If the radiance of a thousand suns
Were to burst at once into the sky
That would be like the splendour of the Mighty one
I am become Death,
The shatterer of Worlds.
Bhagavad Gita
I believe it is from Hindu beliefs from the birth if Shiva the Destroyer, or the God of Transformation.
But these days, it's not the Hindu connection that is well known, but rather the connection to J. Robert Oppenheimer. On seeing the first atomic explosion in the Nevada desert he said "I am become death, the destroyer of worlds". A very chilling and appropriate quote if you ask me.
Please, *please*, please learn to spell. 3 enormous spelling errors in your first 14 words: pro-bon, loywer, essentiallie. You must know your spelling is bad, so do us the courtesy of checking it over before subjecting the rest of us to it.
The question then becomes, can you do better writing closed-source software?
Obviously for some applications you can. One of the prime examples of this is games. Games are highly optimized, one-off efforts involving a lot of artistic work. While I think FreeCIV is great, It is years behind the commercial Civilization games.
But what about a peer-to-peer file sharing program? File sharing applications don't typically involve much artistic work, don't involve deep optimizations or rare specialized knowledge. This means if your application is successful it is relatively easy for a group of open-source developers to make a work-alike program, and if that becomes a success to keep improving on it until the original is no longer able to compete.
Here's my opinion on the whole world of software development. In the very early days, when programming was a dark art and computers were rare, there wasn't too much distinction between closed source and open source. Programs were often written by one person and were generally pretty specialized. Nobody sold much code because there was no major consumer market for it. Then computers became much more commonplace, while programmers were still rare. This meant that closed-source software was a natural fit. You could make lots of money with even a so-so application (like say, I dunno, DOS? *grin*) because there wasn't much competition. Applications were also still pretty specialized, and if you wanted to collaborate on software, outside a University it wasn't necessarily easy to find other people who also wanted to work on the same thing. These days there are lots of programmers out there, and an easy way for them to communicate and collaborate. The niche of closed-source applications is getting smaller and smaller.
I think for file-sharing applications, the battle has already been won (or lost, depending on your point of view). Internet server applications are probably the current battleground. I think open-source has largely won on the Internet and is gaining ground rapidly in corporate networks. MS Office still has a major lead over OpenOffice and the like, however with the high cost of MS Office that might not last. These days, unless your product involves specialized knowledge, intense artistic work, or has a very small niche its viability as a closed-source product is small and contracting.
The tough thing is, it is hard to make a living writing open-source software. When you're required to give your code away for free, how do you make money writing it? The main way I can see is corporate sponsorship.
Big corporations always need software, and sometimes they get very little value from restricting others from using it as well. If a huge company like say Exxon Mobil were to switch from MS based software to Linux based software they could save a lot of money in licensing. But they may think that a certain aspect of Linux lags behind the Windows equivalent. They could assign a small team of developers to focus on that aspect and improve it. The work these developers are doing may not give Exxon Mobil a competitive advantage over the other oil companies, so they might decide to release the changes under the GPL and receive peer review on the changes, bugfixes and other improvements that come from outside the company, and some good publicity for helping the community. Because they only distribute the changes internally, they would also have the option of keeping the source internal and never releasing the changes, but there are times when that isn't the best option.
Any dissenting views? What types of applications will still continue to succeed as closed-source applications for years to come? Does anybody think that, even with all the GPLed code out there, open source / free software is just a fad that won't last?
I've seen this a few places and still don't get it. How is a device which uses batteries more environmentally friendly than what it's intended to replace: walking?
Exactly when did I, or anyone else, claim that Linux was the best OS in the world? I don't think everyone should use it.
I think the best modern OS is the Mac OS. It has the nice Unix subsystem that I love with a great UI.
I'll keep claiming that Microsoft sucks because they do. They have a monopoly that they have been found guilty of abusing. They engage in predatory business practices and overall hurt their consumers more than they help them. Their software is very unstable and prone to serious security vulnerabilities. Their UI has serious usability issues...
As for RedHat (as a typical Linux-based OS), it's got its own problems. The most awful one being the UI. It is inconsistent and unpredictable. While the underlying OS is rock-solid, the UI is really flakey. But it's free, and it's still better than Windows for what I use it for.
Feel free to keep calling it crap. If you bought it and you think you didn't get what you paid for, take it up with the company you bought it from. If you didn't buy it, feel free to rant on random bulletin boards about how awful it is. Use it or don't use it, see if anyone cares.
And what can you do with your computer today? 20 years ago you could work on your visicalc spreadsheet, you could maybe play a game or 2 on your Vic 20.
These days you can edit home movies, serve and browse web sites, look at nearly photorealistic 3d. Play multiplayer online games with force-feedback devices. Store, trade and play thousands of music files.
If you want a computer that's easy to use and is no hassle, get a WebTV box, or get a console, or hey, even get a Mac. It's not like the PC is your only option.
The computer has become more complicated because it does more! It's not like a toaster that essentially hasn't changed in the last 20 years.
Giving you something that's can do thousands of times as many things with only a slightly more complicated interface is a pretty big achievement.
And why the hell should the "Open Source Community" step up to the so-called "plate" and make you an OS that you find easy to use? If the average person finds that Linux is better than Windows, hey, that's great, let them use it. If they don't, I'm pretty sure that Linus won't cry himself to sleep. If the interface to something bothers you so much why don't you stop complaining and fix it. You do realize that open-source means that the source is out there, you just have to go get it and make it work the way you want, right?
Ok, waitaminute. How much did you pay for Linux? Nothing? Ok, so your CD-RW diesn't work. Have you tried to write a driver for it? Have you offered to help pay for someone to develop a driver for it? Have you done anything other than whine that it still isn't supported?
As for your poor fiancee who can't use her favorite websites, poor girl, what sites does she use? Hotmail? MSN.com? AttackMeScriptKiddies.com?
Nearly every site I want to use works in Linux as well as it does in Windows using Mozilla.
As for configuring drivers and stuff, let me tell you about the fun I've had with Windows:
Install Windows (reboot)
Install Windows updates (reboot)
Install more Windows updates that for some reason weren't able to be downloaded with the first set (reboot)
Find and download video card drivers (reboot)
Find out my video card still isn't working properly, spend a few hours hunting down the fact I need to install some motherboard / chipset drivers that somehow aren't included (reboot)
Find and download sound card drivers (reboot)
Get annoyed because my system is crashing all the time when I'm using AGP-intensive software, try to figure out why, discover that I have to patch the registry to get my AGP card to work properly (reboot)
Keep trying to track down something that keeps making my machine keep hanging up completely (10 hours or so so far this week)...
Compare that to RedHat 8.0: most things worked from the start with the default kernel, and when I needed to change most settings I didn't have to reboot.
So your poor fiancee will have to choose "save as" from the office applications to get it in a format she can send to her friends. Boo Hoo.
Re:There ought to be a law...
on
As the Spam Turns
·
· Score: 3, Insightful
Are you on crack?
The whole thorny issue with spam is that it's hard to stop. If it were as simple as requiring that "spam" have a special identifier it would have been done long ago. There are three major problems with this:
Spam is hard to identify, is it spam when you fill in a form to download some software and you get annoying email because you (maybe) forgot to tick the "don't send me email" box?
Spammers will ignore a law that hurts their bottom line, and when confronted they will use #1 saying they're not sending spam, they're sending opt-in mailings or something similar.
Spam is an annoyance so law-enforcement entities, if they bother investigating it at all, puts it way at the bottom of their list of priorities.
What you're suggesting is equivalent to making a law that any pool-shark warn the people he plays that he's a pool-shark. What would happen? Would pool-sharks actually start telling people "I'm a pool-shark, and I'm required to warn you of that before we play, still want to play?" No! They'd just find a way around the law by becoming "secret pool teachers" or "very lucky players".
I have a mountain bike. It's called a Kona. Nearly every component I interact with is made by Shimano. When I accelerate I push on Shimano pedals. When I change gears it's with Shimano gearshifts moving Shimano derailleurs. When I brake my hands squeeze Shimano brake levers.
Why do I call the bike a Kona if everything I touch is made by Shimano? Because it is Kona who assembles it and chooses the components. If they felt another company's products were better, they'd use them instead.
I happen to call the Linux-kernel-based OS I use "RedHat" because they're the ones who assemble it. When I talk about Linux, I am referring to the set of all operating systems that use the Linux kernel. Right now they also happen to use mostly GNU tools, but not exclusively.
If I were a hardcore biker, and really loved my Shimano components, I might decide to call my bike a Shimano/Kona. If I did that, I'd probably get some strange looks from people. I'd probably deserve those strange looks. But if Shimano came up to me and said "Er, it looks like you really use a lot of our components. You really should refer to your bike as a Shimano/bike," my reaction would probably be to start finding other components to use.
These are my own views, and I have no idea how they compare with others, but I'm going to keep calling the system Linux. Oh, and btw, in case you think this is an ad for Shimano, you're wrong. If I weren't so lazy I'd probably get around to getting some better components for my bike -- Shimano is definitely not the ideal for certain parts, but I tend to upgrade my OSes more than my bike these days.
So lemme get this straight -- this guy is a CS prof at MIT, home of the FSF. He voluntarily agreed to testify on Microsoft's behalf, and then didn't know the difference between an operating system and a desktop environment?
Man, this guy's courses must be popular! I bet you really have to fight to get in to: "Introduction to flicking on the power switch thingy 101" and "How to click on the start menu 304"
Kids under 10 years old don't go two to a seat on a plane or in a movie theater, nor do they have special smaller seats for kids... If people paid for the space they take up, then how come I always end up sitting next to some lard-ass whose belly overflows the armrest and starts squeezing me?
That's the way PalmOS computers work today. There is no difference between your short-term storage and your long-term storage. That's why, with a Palm application, when you enter an event or click a checkbox, you don't have to "save" the results, because it's all in the same memory area.
Sure, you have the legal right to peacefully assemble, but when the police crack down on the peacefully assembled terr^H^H^H^Hprotestors, it's less likely to cause a fuss.
Do it right, apparently they essentially ignore you unless you jump through a lot of hoops:
Objections that do not conform to the directions set out in this notice will be dealt with as letters of comments; the person filing them will not be considered as a formal objector.
Objections must briefly state the reasons therefor, and must indicate the name, address, telephone number, facsimile number and electronic mail address of the objector. The objection must also contain the following declarations: I intend to participate actively to the process leading to the certification of the private copying tariff. Consequently, this constitutes my formal objection to the proposed statement filed by CPCC. I have read the information set out in the Boardís notice published in the Canada Gazette on March 9, 2002 with CPCCís proposed statement. I understand the duties that I undertake as an objector and intend to abide by them. Objections must also state if the objector intends to participate in the pre-hearing conference to be held on Thursday, May 23, 2002 at 10:00 a.m., the object of which is set out below. Where possible, the Board asks that all comments and objections be sent by electronic mail.
So if you are Canadian and don't want to be ignored, follow all the steps and become a formal objector, and read the info on what are reasonable grounds for objection. Apparently they won't even consider your objection if you say "people who can prove they aren't pirating music shouldn't be subject to these levies". You might get somewhere, however, if you talk about software backup, digital photography, etc.
When a matter particle comes into contact with an antimatter particle, they annihilate each other and produce kinetic energy.
Actually no. Kinetic energy is an abstraction related to momentum. When matter and anti-matter collide they produce photons, gamma particles, according to the formula E=MC^2.
But because no one knows where to find the antimatter, it has to be created.
It's not that it's lost and nobody knows where to find it. Anti-matter is pretty uncommon, at least in our pocket of the Universe. Anti-matter in tiny quantities is always being produced by nuclear decay, but since it's surrounded by regular matter, it annihilates very quickly producing gamma rays.
I know it's CNN, but c'mon -- if you're doing a piece on antimatter, at least have a scientist look it over before you publish it.
Much as I find the New York Times' registration scheme and their editorial bias annoying, I doubt they'd print a headline with a misspelling like "Ferrel"
Jones! What's that on your desk! A picture of your family?!? What are you doing keeping personal items on your desk!! And beside it? A cup of coffee? That doesn't look like the company standard-issue model XV-37 coffee mug! And that pen over there, I don't think that was issued by company stores....
C'mon.. people are going to have personal information on their work PCs, just like they have personal items on and in their desks, etc.
Now unless you think it's ok to keep a Hustler magazine on your desk at work, you shouldn't have porn on your computer at work. But if some guy has a love letter from his wife saved in a file on his disk, what's wrong with that? It's no different from keeping a birthday card from her in a desk drawer.
If the police have a search warrant, then of course the bosses should let them search anything it covers. But I would hope that if police came to my workplace and politely asked if they could rummage through my desk, or look through my computer, my bosses would politely decline.
Besides, most reasonable employers know that their employees do things not directly related to work fairly often. They'll call to check up on dinner plans, call the plumber to make an appointment, etc. While this isn't work related, getting these short items done with can increase a worker's productivity because he/she is no longer distracted by these errands he/she has to do after work. It's a matter of balance.
No question, giving it to the Open Source projects would make a much bigger difference.
Here you already have people who are at the top of their field, yet who are essentially donating their time. Many also have day jobs so they can do the things they're passionate for at night. With this kind of money they could focus all their efforts on producing high quality Open Source software.
I don't think you'd have to worry too much about seeing the money misspent -- afterall, if these people were in it for the money they probably wouldn't be giving away their IP.
The extra money could be spent to hire GUI designers, testers, etc. Making up for the gaps that currently exist in the development models.
Giving it to schools, well, sure, there would be some benefits, but I don't think they'd be anywhere near as significant. First off, teachers unions would probably not allow new teachers to be hired at double their salaries, so all teachers would have to be paid more, not just the new superstar teachers. Among the new people applying to become teachers would probably be some amazing people, but you'd probably also end up with a lot of people who just see the dollars.
Anyhow, eventually you would end up with some good teachers, perhaps much better than current teachers. This would no doubt improve the quality of the education kids receive. You could also make sure that books are up to date, and classrooms aren't dangerous.
But you'd still have dumb kids. Not all of them, but no matter how great the teachers are, you'll still end up with some kids who insist on being "rebels" and not paying attention, doing their work, etc. Hopefully though, at the end, you'd end up giving some great kids a chance.
If these kids use this boost properly they may one day become wonderfully productive members of society, maybe even Open Source developers. But maybe not. Maybe by that time MS will have become so powerful that Linux is a word you see in history CD-ROMS put out by ms.gov
I just can't help feeling that with the current system, giving the money directly to current Open Source developers would make a bigger difference in the long run. Schools and education are very important, but so is Open Source software, and saving the world from MS.
X-10 based home automation stuff, of course not from x-10.com, their ads are far too annoying (not that I've seen one since I installed junkbuster, but I still remember). Maybe from
another source.
An iPod would be nice, but too expensive, and while my MP3 player only holds 64 MB, that's enough for now.
I'm considering a Playstation 2, if the price drops. Why not an X-box?
Tekken 3, Tag Tournament, and 4
Soul Calibur 2
Gran Turismo 3
Metal Gear Solid 2
Final Fantasy X
...
Another idea -- maybe I'll buy myself an Apple iBook. I'll be able to choose either OS X or Linux. Not too overpriced, and cool looking...
Of course there's always Lego Mindstorms, or just plain Lego. Some of that advanced "Technics" stuff is pretty cool.
I also want a DVD player, though if I get a PS/2 that might do for a while. I've also thought about getting a surround sound system...
I already have that, through
DSL Communications. They also didn't blink when I said I was going to run it off a Linux server, they just suggested where to get the software. If you're somewhere they cover, consider them.
Slashdot Mirror
If the radiance of a thousand suns
Were to burst at once into the sky
That would be like the splendour of the Mighty one
I am become Death,
The shatterer of Worlds.
Bhagavad Gita
I believe it is from Hindu beliefs from the birth if Shiva the Destroyer, or the God of Transformation.
But these days, it's not the Hindu connection that is well known, but rather the connection to J. Robert Oppenheimer. On seeing the first atomic explosion in the Nevada desert he said "I am become death, the destroyer of worlds". A very chilling and appropriate quote if you ask me.
Please, *please*, please learn to spell. 3 enormous spelling errors in your first 14 words: pro-bon, loywer, essentiallie. You must know your spelling is bad, so do us the courtesy of checking it over before subjecting the rest of us to it.
The question then becomes, can you do better writing closed-source software?
Obviously for some applications you can. One of the prime examples of this is games. Games are highly optimized, one-off efforts involving a lot of artistic work. While I think FreeCIV is great, It is years behind the commercial Civilization games.
But what about a peer-to-peer file sharing program? File sharing applications don't typically involve much artistic work, don't involve deep optimizations or rare specialized knowledge. This means if your application is successful it is relatively easy for a group of open-source developers to make a work-alike program, and if that becomes a success to keep improving on it until the original is no longer able to compete.
Here's my opinion on the whole world of software development. In the very early days, when programming was a dark art and computers were rare, there wasn't too much distinction between closed source and open source. Programs were often written by one person and were generally pretty specialized. Nobody sold much code because there was no major consumer market for it. Then computers became much more commonplace, while programmers were still rare. This meant that closed-source software was a natural fit. You could make lots of money with even a so-so application (like say, I dunno, DOS? *grin*) because there wasn't much competition. Applications were also still pretty specialized, and if you wanted to collaborate on software, outside a University it wasn't necessarily easy to find other people who also wanted to work on the same thing. These days there are lots of programmers out there, and an easy way for them to communicate and collaborate. The niche of closed-source applications is getting smaller and smaller.
I think for file-sharing applications, the battle has already been won (or lost, depending on your point of view). Internet server applications are probably the current battleground. I think open-source has largely won on the Internet and is gaining ground rapidly in corporate networks. MS Office still has a major lead over OpenOffice and the like, however with the high cost of MS Office that might not last. These days, unless your product involves specialized knowledge, intense artistic work, or has a very small niche its viability as a closed-source product is small and contracting.
The tough thing is, it is hard to make a living writing open-source software. When you're required to give your code away for free, how do you make money writing it? The main way I can see is corporate sponsorship.
Big corporations always need software, and sometimes they get very little value from restricting others from using it as well. If a huge company like say Exxon Mobil were to switch from MS based software to Linux based software they could save a lot of money in licensing. But they may think that a certain aspect of Linux lags behind the Windows equivalent. They could assign a small team of developers to focus on that aspect and improve it. The work these developers are doing may not give Exxon Mobil a competitive advantage over the other oil companies, so they might decide to release the changes under the GPL and receive peer review on the changes, bugfixes and other improvements that come from outside the company, and some good publicity for helping the community. Because they only distribute the changes internally, they would also have the option of keeping the source internal and never releasing the changes, but there are times when that isn't the best option.
Any dissenting views? What types of applications will still continue to succeed as closed-source applications for years to come? Does anybody think that, even with all the GPLed code out there, open source / free software is just a fad that won't last?
Uh... forced indentation does not a legible program make. I, for one, find the syntax for object orientation in python pretty ugly.
But while on the subject of indentation, how about this one. Do one of the below, preferably #1
If you want to get rid of tabs, check out Jamie Zawinski's page.
I've seen this a few places and still don't get it. How is a device which uses batteries more environmentally friendly than what it's intended to replace: walking?
Yeah, but he can do that much damage because he's always moving backwards.
Exactly when did I, or anyone else, claim that Linux was the best OS in the world? I don't think everyone should use it.
I think the best modern OS is the Mac OS. It has the nice Unix subsystem that I love with a great UI.
I'll keep claiming that Microsoft sucks because they do. They have a monopoly that they have been found guilty of abusing. They engage in predatory business practices and overall hurt their consumers more than they help them. Their software is very unstable and prone to serious security vulnerabilities. Their UI has serious usability issues...
As for RedHat (as a typical Linux-based OS), it's got its own problems. The most awful one being the UI. It is inconsistent and unpredictable. While the underlying OS is rock-solid, the UI is really flakey. But it's free, and it's still better than Windows for what I use it for.
Feel free to keep calling it crap. If you bought it and you think you didn't get what you paid for, take it up with the company you bought it from. If you didn't buy it, feel free to rant on random bulletin boards about how awful it is. Use it or don't use it, see if anyone cares.
And what can you do with your computer today? 20 years ago you could work on your visicalc spreadsheet, you could maybe play a game or 2 on your Vic 20.
These days you can edit home movies, serve and browse web sites, look at nearly photorealistic 3d. Play multiplayer online games with force-feedback devices. Store, trade and play thousands of music files.
If you want a computer that's easy to use and is no hassle, get a WebTV box, or get a console, or hey, even get a Mac. It's not like the PC is your only option.
The computer has become more complicated because it does more! It's not like a toaster that essentially hasn't changed in the last 20 years.
Giving you something that's can do thousands of times as many things with only a slightly more complicated interface is a pretty big achievement.
And why the hell should the "Open Source Community" step up to the so-called "plate" and make you an OS that you find easy to use? If the average person finds that Linux is better than Windows, hey, that's great, let them use it. If they don't, I'm pretty sure that Linus won't cry himself to sleep. If the interface to something bothers you so much why don't you stop complaining and fix it. You do realize that open-source means that the source is out there, you just have to go get it and make it work the way you want, right?
Ok, waitaminute. How much did you pay for Linux? Nothing? Ok, so your CD-RW diesn't work. Have you tried to write a driver for it? Have you offered to help pay for someone to develop a driver for it? Have you done anything other than whine that it still isn't supported?
As for your poor fiancee who can't use her favorite websites, poor girl, what sites does she use? Hotmail? MSN.com? AttackMeScriptKiddies.com?
Nearly every site I want to use works in Linux as well as it does in Windows using Mozilla.
As for configuring drivers and stuff, let me tell you about the fun I've had with Windows:
Compare that to RedHat 8.0: most things worked from the start with the default kernel, and when I needed to change most settings I didn't have to reboot.
So your poor fiancee will have to choose "save as" from the office applications to get it in a format she can send to her friends. Boo Hoo.
Are you on crack?
The whole thorny issue with spam is that it's hard to stop. If it were as simple as requiring that "spam" have a special identifier it would have been done long ago. There are three major problems with this:
What you're suggesting is equivalent to making a law that any pool-shark warn the people he plays that he's a pool-shark. What would happen? Would pool-sharks actually start telling people "I'm a pool-shark, and I'm required to warn you of that before we play, still want to play?" No! They'd just find a way around the law by becoming "secret pool teachers" or "very lucky players".
I have a mountain bike. It's called a Kona. Nearly every component I interact with is made by Shimano. When I accelerate I push on Shimano pedals. When I change gears it's with Shimano gearshifts moving Shimano derailleurs. When I brake my hands squeeze Shimano brake levers.
Why do I call the bike a Kona if everything I touch is made by Shimano? Because it is Kona who assembles it and chooses the components. If they felt another company's products were better, they'd use them instead.
I happen to call the Linux-kernel-based OS I use "RedHat" because they're the ones who assemble it. When I talk about Linux, I am referring to the set of all operating systems that use the Linux kernel. Right now they also happen to use mostly GNU tools, but not exclusively.
If I were a hardcore biker, and really loved my Shimano components, I might decide to call my bike a Shimano/Kona. If I did that, I'd probably get some strange looks from people. I'd probably deserve those strange looks. But if Shimano came up to me and said "Er, it looks like you really use a lot of our components. You really should refer to your bike as a Shimano/bike," my reaction would probably be to start finding other components to use.
These are my own views, and I have no idea how they compare with others, but I'm going to keep calling the system Linux. Oh, and btw, in case you think this is an ad for Shimano, you're wrong. If I weren't so lazy I'd probably get around to getting some better components for my bike -- Shimano is definitely not the ideal for certain parts, but I tend to upgrade my OSes more than my bike these days.
So lemme get this straight -- this guy is a CS prof at MIT, home of the FSF. He voluntarily agreed to testify on Microsoft's behalf, and then didn't know the difference between an operating system and a desktop environment?
Man, this guy's courses must be popular! I bet you really have to fight to get in to: "Introduction to flicking on the power switch thingy 101" and "How to click on the start menu 304"
Huh?
Kids under 10 years old don't go two to a seat on a plane or in a movie theater, nor do they have special smaller seats for kids... If people paid for the space they take up, then how come I always end up sitting next to some lard-ass whose belly overflows the armrest and starts squeezing me?
People are dumb.
Same reason scandals get the suffix "gate". There was no "Gate" in Watergate, it was simply the name of a hotel.
That's the way PalmOS computers work today. There is no difference between your short-term storage and your long-term storage. That's why, with a Palm application, when you enter an event or click a checkbox, you don't have to "save" the results, because it's all in the same memory area.
Sure, you have the legal right to peacefully assemble, but when the police crack down on the peacefully assembled terr^H^H^H^Hprotestors, it's less likely to cause a fuss.
Do it right, apparently they essentially ignore you unless you jump through a lot of hoops:
So if you are Canadian and don't want to be ignored, follow all the steps and become a formal objector, and read the info on what are reasonable grounds for objection. Apparently they won't even consider your objection if you say "people who can prove they aren't pirating music shouldn't be subject to these levies". You might get somewhere, however, if you talk about software backup, digital photography, etc.
Actually no. Kinetic energy is an abstraction related to momentum. When matter and anti-matter collide they produce photons, gamma particles, according to the formula E=MC^2.
It's not that it's lost and nobody knows where to find it. Anti-matter is pretty uncommon, at least in our pocket of the Universe. Anti-matter in tiny quantities is always being produced by nuclear decay, but since it's surrounded by regular matter, it annihilates very quickly producing gamma rays.
I know it's CNN, but c'mon -- if you're doing a piece on antimatter, at least have a scientist look it over before you publish it.
(Score:-1, Flamebait)
Much as I find the New York Times' registration scheme and their editorial bias annoying, I doubt they'd print a headline with a misspelling like "Ferrel"
Who is this "noone" guy and why isn't he telling? And what exactly is a "financial kitchen"?
Hint: noone is not a word
Jones! What's that on your desk! A picture of your family?!? What are you doing keeping personal items on your desk!! And beside it? A cup of coffee? That doesn't look like the company standard-issue model XV-37 coffee mug! And that pen over there, I don't think that was issued by company stores....
C'mon.. people are going to have personal information on their work PCs, just like they have personal items on and in their desks, etc.
Now unless you think it's ok to keep a Hustler magazine on your desk at work, you shouldn't have porn on your computer at work. But if some guy has a love letter from his wife saved in a file on his disk, what's wrong with that? It's no different from keeping a birthday card from her in a desk drawer.
If the police have a search warrant, then of course the bosses should let them search anything it covers. But I would hope that if police came to my workplace and politely asked if they could rummage through my desk, or look through my computer, my bosses would politely decline.
Besides, most reasonable employers know that their employees do things not directly related to work fairly often. They'll call to check up on dinner plans, call the plumber to make an appointment, etc. While this isn't work related, getting these short items done with can increase a worker's productivity because he/she is no longer distracted by these errands he/she has to do after work. It's a matter of balance.
No question, giving it to the Open Source projects would make a much bigger difference.
Here you already have people who are at the top of their field, yet who are essentially donating their time. Many also have day jobs so they can do the things they're passionate for at night. With this kind of money they could focus all their efforts on producing high quality Open Source software.
I don't think you'd have to worry too much about seeing the money misspent -- afterall, if these people were in it for the money they probably wouldn't be giving away their IP.
The extra money could be spent to hire GUI designers, testers, etc. Making up for the gaps that currently exist in the development models.
Giving it to schools, well, sure, there would be some benefits, but I don't think they'd be anywhere near as significant. First off, teachers unions would probably not allow new teachers to be hired at double their salaries, so all teachers would have to be paid more, not just the new superstar teachers. Among the new people applying to become teachers would probably be some amazing people, but you'd probably also end up with a lot of people who just see the dollars.
Anyhow, eventually you would end up with some good teachers, perhaps much better than current teachers. This would no doubt improve the quality of the education kids receive. You could also make sure that books are up to date, and classrooms aren't dangerous.
But you'd still have dumb kids. Not all of them, but no matter how great the teachers are, you'll still end up with some kids who insist on being "rebels" and not paying attention, doing their work, etc. Hopefully though, at the end, you'd end up giving some great kids a chance.
If these kids use this boost properly they may one day become wonderfully productive members of society, maybe even Open Source developers. But maybe not. Maybe by that time MS will have become so powerful that Linux is a word you see in history CD-ROMS put out by ms.gov
I just can't help feeling that with the current system, giving the money directly to current Open Source developers would make a bigger difference in the long run. Schools and education are very important, but so is Open Source software, and saving the world from MS.
You forgot the three homonyms for "there":
And of course there are other ones, like "there inlies the problem", try "therein lies". Or "mute point" instead of "moot point".
And don't forget the three versions of the homonym "site"
A page with a lot of these errors is: http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/errors.html
X-10 based home automation stuff, of course not from x-10.com, their ads are far too annoying (not that I've seen one since I installed junkbuster, but I still remember). Maybe from another source.
An iPod would be nice, but too expensive, and while my MP3 player only holds 64 MB, that's enough for now.
I'm considering a Playstation 2, if the price drops. Why not an X-box?
Another idea -- maybe I'll buy myself an Apple iBook. I'll be able to choose either OS X or Linux. Not too overpriced, and cool looking...
Of course there's always Lego Mindstorms, or just plain Lego. Some of that advanced "Technics" stuff is pretty cool.
I also want a DVD player, though if I get a PS/2 that might do for a while. I've also thought about getting a surround sound system...
Disposable income is nice.
I already have that, through DSL Communications. They also didn't blink when I said I was going to run it off a Linux server, they just suggested where to get the software. If you're somewhere they cover, consider them.