One thing I have noticed that hasn't been mentioned, is that if you are having a new house built, you may not be able to install the wiring yourself. Some builders (or maybe it is a law or regulation - probably because of building code) won't allow you to "do-it-yourself" - even if you have the knowledge. They generally require you to hire a contractor to come out and do it for you - which can be DAMN expensive. Just keep it in mind.
I'll reitterate and say that using conduit is probably best and makes future wiring needs easier, but it can be expensive for the "first" install. Use the fish lines as mentioned (I especially liked the clothes line system posted earlier - pretty neat idea!). There also exists reels of thin steel fishing "tape" that can be fed thru the conduit, the wire hooked on the end, and then a crank is turned to pull the tape, and wire, back.
Whatever type of wire you run, make sure not to snag it, then yank on it - this will stretch the wire, and could break it. At best, doing so will cause the TP sheilding (or coax sheilding) to stretch and reduce their effectiveness.
Centralise the connections, in a closet or other easily accessible area, as previously mentioned.
I would say the minimum install for each room should be phone, 10Base-T, and coax. If money wasn't an object (or wasn't a big object), I would go for a phone, two cat-5 (10Base-T), and coax in each room, as well as speaker wire drops through the ceiling (including the bathroom). I would put phone and coax in the bathroom, as well as speaker wire, but I would leave out the cat-5 (unless you are the kind of geek that needs/. EVERYWHERE).
Also as mentioned earlier, crimping your own connectors on IS cheaper than buying pre-crimped cables. Cat-5 is damn cheap in bulk, and the connectors go for about $20.00 for a bag of 100 or so (I could be wrong here - it may be even CHEAPER). Crimping them is easy as well. The expensive part comes when you have to buy the crimping tool. I am not sure of pricing now, but at one time the tool could set you back close to a hundred dollars (for a glorified pair of pliers)! It may be cheaper now, but expect to pay at least $30.00. Anybody have more info on this?
If you have to work in an attic, wear knee pads and good tennis shoes. Wear a dust mask (or something better). Wear safety goggles. You may even want to wear gloves (nails, framing metal). If you can find the nerdy "flashlights-on-glasses-frame" things, use them, because you don't want to have to carry a flashlight in the attic (I found a thing like this at Walgreens for $15.00 - but it had not only the light, but safety wraparound goggles as well - excellent device). Tell someone you are going up into the attic before you go, and where you expect to be. Using a pair of walkie talkies might help here as well. Visualise what you plan to do before you go up, and take all the tools you will need, and a few you think you won't (because you probably will - nothing sucks more than going up into an attic, and realising you left a tool behind). Wherever you work, watch out for insects and rodents. Bee hives/wasp nests are especially nasty things! Take frequent breaks. If possible, work at night or when it is cool/cold outside (attics can get damn hot!). Finally, if you are running a long run, and need a central cable run in the attic for multiple cables, Home Depot carries metal flashing that is "C" shaped in cross section, 10-12 foot lengths for about $5.00 - nail this down, then lay the cable in it.
If you are doing the install after the house is built, you are in luck! You can generally "get away" with anything after a house is done (technically it isn't legal to do stuff without inspections - just don't make the work too shoddy. Use common sense when routing wire through the walls, and no one will probably care). If the idea of busting/drilling holes in walls scare you, there is thin track conduit available (they look like hot wheels tracks with covers) that stick to the wall, and allow you to run wiring nearly anywhere, if looks aren't too much of a concern.
Final note for the ultra-cheap home wiring dude/ette/s: Thumb tacks and duct tape are your friends! Actually, this can go a long way - if a temporary setup is required. Don't stick the tacks through the cable, just use them to "wedge" the cable against the wall.
This is a very valid search! I tried the terms, but instead did "Google Search" instead of the "I Feel Lucky" button - and the first site was a porn site, which is what the "I Feel Lucky" button would have picked.
There were sites further down that were actual recipie sites as well, with the same terms - so this could have been an innocent search for such a recipie.
I notified AndyDeck regarding the prize - hopefully he will accept...
So you are saying that if the developer doesn't dual license prior to distribution of the first public version of the GPL'd code, he can't dual license thereafter? And if he does't accept the code, the other author can fork? Neither seem right - because the author should maintain copyright control always - he should be able to dual license it at a future date. Another author can't fork it, because the original author can always incorporate the new changes, thus continuing the betterment (is that a word?) of his product. Still, he can fork it himself, and create a closed version with one set of feature.
*ding* A light went on...
Why the author can't fork with the new mods - because the new mods may be GPL'd by the new author, and a closed version couldn't be created, unless the new closed version didn't contain that code.
Ok, I accept that - but I still believe in the GPL - because it doesn't allow me - or anyone else - to fork the code and/or take over the work. This is good - because it means the code stays out there, and no one has to worry what happens to me or my company - whether I live or die, the code remains, and people can continue to learn from it and use it. This is a good thing - this is something that makes me feel good. My payment is knowing that what I contributed is out there, and will always be out there. Not as good as a statue, but pretty good nonetheless!
Regarding your idea about "loopholes" - if someone invokes Ghostscript, but doesn't actually link the code in (dynamic linking is OK under the LGPL, you just can't statically link the code in, nor can you use the code cut-and-paste style under the GPL, without GPL'ing the whole thing), that is a perfectly acceptable use. If the code was statically linked in any way, or cut-and-pasted in, then those authors/vendors of the print-drivers you mention are violating the GPL. If not, then they should be perfectly fine.
Lastly, in your last paragraph, you come back around to treating the code being produced as a product. The GPL came about to get around the problems inherent in copyright - in that IP is hoarded (more and more, for longer periods of time) by companies, which can stagnate knowledge via legal means. By forcing you to give up the fruits of IP, as a developer you are forced to find different ways to make a living from the code, by becoming service oriented rather than product oriented.
I think it is possible to make money while having GPL'd code. I think it will take some time before businesses see how this is possible (maybe the ways proposed so far won't work - so find new ways). Maybe business and the GPL can't work - it may be too early to really tell. But I am willing to give it a chance. Anythings better than massive EULA's that force you to give your rights away to look at and use a piece of IP, and have no support when the company dies at some point in the future...
I will look into the BSD and X licenses, and see how they compare with the GPL - maybe a new license might spring from a combo of the both?
For those of you who don't know what core memory is or how it works:
Core memory consisted of a number of ferrite cores strung at the intersections of wires arranged in a grid. The cores were like, little rings of material with magnetic properties.
To set a core to a 1 or a zero, half of the current needed would be sent down the "X" wire, and half would be sent down the "Y" wire - where the wires crossed (and where the core was), the magnetic polarity of the core would be set, because the full current necessary to set the polarity would then be present at the junction. If the polarity needed to be reversed, the voltage would be inverted on the wires to perform this. The polarity of the core determined whether the bit (which a core represented - 1 bit of information) was a 1 or a 0 in value.
Reading a core worked similar to writing the core, except in this case, a third wire was used. This wire was weaved through the cores in a diagonal fashion, started at one corner, and worked back ad forth through the cores to the opposite corner. The reason the wire was put on a diagonal, was to minimize the signal picked up - if it was on the same path as the X or Y wires, you couldn't use this wire to pick up the signal, because the signal would be that of the current used to flip the polarity...
Anyhow, this wire was called the "sense" wire. To see what a core's value was, the core was written to. If there existed a value in the core (the core was saturated and magnetized to some polarity), and the polarity of the written value was the same, nothing would appear on the sense wire, and so the data had the same value as what was being written. If the polarity of the written value was different, then the act of setting the value would cause a change in voltage to be picked up in the sense wire, in effect signaling that the value was opposite that of what was being written. Here is where a problem came in...
When reading a value, the value in the core is written to, and the writing to that core could cause the core to change value! This reading process was hence known as a destructive read, since the data could be changed. So, after a read, the data had to be re-written to the same core, so that it wouldn't change.
A fourth wire is also found in core memory - I can't remember what this wire wass called or what it was used for (was it a "gate" wire?) - I think it came later in core memory development, when they started making extremely tiny core systems (some of which can still be found on Ebay - man, these things are small).
BTW - I am not old enough either to "remember" core memory - I just have read enough about it, and have some really old computer textbooks and history books that explain all the concepts really well. I have been thinking about building my own small core memory system, accessing it through the parallel port or an ISA slot. I bought a whole mess of small 3-5 millimeter ferrite cores. Not small like the advanced systems were, but they don't need to be - since I will be hand threading these...
But I would still want an option to "do it my way" , and if it could let me do it my way, and still work the way you describe, that would be even better.
I have only "dabbled" in Linux, so I can't speak much for it, but what I do under Windows is the following:
I have seperate partitions - one for system files (like the OS), one for applications, and one for data.
I put all OS related stuff on the OS partition - I don't even particularly care about organization here - if it a system program or extension, I let the install program (or myself), stick it where it seems appropriate (most installers on Windows default to "C:\Program Files").
If it is an application (say, Office, or Visual Studio) it goes on the applications partition. The root level of this partition holds each directory for each application. So you have:
Any data that is created by program, in which the user can define where they want it to go (ie, games generally store everything in the directory the game was installed to, also, some apps store log files and such in the directory the app was installed in), is put on the data partition. This is sectioned out by what is what:
The cool thing about this kind of structure, is that it is easy to back up. Say I don't care about my graphics data (I can always get more), but I want to back up all my productivity stuff - I just tell the backup software to back up all of E:\productivity\*.*, and recurse all direcories below it, and it is done. I don't have to specify each data directory.
Plus, since applications and data are seperated, one can blow away the application partition, and reinstall stuff, without worrying about the data that goes with the applications. There have been many times when Windows would get flaky (which is only one of the many reasons I am getting out of Dodge and moving to the land of the penguin) that I would just blow away the OS and App partitions, and reinstall stuff, and things would be fine - and my data would all still be there, like it was.
Now, if you could have the system automatically build this structure for you, that would be even better. But doing it manually works for me.
When I get really settled into Linux, I will probably do something similar, and set up seperate file systems for each type of files, permissions set for each type of user, if I can...
Interesting way to solve a problem, that's for sure!
If you ever look a a sheilded speaker, you will see why they weigh a bit - the large magnet on the back is completely surrounded by a heavy steel "cap", which goes over and around the magnet, and shunts the magnetic flux lines away from the rear/sides of the speaker.
It isn't really possible for someone to DIY this kind of shielding - generally, one has to buy the speaker that way, and such bare speakers usually aren't cheap (though it is possible to get surplus ones that are fairly inexpensive).
I can't comment on Nitro - I don't know if it was a Mil tech first or not.
Computers are a more difficult subject - it depends on where you look. ENIAC was designed to produce trajectory calculations for World War II, but electronic computers go back further than it - the ABC and Konrad Zuse's machines date further back (Zuse even tried to interest the Nazi party in computers for the war - thankfully, they declined). If you want to consider designs for programmable computers, then Babbages Analytical Engine would most certainly qualify (though it was mechanical, and not electronic or electrical). What you are thinking of the intricate patterns being woven is probably a mis-quote, or someone told you wrong - Babbage got the idea of using punch cards after seeing how a Jaquard loom used similar cards to weave intricate patterns in cloth - he figured that if the punch cards could control the operation of a loom, then it could control his machines as well.
Penecillan was developed somewhere between World War I and the Korean War - and first used to treat infection on a large scale during the Korean War (incidentally, I would say it was this development, and the MASH units, that really revolutionized war, in the caring for the injured quickly, at least). Sulfa based drugs had been developed earlier, but weren't as effective (?)...
Space capable rockets? The German V2 approached the edge of space, and there were plans (I have seen very little about them, but they exist) to build something called the "Antipodal Bomber" - essentially a suicide bombing run, using a dual stage modified V2, to put a pilot in a sub-orbital trajectory, where he could "skip" off the outer atmosperic layers, to prolong his course, and then angle sharply downward to explode a 1000 pound bomb in New York City. This was on the drawing boards, but never went past the concept stage.
Lastly, your comment on DARPAnet is wrong - the internet sprouted from the ARPAnet, a project whose goal was to connect various research campuses via computer at different universities across the country, using the phone system. It was never meant to withstand a nuclear war - this wasn't even a concern. It was meant to give researchers a way to share computing power with each other. DARPAnet (now.mil net?) was started as a seperate network from the infant internet back in the 70's (IIRC - I may be wrong on this) - I am not sure on it's capabilities (it may be designed with nuclear war strikes in mind).
I still think it is possible to make a living from GPL'd open source software. Maybe not a direct living, since we can't treat the software as a product anymore - we would have to sell something else (of course, the GPL doesn't prevent you from selling the software as a product, the only thing it prevents you from doing is keeping the source to yourself, if you derived the software from another GPL'd work - if you didn't, and the software is totally yours, with no GPL'd code used, then you could release it under the GPL license, and a different license, at the same time).
I don't know how you see that the FSF would control all of the software - the only software that the FSF would "control" woud be any GPL'd software that they created, or any of thier GPL'd source that went into another product. The only control they would be exerting, would be that of keeping another company from closing the source for their own gain. Once under the GPL, the source used by another company or individual must stay open. Only the original author may fork the code.
This is what I understand - when I GPL a piece of my code and release it, I don't have worries about never seeing that code again - I don't worry about another company swooping in and stealing ideas. I rejoice at knowing that someone can come along, and see my code, and use it, learn from it, and pass it on to others, so they may do the same. Why do I like this? Because this was the way (or close to it) it used to be.
Rememeber, about 15-20 years ago you used to be able to pick up a magazine and get code - to use and to learn from. That is where I first learned to code - not in some stuffy classroom. Over time, working with employers and others, I have refined my style of coding and skills to be better than that, but I look back now, and I don't see the same opportunities for kids (like I was) today - compilers are expensive, and there isn't much code available on the stands. I look at the open source revolution, and I can see that today, kids still have a way. Seeing this let's me know there is hope for innovative code - not same old, same old code from the classroom and cube farms, but code from the heart - from people who "don't know better".
Like I said before, I am an idealist - I am a dreamer, and a romantic in many respects. Business may yet stomp on me, but in the end one arm will be thrust skyward as that foot comes down, middle finger proudly extended!
What I am looking for is something more efficient. Maybe a chemical reaction (when I say this, I mean something like a chemical reaction in a liquid like substance) isn't any more efficient or it is worse.
IANAS, either - so I am talking out my ass here, and maybe this thread shouldn't continue...
Yeah, this is one of the big problems with current solar cells - that more energy is put into the manufacture of one than it will put out over its lifetime.
If this problem could be solved, then the electrolysis of water could be performed cheaply - though it still wouldn't make much sense when you could just use the electricity from the panel directly, and avoid the conversion process.
Now, if you could come up with a way to turn sunlight into electricity via a catalytic reaction (I am thinking of sunlight being a catalyst in a chemical reaction that liberates electrons - I am not a chemist) of some sort...
I am quoting here from the posting of "ed phillips" that you gave a link to:
"Stallman's very presence makes some in the free software communties uncomfortable. He's like an old cousin that shows up at the wrong time, is a little too loud and says things that other people think but that no one else will come out and say. Foremost amongst the traits that make the denizens of Silicon Valley uncomfortable is Stallman's contempt for the merely commercial. Stallman is, indeed, full of contempt for the merely commercial, for profit for profits sake, especially when that profit comes at the expense of the the free circulation of ideas and software. That contempt for profit for profit's sake is what contemporary executives, hip though they may be, find so consternating and odd."
Hmmm - it sounds like Stallman called the person a parasite, because he thought (rightfully so? I dunno, I wasn't there) that the individual was going to take a piece of GPL'd code and try to make a forked proprietary version, without giving the code back to the community. This would be the definition of a parasite. If the company was going to create thier own version, without the use of ANY GPL or other OS/free code, RMS would probably be fine with that (IOW, he wouldn't attack it with the same amount of vigor - it would be just like any other proprietary software dev house's products).
You seem to be of the position of the befuddled businessman who doesn't understand the reasoning behind the GPL, the FSF, and RMS. I don't understand the need to to profit for profit sake, nor do I understand the drive to "have it all" - all too often I encounter business people who have a lot of money, yet still remain unhappy with their position in life.
I go on, knowing that by me giving my software away (the little I have given), with the expectation that if it is good, others will improve and give those improvements back, I know that I have done my little part to make the programming community better. It gives me pride to know that my code has helped others in their projects and in learning something tricky or obscure. These are feelings that money could never buy (although these feelings will never pay the bills, though I think one day I might be able to make a living off of GPL'd open source code)...
While I realize the need for a better source of energy is not an Ameri-centric problem, and that the world needs to look at and use alternate fuels, one problem I can see, at least for America, to the slow adaption of alternate fuels, is a large, if crazy one:
The American male "macho" attitude.
You see, most alternate fuel concept cars I have seen, that worked, had little "get up and go", so to speak. Many would start out slowly, build up speed, then be running normally. Electric cars are the slowest in acceleration (although I do know of the Wired article on electric drag racing, so maybe there is hope), but most alternate fuel vehicles are dismal in the acceleration figures. Maybe this can be improved on in time (I am sure it can).
However, if these vehicles are released (on the American market), they have to have accelleration figures and horsepower to match a gasoline car (and you better bet the FUD will fly by marketing on this), if it is to be adopted in America.
Personally, I wouldn't give a damn, as long as I can still accelerate fast enough to get out of harm's way. But, as we see in America with the SUV's and sports cars on the road, faster and bigger are what the public wants, and it doesn't seem like alternate fuels are delivering on that.
Storage is a big problem - as a gas (and maybe as a liquid too, though I don't remember seeing anything about it in this form), hydrogen is highly "corrosive" to many materials over time (and I am not mixing up hydrogen and hydrochloric/hydrosulferic acid - hydrogen in steel tanks causes the steel to become brittle).
One other thing about hydrogen, from what I remember, is that on combustion, a very small amount of "pollution" is created (I don't remember what the gas was called), in addition to the water vapor. The amount was extremely small, much, much smaller than normal gasoline engines, but still there, nonetheless. Not that we shouldn't look for a way to use hydrogen as a viable fuel, just don't think that water vapor is the only thing that comes out of the pipe.
The safe storage and handling of hydrogen as a fuel is a big issue. I believe we should switch over to methanol (grain alchohol), which burns very clean, and can be made from corn (and other grains).
The amount of energy necessary to convert water into hydrogen and oxygen via electrolysis is more than what you would get from using the resulting hydrogen as fuel. In other words, there is a huge net loss during the conversion (mostly heat, IIRC).
Not to mention the energy costs (which you have to factor in) associated with creating the silicon solar cells - you would probably NEVER be able to recoup the energy used in the manufacture of the device, let alone have a net gain...
This is a double edged sword you're wielding, my friend!
You see, in the interest of protecting the children from porn via the instrument of a log to be sent (or otherwise somehow viewed) to the parents, you also strike a blow to the child in another way:
What if they need to look up information on child abuse - maybe they are being abused, or they know someone who might be being abused, either in their own family, or a friend?
With such a logging system, the child may face further harm from those causing the harm (sometimes the parents - more often than not a close relative).
Not to mention that such "blacklists" could be used for other motives by other groups (and if you really think that the lists will really be destroyed, before someone else could get them, you are smoking crack - remember, the person charged with destroying them could easily make a copy for sale to the right individuals, then destroy the original. And if you think these people can't be bought, tell me why we don't have honest politicians?)...
Notice, that you have to READ and CLICK the link. If you READ the SYNOPSIS of the link, you will see it READS:
Grandma's Free Cookie Jar-free sex pics/thumbnails of sexy mature senior wome Hot Free sex pics, personal ads, slideshows, quik time movies, chat and more...
The link is also PROMINENTLY displayed, which goes to a site called "www.sexyone.net".
How could anyone click this link after READING everything about it prior to clicking it, then being HORRIFIED over what comes up?
This whole issue is not only about legislating morality, it is about legislating responsibility as well.
Unless, of course, you visit a lot of warez sites.
The crux of this matter is the fact that most search engines return, with the links to the pages, a brief synopsis of the page. The person's responsibility when doing the search is to read not only the links, but the synopsis as well. Generally, on reading both the synopsis and links, one can easily see whether the link leads to a porn site or not, before clicking on the link.
I have yet to see a search engine which just "took" me to a link, without me explicitly telling it to. So I have a proposition (not that kind, you pervs!):
I am going to add to the pot - I am offering $50.00 to the first person who replies to this comment, with proof of:
a) Proof of an innocent search, done on any web search engine, which autoforwards you to a porn site.
or
b) Proof of an innocent search, done on any web seach engine, which returns links in the first 5 pages without a synopsis or actual link information, which when clicked, take you to a porn site.
I kept thinking about the idea of an ad banner myself - while I haven't been able to find an instance yet (I even tried to back propagate by adding the word "sex" into the mix, still nothing), I did think of one possibility...
If you remember, I believe a while back Hotbot (or was it/.?) was running an ad that showed a picture (Van Gogh?) of a nude woman - it was a "repro" (if you can call a blob of pixels that) of some famous artists nude, in a banner ad. The ad was for something innocent (ie, it wasn't a porno ad - I think it was for WebMonkey or something, believe it or not).
Far fetched? Yeah... I still like the response someone else gave saying that the girl is 16 years old and has never seen a naked woman, refering to a lack of mirrors in her house...
I did a search for the words on Hotbot - several pages in (3-5, maybe 6 or 7), I found a link to a chocolate chip cookie recipe that won some kind of contest. The signature on the recipe linked back to this site.
While I have to agree on your points that the business model is unproven thus far, I don't think that is enough to abandon it's use.
I have never seen or read anywhere, in the license or on the FSF website, that the intention of the GPL was to explicitly destroy the software business, nor have I seen anything of RMS saying that OS/GPL companies were parasites that he tolerated. However, if these statements are true, could you perhaps provide links to back them up?
Still, you are only looking at the one model - the selling of tech support as a service. There are many other services that could be provided by a company if they wanted to (the training aspect is one - how many training companies and/or books are there for Windows and associated products? Windows already provides enough information to use the system, so why do these resources exist?).
What about the service of data? This is one proposed model for game development companies - that they OS the engine, then sell the levels/music/sound - the data that the engine uses to create the game. Sure, other companies could do this with the same engine as well - however, the data is going to take just as long to come up with, with as much (or more) work.
I don't know if the selling of tech support is the best model for open source businesses to follow. There are, however, other models to be tried with open source, before declaring it unfit for business.
I don't think you are alone, but something may be wrong...
You sound kinda like I was about 7 years ago (with the exception that I had a job). I would wake up, go to work, be on the machine, come back home, be on the machine till bedtime (or longer!), fall asleep - and do it all again the next day. On the weekends I might go to the comic book store, but most of the time was spent on the machine, coding, coding, coding...
I didn't have any friends - just the people I knew at work (thankfully it was a small startup, few employees - more like a family to me, as I look back on it). I sure the hell didn't have a girlfriend. At the time, I was heavy on the BBS'ing, and just discovering the net. I had a nervous breakdown once.
That pretty much set me on a new course - the isolation, I guess, really got to me (of course, the net is much better now than BBSing - if I had what the net offers today, then, things might be totally different - but I digress) - I felt that if I didn't make a change, I would either be committed in short order, or I would be dead - by my own hand.
To make a long story short, I am still alive, I have many friends, the net, a fiance, and many more experiences in life (I live in Phoenix, AZ - my GF and I once hiked the trail to Green Boulder in the Superstitions - when you get to the top, you are rewarded with a bench and the most magnificent view - a chance to rest and reflect, I guess).
If you are scared something is wrong - perhaps there is. I don't know where you live, but get out, and check out what is going on outside the machine - it will be there when you come back. Find one individual you can be with often (not necessarily all the time, but often - to share feelings with, to talk over issues) - two is even better (one of each sex, the view difference is amazing). One thing I have with my fiance is her wonderful and caring family - you can never have too much support in life.
I do notice that you say you aren't lonely - maybe you aren't - may the internet is meeting your needs. But the fact that you say you are scared something is wrong leads me to think that you may be rationalizing things - when in reality, you know deep inside that what is going on in your life isn't right. So, examine yourself. Maybe everything is ok, maybe not...
Non-dairy generally means it will be made either from some form of vegetable oil, or from soy (in the case of creamer, I believe it is both - probably some form of soybean powder or such - don't have an ingredient list handy).
Non-Dairy cheese is generally considered tofu - a strange substance made from soybeans. It looks kinda like motzarella (sp?) cheese (if you get the cream colored stuff), but can also be found sorta transluscent.
All in all, I haven't had a Dilberito yet (though I will try one), but I have had many of the Amy's brand vegie products, which incorporate tofu into the mix, and it actually is pretty good - better than what I expected (I am not a vegitarian or vegan by any means - I consider a JITB Bacon Double Cheesburger the best fast food burger there is - all the while being disgusted by the gooey mass that drips grease).
In other words, don't discount non-dairy/tofu style products - they can actually taste alright...
I know this comment is waaay too late to effect any changes, or affect any opinion...
I have submitted a few stories, and always have had them rejected. Sometimes, the next day they have posted the "story", but it was someone else's article. I have gotten upset, sometimes posting OT rants in the article comments anout why I was rejected (and been subsequently moderated down for trolling). I haven't ever vented my frustration via a web page, feeling that was not worth mine or anyone else's time.
I have always wondered, though, why my article submissions were rejected. Unlike the rest of/., I have no feedback on my performance - is the article too wordy, too long, not well written, need more info... what? I will never know. I have seen articles posted that were all of the above, yet still make it. I have tried to keep my articles of a moderate length, well written, and mostly informed (although a recent submission better be rejected - because it only shows that I am clueless - hah! Bet it is the one accepted!).
Now, when I submit an article, I don't get too bent if it isn't accepted, or if someone else "preempts" me with a similar article that is accepted. I merely nod, and go on with life, noting that someone else got there first, and people will still see what I found important as well, and that is what matters in the end.
Still, I wish there was a way that I could see why my submissions failed, so I could strive to make future submissions better. A simple one or two word feedback would be a good start - in fact, with the number of submissions coming in, and the number that HAS to be rejected, leaving those few remaining - perhaps a one or two word feedback on the article, somewhere in the user prefs area so we could check it easily, would be a good way to start.
I am thinking something similar to moderation comments (such as "Troll", "Flamebait", "Informative" - but with a feedback bent: "Too wordy", "More info", "Accepted - Informative")...
Maybe what is needed, in addition to documentation more geared toward newbies, is the addition of a help system - something with searchability and hyperlinks thrown in. Maybe such a beast already exists? The hyperlink stuff could just be some web browser type thing, then a search engine on the front - heck, I bet it would be possible to hack something together in perl to do this via an html interface type system.
I can understand his frustration - I find the HOWTO and MAN stuff pretty easy, but if you needed to search through the directory for something, and didn't know what grep or man was, it could be difficult at first (I guess this is what books are for, in that case).
More step by step docs could be a helpful thing...
Slashdot Mirror
One thing I have noticed that hasn't been mentioned, is that if you are having a new house built, you may not be able to install the wiring yourself. Some builders (or maybe it is a law or regulation - probably because of building code) won't allow you to "do-it-yourself" - even if you have the knowledge. They generally require you to hire a contractor to come out and do it for you - which can be DAMN expensive. Just keep it in mind.
/. EVERYWHERE).
I'll reitterate and say that using conduit is probably best and makes future wiring needs easier, but it can be expensive for the "first" install. Use the fish lines as mentioned (I especially liked the clothes line system posted earlier - pretty neat idea!). There also exists reels of thin steel fishing "tape" that can be fed thru the conduit, the wire hooked on the end, and then a crank is turned to pull the tape, and wire, back.
Whatever type of wire you run, make sure not to snag it, then yank on it - this will stretch the wire, and could break it. At best, doing so will cause the TP sheilding (or coax sheilding) to stretch and reduce their effectiveness.
Centralise the connections, in a closet or other easily accessible area, as previously mentioned.
I would say the minimum install for each room should be phone, 10Base-T, and coax. If money wasn't an object (or wasn't a big object), I would go for a phone, two cat-5 (10Base-T), and coax in each room, as well as speaker wire drops through the ceiling (including the bathroom). I would put phone and coax in the bathroom, as well as speaker wire, but I would leave out the cat-5 (unless you are the kind of geek that needs
Also as mentioned earlier, crimping your own connectors on IS cheaper than buying pre-crimped cables. Cat-5 is damn cheap in bulk, and the connectors go for about $20.00 for a bag of 100 or so (I could be wrong here - it may be even CHEAPER). Crimping them is easy as well. The expensive part comes when you have to buy the crimping tool. I am not sure of pricing now, but at one time the tool could set you back close to a hundred dollars (for a glorified pair of pliers)! It may be cheaper now, but expect to pay at least $30.00. Anybody have more info on this?
If you have to work in an attic, wear knee pads and good tennis shoes. Wear a dust mask (or something better). Wear safety goggles. You may even want to wear gloves (nails, framing metal). If you can find the nerdy "flashlights-on-glasses-frame" things, use them, because you don't want to have to carry a flashlight in the attic (I found a thing like this at Walgreens for $15.00 - but it had not only the light, but safety wraparound goggles as well - excellent device). Tell someone you are going up into the attic before you go, and where you expect to be. Using a pair of walkie talkies might help here as well. Visualise what you plan to do before you go up, and take all the tools you will need, and a few you think you won't (because you probably will - nothing sucks more than going up into an attic, and realising you left a tool behind). Wherever you work, watch out for insects and rodents. Bee hives/wasp nests are especially nasty things! Take frequent breaks. If possible, work at night or when it is cool/cold outside (attics can get damn hot!). Finally, if you are running a long run, and need a central cable run in the attic for multiple cables, Home Depot carries metal flashing that is "C" shaped in cross section, 10-12 foot lengths for about $5.00 - nail this down, then lay the cable in it.
If you are doing the install after the house is built, you are in luck! You can generally "get away" with anything after a house is done (technically it isn't legal to do stuff without inspections - just don't make the work too shoddy. Use common sense when routing wire through the walls, and no one will probably care). If the idea of busting/drilling holes in walls scare you, there is thin track conduit available (they look like hot wheels tracks with covers) that stick to the wall, and allow you to run wiring nearly anywhere, if looks aren't too much of a concern.
Final note for the ultra-cheap home wiring dude/ette/s: Thumb tacks and duct tape are your friends! Actually, this can go a long way - if a temporary setup is required. Don't stick the tacks through the cable, just use them to "wedge" the cable against the wall.
This is a very valid search! I tried the terms, but instead did "Google Search" instead of the "I Feel Lucky" button - and the first site was a porn site, which is what the "I Feel Lucky" button would have picked.
There were sites further down that were actual recipie sites as well, with the same terms - so this could have been an innocent search for such a recipie.
I notified AndyDeck regarding the prize - hopefully he will accept...
So you are saying that if the developer doesn't dual license prior to distribution of the first public version of the GPL'd code, he can't dual license thereafter? And if he does't accept the code, the other author can fork? Neither seem right - because the author should maintain copyright control always - he should be able to dual license it at a future date. Another author can't fork it, because the original author can always incorporate the new changes, thus continuing the betterment (is that a word?) of his product. Still, he can fork it himself, and create a closed version with one set of feature.
*ding* A light went on...
Why the author can't fork with the new mods - because the new mods may be GPL'd by the new author, and a closed version couldn't be created, unless the new closed version didn't contain that code.
Ok, I accept that - but I still believe in the GPL - because it doesn't allow me - or anyone else - to fork the code and/or take over the work. This is good - because it means the code stays out there, and no one has to worry what happens to me or my company - whether I live or die, the code remains, and people can continue to learn from it and use it. This is a good thing - this is something that makes me feel good. My payment is knowing that what I contributed is out there, and will always be out there. Not as good as a statue, but pretty good nonetheless!
Regarding your idea about "loopholes" - if someone invokes Ghostscript, but doesn't actually link the code in (dynamic linking is OK under the LGPL, you just can't statically link the code in, nor can you use the code cut-and-paste style under the GPL, without GPL'ing the whole thing), that is a perfectly acceptable use. If the code was statically linked in any way, or cut-and-pasted in, then those authors/vendors of the print-drivers you mention are violating the GPL. If not, then they should be perfectly fine.
Lastly, in your last paragraph, you come back around to treating the code being produced as a product. The GPL came about to get around the problems inherent in copyright - in that IP is hoarded (more and more, for longer periods of time) by companies, which can stagnate knowledge via legal means. By forcing you to give up the fruits of IP, as a developer you are forced to find different ways to make a living from the code, by becoming service oriented rather than product oriented.
I think it is possible to make money while having GPL'd code. I think it will take some time before businesses see how this is possible (maybe the ways proposed so far won't work - so find new ways). Maybe business and the GPL can't work - it may be too early to really tell. But I am willing to give it a chance. Anythings better than massive EULA's that force you to give your rights away to look at and use a piece of IP, and have no support when the company dies at some point in the future...
I will look into the BSD and X licenses, and see how they compare with the GPL - maybe a new license might spring from a combo of the both?
For those of you who don't know what core memory is or how it works:
Core memory consisted of a number of ferrite cores strung at the intersections of wires arranged in a grid. The cores were like, little rings of material with magnetic properties.
To set a core to a 1 or a zero, half of the current needed would be sent down the "X" wire, and half would be sent down the "Y" wire - where the wires crossed (and where the core was), the magnetic polarity of the core would be set, because the full current necessary to set the polarity would then be present at the junction. If the polarity needed to be reversed, the voltage would be inverted on the wires to perform this. The polarity of the core determined whether the bit (which a core represented - 1 bit of information) was a 1 or a 0 in value.
Reading a core worked similar to writing the core, except in this case, a third wire was used. This wire was weaved through the cores in a diagonal fashion, started at one corner, and worked back ad forth through the cores to the opposite corner. The reason the wire was put on a diagonal, was to minimize the signal picked up - if it was on the same path as the X or Y wires, you couldn't use this wire to pick up the signal, because the signal would be that of the current used to flip the polarity...
Anyhow, this wire was called the "sense" wire. To see what a core's value was, the core was written to. If there existed a value in the core (the core was saturated and magnetized to some polarity), and the polarity of the written value was the same, nothing would appear on the sense wire, and so the data had the same value as what was being written. If the polarity of the written value was different, then the act of setting the value would cause a change in voltage to be picked up in the sense wire, in effect signaling that the value was opposite that of what was being written. Here is where a problem came in...
When reading a value, the value in the core is written to, and the writing to that core could cause the core to change value! This reading process was hence known as a destructive read, since the data could be changed. So, after a read, the data had to be re-written to the same core, so that it wouldn't change.
A fourth wire is also found in core memory - I can't remember what this wire wass called or what it was used for (was it a "gate" wire?) - I think it came later in core memory development, when they started making extremely tiny core systems (some of which can still be found on Ebay - man, these things are small).
BTW - I am not old enough either to "remember" core memory - I just have read enough about it, and have some really old computer textbooks and history books that explain all the concepts really well. I have been thinking about building my own small core memory system, accessing it through the parallel port or an ISA slot. I bought a whole mess of small 3-5 millimeter ferrite cores. Not small like the advanced systems were, but they don't need to be - since I will be hand threading these...
But I would still want an option to "do it my way" , and if it could let me do it my way, and still work the way you describe, that would be even better.
2
...etc.
u ctivity\excel
I have only "dabbled" in Linux, so I can't speak much for it, but what I do under Windows is the following:
I have seperate partitions - one for system files (like the OS), one for applications, and one for data.
I put all OS related stuff on the OS partition - I don't even particularly care about organization here - if it a system program or extension, I let the install program (or myself), stick it where it seems appropriate (most installers on Windows default to "C:\Program Files").
If it is an application (say, Office, or Visual Studio) it goes on the applications partition. The root level of this partition holds each directory for each application. So you have:
D:\MSOffice\
D:\MSVisualStudio
D:\Games\Quake
D:\Games\TombRaider
D:\foo\
Any data that is created by program, in which the user can define where they want it to go (ie, games generally store everything in the directory the game was installed to, also, some apps store log files and such in the directory the app was installed in), is put on the data partition. This is sectioned out by what is what:
E:\development\c
E:\productivity\word
E:\prod
E:\multimedia\graphic s\images\jpg
...etc.
You can see how it goes.
The cool thing about this kind of structure, is that it is easy to back up. Say I don't care about my graphics data (I can always get more), but I want to back up all my productivity stuff - I just tell the backup software to back up all of E:\productivity\*.*, and recurse all direcories below it, and it is done. I don't have to specify each data directory.
Plus, since applications and data are seperated, one can blow away the application partition, and reinstall stuff, without worrying about the data that goes with the applications. There have been many times when Windows would get flaky (which is only one of the many reasons I am getting out of Dodge and moving to the land of the penguin) that I would just blow away the OS and App partitions, and reinstall stuff, and things would be fine - and my data would all still be there, like it was.
Now, if you could have the system automatically build this structure for you, that would be even better. But doing it manually works for me.
When I get really settled into Linux, I will probably do something similar, and set up seperate file systems for each type of files, permissions set for each type of user, if I can...
Interesting way to solve a problem, that's for sure!
If you ever look a a sheilded speaker, you will see why they weigh a bit - the large magnet on the back is completely surrounded by a heavy steel "cap", which goes over and around the magnet, and shunts the magnetic flux lines away from the rear/sides of the speaker.
It isn't really possible for someone to DIY this kind of shielding - generally, one has to buy the speaker that way, and such bare speakers usually aren't cheap (though it is possible to get surplus ones that are fairly inexpensive).
Just to let you know...
I can't comment on Nitro - I don't know if it was a Mil tech first or not.
.mil net?) was started as a seperate network from the infant internet back in the 70's (IIRC - I may be wrong on this) - I am not sure on it's capabilities (it may be designed with nuclear war strikes in mind).
Computers are a more difficult subject - it depends on where you look. ENIAC was designed to produce trajectory calculations for World War II, but electronic computers go back further than it - the ABC and Konrad Zuse's machines date further back (Zuse even tried to interest the Nazi party in computers for the war - thankfully, they declined). If you want to consider designs for programmable computers, then Babbages Analytical Engine would most certainly qualify (though it was mechanical, and not electronic or electrical). What you are thinking of the intricate patterns being woven is probably a mis-quote, or someone told you wrong - Babbage got the idea of using punch cards after seeing how a Jaquard loom used similar cards to weave intricate patterns in cloth - he figured that if the punch cards could control the operation of a loom, then it could control his machines as well.
Penecillan was developed somewhere between World War I and the Korean War - and first used to treat infection on a large scale during the Korean War (incidentally, I would say it was this development, and the MASH units, that really revolutionized war, in the caring for the injured quickly, at least). Sulfa based drugs had been developed earlier, but weren't as effective (?)...
Space capable rockets? The German V2 approached the edge of space, and there were plans (I have seen very little about them, but they exist) to build something called the "Antipodal Bomber" - essentially a suicide bombing run, using a dual stage modified V2, to put a pilot in a sub-orbital trajectory, where he could "skip" off the outer atmosperic layers, to prolong his course, and then angle sharply downward to explode a 1000 pound bomb in New York City. This was on the drawing boards, but never went past the concept stage.
Lastly, your comment on DARPAnet is wrong - the internet sprouted from the ARPAnet, a project whose goal was to connect various research campuses via computer at different universities across the country, using the phone system. It was never meant to withstand a nuclear war - this wasn't even a concern. It was meant to give researchers a way to share computing power with each other. DARPAnet (now
I still think it is possible to make a living from GPL'd open source software. Maybe not a direct living, since we can't treat the software as a product anymore - we would have to sell something else (of course, the GPL doesn't prevent you from selling the software as a product, the only thing it prevents you from doing is keeping the source to yourself, if you derived the software from another GPL'd work - if you didn't, and the software is totally yours, with no GPL'd code used, then you could release it under the GPL license, and a different license, at the same time).
I don't know how you see that the FSF would control all of the software - the only software that the FSF would "control" woud be any GPL'd software that they created, or any of thier GPL'd source that went into another product. The only control they would be exerting, would be that of keeping another company from closing the source for their own gain. Once under the GPL, the source used by another company or individual must stay open. Only the original author may fork the code.
This is what I understand - when I GPL a piece of my code and release it, I don't have worries about never seeing that code again - I don't worry about another company swooping in and stealing ideas. I rejoice at knowing that someone can come along, and see my code, and use it, learn from it, and pass it on to others, so they may do the same. Why do I like this? Because this was the way (or close to it) it used to be.
Rememeber, about 15-20 years ago you used to be able to pick up a magazine and get code - to use and to learn from. That is where I first learned to code - not in some stuffy classroom. Over time, working with employers and others, I have refined my style of coding and skills to be better than that, but I look back now, and I don't see the same opportunities for kids (like I was) today - compilers are expensive, and there isn't much code available on the stands. I look at the open source revolution, and I can see that today, kids still have a way. Seeing this let's me know there is hope for innovative code - not same old, same old code from the classroom and cube farms, but code from the heart - from people who "don't know better".
Like I said before, I am an idealist - I am a dreamer, and a romantic in many respects. Business may yet stomp on me, but in the end one arm will be thrust skyward as that foot comes down, middle finger proudly extended!
Well, yeah - pretty much...
What I am looking for is something more efficient. Maybe a chemical reaction (when I say this, I mean something like a chemical reaction in a liquid like substance) isn't any more efficient or it is worse.
IANAS, either - so I am talking out my ass here, and maybe this thread shouldn't continue...
Yeah, this is one of the big problems with current solar cells - that more energy is put into the manufacture of one than it will put out over its lifetime.
If this problem could be solved, then the electrolysis of water could be performed cheaply - though it still wouldn't make much sense when you could just use the electricity from the panel directly, and avoid the conversion process.
Now, if you could come up with a way to turn sunlight into electricity via a catalytic reaction (I am thinking of sunlight being a catalyst in a chemical reaction that liberates electrons - I am not a chemist) of some sort...
I am quoting here from the posting of "ed phillips" that you gave a link to:
"Stallman's very presence makes some in the free software communties uncomfortable. He's like an old cousin that shows up at the wrong time, is a
little too loud and says things that other people think but that no one else will come out and say. Foremost amongst the traits that make the denizens of Silicon Valley uncomfortable is Stallman's contempt for the merely commercial. Stallman is, indeed, full of contempt for the merely commercial, for profit for profits sake, especially when that profit comes at the expense of the the free circulation of ideas and software. That contempt for profit for profit's sake is what contemporary executives, hip though they may be, find so consternating and odd."
Hmmm - it sounds like Stallman called the person a parasite, because he thought (rightfully so? I dunno, I wasn't there) that the individual was going to take a piece of GPL'd code and try to make a forked proprietary version, without giving the code back to the community. This would be the definition of a parasite. If the company was going to create thier own version, without the use of ANY GPL or other OS/free code, RMS would probably be fine with that (IOW, he wouldn't attack it with the same amount of vigor - it would be just like any other proprietary software dev house's products).
You seem to be of the position of the befuddled businessman who doesn't understand the reasoning behind the GPL, the FSF, and RMS. I don't understand the need to to profit for profit sake, nor do I understand the drive to "have it all" - all too often I encounter business people who have a lot of money, yet still remain unhappy with their position in life.
I go on, knowing that by me giving my software away (the little I have given), with the expectation that if it is good, others will improve and give those improvements back, I know that I have done my little part to make the programming community better. It gives me pride to know that my code has helped others in their projects and in learning something tricky or obscure. These are feelings that money could never buy (although these feelings will never pay the bills, though I think one day I might be able to make a living off of GPL'd open source code)...
Call me an idealist...!
While I realize the need for a better source of energy is not an Ameri-centric problem, and that the world needs to look at and use alternate fuels, one problem I can see, at least for America, to the slow adaption of alternate fuels, is a large, if crazy one:
The American male "macho" attitude.
You see, most alternate fuel concept cars I have seen, that worked, had little "get up and go", so to speak. Many would start out slowly, build up speed, then be running normally. Electric cars are the slowest in acceleration (although I do know of the Wired article on electric drag racing, so maybe there is hope), but most alternate fuel vehicles are dismal in the acceleration figures. Maybe this can be improved on in time (I am sure it can).
However, if these vehicles are released (on the American market), they have to have accelleration figures and horsepower to match a gasoline car (and you better bet the FUD will fly by marketing on this), if it is to be adopted in America.
Personally, I wouldn't give a damn, as long as I can still accelerate fast enough to get out of harm's way. But, as we see in America with the SUV's and sports cars on the road, faster and bigger are what the public wants, and it doesn't seem like alternate fuels are delivering on that.
Storage is a big problem - as a gas (and maybe as a liquid too, though I don't remember seeing anything about it in this form), hydrogen is highly "corrosive" to many materials over time (and I am not mixing up hydrogen and hydrochloric/hydrosulferic acid - hydrogen in steel tanks causes the steel to become brittle).
One other thing about hydrogen, from what I remember, is that on combustion, a very small amount of "pollution" is created (I don't remember what the gas was called), in addition to the water vapor. The amount was extremely small, much, much smaller than normal gasoline engines, but still there, nonetheless. Not that we shouldn't look for a way to use hydrogen as a viable fuel, just don't think that water vapor is the only thing that comes out of the pipe.
The safe storage and handling of hydrogen as a fuel is a big issue. I believe we should switch over to methanol (grain alchohol), which burns very clean, and can be made from corn (and other grains).
The amount of energy necessary to convert water into hydrogen and oxygen via electrolysis is more than what you would get from using the resulting hydrogen as fuel. In other words, there is a huge net loss during the conversion (mostly heat, IIRC).
Not to mention the energy costs (which you have to factor in) associated with creating the silicon solar cells - you would probably NEVER be able to recoup the energy used in the manufacture of the device, let alone have a net gain...
This is a double edged sword you're wielding, my friend!
You see, in the interest of protecting the children from porn via the instrument of a log to be sent (or otherwise somehow viewed) to the parents, you also strike a blow to the child in another way:
What if they need to look up information on child abuse - maybe they are being abused, or they know someone who might be being abused, either in their own family, or a friend?
With such a logging system, the child may face further harm from those causing the harm (sometimes the parents - more often than not a close relative).
Not to mention that such "blacklists" could be used for other motives by other groups (and if you really think that the lists will really be destroyed, before someone else could get them, you are smoking crack - remember, the person charged with destroying them could easily make a copy for sale to the right individuals, then destroy the original. And if you think these people can't be bought, tell me why we don't have honest politicians?)...
Notice, that you have to READ and CLICK the link. If you READ the SYNOPSIS of the link, you will see it READS:
/thumbnails of sexy mature senior wome
Grandma's Free Cookie Jar-free sex pics
Hot Free sex pics, personal ads, slideshows, quik time movies, chat and more...
The link is also PROMINENTLY displayed, which goes to a site called "www.sexyone.net".
How could anyone click this link after READING everything about it prior to clicking it, then being HORRIFIED over what comes up?
This whole issue is not only about legislating morality, it is about legislating responsibility as well.
Unless, of course, you visit a lot of warez sites.
The crux of this matter is the fact that most search engines return, with the links to the pages, a brief synopsis of the page. The person's responsibility when doing the search is to read not only the links, but the synopsis as well. Generally, on reading both the synopsis and links, one can easily see whether the link leads to a porn site or not, before clicking on the link.
I have yet to see a search engine which just "took" me to a link, without me explicitly telling it to. So I have a proposition (not that kind, you pervs!):
I am going to add to the pot - I am offering $50.00 to the first person who replies to this comment, with proof of:
a) Proof of an innocent search, done on any web search engine, which autoforwards you to a porn site.
or
b) Proof of an innocent search, done on any web seach engine, which returns links in the first 5 pages without a synopsis or actual link information, which when clicked, take you to a porn site.
Either will be accepted. Good luck...
I kept thinking about the idea of an ad banner myself - while I haven't been able to find an instance yet (I even tried to back propagate by adding the word "sex" into the mix, still nothing), I did think of one possibility...
/.?) was running an ad that showed a picture (Van Gogh?) of a nude woman - it was a "repro" (if you can call a blob of pixels that) of some famous artists nude, in a banner ad. The ad was for something innocent (ie, it wasn't a porno ad - I think it was for WebMonkey or something, believe it or not).
If you remember, I believe a while back Hotbot (or was it
Far fetched? Yeah... I still like the response someone else gave saying that the girl is 16 years old and has never seen a naked woman, refering to a lack of mirrors in her house...
That, or the girl was lying...
I did a search for the words on Hotbot - several pages in (3-5, maybe 6 or 7), I found a link to a chocolate chip cookie recipe that won some kind of contest. The signature on the recipe linked back to this site.
While I have to agree on your points that the business model is unproven thus far, I don't think that is enough to abandon it's use.
I have never seen or read anywhere, in the license or on the FSF website, that the intention of the GPL was to explicitly destroy the software business, nor have I seen anything of RMS saying that OS/GPL companies were parasites that he tolerated. However, if these statements are true, could you perhaps provide links to back them up?
Still, you are only looking at the one model - the selling of tech support as a service. There are many other services that could be provided by a company if they wanted to (the training aspect is one - how many training companies and/or books are there for Windows and associated products? Windows already provides enough information to use the system, so why do these resources exist?).
What about the service of data? This is one proposed model for game development companies - that they OS the engine, then sell the levels/music/sound - the data that the engine uses to create the game. Sure, other companies could do this with the same engine as well - however, the data is going to take just as long to come up with, with as much (or more) work.
I don't know if the selling of tech support is the best model for open source businesses to follow. There are, however, other models to be tried with open source, before declaring it unfit for business.
I don't think you are alone, but something may be wrong...
You sound kinda like I was about 7 years ago (with the exception that I had a job). I would wake up, go to work, be on the machine, come back home, be on the machine till bedtime (or longer!), fall asleep - and do it all again the next day. On the weekends I might go to the comic book store, but most of the time was spent on the machine, coding, coding, coding...
I didn't have any friends - just the people I knew at work (thankfully it was a small startup, few employees - more like a family to me, as I look back on it). I sure the hell didn't have a girlfriend. At the time, I was heavy on the BBS'ing, and just discovering the net. I had a nervous breakdown once.
That pretty much set me on a new course - the isolation, I guess, really got to me (of course, the net is much better now than BBSing - if I had what the net offers today, then, things might be totally different - but I digress) - I felt that if I didn't make a change, I would either be committed in short order, or I would be dead - by my own hand.
To make a long story short, I am still alive, I have many friends, the net, a fiance, and many more experiences in life (I live in Phoenix, AZ - my GF and I once hiked the trail to Green Boulder in the Superstitions - when you get to the top, you are rewarded with a bench and the most magnificent view - a chance to rest and reflect, I guess).
If you are scared something is wrong - perhaps there is. I don't know where you live, but get out, and check out what is going on outside the machine - it will be there when you come back. Find one individual you can be with often (not necessarily all the time, but often - to share feelings with, to talk over issues) - two is even better (one of each sex, the view difference is amazing). One thing I have with my fiance is her wonderful and caring family - you can never have too much support in life.
I do notice that you say you aren't lonely - maybe you aren't - may the internet is meeting your needs. But the fact that you say you are scared something is wrong leads me to think that you may be rationalizing things - when in reality, you know deep inside that what is going on in your life isn't right. So, examine yourself. Maybe everything is ok, maybe not...
Non-dairy generally means it will be made either from some form of vegetable oil, or from soy (in the case of creamer, I believe it is both - probably some form of soybean powder or such - don't have an ingredient list handy).
Non-Dairy cheese is generally considered tofu - a strange substance made from soybeans. It looks kinda like motzarella (sp?) cheese (if you get the cream colored stuff), but can also be found sorta transluscent.
All in all, I haven't had a Dilberito yet (though I will try one), but I have had many of the Amy's brand vegie products, which incorporate tofu into the mix, and it actually is pretty good - better than what I expected (I am not a vegitarian or vegan by any means - I consider a JITB Bacon Double Cheesburger the best fast food burger there is - all the while being disgusted by the gooey mass that drips grease).
In other words, don't discount non-dairy/tofu style products - they can actually taste alright...
I know this comment is waaay too late to effect any changes, or affect any opinion...
/., I have no feedback on my performance - is the article too wordy, too long, not well written, need more info... what? I will never know. I have seen articles posted that were all of the above, yet still make it. I have tried to keep my articles of a moderate length, well written, and mostly informed (although a recent submission better be rejected - because it only shows that I am clueless - hah! Bet it is the one accepted!).
I have submitted a few stories, and always have had them rejected. Sometimes, the next day they have posted the "story", but it was someone else's article. I have gotten upset, sometimes posting OT rants in the article comments anout why I was rejected (and been subsequently moderated down for trolling). I haven't ever vented my frustration via a web page, feeling that was not worth mine or anyone else's time.
I have always wondered, though, why my article submissions were rejected. Unlike the rest of
Now, when I submit an article, I don't get too bent if it isn't accepted, or if someone else "preempts" me with a similar article that is accepted. I merely nod, and go on with life, noting that someone else got there first, and people will still see what I found important as well, and that is what matters in the end.
Still, I wish there was a way that I could see why my submissions failed, so I could strive to make future submissions better. A simple one or two word feedback would be a good start - in fact, with the number of submissions coming in, and the number that HAS to be rejected, leaving those few remaining - perhaps a one or two word feedback on the article, somewhere in the user prefs area so we could check it easily, would be a good way to start.
I am thinking something similar to moderation comments (such as "Troll", "Flamebait", "Informative" - but with a feedback bent: "Too wordy", "More info", "Accepted - Informative")...
Maybe what is needed, in addition to documentation more geared toward newbies, is the addition of a help system - something with searchability and hyperlinks thrown in. Maybe such a beast already exists? The hyperlink stuff could just be some web browser type thing, then a search engine on the front - heck, I bet it would be possible to hack something together in perl to do this via an html interface type system.
I can understand his frustration - I find the HOWTO and MAN stuff pretty easy, but if you needed to search through the directory for something, and didn't know what grep or man was, it could be difficult at first (I guess this is what books are for, in that case).
More step by step docs could be a helpful thing...
You are welcome - I love my shirt!