I am getting sick of all these incomprehensibly esoteric articles. I like science, but sometimes the posts on slashdot are just too technical for me. This article on stealing lunches is a case in point. The pages and pages of analyses, the incredibly detailed social models that they used to arrive at their conclusions, the dogs eating lunches... it's a bit much for the layperson to grasp in one sitting. Editors: could we please get something a little lighter next time?
One thing's for certain: The guy does an excellent job of keeping up Google's mysterious aura.
You mean how he said nothing of substance? How he spoke almost entirely in generalities and didn't say anything the least bit technical? I found the interview somewhat obnoxious because of that. I was hoping to hear some interesting things about Google, not a bunch vague, very cautious market-speak. I love Google, but I would hardly call this an "in-depth" interview.
One of the key things my psychologist pointed out to me when I was beating depression was the idea of altering your brain chemistry. If you think a certain way, you can change the nature of your thoughts patterns. With depression you are constantly thinking negative thoughts. The negativity breeds more negativity and, as the parent said, you don't "just snap out of it".
What helped me a lot was to recongize certain negative thought patterns as "cognitive distortions". Once you recognize it, you can work at changing it - retraining your brain. Or, translated into Geek: "You must unlearn what you have learned."
Trouble is, I've asked at least one well-credentialed tech person who uses Linux heavily, and he says dual-booting is still fraught with complications.
Personally, I have not had any problems with creating a dual-boot system. Here is (basically) what I do when installing a new system:
use a boot CD/disk to load up linux
fire up fdisk and create two partitions
reboot and let the windows install CD have its way with the first partition
reboot and let a linux distro CD (redhat and suse are both nice ones I've tried) chop up the second partition however it wants to
you're done. I think both redhat and suse automatically realize you have a windows install, set up the grub conf file accordingly, and overwrite the MBR
In a nutshell, you always want to do things in this order: partition, install windows, install linux.
Since SUSE is aiming to please more than just hard core linux enthusiasts, I think that having a single choice is important.
Exactly, the novice user does not want to choose between a bunch of applications that have obscure names. I remember when I did my first linux install years ago and I was confronted with the choice: KDE or Gnome. I was new to linux, I didn't know wtf "KDE" or "Gnome" was. Even if the user is familiar with using a computer, they aren't going to understand the distinctions between Linux, SuSE, and KDE. And as another poster mentioned, they sure as hell aren't going to know what Konqueror or Galeon is. If SuSE wants to go after the general desktop market, they need to be a simplistic as possible.
And hey, if you're an advanced linux user then you should be running Gentoo anyway... *runs*
Compare that to Warcraft 3, the antithesis of a revolutionary game
Are you trolling here? While WC3 obviously implemented many RTS standards, I would hardly call it the antithesis of revolutionary. The game introduced the concept of Heros - special units that gained levels with battle experience. The various abilities they gained, the items they could purchase and use, the fact that they could be "rebuilt" once they died... these are very innovative concepts for an RTS. And since Heros were given so much power, one was obligated to use them which made them an integral part of the game. RTS is a pretty standard genre at this point, but I would argue that WC3 is a solid, creative implementation.
what the gaming industry needs is a genre-defining game. something that breaks open a whole new gaming motif like doom and sim city and warcraft did.
IIRC, it was Dune2 and not warcraft that did the genre-defining in the area of RTS. Dune2 was a single-player RTS and I remember being blown away by the game. I believe that soon afterward Command & Conquer came out (made by Westwood, the people who produced Dune2), and Warcraft close to that. I could be wrong - is anyone here motivated enough to look up the release dates?
If other OSes (i.e. Linux) gain popularity in the desktop market, then I would expect even more games to move to a console market. Let's imagine that Linux becomes so popular that it shares the desktop realm with Windows 50/50. Now a game developer must make the game cross-platform. Instead of dealing with issues with one OS, they now have to deal with two. At that point, it seems like it would be much easier to simply develop for a console where both hardware and software are known constants. Anyone else have ideas/opinions about this?
I'd really like to use something other than microsoft office, but I am simply chained down because on most college campuses, everything is "powerpoint lecture" or the syllabus is a Word.doc file.
In my grad school classes, just about every assignment is graded on a Linux or Sun machine. And yet, the profs and TAs post assignments as.doc files. Every time I see them doing this, I send them an email complaint. I explain that since we are using systems other than Microsoft Windows, and they are presenting information to us via the web, it makes sense to post these docs as HTML. Generally they at least start posting PDFs. Though I can't understand why one has to post a simple text file project description as a goddamn Word doc.
One of the things I love about being in the field of computer science is that it is still young. Years and years from now, there will be discussions in history books about Microsoft and all the good/evil things that came about from their aggressive domination of the industry. This EU judgment may even be cited... "Microsoft began to lose power in the early 21st century as it fell victim to a barrage of heavy fines for anti-competitive behavior. In 2004, the software giant faced its stiffest fine yet from the European Union at $613 million dollars. While this was a drop in the bucket to a company with $40 billion in cash reserves, it set a precedent that other countries soon followed."
I'd like to add that SuSE migrated me and that they're my fist recomendation for every Linux n00b
I've tried out a number of distros and I have to agree with you; SuSE is the closest thing I've seen to something that Joe Desktop can grasp. That said, as a Linux user of intermediate knowledge, I am looking to switch from SuSE to a distro that is a bit less restrictive. I think another poster mentioned having problems when they tried to do something other than the SuSE way. Personally, I've had difficulty on SuSE with applications when I try to install from source. The rule seems to be: if it's not a SuSE update or RPM, then it's best to leave it alone.
So I am considering trying out Gentoo, but am afraid that I'll miss all the hand-holding SuSE gives me in terms of software/hardware config. Any thoughts about this?
Have you seen their website? http://www.macomb-sheriff.com/
Their new web designer should probably go to jail too.
Check this one out. It's a website for a local theatre - gaudy as hell with poorly presented content. I actually emailed them and complained about their poor design... didn't hear anything back though:) Still, I think that sheriff site has them beat. It's so bad you have to think it's intentional...
We don't need less distros, we need some idea of continuity between them using standards, such as:
-Standard packaging system (no more.rpm,.deb..tgz... just one type)
-Standard directory structure
Exactly! As an amateur sysadmin, this type of thing is very frustrating. It's nice when there is some kind of tool you can use to install programs. For instance, YaST on SuSE provides a great GUI for installing and updating things. The problem is when you want to get something bleeding edge, or something for which a package for your distro/release does not exist. Then you're left with compiling from source. Now, I don't mind compiling from source because compiling from source is inherently cool, but `make install' doesn't know where it should put the files. So I have to hunt around and try to pass the appropriate flags to `./configure'. Sometimes this works fine, and other times I am left with a broken program.
The point being that a standard directory structure and packaging system would save me a lot of time. It would save everyone a lot of time.
GameCube owners are still banging their heads against the wall over the lack of quality games not made by Nintendo.
What about these:
XIII
Beyond Good and Evil
Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem
Resident Evil
You add 3rd party games like the above to Nintendo's home-brewed specials (Zelda, Metroid, Mario,...) and you've got a great selection for the cube. Though I must admit that if there is one non-cube game that I wish I could play, it would be Vice City.
Opera is a nice browser, but honestly how many people do you know that actually regged it?
I registered Opera after using the ad-sponsored version for a number of years. A college prof mentioned Opera in one of my classes years ago - specifically bringing up its use of mouse gestures. I tried it out and found that it was far better than IE (was using windows at the time). After using the ad version for all these years, I suddenly decided to register the damn thing. I figured that Opera had been providing me with this great, free browser for all those years, I might as well give a little something back. Not only that, but the money supports a company that has had the guts to compete against Microsoft's illegal, monopolistic tactics.
Why did they think they could use Lindows and get away with it?
Because that's the best way to describe their product to the average Joe Desktop. I'd guess that most people don't have a firm grasp of what an "operating system" is. In their mind, their computer == windows. With a name like "Lindows", you have a better chance of conveying the notion that there is an alternative. Microsoft's monopoly is so powerful that I don't think people realize that they have a choice of what OS to run on their computer. The name "Lindows" implies to the user that they can still use Windows (which they have equated with their computer) for a much smaller price tag.
Geez, sounds like he wasn't running a tight operation. All the girls in MY stripper-entourage are trained to drive me immediately to the hospital once I start puking blood and urinating uncontrollably.
4. Technological breakthroughs. I would be very surprised if there were no technological advances made during the creation of a moon base. Building a base on the moon presents a set of challenges that is different from construction on Earth. Engineers will have to attack problems in different ways, think about new variables, etc. I think this could result in new tech.
5. Securing the human race. Carl Sagan mentioned that one of the benefits of expanding into space is that it keeps us from having all our eggs in one basket. The more spread out we are, the less likely that an astronomical disaster could wipe out our species. A colony on the moon is the first step in this.
Slashdot Mirror
I am getting sick of all these incomprehensibly esoteric articles. I like science, but sometimes the posts on slashdot are just too technical for me. This article on stealing lunches is a case in point. The pages and pages of analyses, the incredibly detailed social models that they used to arrive at their conclusions, the dogs eating lunches... it's a bit much for the layperson to grasp in one sitting. Editors: could we please get something a little lighter next time?
article translation for the trolls: *Trek is dying
One thing's for certain: The guy does an excellent job of keeping up Google's mysterious aura.
You mean how he said nothing of substance? How he spoke almost entirely in generalities and didn't say anything the least bit technical? I found the interview somewhat obnoxious because of that. I was hoping to hear some interesting things about Google, not a bunch vague, very cautious market-speak. I love Google, but I would hardly call this an "in-depth" interview.
One of the key things my psychologist pointed out to me when I was beating depression was the idea of altering your brain chemistry. If you think a certain way, you can change the nature of your thoughts patterns. With depression you are constantly thinking negative thoughts. The negativity breeds more negativity and, as the parent said, you don't "just snap out of it".
g nitive.htm
What helped me a lot was to recongize certain negative thought patterns as "cognitive distortions". Once you recognize it, you can work at changing it - retraining your brain. Or, translated into Geek: "You must unlearn what you have learned."
This link describes the concept of cognitive distortions: http://depression.about.com/cs/psychotherapy/a/co
Policies
Suspended Domain
The domain www.goatse.cx has been suspended by the registry.
This is generally due to lapsed registration or violation of policies.
To renew your registration please visit your registrar.
Personally, I have not had any problems with creating a dual-boot system. Here is (basically) what I do when installing a new system:
- use a boot CD/disk to load up linux
- fire up fdisk and create two partitions
- reboot and let the windows install CD have its way with the first partition
- reboot and let a linux distro CD (redhat and suse are both nice ones I've tried) chop up the second partition however it wants to
- you're done. I think both redhat and suse automatically realize you have a windows install, set up the grub conf file accordingly, and overwrite the MBR
In a nutshell, you always want to do things in this order: partition, install windows, install linux.Since SUSE is aiming to please more than just hard core linux enthusiasts, I think that having a single choice is important.
Exactly, the novice user does not want to choose between a bunch of applications that have obscure names. I remember when I did my first linux install years ago and I was confronted with the choice: KDE or Gnome. I was new to linux, I didn't know wtf "KDE" or "Gnome" was. Even if the user is familiar with using a computer, they aren't going to understand the distinctions between Linux, SuSE, and KDE. And as another poster mentioned, they sure as hell aren't going to know what Konqueror or Galeon is. If SuSE wants to go after the general desktop market, they need to be a simplistic as possible. And hey, if you're an advanced linux user then you should be running Gentoo anyway... *runs*
Compare that to Warcraft 3, the antithesis of a revolutionary game
Are you trolling here? While WC3 obviously implemented many RTS standards, I would hardly call it the antithesis of revolutionary. The game introduced the concept of Heros - special units that gained levels with battle experience. The various abilities they gained, the items they could purchase and use, the fact that they could be "rebuilt" once they died... these are very innovative concepts for an RTS. And since Heros were given so much power, one was obligated to use them which made them an integral part of the game. RTS is a pretty standard genre at this point, but I would argue that WC3 is a solid, creative implementation.
what the gaming industry needs is a genre-defining game. something that breaks open a whole new gaming motif like doom and sim city and warcraft did.
IIRC, it was Dune2 and not warcraft that did the genre-defining in the area of RTS. Dune2 was a single-player RTS and I remember being blown away by the game. I believe that soon afterward Command & Conquer came out (made by Westwood, the people who produced Dune2), and Warcraft close to that. I could be wrong - is anyone here motivated enough to look up the release dates?
If other OSes (i.e. Linux) gain popularity in the desktop market, then I would expect even more games to move to a console market. Let's imagine that Linux becomes so popular that it shares the desktop realm with Windows 50/50. Now a game developer must make the game cross-platform. Instead of dealing with issues with one OS, they now have to deal with two. At that point, it seems like it would be much easier to simply develop for a console where both hardware and software are known constants. Anyone else have ideas/opinions about this?
I'd really like to use something other than microsoft office, but I am simply chained down because on most college campuses, everything is "powerpoint lecture" or the syllabus is a Word .doc file.
.doc files. Every time I see them doing this, I send them an email complaint. I explain that since we are using systems other than Microsoft Windows, and they are presenting information to us via the web, it makes sense to post these docs as HTML. Generally they at least start posting PDFs. Though I can't understand why one has to post a simple text file project description as a goddamn Word doc.
In my grad school classes, just about every assignment is graded on a Linux or Sun machine. And yet, the profs and TAs post assignments as
One of the things I love about being in the field of computer science is that it is still young. Years and years from now, there will be discussions in history books about Microsoft and all the good/evil things that came about from their aggressive domination of the industry. This EU judgment may even be cited... "Microsoft began to lose power in the early 21st century as it fell victim to a barrage of heavy fines for anti-competitive behavior. In 2004, the software giant faced its stiffest fine yet from the European Union at $613 million dollars. While this was a drop in the bucket to a company with $40 billion in cash reserves, it set a precedent that other countries soon followed."
I'd like to add that SuSE migrated me and that they're my fist recomendation for every Linux n00b
I've tried out a number of distros and I have to agree with you; SuSE is the closest thing I've seen to something that Joe Desktop can grasp. That said, as a Linux user of intermediate knowledge, I am looking to switch from SuSE to a distro that is a bit less restrictive. I think another poster mentioned having problems when they tried to do something other than the SuSE way. Personally, I've had difficulty on SuSE with applications when I try to install from source. The rule seems to be: if it's not a SuSE update or RPM, then it's best to leave it alone. So I am considering trying out Gentoo, but am afraid that I'll miss all the hand-holding SuSE gives me in terms of software/hardware config. Any thoughts about this?
Have you seen their website? http://www.macomb-sheriff.com/
:) Still, I think that sheriff site has them beat. It's so bad you have to think it's intentional...
Their new web designer should probably go to jail too.
Check this one out. It's a website for a local theatre - gaudy as hell with poorly presented content. I actually emailed them and complained about their poor design... didn't hear anything back though
We don't need less distros, we need some idea of continuity between them using standards, such as: .rpm, .deb. .tgz... just one type)
-Standard packaging system (no more
-Standard directory structure
Exactly! As an amateur sysadmin, this type of thing is very frustrating. It's nice when there is some kind of tool you can use to install programs. For instance, YaST on SuSE provides a great GUI for installing and updating things. The problem is when you want to get something bleeding edge, or something for which a package for your distro/release does not exist. Then you're left with compiling from source. Now, I don't mind compiling from source because compiling from source is inherently cool, but `make install' doesn't know where it should put the files. So I have to hunt around and try to pass the appropriate flags to `./configure'. Sometimes this works fine, and other times I am left with a broken program.
The point being that a standard directory structure and packaging system would save me a lot of time. It would save everyone a lot of time.
GameCube owners are still banging their heads against the wall over the lack of quality games not made by Nintendo.
...) and you've got a great selection for the cube. Though I must admit that if there is one non-cube game that I wish I could play, it would be Vice City.
What about these:
XIII
Beyond Good and Evil
Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem
Resident Evil
You add 3rd party games like the above to Nintendo's home-brewed specials (Zelda, Metroid, Mario,
Opera is a nice browser, but honestly how many people do you know that actually regged it?
I registered Opera after using the ad-sponsored version for a number of years. A college prof mentioned Opera in one of my classes years ago - specifically bringing up its use of mouse gestures. I tried it out and found that it was far better than IE (was using windows at the time). After using the ad version for all these years, I suddenly decided to register the damn thing. I figured that Opera had been providing me with this great, free browser for all those years, I might as well give a little something back. Not only that, but the money supports a company that has had the guts to compete against Microsoft's illegal, monopolistic tactics.
Why did they think they could use Lindows and get away with it?
Because that's the best way to describe their product to the average Joe Desktop. I'd guess that most people don't have a firm grasp of what an "operating system" is. In their mind, their computer == windows. With a name like "Lindows", you have a better chance of conveying the notion that there is an alternative. Microsoft's monopoly is so powerful that I don't think people realize that they have a choice of what OS to run on their computer. The name "Lindows" implies to the user that they can still use Windows (which they have equated with their computer) for a much smaller price tag.
You missed the best GCN game out there: Eternal Darkness. How can you not love a game that has a Sanity Meter?
Obligatory Penny Arcade comic
Well, he is in college right now. So it's okay for him to look like he just stepped off the set of Easy Rider...
And if you get three Bush's on a diagonal, lights/buzzers go off and $300 in tax refund tokens come pouring out
The true wizards of the math world grocked calculis.
But the powerful Spelling Magic still eluded them...
Geez, sounds like he wasn't running a tight operation. All the girls in MY stripper-entourage are trained to drive me immediately to the hospital once I start puking blood and urinating uncontrollably.
4. Technological breakthroughs. I would be very surprised if there were no technological advances made during the creation of a moon base. Building a base on the moon presents a set of challenges that is different from construction on Earth. Engineers will have to attack problems in different ways, think about new variables, etc. I think this could result in new tech.
5. Securing the human race. Carl Sagan mentioned that one of the benefits of expanding into space is that it keeps us from having all our eggs in one basket. The more spread out we are, the less likely that an astronomical disaster could wipe out our species. A colony on the moon is the first step in this.