YES, if you're developing software you expect to be used publicly, you are slave to the users who will demand features, or else you're just another asshole who puts software out and then complains when people don't like it.
Not once, NOT ONCE have I ever heard an open source programmer complain that people don't like his software. Sure, if you make software to be used by other people, you have to pay attention to who will be using it. But if someone "who puts software out there" only does it because he had a itch that he scratched and thought others might find it useful, then, quite frankly, the all demanding users can go fuck themselves.
See, there's this problem, and I won't deny it happens on both sides of the fence. (Some) Programmers think they are better than everyone else, and maybe they are, if they are John Carmack or Linus Torvalds. But then, most users are lazy, incompetent selfish whiners who bitch when the littlest thing doesn't go their way.
However, the thing that everyone (programmers and users included) need to realize is that we are all human, we all make mistakes, and bitching and pointing fingers won't solve the problem. Users and programmers need to treat each others as equals, and act as equals. True communication is possible only between equals, because inferiors are more consistently rewarded for telling their superiors pleasant lies than for telling the truth.
People (users and programmers) need to let go of the ego and selfishness and focus on fixing shit. Did you notice something about the two programmers I mentioned above? They, by means of repeated excellence, have every right to say "I'm better than you"; but they don't. They don't get caught up on busllshit and whining. They have pride in what they do, but they also have humility.
Sure, there are asshole programmers. But there are also asshole users who don't realize that Linux is only free (as in beer) if your time is worth nothing. If you want a feature, you have to put some effort into communicating rationally that you want that feature. You have to put in to get something out. Otherwise, you can go pay someone to do it for you. Otherwise, why the fuck should we, as programmers, listen to you? What have you (the user) ever done for us?
I'll leave you with a quote to ponder:
What do I consider a reasonable person to be? I'd say a reasonable person is one who accepts that we are all human and therefore fallible, and takes that into account when dealing with others. Implicit in this definition is the belief that it is the right and the responsibility of each person to live his or her own life as he or she sees fit, to respect this right in others, and to demand the assumption of this responsibility by others.
Normally, every year at tax time, I would browse on over to TurboTax.com to use TurboTax for the web, which seemed to work just fine under Linux. Unfortunatley, this year they finally decided to start denying access to users without an "accepted browser". Up until this point, I had been very happy with TurboTax for the web. I briefly considered writing a tax return preparation package for Linux, but then decided I should probably just do my taxes ASAP because it was Apr. 14.
So, I went to Google to search for "Linux tax return software", and not finding anything of worth that was free, decided to try TaxCut.com (a part of H & R Block). They had a web based version, and it seems to be working fine with Linux and Mozilla. However, I wonder how long it will be until it doesn't, and I'm reminded of my dream: to never have to use another piece of non-free (as in speech) software again, including being able to file my taxes online under Linux.
I would still seriously like to start work on tax preparation software, but I wouldn't know where to begin, and even if I did, I don't have the time. I figure, maybe I could take courses to become a certified public accountant, try to get on the inside track for accounting and tax codes, but again time is an issue.
Anyway, that's just my story; if anyone else has the gumption to actually start a tax preparation program for Linux, let me know. I may not have the time to work on it, but I'd definitely be interested in testing and donating what little time I do have to it.
Also, how dare they say I can't make a copy of my DVD. I want to make a copy of it to....um....well, I don't really know why I would make a copy of something that cost 14 bucks and doesn't really degrade from repeated viewing.
I don't know why you wouldn't want to make a copy. I can tell you why I do make a copy of all the intellectual property I have licensed: for backup purposes. Especially since your argument of "doesn't really degrade from repeated viewing" is a straw man; if the media is damaged, it WILL degrade the data.
See, the problem is, the RIAA, MPAA and BSA are trying to play it both ways, and that's not fair, just or right. Either they are selling a copy (the physical media) or selling a license (to the data itself). In the case of the latter, the customer is entitled to make backups and transfer the data to any medium they please because they own a license to use that data. In the former case, the prices are ridiculousy high and would be scoffed at by any rational being, and copyright would be irrelevant.
Why does the United States have this OBSESSION with punishment[?]
Because the United States was founded primarily by Puritans ("The infliction of cruelty with a good conscience is a delight to moralists. That is why they invented hell.").
Sure, we also got the Puritan work ethic ("the devil finds work for idle hands") and the Puritan education ethic (the true path to enlightenment is through study) which are the two primary reasons for America's success today (that and it's natural resources), but we are also unfortunately saddled with Puritan morality (ie, harsh punishment and much ado about nothing (a nipple)).
After all, there are so many laws on the books, I feel I can safely say that 100% of the people in the U.S. are in violation of at least one of them at least once per year.
I don't doubt it. It's frustrating, but what can you do?
"Rather than being integrated into society by being forced to take people as they come, the internet allows you to preselect whom you choose to fraternise with, based upon whether or not they share your specific interests."
Is being compassionate, understanding and accepting a good thing? Sure. Is getting a motley myriad of experiences with and from different people a good thing? Sure. Is being forced to put up with mindless shits who don't deserve attention a good thing? No.
I'm sorry, but no one should be forced to anything, least of all "take people as they come". Just because us geeks have the mental ability and tools to separate the wheat from the chaff doesn't mean we shouldn't use them. And I suppose the asshole who wrote this article approves of arranged marriage too.
Blue LEDs typically have a forward voltage greater than standard red/green/yellow ones. If you don't use a correctly-calculated series resistor, a lower voltage LED will receive more current and become a super-high-tech Black LED shortly after powerup.
Ah, yes, the old "all diodes are light emitting . . . once" rule of electronics.
Want a real safety precaution? Scare people straight. Make all the roads' speed limits something like the "safe and prudent" stuff they use in remote rural areas. Then, impose a severe penalty for unsafe driving. If you cause an accident, you lose your license for a year. Cause another one, make it 5 years. Drive without a license? No license ever again, and 1 year in prison. Drunk driving? Go for it, but stay in your lane and don't wreck. Kill someone, and you get a minimum of 3rd-degree murder. I'd guess that'd be about 30-50 years in prison.
Strangely enough, I was having just this thought the other day, especially after finishing Heinlein's "Starship Troopers" again. I was thinking, if I ever have children I will instruct them as to just how dangerous driving a car is and what exactly can happen, including all of the energy involved, even going so far as to make it geeky by involving the calculation of the energies involved and what those energies equate to. Then tell them, if they get into a car, they take full responsibility for whatever happens to them.
Well, y'know, there's that whole enforcement of the law thing. Unless that falls under 'petty revenge' in your book.
Actually, IMNSHO, most laws fall under petty revenge. You know, like drug laws, ie "Oh, look at that, those people are having more fun than me because I deny myself the pleasure that they are having, they shouldn't be allowed to do that!".
Only problem is that business keeps dropping off....
Either that or they don't have any repeat customers.
Exactly, you've just nailed the problem of *any* business on the head. If you make a perfect product (one that lasts forever and does exactly what your customers want it to do), you won't have any repeat customers. Hence consumerism.
I figure a suicide company, to be successful in today's market, would have to make products as badly as Microsoft:
Clippy: It looks like you're trying to kill yourself with a shotgun. Would you like to consider some different methods? a) Tin foil b) Noose made of thread c) Blanks
Why is using a command line "a good thing"(TM)? What is so special about a blinking cursor that gives Linux geeks a hardon? What kind of insane and obscure command would possibly be easier on a CLI than a GUI for the average Windows user?
All right, I'll bite back. A couple apropos quotes:
Linux supports the notion of a command line or a shell for the same reason that only children read books with only pictures in them. Language, be it English or something else, is the only tool flexible enough to accomplish a sufficiently broad range of tasks.
-- Bill Garrett
How do I type "for i in *.dvi do xdvi i done" in a GUI?
-- Discussion in comp.os.linux.misc on the intuitiveness of
interfaces.
Text Books are no exception an author who doesn't particular care for an OS even though they are try to objective, will often get their feelings about it in some way or another either by ignoring the fact, giving negative examples, or use negativity resining to explain the features of an other product, "Example: Linux was designed in part because of the shortcomings in windows."
Not only that, but you'd be doing your readers a disservice by lying to them. If Linux was designed, even in part, because of the shortcomings of anything, it was because of the shortcomings of Minix.
Me, I use (and develop from time to time) Linux because it gives me freedom and power.
Q: What we really should be asking here is what can we do to warrant our pay? How can we become more competitive in an increasingly connected world? Rather than complaining about outsourcing, we need to find out how to be more competitive. Any ideas?
A: Move to India so we don't have to pay exorbitant amounts of money to live in a corporately controlled state.
She makes the case that in most cases, it is the necessity to survive, rather than greed that has fed the offshoring process.
Really? And how much are the corporate officers of this company making? If it really was about cutting costs to survive, those corporate officers would be fired and replaced by ones just as good (if not better!) from Europe for a tenth the price.
I mean, come on. We've seen these arguments far too many times, but not once has anyone bothered to reply to the strategy of cutting out the most expensive employees to save money or "survive".
What do you do if you're 3 miles from home and your car runs out of gas?
Use the gas can in your trunk. What? You don't carry a spare fuel can? Guess you'll have to walk to the nearest gas station to get one.
What do you do if you're 3 miles from home and your bicycle gets a flat you can't fix?
Replace the tube with the spare you always carry. What? You don't carry a spare tube? Guess you'll be walking home.
What do you do if you're 3 miles from home and your shoe falls apart?
Keep walking. Who says you need shoes? Or, better yet, make sure the shoe isn't falling apart before you start walking. Shoes don't fall apart in one day, you know.
The major point is, the battery in a Segway is so bulky, it is unreasonable to carry a spare. With careful preparation and planning, you won't have the same problem with a car, bike or on foot, not to mention that they aren't as susceptible to malfunction in the first place.
Overall, Plato's Republic is the primary book of the anti-democracy movement. Hobbes was actually more of a classical scholar than a political philosopher. He produced one of the best translations of Thucydides' book the Peloponnesian War, and it was a standard translation for some time. Socrates lived right at the end of the Peloponnesian War, and saw Athens defeated.
Mostly, I was just reminded of Hobbes' "Life in the state of nature is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short." when reading that paragraph of yours.
It still stands that civilizations and societies are not built by leaders alone. Democracy may not be perfect, but it's a heck of a lot better than anything else we have. Myself, I'm an anarchist; live and let live, I say.
Excuse me, but I am not a consumer. I detest that word and the image that it implies: fat, greedy, slovenly pigs who can only consume and not produce anything of value. I can create, not just software, but music, poetry and even on occasion, rants which may get modded to "+5" on slashdot.
I may, from time to time, "consume", but otherwise I am more than merely a mouth to feed or a customer to be bilked for everything he's worth. And that perception, I think, is one of the biggest problems of society today.
This is not even getting to the other major issue: it is the tyrants you condemn that created a civilization within which fellows such as yourself could do something besides hunt and gather fruit. Tyrants grabbed ahold of selfish, aimless people and forced them to be a part of his vision, or leave the tribe. In time, people flocked to the cities created and maintained by wise leaders. They would much rather trade some of their freedoms to live in a paradise free from constant threats of attack, and where creative arts could flourish in peace. Cities of the past had much more trouble keeping people OUT of their cities, than keeping them in.
Hello Thomas Hobbes, paging Thomas Hobbes; someone is plagiarizing your ideas from "Leviathan". I mean, come on, just because a tyrant led a society doesn't mean that the individuals of that society owe him anything. If they owe anyone anything, it is the society itself, and the tyrant owes the society as well (how long do you think that tyrant would have lasted against that wild boar you mentioned?).
And selfish? You want to talk selfish, take a look at ANY tyrant. All of them have been selfish. Tyrants don't build societies or create civilizations; PEOPLE build societies and create civilizations.
I'll not deny that most, if not all, of us owe something to society and the human race in general. But just because some asshole went on a power trip doesn't justify him abusing his power. Leaders are NOT unique, contrary to popular belief, and they can be easily replaced. And furthermore, leaders aren't anything without people to lead.
Slashdot Mirror
Not once, NOT ONCE have I ever heard an open source programmer complain that people don't like his software. Sure, if you make software to be used by other people, you have to pay attention to who will be using it. But if someone "who puts software out there" only does it because he had a itch that he scratched and thought others might find it useful, then, quite frankly, the all demanding users can go fuck themselves.
See, there's this problem, and I won't deny it happens on both sides of the fence. (Some) Programmers think they are better than everyone else, and maybe they are, if they are John Carmack or Linus Torvalds. But then, most users are lazy, incompetent selfish whiners who bitch when the littlest thing doesn't go their way.
However, the thing that everyone (programmers and users included) need to realize is that we are all human, we all make mistakes, and bitching and pointing fingers won't solve the problem. Users and programmers need to treat each others as equals, and act as equals. True communication is possible only between equals, because inferiors are more consistently rewarded for telling their superiors pleasant lies than for telling the truth.
People (users and programmers) need to let go of the ego and selfishness and focus on fixing shit. Did you notice something about the two programmers I mentioned above? They, by means of repeated excellence, have every right to say "I'm better than you"; but they don't. They don't get caught up on busllshit and whining. They have pride in what they do, but they also have humility.
Sure, there are asshole programmers. But there are also asshole users who don't realize that Linux is only free (as in beer) if your time is worth nothing. If you want a feature, you have to put some effort into communicating rationally that you want that feature. You have to put in to get something out. Otherwise, you can go pay someone to do it for you. Otherwise, why the fuck should we, as programmers, listen to you? What have you (the user) ever done for us?
I'll leave you with a quote to ponder:
Normally, every year at tax time, I would browse on over to TurboTax.com to use TurboTax for the web, which seemed to work just fine under Linux. Unfortunatley, this year they finally decided to start denying access to users without an "accepted browser". Up until this point, I had been very happy with TurboTax for the web. I briefly considered writing a tax return preparation package for Linux, but then decided I should probably just do my taxes ASAP because it was Apr. 14.
So, I went to Google to search for "Linux tax return software", and not finding anything of worth that was free, decided to try TaxCut.com (a part of H & R Block). They had a web based version, and it seems to be working fine with Linux and Mozilla. However, I wonder how long it will be until it doesn't, and I'm reminded of my dream: to never have to use another piece of non-free (as in speech) software again, including being able to file my taxes online under Linux.
I would still seriously like to start work on tax preparation software, but I wouldn't know where to begin, and even if I did, I don't have the time. I figure, maybe I could take courses to become a certified public accountant, try to get on the inside track for accounting and tax codes, but again time is an issue.
Anyway, that's just my story; if anyone else has the gumption to actually start a tax preparation program for Linux, let me know. I may not have the time to work on it, but I'd definitely be interested in testing and donating what little time I do have to it.
I don't know why you wouldn't want to make a copy. I can tell you why I do make a copy of all the intellectual property I have licensed: for backup purposes. Especially since your argument of "doesn't really degrade from repeated viewing" is a straw man; if the media is damaged, it WILL degrade the data.
See, the problem is, the RIAA, MPAA and BSA are trying to play it both ways, and that's not fair, just or right. Either they are selling a copy (the physical media) or selling a license (to the data itself). In the case of the latter, the customer is entitled to make backups and transfer the data to any medium they please because they own a license to use that data. In the former case, the prices are ridiculousy high and would be scoffed at by any rational being, and copyright would be irrelevant.
Because the United States was founded primarily by Puritans ("The infliction of cruelty with a good conscience is a delight to moralists. That is why they invented hell.").
Sure, we also got the Puritan work ethic ("the devil finds work for idle hands") and the Puritan education ethic (the true path to enlightenment is through study) which are the two primary reasons for America's success today (that and it's natural resources), but we are also unfortunately saddled with Puritan morality (ie, harsh punishment and much ado about nothing (a nipple)).
I don't doubt it. It's frustrating, but what can you do?
Yes, but a girlfriend has other benefits besides being able to ask for directions. Trust me, I know ;-)
Not only that, but let's not forget how cheap those DDS4 tapes that Iomega balks at are.
Is being compassionate, understanding and accepting a good thing? Sure. Is getting a motley myriad of experiences with and from different people a good thing? Sure. Is being forced to put up with mindless shits who don't deserve attention a good thing? No
I'm sorry, but no one should be forced to anything, least of all "take people as they come". Just because us geeks have the mental ability and tools to separate the wheat from the chaff doesn't mean we shouldn't use them. And I suppose the asshole who wrote this article approves of arranged marriage too.
Whoops, you're too late, it's already happened.
Because they don't need to?
. . . the future is brainfuck!
Ah, yes, the old "all diodes are light emitting . . . once" rule of electronics.
Strangely enough, I was having just this thought the other day, especially after finishing Heinlein's "Starship Troopers" again. I was thinking, if I ever have children I will instruct them as to just how dangerous driving a car is and what exactly can happen, including all of the energy involved, even going so far as to make it geeky by involving the calculation of the energies involved and what those energies equate to. Then tell them, if they get into a car, they take full responsibility for whatever happens to them.
Actually, IMNSHO, most laws fall under petty revenge. You know, like drug laws, ie "Oh, look at that, those people are having more fun than me because I deny myself the pleasure that they are having, they shouldn't be allowed to do that!".
Exactly, you've just nailed the problem of *any* business on the head. If you make a perfect product (one that lasts forever and does exactly what your customers want it to do), you won't have any repeat customers. Hence consumerism.
I figure a suicide company, to be successful in today's market, would have to make products as badly as Microsoft:
Clippy: It looks like you're trying to kill yourself with a shotgun. Would you like to consider some different methods?
a) Tin foil
b) Noose made of thread
c) Blanks
Shit, it's more accurate than CNN, and the way things are going in the UK, it'll soon be more accurate than the BBC . .
Just write it all down as it comes to you; you can polish it later.
All right, I'll bite back. A couple apropos quotes:
Not only that, but you'd be doing your readers a disservice by lying to them. If Linux was designed, even in part, because of the shortcomings of anything, it was because of the shortcomings of Minix.
Me, I use (and develop from time to time) Linux because it gives me freedom and power.
A: Move to India so we don't have to pay exorbitant amounts of money to live in a corporately controlled state.
Really? And how much are the corporate officers of this company making? If it really was about cutting costs to survive, those corporate officers would be fired and replaced by ones just as good (if not better!) from Europe for a tenth the price.
I mean, come on. We've seen these arguments far too many times, but not once has anyone bothered to reply to the strategy of cutting out the most expensive employees to save money or "survive".
Use the gas can in your trunk. What? You don't carry a spare fuel can? Guess you'll have to walk to the nearest gas station to get one.
Replace the tube with the spare you always carry. What? You don't carry a spare tube? Guess you'll be walking home.
Keep walking. Who says you need shoes? Or, better yet, make sure the shoe isn't falling apart before you start walking. Shoes don't fall apart in one day, you know.
The major point is, the battery in a Segway is so bulky, it is unreasonable to carry a spare. With careful preparation and planning, you won't have the same problem with a car, bike or on foot, not to mention that they aren't as susceptible to malfunction in the first place.
Mostly, I was just reminded of Hobbes' "Life in the state of nature is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short." when reading that paragraph of yours.
It still stands that civilizations and societies are not built by leaders alone. Democracy may not be perfect, but it's a heck of a lot better than anything else we have. Myself, I'm an anarchist; live and let live, I say.
Fuck telling them, they obviously aren't listening. I say, up against the wall with them, "Moon is a Harsh Mistress" style!
(Can you tell I've been re-reading Heinlein recently?
Excuse me, but I am not a consumer. I detest that word and the image that it implies: fat, greedy, slovenly pigs who can only consume and not produce anything of value. I can create, not just software, but music, poetry and even on occasion, rants which may get modded to "+5" on slashdot.
I may, from time to time, "consume", but otherwise I am more than merely a mouth to feed or a customer to be bilked for everything he's worth. And that perception, I think, is one of the biggest problems of society today.
Hello Thomas Hobbes, paging Thomas Hobbes; someone is plagiarizing your ideas from "Leviathan". I mean, come on, just because a tyrant led a society doesn't mean that the individuals of that society owe him anything. If they owe anyone anything, it is the society itself, and the tyrant owes the society as well (how long do you think that tyrant would have lasted against that wild boar you mentioned?).
And selfish? You want to talk selfish, take a look at ANY tyrant. All of them have been selfish. Tyrants don't build societies or create civilizations; PEOPLE build societies and create civilizations.
I'll not deny that most, if not all, of us owe something to society and the human race in general. But just because some asshole went on a power trip doesn't justify him abusing his power. Leaders are NOT unique, contrary to popular belief, and they can be easily replaced. And furthermore, leaders aren't anything without people to lead.