I WISH agile programming would catch on where I work. The big thing taking hold here now is TSP (Team Software Process), the most top-heavy methodology I've ever seen inflicted on developers, and I've been writing software for nearly 30 years.
Example: the process dictates doing a manual code review individually and in a group, BEFORE COMPILING, to look for things like missing semicolons and other routine errors that the compiler would catch all by itself. If you've done your reviews right, then the code should compile the first time without errors.
Seems like I've heard all this before. Like around 1978.
This article is like going to a movie after seeing the really great preview, and finding out that the really great preview contains every single really great moment in the movie.
Hah! Way back around 1980 some computer technicians I worked with at Tektronix pioneered the InterDepartmental Ballistic Missile. Powered by freon, it flew about 100 ft, streaking over the heads of terrified cubicle inhabitants. They only did it once.
AND... apart from the money, the one guy spent THREE DAYS DECIDING which ringtone best expressed his personality! He should have just tattooed "hopelessly indecisive" on his head, in washable pen in case things changed.
Years ago, a guy I worked with audio-edited the Windows "You have mail" voice with a Southpark clip. So about every 20 minutes it said, "OH MY GOD!!!... you have mail... YOU BASTARD!!!"
The guy himself was incredibly annoying, but I never got tired of hearing that. Seems funny even now.
I'm against treating ideas as property, but if the IP industry wants it that way then they should have to live with the unintended consequences, just as we are already living with unintended consequences of the DMCA. Ideas can't be treated like property only in the ways that are to the advantage of the rights holders, oops, I guess it's "owners" now. It doesn't work that way with real property.
In point of fact, the entertainment industry has already applauded government seizure of intellectual property on a grand scale. In 1998 when Congress extended copyright terms for another umpteen years, they took property away from the general public, who had already done their part by paying the cost of copyright enforcement for years and years, expecting to "own" these properties after a specific period of time. Congress suddenly decided that wasn't going to happen.
How would you feel if you made payments on a 30-year mortgage for 29 years, and then Congress suddenly redefined all 30-year mortages as 80-year mortgages, to allow the mortgage companies to continue making more money? That's essentially what happened when copyrights were extended. So I say to the IP crowd, you made your bed (actually, you paid a few Congressmen to make it for you), now you can lie in it.
One more thing. There is a very long history of legal precedent for holding property owners liable for damages directly caused by their property. Waivers and disclaimers carry little weight when the property owner can be shown to have been negligent. I hope the owners of shoddy software and other intangibles are ready to take on a real-world load of responsibility for the real-world damages caused by their virtual property.
Go ahead and call me a dumbass. I deserve it for commenting without reading the article, which turns out to be very interesting. Please ignore my stupid post.
I'm going to have to check out this book. Personally I believe a hive-like state is the only long term survivable state for humanity, even though I don't like the idea. Any society with freedom of individual thought and action will self-destruct when technology advances to the point where free individuals can wield enough power to destroy it.
Science fiction involving high-tech freedom fighters doesn't usually address the question of what happens after the Death Star blows up. At least in Star Wars we got to see that the Empire simply built another one. Surely it's obvious that various people will keep figuring out how to do the same thing. Eventually one of them will win, and once is all it takes.
Just want to compliment Savanar Kannan on this post. It's an excellent question. Lots of interesting information in the replies. That's what Slashdot is all about.
Well then think about the employees. A company is more than a number on a stock ticker. People who worked for SCO over the years put a lot of commitment and effort into making it as successful as it was. That's been pretty well wiped out now because a handful of people at the top made really, REALLY stupid decisions, trying to pull off their big legal maneuver instead of focusing on things like, ohhh, making and selling better products.
I also don't think many of the investors can really have been expected to understand the convolutions of this lawsuit or predict its outcome, any more than people understand any of the thousands of other lawsuits corporations are constantly filing against each other. Investment strategy is supposed to be based on how well a company does business, because that's what a company is supposed to do. SCO was a good company until Darl's ego flew it into the side of a mountain.
On behalf of thousands of SCO employees and stockholders who have invested their time and money in SCO, I'd like to thank Darl McBride for being a complete and utter buffoon. His personal fortune should be stripped away and distributed to all the people he has screwed through this idiotic and pointless crusade.
That's a well worded opinion and I respect you for it, except where you refer to the thoughts and feelings of ordinary people as "pollution." That's about as inane, ego-stroking and self-serving as criticizing someone's private penchant for not using capital letters.
Slashdot Mirror
Hint: our CEO's name is Bill.
How do you convert the dollar prices to quatloos?
I WISH agile programming would catch on where I work. The big thing taking hold here now is TSP (Team Software Process), the most top-heavy methodology I've ever seen inflicted on developers, and I've been writing software for nearly 30 years.
Example: the process dictates doing a manual code review individually and in a group, BEFORE COMPILING, to look for things like missing semicolons and other routine errors that the compiler would catch all by itself. If you've done your reviews right, then the code should compile the first time without errors.
Seems like I've heard all this before. Like around 1978.
Dude, you should have made her do the coding so you could look over her shoulder. Get it right next time.
Think of the dupe as a remake of the original "classic" post.
This article is like going to a movie after seeing the really great preview, and finding out that the really great preview contains every single really great moment in the movie.
Hah! Way back around 1980 some computer technicians I worked with at Tektronix pioneered the InterDepartmental Ballistic Missile. Powered by freon, it flew about 100 ft, streaking over the heads of terrified cubicle inhabitants. They only did it once.
AND... apart from the money, the one guy spent THREE DAYS DECIDING which ringtone best expressed his personality! He should have just tattooed "hopelessly indecisive" on his head, in washable pen in case things changed.
I crack myself up!
Incredibly funny phrase. Maybe I'm just in a mood. Haven't RTA yet but the post made my day. Good jorb.
Years ago, a guy I worked with audio-edited the Windows "You have mail" voice with a Southpark clip. So about every 20 minutes it said, "OH MY GOD!!! ... you have mail ... YOU BASTARD!!!"
The guy himself was incredibly annoying, but I never got tired of hearing that. Seems funny even now.
Agree 100%, this should have been Insightful.
Ringtones are about as interesting and important as fingernail polish.
Not the series, the poor guy's server.
/sniff
http://www.western-alliance.net/lordprox/trek/
I'm against treating ideas as property, but if the IP industry wants it that way then they should have to live with the unintended consequences, just as we are already living with unintended consequences of the DMCA. Ideas can't be treated like property only in the ways that are to the advantage of the rights holders, oops, I guess it's "owners" now. It doesn't work that way with real property.
In point of fact, the entertainment industry has already applauded government seizure of intellectual property on a grand scale. In 1998 when Congress extended copyright terms for another umpteen years, they took property away from the general public, who had already done their part by paying the cost of copyright enforcement for years and years, expecting to "own" these properties after a specific period of time. Congress suddenly decided that wasn't going to happen.
How would you feel if you made payments on a 30-year mortgage for 29 years, and then Congress suddenly redefined all 30-year mortages as 80-year mortgages, to allow the mortgage companies to continue making more money? That's essentially what happened when copyrights were extended. So I say to the IP crowd, you made your bed (actually, you paid a few Congressmen to make it for you), now you can lie in it.
One more thing. There is a very long history of legal precedent for holding property owners liable for damages directly caused by their property. Waivers and disclaimers carry little weight when the property owner can be shown to have been negligent. I hope the owners of shoddy software and other intangibles are ready to take on a real-world load of responsibility for the real-world damages caused by their virtual property.
Go ahead and call me a dumbass. I deserve it for commenting without reading the article, which turns out to be very interesting. Please ignore my stupid post.
If you download tunes from your own mp3 collection onto the IPod shuffle and call it good, it doesn't really matter what Apple does.
Write a review of something else and submit it.
I'm going to have to check out this book. Personally I believe a hive-like state is the only long term survivable state for humanity, even though I don't like the idea. Any society with freedom of individual thought and action will self-destruct when technology advances to the point where free individuals can wield enough power to destroy it.
Science fiction involving high-tech freedom fighters doesn't usually address the question of what happens after the Death Star blows up. At least in Star Wars we got to see that the Empire simply built another one. Surely it's obvious that various people will keep figuring out how to do the same thing. Eventually one of them will win, and once is all it takes.
Bush even gave a speech where he called asbestos suits "frivolous"
Long ago I reached the point where nothing Bush says surprises, shocks or appalls me anymore. It's like throwing gasoline on the sun.
Sweaty Dead Guys.
Eewwww.
On the other hand, great band name.
Just want to compliment Savanar Kannan on this post. It's an excellent question. Lots of interesting information in the replies. That's what Slashdot is all about.
Well then think about the employees. A company is more than a number on a stock ticker. People who worked for SCO over the years put a lot of commitment and effort into making it as successful as it was. That's been pretty well wiped out now because a handful of people at the top made really, REALLY stupid decisions, trying to pull off their big legal maneuver instead of focusing on things like, ohhh, making and selling better products.
I also don't think many of the investors can really have been expected to understand the convolutions of this lawsuit or predict its outcome, any more than people understand any of the thousands of other lawsuits corporations are constantly filing against each other. Investment strategy is supposed to be based on how well a company does business, because that's what a company is supposed to do. SCO was a good company until Darl's ego flew it into the side of a mountain.
Interesting review. I have never read Pratchett's work but you got me interested. Thanks! Off to the library...
Fan productions are always fun.
row 2 column 2 = hotness.
On behalf of thousands of SCO employees and stockholders who have invested their time and money in SCO, I'd like to thank Darl McBride for being a complete and utter buffoon. His personal fortune should be stripped away and distributed to all the people he has screwed through this idiotic and pointless crusade.
That's a well worded opinion and I respect you for it, except where you refer to the thoughts and feelings of ordinary people as "pollution." That's about as inane, ego-stroking and self-serving as criticizing someone's private penchant for not using capital letters.