If you've coded C/C++ but haven't worked -- really worked -- with Cobol, then you probably aren't qualified to speak on this topic.
Cobol isn't just a language... as a working environment it provides a whole lot more support for software development, data sharing, and group collaboration techniques than any of you realize.
I took a Cobol class ten years ago and messed with it at work for a while. I respect the hell out of it.
A lot of you bigots need to realize that your unemployement checks are almost certainly processed with Cobol.
I completely understand what you are saying about the "proper channels".
I worked at particularly large American semiconductor manufacturer for many years.
They have their own fire response team.
If there's a fire on the site, screw the city fire department -- you're supposed to call security.
The company says that the city fire department is unfamiliar with the chemicals and equipment that they're liable to encounter. On the other hand, they have been chastised by the city police department and fire department on more than one occassion because they unnecessarily risked human safety by trying to handle their problems themselves, allowing them to spiraled out of control.
In the end, the company was frequently unable to handle these situations.
Now, here is why I'm very, very skeptical of your suggestion...
Corporations are legal entities in the eyes of the law, sure, but they have no morals. They didn't "grow up"... they are chartered by suits, snapping into life in one afternoon. Unlike real people, their first and only priority in life is financial.
I don't know you. Our parents didn't know each other. I grew up and live in Texas and I have no idea where you live. Still, I'll bet that you and I would probably agree on the "right thing to do" in 99% of the moral delimmas that we encounter, even though everything in the equation is subjective.
That's amazing to me, but it's a testiment to how societies function to keep order.
And how about corporations? Who "raised" them and what are their motives?
The real purpose of a company's "proper channels" is to mitigate their legal liabilities, that's all.
Go find a corporate lawyer and ask. They'll set you straight on this.
An employee discovering illegal porn on a computer or illegal anything is in a tough position: report it to you employer and the problem will magically go away or report it to the proper authorities and get fired because you violated some legal agreement you signed with them (under duress) the year before.
Employees caught in this situation are not fools; they're just unfortunate bastards.
Why warn? What kind of people are being warned? People who are either incompetent or ignorant? Is that who we are willing to allow administrate part of the Internet?
There's some truth to that. Not as much as you probably believe, but some, at least. I used to say they same thing about Microsoft. I've come to realize that it's really more about politics than marketing.
Also, I disagree with your supporting example. The iMacs have done very well, but it's hardly the case you describe wherein Joe Six-Pack sees a colorful iMac and buys it over a beige PC.
People decide to purchase Macintosh systems because they make the conscious decision to do so. Same case exists for people who make the decision to run Linux or Unix or OS/2 or Be or any of the many other non-Microsoft operating systems.
By definition, no Windows user has ever made the decision to run Windows--instead, they are born into the situation. Almost to the last person, Windows users lack any meaningful understanding of the alternatives available to them. What motive do they have? What opportunity for knowledge of the alternatives are available to them?
I'm not blaming anybody for this situation. It's just how things are.
By virtue of proportions, Linux users and Macintosh users are well exposed to Windows and Microsoft's World(TM). How familiar are Windows users with Mac OS X or Linux? Which type of user has had the opportunity and resources to make the most informed decision?
Joe Six-Pack doesn't buy iMacs. He bought Packard-Bells by the truckload, then Gateways, and now Dells. In the future, Joe Six-Pack will buy whatever commodity PC is being produced for the masses by the most successful commodity PC maker, and he won't burn any brain cells doing it.
I remember when IBM announced their first personal computer. Of course, Apple said something like "Welcome. Serioiusly."
Then Apple got it's head kicked in.
In our world, quality does NOT sell computers. This new Microsoft machine doesn't have to be nearly as good as a Macintosh to be good enough for people who don't know any better. That principal, already, has been proven.
Thankfully, there is one important difference between those days and today: Apple is working its arse off and not just talking shit.
Apple is definitely pushing the industry -- that has always been its charter. Let us all hope that they don't forget all the obligations that role entails.
You have to get a member of the faculty to sponsor you.
That doesn't mean money, but it does involve their time and their commitment to advocate to their peers in your behalf.
The football team has faculty sponsors (they're called "coaches"), as do the drill team, band, speech and drama groups.
You need one.
Your sponsor will be the person who can get facilities for your meetings, install-fests, guest speakers, etc. They may even be able to procure a little cash from whatever student activity fund your school may have, for refreshments.
When you are searching for a sponsor, there are couple things to remember about teachers:
1. There are good teachers and there are bad teachers. 2. Bad teachers are relatively rare. 3. Most of the good teachers have been beaten down. 4. Good teachers LOVE people like you.
Go talk to the instructors in the science and the art departments after school hours. The instructors that hang around late are the good ones. Skip the english department.
Knock on the door of the faculty breakroom at various times of the day over the course of the week and tell them that you are looking for a sponsor.
Your persistance will be noticed.
Somewhere in your school is an adult that can make your life much easier, someone who'd love to help you if only they knew who you are.
"Yeah, and the correct term for.mp3 files would be MPEG Layer 3. But it isn't so."
Please go back and read his post before you reply.
His point is that.ogg is a container like Apple's QuickTime is a container. If you listen to a QuickTime sound file you might actually be listening to a file encoded in mp3 or Vorbis, or a half-dozen other codecs.
Okay, you just taught me the first useful thing I've learned in months... "groups.google.com".
I had no idea how often I'd posted to the newsgroups and, everyone's right -- it's all total crap!
Seriously, though, when I need technical information or if I want to see what's for sale here in Austin, the newsgroups are the first place I go.
Why do I use newsgroups instead of website forums?
1. No registration, no login. 2. More users = more potential resources 3. Not at the whim of website entreprenuers 4. Lax standards as to my post's worthiness 5. Incredible delineation of topics
If I sit here longer I could come up with more reasons.
"...the new and fascinating sport of bar stool racing."
Sorry, my hometown newspaper, the Austin-American Statesman (Texas), published a story about bar stool races back in 1976 or so (when I was in high school).
Fascinating, yes. New? Not by a long shot.
What we need is a good forum on that new-fangled thing, the "compact disk".
Imagine that some guy has grown up with an oppressive, domineering, butt-ugly, and mean mother.
One night, he decides to do something rather independent -- something he knows that she would not approve of: He hires a hooker.
When she shows up at the hotel room, he hands her some of his mother's clothes to put on, douses her with his mother's perfume, and then he straps a mother mask onto the girl before he does his business.
Hey guys, if you're going to use Unix or Linux, use Unix or Linux.
Slashdot Mirror
If you've coded C/C++ but haven't worked -- really worked -- with Cobol, then you probably aren't qualified to speak on this topic.
Cobol isn't just a language... as a working environment it provides a whole lot more support for software development, data sharing, and group collaboration techniques than any of you realize.
I took a Cobol class ten years ago and messed with it at work for a while. I respect the hell out of it.
A lot of you bigots need to realize that your unemployement checks are almost certainly processed with Cobol.
Don't bite the hand that feeds you.
--Richard
"I'm 22 and I have never ever seen a mainframe."
I think you just made an insightful observation.
At 22 you ain't done shit yet.
--Richard
"How often does your 4 function pocket calculator crash? Never? That's probably because they are simple systems. It isn't that hard to figure out."
I'd mod you up, if I could.
You're absolutely right: it's that simple.
Geeze...
--Richard
Yeah, the Linux/Java situation has been ridiculous long enough.
Hmmm... anti-aliased fonts, Java...
Maybe this Linux thing will work on the desktop.
--Richard
I completely understand what you are saying about the "proper channels".
I worked at particularly large American semiconductor manufacturer for many years.
They have their own fire response team.
If there's a fire on the site, screw the city fire department -- you're supposed to call security.
The company says that the city fire department is unfamiliar with the chemicals and equipment that they're liable to encounter. On the other hand, they have been chastised by the city police department and fire department on more than one occassion because they unnecessarily risked human safety by trying to handle their problems themselves, allowing them to spiraled out of control.
In the end, the company was frequently unable to handle these situations.
Now, here is why I'm very, very skeptical of your suggestion...
Corporations are legal entities in the eyes of the law, sure, but they have no morals. They didn't "grow up"... they are chartered by suits, snapping into life in one afternoon. Unlike real people, their first and only priority in life is financial.
I don't know you. Our parents didn't know each other. I grew up and live in Texas and I have no idea where you live. Still, I'll bet that you and I would probably agree on the "right thing to do" in 99% of the moral delimmas that we encounter, even though everything in the equation is subjective.
That's amazing to me, but it's a testiment to how societies function to keep order.
And how about corporations? Who "raised" them and what are their motives?
The real purpose of a company's "proper channels" is to mitigate their legal liabilities, that's all.
Go find a corporate lawyer and ask. They'll set you straight on this.
An employee discovering illegal porn on a computer or illegal anything is in a tough position: report it to you employer and the problem will magically go away or report it to the proper authorities and get fired because you violated some legal agreement you signed with them (under duress) the year before.
Employees caught in this situation are not fools; they're just unfortunate bastards.
--Richard
Why warn? What kind of people are being warned? People who are either incompetent or ignorant? Is that who we are willing to allow administrate part of the Internet?
Not me. Close 'em down. Period. Now.
--Richard
"Its all about marketing."
There's some truth to that. Not as much as you probably believe, but some, at least. I used to say they same thing about Microsoft. I've come to realize that it's really more about politics than marketing.
Also, I disagree with your supporting example. The iMacs have done very well, but it's hardly the case you describe wherein Joe Six-Pack sees a colorful iMac and buys it over a beige PC.
People decide to purchase Macintosh systems because they make the conscious decision to do so. Same case exists for people who make the decision to run Linux or Unix or OS/2 or Be or any of the many other non-Microsoft operating systems.
By definition, no Windows user has ever made the decision to run Windows--instead, they are born into the situation. Almost to the last person, Windows users lack any meaningful understanding of the alternatives available to them. What motive do they have? What opportunity for knowledge of the alternatives are available to them?
I'm not blaming anybody for this situation. It's just how things are.
By virtue of proportions, Linux users and Macintosh users are well exposed to Windows and Microsoft's World(TM). How familiar are Windows users with Mac OS X or Linux? Which type of user has had the opportunity and resources to make the most informed decision?
Joe Six-Pack doesn't buy iMacs. He bought Packard-Bells by the truckload, then Gateways, and now Dells. In the future, Joe Six-Pack will buy whatever commodity PC is being produced for the masses by the most successful commodity PC maker, and he won't burn any brain cells doing it.
And somewhere inside this mess is marketing.
"Apple will always be a tiny little niche segment of the market, so long as they stick to a proprietary closed system."
Yes, Apple is quite happy with that.
I'm quite happy with them.
All around, we are quite happy.
I believe you are absolutely right about that.
Walk away from a good idea merely on principle? Stupid.
I wish the XFree86 guys were willing to copy some of the important stuff from Apple and Microsoft and not just the window dressing shit.
--Richard
I remember when IBM announced their first personal computer. Of course, Apple said something like "Welcome. Serioiusly."
Then Apple got it's head kicked in.
In our world, quality does NOT sell computers. This new Microsoft machine doesn't have to be nearly as good as a Macintosh to be good enough for people who don't know any better. That principal, already, has been proven.
Thankfully, there is one important difference between those days and today: Apple is working its arse off and not just talking shit.
Apple is definitely pushing the industry -- that has always been its charter. Let us all hope that they don't forget all the obligations that role entails.
--Richard
"Of course Bluetooth is only now just catching on, so imagine how long it'll be before this becomes practical."
:)
There is a big factor in the adoption of Bluetooth:
No one wanted it.
If you they'd been able to wait for Apple's iTunes Store, none of this would have been necessary.
--Richard
You have to get a member of the faculty to sponsor you.
That doesn't mean money, but it does involve their time and their commitment to advocate to their peers in your behalf.
The football team has faculty sponsors (they're called "coaches"), as do the drill team, band, speech and drama groups.
You need one.
Your sponsor will be the person who can get facilities for your meetings, install-fests, guest speakers, etc. They may even be able to procure a little cash from whatever student activity fund your school may have, for refreshments.
When you are searching for a sponsor, there are couple things to remember about teachers:
1. There are good teachers and there are bad teachers.
2. Bad teachers are relatively rare.
3. Most of the good teachers have been beaten down.
4. Good teachers LOVE people like you.
Go talk to the instructors in the science and the art departments after school hours. The instructors that hang around late are the good ones. Skip the english department.
Knock on the door of the faculty breakroom at various times of the day over the course of the week and tell them that you are looking for a sponsor.
Your persistance will be noticed.
Somewhere in your school is an adult that can make your life much easier, someone who'd love to help you if only they knew who you are.
--Richard
"Yeah, and the correct term for .mp3 files would be MPEG Layer 3. But it isn't so."
.ogg is a container like Apple's QuickTime is a container. If you listen to a QuickTime sound file you might actually be listening to a file encoded in mp3 or Vorbis, or a half-dozen other codecs.
Please go back and read his post before you reply.
His point is that
Get it?
Okay, you just taught me the first useful thing I've learned in months... "groups.google.com".
I had no idea how often I'd posted to the newsgroups and, everyone's right -- it's all total crap!
Seriously, though, when I need technical information or if I want to see what's for sale here in Austin, the newsgroups are the first place I go.
Why do I use newsgroups instead of website forums?
1. No registration, no login.
2. More users = more potential resources
3. Not at the whim of website entreprenuers
4. Lax standards as to my post's worthiness
5. Incredible delineation of topics
If I sit here longer I could come up with more reasons.
--Richard
Good for you. Seriously, that's pretty much what I do half the time except I don't mess with ogg.
The other half of the time I just buy CD's without previewing because the artist has earned my respect and stood the test of time.
But now new options are arising. Now we can do this or that OR THAT OVER THERE.
I thought that your last line was interesting:
"I'm not going to pay to get a digital only copy of something"
That's a little funny because everything you described involved digital-only copies.
--Richard
Sure it did. Mac user are some of the greatest revisionists in history.
Me most of all.
--Richard
Nope, at least not in Austin, Texas.
I don't do it very often but I've never had any problem with Papa John's or Mr. Gattis delivering to me.
I'm one of those guys without a land line -- I have just a cell phone.
I don't advertise that fact, but then I don't tell them I'm fat, either.
--Richard
"Mine says you're not supposed to, yet the installers recommended a brand of NAT device to buy."
I don't think you need to worry, either but...
Don't forget: it's almost certain your installer was a contractor, not a cable company employee. He can say what he wants.
--Richard
Templates? HTML templates?
Just find a web site that you like on the Internet and download its HTML.
You've got a billion choices.
--Richard
PS: Never used a template in my
life and I'm still alive. I also chew
my own food.
"No multicasting" -- I don't care.
"No native RTSP support" -- I don't care.
"No good loss recovery mechanism" -- I don't care.
See? MP3 isn't such a bad option.
However, I do agree with you about what I'd like to see in the future. Until that happens, though, I think MP3 is the best compromise.
--Richard
"...it's comfortable too."
I'll bet it is. As long as you're right handed.
"I've made it my default font in Phoenix and it's a lot smoother than Verdana. I find it to be much easier on the eye and more pleasant to read."
:)
You realize that what your are mostly comparing is aliased versus anti-aliased font rendering, don't you?
"...the new and fascinating sport of bar stool racing."
Sorry, my hometown newspaper, the Austin-American Statesman (Texas), published a story about bar stool races back in 1976 or so (when I was in high school).
Fascinating, yes. New? Not by a long shot.
What we need is a good forum on that new-fangled thing, the "compact disk".
--Richard
The WINE phenomena is peculiar...
Imagine that some guy has grown up with an oppressive, domineering, butt-ugly, and mean mother.
One night, he decides to do something rather independent -- something he knows that she would not approve of: He hires a hooker.
When she shows up at the hotel room, he hands her some of his mother's clothes to put on, douses her with his mother's perfume, and then he straps a mother mask onto the girl before he does his business.
Hey guys, if you're going to use Unix or Linux, use Unix or Linux.
You're creepin' me out.
--Richard