This strikes me as interesting. In some ways, what Amazon is doing here is basically an Open Data initiative. I am trying to draw an analogy between this kind of thing and the Open Source Software movement.
It is useful to consider the long-term implications of this.
Let's say that lots of people, sites, companies, etc, start using this lovely, free Amazon data. Then Amazon turns around and tells the world in 3 years that people have to start paying for the data. Kind of a suck-you-in-seeming-"open"-but-not-really kind of trick.
Makes me think that if Debian was to make a judgement on this, the Debian Free Data Guidelines would declare this as NON-FREE (tm) as Amazon can at any point "change the license".
Now, who knows if Amazon will ever do this. And no, I don't really read all these bad things into it. I think it is cool for them to make the data (and all) avaiable.
It just makes me think.
Maybe we need a GNU General Public License to cover "Open Data". Hmmnn...
I have looked all over the place and can't seem to find any place willing to give/sell me some liquid nitrogen. The local distributers all decline on liability reasons. The university physics department claims to be out.
Anyone have any good suggestions? I would need to rent/borrow the container as well as I don't have anything around that could hold it?
Let me start out here with making a little bit of a prediction:
In 5-10 years, we will see the computer industry go through some variety of a revolution, when it comes to desktop computing platforms. The end result of this revolution will be a computing industry in which the specific desktop computing platform in use is
no longer important.
Let's face it. As much as we may not like it, the majority of the computing world uses some flavor of Microsoft Windows as a desktop computing environment. Now, we can argue about this from many different perspectives.
(My personal opinion is that Microsoft is not necessarily evil on account of this. To be honest, Windows is actually relatively useful -and useful is what companies require to survive. Rather, Microsoft is evil simply for what they are charging for their software. Sure, they can charge companies whatever they like (I don't care). However, the common man for his home computer should not be charged hundreds of dollars for an operating system and office software. That is truely the real evil of Microsoft and the Microsoft monopoly.)
Anyways, back to my point. Miguel is right because, like it or not, Windows is a reality that we have to coexist with. We can view this as contending or perhaps cooperating. Whatever the case, it is here and that is that.
Well, as Miguel said, Windows is here and that means that.NET is a reality as well.
Now, if Microsoft had done a terrible job with.NET, then that would be one thing. However, they didn't. End of story. No argument - it is a good implementation.
Therefore, it makes absolutely no sense for us to do our own thing. Especially considering the benefits that we will recieve due to actually getting along a little bit better.
Back to my prediction. I think that the computer world is heading toward a point where specific desktop platform is a non-issue. People thinking about the short term will fret about XP this, or Gnome that. However, something like.NET has long term consequences and effects that must be considered.
The journey to a non-platform-centric desktop world will have many parts. One of these will be the arrival of other competitors on the scene. That is hear, with wonderful options such as Linux/Gnome (foo on KDE) and Mac OS X. Ok, KDE can play too if they manage to provide things like.NET support in the future.
Other pieces of the puzzle are things that allow applications to be used from these multiple platforms. Well, suprise but some of these are already here. They best example to this is the internet. Other examples include emerging technologies such as the.NET framework, MONO, etc.
Anyways, once again, just my two cents. For what it's worth, I hope someone gets something from it.
Hmmnn... I think you must have gotten that wrong, I am sure it was an accident, since George W. Bush is the best thing that happened to our country in a long time...
booth:~# apt-get install georgewbush
Reading Politician Lists... Done
Building Dependency Tree... Done
The following politicians will be REMOVED:
billclinton albertgore
The following NEW politiciams will be installed:
georgewbush dickcheney
0 politicians upgraded, 2 newly installed, 2 to remove and 538 not upgraded.
Need to get 2/2 politicians. After unpacking 0 will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n]y
Get:1 http://http.us.debian.org stable/republican georgewbush 4.01-2.2 [520kB]
Fetched 520kB in 4m26s (1953B/s)
Get:2 http://http.us.debian.org stable/republican dickcheney 8.72-1.4 [450kB]
Fetched 450 kB in 3m52s (1985B/s)
(Reading database... 540 politicians currently installed.)
Removing billclinton...
Removing albertgore...
Selecting previously deselected package georgewbush.
Unpacking georgewbush (from.../georgewbush_4.01-2.2_usa.deb)...
Selecting previously deselected package artolivier.
Unpacking dickcheney (from.../dickcheney_8.72-1.4_usa.deb)...
(Reading database... 538 politicians currently installed.)
Inaugurating georgewbush (4.01-2.2)...
Inaugurating dickcheney (8.72-1.4)...
booth:~#
Slashdot Mirror
http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=SpeedPad+n52&b tnG=Search+Froogle&scoring=p :)
This strikes me as interesting. In some ways, what Amazon is doing here is basically an Open Data initiative. I am trying to draw an analogy between this kind of thing and the Open Source Software movement.
It is useful to consider the long-term implications of this.
Let's say that lots of people, sites, companies, etc, start using this lovely, free Amazon data. Then Amazon turns around and tells the world in 3 years that people have to start paying for the data. Kind of a suck-you-in-seeming-"open"-but-not-really kind of trick.
Makes me think that if Debian was to make a judgement on this, the Debian Free Data Guidelines would declare this as NON-FREE (tm) as Amazon can at any point "change the license".
Now, who knows if Amazon will ever do this. And no, I don't really read all these bad things into it. I think it is cool for them to make the data (and all) avaiable.
It just makes me think.
Maybe we need a GNU General Public License to cover "Open Data". Hmmnn...
I have looked all over the place and can't seem to find any place willing to give/sell me some liquid nitrogen. The local distributers all decline on liability reasons. The university physics department claims to be out.
Anyone have any good suggestions? I would need to rent/borrow the container as well as I don't have anything around that could hold it?
Your input would be appreciated greatly!!!
Ummnn, actually, Gollum was most definately NOT a hobbit. That is COMPLETELY wrong.
Let's face it. As much as we may not like it, the majority of the computing world uses some flavor of Microsoft Windows as a desktop computing environment. Now, we can argue about this from many different perspectives.
(My personal opinion is that Microsoft is not necessarily evil on account of this. To be honest, Windows is actually relatively useful -and useful is what companies require to survive. Rather, Microsoft is evil simply for what they are charging for their software. Sure, they can charge companies whatever they like (I don't care). However, the common man for his home computer should not be charged hundreds of dollars for an operating system and office software. That is truely the real evil of Microsoft and the Microsoft monopoly.)
Anyways, back to my point. Miguel is right because, like it or not, Windows is a reality that we have to coexist with. We can view this as contending or perhaps cooperating. Whatever the case, it is here and that is that.
Well, as Miguel said, Windows is here and that means that
Now, if Microsoft had done a terrible job with
Therefore, it makes absolutely no sense for us to do our own thing. Especially considering the benefits that we will recieve due to actually getting along a little bit better.
Back to my prediction. I think that the computer world is heading toward a point where specific desktop platform is a non-issue. People thinking about the short term will fret about XP this, or Gnome that. However, something like
The journey to a non-platform-centric desktop world will have many parts. One of these will be the arrival of other competitors on the scene. That is hear, with wonderful options such as Linux/Gnome (foo on KDE) and Mac OS X. Ok, KDE can play too if they manage to provide things like
Other pieces of the puzzle are things that allow applications to be used from these multiple platforms. Well, suprise but some of these are already here. They best example to this is the internet. Other examples include emerging technologies such as the
Anyways, once again, just my two cents. For what it's worth, I hope someone gets something from it.
(Go Miguel, go. Go Miguel, go!)
Hmmnn... I think you must have gotten that wrong, I am sure it was an accident, since George W. Bush is the best thing that happened to our country in a long time...
... 540 politicians currently installed.)
...
...
.../georgewbush_4.01-2.2_usa.deb) ...
.../dickcheney_8.72-1.4_usa.deb) ...
... 538 politicians currently installed.)
...
...
booth:~# apt-get install georgewbush
Reading Politician Lists... Done
Building Dependency Tree... Done
The following politicians will be REMOVED:
billclinton albertgore
The following NEW politiciams will be installed:
georgewbush dickcheney
0 politicians upgraded, 2 newly installed, 2 to remove and 538 not upgraded.
Need to get 2/2 politicians. After unpacking 0 will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n]y
Get:1 http://http.us.debian.org stable/republican georgewbush 4.01-2.2 [520kB]
Fetched 520kB in 4m26s (1953B/s)
Get:2 http://http.us.debian.org stable/republican dickcheney 8.72-1.4 [450kB]
Fetched 450 kB in 3m52s (1985B/s)
(Reading database
Removing billclinton
Removing albertgore
Selecting previously deselected package georgewbush.
Unpacking georgewbush (from
Selecting previously deselected package artolivier.
Unpacking dickcheney (from
(Reading database
Inaugurating georgewbush (4.01-2.2)
Inaugurating dickcheney (8.72-1.4)
booth:~#