Well, we at EvilTech(R) are working on a device that will destroy the planet and will trigger it unless the governments of the earth pay us... One Million Dollars. We believe that this transfer of funds from wasteful government spending into our research coffers will benefit the global economy. We thank the poster for his moral support.
A straw man? Not really. Even the simplest science needs to weigh the benefits vs. the risks. As our potential for damage grows, so should our caution. And seeing some of the practices in certain labs, I think that caution is warranted. Dismissing these people as nay-sayers without examining their arguments would be as foolish as putting their words into practice without serious examination.
The real problem is that, just as many people are paralyzed by risk of things that they percieve as complex or incomprehensible, many geeks are blinded by potential benefits of anything they percieve as new or technically challenging.
These are the same parents that probably put up "motivational" posters in their kid's room.
Probably. The only motivational poster I have in my kid's room is the note on the door that says "Clean your room or I'll kick your ass!". It gets ignored, too. On the plus side, it's probably the only thing I have to complain about, so I count my blessings (and don't kick his ass:-).
Yeah. Or the spin could even be induced by the leakage current from the ball into the atmosphere in the presence of earth's magnetic field. I smell cold fusion happenning somewhere around this lab...
What good are open standards if your implementation is the only one?
Well, I'd think the Perl guys would disagree with you. So would the Ruby and Python folks. The bottom line is that there are many quasi-propriatary languages/systems out there. Do you really think you could get a new extension into Perl (i.e., make your updated Perl code run on other people's system) without Larry Wall's OK?
Even though I'm not a Microsoft fan, they have done a responsible thing going to ECMA and ISO. I wish others in the "Open" source comunity would do the same...
Apple will cutoff any supplies to him or to anyone who sells him Apple repair boards
No. The black market will develop. Apple repair guys will slip enough onesie-twosie boards under the table to meet this guy's demand. Hell, they'll even launder them through E-Bay if need be. The margins are thin enough for most Mac repair shops to make this happen.
And today, nobody's aunt has a AS/400 sitting around.
But one of my co-workers does. Just google for IBM system resellers. You can get an old AS/400 relatively inexpensively and learn on that. The software doesn't change that much from release to release so the knowledge you gain will still be good for another 20 years or so...
... is an idea that goes back to John Brunner and 1970's Vernor Vinge.
Actually, it goes back a bit further than that. I wish more computer people would understand their history. At least it might keep them from repeating mistakes...
Oh boy, there speaks someone who has never worked for a Government doing research.
Oh boy, there speaks someone who has never worked for a large company doing research. In the end, it's not the funding source, it's the size that makes it suck. And big industry is every bit as sucky with respect to efficiency as is government.
... that you haven't read the two books that were about architecture but started the patterns movement in software! The Timeless Way of Building and A Pattern Language by Christopher Alexander, et. al., gives a set of patterns for building buildings and communities that last by building life into the structures. It's a good read for anyone considering houses or cities at any level.
Since when did the CEO or owner of any company owe you or anyone in the US a job?
Since the government started granting charters for corporations being a public good? Since businesses get many tax benefits that individuals don't get and cry about "lost jobs" any time anyone talks about getting rid of them? Since our tax dollars pay for the promotion of their products to overseas markets? Since we send our sons and daughters overseas to protect their economic interests in other countries?
Perhaps they don't owe me a job, but they sure as hell owe some people in this country jobs for everything that we provide to them.
If young persons decide to avoid engineering or science completely when a perceived immoral government taints those fields, there's even more fallout...
Dude, the reason that young people are leaving science and engineering isn't because evil government security taints it - it's because there aren't any jobs!!! These days, I'd go into a field where there's more security - like acting...
Time to start talking to the partners, folks. If enough of these turkeys start getting flack, maybe they can put pressure on the dumbest turkey in the flock. I'd start with TrollTech.
Slashdot Mirror
B) Go away, pro-Microsoft lacky of the imperialist running-dog company :-).
A straw man? Not really. Even the simplest science needs to weigh the benefits vs. the risks. As our potential for damage grows, so should our caution. And seeing some of the practices in certain labs, I think that caution is warranted. Dismissing these people as nay-sayers without examining their arguments would be as foolish as putting their words into practice without serious examination.
The real problem is that, just as many people are paralyzed by risk of things that they percieve as complex or incomprehensible, many geeks are blinded by potential benefits of anything they percieve as new or technically challenging.
Which long distance calling plan do you use?
Don't worry! We'll get around to you. We've had the annexation papers ready since 1858, but we've been busy lately. Sorry for the inconvenience...
You forgot the part about their entrails being ripped from their bodies by rabid dogs. Please be more careful next time. Or else...
Kissies,
Saddam
What else is there?
If there's one thing IBM knows really, really well, it's how to make big ass, damn good servers. I look at this as IBM playing to it's strengths.
Probably. The only motivational poster I have in my kid's room is the note on the door that says "Clean your room or I'll kick your ass!". It gets ignored, too. On the plus side, it's probably the only thing I have to complain about, so I count my blessings (and don't kick his ass :-).
Yeah, but are you still going to vote for and support the IDIOT WHO APPOINTED HIM?
Like with Robertson, Falwell, and the yahoos who run the Family Research Council over here? Thanks for validating the point of the original article.
It does these days :-(.
Yeah. Or the spin could even be induced by the leakage current from the ball into the atmosphere in the presence of earth's magnetic field. I smell cold fusion happenning somewhere around this lab...
But is it still dead?
Usually, program in C++ when they can find a better job :-(.
Well, I'd think the Perl guys would disagree with you. So would the Ruby and Python folks. The bottom line is that there are many quasi-propriatary languages/systems out there. Do you really think you could get a new extension into Perl (i.e., make your updated Perl code run on other people's system) without Larry Wall's OK?
Even though I'm not a Microsoft fan, they have done a responsible thing going to ECMA and ISO. I wish others in the "Open" source comunity would do the same...
No. The black market will develop. Apple repair guys will slip enough onesie-twosie boards under the table to meet this guy's demand. Hell, they'll even launder them through E-Bay if need be. The margins are thin enough for most Mac repair shops to make this happen.
But one of my co-workers does. Just google for IBM system resellers. You can get an old AS/400 relatively inexpensively and learn on that. The software doesn't change that much from release to release so the knowledge you gain will still be good for another 20 years or so...
You could have switched to Domino as your platform. More secure. And it still runs on iSeries...
Actually, it goes back a bit further than that. I wish more computer people would understand their history. At least it might keep them from repeating mistakes...
Oh boy, there speaks someone who has never worked for a large company doing research. In the end, it's not the funding source, it's the size that makes it suck. And big industry is every bit as sucky with respect to efficiency as is government.
... that you haven't read the two books that were about architecture but started the patterns movement in software! The Timeless Way of Building and A Pattern Language by Christopher Alexander, et. al., gives a set of patterns for building buildings and communities that last by building life into the structures. It's a good read for anyone considering houses or cities at any level.
Since the government started granting charters for corporations being a public good? Since businesses get many tax benefits that individuals don't get and cry about "lost jobs" any time anyone talks about getting rid of them? Since our tax dollars pay for the promotion of their products to overseas markets? Since we send our sons and daughters overseas to protect their economic interests in other countries?
Perhaps they don't owe me a job, but they sure as hell owe some people in this country jobs for everything that we provide to them.
Thing is, when you get to my age, you realize that both are worth much less than the trouble they cause. I guess that means I'm near death, huh?
Dude, the reason that young people are leaving science and engineering isn't because evil government security taints it - it's because there aren't any jobs!!! These days, I'd go into a field where there's more security - like acting...
Time to start talking to the partners, folks. If enough of these turkeys start getting flack, maybe they can put pressure on the dumbest turkey in the flock. I'd start with TrollTech.