If they had a chip in the shoe, it would be for tracking them in long runs, like the Marathon, or the 20 Km and 50 Km Race Walk.
The rules say the torso is the body part that stops the clock and determines the winner, not the head, arms or LEGS, making it unusable to put them in the shoes. Maybe the front of the shoulder or in the number id for each athlete.
And there's the issue of the scanning speed, also, as mentioned elsewhere.
I writed the wrong date hoping someone would read it and correct me.
I always thought that if someone around here corrected another one with some kind of assuredness, "everyone" would take it for granted. As in when people believes something only because it's printed on paper.
There's still hope.
I know this is off-topic, but don't you hate it when people talk without "enough" knowledge of something ?
I think this is one of the main reasons there's all these conflicts around the world.
When I read the text, I said "Hasn't this been posted before ?"
And then I read: And check out the pictogram they chose to accompany the prison-rape researcher entry in this story. It's a picture of Barney. I know they're using it as a way of depicting which of the jobs are associated with psychological torture, but, c'mon! Barney? Prison-rape? That's just soooo wrong.
" $#!t ! I knew they would say this ! "
Is this some kind of Deja-vu episodes I had a lot as a child ?
Or is this a sign of The Matrix realigning ? (After all Neo just saved us all...)
Then I saw this post, and there it is the Barney comment
I swear. it scared me...
Man... I think this scare cost me a year or two of my life...
Back in 1997, at Comdex Fall I bought a mouse which had two scroll wheels (vertical and horizontal) preciselly for this reason: to scroll around big pictures. Not exactly the ones you imply, but I think it can solve your er... problem.
I don't see why they would think that a Comdex show would be targeted.
They're expecting "only" 150,000 people (From a max. of 250,000 back in 1997) because of the dot-com bust , the not-yet-named recession, the Sept. 11 attacks and all the stuff from that (companies prohibiting certain key execs from traveling, cost-cutting measures, etc.)
Now, seeing all that people in one place, you can't imagine it. Back in the 1997 show, I was warned before attending, but being there, it's another thing.
We "planed" to get a taxi when the show closed one of the days, well, the line was 1000+ long. Don't believe it ? I've a picture from last year's show.
The lines for the 24+ different bus routes to the hotels ? 400 + long each.
In a few words, it's BIG. Many people. Chaos could ensue. And you can count on the people attending the show to help. Two or three years ago, all the cell phone lines/bandwidth was used at some peak hours, something that never happenned before, if you believe the local news those days. Remember some of the "chaos" in NYC when the cell lines got blocked after the attacks? well, it kind of happened in Las Vegas. Scary indeed.
You could see the people from Japan, Korea, Taiwan, etc. using their cell phones (2 or 3 models more advanced than anyone I saw in the US, BTW) at some "strange hours", I suppose they called before the offices back at home closed or just when they were opening, I don't know. But seeing all those people seating on the stairs talking in different languages, it's when it hits you: Comdex Fall is an International show. Just from here (Mexico), I don't remember the "exact" figure but it's above 12,000 people attending. Another example: I remember in the 98 show being at the Ziff Davis booth, there was an egyptian engineer trying to subscribe to some magazines. "Big deal", eh? He wasn't an immigrant working in the USA. Then the ZD representative realized he wanted to get it to get delivered to Egypt. I mean, this man came all the way from Egypt! Not as a part of a booth, but as any "regular techie". Talk about getting some job related travels (I mean, for techies, not CEO's...)
You can see companies from all around the world, press from all around the world, reporting daily from there. I remember seeing a CNN press booth just in the middle of the Convention Center last year. So you have coverage all around the world.
And don't get me started on the crowds in the rest of the strip. The buffet lines are the second worst of the year, only after the last week of the year, one of the busiest at LV. Crowds everywhere but at the casino's. Someone said the tech people are the worst crowd as gamblers, suppossedly because "we" know the odds on the chance games. I support the other theory: bad travel budgets makes us "cheap".:D
Also, Las Vegas had a anthrax scare some years ago when they arrested someone with an anthrax vaccine, after getting a clue from someone about it. They reacted very seriously back then, imagine now.
You also have some of the richest people in the world there. Gates, Ellison, Sony's President (or CEO? I don't remember).
I mean *HONESTLY*, who on earth would target COMDEX, something that has absolutely no importance to the general (non-technical) public? From a terrorist's point of view (which is what you try to take if your aim is an intelligent security policy) it's obviously of no use to attack a target that people would have to explain why it was that striking it meant something.
How about one of the biggest/important economy sectors? And in this "decadent, Sin City" ?
I think I already made my point. So you can't go around thinking it can't be a target. I'm sure I wish it wasn't true, but it is. I love that show, I was there 3 of the last 4 years, and yes, it's not the same as the "good all days". Yes, you can get most of the info from the internet just days after, but the "experience" is different.
Sadly, I cann't attend this year, since my VISA expired and here the embassy/consulates have a backlog/queue of 120,000+ applications/renewals to see (so I'll get my renewal until next year. Bummer). And that's before the attacks happenned, not because of any increased security. Just too much work and too many people, I guess.
I hope this doesn't get's the show killed, I hope it gets to thrives again next year.
After reading some of the sites with advice for attending there (incredible useful, BTW) and having the experience of attending the ComicCon at San Diego before, I always had a backpack with me, with a bottle of water, a digital camera (even a video one once), extra batteries for the cams, some extra business cards, etcetera. I could stuff there the "goodies" as someone mentioned before and when it was full, I could rely then in the show's bags. I guess if I was going there this year I had to "rethink" my strategy. It's a shame cameras can't be used anymore.
Someone mentioned the body search thing. It can't be done to everyone. The lines/crowd for entering would be unmanageable. Metal detector should be used, but that can't get the anthrax/biological weapons as someone mentioned. I guess you just have to rely on checking everyones pockets, I guess, like at the stadium. God, I hope there's nothing like that. And you can bet I will go there next year.
Whatever you do, don't be Irish.. (no wait that should read from anywhere from Morroco to the Phillipines, or even be Greek) and be in the wrong place at the wrong time until sanity prevails.
Funny thing, last year a friend went with us "regulars" to Comdex (Nov/2000), and from the point we arrived at the airport there were always "suspicious" looks for him. he has a mexican name, but his great-great-great-great-grandfather or something was from the Middle East, and he has "the looks", with a heavy beard and ponytail. But he's more mexican than the tequila. We talked about it when we came back. Guess what he's not doing after the Sept.11 attacks ? You guessed right. Not going "even near" the border. And I can't blame him, I saw it happenning before, so why risk it? I guess that egyptian engineer I saw before will not go there neither.
Just my 2 cents.
And see you there next year.
BTW, for the guy who is in high school and heared all this things? Go for it, I too wanted to attend three conventions when I was in college: MacWorld, San Diego ComicCon, Comdex Fall (2 out of 3 ain't bad, and MacWorld sucked when I got the chance. And now I don't use Mac anymore, so I'm not going there yet.). You have to make it happen.
2 suspects who were arrested near the washington bridge, with a truck full of explosives.
They are questioning them right now.
"Microsoft will support e-Mexico project"
on
Microsoft vs. Ximian
·
· Score: 2, Informative
The past August 24, after the meeting between Vicente Fox and Steve Ballmer mentioned in the article, I submitted a badly worden article, made in the heat of the moment, which was obviously rejected by our dear editors here.
But with this article about Miguel, I think it can shed a little over the "commitment" made by MS with Mexico's government.
Uatu
P.S. Originally it had two articles, but I present just one of them.
------------
Microsoft will support e-Mexico project
I just read some news about the interview Steve Ballmer had with Mexico's President Vicente Fox about the e-Mexico project (in few words, to deploy an internet backbone around the country and install at least kiosks in small communities. Something like that.)
Well, my worst fears are coming true. Now I say this even when I make a living developing solutions mostly on Microsoft technologies and I haven't give that much thought about what exactly would be best, but I think what my country (or any developing one) needs is:
1) Try to cover the most territory/town/etc. in your project
2) Try to save the most money trying to do it. On other words, do it cheaply.
3) Not to tie your project/future in a technology that may require further payments. (.NET, license rents, etc.)
4) Use technologies that can be cheaply replicated.
And going the MS way does not cover these last 3 points and can affect the first one because the rised costs.
About other cons, we have seen something similar in UK, where the websites needs the IE browser. (I can't loacet a Register article about it.)
I think that to deply an all-Linux solution needs more people, more training, etc. Also, I don't know what company would recommend an all-open-source solution (any ideas here?), but maybe we can do something "quick" giving some concesions, like maybe clients with Windows machines but the applications being made with open source tools (Apache, PHP, Java, etc.) so that the applications and the future of the project don't be tied to a company's (specially THIS company) whims.
Why not do something like China for that matter, who appears to be using Linux ?
On the other hand, it's better to wait until senator Helms retires, before he label Mexico as a communist country if we do that.
About the article, when you read it it sounds as if they'll actually spend those 60 million dollars, and when you do the math ($60,000,000 / 20,000 people == $3,000 dlls.)
I don't know what the training will cover. Anyway, in Mexico you can train someone VB, SQLServer, Access with less than that.
When I read about the "investment", I couldn't help but remember the local articles when X company makes a donation to an university and says they gave away thousand and thousand of dollars... if you use the price list that nobody pays anyway because on that scale you can use site licenses, etc.
Also, a book named "How to Lie with Statistics" comes to mind.
I know I sound "ungrateful", but I can't help it being so cynical.
Now a little "Ask Slashdot" here: What would you do if you think MS is not the best way to go. Or better: What would you do about this project.
Anyway, here are the articles and the translations.
Here's a translation of the article. Please note that Ballmer's comments are translated from the spanish article, so I don't know what he said exactly in english so it can (or better sai, I'm sure to) be different.
Microsoft will support e-Mexico project
Microsoft will invest on the certification of 20 thousand mexican developers who could create software technologies.
Ciudad de México, México.- Steve Ballmer, Microsoft President, announced today his company will do an investment of $58 million dollars through five years to support the Mexico's Government informatic
project e-Mexico.
Ballmer, after an interview with President Vicente Fox in the oficial house of Los Pinos, said the investment will be used to prepare 20 thousand people to develop software adequate to the mexican technological necessities . he indicated that for the company it's very important to invest in the country since it "will duplicate it's
profits in the technology industry the next years and Microsoft don't want to miss it."
Ballmer commented that the Fox's administrationalready has the necessary infrastructure to get the people of all social classes near the e-Mexico project. The project will try to extend high-level education around the people,
benefit the operation of the small and medium enterprises and to advance other aspects that favor the development of the country.
The Microsoft executive said that after his conversation with Fox his "optimism" toward the project has increased. He indicated that Microsoft's work will begin with the preparation of 3 thousand teachers, so that they could train other groups of education professionals.
Ballmer said that Mexico is a strategic market for the future of Microsoft,
especially for the development possibilities the country presents.
Microsoft began operations in Mexico 15 years ago, and is associated with Teléfonos de México, the biggest telecommunications company in the country in the portal T1msn.
"I think they should get into the business of crashing space stations into the Pacific, and bringing tourists on boats to watch the fireworks."
If you're talking about the MIR station, let me tell you it excedeed it's time of service, and the last thing I heard, it outlasted the Skylab, now that's a failure.
Stop adding this kind of "humor" to the articles, it demeans the audience as stupid in history. At least I hope there are not many who thinks about MIR like you...
----
On the other hand, I hope this news is not true, the people of Russia has more pressing things to worry about. But if they want, they can pull it off, I'm sure of it.
(Loose Translation Follows)
Local Government Will Avoid Buying Windows
The Technical Coordinatos of the city administration, José barberán, informed that with the new computer system (sic) they can do the database program that will be used for the replacement of car's plates that will begin at the middle of the year.
By Alejandra Bordon
Mexico City, Mexico (March 12, 2001)
The informatic revolution which seed was planted by a young finnish programmer, Linus Torvalds, has come to the Distrito Federal's Government.
The media: to use Linux in all the areas of the city administration, an open operative system, free and with freedom, created by torvalds in 1991 and more disseminated every day all around the world.
The goal: To save tens of millions of pesos (1 dlls = 9.65 pesos) in the payment of services in the use of commercial programs - like Window - and instead use those resources to support the programs against poverty that have been put in operation by the Chief of Government (kind of a Super-Mayor), Andres Manuel López Obrador.
José Barberán, Technical Coordinator for the city administration is in charge of the project, who informed in an interview that Linux will be used in the database program of the replacement of the car's plates which will begin in the middle of the year.
The design of the program for the free replacement of plates will be free - if the cars owners don't have any due payments in the tenencia (a yearly car possession's tax) began since september of 2000 after several meetings headed by the technical Coordination, is in the stage of licitation of the computer goods.
/End of article/
FYI
The government of Mexico City is a from a left-wing party, and it's in the second administration from it. In regards to the IT departmen, there was a scandal three or four years ago when the first government of this then-opposition party assumed, when they found some "shadow opperations" between some people of the last government and IBM salespeople, but not in the same level as the Argentinean case. Don't remember more especifics by the moment, but I think IBM had to pay something back, but I'm not sure.
In the other hand, it's the same city government who doesn't want to be under the federal summer-time/energy savings schedule (I don't remember the US exact term for this.) which is more a populist stand than for technical reasons.
Now my comments:
Somebody said:
"Now, what is free software going to do except put professional programmers out of business? Then they'll be some of the poor needing a hand-out. It's self-defeating; you can't help the economic status of people by destroying the economy they live in!"
What kind of moron says that ? They're replacing WINDOWS, the last time I looked, WINDOWS is not a mexican-developed OS, so who is affected by this ?
In fact, it's more probable they'll need a little more programmers to do this.
No, giving away money it's not a way to fight poverty, but stopping giving away money to some companies when you can avoid it by using free alternatives and spend that money otherwise is not a stupid thing. Sheesh!
Somebody said "damn commies" ?
What difference is it between this actually happening replacement of Windows to the countless proposals of/.rs who suggested the change to the city government of I-don't-remember-which-one US city who got an audit from Microsoft a few months ago and didn't have all the licenses ?
Get real!
Slashdot Mirror
Let's do one thing at a time...
...
...
First we have to "escape" to another planet, then we can think bigger.
We can't even go to Mars, people!
Good thing we already are thinking about a "Space Internet" so we can spend our time reading Slashdot all the way to the Stars...
Forget about those "plagues".
If I lived in the USA (since there is where all these things are happening.), I would be scared of the death of the first born childs...
That's the only downsize to be the first born of your siblings...
Well, that and that your parents are newbies to all that parenthood crap...
I mean, your brothers or sisters must have come out better, don't you think ?
They show Count Dooku the blueprints they've made, which I suppose later gets leaked to R2-D2.
One more reason for them to ban USB drives and iPods...
If they had a chip in the shoe, it would be for tracking them in long runs, like the Marathon, or the 20 Km and 50 Km Race Walk.
The rules say the torso is the body part that stops the clock and determines the winner, not the head, arms or LEGS, making it unusable to put them in the shoes. Maybe the front of the shoulder or in the number id for each athlete.
And there's the issue of the scanning speed, also, as mentioned elsewhere.
I'm interested.
Can you ship to Mordor ?
I know I don't have great ratings, I'm new to this Internet thing, but I really, really want this item.
- S
"Wireless Vasectomy" is the term we use...
You know, buzzwords and all...
Thank God!
I writed the wrong date hoping someone would read it and correct me.
I always thought that if someone around here corrected another one with some kind of assuredness, "everyone" would take it for granted. As in when people believes something only because it's printed on paper.
There's still hope.
I know this is off-topic, but don't you hate it when people talk without "enough" knowledge of something ?
I think this is one of the main reasons there's all these conflicts around the world.
Peace.
...about the Nagasaki bombing back in '46 added...
... IIRC
Actually it was December 9, 1945
I'm not anal-retentive, but this is the way things begin to go bad: not remembering things correctly...
Interesting history bit this "Ground Zero" thing, BTW
Thank God !
I thought I was beginning to loose my mind!
When I read the text, I said "Hasn't this been posted before ?"
And then I read:
And check out the pictogram they chose to accompany the prison-rape researcher entry in this story. It's a picture of Barney. I know they're using it as a way of depicting which of the jobs are associated with psychological torture, but, c'mon! Barney? Prison-rape? That's just soooo wrong.
" $#!t ! I knew they would say this ! "
Is this some kind of Deja-vu episodes I had a lot as a child ?
Or is this a sign of The Matrix realigning ?
(After all Neo just saved us all...)
Then I saw this post, and there it is the Barney comment
I swear. it scared me...
Man... I think this scare cost me a year or two of my life...
Back in 1997, at Comdex Fall I bought a mouse which had two scroll wheels (vertical and horizontal) preciselly for this reason: to scroll around big pictures. Not exactly the ones you imply, but I think it can solve your er... problem.
BTW, the mouse was from A4Tech.
(-1) for Bill Gates for being a Troll
Does this means I can actually ignore the article and not feel guilty when I post about it ?
Great! That's a first...
I don't see why they would think that a Comdex show would be targeted.
:D
.. (no wait that should read from anywhere from Morroco to the Phillipines, or even be Greek) and be in the wrong place at the wrong time until sanity prevails.
They're expecting "only" 150,000 people (From a max. of 250,000 back in 1997) because of the dot-com bust , the not-yet-named recession, the Sept. 11 attacks and all the stuff from that (companies prohibiting certain key execs from traveling, cost-cutting measures, etc.)
Now, seeing all that people in one place, you can't imagine it. Back in the 1997 show, I was warned before attending, but being there, it's another thing.
We "planed" to get a taxi when the show closed one of the days, well, the line was 1000+ long. Don't believe it ? I've a picture from last year's show.
The lines for the 24+ different bus routes to the hotels ? 400 + long each.
In a few words, it's BIG. Many people. Chaos could ensue. And you can count on the people attending the show to help. Two or three years ago, all the cell phone lines/bandwidth was used at some peak hours, something that never happenned before, if you believe the local news those days. Remember some of the "chaos" in NYC when the cell lines got blocked after the attacks? well, it kind of happened in Las Vegas. Scary indeed.
You could see the people from Japan, Korea, Taiwan, etc. using their cell phones (2 or 3 models more advanced than anyone I saw in the US, BTW) at some "strange hours", I suppose they called before the offices back at home closed or just when they were opening, I don't know. But seeing all those people seating on the stairs talking in different languages, it's when it hits you: Comdex Fall is an International show. Just from here (Mexico), I don't remember the "exact" figure but it's above 12,000 people attending. Another example: I remember in the 98 show being at the Ziff Davis booth, there was an egyptian engineer trying to subscribe to some magazines. "Big deal", eh? He wasn't an immigrant working in the USA. Then the ZD representative realized he wanted to get it to get delivered to Egypt. I mean, this man came all the way from Egypt! Not as a part of a booth, but as any "regular techie". Talk about getting some job related travels (I mean, for techies, not CEO's...)
You can see companies from all around the world, press from all around the world, reporting daily from there. I remember seeing a CNN press booth just in the middle of the Convention Center last year. So you have coverage all around the world.
And don't get me started on the crowds in the rest of the strip. The buffet lines are the second worst of the year, only after the last week of the year, one of the busiest at LV. Crowds everywhere but at the casino's. Someone said the tech people are the worst crowd as gamblers, suppossedly because "we" know the odds on the chance games. I support the other theory: bad travel budgets makes us "cheap".
Also, Las Vegas had a anthrax scare some years ago when they arrested someone with an anthrax vaccine, after getting a clue from someone about it. They reacted very seriously back then, imagine now.
You also have some of the richest people in the world there. Gates, Ellison, Sony's President (or CEO? I don't remember).
I mean *HONESTLY*, who on earth would target COMDEX, something that has absolutely no importance to the general (non-technical) public? From a terrorist's point of view (which is what you try to take if your aim is an intelligent security policy) it's obviously of no use to attack a target that people would have to explain why it was that striking it meant something.
How about one of the biggest/important economy sectors? And in this "decadent, Sin City" ?
I think I already made my point. So you can't go around thinking it can't be a target. I'm sure I wish it wasn't true, but it is. I love that show, I was there 3 of the last 4 years, and yes, it's not the same as the "good all days". Yes, you can get most of the info from the internet just days after, but the "experience" is different.
Sadly, I cann't attend this year, since my VISA expired and here the embassy/consulates have a backlog/queue of 120,000+ applications/renewals to see (so I'll get my renewal until next year. Bummer). And that's before the attacks happenned, not because of any increased security. Just too much work and too many people, I guess.
I hope this doesn't get's the show killed, I hope it gets to thrives again next year.
After reading some of the sites with advice for attending there (incredible useful, BTW) and having the experience of attending the ComicCon at San Diego before, I always had a backpack with me, with a bottle of water, a digital camera (even a video one once), extra batteries for the cams, some extra business cards, etcetera. I could stuff there the "goodies" as someone mentioned before and when it was full, I could rely then in the show's bags. I guess if I was going there this year I had to "rethink" my strategy. It's a shame cameras can't be used anymore.
Someone mentioned the body search thing. It can't be done to everyone. The lines/crowd for entering would be unmanageable. Metal detector should be used, but that can't get the anthrax/biological weapons as someone mentioned. I guess you just have to rely on checking everyones pockets, I guess, like at the stadium. God, I hope there's nothing like that. And you can bet I will go there next year.
Whatever you do, don't be Irish
Funny thing, last year a friend went with us "regulars" to Comdex (Nov/2000), and from the point we arrived at the airport there were always "suspicious" looks for him. he has a mexican name, but his great-great-great-great-grandfather or something was from the Middle East, and he has "the looks", with a heavy beard and ponytail. But he's more mexican than the tequila. We talked about it when we came back. Guess what he's not doing after the Sept.11 attacks ? You guessed right. Not going "even near" the border. And I can't blame him, I saw it happenning before, so why risk it? I guess that egyptian engineer I saw before will not go there neither.
Just my 2 cents.
And see you there next year.
BTW, for the guy who is in high school and heared all this things? Go for it, I too wanted to attend three conventions when I was in college: MacWorld, San Diego ComicCon, Comdex Fall (2 out of 3 ain't bad, and MacWorld sucked when I got the chance. And now I don't use Mac anymore, so I'm not going there yet.). You have to make it happen.
2 suspects who were arrested near the washington bridge, with a truck full of explosives.
They are questioning them right now.
The past August 24, after the meeting between Vicente Fox and Steve Ballmer mentioned in the article, I submitted a badly worden article, made in the heat of the moment, which was obviously rejected by our dear editors here.
:
/
/ 119904/
n einternet/cei.asp?tema=19&subtema=81251
But with this article about Miguel, I think it can shed a little over the "commitment" made by MS with Mexico's government.
Uatu
P.S. Originally it had two articles, but I present just one of them.
------------
Microsoft will support e-Mexico project
I just read some news about the interview Steve Ballmer had with Mexico's President Vicente Fox about the e-Mexico project (in few words, to deploy an internet backbone around the country and install at least kiosks in small communities. Something like that.)
Well, my worst fears are coming true. Now I say this even when I make a living developing solutions mostly on Microsoft technologies and I haven't give that much thought about what exactly would be best, but I think what my country (or any developing one) needs is
1) Try to cover the most territory/town/etc. in your project
2) Try to save the most money trying to do it. On other words, do it cheaply.
3) Not to tie your project/future in a technology that may require further payments. (.NET, license rents, etc.)
4) Use technologies that can be cheaply replicated.
And going the MS way does not cover these last 3 points and can affect the first one because the rised costs.
About other cons, we have seen something similar in UK, where the websites needs the IE browser. (I can't loacet a Register article about it.)
I think that to deply an all-Linux solution needs more people, more training, etc. Also, I don't know what company would recommend an all-open-source solution (any ideas here?), but maybe we can do something "quick" giving some concesions, like maybe clients with Windows machines but the applications being made with open source tools (Apache, PHP, Java, etc.) so that the applications and the future of the project don't be tied to a company's (specially THIS company) whims.
Why not do something like China for that matter, who appears to be using Linux ?
On the other hand, it's better to wait until senator Helms retires, before he label Mexico as a communist country if we do that.
About the article, when you read it it sounds as if they'll actually spend those 60 million dollars, and when you do the math ($60,000,000 / 20,000 people == $3,000 dlls.)
I don't know what the training will cover. Anyway, in Mexico you can train someone VB, SQLServer, Access with less than that.
When I read about the "investment", I couldn't help but remember the local articles when X company makes a donation to an university and says they gave away thousand and thousand of dollars... if you use the price list that nobody pays anyway because on that scale you can use site licenses, etc.
Also, a book named "How to Lie with Statistics" comes to mind.
I know I sound "ungrateful", but I can't help it being so cynical.
Now a little "Ask Slashdot" here: What would you do if you think MS is not the best way to go. Or better: What would you do about this project.
Anyway, here are the articles and the translations.
http://www.elnorte.com/tecnologia/articulo/140950
and here (this is other paper from the same company) with small modifications
http://www.reforma.com/economiayfinanzas/articulo
Here's a translation of the article. Please note that Ballmer's comments are translated from the spanish article, so I don't know what he said exactly in english so it can (or better sai, I'm sure to) be different.
Microsoft will support e-Mexico project
Microsoft will invest on the certification of 20 thousand mexican developers who could create software technologies.
Ciudad de México, México.- Steve Ballmer, Microsoft President, announced today his company will do an investment of $58 million dollars through five years to support the Mexico's Government informatic
project e-Mexico.
Ballmer, after an interview with President Vicente Fox in the oficial house of Los Pinos, said the investment will be used to prepare 20 thousand people to develop software adequate to the mexican technological necessities . he indicated that for the company it's very important to invest in the country since it "will duplicate it's
profits in the technology industry the next years and Microsoft don't want to miss it."
Ballmer commented that the Fox's administrationalready has the necessary infrastructure to get the people of all social classes near the e-Mexico project. The project will try to extend high-level education around the people,
benefit the operation of the small and medium enterprises and to advance other aspects that favor the development of the country.
The Microsoft executive said that after his conversation with Fox his "optimism" toward the project has increased. He indicated that Microsoft's work will begin with the preparation of 3 thousand teachers, so that they could train other groups of education professionals.
Ballmer said that Mexico is a strategic market for the future of Microsoft,
especially for the development possibilities the country presents.
Microsoft began operations in Mexico 15 years ago, and is associated with Teléfonos de México, the biggest telecommunications company in the country in the portal T1msn.
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Other similar article from the same press conference:
http://servicios.t1msn.com.mx/noticias/computacio
(Yes, it's from Telmex & Microsoft's portal.)
"I think they should get into the business of crashing space stations into the Pacific, and bringing tourists on boats to watch the fireworks."
If you're talking about the MIR station, let me tell you it excedeed it's time of service, and the last thing I heard, it outlasted the Skylab, now that's a failure.
Stop adding this kind of "humor" to the articles, it demeans the audience as stupid in history. At least I hope there are not many who thinks about MIR like you...
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On the other hand, I hope this news is not true, the people of Russia has more pressing things to worry about. But if they want, they can pull it off, I'm sure of it.
(Loose Translation Follows) Local Government Will Avoid Buying Windows The Technical Coordinatos of the city administration, José barberán, informed that with the new computer system (sic) they can do the database program that will be used for the replacement of car's plates that will begin at the middle of the year.
/End of article/
/.rs who suggested the change to the city government of I-don't-remember-which-one US city who got an audit from Microsoft a few months ago and didn't have all the licenses ?
By Alejandra Bordon
Mexico City, Mexico (March 12, 2001)
The informatic revolution which seed was planted by a young finnish programmer, Linus Torvalds, has come to the Distrito Federal's Government.
The media: to use Linux in all the areas of the city administration, an open operative system, free and with freedom, created by torvalds in 1991 and more disseminated every day all around the world.
The goal: To save tens of millions of pesos (1 dlls = 9.65 pesos) in the payment of services in the use of commercial programs - like Window - and instead use those resources to support the programs against poverty that have been put in operation by the Chief of Government (kind of a Super-Mayor), Andres Manuel López Obrador.
José Barberán, Technical Coordinator for the city administration is in charge of the project, who informed in an interview that Linux will be used in the database program of the replacement of the car's plates which will begin in the middle of the year.
The design of the program for the free replacement of plates will be free - if the cars owners don't have any due payments in the tenencia (a yearly car possession's tax) began since september of 2000 after several meetings headed by the technical Coordination, is in the stage of licitation of the computer goods.
FYI
The government of Mexico City is a from a left-wing party, and it's in the second administration from it. In regards to the IT departmen, there was a scandal three or four years ago when the first government of this then-opposition party assumed, when they found some "shadow opperations" between some people of the last government and IBM salespeople, but not in the same level as the Argentinean case. Don't remember more especifics by the moment, but I think IBM had to pay something back, but I'm not sure.
In the other hand, it's the same city government who doesn't want to be under the federal summer-time/energy savings schedule (I don't remember the US exact term for this.) which is more a populist stand than for technical reasons.
Now my comments:
Somebody said: "Now, what is free software going to do except put professional programmers out of business? Then they'll be some of the poor needing a hand-out. It's self-defeating; you can't help the economic status of people by destroying the economy they live in!"
What kind of moron says that ? They're replacing WINDOWS, the last time I looked, WINDOWS is not a mexican-developed OS, so who is affected by this ?
In fact, it's more probable they'll need a little more programmers to do this.
No, giving away money it's not a way to fight poverty, but stopping giving away money to some companies when you can avoid it by using free alternatives and spend that money otherwise is not a stupid thing. Sheesh!
Somebody said "damn commies" ? What difference is it between this actually happening replacement of Windows to the countless proposals of
Get real!