I never said that he was a bad choice. I was commenting on the idea that he is so smart that nobody could make a fool out of him. Truth is I don't really know the man and even looking at the little public stuff I have found doesn't give me enough info to be sure. I some "brilliant" people but all to often their knowledge tends to be deep but narrow. I think that in this kind of position that broad and not so deep will tend to be better. Of course we could be really lucky. This gentleman could one of those very rare people that combine the two. A very deep knowledge of one subject and a very wide knowledge of other subjects.
Again it could be very tough for him in a political position. But running a National Lab does involve some political ability. I am hopeful but it is far from a sure thing.
Actually for a remote sensor machine I would be very tempted to use Contiki. Small and light and odds are your using all custom applications anyway. Should run very well on a 386.
But elementary school isn't teaching computers. They are teaching you how to write, make presentations, and maybe some basic usage skills. You don't teach kids how to make paper before they learn to write. Also the argument that they can learn all the same skills using FOSS is valid but really doesn't matter. If OO.org is just as good as Office then Office is just as good as OO.org. But Office has the benefit that more people know how to use it. I am not a Windows fan and I have been using OO.org for a long time but I can see the logic the school is using. Computer programs are tools. At this level they are teaching people how to use the tools and not how to make new tools.
I really like CentOS for servers. YUM is very easy to use. Of course when it comes to servers I am a command line or web interface kind of guy. I never run X on a server. I use OpenSuSE at work because our sysadmin likes it. Solaris really interests me now. ZFS seems like the ideal file system for a NAS, It runs Postgres, MySQL, Apache, and Samba so I do find it an interesting option. The lack of hardware support isn't a big issue for a server so I think it could be a good choice.
Your right most of the time but in this case we are talking about a remote sensor net in northern Canada. This is really more of an embedded device than your typical network. I would assume that it is on some kind of private network and is not exposed. For a typical office network I agree with you 100%.
I think your right but a bit harsh on MySQL. There are tasks that MySQL is great for. However to only mention MySQl is a massive over site. Postgres and Firebird are other options that may be a better solution for some tasks. I am a big Postgres fan but MySQL and even SQLLite can be very useful tools.
"MySQL - The best and most cost effective choice for a free SQL/Database environment that needs to be hosted in the cloud." Hosted in a CLOUD!!!! Hey MySQL is actually a good choice for a lot of uses but then so is Postgres. I have not done much with FireBird. And for Content managment they left out Drupal and Zope. And just putting Linux down for the server... Grrr... What kind of server? Yes as a server OS a flavor of Linux is a good choice but some are better then other. I wouldn't pick say Fedora for a server. I would choose CentOS. If apt-get is your thing then Ubuntu Server or Debian would be a better selection the Ubuntu. There is of course always Slackware as well. If I was going to build a NAS then I would look at OpenFiler. And to be honest Solaris is a very tempting choice for a server thanks to ZFS. Ond of course FreeBSD and OpenBSD are good options as well. Just saying Linux is a real cope out.
It is called different skill sets. Steven Chu is a great physicist but would you want him to perform surgery on you or design an bridge? You are greatly mistaken that being vastly smarter means that you can win in a political fight. It really is all about telling people what they want to hear. In a political fight he may do about as well as the MIT vs the University of Florida at Football. In fact if Steven Chu has your attitude then odds are very good that he will fail. Of course he may be not only smart but wise as well, we can hope.
So why not Java? It is available for Free. IDEs for it are also available for free. Tons of documention , books, source code, and tutorials are available for free. And it runs on Linux, Windows, and OS/X so you are not limited to using Windows or working with Mono.
I meant data structures. I don't think that basic will cripple anybody. It just doesn't teach good methods from the start. Basic was my second language and I actually enjoyed it. I did mention that TrueBasic fixed most of the problems with Basic. The thing is that today you have so many good free options that are better than Basic and multi platform that I see no good reason teaching basic as a first language. Cripple you for life? Not really. Teach bad habits? Yes it did.
Way not fair. Cars wear out. Car manufactures make money off spare parts to keep old cars running. Games don't really wear out. The problem is too many games you play, beat, sell. Games that have a lot of replay value don't end up on the used game shelf often. If they made games that people want to play over and over and you will not have that problem.
What a strange school you where in. When I was in High School in the early 80s No body cared what we did in the computer club. We traded software we wrote all the time. We even wrote games as part of our class work and traded them. You went to a very strange school indeed. Now in college I did get into trouble for writing a cross assembler and simulator for the Heathkit 6800 board we used in my micro processors class. I hated typing in hex and calculating branches. The teacher said that it was an unfair advantage to use it on the projects. He was fine with it when I offered to give it to all the other students for free.
Primary and secondary schools don't teach people about computers they teach them to use computers. The simple truth is that the vast majority of people that just graduate from High School will only ever use Windows. Microsoft pretty much gives Schools Windows and Office so they use teach it. The job market for a lot of these people will be much better if they can say that they know Office than if they say that they know OO.org. Universities are of course a different story.
"do you send them a malformed.txt file?" Yes. Windows 2000 and I think some versions of XP had a way to get a BSOD using type and a malformed text file so why not? Actually I think you have to send a malformed DOC or RTF since it is in the file converter utility but I am not sure. Doesn't effect me since I have OO for docs and RTF and Notepad++ for.txt files.
Well that does happen. Glad that you did show him some respect. I can see not wanting to use Macs back in the dos days. learning event driven programming was very different for old DOS and CPM programmers. And before OS/X macs where a mess. But yes I have seen the same thing. Funny thing is I see it with younger people and not older. I have had more than one support tech tell me that they didn't know how to use the command line in windows because "They knew windows and not DOS"! Or that Macs sucked. When I asked them if they had used OS/X they told me yes they did. I asked them when and they told me that it was like 10 years ago.... So it isn't just the old. I and the other programmers here call it "Expert's Syndrome". Basically it is this. I am an expert so what I know is the best. It does effect young and old a like.
I don't know about you but I never had the free time to boot and demo an OS in my middle school class much less hand out CDs. As I said it is no different that a student handing out bibles or candy in class. This was a dog and pony show during a class. As I said the statements about the CDs being illegal where over the top if they even happened. But as I said I take it all with a large grain of salt. I am not sure that it happened as described. Seems like a great publicity stunt but that barring that the value of the activity is debatable but the right of the teacher to stop it isn't. It is totally legal in within her rights to control what happens in her class room.
The plan is the teachers lesson plan. And do you really think you can give an unplanned demonstration of Linux in the middle of class and not be disruptive to the class? I sure don't see it. And yes in her class room she does have the right to control the activities of the students. If the student was giving away candy or bibles to his classmates she would also have the same right to tell him to stop. It is an activity that isn't part of the lesson. So yes she has that right. Now the threats about it being illegal well that was terrible but I am taking all of it with a large grain of salt. I am not sure that it even happened but it is a great way to publicity for a project that I sure never heard of before.
Basic was a terrible first programming language and yes I was one of the C64 generation. Why was it terrible. 1. No long variable names. 2. No local variables. 3. No Recursion. 4. GOSUB instead of true procedure calls. 5. No structures. I could go on but it really was terrible. TrueBasic solves most of those problems as does VB I think but I never learned VB. Today you have many better choices then Basic as a first language.
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I never said that he was a bad choice. I was commenting on the idea that he is so smart that nobody could make a fool out of him.
Truth is I don't really know the man and even looking at the little public stuff I have found doesn't give me enough info to be sure. I some "brilliant" people but all to often their knowledge tends to be deep but narrow. I think that in this kind of position that broad and not so deep will tend to be better. Of course we could be really lucky. This gentleman could one of those very rare people that combine the two. A very deep knowledge of one subject and a very wide knowledge of other subjects.
Again it could be very tough for him in a political position. But running a National Lab does involve some political ability. I am hopeful but it is far from a sure thing.
Actually for a remote sensor machine I would be very tempted to use Contiki. Small and light and odds are your using all custom applications anyway. Should run very well on a 386.
But elementary school isn't teaching computers. They are teaching you how to write, make presentations, and maybe some basic usage skills.
You don't teach kids how to make paper before they learn to write.
Also the argument that they can learn all the same skills using FOSS is valid but really doesn't matter. If OO.org is just as good as Office then Office is just as good as OO.org. But Office has the benefit that more people know how to use it.
I am not a Windows fan and I have been using OO.org for a long time but I can see the logic the school is using.
Computer programs are tools. At this level they are teaching people how to use the tools and not how to make new tools.
I really like CentOS for servers. YUM is very easy to use. Of course when it comes to servers I am a command line or web interface kind of guy. I never run X on a server. I use OpenSuSE at work because our sysadmin likes it.
Solaris really interests me now. ZFS seems like the ideal file system for a NAS, It runs Postgres, MySQL, Apache, and Samba so I do find it an interesting option.
The lack of hardware support isn't a big issue for a server so I think it could be a good choice.
Your right most of the time but in this case we are talking about a remote sensor net in northern Canada. This is really more of an embedded device than your typical network.
I would assume that it is on some kind of private network and is not exposed. For a typical office network I agree with you 100%.
I think your right but a bit harsh on MySQL. There are tasks that MySQL is great for. However to only mention MySQl is a massive over site. Postgres and Firebird are other options that may be a better solution for some tasks.
I am a big Postgres fan but MySQL and even SQLLite can be very useful tools.
"MySQL - The best and most cost effective choice for a free SQL/Database environment that needs to be hosted in the cloud."
Hosted in a CLOUD!!!!
Hey MySQL is actually a good choice for a lot of uses but then so is Postgres. I have not done much with FireBird.
And for Content managment they left out Drupal and Zope.
And just putting Linux down for the server... Grrr...
What kind of server? Yes as a server OS a flavor of Linux is a good choice but some are better then other.
I wouldn't pick say Fedora for a server. I would choose CentOS.
If apt-get is your thing then Ubuntu Server or Debian would be a better selection the Ubuntu.
There is of course always Slackware as well.
If I was going to build a NAS then I would look at OpenFiler.
And to be honest Solaris is a very tempting choice for a server thanks to ZFS.
Ond of course FreeBSD and OpenBSD are good options as well.
Just saying Linux is a real cope out.
It is called different skill sets. Steven Chu is a great physicist but would you want him to perform surgery on you or design an bridge?
You are greatly mistaken that being vastly smarter means that you can win in a political fight. It really is all about telling people what they want to hear.
In a political fight he may do about as well as the MIT vs the University of Florida at Football.
In fact if Steven Chu has your attitude then odds are very good that he will fail.
Of course he may be not only smart but wise as well, we can hope.
Why upgrade?
If they work and are on a private network why change the OS?
Take a look at Squeak. I feel that it is the new Logo.
So why not Java?
It is available for Free.
IDEs for it are also available for free.
Tons of documention , books, source code, and tutorials are available for free.
And it runs on Linux, Windows, and OS/X so you are not limited to using Windows or working with Mono.
It really is a great looking learning environment.
I meant data structures.
I don't think that basic will cripple anybody. It just doesn't teach good methods from the start. Basic was my second language and I actually enjoyed it.
I did mention that TrueBasic fixed most of the problems with Basic.
The thing is that today you have so many good free options that are better than Basic and multi platform that I see no good reason teaching basic as a first language.
Cripple you for life? Not really. Teach bad habits? Yes it did.
Well for backups you could try this http://www.bacula.org/en/
Way not fair.
Cars wear out. Car manufactures make money off spare parts to keep old cars running.
Games don't really wear out.
The problem is too many games you play, beat, sell. Games that have a lot of replay value don't end up on the used game shelf often.
If they made games that people want to play over and over and you will not have that problem.
What a strange school you where in. When I was in High School in the early 80s No body cared what we did in the computer club. We traded software we wrote all the time.
We even wrote games as part of our class work and traded them.
You went to a very strange school indeed.
Now in college I did get into trouble for writing a cross assembler and simulator for the Heathkit 6800 board we used in my micro processors class. I hated typing in hex and calculating branches.
The teacher said that it was an unfair advantage to use it on the projects. He was fine with it when I offered to give it to all the other students for free.
"I'm not benefiting directly,"
Yes you probably are.
You must have a reason to do it even if it is just because you like doing it.
Primary and secondary schools don't teach people about computers they teach them to use computers.
The simple truth is that the vast majority of people that just graduate from High School will only ever use Windows. Microsoft pretty much gives Schools Windows and Office so they use teach it. The job market for a lot of these people will be much better if they can say that they know Office than if they say that they know OO.org.
Universities are of course a different story.
I think ZFS is probably a very big advantage for some. Add in Containers and DTrace and you have some pretty nice features.
"do you send them a malformed .txt file?" .txt files.
Yes.
Windows 2000 and I think some versions of XP had a way to get a BSOD using type and a malformed text file so why not?
Actually I think you have to send a malformed DOC or RTF since it is in the file converter utility but I am not sure.
Doesn't effect me since I have OO for docs and RTF and Notepad++ for
Well that does happen. Glad that you did show him some respect. I can see not wanting to use Macs back in the dos days. learning event driven programming was very different for old DOS and CPM programmers. And before OS/X macs where a mess. But yes I have seen the same thing. Funny thing is I see it with younger people and not older. I have had more than one support tech tell me that they didn't know how to use the command line in windows because "They knew windows and not DOS"!
Or that Macs sucked. When I asked them if they had used OS/X they told me yes they did. I asked them when and they told me that it was like 10 years ago....
So it isn't just the old. I and the other programmers here call it "Expert's Syndrome". Basically it is this. I am an expert so what I know is the best. It does effect young and old a like.
I don't know about you but I never had the free time to boot and demo an OS in my middle school class much less hand out CDs.
As I said it is no different that a student handing out bibles or candy in class. This was a dog and pony show during a class. As I said the statements about the CDs being illegal where over the top if they even happened.
But as I said I take it all with a large grain of salt. I am not sure that it happened as described. Seems like a great publicity stunt but that barring that the value of the activity is debatable but the right of the teacher to stop it isn't. It is totally legal in within her rights to control what happens in her class room.
The plan is the teachers lesson plan.
And do you really think you can give an unplanned demonstration of Linux in the middle of class and not be disruptive to the class? I sure don't see it.
And yes in her class room she does have the right to control the activities of the students. If the student was giving away candy or bibles to his classmates she would also have the same right to tell him to stop. It is an activity that isn't part of the lesson.
So yes she has that right. Now the threats about it being illegal well that was terrible but I am taking all of it with a large grain of salt. I am not sure that it even happened but it is a great way to publicity for a project that I sure never heard of before.
Basic was a terrible first programming language and yes I was one of the C64 generation.
Why was it terrible.
1. No long variable names.
2. No local variables.
3. No Recursion.
4. GOSUB instead of true procedure calls.
5. No structures.
I could go on but it really was terrible.
TrueBasic solves most of those problems as does VB I think but I never learned VB.
Today you have many better choices then Basic as a first language.