- are 3x-10x the cost of an ordinary light bulb - are a bit dimmer than their stated wattage equivalent standard bulbs - take a bit of time to warm up - don't have quite the same color temperature as standard bulbs - sometimes don't fit under (e.g.) ceiling fan light domes, especially the 100W equivalent models
Now don't get me wrong, I love CFLs and have replaced every single bulb in my house with one, but I can imagine quite a few people resisting the idea based on the list above.
That said, they are rapidly getting better (and cheaper!).
I normally don't reply to people who post ad hominem's but I actually had more to say and I didn't want to reply to my own post, so you're a convenient excuse.
3. Dealing with thousands of Linux whackos like you
Nowhere did I say I was a Linux whacko. I don't use Linux (for many of the reasons you cited, actually). I use Windows XP almost everyday, and I like it. I also use Mac OS X (which I love, rather than merely like). But that's the problem: you see, Windows XP is good, not insanely great mind you, but good. Windows 95 was worth the wait compared to the mediocrity of Windows 3.1 (and don't get me started on 3.11's "networking support"). XP is pretty fast, reasonably stable (I can count on one hand the number of times I've seen XP blue screen, and those were mostly due to crappy drivers for el cheapo hardware), and its development tools are excellent.
So, whereas when Apple releases yet another yearly release, I'm excited to try it and see all the nifty little gadgets they've put in there this year, when Microsoft waits three, four, even five YEARS to release another version of Windows, I'm thinking I'd better be blown-away. This rarely happens. In fact, all of the features that would have blown me away (*cough*WinFS*cough*) are steadily removed from the shipping OS every time the release date slips.
So, there's the problem as I see it. By waiting so long to make a new release, they build up excitement while at the same time watering down the release so much that it's quite anti-climactic when the product finally DOES ship. I still like Windows, I just think they're screwing themselves here.
13. Idiots (you fall into this group, too!)
Assuming I'm a "Linux whacko" becuase I submit a post critical of Microsoft release practices? Hmmm, no comment on this one.
I think Microsoft is making a fundamental mistake here: they are sticking to the same release strategies and timelines they used when software was released on stacks of floppy disks ("please insert disk 37", ahhh, the memories).
Meanwhile, we have the "release early, release often" philosophy of the Free Software Movement as well as the "release often enough to keep things interesting" tactic from Apple. These two tactics make more sense in this new era of software construction, testing, and distribution.
Users have grown accustomed to more frequent releases by software groups and companies they respect. These releases also satisfy an obvious, common human desire: instant gratification. As more and more users grow used to and satisfied with these accelerated release timetables, these multi-year release schedules used by Microsoft (and Adobe, while we're at it) look more and more comical.
Recently, Gates admitted the faux pas of allowing Internet Explorer to stagnate. I believe they have similarly misstepped with Windows. By the time Vista not only comes to market, but comes to be used by the majority of PC users (and don't kid yourself, you know that will happen), it will be very difficult to catch up to the psychological success of the multiple releases of Linux and Mac OS X.
While I'm as big a fan of conspiracy theories as the next guy, I'm sorry to say that no such speculation is neccessary in this case.
The guy just cannot write.
Seriously, check out Linux Desktop or Linux Watch and check out other articles by this guy (his name is Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols). It's all the same story: flawed, simpleton logic; egregious typos (he must hate copy editors, because he's obviously never let one near one of his articles); sentences so poorly constructed that although you know you're reading English you can't figure out for the life of you what the guy is saying.
Even when he's not that bad, he's bad...
DSL, for those of you who don't know it, is one of several "mini-Linux" distributions. Of the set, it's probably the most well thought of since it actually manages to pick a GUI into its goodness and, having turned version 2.0 recently, it's the most mature of the mini-Linuxes.
See, he's just a bit off-kilter; it's not that you can't parse the sentence, it just gives you that queezy feeling in your stomach that you can't explain. I don't know where this guy learned to write, but I can tell you that I won't be reading any more of his "articles."
Sounds like some morally backward communist writings to me.
And you therefore mark yourself as one who has never read any of the aforementioned titles. In particular, referring to any of Rand's works as "Communist" is not unlike referring to Adam Smith's "Wealth of Nations" as "socialist".
But of course, you would know that if you had read the books instead of mindlessly believing whatever your pastor/priest/mother/economics prof told you.
And by the way, I'm not arguing with your choice of works; those are indeed important. I am merely asking you to accept that "well-read" means not just reading books about thise subjects in which you personally agree.
This single statement shows why Linux and Open Source aren't ready for the masses. If you don't understand why, your mother wants to let you know that she never hears from you anymore, and that you should call.
does not include costs for marketing and development
Which, given that a product's true cost includes not only the per-widget cost to make the item, but also the amoritize costs of slaries & benefits, facilities used in production, third party contracts, marketing and advertising and probably a lot more that I'm too tired to think of right now, makes this number pretty useless, no?
Because hurricanes form over warm ocean water, it is easy to assume that the recent rise in their number and ferocity is because of global warming.
But that is not the case, scientists say. Instead, the severity of hurricane seasons changes with cycles of temperatures of several decades in the Atlantic Ocean. The recent onslaught "is very much natural," said William M. Gray, a professor of atmospheric science at Colorado State University who issues forecasts for the hurricane season.
And this, ladies and gentlemen, is why I prefer scientists over religious wackos (ahem, "spiritual leaders") and politicians. Imagine if the situation were reversed and religious conservatives were trying to convince the world of the harmful effects of global warming. Even if they knew these hurricanes were part of a natural cycle, I am 99.9% positive they would not resist the opportunity to say "see! I told you it's global warming! Repent!".
But look at this... is it... no! It can't be! It looks like scientists are trying to give the most straightforward interpretation of the data even though a more twisted one would CLEARLY help to sway public opinion in their favor.
When I titled my post "Breath of Fresh Air", I was referring to that conspicuously absent of all traits: Intellectual Honesty.
When you're a little older you'll find that the urge to reproduce (no, not just the urge to screw) is a bit more powerful than you currently understand.
There are so many things wrong with this statement that I'm having trouble deciding where to begin....
First, the "urge to screw" is nature's way of urging you to reproduce. When you think about it, humans were {designed | evolved} to have this urge way before the advent of birth control (even the "I can pull out in time" method). Hell, judging by population growth in poorer and less educated areas you can see how well this works.
Second, it is my opinion (and this can be argued) that the "urge to reproduce" as considered distinct from the urge to have sex is entirely a social phenomenon. Especially where I live, a big part of the urge to reproduce is simple peer pressure. I live in the Bible belt, and most people my age (25-30) are having kids and simply cannot fathom that my wife and I choose not to have kids at this time or possibly at any time in the future. These are also the same people who couldn't fathom why we bought a duplex and rented out one side instead of opting to mortgage the most expensive home we could afford, but I digress.
In the US's current political climate, the prevailing view is that there's something wrong with you if you choose not to have kids. While one could argue that this attitude would be detrimental to the survival of the species if everyone were to do it, I don't think there's a danger of that happening.
As an aside, if you are considering not having children and wonder if it's "normal", you may be interested in this site, among others.
Last but not least, claiming "when you're a little older, you'll understand such and such" not only makes you sound like an asshole, but it in no way addresses the factuality of the claim (i.e. it's a logical fallacy) and makes me wonder how it is that you've come to devine the parent's age by the content of his post.
But that's just me...
Or did nobody else think it was odd how the author compared it to a 20 year old design as if it were a car or a fine wine?
Now don't get me wrong I found your post pretty funny, but I just wanted to point out the obvious fact that keyboards have suffered badly from comoditization. They break more often, are so light they tend to bounce around on the desk, and most have truly AWFUL key feel.
This isn't so bad if you're a casual user or web surfer who rarely types anything of any great length, but when you're a programmer who types 8+ hours per day or are in any other job that requires long periods of typing, using a keyboard that costs more than $19.95 can really make a difference.
Of course, you have to actually find one that's worth the extra money...
For those wondering how offering Free WiFi could possibly make sense from a business perspective:
From TFA: Google could stand to save millions of dollars by having an end to end network of its own instead of carrying its traffic over major ISPs (TFA states that Google is also buying up dark fiber).
Now, there are also some interesting ways Google might earn revenue from this system:
1) Imagine having to view a short ad before full access is granted
2) Imagine a special browser or access program you would need to download before use. The program could show ad words content or other ads
3) Of course, there's always "Get 24 hrs DOUBLE THE SPEED for only $9.99!"
Anybody have any other ideas for how Google could generate revenue from this?
Somehow I can't take an argument seriously from a person who doesn't quote sources and can't even spell the main terms of their subject...... but maybe that's just me.
If only the fans of sci-fi would learn about special relativity, they would quickly learn that their dreams of intergalactic travel would quickly shrivel up.
This is not entirely accurate. Indeed, many people in the sci-fi community have taken relativity into account. For example, the "theory" of warp drive was invented partially to get around the cosmic speed limit as well as the twin paradox.
The idea is: if you can somehow move spacetime around you rather than moving through it, you can cross vast distances without technically going faster than the speed of light or aging more slowly than your peers on earth.
Not that any of this (currently) has any solid technical footing, but it does refute your claim that somehow the sci-fi genre has stuck its collective head in the sand about this.
Slashdot Mirror
Why not?
Because they:
- are 3x-10x the cost of an ordinary light bulb
- are a bit dimmer than their stated wattage equivalent standard bulbs
- take a bit of time to warm up
- don't have quite the same color temperature as standard bulbs
- sometimes don't fit under (e.g.) ceiling fan light domes, especially the 100W equivalent models
Now don't get me wrong, I love CFLs and have replaced every single bulb in my house with one, but I can imagine quite a few people resisting the idea based on the list above.
That said, they are rapidly getting better (and cheaper!).
I dream since I am 5 years old of listening to a DVD on a rabbit.
This is, by far, the most surreal sentence I have ever read.
I normally don't reply to people who post ad hominem's but I actually had more to say and I didn't want to reply to my own post, so you're a convenient excuse.
3. Dealing with thousands of Linux whackos like you
Nowhere did I say I was a Linux whacko. I don't use Linux (for many of the reasons you cited, actually). I use Windows XP almost everyday, and I like it. I also use Mac OS X (which I love, rather than merely like). But that's the problem: you see, Windows XP is good, not insanely great mind you, but good. Windows 95 was worth the wait compared to the mediocrity of Windows 3.1 (and don't get me started on 3.11's "networking support"). XP is pretty fast, reasonably stable (I can count on one hand the number of times I've seen XP blue screen, and those were mostly due to crappy drivers for el cheapo hardware), and its development tools are excellent.
So, whereas when Apple releases yet another yearly release, I'm excited to try it and see all the nifty little gadgets they've put in there this year, when Microsoft waits three, four, even five YEARS to release another version of Windows, I'm thinking I'd better be blown-away. This rarely happens. In fact, all of the features that would have blown me away (*cough*WinFS*cough*) are steadily removed from the shipping OS every time the release date slips.
So, there's the problem as I see it. By waiting so long to make a new release, they build up excitement while at the same time watering down the release so much that it's quite anti-climactic when the product finally DOES ship. I still like Windows, I just think they're screwing themselves here.
13. Idiots (you fall into this group, too!)
Assuming I'm a "Linux whacko" becuase I submit a post critical of Microsoft release practices? Hmmm, no comment on this one.
I think Microsoft is making a fundamental mistake here: they are sticking to the same release strategies and timelines they used when software was released on stacks of floppy disks ("please insert disk 37", ahhh, the memories).
Meanwhile, we have the "release early, release often" philosophy of the Free Software Movement as well as the "release often enough to keep things interesting" tactic from Apple. These two tactics make more sense in this new era of software construction, testing, and distribution.
Users have grown accustomed to more frequent releases by software groups and companies they respect. These releases also satisfy an obvious, common human desire: instant gratification. As more and more users grow used to and satisfied with these accelerated release timetables, these multi-year release schedules used by Microsoft (and Adobe, while we're at it) look more and more comical.
Recently, Gates admitted the faux pas of allowing Internet Explorer to stagnate. I believe they have similarly misstepped with Windows. By the time Vista not only comes to market, but comes to be used by the majority of PC users (and don't kid yourself, you know that will happen), it will be very difficult to catch up to the psychological success of the multiple releases of Linux and Mac OS X.
I see that your post is still in beta as well.
(sorry)
While I'm as big a fan of conspiracy theories as the next guy, I'm sorry to say that no such speculation is neccessary in this case.
The guy just cannot write.
Seriously, check out Linux Desktop or Linux Watch and check out other articles by this guy (his name is Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols). It's all the same story: flawed, simpleton logic; egregious typos (he must hate copy editors, because he's obviously never let one near one of his articles); sentences so poorly constructed that although you know you're reading English you can't figure out for the life of you what the guy is saying.
Even when he's not that bad, he's bad...
DSL, for those of you who don't know it, is one of several "mini-Linux" distributions. Of the set, it's probably the most well thought of since it actually manages to pick a GUI into its goodness and, having turned version 2.0 recently, it's the most mature of the mini-Linuxes.
See, he's just a bit off-kilter; it's not that you can't parse the sentence, it just gives you that queezy feeling in your stomach that you can't explain. I don't know where this guy learned to write, but I can tell you that I won't be reading any more of his "articles."
First, how are you going to get the dynamic range you need for RF intense areas if the radio front end has to remain wide open for octaves?
Yeah! When I first read this post, I was thinking the same thing.
Won't somebody please think of the octaves?
A telecom lawyer hired by Google last summer to build the company's Washington office...
Ahh yes, the highly successful but less-well-known Google "Summer of Torts" project...
Sounds like some morally backward communist writings to me.
And you therefore mark yourself as one who has never read any of the aforementioned titles. In particular, referring to any of Rand's works as "Communist" is not unlike referring to Adam Smith's "Wealth of Nations" as "socialist".
But of course, you would know that if you had read the books instead of mindlessly believing whatever your pastor/priest/mother/economics prof told you.
And by the way, I'm not arguing with your choice of works; those are indeed important. I am merely asking you to accept that "well-read" means not just reading books about thise subjects in which you personally agree.
...to just install wind turbines in trailer parks?
I need it to burn CD's
Why not use a CD writing application for this?
This single statement shows why Linux and Open Source aren't ready for the masses. If you don't understand why, your mother wants to let you know that she never hears from you anymore, and that you should call.
Seriously.
I want a Marvin.
Marvin doesn't want you.
does not include costs for marketing and development
Which, given that a product's true cost includes not only the per-widget cost to make the item, but also the amoritize costs of slaries & benefits, facilities used in production, third party contracts, marketing and advertising and probably a lot more that I'm too tired to think of right now, makes this number pretty useless, no?
Because hurricanes form over warm ocean water, it is easy to assume that the recent rise in their number and ferocity is because of global warming.
But that is not the case, scientists say. Instead, the severity of hurricane seasons changes with cycles of temperatures of several decades in the Atlantic Ocean. The recent onslaught "is very much natural," said William M. Gray, a professor of atmospheric science at Colorado State University who issues forecasts for the hurricane season.
And this, ladies and gentlemen, is why I prefer scientists over religious wackos (ahem, "spiritual leaders") and politicians. Imagine if the situation were reversed and religious conservatives were trying to convince the world of the harmful effects of global warming. Even if they knew these hurricanes were part of a natural cycle, I am 99.9% positive they would not resist the opportunity to say "see! I told you it's global warming! Repent!".
But look at this... is it... no! It can't be! It looks like scientists are trying to give the most straightforward interpretation of the data even though a more twisted one would CLEARLY help to sway public opinion in their favor.
When I titled my post "Breath of Fresh Air", I was referring to that conspicuously absent of all traits: Intellectual Honesty.
But that's just me.
When you're a little older you'll find that the urge to reproduce (no, not just the urge to screw) is a bit more powerful than you currently understand.
There are so many things wrong with this statement that I'm having trouble deciding where to begin....
First, the "urge to screw" is nature's way of urging you to reproduce. When you think about it, humans were {designed | evolved} to have this urge way before the advent of birth control (even the "I can pull out in time" method). Hell, judging by population growth in poorer and less educated areas you can see how well this works.
Second, it is my opinion (and this can be argued) that the "urge to reproduce" as considered distinct from the urge to have sex is entirely a social phenomenon. Especially where I live, a big part of the urge to reproduce is simple peer pressure. I live in the Bible belt, and most people my age (25-30) are having kids and simply cannot fathom that my wife and I choose not to have kids at this time or possibly at any time in the future. These are also the same people who couldn't fathom why we bought a duplex and rented out one side instead of opting to mortgage the most expensive home we could afford, but I digress.
In the US's current political climate, the prevailing view is that there's something wrong with you if you choose not to have kids. While one could argue that this attitude would be detrimental to the survival of the species if everyone were to do it, I don't think there's a danger of that happening.
As an aside, if you are considering not having children and wonder if it's "normal", you may be interested in this site, among others.
Last but not least, claiming "when you're a little older, you'll understand such and such" not only makes you sound like an asshole, but it in no way addresses the factuality of the claim (i.e. it's a logical fallacy) and makes me wonder how it is that you've come to devine the parent's age by the content of his post.
But that's just me...
This just in... ... modern software needs modern hardware to run!
Film at 11...
Or did nobody else think it was odd how the author compared it to a 20 year old design as if it were a car or a fine wine?
Now don't get me wrong I found your post pretty funny, but I just wanted to point out the obvious fact that keyboards have suffered badly from comoditization. They break more often, are so light they tend to bounce around on the desk, and most have truly AWFUL key feel.
This isn't so bad if you're a casual user or web surfer who rarely types anything of any great length, but when you're a programmer who types 8+ hours per day or are in any other job that requires long periods of typing, using a keyboard that costs more than $19.95 can really make a difference.
Of course, you have to actually find one that's worth the extra money...
I wonder how well it will cook popcorn?
For those wondering how offering Free WiFi could possibly make sense from a business perspective:
From TFA: Google could stand to save millions of dollars by having an end to end network of its own instead of carrying its traffic over major ISPs (TFA states that Google is also buying up dark fiber).
Now, there are also some interesting ways Google might earn revenue from this system:
1) Imagine having to view a short ad before full access is granted
2) Imagine a special browser or access program you would need to download before use. The program could show ad words content or other ads
3) Of course, there's always "Get 24 hrs DOUBLE THE SPEED for only $9.99!"
Anybody have any other ideas for how Google could generate revenue from this?
I believe it will come bundled with Duke Nukem Forever
If you look closely you'll realize that was written by the original question submitter, not Hilf.
If I had mod points, I wouldn't be able to decide whether to mod this as "Funny" or "Insightful".
You know, back in the day, our trolls used to be literate.
I am ashamed at the quality of troll education and call upon everyone to appeal to their congress(wo)man to throw more money at the problem.
Won't someone PLEASE think of the trolls?!
Somehow I can't take an argument seriously from a person who doesn't quote sources and can't even spell the main terms of their subject... ... but maybe that's just me.
If only the fans of sci-fi would learn about special relativity, they would quickly learn that their dreams of intergalactic travel would quickly shrivel up.
This is not entirely accurate. Indeed, many people in the sci-fi community have taken relativity into account. For example, the "theory" of warp drive was invented partially to get around the cosmic speed limit as well as the twin paradox.
The idea is: if you can somehow move spacetime around you rather than moving through it, you can cross vast distances without technically going faster than the speed of light or aging more slowly than your peers on earth.
Not that any of this (currently) has any solid technical footing, but it does refute your claim that somehow the sci-fi genre has stuck its collective head in the sand about this.