Actually.. Would it matter wether computer code is nice or not? I have to admit that my programming skills are limited to good'ole Basic, but I do know this:
- People in general don't give a lick about how pretty the code is -
The only thing that's really important is how well it runs. You may call it an art, but unless it actually changes a program for the better, it's worth absolutely nothing.
The only exception is: if other people have to read the sourcecode. Open Source / multiple programmer environments do have to have well arranged code - to ease finding and changing what you are looking for.
My sock drawer is well arranged.. Does that make it a work of art?
I don't think so. But if my well arranged sock drawer allows me to get dressed in 20 seconds, that might be considered an art.
Open source has been part of the "underground" computer scene for as long as I can remember.. That's a good ten years..
Does anyone know why the big open-source debate seems to get through to the media NOW? Is that just another example of the media's populist nature, or has anything actually happened that has left Open Source as something new an important?
I can see how Linux' starting to gobble up M$'s market share can be of importance, but so has Apple, and they have not gotten this kind of publicity (granted, Apple has never pretended to get their piece of the cake because they want to do "the people" good, but still)
Arcades in LAN / WAN. What a marvellous idea.. Except not..
Most people owning a computer nowadays have more processing power than the common arcade machines - the only advantage the Arcade still has is the fancy stuff, like a steering wheel and huge monitors, surround sound etc. The only reason I'd want to pay up 10 Norwegian Kroner (a little more than a dollar) to play in a WAN would be to see the face of the person I have beaten, right after I have beaten him..
It's all psychology. In short: I don't think it's very satisfying to win a game of Ferrari racing, and leave the Arcade machine thinking "Oh boy, did I cream that BllDg guy somewhere in Kansas City".
Point: It's completely irrelevant that the technology exists.. If I want to play long-distance-network, I might as well use the internet - in which case I can play for a week for the same prize it costs me to play two games in the arcade.
I believe we have to start shifting our proportions a bit.
Has it occurred to you why insurance companies don't blink twice when you ask to insure your computer hardware, but when it comes to your actual *data*... The point is: The only thing that's actually WORTH anything on a computer is the things installed on it - a monitor might set you back $300, but a report or an unfinished script might be irreplacable (sp?).
These days, the hardware is just about thrown at you. I can see it happening in the near future; The software companies give away free computer equipment, against you having to buy their software. After all - software is all that *really* matters nowadays.
Quite a few audio cards have digital out - you could simply record it into a harddisk recorder, and then record it back to your computer without losing a single bit of audio quality. Almost the same goes for MiniDisc recorders, allthough here the sound is compressed / decompressed.
In other words: your initial stand was correct (if you can hear it, you can rip it), but it doesn't have to include a quality loss.
Terry Pratchett is a genius. That is; he used to be one. The first five-or-so books of the Discworld series were nothing short of close-to-genius, laughing-muscle-training witful writing.
Too bad, things have changed...
Douglas Adams (the author who indirectly introduced me to Terry Pratchett) has written the ultimate work of humour: The Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy. But also here, only the first two books were really worth reading. The funny rambling goes over to being "I have seen this before" material - it's still funny, just not as new, and to a lesser degree unpredictable.
I just hope that authors realize that even though they CAN make money of a group of loyal fans, maybe they SHOULDN*T.
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Actually.. Would it matter wether computer code is nice or not? I have to admit that my programming skills are limited to good'ole Basic, but I do know this:
- People in general don't give a lick about how pretty the code is -
The only thing that's really important is how well it runs. You may call it an art, but unless it actually changes a program for the better, it's worth absolutely nothing.
The only exception is: if other people have to read the sourcecode. Open Source / multiple programmer environments do have to have well arranged code - to ease finding and changing what you are looking for.
My sock drawer is well arranged.. Does that make it a work of art?
I don't think so. But if my well arranged sock drawer allows me to get dressed in 20 seconds, that might be considered an art.
Open source has been part of the "underground" computer scene for as long as I can remember.. That's a good ten years..
Does anyone know why the big open-source debate seems to get through to the media NOW? Is that just another example of the media's populist nature, or has anything actually happened that has left Open Source as something new an important?
I can see how Linux' starting to gobble up M$'s market share can be of importance, but so has Apple, and they have not gotten this kind of publicity (granted, Apple has never pretended to get their piece of the cake because they want to do "the people" good, but still)
Why now?
Arcades in LAN / WAN. What a marvellous idea.. Except not..
Most people owning a computer nowadays have more processing power than the common arcade machines - the only advantage the Arcade still has is the fancy stuff, like a steering wheel and huge monitors, surround sound etc. The only reason I'd want to pay up 10 Norwegian Kroner (a little more than a dollar) to play in a WAN would be to see the face of the person I have beaten, right after I have beaten him..
It's all psychology. In short: I don't think it's very satisfying to win a game of Ferrari racing, and leave the Arcade machine thinking "Oh boy, did I cream that BllDg guy somewhere in Kansas City".
Point: It's completely irrelevant that the technology exists.. If I want to play long-distance-network, I might as well use the internet - in which case I can play for a week for the same prize it costs me to play two games in the arcade.
Give me the internet any day.
I believe we have to start shifting our proportions a bit.
Has it occurred to you why insurance companies don't blink twice when you ask to insure your computer hardware, but when it comes to your actual *data*... The point is: The only thing that's actually WORTH anything on a computer is the things installed on it - a monitor might set you back $300, but a report or an unfinished script might be irreplacable (sp?).
These days, the hardware is just about thrown at you. I can see it happening in the near future; The software companies give away free computer equipment, against you having to buy their software. After all - software is all that *really* matters nowadays.
Quite a few audio cards have digital out - you could simply record it into a harddisk recorder, and then record it back to your computer without losing a single bit of audio quality. Almost the same goes for MiniDisc recorders, allthough here the sound is compressed / decompressed. In other words: your initial stand was correct (if you can hear it, you can rip it), but it doesn't have to include a quality loss.
Terry Pratchett is a genius. That is; he used to be one. The first five-or-so books of the Discworld series were nothing short of close-to-genius, laughing-muscle-training witful writing.
Too bad, things have changed...
Douglas Adams (the author who indirectly introduced me to Terry Pratchett) has written the ultimate work of humour: The Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy. But also here, only the first two books were really worth reading. The funny rambling goes over to being "I have seen this before" material - it's still funny, just not as new, and to a lesser degree unpredictable.
I just hope that authors realize that even though they CAN make money of a group of loyal fans, maybe they SHOULDN*T.