I've been wanting to write a "where Linux makes sense" article. I'm glad these people went ahead and did it. There are some minor technical errors. I'm sure slashdot posters will point all of these out.
I'm not sure how "unbiased" I would consider the article. It does do a good job of FUD-correction, though, and that is laudable by itself.
OTOH, does the simple act of pointing out the usefulness of Linux make you unbiased? Is it possible to come to the unbiased conclusion that Linux makes real good sense sometimes?
"...software is considered language, and therefore the export limits violated Bernstein's free speech under the First Amendment."
If that interpretation is upheld and accepted as precedent, it could have HUGE implications for people who write software in the U.S.
For example, if your state government passed a law prohibiting the writing of malicious code (i.e. virus, worm, trojan), First Amendment protection could make the law unconstitutional. The act of distributing the virus/worm/trojan could probably be prohibited, though.
IANAL and this post is all conjecture on my part, but I am VERY interested in seeing how this plays out.
After reading the previous article saying that Sun was abandoning ISO Java, I'm starting to detect a trend. Namely, there can not be an article about Sun that doesn't contain a lot of Microsoft-bashing.
Now, I know there's no love lost between the two. Personally, I _tend_ to side with Sun after seeing what MS tried to do in "embracing and extending" Java.
This business of slamming MS in EVERY interview, however, is starting to sound childish. I know that's what reporters are looking for. Give them an interview that 90% content and 10% MS-bashing and they'll print the 10% MS-bashing every time. It's more sensational.
Understanding that, maybe the Sun execs should consider taking a PR course and learn to "not comment" on matters regarding Microsoft. It might help the average reader see Sun as a company with its own ideas, rather than "Microsoft Hater #1".
This may seem weird, but it seems like the more time I spend writing MS COM stuff using Visual C++, the more refreshing it is to me when I can take a break and use vi and a command-line compiler to work on something.
I'm not an old curmudgeon or anything. I just get a kick out of using the *ahem* "mature" tools. I guess it's reassures me to know that I can still get stuff done without a GUI IDE, tooltips, and all that.
Maybe if I spent most of my time using vi and running gcc and gdb, I'd feel the opposite way.
"...have constructed an advanced search capability using a high-performance, low-cost software/hardware combination...."
That little quote made me wonder what they were running. Why didn't they just say? They didn't seem at all shy about mentioning the Dell 4300s.:)
If the web servers are running FreeBSD, I wonder if it's also powering the database servers.
Maybe I'm reading too much into their vagueness here. It seems to me that companies which have close ties to MS (like Dell) are a little reluctant to trumpet the virtues of other operating systems too loudly. As a result, I tend to think:
Wow, a Franklin Ace 1000! That was my SECOND computer -- it was an upgrade from a short-lived original TI 99/4 (chiclet keyboard -- ack).
I LOVED that thing. It was the equivalent of a souped-up Apple II+ with a much better keyboard (IBM Selectric-style with numeric keypad). I remember doing Pascal and 6502 asm on that bad boy....
Oh, I agree with your post completely (back on topic). We have a unique profession where someone who can't afford a college education can still bust their tail, get good, raise a family comfortably, and contribute something really useful. I would hate to see that go away because of Y2K hype and opportunists who see a chance to make a quick buck with "licensing" courses.
Congratulations on your success as a programmer, and thanks for the nostalga hit.:)
I think you've made a good point here. The average programmer I know is FAR more concerned with quality than the average manager or company executive. It is programmers who write "The Right Thing" with capitalization.
As I read the code of conduct, my first thought was, "This is ok with me, but some of my former bosses would have a huge problem with it." The unfortunate reality of this industry is, "We must ship by _____ and we'll fix the bugs in the next update."
It might be a good thing if a programmer could go to a manager and say, "No. I won't compromise. Doing so would violate my Code of Conduct."
Having said all that, I think the article could best be summed up as an attempt by some people to create a new industry for licensing software developers. The frequent references to Year 2000 problems -- "Y2K" to the insiders;) -- are nothing more than blatant buzzword-dropping.
There was a press release on their site a week or two ago which announced the sale of the Corel Hardware division to HCC. The press release basically said that Corel wants to focus on software.
It bothers me because it is pandering to the people in this country who see themselves as geeks. It furthers the "clique warfare" that is contributing to these problems.
Don't get me wrong here -- I am vehemently opposed to what is going in schools right now. My objection, however, has more to do with classifying individuals and treating them as all acting/thinking/feeling the same.
Teachers and administrators who look at a student and see a "goth" or a "geek" are practicing prejudice and intellectual laziness. These are INDIVIDUALS, folks.
When I fight this nonsense in our schools (and I will), I will do it as a concerned parent. I will not do it as a "geek" seeking rights for my "geek" offspring. People deserve to be treated fairly and with decency. Someone else's label should not be a factor in this treatment.
"The company will pay up to $5 million US for the rights to the rebel.com name - making it potentially one of the most expensive domain purchases in history."
Heck, I wish they had called me. For $1 million I'm sure I could come up with a domain that wasn't already taken.
I tend to agree with you. I'm getting a little uncomfortable with labels like "geek", "nerd", etc. To me, they are just as restrictive as terms like "jock".
/* Insert the obligatory "my adolescence was Hell because I was different" narrative here. */
One of the great things about being an adult is that you don't have to accept these labels. I work with computers and enjoy it. I do a lot of other things, too. Very few people can be adequately described with a single label and I think it's hurtful to think of yourself as part of a narrowly-defined group.
Maybe the real problem is not persecution of certain groups, but the labeling of people. When Katz was describing examples of students being persecuted for not looking/acting like everyone else, I was all for it. Now, it's starting to sound like, "Rise up, geeks! Fight the power!" and that bothers me.
Ok, I'm posting quickly here. Maybe I need to sit and think about the ramifications of this concept. I reserve the right to change my mind later, but
I LIKE that idea.
My first reaction is that turning Java standards over to the development community will do more to standardize it than ISO certification could. Let it run loose in public for a while then let ISO come along later and rubber-stamp the de facto standard.
"Suppose Blockbuster Video put up a billboard on a highway reading 'West Coast Video: 2 miles ahead at Exit 7,' he wrote. 'Suppose, further, that Blockbuster Video is really located at Exit 7, and another video store, say West Coast Video, is located at Exit 8.'"
But what if there is a PrimeTime Video at Exit 6 which is only 1 mile away? Furthermore, what if neither PrimeTime nor Blockbuster have the aforementioned Terri Welles Playboy Playmate video, but West Coast Video does, in fact, maintain a "Playboy Playmate" section which contains said video. Is West Coast video in violation of a Playboy trademark which nullifies their cause of action against either Blockbuster or PrimeTime? Furthermore, if a train leaves New Jersey at Exit 9 at 6:00pm traveling towards the West Coast to pick up Playboy Playmates at PrimeTime, what is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?
At my company, we are working (Dang! She's pretty hot!) on direct neural (not the phone again Hello? No I'm sorry, you have the wrong number.) input systems. The technology (Man, I'm hungry.) still has some bugs to work out, (Geez, dude, SHUT UP over there.) but I'm using it to send this post. (Submit!)
Slashdot Mirror
I've been wanting to write a "where Linux makes sense" article. I'm glad these people went ahead and did it. There are some minor technical errors. I'm sure slashdot posters will point all of these out.
I'm not sure how "unbiased" I would consider the article. It does do a good job of FUD-correction, though, and that is laudable by itself.
OTOH, does the simple act of pointing out the usefulness of Linux make you unbiased? Is it possible to come to the unbiased conclusion that Linux makes real good sense sometimes?
I started to get the same thing, but in C.
Unfortunately, after the artist got halfway down my back, I passed out.
It's a shame too. He still hasn't done the header files yet.
:)
"...software is considered language, and therefore the export limits violated Bernstein's free speech under the First Amendment."
If that interpretation is upheld and accepted as precedent, it could have HUGE implications for people who write software in the U.S.
For example, if your state government passed a law prohibiting the writing of malicious code (i.e. virus, worm, trojan), First Amendment protection could make the law unconstitutional. The act of distributing the virus/worm/trojan could probably be prohibited, though.
IANAL and this post is all conjecture on my part, but I am VERY interested in seeing how this plays out.
I'm a Debian user in a RedHat house.
:) */
Gotta hand-edit files to configure my mouse.
Oh, I hate RPMs and I love dselect
And FVWM95 can just go to heck.
/* Thank you and good night!
After reading the previous article saying that Sun was abandoning ISO Java, I'm starting to detect a trend. Namely, there can not be an article about Sun that doesn't contain a lot of Microsoft-bashing.
Now, I know there's no love lost between the two. Personally, I _tend_ to side with Sun after seeing what MS tried to do in "embracing and extending" Java.
This business of slamming MS in EVERY interview, however, is starting to sound childish. I know that's what reporters are looking for. Give them an interview that 90% content and 10% MS-bashing and they'll print the 10% MS-bashing every time. It's more sensational.
Understanding that, maybe the Sun execs should consider taking a PR course and learn to "not comment" on matters regarding Microsoft. It might help the average reader see Sun as a company with its own ideas, rather than "Microsoft Hater #1".
Just my humble open yun.
I goofed and used the wrong URL (www.standish.com). I can't get a response on www.standishgroup.com.
To self: Bad slashdot user! No more posting for you! Go back to work!
Sorry. I entered www.standish.com as the URL. That's not right. The actual site is www.standishgroup.com, which Netcraft could not determine.
Open mouth, insert foot.
And Netcraft says....
"www.standish.com is running Microsoft-IIS/4.0 on NT4 or Windows 98"
Kind of ironic, doncha think?
...stands for Fondle INternet Group Expecting Response.
:) */
/* We could keep this thread going all day with these
This may seem weird, but it seems like the more time I spend writing MS COM stuff using Visual C++, the more refreshing it is to me when I can take a break and use vi and a command-line compiler to work on something.
I'm not an old curmudgeon or anything. I just get a kick out of using the *ahem* "mature" tools. I guess it's reassures me to know that I can still get stuff done without a GUI IDE, tooltips, and all that.
Maybe if I spent most of my time using vi and running gcc and gdb, I'd feel the opposite way.
"...have constructed an advanced search capability using a high-performance, low-cost software/hardware combination...."
:)
That little quote made me wonder what they were running. Why didn't they just say? They didn't seem at all shy about mentioning the Dell 4300s.
If the web servers are running FreeBSD, I wonder if it's also powering the database.
Maybe I'm reading too much into their vagueness here, but I tend to think:
#ifdef PRESS_RELEASE
#define HIGH_PERFORMANCE_LOW_COST Free_OS
#endif
(Sorry about the double-post. This is the one I meant to send.)
"...have constructed an advanced search capability using a high-performance, low-cost software/hardware combination...."
:)
That little quote made me wonder what they were running. Why didn't they just say? They didn't seem at all shy about mentioning the Dell 4300s.
If the web servers are running FreeBSD, I wonder if it's also powering the database servers.
Maybe I'm reading too much into their vagueness here. It seems to me that companies which have close ties to MS (like Dell) are a little reluctant to trumpet the virtues of other operating systems too loudly. As a result, I tend to think:
#ifdef PRESS_RELEASE
Wow, a Franklin Ace 1000! That was my SECOND computer -- it was an upgrade from a short-lived original TI 99/4 (chiclet keyboard -- ack).
:)
I LOVED that thing. It was the equivalent of a souped-up Apple II+ with a much better keyboard (IBM Selectric-style with numeric keypad). I remember doing Pascal and 6502 asm on that bad boy....
Oh, I agree with your post completely (back on topic). We have a unique profession where someone who can't afford a college education can still bust their tail, get good, raise a family comfortably, and contribute something really useful. I would hate to see that go away because of Y2K hype and opportunists who see a chance to make a quick buck with "licensing" courses.
Congratulations on your success as a programmer, and thanks for the nostalga hit.
I think you've made a good point here. The average programmer I know is FAR more concerned with quality than the average manager or company executive. It is programmers who write "The Right Thing" with capitalization.
;) -- are nothing more than blatant buzzword-dropping.
As I read the code of conduct, my first thought was, "This is ok with me, but some of my former bosses would have a huge problem with it." The unfortunate reality of this industry is, "We must ship by _____ and we'll fix the bugs in the next update."
It might be a good thing if a programmer could go to a manager and say, "No. I won't compromise. Doing so would violate my Code of Conduct."
Having said all that, I think the article could best be summed up as an attempt by some people to create a new industry for licensing software developers. The frequent references to Year 2000 problems -- "Y2K" to the insiders
There was a press release on their site a week or two ago which announced the sale of the Corel Hardware division to HCC. The press release basically said that Corel wants to focus on software.
That comment is in my clipboard buffer RIGHT NOW! I was going to post it, but you beat me.
:)
Oh well, guess I'll just have to make it my sig.
It bothers me because it is pandering to the people in this country who see themselves as geeks. It furthers the "clique warfare" that is contributing to these problems.
Don't get me wrong here -- I am vehemently opposed to what is going in schools right now. My objection, however, has more to do with classifying individuals and treating them as all acting/thinking/feeling the same.
Teachers and administrators who look at a student and see a "goth" or a "geek" are practicing prejudice and intellectual laziness. These are INDIVIDUALS, folks.
When I fight this nonsense in our schools (and I will), I will do it as a concerned parent. I will not do it as a "geek" seeking rights for my "geek" offspring. People deserve to be treated fairly and with decency. Someone else's label should not be a factor in this treatment.
"The company will pay up to $5 million US for the rights to the rebel.com name - making it potentially one of the most expensive domain purchases in history."
Heck, I wish they had called me. For $1 million I'm sure I could come up with a domain that wasn't already taken.
I tend to agree with you. I'm getting a little uncomfortable with labels like "geek", "nerd", etc. To me, they are just as restrictive as terms like "jock".
/* Insert the obligatory "my adolescence was Hell because I was different" narrative here. */
One of the great things about being an adult is that you don't have to accept these labels. I work with computers and enjoy it. I do a lot of other things, too. Very few people can be adequately described with a single label and I think it's hurtful to think of yourself as part of a narrowly-defined group.
Maybe the real problem is not persecution of certain groups, but the labeling of people. When Katz was describing examples of students being persecuted for not looking/acting like everyone else, I was all for it. Now, it's starting to sound like, "Rise up, geeks! Fight the power!" and that bothers me.
Just kidding. :)
I HAVE a boring job. Slashdot is my job satisfaction. :)
Ok, I'm posting quickly here. Maybe I need to sit and think about the ramifications of this concept. I reserve the right to change my mind later, but
I LIKE that idea.
My first reaction is that turning Java standards over to the development community will do more to standardize it than ISO certification could. Let it run loose in public for a while then let ISO come along later and rubber-stamp the de facto standard.
"Suppose Blockbuster Video put up a billboard on a highway reading 'West Coast Video: 2 miles ahead at Exit 7,' he wrote. 'Suppose, further, that Blockbuster Video is really located at Exit 7, and another video store, say West Coast Video, is located at Exit 8.'"
But what if there is a PrimeTime Video at Exit 6 which is only 1 mile away? Furthermore, what if neither PrimeTime nor Blockbuster have the aforementioned Terri Welles Playboy Playmate video, but West Coast Video does, in fact, maintain a "Playboy Playmate" section which contains said video. Is West Coast video in violation of a Playboy trademark which nullifies their cause of action against either Blockbuster or PrimeTime? Furthermore, if a train leaves New Jersey at Exit 9 at 6:00pm traveling towards the West Coast to pick up Playboy Playmates at PrimeTime, what is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?
/* I have a headache */
They're developing socks to go with the glove so we can use Emacs. ;)
At my company, we are working (Dang! She's pretty hot!) on direct neural (not the phone again Hello? No I'm sorry, you have the wrong number.) input systems. The technology (Man, I'm hungry.) still has some bugs to work out, (Geez, dude, SHUT UP over there.) but I'm using it to send this post. (Submit!)