....Tomorrow ze world. Muhahahahahhaha. Letz hire everybodyz who can maken ze browserz und take over!
Um, nice conspiracy theory, but they're a web technology company. Predicting that they'll build new web technology isn't exactly what I'd call newz...ahem...I mean news.
I know a lot of people would like to castigate Microsoft. The US justice department tried it, and now the EU has joined in. Even your average man on the street has been heard attempting to castigate MS, but a lone individual has little chance against such a large company.
Is this fair? I don't know. Ask yourself honestly: "who did I want to castigate today?". The answer might surprise you.
Doesn't sound like a particularly good solution if you're operating in a vacuum!
If a tear occurs the liquid would be drawn out by the vacuum, and then somehow harden. I haven't thought this out in much detail, and you're right there could be problems, but it's an approach that might prove feasible.
1) Some radiation in space (ie at its normal strength) can only be blocked by a suitable thickness of material. A _thin_ hard shell won't offer much protection. When there's a solar storm for example astronauts cease all EVA activity and go to the most heavily shielded area of the craft/space station.
2) Space is a difficult environment to work in. Rips and tears are actually quite likely. Take a look at the servicing missions for hubble. Many hours in a single EVA performing complex repairs using lots of tools (power and otherwise). Want to take a leak? Consider your spacesuit your nappy. Astronauts have a long difficult, uncomfortable job in an unfamiliar environment. Want to bet their life that they won't make a mistake that will tear their suit?
A thin layer of biomaterial may be sufficient for protecting you from the vacuum of space if they get around the engineering considerations, but I for one would not want a "second skin" as my only protection from radiation and cosmic rays.
This is a consideration particularly where there is no atmosphere absorbing any of it before it gets to you (eg the moon and Earth orbit). The Earth also has its magnetic field helping shield us.
Also consider that the thinnner and lighter a material is the more likely a rip becomes. That one rip will easily end your life. You'd need to incorporate a system self repair of small holes and tears - perhaps a gluey substance that seals under pressure.
Can you please tell me how you managed to say this and get modded up to +4 insightful? Every time I mention that Linux just isn't ready for the desktop I get the hell flamed out of me.
I don't understand/.
Photography legal implications are bizzare
on
No Pictures, Thanks
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· Score: 1
The legislators have lost the plot altogether methinks. Here in Australia there are cases of guys getting charged and convicted of offenses involving offensive behaviour because they've taken snapshots of topless women on public topless beaches.
Now while it's not the nicest thing to do, and the guys involved are sad, pathetic losers, these girls are showing off their breasts in public. They don't have a right to privacy in a public place and if they don't want people taking photos they should cover up if they don't want people seeing or recording what they've seen with a camera. Instead there's crap all over the news about the public nuisance phone cameras and the like are becoming.
...the asteroid was on a collision course with Earth and preparing the way for a space highway?
(Note to fanatics: Yes I know it was a construction ship in the Hitchhikers series)
Re:And in other news computer beats world chess ch
on
Machine Learns Games
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· Score: 1
It recognised 3 actions, and deduced that it had to pick one of the 3 at random. If they could demonstrate that with a more complex game I'd be impressed.
And in other news computer beats world chess champ
on
Machine Learns Games
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· Score: -1, Flamebait
Is this really news? The cognitive part sounds interesting but hardly revolutionary.
OK, so for security, what if someone cracked it and installed a keylogger? You go shopping online, and they've got all they need to make online purchases in your name.
That's why you use a credit card for your payments, and check your account regularly. Dispute anything that's incorrect. Yes it'd be a pain. Yes, you'd be deprived of money while it was sorted out. But you'd have the recourse of having it sorted out in the long run.
What if someone robbed you while you were out on the street? Does that mean I shouldn't go out? No it means I avoid unsafe places, don't do anything stupid and realize that there are no guarantees in life.
Same thing online. Take reasonable precautions, and realize that nothing in life is guaranteed.
So people won't read your private letters/emails? And whatever else they want to keep private. If you think this is futile, then why don't you post all your emails on a webpage for all to see?
This is a silly statement. 1) I didn't say I wanted to publish everything on my PC - I just said that if someone did see it, it wouldn't bother me over much. 2) No one would be interested. My email really is quite boring.
Basically the only stuff that'd worry me in the least is anything business related that I shouldn't be disclosing. eg. my salary. Even with these things I wouldn't feel violated if it became public knowledge. (I'm not privy to information so sensitive it would be highly damaging).
The only things I really consider private on my computer are financial information. Receipts, credit card numbers etc. So yes I do go to some trouble protecting that, but for the most part I couldn't care less if my information was read illegally. There's just nothing of consequence there.
If someone actually compromised and trashed my PC on the other hand, I'd lose time in rebuilding it. HoweverI do back up my information regularly, so that's no issue either except being annoyed at the loss of time. (If someone made subtle changes to the information I'd still have older backups, so it would be painful but not unrecoverable).
If you truely need a private information store, it may be worth buying a PC that isn't net connected and that is physically secured. For the average person unless you're doing something illegal or have sensitive work material at home (arguably not a good idea anyway), why would you need a super-unbreakable encrypted PC?
Shouldn't you be over there nosing the button for some more pellets, dude? There's a productivity curve to for you to fit onto the high end of...
You're just so clever to continue your pathetic hamster metaphor for yet another post. I'm so in awe of you. Calling me a wannabe perfect consumer is a much better tactic than actually arguing the point. Or perhaps more likely you're just incapable of accepting someone else may have a different point of view, or finding good counter arguments.
This, unfortunately, is typical of the sort of BS one can expect on/. these days.
If you have a problem accepting that your quality of life can and will improve with an increase in your means that's your problem. Have fun in your little communist fairytale.
1) Software companies drop their prices on products competing with MS products.
2) MS then drops its prices to a point where the company cannot compete. They don't care if they take a loss because other business sustains them while they're strangling the competition. (In the case of Internet Explorer when competing with Netscape they dropped their price to zero)
3) The competing company typically diversifies as it needs other sources of income. It's often difficult to do this successfully, but if the company does it may even pull out of the competition all together
4) Microsoft either buys out the competitor, or continues to sell at a low price until the competitor is no longer in the market.
5) Once Microsoft has dominated the market, prices go up. Have a look at the price of MS Office since it has dominated.
It's a proven business strategy. Unfortunately it kills competition and therefore innovation. It makes no sense to keep prices low if you've effectively cornered the market either.
fuck me - labelling you *thick* is in overstatement - *dense* is more appropriate!
Thanks but no thanks.
- I mean how can I not call you lame when you opt for such a girly statement? Who taught you that one? Your niece?
Oh yes, you're the mature one.
You're right and like I'm wrong and like I should stop using Photoshop because like Gimp is totally bitchin' dude and so much better than Photoshop. Happy?
1) I have no interest in rebooting to Linux or running VMWare just to run Gimp under Linux 2) Gimp is no substitute for Photoshop, even running under Linux. I'm not the only one who thinks so. 3) I'm not saying Gimp isn't worthwhile. My personal feeling is that it isn't all it could be, but its an excellent open source project. There just happens to be much better commercial software available, so stop pushing Gimp. (Our whole argument commenced with you saying that Gimp was a perfectly good replacement for Photoshop - look back you inconsistent prat).
I'm not even going to bother reading your response. You're inconsistent, immature and couldn't win a debate with a dense 3 year old.
I love your attitude. Paraphrased it is: I don't use the software and don't need features, but I'll make a recommendation anyway. If you need a certain set of features, or you need to do something accurately in your job it is uselss and you are too.
And I'm the self indulgent jackass huh? Oh yeah I'll take your recommendation.
Neither I nor bob beta said anything of the sort. You brought up "life-saving operations", and that is exactly the type of thing that insurance, Medicare, etc. are for.
I sincerely hope you're never in a position where you have to test that. A lot of good people have died for want of an operation not covered by medical insurance. For that matter the health insurance you refer to is becoming increasingly expensive.
Scholarships aren't the only way to pay for school, but in any case, they exist for the express purpose of giving talented people who aren't well-off the means to make the most of their abilities. I went to an engineering school with a $23k-per-year tuition. I got $9k in scholarships, $12k in loans, and the other $2k I paid for out of pocket. No contribution whatsoever from my parents, because they couldn't afford it. Not only have I managed to get by, but it made me better at managing my expenses. I know when not to indulge, and when I can spare some money to splurge.
I sincerely congratulate you on your ability to get to where you are. (No sarcasm here). Now imagine for a second that you didn't qualify for the loan for whatever reason. You'd probably have had to either work for some period of time to raise the money, or if that wasn't practical give up on your chosen route with respect to further education. College educations are becoming increasingly expensive. Getting a loan is becoming increasingly difficult.
Like it or not money can and will dictate the path of your life. Relying on loans and charity is not going to be a winning plan this century. Work really hard (2 or more jobs say) to get an education or the house you're dreaming of, and you may wake up tired and haggard with your best years gone.
You may not need all sorts of consumer rubbish to be happy but there are a lot of things you need money to do, and it will contribute to your quality of life.
Look its this simple. I think if you're going have children you should make sure you can afford to give them a good shot at having a worthwhile life. One where they aren't prevented from fulfilling their goals for lack of money. If all you can afford to do is give them basic food and clothing don't have them.
The sad fact is money is important. I'm not saying you need to be rich but giving up a house and a decent salary is short sighted because even if you don't need money to trade for the things you need to remain well and happy now, you may need it later.
The important things - medical care, education, housing have all become less and less affordable, but people think they have a better life because entertainment and gadgets have gotten cheaper. Today's reasonably comfortable person is tomorrow's struggling pauper.
I'd have paid a total of about 20-30k for my education after highschool. That's 3 1/2 years in undergrad and 2 1/2 years part time in a masters.
Education is only going to get more expensive, so in 15 years the chances of anyone your age saying that will be greatly reduced. Starting your child off with a hefty loan isn't the way to go. It's not exactly encouraging them to put in the hard work to become a professional when they know they'll spend the first 10 years with a debt. It makes college an irrational decision.
Then there's housing which if you haven't noticed has gotten a lot more expensive over the last few years.
I make no claims about having more or less knowledge than you
What a complete and utter crock of shit! You basically called me clueless without checking your facts. Just look at earlier posts.
I am finding it hard to break the logic of your sentence. What are you trying to say?
I'm sorry that was way too far above your head. I'll try to simplify it for you: If a product comes out that's better than Photoshop, and its free, people will jump ship. This may take a little time, but it will happen. More likely, Adobe would be forced to make changes to the product to compete because I don't see them giving up their dominance in that market.
Paintshop pro is a different story. Now it's been aquired by Corel it may be dead. However it is a very capable product. Versions 8 and 9 are quite powerful. Not quite as much as Photoshop, but they still beat the Gimp.
Also, I do not believe Gimp on Windows is a valid test either. Cygwin ports are horrible. It's like me trying to judge Macromedia Dreamweaver from its Linux port on Wine.
So now I have to change operating systems or I'm comparing a horrible port. Are you listening to yourself? I know a lot of good reasons to run Linux but so I can replace Photoshop with Gimp? That's insane man. Also consider that more professional graphic artists also have other software running on Windows and Mac. Do you think they're going to dump it all to go Linux?
Conclusion, your experience and knowledge (or lack of thereof) is only evident by the lameness of your statements. Give it up Bozo, dont get all wound up pressing the submit twice. Next thing you will be having palpitations.
That completely contradicts the very first comment of your post. One minute you're saying you're not making claims about my knowledge or lack thereof and the next I'm a lame bozo with no experience or knowledge. Which is it? Just like one minute you're talking about Gimp in general and the next you're saying don't compare the Windows ports. Am I suppose to be able to read your mind? At least try to stay consistent in your statements otherwise you're just RANTING.
As for pressing submit twice, I'm so sorry your royal magesty, I shall never make such a terrible mistake again. It is the crime of the century and the sign of a weak mind.
If I send you ten cents, will you go buy yourself a clue? Oh wait, you're not worth 10 cents.
Re:This troll modded "Interesting?!!?"
on
Cooking With Linux
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· Score: 1
I have never had any need to use either on a regular basis but given the limited experience with both they seem eerily similar in function and form.
Well I've had to use MS Office extensively throughout my career where as you're saying you've never had to use either. Tell me again how this makes you more qualified to decide if Open Office is a replacement for MS Office than I?
I tried Open Office for long enough to see that key features were laking. I also had problems (especially with layout) opening Open Office generated documents in MS Office, something that all my colleagues would have had to do unless they all switched at the same time.
It sounds to me like you don't have a need for an office suit but you're perfectly content to lecture me on which on I should use despite knowing nothing about my needs or its suitability.
I had the templates, and I had the software in place and I'm very thankful I didn't have to touch them because when I had a play with them I found the whole system to be archaic.
As for people like me that think layout is a key feature of every single document guess what in a lot of situations its legislated. "For most serious documents, though, layout is not important" means "layout isn't important to me and never has been and therefore I'm better than you". Grow up. People use their word processors to do a huge variety of things and in some of them layout is critical.
Some of us want to be "authors, editors and typographers". For those people, Word processors empower them to do what they want. That's what computers are about for most people - empowering them to do the things they want to and need to do. They have little interest in the technology for its own sake.
As for nobody using standard headings in word, I don't know where you've worked and played but there are a lot of places where not doing this would be laughed at. You're being very presumptuous to think that "nobody understand the point of document structure". On this point I'm guessing you've overly generalized. In any case that is an education issue not a software feature issue.
You certainly don't purchase Latex. You spend time a lot of time configuring it etc. though so a lot of people spend money on a front end of some description. Some of them are even WYSIWYG.
So now you're relying on health care to treat all your medical problems, and scholarship programs for your kids to go to school. Doesn't sound like the ideal simple life to me. Just sounds like being poor and wanting charity actually.
As for you last comment about mellowing out, that's fine you can if you choose to. Some of us choose to do something with our lives. If that makes me a hamster in your eyes then squeak freakin' squeak to you buddy.
Slashdot Mirror
....Tomorrow ze world. Muhahahahahhaha. Letz hire everybodyz who can maken ze browserz und take over!
Um, nice conspiracy theory, but they're a web technology company. Predicting that they'll build new web technology isn't exactly what I'd call newz...ahem...I mean news.
I know a lot of people would like to castigate Microsoft. The US justice department tried it, and now the EU has joined in. Even your average man on the street has been heard attempting to castigate MS, but a lone individual has little chance against such a large company.
Is this fair? I don't know. Ask yourself honestly: "who did I want to castigate today?". The answer might surprise you.
Doesn't sound like a particularly good solution if you're operating in a vacuum!
If a tear occurs the liquid would be drawn out by the vacuum, and then somehow harden. I haven't thought this out in much detail, and you're right there could be problems, but it's an approach that might prove feasible.
Two points
1) Some radiation in space (ie at its normal strength) can only be blocked by a suitable thickness of material. A _thin_ hard shell won't offer much protection. When there's a solar storm for example astronauts cease all EVA activity and go to the most heavily shielded area of the craft/space station.
2) Space is a difficult environment to work in. Rips and tears are actually quite likely. Take a look at the servicing missions for hubble. Many hours in a single EVA performing complex repairs using lots of tools (power and otherwise). Want to take a leak? Consider your spacesuit your nappy. Astronauts have a long difficult, uncomfortable job in an unfamiliar environment. Want to bet their life that they won't make a mistake that will tear their suit?
A thin layer of biomaterial may be sufficient for protecting you from the vacuum of space if they get around the engineering considerations, but I for one would not want a "second skin" as my only protection from radiation and cosmic rays.
This is a consideration particularly where there is no atmosphere absorbing any of it before it gets to you (eg the moon and Earth orbit). The Earth also has its magnetic field helping shield us.
Also consider that the thinnner and lighter a material is the more likely a rip becomes. That one rip will easily end your life. You'd need to incorporate a system self repair of small holes and tears - perhaps a gluey substance that seals under pressure.
Can you please tell me how you managed to say this and get modded up to +4 insightful? Every time I mention that Linux just isn't ready for the desktop I get the hell flamed out of me.
/.
I don't understand
The legislators have lost the plot altogether methinks. Here in Australia there are cases of guys getting charged and convicted of offenses involving offensive behaviour because they've taken snapshots of topless women on public topless beaches.
Now while it's not the nicest thing to do, and the guys involved are sad, pathetic losers, these girls are showing off their breasts in public. They don't have a right to privacy in a public place and if they don't want people taking photos they should cover up if they don't want people seeing or recording what they've seen with a camera. Instead there's crap all over the news about the public nuisance phone cameras and the like are becoming.
...the asteroid was on a collision course with Earth and preparing the way for a space highway?
(Note to fanatics: Yes I know it was a construction ship in the Hitchhikers series)
It recognised 3 actions, and deduced that it had to pick one of the 3 at random. If they could demonstrate that with a more complex game I'd be impressed.
Is this really news? The cognitive part sounds interesting but hardly revolutionary.
Then again I should RTFA
OK, so for security, what if someone cracked it and installed a keylogger? You go shopping online, and they've got all they need to make online purchases in your name.
That's why you use a credit card for your payments, and check your account regularly. Dispute anything that's incorrect. Yes it'd be a pain. Yes, you'd be deprived of money while it was sorted out. But you'd have the recourse of having it sorted out in the long run.
What if someone robbed you while you were out on the street? Does that mean I shouldn't go out? No it means I avoid unsafe places, don't do anything stupid and realize that there are no guarantees in life.
Same thing online. Take reasonable precautions, and realize that nothing in life is guaranteed.
So people won't read your private letters/emails? And whatever else they want to keep private. If you think this is futile, then why don't you post all your emails on a webpage for all to see?
This is a silly statement.
1) I didn't say I wanted to publish everything on my PC - I just said that if someone did see it, it wouldn't bother me over much.
2) No one would be interested. My email really is quite boring.
Basically the only stuff that'd worry me in the least is anything business related that I shouldn't be disclosing. eg. my salary. Even with these things I wouldn't feel violated if it became public knowledge. (I'm not privy to information so sensitive it would be highly damaging).
The only things I really consider private on my computer are financial information. Receipts, credit card numbers etc. So yes I do go to some trouble protecting that, but for the most part I couldn't care less if my information was read illegally. There's just nothing of consequence there.
If someone actually compromised and trashed my PC on the other hand, I'd lose time in rebuilding it. HoweverI do back up my information regularly, so that's no issue either except being annoyed at the loss of time. (If someone made subtle changes to the information I'd still have older backups, so it would be painful but not unrecoverable).
If you truely need a private information store, it may be worth buying a PC that isn't net connected and that is physically secured. For the average person unless you're doing something illegal or have sensitive work material at home (arguably not a good idea anyway), why would you need a super-unbreakable encrypted PC?
Shouldn't you be over there nosing the button for some more pellets, dude? There's a productivity curve to for you to fit onto the high end of...
/. these days.
You're just so clever to continue your pathetic hamster metaphor for yet another post. I'm so in awe of you. Calling me a wannabe perfect consumer is a much better tactic than actually arguing the point. Or perhaps more likely you're just incapable of accepting someone else may have a different point of view, or finding good counter arguments.
This, unfortunately, is typical of the sort of BS one can expect on
If you have a problem accepting that your quality of life can and will improve with an increase in your means that's your problem. Have fun in your little communist fairytale.
The usual pattern is:
1) Software companies drop their prices on products competing with MS products.
2) MS then drops its prices to a point where the company cannot compete. They don't care if they take a loss because other business sustains them while they're strangling the competition. (In the case of Internet Explorer when competing with Netscape they dropped their price to zero)
3) The competing company typically diversifies as it needs other sources of income. It's often difficult to do this successfully, but if the company does it may even pull out of the competition all together
4) Microsoft either buys out the competitor, or continues to sell at a low price until the competitor is no longer in the market.
5) Once Microsoft has dominated the market, prices go up. Have a look at the price of MS Office since it has dominated.
It's a proven business strategy. Unfortunately it kills competition and therefore innovation. It makes no sense to keep prices low if you've effectively cornered the market either.
fuck me - labelling you *thick* is in overstatement - *dense* is more appropriate!
Thanks but no thanks.
- I mean how can I not call you lame when you opt for such a girly statement?
Who taught you that one? Your niece?
Oh yes, you're the mature one.
You're right and like I'm wrong and like I should stop using Photoshop because like Gimp is totally bitchin' dude and so much better than Photoshop. Happy?
1) I have no interest in rebooting to Linux or running VMWare just to run Gimp under Linux
2) Gimp is no substitute for Photoshop, even running under Linux. I'm not the only one who thinks so.
3) I'm not saying Gimp isn't worthwhile. My personal feeling is that it isn't all it could be, but its an excellent open source project. There just happens to be much better commercial software available, so stop pushing Gimp. (Our whole argument commenced with you saying that Gimp was a perfectly good replacement for Photoshop - look back you inconsistent prat).
I'm not even going to bother reading your response. You're inconsistent, immature and couldn't win a debate with a dense 3 year old.
I love your attitude. Paraphrased it is: I don't use the software and don't need features, but I'll make a recommendation anyway. If you need a certain set of features, or you need to do something accurately in your job it is uselss and you are too.
And I'm the self indulgent jackass huh? Oh yeah I'll take your recommendation.
You'd last all of 2 minutes in any job I've held.
Neither I nor bob beta said anything of the sort. You brought up "life-saving operations", and that is exactly the type of thing that insurance, Medicare, etc. are for.
I sincerely hope you're never in a position where you have to test that. A lot of good people have died for want of an operation not covered by medical insurance. For that matter the health insurance you refer to is becoming increasingly expensive.
Scholarships aren't the only way to pay for school, but in any case, they exist for the express purpose of giving talented people who aren't well-off the means to make the most of their abilities. I went to an engineering school with a $23k-per-year tuition. I got $9k in scholarships, $12k in loans, and the other $2k I paid for out of pocket. No contribution whatsoever from my parents, because they couldn't afford it. Not only have I managed to get by, but it made me better at managing my expenses. I know when not to indulge, and when I can spare some money to splurge.
I sincerely congratulate you on your ability to get to where you are. (No sarcasm here). Now imagine for a second that you didn't qualify for the loan for whatever reason. You'd probably have had to either work for some period of time to raise the money, or if that wasn't practical give up on your chosen route with respect to further education. College educations are becoming increasingly expensive. Getting a loan is becoming increasingly difficult.
Like it or not money can and will dictate the path of your life. Relying on loans and charity is not going to be a winning plan this century. Work really hard (2 or more jobs say) to get an education or the house you're dreaming of, and you may wake up tired and haggard with your best years gone.
You may not need all sorts of consumer rubbish to be happy but there are a lot of things you need money to do, and it will contribute to your quality of life.
Look its this simple. I think if you're going have children you should make sure you can afford to give them a good shot at having a worthwhile life. One where they aren't prevented from fulfilling their goals for lack of money. If all you can afford to do is give them basic food and clothing don't have them.
The sad fact is money is important. I'm not saying you need to be rich but giving up a house and a decent salary is short sighted because even if you don't need money to trade for the things you need to remain well and happy now, you may need it later.
The important things - medical care, education, housing have all become less and less affordable, but people think they have a better life because entertainment and gadgets have gotten cheaper. Today's reasonably comfortable person is tomorrow's struggling pauper.
I'd have paid a total of about 20-30k for my education after highschool. That's 3 1/2 years in undergrad and 2 1/2 years part time in a masters.
Education is only going to get more expensive, so in 15 years the chances of anyone your age saying that will be greatly reduced. Starting your child off with a hefty loan isn't the way to go. It's not exactly encouraging them to put in the hard work to become a professional when they know they'll spend the first 10 years with a debt. It makes college an irrational decision.
Then there's housing which if you haven't noticed has gotten a lot more expensive over the last few years.
I make no claims about having more or less knowledge than you
What a complete and utter crock of shit! You basically called me clueless without checking your facts. Just look at earlier posts.
I am finding it hard to break the logic of your sentence. What are you trying to say?
I'm sorry that was way too far above your head. I'll try to simplify it for you: If a product comes out that's better than Photoshop, and its free, people will jump ship. This may take a little time, but it will happen. More likely, Adobe would be forced to make changes to the product to compete because I don't see them giving up their dominance in that market.
Paintshop pro is a different story. Now it's been aquired by Corel it may be dead. However it is a very capable product. Versions 8 and 9 are quite powerful. Not quite as much as Photoshop, but they still beat the Gimp.
Also, I do not believe Gimp on Windows is a valid test either. Cygwin ports are horrible. It's like me trying to judge Macromedia Dreamweaver from its Linux port on Wine.
So now I have to change operating systems or I'm comparing a horrible port. Are you listening to yourself? I know a lot of good reasons to run Linux but so I can replace Photoshop with Gimp? That's insane man. Also consider that more professional graphic artists also have other software running on Windows and Mac. Do you think they're going to dump it all to go Linux?
Conclusion, your experience and knowledge (or lack of thereof) is only evident by the lameness of your statements. Give it up Bozo, dont get all wound up pressing the submit twice. Next thing you will be having palpitations.
That completely contradicts the very first comment of your post. One minute you're saying you're not making claims about my knowledge or lack thereof and the next I'm a lame bozo with no experience or knowledge. Which is it? Just like one minute you're talking about Gimp in general and the next you're saying don't compare the Windows ports. Am I suppose to be able to read your mind? At least try to stay consistent in your statements otherwise you're just RANTING.
As for pressing submit twice, I'm so sorry your royal magesty, I shall never make such a terrible mistake again. It is the crime of the century and the sign of a weak mind.
If I send you ten cents, will you go buy yourself a clue? Oh wait, you're not worth 10 cents.
Ducks? Where? Quack Quack!! :-)
I have never had any need to use either on a regular basis but given the limited experience with both they seem eerily similar in function and form.
Well I've had to use MS Office extensively throughout my career where as you're saying you've never had to use either. Tell me again how this makes you more qualified to decide if Open Office is a replacement for MS Office than I?
I tried Open Office for long enough to see that key features were laking. I also had problems (especially with layout) opening Open Office generated documents in MS Office, something that all my colleagues would have had to do unless they all switched at the same time.
It sounds to me like you don't have a need for an office suit but you're perfectly content to lecture me on which on I should use despite knowing nothing about my needs or its suitability.
I had the templates, and I had the software in place and I'm very thankful I didn't have to touch them because when I had a play with them I found the whole system to be archaic.
As for people like me that think layout is a key feature of every single document guess what in a lot of situations its legislated. "For most serious documents, though, layout is not important" means "layout isn't important to me and never has been and therefore I'm better than you". Grow up. People use their word processors to do a huge variety of things and in some of them layout is critical.
Some of us want to be "authors, editors and typographers". For those people, Word processors empower them to do what they want. That's what computers are about for most people - empowering them to do the things they want to and need to do. They have little interest in the technology for its own sake.
As for nobody using standard headings in word, I don't know where you've worked and played but there are a lot of places where not doing this would be laughed at. You're being very presumptuous to think that "nobody understand the point of document structure". On this point I'm guessing you've overly generalized. In any case that is an education issue not a software feature issue.
You certainly don't purchase Latex. You spend time a lot of time configuring it etc. though so a lot of people spend money on a front end of some description. Some of them are even WYSIWYG.
So now you're relying on health care to treat all your medical problems, and scholarship programs for your kids to go to school. Doesn't sound like the ideal simple life to me. Just sounds like being poor and wanting charity actually.
As for you last comment about mellowing out, that's fine you can if you choose to. Some of us choose to do something with our lives. If that makes me a hamster in your eyes then squeak freakin' squeak to you buddy.