What turned me off of Altavista was when the news hit that they were selling the top 10 results for certain searches to companies for advertising purposes. I noticed it seemed to be true, and when I do a search I'm usually NOT looking for a company's webpage.
Ah, but Google has ads in the latest issues of Fortune where they are selling the same thing.
I should point out that, while Google is great and my personal choice, we should all be aware that they're running ads in Fortune advertising how companies can get "their words" (two line ads) in the search engine results.
I'm quite serious.
I'll still use it, cause it is better, but it's not all that you think it is.
While I think you're right that we should stress "Free" when talking to consumers/users, we need to be careful in how we say it.
Many people associate free with less quality. We need to imply both Free and Better. In fact, that is what we should say:
"Open Source Software is both Free and Better than closed source."
When talking to corporations, trying to convince them to use open source, you need to talk about "lower cost to maintain and operate" and "lower cost to purchase". They won't be getting it free, as they will pay for service contracts and documentation and training. But it is true that it is Less Expensive and Better.
It's all about the marketing. That and a little brute force piracy won Bill G the keys to the kingdowm.
actually, if you read the article, it's aimed more at the business side, rather than the home gamer side. If you want that look into the new thing from mandrake/transgaming, or get the transgaming source via cvs from sourceforge.
Or you could look at the original post and realize that the consumer reaction is going to be just what mine is.
Do we care what the name is? No.
Is it Linux? Yes.
Is it pure? No.
Will it sell like hotcakes? Yes.
Will I probably get the mandrake/transgaming distro since I mostly play The Sims? Yes.
Will I pay retail? Yes.
Can game designers actually write Linux games? Sure.
Will game designers actually write Linux games? Well... some will, but most won't. On the other hand, were they writing any before?
Will more people use Linux more often due to this? Yes.
Face it, I want to play games. If it means I get Linux and can play Windows games, I'm happy.
Is it pure? No.
Do I or most consumers care? No.
Will it sell like hotcakes, more than XP? Yes.
Better targetted ads, not popups or popunders
on
Slashdot Updates
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· Score: 1
I'd second this. I don't mind semi-relevant ads (although those flashing ones I get on Yahoo! really bug me, and that means I won't buy their products).
I would like to be able to check a box that says SPORTS and then noone tries to sell me SPORTS.
Mostly, it's people who, like Bill Gates, believe in IP as if it were equal to any other right. So find companies whose livelihood depends upon defending Intellectual Property as opposed to reasonable use and other such uses.
I would tend to, therefore, look at:
1. Microsoft - Bill G started off writing letters complaining about people "pirating" "his" source code - and their business model is based on this;
2. IBM - might have to go back a few years here;
3. Oracle - might have to go back a few years here;
4. RIAA - many of the same arguments used on music;
5. Disney - who have been behind many of the IP battles with copyright; and
6. pharmaceutical companies - who depend upon IP for patent extensions.
I'm sure there are more, so check the industry mags on this - some trade mags that are industry friendly would help here.
While it may be true that some of these are now pro open source, they were not always so. And during the formative years in the last decade, they helped create (and then linked to) many such articles.
(Caveat - I own shares in many of these companies)
computer terrorism - right now we here in the US are depending on our European friends to do the right thing and enforce privacy rights and slap MSFT silly, since we won't.
And we could use a little help from our Canadian friends - start using the Electronic Privacy Act that became enforceable in January 1, 2001, to reclaim your right to privacy. Use it against US firms, so that we in the US have our constitutional right to privacy.
In the meantime, all the nice American politicians will keep taking campaign donations from MSFT and other such ilk and taking away our constitutional rights...
They're not bugs, they're features!
on
Linux Kernel Bugs
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· Score: 1
Remember, we can make money off the bug fix... um, upgrade to the next "version".
The only way I see this working is if they place a hold on your credit card for the value of the camera. The problem is, most people won't want a $300+ hold on their card just for this.
Besides, at $10 to $20 per use, you could've bought your own unlimited use digital camera after 15 or so uses of which you would probably need 4 or so uses per trip. It just doesn't pay.
Well, whenever I rent skiis, they put a hold on the credit card, so I don't see how that's any different. Note I bought some, after I decided on which kind of skiis I liked the best and what features mattered.
But I don't use a camera all that often. So it would save me money, and be a lot easier than worrying I'd buy one that got outmoded quickly. If I found I was doing it too often, I'd try it out as a rental first, and then buy one. Maybe even buy a used one.
Seriously, I'd love to rent a high-end digital camera, cause I can't justify wasting more than $300 on buying something I don't use that often.
But I'd love to rent one when I have guests from out of town, fill it up with pictures of us doing the town, take it back and get the pictures.
Will they be offering those digital movie cameras too? This is something I'd also be willing to rent, take it on a short trip, maybe film a ski trip with friends, then turn it in.
Which is not Redmond, by the way, we're on the other side of Lake Washington, which has cities on islands in it.
I've heard of some at the UW, think there's some around Phinney Ridge, Fremont, and Ballard, and some on Capitol Hill and Belltown. Speakeasy.org has some connections and there are free terminals to the freenets at some of the local cafes.
I even think two of the nine candidates for mayor are involved in this.
The problem here is that we are confusing the following:
We have a problem with non-citizens threatening the US. We do not have a problem with citizens threatening the US (apologies to the McVeighs, you're just not that threatening, baby...).
So the CEOs and their Senate servants want us to give up our constitutional rights when we aren't the problem.
The obvious solution is that only non-citizens need National ID cards, not US citizens.
Unless someone held a Constitutional Congress or passed a Constitutional Amendment when I wasn't looking....
We, the slaves, in order to more perfectly serve our corporate masters, consent by not doing anything to the removal of our constitutional rights to Liberty, Freedom, and the Pursuit of Happiness. In addition, we agree to the suspension of our constitutional rights to freedom from unusual search and seizure, the lack of proper posted warrants in the removal of those rights, and the extensions of patents and copyrights beyond the time periods specified in that Constitution.
Man, it's got to be that Wesley Crusher dude we were asking questions of. I told him to keep his stinking sweater away from my motherboard, but he was all "I'm in StarFleet, I'm Special" and all that.
At least I kept him away from the daughterboard...
They're in the Fremont neighborhood in Seattle - I'll bet they'll find this quite interesting.
Re:Time to use their own techniques in reply
on
RIAA to DoS Pirates?
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· Score: 1
...and then, sue them.
What, you don't have as much money as the organization you're suing? Oh, well, life's a bitch.
Using the DCMA for snipe hunts only involves getting a small claims court judge to agree that there might be a violation. That means I can then go on a destructive DoS search within the RIAA orgs to make sure they're not using my s/w.
Justice is sweet. And cheaper than you think. Especially when you don't have much to lose...
Seriously, remember that RIAA uses the DCMA to proactively shut down services on a system that has "their" music/software.
What's to keep someone from doing some code with a segment declaration making it free open source except for RIAA or other such entities.
Bury it in an app they're likely to want, and then when it's there go on a destructive search for it.
I used to write free software for various campaigns. All such code had declarations embedded in the final executable and the declaration file (somewhere in the file structure, linked from the main copyright grant) which made it free for all except people or organizations working against feminism.
The same thing applies. Use their techniques against them, use DCMA in a no-holds-barred way to inflict injury to them and simultaneously point out how deeply flawed DCMA is.
That reminds me, need to go on a looksee to see if someone's using my code...
Re:Lets see if they get it right this time
on
MySQL 4.0 Released
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· Score: 2
But which SQL standard? ANSI SQL/89, SQL/92? I mean, even Oracle and DB2 don't implement the standards totally verbatim in syntax, although they both advertise as ANSI SQL compliant.
Keep in mind that not everyone is a gamer. I myself find it rare that I have time to sit down and play anything for more than a few minutes.
As a programmer and producivity user, how does your list change to offer suggestions to them? I think you will find CPU speed and SMP support to be much higher.
Nope. I think only #2 and #3 were affected (video card and sound card) by not being a gamer.
As a programmer, that still puts CPU speed above 1GHz at #5, way way down on the list. You really need a wider Net connection, faster bus speed, faster disk access and memory way more than you need the teeny tiny gain from a faster CPU.
Note this does not apply to graphics designers or people who spend 80 percent of their time compiling. But most of us spend 90 percent or more time coding, not compiling. And even then, RAM will pay off way more than chip speed.
So, best advice is to save the bucks. And this goes double for Intel.
Caveat: I own AMD stock so I'm biased. Which means you should buy the fastest, most expensive AMD chips you can...
The only thing that matters is as follows (in rank order):
1. Bandwidth - face it, email and the web are king. Unless you're a gamer.
2. Video Card - if you're a gamer, you're better off spending your money on this and making sure it has tons of cache.
3. Sound Card - if you're a gamer, you're better off spending the rest of your money on this. The rest of us don't care, so skip this.
4. Memory - more, more, more. Yes, even more.
5. Bus speed - more channel so those CPUs can actually send more data.
6. Hard disk - you really should have more RAM, but once that's crammed, get better seek and access times here.
6. Chip speed - WAY DOWN HERE! - yes, if you maxed on all the above, then you MIGHT notice the difference between a 1GHz and 1.8GHz system. Otherwise, unless you're a graphics artist, YOU SHOULDN'T WASTE YOUR MONEY!
Naturally, when people review systems, they compare older systems with slower bus speed, less RAM, slower HD, and cheaper cards to new systems with faster H/W. Buy the motherboard and cards yourself and pop in a slower chip and spend the extra money on RAM - you will get way more bang for your buck that way.
Aside - I own AMD shares, so sure, go buy these speed demons! But don't do it because you have to, do it because you know you just like BIG NUMBERS.
Remember, you have to stand up for the little guy. The costs for a major corporation for patents and licensing fees for a standard may not be great, but for a non-profit or a small business they are. And for free software developers, they're astronomical.
Slashdot Mirror
What turned me off of Altavista was when the news hit that they were selling the top 10 results for certain searches to companies for advertising purposes. I noticed it seemed to be true, and when I do a search I'm usually NOT looking for a company's webpage.
Ah, but Google has ads in the latest issues of Fortune where they are selling the same thing.
Sad, but true.
I should point out that, while Google is great and my personal choice, we should all be aware that they're running ads in Fortune advertising how companies can get "their words" (two line ads) in the search engine results.
I'm quite serious.
I'll still use it, cause it is better, but it's not all that you think it is.
While I think you're right that we should stress "Free" when talking to consumers/users, we need to be careful in how we say it.
Many people associate free with less quality. We need to imply both Free and Better. In fact, that is what we should say:
"Open Source Software is both Free and Better than closed source."
When talking to corporations, trying to convince them to use open source, you need to talk about "lower cost to maintain and operate" and "lower cost to purchase". They won't be getting it free, as they will pay for service contracts and documentation and training. But it is true that it is Less Expensive and Better.
It's all about the marketing. That and a little brute force piracy won Bill G the keys to the kingdowm.
actually, if you read the article, it's aimed more at the business side, rather than the home gamer side. If you want that look into the new thing from mandrake/transgaming, or get the transgaming source via cvs from sourceforge.
... some will, but most won't. On the other hand, were they writing any before?
/. be upset at all the newbies? Yes.
Or you could look at the original post and realize that the consumer reaction is going to be just what mine is.
Do we care what the name is? No.
Is it Linux? Yes.
Is it pure? No.
Will it sell like hotcakes? Yes.
Will I probably get the mandrake/transgaming distro since I mostly play The Sims? Yes.
Will I pay retail? Yes.
Can game designers actually write Linux games? Sure.
Will game designers actually write Linux games? Well
Will more people use Linux more often due to this? Yes.
Will trufen
Face it, I want to play games. If it means I get Linux and can play Windows games, I'm happy.
Is it pure? No.
Do I or most consumers care? No.
Will it sell like hotcakes, more than XP? Yes.
I'd second this. I don't mind semi-relevant ads (although those flashing ones I get on Yahoo! really bug me, and that means I won't buy their products).
I would like to be able to check a box that says SPORTS and then noone tries to sell me SPORTS.
Because I'm just not interested.
Will
First, ask yourself who opposes it:
Mostly, it's people who, like Bill Gates, believe in IP as if it were equal to any other right. So find companies whose livelihood depends upon defending Intellectual Property as opposed to reasonable use and other such uses.
I would tend to, therefore, look at:
1. Microsoft - Bill G started off writing letters complaining about people "pirating" "his" source code - and their business model is based on this;
2. IBM - might have to go back a few years here;
3. Oracle - might have to go back a few years here;
4. RIAA - many of the same arguments used on music;
5. Disney - who have been behind many of the IP battles with copyright; and
6. pharmaceutical companies - who depend upon IP for patent extensions.
I'm sure there are more, so check the industry mags on this - some trade mags that are industry friendly would help here.
While it may be true that some of these are now pro open source, they were not always so. And during the formative years in the last decade, they helped create (and then linked to) many such articles.
(Caveat - I own shares in many of these companies)
computer terrorism - right now we here in the US are depending on our European friends to do the right thing and enforce privacy rights and slap MSFT silly, since we won't.
...
And we could use a little help from our Canadian friends - start using the Electronic Privacy Act that became enforceable in January 1, 2001, to reclaim your right to privacy. Use it against US firms, so that we in the US have our constitutional right to privacy.
In the meantime, all the nice American politicians will keep taking campaign donations from MSFT and other such ilk and taking away our constitutional rights
Remember, we can make money off the bug fix ... um, upgrade to the next "version".
...
Oh, wait, we're not Microsoft.
Never mind
The only way I see this working is if they place a hold on your credit card for the value of the camera. The problem is, most people won't want a $300+ hold on their card just for this.
Besides, at $10 to $20 per use, you could've bought your own unlimited use digital camera after 15 or so uses of which you would probably need 4 or so uses per trip. It just doesn't pay.
Well, whenever I rent skiis, they put a hold on the credit card, so I don't see how that's any different. Note I bought some, after I decided on which kind of skiis I liked the best and what features mattered.
But I don't use a camera all that often. So it would save me money, and be a lot easier than worrying I'd buy one that got outmoded quickly. If I found I was doing it too often, I'd try it out as a rental first, and then buy one. Maybe even buy a used one.
Seriously, I'd love to rent a high-end digital camera, cause I can't justify wasting more than $300 on buying something I don't use that often.
But I'd love to rent one when I have guests from out of town, fill it up with pictures of us doing the town, take it back and get the pictures.
Will they be offering those digital movie cameras too? This is something I'd also be willing to rent, take it on a short trip, maybe film a ski trip with friends, then turn it in.
Which is not Redmond, by the way, we're on the other side of Lake Washington, which has cities on islands in it.
I've heard of some at the UW, think there's some around Phinney Ridge, Fremont, and Ballard, and some on Capitol Hill and Belltown. Speakeasy.org has some connections and there are free terminals to the freenets at some of the local cafes.
I even think two of the nine candidates for mayor are involved in this.
The problem here is that we are confusing the following:
...).
....
We have a problem with non-citizens threatening the US. We do not have a problem with citizens threatening the US (apologies to the McVeighs, you're just not that threatening, baby
So the CEOs and their Senate servants want us to give up our constitutional rights when we aren't the problem.
The obvious solution is that only non-citizens need National ID cards, not US citizens.
Unless someone held a Constitutional Congress or passed a Constitutional Amendment when I wasn't looking
Let me see if I get this straight.
We, the slaves, in order to more perfectly serve our corporate masters, consent by not doing anything to the removal of our constitutional rights to Liberty, Freedom, and the Pursuit of Happiness. In addition, we agree to the suspension of our constitutional rights to freedom from unusual search and seizure, the lack of proper posted warrants in the removal of those rights, and the extensions of patents and copyrights beyond the time periods specified in that Constitution.
I don't think so.
You have to fight for your right to party!
Man, it's got to be that Wesley Crusher dude we were asking questions of. I told him to keep his stinking sweater away from my motherboard, but he was all "I'm in StarFleet, I'm Special" and all that.
...
At least I kept him away from the daughterboard
Um.. how would one expect to play PSO without a modem or ethernet connection?
You mean it doesn't have a modem or ethernet connection yet.
But then, I own 500 shares of Nintendo (ok, my son owns 50 of the 500, but I vote them).
They're in the Fremont neighborhood in Seattle - I'll bet they'll find this quite interesting.
...and then, sue them.
...
What, you don't have as much money as the organization you're suing? Oh, well, life's a bitch.
Using the DCMA for snipe hunts only involves getting a small claims court judge to agree that there might be a violation. That means I can then go on a destructive DoS search within the RIAA orgs to make sure they're not using my s/w.
Justice is sweet. And cheaper than you think. Especially when you don't have much to lose
Hmm, makes you wonder if they're going to push email and web access with that baby, no?
Yup, you can see where they expect to make money.
Why buy a PC?
Seriously, remember that RIAA uses the DCMA to proactively shut down services on a system that has "their" music/software.
...
What's to keep someone from doing some code with a segment declaration making it free open source except for RIAA or other such entities.
Bury it in an app they're likely to want, and then when it's there go on a destructive search for it.
I used to write free software for various campaigns. All such code had declarations embedded in the final executable and the declaration file (somewhere in the file structure, linked from the main copyright grant) which made it free for all except people or organizations working against feminism.
The same thing applies. Use their techniques against them, use DCMA in a no-holds-barred way to inflict injury to them and simultaneously point out how deeply flawed DCMA is.
That reminds me, need to go on a looksee to see if someone's using my code
But which SQL standard? ANSI SQL/89, SQL/92? I mean, even Oracle and DB2 don't implement the standards totally verbatim in syntax, although they both advertise as ANSI SQL compliant.
Keep in mind that not everyone is a gamer. I myself find it rare that I have time to sit down and play anything for more than a few minutes.
...
As a programmer and producivity user, how does your list change to offer suggestions to them? I think you will find CPU speed and SMP support to be much higher.
Nope. I think only #2 and #3 were affected (video card and sound card) by not being a gamer.
As a programmer, that still puts CPU speed above 1GHz at #5, way way down on the list. You really need a wider Net connection, faster bus speed, faster disk access and memory way more than you need the teeny tiny gain from a faster CPU.
Note this does not apply to graphics designers or people who spend 80 percent of their time compiling. But most of us spend 90 percent or more time coding, not compiling. And even then, RAM will pay off way more than chip speed.
So, best advice is to save the bucks. And this goes double for Intel.
Caveat: I own AMD stock so I'm biased. Which means you should buy the fastest, most expensive AMD chips you can
The only thing that matters is as follows (in rank order):
1. Bandwidth - face it, email and the web are king. Unless you're a gamer.
2. Video Card - if you're a gamer, you're better off spending your money on this and making sure it has tons of cache.
3. Sound Card - if you're a gamer, you're better off spending the rest of your money on this. The rest of us don't care, so skip this.
4. Memory - more, more, more. Yes, even more.
5. Bus speed - more channel so those CPUs can actually send more data.
6. Hard disk - you really should have more RAM, but once that's crammed, get better seek and access times here.
6. Chip speed - WAY DOWN HERE! - yes, if you maxed on all the above, then you MIGHT notice the difference between a 1GHz and 1.8GHz system. Otherwise, unless you're a graphics artist, YOU SHOULDN'T WASTE YOUR MONEY!
Naturally, when people review systems, they compare older systems with slower bus speed, less RAM, slower HD, and cheaper cards to new systems with faster H/W. Buy the motherboard and cards yourself and pop in a slower chip and spend the extra money on RAM - you will get way more bang for your buck that way.
Aside - I own AMD shares, so sure, go buy these speed demons! But don't do it because you have to, do it because you know you just like BIG NUMBERS.
Cool, Bruce!
Remember, you have to stand up for the little guy. The costs for a major corporation for patents and licensing fees for a standard may not be great, but for a non-profit or a small business they are. And for free software developers, they're astronomical.
Death to Ridiculous Patent Laws!
NO -- Microsoft is a corporation who's primary job is to generate value for it's shareholders.
Nothing more. Nothing less.
And a fairly efficient one at that.
Um, I'm a shareholder of Microsoft, and it's still funny. Man, you guys are way too serious.
In real life, an ID card probably wouldn't prove much use. Better border and student visa controls for non-citizens might, on the other hand.