How many people have died or gotten ill from asbestos? maybe 1,000?
Errr...probably more than that per year. A quick google search turned up these numbers which suggest 10,000 / year of Astbestos related diseases. How many died directly? Well, anyway, this discussion could become statistics, and that's just a bunch of people using meaningless math to lie. In any case, it's more than 1,000 - you can be sure of that! Lesser of two evils in the short term, but greater in the long term...
I actually know of someone who died of lung cancer after dealing with asbestos all his life, cut short as it was. Thankfully, I don't know anyone who died from not having asbestos in his walls.
The worst part about it is, if you were in NYC in late 2001, you were probably breathing a lot of it... And the EPA lied and said the air was safe:-( When the goverment lies to you about safety, and it's nominally supposed to be in the public's interest, why on earth should I feel safe when nanowhiskers are added to pants by a corporation, which is purely profit-motive driven?
Anyway, off to bed, to dream of things besides cancer, I hope!
So sad, grey goo is unlikey to come from this... But we could still get cancer!
The problem with nanotechnology is that we don't really understand why much of it works, and we don't have any idea how the special properties it has will affect our bodies. Nano-whiskers? Great - I'm sure they help keep stains from getting on clothes. But what the *hell* are they going to do in my lungs?
As we've seen time and again, what we don't know really can hurt us...
Let's suppose I work in an odd field of mathematics, and there are about 10 people who are qualified to peer-review an article I write. (This is, BTW, entirely reasonable in many fields in Math). Just knowing which university they are coming from, I've got a pretty good idea of who they are. One of them I know really likes my work, so I'm sure I'll get good reviews from him. One I know never says anything negative about anyone. And one is this young entrant to the field, who was foolish enough to negatively review my article. I'll squish him like a bug! Pffft - end of his career, 10 years of schooling downt the drain. At least he can go make webpages somewhere.
Not all companies will die even if they have problems like this. In some areas (especially finanace) there are precious few choices in terms of software providers, and they can all be bad. If there are only 2 companies that can take care of what you need, and both are run by idiots... Even better, if there's only one company that can help you meet a federal regulation...
Just because the company is in sick shape doesn't mean it's going to die out!
The "spirit" should be taken to mean "in some helpful way". If they wanted to, they could bulk-mail printouts of the code to people (for the cost of materials, of course), and that'd be within the letter of the LGPL as well.
However, that's certainly *not* the spirit, and it is a good distinction to make. The spirit is something along the lines of "share and share alike" and make it convenient for others when they help you out.
The distribution method shouldn't be written into the GPL - what're you going to say? "The source code must be supplied on the fastest internet option available using IP6." That's great...except for people who don't have the first clue how to get stuff using IP6, and except for 10 years from now when we're all using telepathy to transmit code (or whatever - everything will be obsolete eventually). So the GPL has to be vague about that sort of thing.
In light of this, bitching about the "spirit" of the GPL, LGPL is entirely legitamit. It's equivalent to being an asshole. There's no law saying you can't be an asshole, most people (AFAIK) don't enter into contractual obligations not to be an asshole, but that doesn't mean you can't bitch if a person is an asshole.
Alternately, polymorph your blind hunting dog into some major demon, who can teleport to where you are, all the time. While this may cause problems with guests at the dinner table, it shouldn't affect your sex life, as long as your partner is either an incubus or succubus.
I was using Google to search for this sort of thing. A pain in the friggen mouse. Much better search engine is dmoz.org. There are **many** products out there that can do what you want.
Another way to search is to go on sourceforge and look for CRM (Customer Relation Management) in the Enterprise part...
I wish I'd thought of that! Tired of the stupid computer that makes so much damn noise? Dump it in the fish tank full of mineral oil! (we won't go into why the fish tank was full of mineral oil). Well, hell, we've been drinking... I wonder if it still works... Whoa, it does work! Neat - take some pictures!
I must not drink enough when I'm near a fishtank of mineral oil...
I have an MBNA card, and the last time I used it (2 years ago?) it worked fine in linux; used a popup... But they're a sleazy company, gave lots of $$$$$ to Bush&co, and are evil as any CC company...
It seems we just can't trust most of the mainstream media today.
Well Duh!!
If you trust the media, I have a lovely bridge to see you. And, oh, yeah, vote for me in the next election, because I'm, like, the best. And don't worry about what's in your McBurger - it's totally safe for you!
I'm not advocating tin hats here, but "trust"? I don't think so!
I don't exactly read Computer World or whatever that giant book is nowadays. But I do read SlashDot. So when a product I'm really interested comes out, I'm *quite* happy to hear about it here. Yay!
I want an exclusive trademark on the word "the". Sounds like a good name for my company. Any other company that tries to use that name will have to pay me money:-P
Am I the only one who read Gentoo's webpage? There is clearly a discussion about a cow there! Why they're talking about a cow is beyond me, with a name like Gentoo, but whatever.
Let me get this straight - you've got a great account with lots of karma, and you'd love to transfer it to me, but you first need to get the password. This will take $400US to do that... But, out of the goodness of your heart, and because you found my name on a reputable list, you're willing to share this account with me if I can help with half the $400US fee.
Great!
No, wait, wrong post - my bad. My account's karma is having problems, and SlashDot can't confirm some of my details. So, quick, go log into http://slashdt.org/login and give all your personal information before all your past posts are DELETED!!
Slashdot Mirror
Oh, that words's already been patented - you're not allowed to use it!
--LWM
I actually know of someone who died of lung cancer after dealing with asbestos all his life, cut short as it was. Thankfully, I don't know anyone who died from not having asbestos in his walls.
The worst part about it is, if you were in NYC in late 2001, you were probably breathing a lot of it... And the EPA lied and said the air was safe
Anyway, off to bed, to dream of things besides cancer, I hope!
--LWM
Yeah, and people weren't scared of wall paneling either, when it contained asbestos.
--LWM
Yeah, stupid luddites thinking asbestos isn't wonderful!
--LWM
So sad, grey goo is unlikey to come from this... But we could still get cancer!
The problem with nanotechnology is that we don't really understand why much of it works, and we don't have any idea how the special properties it has will affect our bodies. Nano-whiskers? Great - I'm sure they help keep stains from getting on clothes. But what the *hell* are they going to do in my lungs?
As we've seen time and again, what we don't know really can hurt us...
--LWM
Let's suppose I work in an odd field of mathematics, and there are about 10 people who are qualified to peer-review an article I write. (This is, BTW, entirely reasonable in many fields in Math). Just knowing which university they are coming from, I've got a pretty good idea of who they are. One of them I know really likes my work, so I'm sure I'll get good reviews from him. One I know never says anything negative about anyone. And one is this young entrant to the field, who was foolish enough to negatively review my article. I'll squish him like a bug! Pffft - end of his career, 10 years of schooling downt the drain. At least he can go make webpages somewhere.
--LWM
Not all companies will die even if they have problems like this. In some areas (especially finanace) there are precious few choices in terms of software providers, and they can all be bad. If there are only 2 companies that can take care of what you need, and both are run by idiots... Even better, if there's only one company that can help you meet a federal regulation...
Just because the company is in sick shape doesn't mean it's going to die out!
--LWM
The "spirit" should be taken to mean "in some helpful way". If they wanted to, they could bulk-mail printouts of the code to people (for the cost of materials, of course), and that'd be within the letter of the LGPL as well.
However, that's certainly *not* the spirit, and it is a good distinction to make. The spirit is something along the lines of "share and share alike" and make it convenient for others when they help you out.
The distribution method shouldn't be written into the GPL - what're you going to say? "The source code must be supplied on the fastest internet option available using IP6." That's great...except for people who don't have the first clue how to get stuff using IP6, and except for 10 years from now when we're all using telepathy to transmit code (or whatever - everything will be obsolete eventually). So the GPL has to be vague about that sort of thing.
In light of this, bitching about the "spirit" of the GPL, LGPL is entirely legitamit. It's equivalent to being an asshole. There's no law saying you can't be an asshole, most people (AFAIK) don't enter into contractual obligations not to be an asshole, but that doesn't mean you can't bitch if a person is an asshole.
Having said that, play nice on the playground!
--LWM
Yes, they ate it! Kudzu is apparently fairly nutrisious. There are Kudzu recipes floating around somewhere...
--LWM
This this has more processing power than my first computer! But it also costs more than my first computer...
Wow.
--LWM
But the dog is already blind - it doesn't need an Invisible Fence!
--LWM
Alternately, polymorph your blind hunting dog into some major demon, who can teleport to where you are, all the time. While this may cause problems with guests at the dinner table, it shouldn't affect your sex life, as long as your partner is either an incubus or succubus.
--LWM
YES!!! Someone else who thinks in terms of mission-critical people getting hit by a bus! I'm not the only one! Thank you!!
--LWM
I was using Google to search for this sort of thing. A pain in the friggen mouse. Much better search engine is dmoz.org. There are **many** products out there that can do what you want.
Another way to search is to go on sourceforge and look for CRM (Customer Relation Management) in the Enterprise part...
Having said all that, I'll recommend OTRS.
--LWM
Oh come on - have you seen the Material Data Safety Sheet for Isopropyl Alcohol (aka "rubbing alcohol")?
http://www.ofite.com/msds/280-10.pdf
Yes, it's flammable, and yes it's not good for you to breath it. So don't throw burning torches in your fishtank while you swim in it!!
--LWM
I wish I'd thought of that! Tired of the stupid computer that makes so much damn noise? Dump it in the fish tank full of mineral oil! (we won't go into why the fish tank was full of mineral oil). Well, hell, we've been drinking... I wonder if it still works... Whoa, it does work! Neat - take some pictures!
I must not drink enough when I'm near a fishtank of mineral oil...
--LWM
I have an MBNA card, and the last time I used it (2 years ago?) it worked fine in linux; used a popup... But they're a sleazy company, gave lots of $$$$$ to Bush&co, and are evil as any CC company...
--LWM
Or donate it as a bounty on something else :-D
--LWM
Well Duh!!
If you trust the media, I have a lovely bridge to see you. And, oh, yeah, vote for me in the next election, because I'm, like, the best. And don't worry about what's in your McBurger - it's totally safe for you!
I'm not advocating tin hats here, but "trust"? I don't think so!
--LWM
Too true.
Final point: Boot from Knoppix/Ubuntu/what-have-you, and back up useful data from that, not from Windoze...
--LWM
<Maniacal Laughter>
I don't exactly read Computer World or whatever that giant book is nowadays. But I do read SlashDot. So when a product I'm really interested comes out, I'm *quite* happy to hear about it here. Yay!
--LWM
I want an exclusive trademark on the word "the". Sounds like a good name for my company. Any other company that tries to use that name will have to pay me money :-P
--LWM
Am I the only one who read Gentoo's webpage? There is clearly a discussion about a cow there! Why they're talking about a cow is beyond me, with a name like Gentoo, but whatever.
--LWM
PS (Thanks for the penguin bit, guys!)
Let me get this straight - you've got a great account with lots of karma, and you'd love to transfer it to me, but you first need to get the password. This will take $400US to do that... But, out of the goodness of your heart, and because you found my name on a reputable list, you're willing to share this account with me if I can help with half the $400US fee.
Great!
No, wait, wrong post - my bad. My account's karma is having problems, and SlashDot can't confirm some of my details. So, quick, go log into http://slashdt.org/login and give all your personal information before all your past posts are DELETED!!
Thanks - I'll check up on that.
--LWM