"The future will only bring more applications, more icons, and more time spent navigating around launching your programs."
(Playing along that the statement isn't a wild exaggeration): What a horrible future that would be! As it stands, I think that many people only manually run a small subset of programs installed on their computer, and possess extraordinarily poor organizational skills.
(1) small subset of programs
I doubt that the vast majority of the public uses Adobe's Acrobat Reader with such frequency as to warrant putting an application shortcut on the computer's desktop. Same with Winamp, with it's dual quicklaunch and desktop shortcuts. In fact, many programs install multiple ways of running the program, but it invariably includes the desktop. This includes applications that are only used as viewers and players, such as QuickTime (what college student actually runs the application and browses to the file instead of double-clicking on the file in the first place?).
(2) poor organizational skills
My Physics professor's desktop is overflowing with application shortcuts and URL shortcuts. Worse, he stores documents on the desktop! And so do a number of people I know. With the people I've had contact with, this is invariably a sign of a lack of organizational skill: they'd rather not have to deal with understanding how their files are stored. Thus, for internet downloads, they just click on the up arrow until they've found the Desktop, and then save the file there. For Corel Wordperfect, they just save it in My Documents, which eventually becomes a 2-foot-deep ocean of documents.
Thus, I don't think that the desktop has to be the ugly mess that it usually ends up as. I think it's a fundamental weakness of the users, not the system.
And good heavens, a 3-dimensionally navigable filesystem?! Didn't you see Jurassic Park? It takes like 5 excrutiatingly long, edge-of-your-seat minutes to get to anything! Like that door lock! No thanks, I rather use Bash and tab-completion. No velociraptors for me, thanks.
I'm a student at Northwestern University, and on Sunday at midnight I checked my email and found it had been sent to me. I stepped out of my room to find a couple people in the hall whining about getting infected by the virus. It was spreading like wildfire, with people getting the same email from two and three different people and opening each of them.
After all the work that our IT department has done to try and inform people, the student population is still ignorant of simple virus-protection techniques.
;) With the exception of myself, of course: I run Gentoo Linux.;)
The Gaimdevelopers have done a fantastic job of splitting the Gaim core from the user interface, which has already resulted in a PDA client for the QTopia environment called QPE-Gaim. But porting Gaim to PalmOS I assume is a much bigger task.
There's a fairly good list of available window managers over at plig.org. It may take some sifting to find what you're looking for, but then again, you'll have to sift through/. too...
all those vocal "anti-M$" trolls...look pretty stupid right now
Actually, my first reaction was "Blast, a kernel exploit. But at least they've patched it." When I see Microsoft holes reported I think "Hah, more proof that MS is incompetent! And they won't be patching it for a while to come!"
People see what they want to see. I don't see anti-Microsoft vocalists as stupid because of stories like this. I see them as heralders of the truth. But of course I'm biased, so take what I say with a grain of salt: I'm an MCP.
I wouldn't call it "promoting". Perens' example of 3D drivers is spot-on. I want UT2k3 running butter-smooth with all the high-end options turned on, and that means I'm using the nVidia driver. You know what? I'm disappointed that they haven't open-sourced, but I don't care enough to use some other, lesser driver, as long as nVidia releases updates and bugfixes on a consistent basis. Yes, my system is tainted, but at least I can do exactly what I want to do: play a 3D-accelerated game here-and-there.
In addition to 3D drivers, other things that are "standard" are so because of the network effect. Take Flash for instance. I have a closed-source Flash plugin for my open-source Firebird browser, but that makes no difference to me: I'm only interested in watching homestarrunner.com.
Further, until I can get GNOME 2.4 to compile and install, I won't have access to GPDF, so I'll keep erring towards Adobe's Acrobat Reader for Linux, which is far more featureful than the other things I've seen out there. My point is that I'm interested in my computer working the way I want it to, and that sometimes means compromising for proprietary software.
it would be smart for them to adopt some form of lossless compression
It would be nice if they'd do exactly that, using something like FLAC, but let's be honest: who would know what to do with FLAC? Wave files are pretty much the way to go for the public, and maybe AIFFs for Mac users.
People, we can't tolerate the creation of things like this; with systems like this in place what's to stop people from assuming that it's alright to do illegal/immoral things like hijack planes?!
Just like the mentality Napster created for filesharing!
Hopefully, people will keep downloading songs so the RIAA will go away!
Incredible. That's the exact wrong thing to do. Downloading the songs gives the RIAA the legal right to come after you, regardless of how stupid and baseless their supposed reasons for doing so may be. You'd be setting yourself up to drop your coins in their coffers.
Wanda Miles, Microsoft's executive director of learning technologies, said the company has a "strong commitment to learning, and learning starts at the school district level."
Originally the quote had something to do with assimilating children into the Microsoft Fold, but they changed it to "learning" because it didn't sound quite as guerilla.
community bows and worships the superiority, leadership and sheer innovativeness of the application
Actually, while true in some cases, I think the community is more interested in the fact that there will actually be a product associated with this announcement. Has Microsoft come up with a truly ground-breaking database file system? No, but that doesn't stop them from talking about their vision(s).
Besides, I for one am not interested in having a database filesystem. I'd like application-layer functionality that's there as an option if I want it, but I'm against an all-out replacement to my exquisitely organized folders.;)
I believe the number one thing needed is accountability
You made good points, but I disagree with the proposed standard's certificates plan and your above statement. Do we users really want or need an independent and centralized third party deciding who can and cannot send email?
software developers should be required to take a qualification...in order to work in positions of authority and responsibility
I'd rather have someone who's competent in the language and competent in the application coding whatever Big-Important-Project may be. For instance, take GnuPG. As far as I know, requiring those guys to take a test to prove that they know what they're doing with that particular application would be useless; they understand the design necessities of strong encryption, and they have the programming skills to realize those design needs.
Having a competent and uncertified programmer working on something that s/he has a stake in seems much more important than having someone who doesn't understand the application but can summon the Vast Powers of Certification (TM).
I think asking Trilian for a cut of what they charge is more than fair.
Yes, that's true. But Trillian is only a drop in the pool. MSN has no offerings for the GNU/Linux operating system, and the only *nix clients that I'm aware of that are worth their salt are all free (such as Gaim). Asking them for a cut of what they charge is certainly a problem (10% of 0 = 0), so Microsoft has to demand licensing fees.
Slashdot Mirror
It just got released! Get yours today!
Forget the server. I looked at the site, and there doesn't appear to be a Linux client. It would appear that Epic is abusing Linux admins' good will.
Unfortunately, it seems doubtful that Epic will be releasing the game with episodic prices.
I haven't had (spy|ad)ware for years either. My solution is a bit more comprehensive than a browser, however. ;)
I know what you mean; I too use Gentoo. =)
I would think that you'd give your computer the finger after it reboots.
(Playing along that the statement isn't a wild exaggeration): What a horrible future that would be! As it stands, I think that many people only manually run a small subset of programs installed on their computer, and possess extraordinarily poor organizational skills.
(1) small subset of programs
I doubt that the vast majority of the public uses Adobe's Acrobat Reader with such frequency as to warrant putting an application shortcut on the computer's desktop. Same with Winamp, with it's dual quicklaunch and desktop shortcuts. In fact, many programs install multiple ways of running the program, but it invariably includes the desktop. This includes applications that are only used as viewers and players, such as QuickTime (what college student actually runs the application and browses to the file instead of double-clicking on the file in the first place?).
(2) poor organizational skills
My Physics professor's desktop is overflowing with application shortcuts and URL shortcuts. Worse, he stores documents on the desktop! And so do a number of people I know. With the people I've had contact with, this is invariably a sign of a lack of organizational skill: they'd rather not have to deal with understanding how their files are stored. Thus, for internet downloads, they just click on the up arrow until they've found the Desktop, and then save the file there. For Corel Wordperfect, they just save it in My Documents, which eventually becomes a 2-foot-deep ocean of documents.
Thus, I don't think that the desktop has to be the ugly mess that it usually ends up as. I think it's a fundamental weakness of the users, not the system.
And good heavens, a 3-dimensionally navigable filesystem?! Didn't you see Jurassic Park? It takes like 5 excrutiatingly long, edge-of-your-seat minutes to get to anything! Like that door lock! No thanks, I rather use Bash and tab-completion. No velociraptors for me, thanks.
After all the work that our IT department has done to try and inform people, the student population is still ignorant of simple virus-protection techniques.
The Gaim developers have done a fantastic job of splitting the Gaim core from the user interface, which has already resulted in a PDA client for the QTopia environment called QPE-Gaim. But porting Gaim to PalmOS I assume is a much bigger task.
There's a fairly good list of available window managers over at plig.org. It may take some sifting to find what you're looking for, but then again, you'll have to sift through /. too...
No, I think SCO will come up with a reason to sue for IP infringement.
I've found Easycalc for Palm OS to be a small-yet-powerful package.
Actually, my first reaction was "Blast, a kernel exploit. But at least they've patched it." When I see Microsoft holes reported I think "Hah, more proof that MS is incompetent! And they won't be patching it for a while to come!"
People see what they want to see. I don't see anti-Microsoft vocalists as stupid because of stories like this. I see them as heralders of the truth. But of course I'm biased, so take what I say with a grain of salt: I'm an MCP.
In addition to 3D drivers, other things that are "standard" are so because of the network effect. Take Flash for instance. I have a closed-source Flash plugin for my open-source Firebird browser, but that makes no difference to me: I'm only interested in watching homestarrunner.com.
Further, until I can get GNOME 2.4 to compile and install, I won't have access to GPDF, so I'll keep erring towards Adobe's Acrobat Reader for Linux, which is far more featureful than the other things I've seen out there. My point is that I'm interested in my computer working the way I want it to, and that sometimes means compromising for proprietary software.
There's nothing quite like Worms Armageddon.
"ads are still made as .gif and .jeg as well"
Yeah, and those blasted ads make me want to punch something. Like that blasted monkey.
And maybe win a prize.
Even if I miss.
No, no, you're thinking of Gore.
It would be nice if they'd do exactly that, using something like FLAC, but let's be honest: who would know what to do with FLAC? Wave files are pretty much the way to go for the public, and maybe AIFFs for Mac users.
Just like the mentality Napster created for filesharing!
</sarcasm>
Incredible. That's the exact wrong thing to do. Downloading the songs gives the RIAA the legal right to come after you, regardless of how stupid and baseless their supposed reasons for doing so may be. You'd be setting yourself up to drop your coins in their coffers.
Originally the quote had something to do with assimilating children into the Microsoft Fold, but they changed it to "learning" because it didn't sound quite as guerilla.
Actually, while true in some cases, I think the community is more interested in the fact that there will actually be a product associated with this announcement. Has Microsoft come up with a truly ground-breaking database file system? No, but that doesn't stop them from talking about their vision(s).
Besides, I for one am not interested in having a database filesystem. I'd like application-layer functionality that's there as an option if I want it, but I'm against an all-out replacement to my exquisitely organized folders. ;)
You made good points, but I disagree with the proposed standard's certificates plan and your above statement. Do we users really want or need an independent and centralized third party deciding who can and cannot send email?
I'd rather have someone who's competent in the language and competent in the application coding whatever Big-Important-Project may be. For instance, take GnuPG. As far as I know, requiring those guys to take a test to prove that they know what they're doing with that particular application would be useless; they understand the design necessities of strong encryption, and they have the programming skills to realize those design needs.
Having a competent and uncertified programmer working on something that s/he has a stake in seems much more important than having someone who doesn't understand the application but can summon the Vast Powers of Certification (TM).
Yes, that's true. But Trillian is only a drop in the pool. MSN has no offerings for the GNU/Linux operating system, and the only *nix clients that I'm aware of that are worth their salt are all free (such as Gaim). Asking them for a cut of what they charge is certainly a problem (10% of 0 = 0), so Microsoft has to demand licensing fees.
I would suggest a boycott of the MSN network.