Truthfully I've downloaded Firefox several times but at separate workstations (where it is still being used).
The thing we have to think about is that we are counting version 1.0 only. It isn't like they are counting milestone (nightly) releases either, so we are pretty much counting people who entered the Mozilla.org homepage (or www.getfirefox.com) and downloaded Firefox. It may be pretty close.
Think about it though. Software companies who want to charge for software, charge "per seat" (at minimum). I mean, if I dual-boot and run Firefox in both operating systems I think it should count twice. No matter we all know that Gecko is the future.
I use windows a lot, too much. I find it works really well because I use Firefox, Gaim, Azureus, Apache, Media Player Classic, OpenOffice, Sygate Firewall, Norton AV (OEM, free as in beer), Virtual Dub, XviD, FreeRip, Cygwin....
Basically everything my mouse touches in Windows is either GPL, free as in beer or part of Windows itself. I've found that open source software just runs better.
I was going to have some kids, patent them... then collect royalties off them when they have kids...
Actually, I'm pretty sure that they will not have to pay you. Sure, your kids would be your IP but their kids will be a further works which will allow them to seek new patents.
The number one killer of PC's, IMHO, has been the modem.
Lightning usually doesn't even have to enter into it. Everytime the phone rings you get voltage running into your PC.
Once I heard a long ring and the PC never turned back on (well, for a year at least. Later the machine was revived but using any PCI slot mysteriously disabled DMA. On a 333Mhz machine you can imagine boot times).
Another killer was USB related too. Microsoft's Trackball Optical cable shorts out occasionaly which for some reason killed my $3000 custom-built PC about 3 years ago. Someone here on Slashdot told me I can get a refund or some sort of offer but it wasn't worth the hassle.
In fact I stopped hating Microsoft (for a while) after my first 10 installs of 2000 Server and Active Directory. I fell for the hype, which was mostly true, until I used Novell Netware 6.0 with eDirectory.
Actually, they are letting you know that signing up for a Yahoo! account makes it easier to match the information they already keep on you.
Oh, and that they buy information from third parties and in the future they will form a master database about you and your habits. But they don't say they will sell them and that they are basically doing the same thing most web sites do already.
I look at my logs daily, I like to know about the people who visit.
For them to enjoy something they'd have to experience it and therefore have a consciousness.
This professor is very mistaken when he says they will experience lust. Unless you define "lust" as "programmed tendency to move towards another robot and interface to it" or something.
The most that this can do is to program sets of behavior probabilities. It won't by any means cause robots to suddenly become conscious beings.
But is enjoyment the point? We are conscious beings I assume. So are bonobos, chimps, rats, cats, dogs and whales. They all have orgasm.
Why?
Because sexual reproduction is essential to the survival and advancement of complex organisms. In order to beat the odds you need to combine DNA from two parents - you don't want your DNA to get stale do you? Now since orgasm doesn't exist in every animal species we must assume that sex obviously came first, and when doesn't it? Orgasm is a way to reward those conscious beings, it gives them something for the experience. Orgasm even relieves hierarchical tension in chimp troops - in fact almost every human gesture and disguise from a smile to lipstick tickles the sex parts of our brain.
Sex and aggression are almost the same (really for more on this topic read this book please). The world as we know it, our social fabric is formed out of those two threads - threads of almost the same color. Our brains, chimp brains, even bird brains are programmed to like sex, crave it and even get jealous about it.
Sex is important and lust is pre-programmed. It's not something we learn, but it's something we have a predisposition to. All we have to do, which is something our DNA couldn't, is see the need first for the programming. No doubt the first humans to be alearted to anothers sexual desires by a flush face with blood filled lips, or even more subtle clues such as glances from the opposite sex - these homonids must have really scored!!! Those are the ones you thank today. Someone had to have the first orgasm, even if it was an ancestor not yet discovered.
My point is that the machines will never be aware. They can only be "aware" of the things we tell them unless we equip them with a means of learning. But as you claim we can only give them "behaviour probabilities". Well, sex is the first step. Give them the desire, program that desire, to combine and form new machines and you have given them everything they need.
Who says they won't take over? No one has ever really tried it.
The problem might not be that they are conscious - see conscious could choose. Not to get all matrixy on you but a capable being which can reproduce has no limits. We are programming with consciousness on top - imagine your brain without the conscious. You could do unspeakable evils.
That wasn't the point. The point is that I never added it myself - I never saw the reason to.
Of course I'm not suprised I got modded down. I was just trying to point out that some/most don't care about MSN Search until it finds a cure for cancer.
This is just a flame, please read with a happy face...
SHUT THE FUCK UP ABOUT MSN SEARCH!!!
I'm posting it here because it's the first comment that is rendered with my settings. I've set my browser's (Firefox, duh) homepage to Slashdot two days ago for kicks.
For the past two days when I start my browser (10+ times per hour, for 8+ hours a day easy, seriously) it seems that I'm reading about some inane aspect of a search engine that I will never use. I've just checked my Firefox search box, there isn't even an MSN option.
Please... we don't care. In two weeks they will say that they got over a billion hits and performed billions of searches - however most of the traffic is coming from this shameless promotion.
Don't get me wrong. I remember waiting an hour and fifteen for Netscape 1.0 to download over a 2400 baud modem...
I know that Netscape is the base - and today when I use Firefox I no doubt look at it and see that same ol' application.
I know...
I was just pointing out that "Netscape" is no longer building browsers on their own without any outside influence. I'm sure most of the code which makes/will make the browser run smoothly on today's computers comes from the mozilla foundation developers. Not all code, the newest code in Netscape.
BTW, I think they should jump version numbers and keep a internal version such as 0.A023.2 and label this version:
Netscape Eighty Four
I don't know why... it just appeals to me. They can abbreviate it N84 or '84 to make it seem hip. They really need to create a logo which plays on the "scape" too... it's all about branding.
When my American History and Government teacher was "on-stage" she commanded the class and got everyone involved. After three weeks you knew that her class wasn't a joke and that you were not going to be able to escape.
Not that she ruled with fear or anything - she let you know when she was hurt by your actions. The African-American woman was no more than 5 feet tall and had the ability to control even the most apathetic football players and "losers".
Kids don't care about American history or politics? They don't care about math, chemistry and ancient writings?
You fucking make them care dammmit!
It isn't so much about force, but about becoming an adult. There are too many things out there that could affect your life and plans for that life. You need to be educated about them in order to navigate life - teachers have to make children aware of these things. It is important to know things like sublimation and due process and the like.
Kids shouldn't be allowed to not care... this is the type of thing the school should be addressing. If they can't teach the basics, and move onto advanced concepts such as law, science and language then they need to first enstill a sense of caring in the students.
It is their duty, IMHO. Letting everyone not care is just a waste of time.
"Only half of the students said newspapers should be allowed to publish freely without government approval of stories." That is not surprising as they in thier school newspaper do not have the ability to pubilsh without teacher approval and "About half the students said the government can restrict any indecent material on the Internet. It can't" That is not surprising as thier internet use at school is severly restricted in what they can see.
But it all goes back to bad education. The American History/Governement teachers aren't doing their jobs. In high-school we did a month of Supreme Court cases... one of the most important parts of history and government.
We did the First Amendment to death in that time and learned a lot. Learning about big cases that tested the limits of the Constitution is not only fun (to me) but it also allows you to see how free you really are. But back on topic, we learned why you can say anything on Slashdot and why you can't publish anything in your school's newspaper (because it belongs to the school).
It's not the school environment it's the teaching staff!
Such is the corrupt grip that monied interests have on our nations leaders and senators, it seems the only way to solve this problem comes down to two choices. 1)Allow public funding of political parties or 2) make every wannabee politician take a vow of poverty, like church leaders did back in the Dark Ages. Of the two, the latter is the only sensible option.
I don't think so...
The candidates don't just get to keep that money and buy cars and shoes with it. The real reason the money is important is because they can use it to leverage voters votes.
It's like this: Michael Dell wants to change the law or bend it. He gives money to Bush who spends it on ads and spreads it around where it will get him popularity and power. Then we (well, other people besides me) elect him and he let's Dell break the rules.
Slashdot Mirror
Truthfully I've downloaded Firefox several times but at separate workstations (where it is still being used).
The thing we have to think about is that we are counting version 1.0 only. It isn't like they are counting milestone (nightly) releases either, so we are pretty much counting people who entered the Mozilla.org homepage (or www.getfirefox.com) and downloaded Firefox. It may be pretty close.
Think about it though. Software companies who want to charge for software, charge "per seat" (at minimum). I mean, if I dual-boot and run Firefox in both operating systems I think it should count twice. No matter we all know that Gecko is the future.
What about Al Gore?
You've got a pretty good point.
I use windows a lot, too much. I find it works really well because I use Firefox, Gaim, Azureus, Apache, Media Player Classic, OpenOffice, Sygate Firewall, Norton AV (OEM, free as in beer), Virtual Dub, XviD, FreeRip, Cygwin....
Basically everything my mouse touches in Windows is either GPL, free as in beer or part of Windows itself. I've found that open source software just runs better.
I was going to have some kids, patent them... then collect royalties off them when they have kids...
Actually, I'm pretty sure that they will not have to pay you. Sure, your kids would be your IP but their kids will be a further works which will allow them to seek new patents.
Right?
A third of a million did you say?
Why... that's 9/11 times 166.667!
Even crazier searching for "whore in salt lake city" gives you these results, which include SCO and the Church or Latter Day Saints.
Yes, it's true!
A Google Maps search for "litigious bastards in salt lake city" results in this
The number one killer of PC's, IMHO, has been the modem.
Lightning usually doesn't even have to enter into it. Everytime the phone rings you get voltage running into your PC.
Once I heard a long ring and the PC never turned back on (well, for a year at least. Later the machine was revived but using any PCI slot mysteriously disabled DMA. On a 333Mhz machine you can imagine boot times).
Another killer was USB related too. Microsoft's Trackball Optical cable shorts out occasionaly which for some reason killed my $3000 custom-built PC about 3 years ago. Someone here on Slashdot told me I can get a refund or some sort of offer but it wasn't worth the hassle.
That is why the lines were so slow?
...no matter what, the evidence you buried just keeps coming back
*ducks*
In fact I stopped hating Microsoft (for a while) after my first 10 installs of 2000 Server and Active Directory. I fell for the hype, which was mostly true, until I used Novell Netware 6.0 with eDirectory.
eDirectory is the same, plus better and it runs on Linux, Windows and pretty much any place you want to install it. The licensing is a lot more straight-forward, it's better than Active Directory, runs on Linux and it's Novell. We love Novell now don't we?
I say the question is:
Actually, they are letting you know that signing up for a Yahoo! account makes it easier to match the information they already keep on you.
Oh, and that they buy information from third parties and in the future they will form a master database about you and your habits. But they don't say they will sell them and that they are basically doing the same thing most web sites do already.
I look at my logs daily, I like to know about the people who visit.
For them to enjoy something they'd have to experience it and therefore have a consciousness.
This professor is very mistaken when he says they will experience lust. Unless you define "lust" as "programmed tendency to move towards another robot and interface to it" or something.
The most that this can do is to program sets of behavior probabilities. It won't by any means cause robots to suddenly become conscious beings.
But is enjoyment the point? We are conscious beings I assume. So are bonobos, chimps, rats, cats, dogs and whales. They all have orgasm.
Why?
Because sexual reproduction is essential to the survival and advancement of complex organisms. In order to beat the odds you need to combine DNA from two parents - you don't want your DNA to get stale do you? Now since orgasm doesn't exist in every animal species we must assume that sex obviously came first, and when doesn't it? Orgasm is a way to reward those conscious beings, it gives them something for the experience. Orgasm even relieves hierarchical tension in chimp troops - in fact almost every human gesture and disguise from a smile to lipstick tickles the sex parts of our brain.
Sex and aggression are almost the same (really for more on this topic read this book please). The world as we know it, our social fabric is formed out of those two threads - threads of almost the same color. Our brains, chimp brains, even bird brains are programmed to like sex, crave it and even get jealous about it.
Sex is important and lust is pre-programmed. It's not something we learn, but it's something we have a predisposition to. All we have to do, which is something our DNA couldn't, is see the need first for the programming. No doubt the first humans to be alearted to anothers sexual desires by a flush face with blood filled lips, or even more subtle clues such as glances from the opposite sex - these homonids must have really scored!!! Those are the ones you thank today. Someone had to have the first orgasm, even if it was an ancestor not yet discovered.
My point is that the machines will never be aware. They can only be "aware" of the things we tell them unless we equip them with a means of learning. But as you claim we can only give them "behaviour probabilities". Well, sex is the first step. Give them the desire, program that desire, to combine and form new machines and you have given them everything they need.
Who says they won't take over? No one has ever really tried it.
The problem might not be that they are conscious - see conscious could choose. Not to get all matrixy on you but a capable being which can reproduce has no limits. We are programming with consciousness on top - imagine your brain without the conscious. You could do unspeakable evils.
You wouldn't even question it or know it.
I've already done that.
That wasn't the point. The point is that I never added it myself - I never saw the reason to.
Of course I'm not suprised I got modded down. I was just trying to point out that some/most don't care about MSN Search until it finds a cure for cancer.
This is just a flame, please read with a happy face...
SHUT THE FUCK UP ABOUT MSN SEARCH!!!
I'm posting it here because it's the first comment that is rendered with my settings. I've set my browser's (Firefox, duh) homepage to Slashdot two days ago for kicks.
For the past two days when I start my browser (10+ times per hour, for 8+ hours a day easy, seriously) it seems that I'm reading about some inane aspect of a search engine that I will never use. I've just checked my Firefox search box, there isn't even an MSN option.
Please... we don't care. In two weeks they will say that they got over a billion hits and performed billions of searches - however most of the traffic is coming from this shameless promotion.
We hate Microsoft right?
Stop posting this rubbish!
you're right... i was tired.
Usually I hate this feature, but I like how /. renders your comment (putting link tld's in brackets):
This [walmart.com] is not [riaa.com] always [mcdonalds.com] the case. [nike.com]
This is just boring:
This is not always the case.
After what many call a "burst" or "crash" in hot tech stocks I suggest this plan of action for Google employees:
1. Win Google (GOOG) stock
2. Sell Google stock
3. Re-invest
4. ????
5. Profit!!!
I know that Netscape is the base - and today when I use Firefox I no doubt look at it and see that same ol' application.
I know...
I was just pointing out that "Netscape" is no longer building browsers on their own without any outside influence. I'm sure most of the code which makes/will make the browser run smoothly on today's computers comes from the mozilla foundation developers. Not all code, the newest code in Netscape.
BTW, I think they should jump version numbers and keep a internal version such as 0.A023.2 and label this version:
Netscape Eighty Four
I don't know why... it just appeals to me. They can abbreviate it N84 or '84 to make it seem hip. They really need to create a logo which plays on the "scape" too... it's all about branding.
The opening line in this story read:
Netscape is building Netscape 8 which will...
when it should have read:
Mozilla developers have built 99.9% of Netscape 8 which will...
One question: How much did the teachers care?
When my American History and Government teacher was "on-stage" she commanded the class and got everyone involved. After three weeks you knew that her class wasn't a joke and that you were not going to be able to escape.
Not that she ruled with fear or anything - she let you know when she was hurt by your actions. The African-American woman was no more than 5 feet tall and had the ability to control even the most apathetic football players and "losers".
Kids don't care about American history or politics? They don't care about math, chemistry and ancient writings?
You fucking make them care dammmit!
It isn't so much about force, but about becoming an adult. There are too many things out there that could affect your life and plans for that life. You need to be educated about them in order to navigate life - teachers have to make children aware of these things. It is important to know things like sublimation and due process and the like.
Kids shouldn't be allowed to not care... this is the type of thing the school should be addressing. If they can't teach the basics, and move onto advanced concepts such as law, science and language then they need to first enstill a sense of caring in the students.
It is their duty, IMHO. Letting everyone not care is just a waste of time.
"Only half of the students said newspapers should be allowed to publish freely without government approval of stories." That is not surprising as they in thier school newspaper do not have the ability to pubilsh without teacher approval and "About half the students said the government can restrict any indecent material on the Internet. It can't" That is not surprising as thier internet use at school is severly restricted in what they can see.
But it all goes back to bad education. The American History/Governement teachers aren't doing their jobs. In high-school we did a month of Supreme Court cases... one of the most important parts of history and government.
We did the First Amendment to death in that time and learned a lot. Learning about big cases that tested the limits of the Constitution is not only fun (to me) but it also allows you to see how free you really are. But back on topic, we learned why you can say anything on Slashdot and why you can't publish anything in your school's newspaper (because it belongs to the school).
It's not the school environment it's the teaching staff!
I think you meant to say:
Such is the corrupt grip that monied interests have on our nations leaders and senators, it seems the only way to solve this problem comes down to two choices. 1)Allow public funding of political parties or 2) make every wannabee politician take a vow of poverty, like church leaders did back in the Dark Ages. Of the two, the latter is the only sensible option.
I don't think so...
The candidates don't just get to keep that money and buy cars and shoes with it. The real reason the money is important is because they can use it to leverage voters votes.
It's like this: Michael Dell wants to change the law or bend it. He gives money to Bush who spends it on ads and spreads it around where it will get him popularity and power. Then we (well, other people besides me) elect him and he let's Dell break the rules.