Back in middle school, we did the Invent America competition. For those who aren't familiar with it, Invent America is where you get a bunch of little kids to create such amazing things as non-spill dog dishes and nintendo controllers with colored labels so you don't mix up the wires.
I ended up designing (I use that term extremely loosely) an ion-wind drive. My plan was to use it to make a platform rise off the ground.
Unfortunately, nobody would let me near the multi-kilivolt power supplies I needed to prototype it. I probably would have killed myself playing with them anyway... not that that would have been the most dangerous thing I played with as a kid:)
We displayed our projects in a local mall for a few days. Most people would walk around and talk to everybody about how cute their projects were... until they got to me. Then they would just stare, except for a few engineers from local aerospace companies. They would try to engage me in debate, losing me after about two seconds.
I didn't care. I had a bag of candy orange slivers I had got at the dollar store and a mouse we bought from the pet shop. Stay with my project for fifteen minutes and then it was off to play StarFox on a SNES display.
Remember, when a car engine blows up, you have a good chance of stopping and getting out.
When a rocket engine blows up people die.
Though I'd have to agree with you that we need to change our design philosophy. We could learn a lot from the russians in that respect -- build them big, dumb, and solid:)
Specifically the horrible essays that you had to do. You know the type, the teacher assigns you a subject... maybe "The Internet and diversity"... and you have to pull a load of shit out of your ass. You usually end up responding in one of three ways:
Actually spend time on it and try and make it good
Pick boogers and smear them on your paper
Regurgitate a bunch of statistics you found, and end with a forced statement about how significant these stats are
Katz seems to come from the third school of thought. Good thing, since it's hard to send boogers online.
If you fail to remember, they were almost always ahead in the "space race". They had the first satellite. They put the first man in space. They have the most powerful, most reliable boosters ever developed. They had an amazingly successful run of space stations, cumulating in MIR, which outlived it's design life by years.
Take a step back and see what the US has done that has been impressive.
Yeah, the Apollo missions, Voyager, and the piece of shit compromise that eventually came out of the Shuttle program. Fucking wonderful.
They still have the best boosters, rocket engines, satellite tech, and knowledge of manned spaceflight.
Your comparison is flawed. If anything, the Lunix "Community" is the US, with the "Well, we've had a few successes so we're the best!" attitued... with no conception of the reality that they're actually far, far behind in almost every area.
The choice? Adapt or die as a viable development platform. Linux can't compete with 30-year-old APIs.
hate fucking linux kiddies... spouting dogma... if its microsoft its bad... fucking gnu freedom is just as non-free as ms... linux doesnt make you eleet... actually check out the technology... read article... urge to kill... rising... must go now and drink before i shoot someone...
god i hate the fucking kiddies that have grabbed onto linux...
When Mozilla refuses to render webpages that aren't compliant with standards, it's Right and Just because We Should Uphold Standards.
When Outlook Express doesn't display messages with horribly maliformed headers, it's "Funny Cause M$ Writes Peice of Shit Porgrams".
Furthermore, if someone uses Outlook Express, we should send them messages with maliformed headers so they can see how terribly wrong and immoral they've been. "Bad Microsoft Person! You're such a luser! You suck! Neener neener neener!"
Frankly, this is a feature, not a bug. If someone is petty enough to actually do that, I don't want to hear from them. Ever. I'm switching to Outlook Express.
I guess I should figure out why my truetype fonts all broke on a recent update to debian unstable so that I can actually enjoy the new releases:)
Oooooh! I know! I know!
Because font support in X is a hacked together piece of shit that supports vector-based fonts extremely poorly?
I know I sure want something better. Display Ghostscript seems like one of the better ideas out there. Also, it'll eventually have it's own display backend (eventually in the works, targetted for GGI).
It and Berlin are the only hopes I can see for a decent, modern, vector-based desktop in Linux.
First of all... "Digital Divide". When the hell did we all start speaking like politicians?
Next: Linux has better tech support...? What? I know that many linux users are willing to help out with problems, but they don't always know what they're talking about. At all. I've had people tell me all kinds of shit that didn't work.
Now I realize that they mean well, but most people aren't going to want to try what one guy said, find out it didn't work, read through all the documentation, get quite confused, post to a mailing list, and eventually give up and reinstall. If they were using Windows or MacOS, on the other hand, they could have just called right off... and those operating systems are included free with the computer.
Sometimes closed source companies have an advantage. I think this is one of those cases.
Or, more pointedly -- with the lengths that people go through to try and stop the spammers.
The Constitution is a wonderful thing, and I'm sure that all of us are happy that we have it to protect our rights. Free speech is one right that I'm sure we all cherish... imagine what it must be like to live in a country where you can't speak out, like China, the former USSR, France, or Iraq!
So, it bothers me when people go through such tremendous lengths to silence spammers. Granted, they're annoying. Granted, they're one step lower than a leech. There's honestly not much to like about them.
But by silencing them, we will only be hastening our countries decline into a totalitarian state.
Is software the only thing online that should be free as in speech? Why not spam?
But honestly -- both Palm and PocketPC are so far ahead of linux in the palmtop area it's not even funny! I mean, they actually have applications! Ones that work... and well!
So my question is why design and build something that only a few geeks will want... and even then, just because of the "hey, it runs linux" factor?
I guess it's the same reason that GNOME and KDE don't use each other's code -- they don't want to admit that the other might be better in some areas.
This is why people that don't use standard tools(HTML and images) on their pages piss me off. Whenever you start using fancy scriptable stuff there exists the possiblity for a security flaw.
We've seen it before and we'll see it again.
For this reason, please do the following:
DO NOT support sites that use Flash
DO NOT support sites that use Java
DO NOT support sites that use ECMAscript
DO NOT support sites that use Quicktime
And the same for other plugins! Plain HTML is the only safe alternative.
The same Slackware 8.0 that I had to recompile the kernel to get OpenGL?
The same Slackware 8.0 that I had to (again) recompile the kernel to get a simple, linux-supported webcam to work?
The same Slackware 8.0 that didn't even install the kernel sources?
The same Slackware 8.0 that refuses to recognize that I have a CDRW drive?
Sorry. Slackware works incredibly -- once set up. Redhat has quite a lead by actually setting things up right though.
Of course, they both pale in comparison with how easy it is to set up Windows, but I expect that at this point.
So please. Don't accuse me of trolling. If anything, you're the one spreading falsehoods.
Yeah, Redhat works... to a point. However, I have never had a version of it that wasn't quirky as hell... that includes all versions I've tried from 5.0 on through 7.2. I was running 7.2 on my desktop, but it's so FUCKING heavy. Plus, if you want to run any nonstandard hardware on it (usb webcams, literally anything with opengl acceleration, etc) most of the time you have to do it yourself -- download, recompile, reboot, repeat. Don't tell me this isn't the case -- it certainly is for me. And I don't consider a fucking ibm webcam and a fucking tnt2 to be nonstandard. Or fucking USB equipment, for that matter.
Slackware is a hell of a lot less quirky, but takes even more configuring to get it to work right.
IF! they could actually put something together that would work out of the box and actually let me take advantage of my hardware, then maybe.
How about a linux distribution that actually works, yet is easy to set up (ie: no kernel recompile, no scrambling for more libs). Maybe even decent laptop support, and OpenGL support out of the box.
Something like Redhat (though better) with more of a Slackware approach to how it works.
I've been hearing about this one for years. If it would some day arrive, it'd be very nice. Until then, Windows XP it is. I don't have the time to fuck with linux for hours.
You know, if they were going to change the design that much, the least they could do is take some design cues from SGI or NeXT. Right now it looks like a bizarre roadsign with a tupperwear base.
Apple may have great hardware, but I can't figure out where they get their design cues. Well, besides the new iBook. Yum.
Slashdot Mirror
So do we get to see some hawt elfin titties?
Back in middle school, we did the Invent America competition. For those who aren't familiar with it, Invent America is where you get a bunch of little kids to create such amazing things as non-spill dog dishes and nintendo controllers with colored labels so you don't mix up the wires.
:)
I ended up designing (I use that term extremely loosely) an ion-wind drive. My plan was to use it to make a platform rise off the ground.
Unfortunately, nobody would let me near the multi-kilivolt power supplies I needed to prototype it. I probably would have killed myself playing with them anyway... not that that would have been the most dangerous thing I played with as a kid
We displayed our projects in a local mall for a few days. Most people would walk around and talk to everybody about how cute their projects were... until they got to me. Then they would just stare, except for a few engineers from local aerospace companies. They would try to engage me in debate, losing me after about two seconds.
I didn't care. I had a bag of candy orange slivers I had got at the dollar store and a mouse we bought from the pet shop. Stay with my project for fifteen minutes and then it was off to play StarFox on a SNES display.
Life was good.
Did somebody say "fault tolerant"?
:)
Remember, when a car engine blows up, you have a good chance of stopping and getting out.
When a rocket engine blows up people die.
Though I'd have to agree with you that we need to change our design philosophy. We could learn a lot from the russians in that respect -- build them big, dumb, and solid
This could very well give SGI's lineup a run for its money in the CAD and Visualization fields
Maybe, except that that most of the 3D Unix stuff is designed for SGI/Irix... I guess when you're Sun you can get stuff ported if you want, though!
Looks like a kickass box.
And he's funny, too!
Seriously though. Linux is finally nearing the desktop usability of Windows 95. Granted, this isn't saying much, but it's something.
At least the desktop doesn't core dump every ten minutes anymore... remember Gnome 1.0?
Next stop: why not head towards the clean looks and good driver handling of Windows 98?
- Actually spend time on it and try and make it good
- Pick boogers and smear them on your paper
- Regurgitate a bunch of statistics you found, and end with a forced statement about how significant these stats are
Katz seems to come from the third school of thought. Good thing, since it's hard to send boogers online.Nope, not just you. They're filtering out javascript.
If you've already put it in your userspace, don't make any changes. Trying to save it again will kill what you already have.
Taco, can I have your jerk lube?
Idiot.
If you fail to remember, they were almost always ahead in the "space race". They had the first satellite. They put the first man in space. They have the most powerful, most reliable boosters ever developed. They had an amazingly successful run of space stations, cumulating in MIR, which outlived it's design life by years.
Take a step back and see what the US has done that has been impressive.
Yeah, the Apollo missions, Voyager, and the piece of shit compromise that eventually came out of the Shuttle program. Fucking wonderful.
They still have the best boosters, rocket engines, satellite tech, and knowledge of manned spaceflight.
Your comparison is flawed. If anything, the Lunix "Community" is the US, with the "Well, we've had a few successes so we're the best!" attitued... with no conception of the reality that they're actually far, far behind in almost every area.
The choice? Adapt or die as a viable development platform. Linux can't compete with 30-year-old APIs.
hate fucking linux kiddies... spouting dogma... if its microsoft its bad... fucking gnu freedom is just as non-free as ms... linux doesnt make you eleet... actually check out the technology... read article... urge to kill... rising... must go now and drink before i shoot someone...
god i hate the fucking kiddies that have grabbed onto linux...
First apartheid, now this.
Yes Folks, it's South Africa, with a History of Good Ideas!
Wash, rinse, repeat.
When Mozilla refuses to render webpages that aren't compliant with standards, it's Right and Just because We Should Uphold Standards.
When Outlook Express doesn't display messages with horribly maliformed headers, it's "Funny Cause M$ Writes Peice of Shit Porgrams".
Furthermore, if someone uses Outlook Express, we should send them messages with maliformed headers so they can see how terribly wrong and immoral they've been. "Bad Microsoft Person! You're such a luser! You suck! Neener neener neener!"
Frankly, this is a feature, not a bug. If someone is petty enough to actually do that, I don't want to hear from them. Ever. I'm switching to Outlook Express.
This is from the same guy who brought us Junis from Afghanistan, reading slashdot and watching movies on his Commodore?
If you want to "end Cyber BS", start with yourself!
I guess I should figure out why my truetype fonts all broke on a recent update to debian unstable so that I can actually enjoy the new releases :)
Oooooh! I know! I know!
Because font support in X is a hacked together piece of shit that supports vector-based fonts extremely poorly?
I know I sure want something better. Display Ghostscript seems like one of the better ideas out there. Also, it'll eventually have it's own display backend (eventually in the works, targetted for GGI).
It and Berlin are the only hopes I can see for a decent, modern, vector-based desktop in Linux.
First of all... "Digital Divide". When the hell did we all start speaking like politicians?
Next: Linux has better tech support...? What? I know that many linux users are willing to help out with problems, but they don't always know what they're talking about. At all. I've had people tell me all kinds of shit that didn't work.
Now I realize that they mean well, but most people aren't going to want to try what one guy said, find out it didn't work, read through all the documentation, get quite confused, post to a mailing list, and eventually give up and reinstall. If they were using Windows or MacOS, on the other hand, they could have just called right off... and those operating systems are included free with the computer.
Sometimes closed source companies have an advantage. I think this is one of those cases.
Sourceforge, part of VA Software, disables downloads from Simply GNUstep, a project they host....
...after Slashdot, another part of VA Software, posts a story about it.
Way to support the community, guys.
Or, more pointedly -- with the lengths that people go through to try and stop the spammers.
The Constitution is a wonderful thing, and I'm sure that all of us are happy that we have it to protect our rights. Free speech is one right that I'm sure we all cherish... imagine what it must be like to live in a country where you can't speak out, like China, the former USSR, France, or Iraq!
So, it bothers me when people go through such tremendous lengths to silence spammers. Granted, they're annoying. Granted, they're one step lower than a leech. There's honestly not much to like about them.
But by silencing them, we will only be hastening our countries decline into a totalitarian state.
Is software the only thing online that should be free as in speech? Why not spam?
Sure, linux is great. We all love linux. Rah.
But honestly -- both Palm and PocketPC are so far ahead of linux in the palmtop area it's not even funny! I mean, they actually have applications! Ones that work... and well!
So my question is why design and build something that only a few geeks will want... and even then, just because of the "hey, it runs linux" factor?
I guess it's the same reason that GNOME and KDE don't use each other's code -- they don't want to admit that the other might be better in some areas.
This is why people that don't use standard tools(HTML and images) on their pages piss me off. Whenever you start using fancy scriptable stuff there exists the possiblity for a security flaw.
We've seen it before and we'll see it again.
For this reason, please do the following:
DO NOT support sites that use Flash
DO NOT support sites that use Java
DO NOT support sites that use ECMAscript
DO NOT support sites that use Quicktime
And the same for other plugins! Plain HTML is the only safe alternative.
Riiiiiight.
The same Slackware 8.0 that I had to recompile the kernel to get OpenGL?
The same Slackware 8.0 that I had to (again) recompile the kernel to get a simple, linux-supported webcam to work?
The same Slackware 8.0 that didn't even install the kernel sources?
The same Slackware 8.0 that refuses to recognize that I have a CDRW drive?
Sorry. Slackware works incredibly -- once set up. Redhat has quite a lead by actually setting things up right though.
Of course, they both pale in comparison with how easy it is to set up Windows, but I expect that at this point.
So please. Don't accuse me of trolling. If anything, you're the one spreading falsehoods.
Oh Fucking Please.
Yeah, Redhat works... to a point. However, I have never had a version of it that wasn't quirky as hell... that includes all versions I've tried from 5.0 on through 7.2. I was running 7.2 on my desktop, but it's so FUCKING heavy. Plus, if you want to run any nonstandard hardware on it (usb webcams, literally anything with opengl acceleration, etc) most of the time you have to do it yourself -- download, recompile, reboot, repeat. Don't tell me this isn't the case -- it certainly is for me. And I don't consider a fucking ibm webcam and a fucking tnt2 to be nonstandard. Or fucking USB equipment, for that matter.
Slackware is a hell of a lot less quirky, but takes even more configuring to get it to work right.
IF! they could actually put something together that would work out of the box and actually let me take advantage of my hardware, then maybe.
Until then: Shut The Fuck Up, Troll.
Yeah, I know. I'm starting to think that's about the only way it's every going to happen.
The NeXT display layer is also really nifty. That's something any linux distro isn't going to have.
How about a linux distribution that actually works, yet is easy to set up (ie: no kernel recompile, no scrambling for more libs). Maybe even decent laptop support, and OpenGL support out of the box.
Something like Redhat (though better) with more of a Slackware approach to how it works.
I've been hearing about this one for years. If it would some day arrive, it'd be very nice. Until then, Windows XP it is. I don't have the time to fuck with linux for hours.
Super-Mega-Fugly, my GOD it's FUCKING UGLY!
You know, if they were going to change the design that much, the least they could do is take some design cues from SGI or NeXT. Right now it looks like a bizarre roadsign with a tupperwear base.
Apple may have great hardware, but I can't figure out where they get their design cues. Well, besides the new iBook. Yum.