I'm not upset about the fact that people call it X Windows. I'm upset about the fact that somebody would criticize the X11 folks for naming it "X Windows" when they never did that. -russ
Well, like I said, you have your own opinions, which I doubt I can shift. If you want a better understanding of how the world works, you should study economics. Don't believe what you have been told about economics -- but instead actually study it for yourself. -russ
If a government restricts itself to enforcing property rights and the rule of law, consumers will take care of markets. As long anything peaceful is permitted, consumer action is sufficient to reign in any company, including utilities. I know you don't believe that, and I'm also sure that I can't convince you of that. Nonetheless, it is true. -russ
I'm sorry to have to continue to disagree with you, but I don't see any free market utilities. I see differently regulated utilities. It should be clear that if you free the wolves without freeing the sheep, the sheep are mutton. If you free the sheep without freeing the wolves, the sheep stomp the wolves to death (e.g. as happened in California, with retail price controls but no wholesale ones).
Privatization is hard, and the simple fact that it's often not done well is no indictment of free markets. Better not to have regulated in the first place. -russ
Doesn't say much about what happened in Bolivia, but chances are between 99% and 99.9% that the "free market" for selling water was nothing like it. I mean, what would a free market for selling water look like? If you were to design one, would it be anything like that found in Bolivia? If not, then how can you condemn free markets if you already know that the market was nothing like free.
You know what's really weird? RMS doesn't like free markets! Freedom is good unless the person with the freedom does something you don't like. Then it's bad, I guess. -russ
I'd be interested to see how the government regulated the markets in which the utility companies had to compete. Could you give us more details about the specific markets of which you speak? -russ
Sure, and thanks! But in the meantime, all the nice X goodies have grown to the point where Python didn't fit. Plus we've standardized on gtk 2.0, and the older packages only supported gtk 1.2. Time marches on.... -russ
It's more expensive for HP to create another product with Linux pre-installed than to pay the M$ tax. Yes, I know that you'd be willing to pay that extra money -- you and twenty of your best friends. That doesn't make a market.
When it makes economic sense for HP to create a Linux handhelds product, they will. Boycotting the current product DOES NOT HELP. -russ
Sounds like he's proposing what I've already done, pubsoft.org. We take tenders for software, whether for entire new pieces of software, or improvements to existing software, and seek to put together developers and users. Multiple funding models are supported: matching grants, whole grants, or the Street Performer's Protocol. We've funded the up2us program (which never made it out because of the difficulty of tracking up2date development), and are currently funding FreeS/WAN, and GNU Radio. -russ
Um, do you need to see the full list of projects Bruce has started, and then dropped out of? The OP is not trolling, he's just pointing out an unattractive truth. Bruce is great at starting things, and less effective at making them succeed. Bruce is very good at taking credit for things he started that *OTHER PEOPLE* (cough, cough, ESR) turned into successes. -russ
I've been thinking of selling SCO short, because they OBVIOUSLY cannot win this lawsuit. However... if the endgame is that Microsoft buys SCO, then selling SCO short would be a mistake. -russ
w00t! w00t! You have saved The Angry Economist from having to refute this economic nonsense. Of course, he was being sarcastic, so all we really know about his real message is what it isn't. That's the trouble with using sarcasm -- you're saying what you don't believe in the hopes that somebody will understand what you really believe. -russ
Slashdot Mirror
I can't. My machine only has a gigabyte of memory.
-russ
I'm not upset about the fact that people call it X Windows. I'm upset about the fact that somebody would criticize the X11 folks for naming it "X Windows" when they never did that.
-russ
Sorry. I don't think I can convince you that you're wrong. Only you can -- after more study.
-russ
Well, like I said, you have your own opinions, which I doubt I can shift. If you want a better understanding of how the world works, you should study economics. Don't believe what you have been told about economics -- but instead actually study it for yourself.
-russ
No, Jim Gettys as in Gettysburg. THAT Jim Gettys.
-russ
Sigh. It's not X Windows. Never has been, never will be. It's a window system called X, or it's X11R6, or X11, or X, or The X Window System.
-russ
If a government restricts itself to enforcing property rights and the rule of law, consumers will take care of markets. As long anything peaceful is permitted, consumer action is sufficient to reign in any company, including utilities. I know you don't believe that, and I'm also sure that I can't convince you of that. Nonetheless, it is true.
-russ
I'm sorry to have to continue to disagree with you, but I don't see any free market utilities. I see differently regulated utilities. It should be clear that if you free the wolves without freeing the sheep, the sheep are mutton. If you free the sheep without freeing the wolves, the sheep stomp the wolves to death (e.g. as happened in California, with retail price controls but no wholesale ones).
Privatization is hard, and the simple fact that it's often not done well is no indictment of free markets. Better not to have regulated in the first place.
-russ
Actually ... mouse gestures are better implemented as Pie Menus.
-russ
Doesn't say much about what happened in Bolivia, but chances are between 99% and 99.9% that the "free market" for selling water was nothing like it. I mean, what would a free market for selling water look like? If you were to design one, would it be anything like that found in Bolivia? If not, then how can you condemn free markets if you already know that the market was nothing like free.
You know what's really weird? RMS doesn't like free markets! Freedom is good unless the person with the freedom does something you don't like. Then it's bad, I guess.
-russ
I'd be interested to see how the government regulated the markets in which the utility companies had to compete. Could you give us more details about the specific markets of which you speak?
-russ
http://www.clueless.com/jargon3.0.0/recursion.html
Sure, and thanks! But in the meantime, all the nice X goodies have grown to the point where Python didn't fit. Plus we've standardized on gtk 2.0, and the older packages only supported gtk 1.2. Time marches on ....
-russ
It's more expensive for HP to create another product with Linux pre-installed than to pay the M$ tax. Yes, I know that you'd be willing to pay that extra money -- you and twenty of your best friends. That doesn't make a market.
When it makes economic sense for HP to create a Linux handhelds product, they will. Boycotting the current product DOES NOT HELP.
-russ
Yes, and the comments are even worse!
Sounds like he's proposing what I've already done, pubsoft.org. We take tenders for software, whether for entire new pieces of software, or improvements to existing software, and seek to put together developers and users. Multiple funding models are supported: matching grants, whole grants, or the Street Performer's Protocol. We've funded the up2us program (which never made it out because of the difficulty of tracking up2date development), and are currently funding FreeS/WAN, and GNU Radio.
-russ
My printer has an Ethernet connection and will fax over the Internet.
-russ
Um, do you need to see the full list of projects Bruce has started, and then dropped out of? The OP is not trolling, he's just pointing out an unattractive truth. Bruce is great at starting things, and less effective at making them succeed. Bruce is very good at taking credit for things he started that *OTHER PEOPLE* (cough, cough, ESR) turned into successes.
-russ
I've been thinking of selling SCO short, because they OBVIOUSLY cannot win this lawsuit. However ... if the endgame is that Microsoft buys SCO, then selling SCO short would be a mistake.
-russ
w00t! w00t! You have saved The Angry Economist from having to refute this economic nonsense. Of course, he was being sarcastic, so all we really know about his real message is what it isn't. That's the trouble with using sarcasm -- you're saying what you don't believe in the hopes that somebody will understand what you really believe.
-russ
I see that you are a fan of Bastiat.
-russ
Okay, Gary Larson is fine, but I want my Bill Watterson fix!
-russ
Too bad this box doesn't generate ringing current (90VAC), otherwise you could use it as an inexpensive VOIP gateway.
-russ
Been using my HP-16C for twenty years now. Good as the day it was made.
-russ
It's a great idea; the problem is forgeries, not sending bounces. If you solve the wrong problem, your solution won't make people happy.
-russ