[bill]:: The Win2K launch has been a raging success. What items do we have to discuss for future development.
[steve]:: Well, we've had very strong feedback regarding the unsigned driver warning in 2K. We'd like to expand that for Whistler.
[bill]:: Tell me more.
[steve]:: We'd like to require that all apps be signed and certified by a special team of Application SSigning Speciallists, or ASSes before they are permitted to run on Whister.
[bill]:: What's the up side for us?
[steve]:: Through effective marketing to the open source community we can get them to submit their code for certification. This will undoubtedly provide us insights into how to fix things in our own system. Additionally we can charge for this service and eliminate the drain from our evil tactics fund.
[bill]:: I think we should run this by legal. Jim, what's legal's take on this.
[jim]:: We're on board for now. Now that things in Florida are starting to look like Dubya will win we can divert some of our team from the anti-trust case to preparing the spin for this. We should be able to cut our potential detractors off at the knees.
[bill]:: Great! To prepare for this, we need to send all of our coders through that advanced firearms training course. We don't want anybody to miss their foot when release time comes.
Code commentary is like sex. If it's good, it's VERY good.
Oh, please God, help Sun Micro... do a complete international standardization of Java FIRST! This to keep our semi-beloved Java free from the impurities of Hell, um, I mean Redmond, WA, and free of the unclean touch of the dark lord, um, I mean Bill Gates.
It is only through standardization that Java can be assured to be kept truly pure and cross-platform operable as an open product. Proprietary extensions, while seeming useful to large groups of users, erode overall product usefulness and cross platform compatibility. Remember the early days of both Javascript and ASP.
Code commentary is like sex. If it's good, it's VERY good.
Somebody moderate this guy up for having an insightful clue! (Who let this guy in here anyway?) Much faster than the legal system, the court of public opinion/access has always been a real thrasher.
Code commentary is like sex. If it's good, it's VERY good.
On top of that, you can get a not-so-completely-new Alpha for a LOT cheaper.
About 2 years ago there were AlphaStation 200 4/233 carcases going on one of the online auctions for under US$400. Go to a computer trade show and pick up a 6.4GB HD (the max an AS200 would support), 64MB additional RAM, 24X CD-ROM, Keyboard, mouse, 21" monitor, 56K/v.90 modem, and you're still under US$1000.
Code commentary is like sex. If it's good, it's VERY good.
No matter what your views on this or other issues, it has become VERY easy to write to your congressional representatives. Start at www.house.gov and www.senate.gove and locate your Rep. or Senator through the search tools provided.
Your rights as a music buying consumer are at stake. If you think the recording industry has entirely too much power, tell Congress! If you think Hemos should be banned from the internet, tell Congress!
Most issues before congress are decided by members voting in the way they think will get them re-elected, without any input from the constituency. The saddest thing about this is how easy it is to let your views be known.
People all over the world participate in their own governments at levels we in the U.S. are privileged to but don't. Participation in the governing process is a privilege. Failure to use it could be failure to keep it.
If you think G.W. is the greatest thing since sliced bread, register to vote before October 8 and vote in November. Similarly, if you think G.W. is a cocaine snorting, S&L crashing, frat boy weasel, register and vote. If you don't vote you have no right to complain when the candidate you loathe most gets elected.
Code commentary is like sex. If it's good, it's VERY good.
Actually, although thoroughly shitful, not so completely ridiculous.
If Linux, *BSD, and others acquire r/w/x support for NTFS the Collective has a lot to lose. NTFS support for on-the-fly data compression/decompression would be extremely useful for Linux et al. Additionally, this would make the migration from NT to Linux much easier. I could put all of my data on a secondary NTFS partition and mount Linux right over the top of NT with no loss of anything.
One of MSs very real concerns has to be a sudden increase in the migration to competing OSs. I think I hear them opening the flood gates now.:)
Code commentary is like sex. If it's good, it's VERY good.
Been there. Done that. The problems with CSS in Netscape continue to be rampant and, get this, I'm not doing anything special, strange, unique, or otherwise abnormal with CSS. (maybe I should though.)
The fact is, the Netscape 6 implementation of CSS is, in some cases, a step backwards from the marginal CSS support built into NS 4.x. Additionally, valid tags that are fully developed and documented by the HTML 4.0 specification are not implemented. I absolutely do NOT allow any of those proprietary (MS) HTML extensions in any of my documents yet, IE continues to be a superior rendering engine and interpreter.
These HAVE been reported via BugTraq and have only gotten worse with successive builds.
Yes, I will continue to use BugTraq.
No, I will not continue to expect it to do any good.
Just give me a functional browser that doesn't have its birth certificate filed in Redmond!!!
As browsers go, NS 4.x is merely OK. The rendering engine is almost first rate but, it still lacks a lot of DOM compliance and don't get me started on CSS issues.
NS6 PR2 is actually a step backwards from PR1. A lot of things that worked in PR1 were broken with PR2. Sure, all the glitzy toys are fun but, does the damned browser work? NO!!!
I have a very short, very simple wish list for the folks at Netscape:
Real support for CSS
Document rendering that resembles the code according to the recognized definitions of HTML
Anybody from Netscape can feel free to contact me for examples.
Yes, by all means code it and make it fully Z39.50 and MARC compliant! However, there are other considerations you need to throw in.
Commercially available library software that is actually used by libraries is much more than just a cataloging/look-up system to replace those old 3*5 cards.
You need an acquisitions module that has the ability to do electronic ordering and approval plan processing.
The search and report capabilities on the staff interface for these things is amazing. I can collect a list of all item records belonging to location X and created within [ range of dates ] that are attached to bibliographic records for [ material type ] within a [ call number range ], sort the records according to my criteria, then output selected fields from either the bib. or the item, or both, in the order I choose to the device of my choice (including print to e-mail or fax) and I haven't even begun to make the system sweat. Yes, this is a fairly straight forward thing to do (selecting records based on data spread across multiple related/linked records) in SQL but, you also need a front end that the end user can comprehend.
If you're going to code it, it will need to be able to interact with all of the prevailing vendors... Ebsco, Baker & Taylor, Basil Blackwell, Swets & Zeitlinger, Matthews, etc... You will want tech contacts from each of these vendors to fine tune the ordering/receiving/approval interfaces.
Finally, the amount of fiscal reporting done in libraries can boggle your mind. You would never suspect that something so seemingly simple could be so complicated. If you don't have the ability to generate financial reports you might as well go back to index cards and hand written ledgers.
Another step along the long road toward having a genuine low power option for portables. While I wouldn't look for anything to be market competitive for another couple of years, this is a step in that direction. Transmeta is really raising (or, should I say lowering?) the bar in terms of power consumption. I'm looking forward to Crusoe processors becoming fiscally viable.
After doing a little reading on C# and cutting through some of the hype is still appears to be an interesting language. Unfortunately, the likelyhood that "The Collective" (MS) will be porting any of it to Linux or *BSD is virtually nil.
Any chance somebody can get hold of the specs enough to build a Linux/*BSD implementation? A logical name for the open source version would be Db (D flat), the enharmonic equivalent to C#.
Shrimp and Lobster do not tend to congregate at the same functions. In fact, there seems to be a sort of elitism among the larger, more sought after Maine lobsters.
Among the bivalves, there is also a very broad range of sociability.
The more common varieties of clam (cherrystone, littleneck) are shunned by the more aristocratic scallops.
Even among scallops the flamboyant flame scallop seems to hold itself above all others
Crabs have an elaborate societal structure all their own with divisions even between hard shell and soft shell stages of the same species.
Wait a minute, I misread the heading. I was discussing Shellfish Society. In the immortal words if Emily Latella,... "Nevermind."
Whoah! How did this guy get an on-topic first post!? Congrats to -brazil-!
Meanwhile, GPL-ing StarOffice may give us another look at building in support for more file types. I can't tell you the number of packages I've uninstalled due to the fact that they don't read/write the formats my colleagues work with.
Additionally, while StarOffice also produces somewhat dirty HTML source, it is far better than some other editors for which HTML was also a secondary consideration. Integrating HTML-Tidy into a future version of StarOffice would be an excellent move.
And what if I want to use these drivers on, say, a custom kernel config - like my MOSIX cluster here? insmod will, of course, fail, because the kernel version doesn't match. While I could force it to load anyway, what are the odds that it would work, without a recompile on MY system?
And, THAT is the reason for truly comprehensive documentation. Publish the interface, and all of the details a developer would ever need. Give a thumbnail of the ins and outs for that proprietary routine if needed. In the mean time, we lack drivers on Linux because companies are afraid they have to open source their proprietary business information.
If you have problems beyond that, the producer should have some form of tech support or, better yet, a contact in their development area.
Personally, i find this idea scary as hell. Imagine, you're in the middle of an important videoconference and you can't participate because that your database interface insists on having all of your attention.
Worse yet, you have to make a live update to the database for the sake of the conference and the conferencing software won't let you change focus to make the change.
It's one thing to be able to set a window to "always on top," it's an entirely different thing to set one to "always has focus" or "requires focus 80% of time."
Release full binaries with as much documentation as you can without compromising your proprietary technology. No source is released but Linux users get the opportunity to use something that works.
StarOffice has been like this for years. You acquire a binary that runs reasonably well on Linux but, the source is still closed.
There are no actual requirements to go open source to have your product used on a Linux platform. That's one of the big confusions in the market. People have the mistaken belief that if they release for Linux, BSD, etc... that they have to open their source too.
"and we'll use karma for how much people get to talk at board meetings"
And all public records show SCO ownership by the "Slashdot Karma Conglomerate" with the screen-names of all financial contributors (including Anonymous Coward) as shareholders.
OK folks, here's the plan: We get roblimo to act as coordinator and the slashdot reader/contributor community conglomerates it's collective funding power to buy SCO for the open source world. Slashdot then becomes the maintainer of record and we all own a piece of it.
Yes, there now is a good chance that your future cell phone will come with an embedded Linux OS and will do a whole lot more than place voice calls and surf the wireless web. Your next cell may be a complete personal data/communications device that approaches the power of current PDAs, palmtops, or even a laptop.
However, this does put a large corporate consortium in a position of direct influence over an open source product. The jury should be out for quite some time to determine whether this is good or bad for Linux.
There are a lot of opportunities here for the Linux community to get even more widespread acceptance and active use of Linux and other O-S OS's. Now's the time for all of us to be communicating with consortium member companies to make our communal wishes and concerns known.
Slashdot Mirror
[bill] :: The Win2K launch has been a raging success. What items do we have to discuss for future development.
[steve] :: Well, we've had very strong feedback regarding the unsigned driver warning in 2K. We'd like to expand that for Whistler.
[bill] :: Tell me more.
[steve] :: We'd like to require that all apps be signed and certified by a special team of Application SSigning Speciallists, or ASSes before they are permitted to run on Whister.
[bill] :: What's the up side for us?
[steve] :: Through effective marketing to the open source community we can get them to submit their code for certification. This will undoubtedly provide us insights into how to fix things in our own system. Additionally we can charge for this service and eliminate the drain from our evil tactics fund.
[bill] :: I think we should run this by legal. Jim, what's legal's take on this.
[jim] :: We're on board for now. Now that things in Florida are starting to look like Dubya will win we can divert some of our team from the anti-trust case to preparing the spin for this. We should be able to cut our potential detractors off at the knees.
[bill] :: Great! To prepare for this, we need to send all of our coders through that advanced firearms training course. We don't want anybody to miss their foot when release time comes.
Code commentary is like sex.
If it's good, it's VERY good.
It is only through standardization that Java can be assured to be kept truly pure and cross-platform operable as an open product. Proprietary extensions, while seeming useful to large groups of users, erode overall product usefulness and cross platform compatibility. Remember the early days of both Javascript and ASP.
Code commentary is like sex.
If it's good, it's VERY good.
Why vote for the lesser of two evils?
Write in Cthulu for President!
Code commentary is like sex.
If it's good, it's VERY good.
Not "interstellar" as in, deep space, travelling from one star to another.
"INTRAstellar" as in, travelling WITHIN a star.
Code commentary is like sex.
If it's good, it's VERY good.
Code commentary is like sex.
If it's good, it's VERY good.
On top of that, you can get a not-so-completely-new Alpha for a LOT cheaper.
About 2 years ago there were AlphaStation 200 4/233 carcases going on one of the online auctions for under US$400. Go to a computer trade show and pick up a 6.4GB HD (the max an AS200 would support), 64MB additional RAM, 24X CD-ROM, Keyboard, mouse, 21" monitor, 56K/v.90 modem, and you're still under US$1000.
Code commentary is like sex.
If it's good, it's VERY good.
Your rights as a music buying consumer are at stake. If you think the recording industry has entirely too much power, tell Congress! If you think Hemos should be banned from the internet, tell Congress!
Most issues before congress are decided by members voting in the way they think will get them re-elected, without any input from the constituency. The saddest thing about this is how easy it is to let your views be known.
People all over the world participate in their own governments at levels we in the U.S. are privileged to but don't. Participation in the governing process is a privilege. Failure to use it could be failure to keep it.
If you think G.W. is the greatest thing since sliced bread, register to vote before October 8 and vote in November. Similarly, if you think G.W. is a cocaine snorting, S&L crashing, frat boy weasel, register and vote. If you don't vote you have no right to complain when the candidate you loathe most gets elected.
Code commentary is like sex.
If it's good, it's VERY good.
If Linux, *BSD, and others acquire r/w/x support for NTFS the Collective has a lot to lose. NTFS support for on-the-fly data compression/decompression would be extremely useful for Linux et al. Additionally, this would make the migration from NT to Linux much easier. I could put all of my data on a secondary NTFS partition and mount Linux right over the top of NT with no loss of anything.
One of MSs very real concerns has to be a sudden increase in the migration to competing OSs. I think I hear them opening the flood gates now. :)
Code commentary is like sex.
If it's good, it's VERY good.
- Obviously, clock, calendar, stopwatch, alarms, etc...
- A Notepad
- A date book / day planner
- Address book
- Phone book
- Calculator
- Temperature conversions
- Currency conversions
- TV remote control (via the IR port)
- Score/stat keeping for my favorite sports (golf, football, baseball stats,
...) - All sorts of specialized calculators for whatever... (Miles/Kilometers per gallon, fuel cost calculations for example)
The list is theoretically endless.The fact is, the Netscape 6 implementation of CSS is, in some cases, a step backwards from the marginal CSS support built into NS 4.x. Additionally, valid tags that are fully developed and documented by the HTML 4.0 specification are not implemented. I absolutely do NOT allow any of those proprietary (MS) HTML extensions in any of my documents yet, IE continues to be a superior rendering engine and interpreter.
These HAVE been reported via BugTraq and have only gotten worse with successive builds.
Yes, I will continue to use BugTraq.
No, I will not continue to expect it to do any good.
Just give me a functional browser that doesn't have its birth certificate filed in Redmond!!!
NS6 PR2 is actually a step backwards from PR1. A lot of things that worked in PR1 were broken with PR2. Sure, all the glitzy toys are fun but, does the damned browser work? NO!!!
I have a very short, very simple wish list for the folks at Netscape:
- Real support for CSS
- Document rendering that resembles the code according to the recognized definitions of HTML
Anybody from Netscape can feel free to contact me for examples.So is the system that coordinates PANDORA called "PANDORA's Box?"
As stated in other posts, SQL can have serious problems with some of the tricks that go on with MARC format.
Commercially available library software that is actually used by libraries is much more than just a cataloging/look-up system to replace those old 3*5 cards.
You need an acquisitions module that has the ability to do electronic ordering and approval plan processing.
The search and report capabilities on the staff interface for these things is amazing. I can collect a list of all item records belonging to location X and created within [ range of dates ] that are attached to bibliographic records for [ material type ] within a [ call number range ], sort the records according to my criteria, then output selected fields from either the bib. or the item, or both, in the order I choose to the device of my choice (including print to e-mail or fax) and I haven't even begun to make the system sweat. Yes, this is a fairly straight forward thing to do (selecting records based on data spread across multiple related/linked records) in SQL but, you also need a front end that the end user can comprehend.
If you're going to code it, it will need to be able to interact with all of the prevailing vendors... Ebsco, Baker & Taylor, Basil Blackwell, Swets & Zeitlinger, Matthews, etc... You will want tech contacts from each of these vendors to fine tune the ordering/receiving/approval interfaces.
Finally, the amount of fiscal reporting done in libraries can boggle your mind. You would never suspect that something so seemingly simple could be so complicated. If you don't have the ability to generate financial reports you might as well go back to index cards and hand written ledgers.
Another step along the long road toward having a genuine low power option for portables. While I wouldn't look for anything to be market competitive for another couple of years, this is a step in that direction. Transmeta is really raising (or, should I say lowering?) the bar in terms of power consumption. I'm looking forward to Crusoe processors becoming fiscally viable.
Any chance somebody can get hold of the specs enough to build a Linux/*BSD implementation? A logical name for the open source version would be Db (D flat), the enharmonic equivalent to C#.
Wait a minute, I misread the heading. I was discussing Shellfish Society. In the immortal words if Emily Latella,... "Nevermind."
Meanwhile, GPL-ing StarOffice may give us another look at building in support for more file types. I can't tell you the number of packages I've uninstalled due to the fact that they don't read/write the formats my colleagues work with.
Additionally, while StarOffice also produces somewhat dirty HTML source, it is far better than some other editors for which HTML was also a secondary consideration. Integrating HTML-Tidy into a future version of StarOffice would be an excellent move.
If you have problems beyond that, the producer should have some form of tech support or, better yet, a contact in their development area.
Worse yet, you have to make a live update to the database for the sake of the conference and the conferencing software won't let you change focus to make the change.
It's one thing to be able to set a window to "always on top," it's an entirely different thing to set one to "always has focus" or "requires focus 80% of time."
StarOffice has been like this for years. You acquire a binary that runs reasonably well on Linux but, the source is still closed.
There are no actual requirements to go open source to have your product used on a Linux platform. That's one of the big confusions in the market. People have the mistaken belief that if they release for Linux, BSD, etc... that they have to open their source too.
And all public records show SCO ownership by the "Slashdot Karma Conglomerate" with the screen-names of all financial contributors (including Anonymous Coward) as shareholders.
OK folks, here's the plan: We get roblimo to act as coordinator and the slashdot reader/contributor community conglomerates it's collective funding power to buy SCO for the open source world. Slashdot then becomes the maintainer of record and we all own a piece of it.
However, this does put a large corporate consortium in a position of direct influence over an open source product. The jury should be out for quite some time to determine whether this is good or bad for Linux.
There are a lot of opportunities here for the Linux community to get even more widespread acceptance and active use of Linux and other O-S OS's. Now's the time for all of us to be communicating with consortium member companies to make our communal wishes and concerns known.