That's funny. I need to start quickly shutting off the monitors on my desk whenever someone walks into my office.
Them: What'cha doin? Me: Nothing. Nothing at all. Them: Why'd you turn off your computer? Me: Well, actually I just turned off.. Never mind. Well I use this special operating system, I'm not even supposed to talk about it. Them: Operating System? Me: The software it runs, like Windows or Mac Them: Really? Who made it secret? Me: It's just an unspoken rule. It's rather expensive and very limited in who is allowed to use it. Them: Wow. What would it take for me to get it?
It will be interesting to see how Win 8 fares. I agree that Windows is not horrific for normal desktop usage at home. Windows 7 has progressed to be close enough to my Linux/KDE setup that I actually don't mind it too much, especially with power shell. But the changes in 8 are rather significant. I've been running the preview in a VM on my Fedora box and there are some huge changes. I think MS may continue pushing more customers to Apple with it. I don't see it being much of a boon for Linux because Linux just isn't on most people's radar.
What do Linux users need to do to replicate the marketing efforts of Apple and Microsoft and other corporate operating system vendors?
Spend millions of dollars on advertising and even more in subsidies to hardware manufacturers (or like Apple make your own hardware.) But I have no idea why anyone would want to do that. Though I confess, I don't really care if Linux gets the kind of broad use that Windows has or even OSX. I used to worry about it, because I had a fear that if not enough people used Linux it might go away. But now Linux is so incredibly successful on the server and phone that I'm not worried about that any more.
I really hate Apple - their whole approach but more and more I find myself telling people, "Hey, if you can afford it try out Apple." It seems to work well for normals. They appear to have less issues than the normals running Windows. Frankly, I don't get it, but then again - I don't care. I just want people to be able to do what they want so they can leave me alone so I can focus on doing what I want - which means using Linux. I'm glad I'm not dependent on winning over people that are willing pay extra for devices that are locked down physically and ideologically. (Nobody needs to get their panties in a bunch defending Apple to me. I've heard all the reason people like their stuff. It's not that I don't understand - I just don't agree. I find their products to be aesthetically pleasing as long as I don't actually have to use them.)
And of course MS had to break the law to get the install numbers they had. I'm not willing to go that route either for Linux.
The things usually mentioned are gerrymandering, the restructuring of the courts and the appointment of people who can force elections and keep a government from forming at will - through the ability to reject budgets. It's nothing so straightforward as banning parties (though I have a neighbor who was on house arrest for a long time and in prison longer that might have something to say about this*) but to some it causes concern.
*Not that I think he's a good guy. And maybe was planning to blow stuff up. Though if that's the case I would think they'd have handled things a lot differently.
ugh - second sentence looks like a direct statement of fact -- some people think the new rules are devised so that they cannot be voted out. it's not a clear and simple fact. I reviewed that multiple times and didn't catch it.
If the people don't like it, they can vote them out at the next election. That's the way it works.
Like I said, the whole point some people have is that they believe this is not the case. With the new rules, they cannot be voted out in the next election. So it could be argued that they have exceeded their mandate because the people that voted for them expected them to stay within the framework of being able to vote them out if they were unhappy.
And I can't stress this enough - I'm not taking a side on it. I've watched Hungarians who know a ton about this get into rather heated arguments about it. I don't really have a clue. I'm just trying to report more than interpret. So if you think the whole anti-democratic charges against Fidesz are bogus - well you have lots of company and I'm not going to argue that you are wrong. I would just argue that what they are accused of is wrong if they are doing it. If not - no problem.
I can think of a number of ways for Europeans to use more gasoline without buying US cars. I do see American cars here, but they are in the minority. Though that entire concept is a little strange anyway. I think one US brand here are actually Korean cars with US badges on them. And then there are all the issues on where the parts come from, where they are assembled, etc.
I see mostly European makes (go figure) and I would think cheaper gas (or just using more gas) wouldn't change that.
I am not sure how the buying cars part follows. You really lost me there. I don't understand how increased gasoline consumption would benefit anyone except people who sell oil and gasoline.
I didn't say Americans were immoral. (Well - not any more immoral than anyone else).
What I'm talking about is a lot like what John Scalzi describes in his post Not being able to scrape by with 200k is usually your own fault. The guy he talks about is well within his rights to the life he has - but to complain about it just doesn't generate a lot of sympathy with most others. In many it may even bring out feelings of resentment.
That's how it is when Americans get on the world wide web and gripe about stuff that is worse just about everywhere else. A lot of Americans don't realize this because they aren't exposed to what it is like to live in the rest of the world. So I think it is worth pointing it out. Maybe it will help some people get a bigger picture in their head of what's going on.
I am not claiming moral superiority. I'm not saying it's immoral to want cheaper gas. I'm saying it is stupid to get on a global soap box and gripe about your cheapest gas getting slightly more expensive even while it is still crazy cheap. That's all.
I think the issues the EU/US and whoever else have are not that the current government was elected improperly - but that the steps they've taken since they were elected have made it almost impossible for anyone else to take their place, even if the majority of voters wanted it to be so. So it's not the election of Fidesz that they object to, but rather the changes Fidesz has made since they came into power.
A lot of Hungarians I talk to don't believe that it has anything to do with democracy, but just that Orban and company wont toe the line.
I honestly don't know enough about it all to say. I haven't been here long and my language skills are very poor - so it's really tough for me to follow it all.
You are probably right about the reason for the higher price - though if Europe consumed at the same rate as the US - then prices would be quite a bit higher for everyone. So is isn't as simple as - "You chose higher prices."
Secondly - it's a democracy - though right now the EU and US are making lots of noise about it being less of one. (Hungary) But more importantly, for simplicity, let's say it's a democracy just like the USA. Why do you think the people who feel the pain of high gas prices are in favor of them? Any American should know that democracy does not equal 'regular people' getting a fair hearing or equitable level of influence in government. In my case specifically it doesn't really matter at all as I'm an ex-pat and I can't vote here.
But I'm not berating you for liking to pay less. I'm berating people who complain about the fact that they live some of the most priviliged lives on earth and still feel wronged. You just need to step out of the little bubble, see it from the outside for a bit, and it becomes painfully clear. (And rather embarassing)
If everyone world wide consumed like the US does - gas would be a lot more expensive in the U.S.
And you don't have to like it - or care how it looks - I'm just telling it like it is. Feel free to revel in the position of wasteful jerk that's proud of his excess and complains at every inconvenience.
I was going to say - if I only payed $5.00 a gallon I'd throw a party. Right around $8.50 (give or take based on the exchange rate) a gallon is what I consider normal. Between this and the Americans I heard complaining yesterday that the Raspberry Pi boards didn't look to be available in the US -- I have to say that it comes across as petty whinging to the rest of the world.
pointing a shotgun at someone is not firing up into the air.
people seem to have confused my supplying some data for the discussion with my having a position on whether the action was wrong or right. I wouldn't be friends with someone who did something like this. I have no sympathy if they are punished by the law or in civil court.
but I also know, due to previous discussions here on slashdot, that a lot of people don't understand how bird shot behaves. so I thought I'd add some data to the discussion.
I have - many times. It has never hurt. I grew up in AZ and have spent a lot of time on dove and quail hunts over the years. Pain is subjective - but my point was very limited in scope - even if we accept your point of view then we are saying it "stings" but wont harm anyone.
The discussion has gone on quite a bit above, and I wouldn't disagree that this was stupid and irresponsible. I'm just throwing some data out there for people who may not have personal experience. In a discussion here on slashdot, years ago, I had someone give me the 'math' on why falling birdshot was dangerous. The thing was, I know from experience that he was mistaken.
The original post said bricked because that is exactly what the author meant. If you read it you will see this. He says if a car is left sitting long enough it will fully discharge and the car will be inoperable until the owner buys a new $40,000 battery pack from Tesla.
bird shot fired from a shot gun - upwards - is harmless. It comes down softly. The only way to hurt someone is to shoot them directly and they would still need to be within a few meters. There are other types of shotgun ammunition that can do a lot more harm but the shot for dove, pigeon, etc. is very small and light.
Will they send a driver to get me from Budapest to Addis Ababa on Thursday? And can they get me there in time for the meetings on Friday? 'Cause that would be awesome.
They say it is available at FLOSS Manuals - and it's their right on the front page. I guess you could say it's harder but I wouldn't say it was hard to find. I downloaded the epub - loaded it up in calibre and mailed it to my kindle. They've done a lot to make this accessible to a wide number of people.
I should start this reply with a disclaimer. I'm a US citizen and I've been living in Hungary since July 2011. So I haven't been here very long. My Hungarian is practically non-existent so my news sources are very limited. So take whatever I say with a grain of salt.
Hungary was never on the Euro. By the time Hungary came into the EU, getting on the Euro wasn't automatic. They have never met the criteria. They are in the schengen zone and a EU country but still use the Forint.
The push to get out of the EU is mostly coming from Jobbik (as I understand it - or at least groups like it.) Last week-end I was flipping channels on TV and some Jobbik folks were burning a EU flag. From what I've been told they'd also like to get rid of all the Roma, the Jews and pretty much anyone who isn't Hungarian. This would, I assume, be part of the master plan to regaining all the land that was taken in the treaty of Trianon. These guys form militias and I think they represent a pretty far out there fringe. Kind of like white supremacy groups in the USA maybe.
The ruling party, Fidesz, is also on the conservative end of the spectrum (for Europe) though I don't think they are as out there as groups like Jobbik. Back in 2006, the leader of the socialist party discussed in a meeting, that they had been lying for quite a while to stay in power. A recording of the speech got out and the reaction was understandably strong.
I think this played a big part in Fidesz winning huge in 2010 and since then they have been working overtime to transform the government. They rewrote the constitution and changed a lot of laws. Many, including the US government, have been vocal about not liking a lot of these changes. The view is that the changes are primarily intended to make sure that Fidesz cannot lose their control of the government. The last few months there were a few articles ( here is one ) about this that made the news in the US. Clinton and the ambassador here have been pretty vocal about not liking the way things are headed.
Most Hungarians I talk to are not pleased with this criticism from the US or the EU. They view at as being pushed around by larger powers that have never helped them anyway, and in fact just use Hungary to their own ends. The most positive statement I've heard about it was a young guy who said, "At least getting screwed by the US is better than getting screwed by Russia."
There is a financial crisis related to loans that a lot of Hungarians took out. The loans were in Swiss Francs and the Forint has done horribly compared to the Franc and people are getting crushed by the loans. I saw a decent report on this on an NPR site. As this gets worse - people seem to be shifting towards the more nationalistic groups. I see lots of big hungary stickers on cars when I'm driving around.
But like I said, I don't have the linguistic skills or the cultural background to reliably navigate what information is available. I just try to get a ball park idea. One of the more interesting experiences I've had is living right down the street from György Budaházy. He's been on house arrest since they let him out of prison. From what I've read of his views, he's way out there. I've only met him once, and he was civil but the cops that watch his house were sitting in their car a few meters away. Not that I think he's raving mad - more the calculated type.
Slashdot Mirror
That's funny. I need to start quickly shutting off the monitors on my desk whenever someone walks into my office.
Them: What'cha doin?
Me: Nothing. Nothing at all.
Them: Why'd you turn off your computer?
Me: Well, actually I just turned off.. Never mind. Well I use this special operating system, I'm not even supposed to talk about it.
Them: Operating System?
Me: The software it runs, like Windows or Mac
Them: Really? Who made it secret?
Me: It's just an unspoken rule. It's rather expensive and very limited in who is allowed to use it.
Them: Wow. What would it take for me to get it?
It will be interesting to see how Win 8 fares. I agree that Windows is not horrific for normal desktop usage at home. Windows 7 has progressed to be close enough to my Linux/KDE setup that I actually don't mind it too much, especially with power shell. But the changes in 8 are rather significant. I've been running the preview in a VM on my Fedora box and there are some huge changes. I think MS may continue pushing more customers to Apple with it. I don't see it being much of a boon for Linux because Linux just isn't on most people's radar.
What do Linux users need to do to replicate the marketing efforts of Apple and Microsoft and other corporate operating system vendors?
Spend millions of dollars on advertising and even more in subsidies to hardware manufacturers (or like Apple make your own hardware.) But I have no idea why anyone would want to do that. Though I confess, I don't really care if Linux gets the kind of broad use that Windows has or even OSX. I used to worry about it, because I had a fear that if not enough people used Linux it might go away. But now Linux is so incredibly successful on the server and phone that I'm not worried about that any more.
I really hate Apple - their whole approach but more and more I find myself telling people, "Hey, if you can afford it try out Apple." It seems to work well for normals. They appear to have less issues than the normals running Windows. Frankly, I don't get it, but then again - I don't care. I just want people to be able to do what they want so they can leave me alone so I can focus on doing what I want - which means using Linux. I'm glad I'm not dependent on winning over people that are willing pay extra for devices that are locked down physically and ideologically. (Nobody needs to get their panties in a bunch defending Apple to me. I've heard all the reason people like their stuff. It's not that I don't understand - I just don't agree. I find their products to be aesthetically pleasing as long as I don't actually have to use them.)
And of course MS had to break the law to get the install numbers they had. I'm not willing to go that route either for Linux.
Often in the US it is illegal to ask about topics that can't be used as a basis of making the decision. Of course many employers ignore this.
The things usually mentioned are gerrymandering, the restructuring of the courts and the appointment of people who can force elections and keep a government from forming at will - through the ability to reject budgets. It's nothing so straightforward as banning parties (though I have a neighbor who was on house arrest for a long time and in prison longer that might have something to say about this*) but to some it causes concern.
*Not that I think he's a good guy. And maybe was planning to blow stuff up. Though if that's the case I would think they'd have handled things a lot differently.
ugh - second sentence looks like a direct statement of fact -- some people think the new rules are devised so that they cannot be voted out. it's not a clear and simple fact. I reviewed that multiple times and didn't catch it.
If the people don't like it, they can vote them out at the next election. That's the way it works.
Like I said, the whole point some people have is that they believe this is not the case. With the new rules, they cannot be voted out in the next election. So it could be argued that they have exceeded their mandate because the people that voted for them expected them to stay within the framework of being able to vote them out if they were unhappy.
And I can't stress this enough - I'm not taking a side on it. I've watched Hungarians who know a ton about this get into rather heated arguments about it. I don't really have a clue. I'm just trying to report more than interpret. So if you think the whole anti-democratic charges against Fidesz are bogus - well you have lots of company and I'm not going to argue that you are wrong. I would just argue that what they are accused of is wrong if they are doing it. If not - no problem.
I can think of a number of ways for Europeans to use more gasoline without buying US cars. I do see American cars here, but they are in the minority. Though that entire concept is a little strange anyway. I think one US brand here are actually Korean cars with US badges on them. And then there are all the issues on where the parts come from, where they are assembled, etc.
I see mostly European makes (go figure) and I would think cheaper gas (or just using more gas) wouldn't change that.
I am not sure how the buying cars part follows. You really lost me there. I don't understand how increased gasoline consumption would benefit anyone except people who sell oil and gasoline.
I didn't say Americans were immoral. (Well - not any more immoral than anyone else).
What I'm talking about is a lot like what John Scalzi describes in his post Not being able to scrape by with 200k is usually your own fault. The guy he talks about is well within his rights to the life he has - but to complain about it just doesn't generate a lot of sympathy with most others. In many it may even bring out feelings of resentment.
That's how it is when Americans get on the world wide web and gripe about stuff that is worse just about everywhere else. A lot of Americans don't realize this because they aren't exposed to what it is like to live in the rest of the world. So I think it is worth pointing it out. Maybe it will help some people get a bigger picture in their head of what's going on.
I am not claiming moral superiority. I'm not saying it's immoral to want cheaper gas. I'm saying it is stupid to get on a global soap box and gripe about your cheapest gas getting slightly more expensive even while it is still crazy cheap. That's all.
I think the issues the EU/US and whoever else have are not that the current government was elected improperly - but that the steps they've taken since they were elected have made it almost impossible for anyone else to take their place, even if the majority of voters wanted it to be so. So it's not the election of Fidesz that they object to, but rather the changes Fidesz has made since they came into power.
A lot of Hungarians I talk to don't believe that it has anything to do with democracy, but just that Orban and company wont toe the line.
I honestly don't know enough about it all to say. I haven't been here long and my language skills are very poor - so it's really tough for me to follow it all.
You are probably right about the reason for the higher price - though if Europe consumed at the same rate as the US - then prices would be quite a bit higher for everyone. So is isn't as simple as - "You chose higher prices."
Secondly - it's a democracy - though right now the EU and US are making lots of noise about it being less of one. (Hungary) But more importantly, for simplicity, let's say it's a democracy just like the USA. Why do you think the people who feel the pain of high gas prices are in favor of them? Any American should know that democracy does not equal 'regular people' getting a fair hearing or equitable level of influence in government. In my case specifically it doesn't really matter at all as I'm an ex-pat and I can't vote here.
But I'm not berating you for liking to pay less. I'm berating people who complain about the fact that they live some of the most priviliged lives on earth and still feel wronged. You just need to step out of the little bubble, see it from the outside for a bit, and it becomes painfully clear. (And rather embarassing)
If everyone world wide consumed like the US does - gas would be a lot more expensive in the U.S.
And you don't have to like it - or care how it looks - I'm just telling it like it is. Feel free to revel in the position of wasteful jerk that's proud of his excess and complains at every inconvenience.
I was going to say - if I only payed $5.00 a gallon I'd throw a party. Right around $8.50 (give or take based on the exchange rate) a gallon is what I consider normal. Between this and the Americans I heard complaining yesterday that the Raspberry Pi boards didn't look to be available in the US -- I have to say that it comes across as petty whinging to the rest of the world.
bring your own ball?
pointing a shotgun at someone is not firing up into the air.
people seem to have confused my supplying some data for the discussion with my having a position on whether the action was wrong or right. I wouldn't be friends with someone who did something like this. I have no sympathy if they are punished by the law or in civil court.
but I also know, due to previous discussions here on slashdot, that a lot of people don't understand how bird shot behaves. so I thought I'd add some data to the discussion.
bird shot penetrating a modern car tire in the manner you describe is impossible.
i don't care about the law or wrong or right of the situation - I'm talking about what happens when someone shoots bird shot into the air.
I have - many times. It has never hurt. I grew up in AZ and have spent a lot of time on dove and quail hunts over the years. Pain is subjective - but my point was very limited in scope - even if we accept your point of view then we are saying it "stings" but wont harm anyone.
The discussion has gone on quite a bit above, and I wouldn't disagree that this was stupid and irresponsible. I'm just throwing some data out there for people who may not have personal experience. In a discussion here on slashdot, years ago, I had someone give me the 'math' on why falling birdshot was dangerous. The thing was, I know from experience that he was mistaken.
The original post said bricked because that is exactly what the author meant. If you read it you will see this. He says if a car is left sitting long enough it will fully discharge and the car will be inoperable until the owner buys a new $40,000 battery pack from Tesla.
bird shot fired from a shot gun - upwards - is harmless. It comes down softly. The only way to hurt someone is to shoot them directly and they would still need to be within a few meters. There are other types of shotgun ammunition that can do a lot more harm but the shot for dove, pigeon, etc. is very small and light.
Will they send a driver to get me from Budapest to Addis Ababa on Thursday? And can they get me there in time for the meetings on Friday? 'Cause that would be awesome.
I wish it were just the US with restrictions on liquids.
so anything with religious motivation is bad no matter what they do?
that seems as narrow and short sighted as the other way of taking it.
putting a book into the local language and sending an army to kill people - quite a comparison.
They say it is available at FLOSS Manuals - and it's their right on the front page. I guess you could say it's harder but I wouldn't say it was hard to find. I downloaded the epub - loaded it up in calibre and mailed it to my kindle. They've done a lot to make this accessible to a wide number of people.
I should start this reply with a disclaimer. I'm a US citizen and I've been living in Hungary since July 2011. So I haven't been here very long. My Hungarian is practically non-existent so my news sources are very limited. So take whatever I say with a grain of salt.
Hungary was never on the Euro. By the time Hungary came into the EU, getting on the Euro wasn't automatic. They have never met the criteria. They are in the schengen zone and a EU country but still use the Forint.
The push to get out of the EU is mostly coming from Jobbik (as I understand it - or at least groups like it.) Last week-end I was flipping channels on TV and some Jobbik folks were burning a EU flag. From what I've been told they'd also like to get rid of all the Roma, the Jews and pretty much anyone who isn't Hungarian. This would, I assume, be part of the master plan to regaining all the land that was taken in the treaty of Trianon. These guys form militias and I think they represent a pretty far out there fringe. Kind of like white supremacy groups in the USA maybe.
The ruling party, Fidesz, is also on the conservative end of the spectrum (for Europe) though I don't think they are as out there as groups like Jobbik. Back in 2006, the leader of the socialist party discussed in a meeting, that they had been lying for quite a while to stay in power. A recording of the speech got out and the reaction was understandably strong.
I think this played a big part in Fidesz winning huge in 2010 and since then they have been working overtime to transform the government. They rewrote the constitution and changed a lot of laws. Many, including the US government, have been vocal about not liking a lot of these changes. The view is that the changes are primarily intended to make sure that Fidesz cannot lose their control of the government. The last few months there were a few articles ( here is one ) about this that made the news in the US. Clinton and the ambassador here have been pretty vocal about not liking the way things are headed.
Most Hungarians I talk to are not pleased with this criticism from the US or the EU. They view at as being pushed around by larger powers that have never helped them anyway, and in fact just use Hungary to their own ends. The most positive statement I've heard about it was a young guy who said, "At least getting screwed by the US is better than getting screwed by Russia."
There is a financial crisis related to loans that a lot of Hungarians took out. The loans were in Swiss Francs and the Forint has done horribly compared to the Franc and people are getting crushed by the loans. I saw a decent report on this on an NPR site. As this gets worse - people seem to be shifting towards the more nationalistic groups. I see lots of big hungary stickers on cars when I'm driving around.
But like I said, I don't have the linguistic skills or the cultural background to reliably navigate what information is available. I just try to get a ball park idea. One of the more interesting experiences I've had is living right down the street from György Budaházy. He's been on house arrest since they let him out of prison. From what I've read of his views, he's way out there. I've only met him once, and he was civil but the cops that watch his house were sitting in their car a few meters away. Not that I think he's raving mad - more the calculated type.
Between google translate (which really strug