what she didn't like. I personally find KDE very useful, & the instructions were delightful to read. I admit that I do have a background in working with computers, but it seemed to be way better than reading Gnome's instructions. If she doesn't cite good examples, then it all becomes meaningless. How are we to know that most people just haven't had a chance to use recent versions of KDE for an extended period of time? The fairest example would be a complete installation of Windows, KDE, & OS X, on fast computers, without any logos. The users should be forced to carry out specific tasks, then give comments & say which they would prefer for home & office.
Disclaimer: I haven't used a Mac lately, so I can't comment on that.
Sort of. I'm not surprised that it's becoming more main steam, but I haven't heard a complaint against Playboy in ages. It seems that posing in Playboy is becoming prestigious in all levels of society. A while ago, that didn't seem quite true.
I could be completely wrong. Somebody correct me or fill us in with what you've heard.
I think that he doesn't know what he is asking for. He mentions tables & coding. Why would he want to code and/or use tables, when he can just use CSS? Sure, CSS may not be easy, but it can't be harder than coding a whole new standard.
There was a passage in the Bible about not sowing mixed seeds, if I recall correctly. Nobody I know has come up with a reasonable benefit to that other than the Israelites being God's people & doing things differently. Apparently, maybe here is the answer. Maybe it all has something to do with the way that bad traits are spread throughout the crops.
If the Israelites wanted to experiment with a new breed of a crop, then sowing only that new breed without mixing it in with others would allow them to breed without the risk of negatively affecting everyone.
I'm just thinking out loud. This has odd implications.
I was just thinking, that since this discussion is focused on reusing old computers, then it is likely that the user won't want to dual boot. Maybe the installation process could be smoothed over by autopartitioning the drives. Since the software should be able to detect the amount of memory, it should also be able to estimate the amount of swap required.
As far as I can tell, the only partitions needed are/boot / swap/home [recommended]
Heh, whatever. I hope something happens soon, though.
Try The RULE Project. Their specs are different from yours, but the sentiment is there, & yes, they are trying to create a CD installer, with a gui. Another important factor is that they are trying to create a customized distribution that is up to date. Most small distributions are using old kernels & software that should no longer be used.
I should point out, though, that a gui should not be the only way to install. The important thing is whether or not there is feed back. I'm open to using a BASH script that explains why you have to do such-n-such or can't use this or that. I think that as long as the feed back is meaningful & much of it is automated, then they should be okay.
I must say, though, whether we're talking about MS or Linux, I can't imagine getting useful wordprocessors on those old computers. Browsers & email, maybe, but I don't know of any good Linux word processors for small computers. Maybe Corel would help?
If anybody creates a distro for small computers, then please put aside your GPL religion for a moment, & install Opera. It's faster, smaller & better than Mozilla. It's also allows users to customize style sheets for the web sites that they visit.
* get a free domain so that it's easy for people to find this & so that it won't cost you * don't have any email addresses [or as few as possible], so that it is easy to reject spam * list their credit card info & banking info, if possible * list their phone numbers if possible * list their fax numbers if possible * make the whole thing searchable, in case somebody wants to verify whether or not a particular person is a spammer
It's that same government attitude that compels them to build more roads. Instead of understanding that there's a limited supply of road space, labour & material, they just keep on building & spending. This attitude is consistant all across the political spectrum.
Slashdot Mirror
I'd like to thank everybody for their responses. I really appreciate hearing the bad stuff. There's really no need to learn everything the hard way!
Our company sells text based accounting software that has been made with FoxPro. Yes, we are moving into graphic software, but there still is a willingness to put up with this kind of stuff.
Text is all we need when dealing with numbers.
My advice is to sell the advantage of speed. Customers who want good accounting software will rather put up with a good text based system that is fast, than a good gui based system that is slow. Time is money. We just need to make it easier to use.
For those who are planning on making text based software, might I recommend Twin?
* it is text based
* has windows [like ncurses]
* has multitasking [unlike ncurses]
* uses the mouse
* has a desktop
* can work with X11
* has a window manager [yes, you can maximize & minimize]
* you can detach & reattach windows
I wish that there were more applications for it.
I don't switch hands. I don't have problems. I suspect that I managed to avoid these problems because I clear up enough desk space to rest my entire forearm.
I've watched people type @ special typing tables, & it never looks comfortable or healthy. I honestly don't understand how those wrist things work for the keyboard.
I'm always trying to find a way to rest every part of my arm. When resting, my right hand fingers usually sit in between the arrow keys & the 6 keys above them. My left hand sits on the mouse or on the left side of the keyboard. I never leave it @ home row, unless I expect to start typing real soon.
The main thing is to rest.
Thanks for pointing that out. It's hard for me to remember it.
Considering that he was the 1 who posted the story, I would say that he does give a damn what we think, but some people can't bring themselves to hear the negative criticism.
A warning of his genitals showing would have been nice, but maybe he was in denial. Maybe he didn't think it was noticable. Not all of us care to see men's genitals.
Note to the auto companies:
1.) attach to bottom of cars
2.) sell cars
3.) profit!!
Regarding Gentoo, there is a feature that allows us to install binary software that has no source available. You can install RealPlayer, & probably a few others. Some people will still complain, though.
I've actually considered writing Canadian tax software. The idea would be to give out the binaries for free on a bootable CD or floppy. This could be a way of getting my name out in the world. Selling it would be better, though. Another benefit of "free" binaries would be simply to help people through their taxes. I don't know about everybody else, but I find taxes stressful, because I don't want to break the laws, yet I find that there are situations where I honestly don't know what to fill in, & I'm not too sure how to ask for help. Like I said earlier, selling it would be better.
For those who are interested in writing Canadian tax software, I'd like to point out that the file formats are open & standardized. If you create software, then the government will send you about 20 fake income tax returns to test on your software. Once your software gets certified, then you get your company listed on their page. The entire process is free, so there is very little upfront risk. The only potential loss is your time, & whatever it took to create the code & binaries. If anybody wants to write Canadian tax software, then let me know. I'm interested in it as well.
I take back what I said.
Hmm, even though I couldn't find any examples on Google, I decided to post that, because I seemed to remember examples of guys being called Michelle. However, I guess I was wrong.
Do you speak French? How often? How fluently?
In French, "Michelle", can be an man's name as well as a woman's name. The only clue that the author is a woman is the text @ the bottom. If that fellow's only fault is not reading the bottom, then I won't complain.
That being said, I wish that she would have spent some time citing a few examples of what she didn't like. I personally find KDE very useful, & the instructions were delightful to read. I admit that I do have a background in working with computers, but it seemed to be way better than reading Gnome's instructions. If she doesn't cite good examples, then it all becomes meaningless. How are we to know that most people just haven't had a chance to use recent versions of KDE for an extended period of time? The fairest example would be a complete installation of Windows, KDE, & OS X, on fast computers, without any logos. The users should be forced to carry out specific tasks, then give comments & say which they would prefer for home & office.
Disclaimer: I haven't used a Mac lately, so I can't comment on that.
Sort of. I'm not surprised that it's becoming more main steam, but I haven't heard a complaint against Playboy in ages. It seems that posing in Playboy is becoming prestigious in all levels of society. A while ago, that didn't seem quite true.
I could be completely wrong. Somebody correct me or fill us in with what you've heard.
Actually, I don't listen much @ all to the news. There could a monolithic protest happening right now, & I wouldn't know any better.
To be honest, I thought that most of the complaints against Playboy were from quite a while ago. When was the most recent 1 that you heard of?
I agree. Oddly enough, I don't see many people complaining that Playboy portrays women unfairly.
I think that he doesn't know what he is asking for. He mentions tables & coding. Why would he want to code and/or use tables, when he can just use CSS? Sure, CSS may not be easy, but it can't be harder than coding a whole new standard.
There was a passage in the Bible about not sowing mixed seeds, if I recall correctly. Nobody I know has come up with a reasonable benefit to that other than the Israelites being God's people & doing things differently. Apparently, maybe here is the answer. Maybe it all has something to do with the way that bad traits are spread throughout the crops.
If the Israelites wanted to experiment with a new breed of a crop, then sowing only that new breed without mixing it in with others would allow them to breed without the risk of negatively affecting everyone.
I'm just thinking out loud. This has odd implications.
Wouldn't you rather make him pay for it?
1.) Find spammer.
2.) Castrate him.
3.) Add insult to injury: make him pay for it.
4.) Profit.
It would be fitting because he has been making us pay for his abusiveness.
I was just thinking, that since this discussion is focused on reusing old computers, then it is likely that the user won't want to dual boot. Maybe the installation process could be smoothed over by autopartitioning the drives. Since the software should be able to detect the amount of memory, it should also be able to estimate the amount of swap required.
/boot /home [recommended]
As far as I can tell, the only partitions needed are
/
swap
Heh, whatever. I hope something happens soon, though.
Try The RULE Project. Their specs are different from yours, but the sentiment is there, & yes, they are trying to create a CD installer, with a gui. Another important factor is that they are trying to create a customized distribution that is up to date. Most small distributions are using old kernels & software that should no longer be used.
I should point out, though, that a gui should not be the only way to install. The important thing is whether or not there is feed back. I'm open to using a BASH script that explains why you have to do such-n-such or can't use this or that. I think that as long as the feed back is meaningful & much of it is automated, then they should be okay.
I must say, though, whether we're talking about MS or Linux, I can't imagine getting useful wordprocessors on those old computers. Browsers & email, maybe, but I don't know of any good Linux word processors for small computers. Maybe Corel would help?
If anybody creates a distro for small computers, then please put aside your GPL religion for a moment, & install Opera. It's faster, smaller & better than Mozilla. It's also allows users to customize style sheets for the web sites that they visit.
* get a free domain so that it's easy for people to find this & so that it won't cost you
* don't have any email addresses [or as few as possible], so that it is easy to reject spam
* list their credit card info & banking info, if possible
* list their phone numbers if possible
* list their fax numbers if possible
* make the whole thing searchable, in case somebody wants to verify whether or not a particular person is a spammer
No, we own guns & baseball bats. Why do you ask?
I wonder if we can install Linux in a dead spammer. It wouldn't be environmentally unfriendly, & it wouldn't be disrespectful.
It's that same government attitude that compels them to build more roads. Instead of understanding that there's a limited supply of road space, labour & material, they just keep on building & spending. This attitude is consistant all across the political spectrum.
Is that pronounced, "W-eye-nucks", or "Wi-nucks" [with a soft "i"]?
Clippy says:
I see that you are spelling incorrectly. Shall I help you fill in a licensing request form to unlock your W key?