I haven't owned a laptop for sometime (sold the last one because I didn't need it anymore), but the one thing that really bothered me was short span of battery life.
It seems that a lot of the hardware (processors, drives, lights) are being tuned to use less and less power (which is a good thing, mind you), but it makes me wonder...has battery technology become stagnant? I don't claim to be an expert on batteries (or anything else), but is the general thought that battery technology has gotten about as good as it's going to get (can't recall the last time I saw anything about better batteries), so let's concentrate on making the parts more effecient? Of course, I'd like to see more efficient parts as well as better batteries, but I won't be greedy yet.:)
Joe Average wants service for dollars...
on
Code Red Refunds?
·
· Score: 1
Reason being, the average home user probably isn't going to care about (or even understand) whatever caused the problem at the ISP. All the average consumer knows is that they paid X amount of dollars for an always-on connection that suddenly wasn't on. Should my DSL provider suddenly go down and claim it was Code Red, I'd be upset, but being someone who has at least a little understanding of the nature of networking, I'd be a little understanding (especially if the connection was back up quickly).
I'd imagine that as these types of weaknesses become more exploited, ISPs/DSL providers will have no choice but to try and do business with systems that are increasingly less vulnerable to attacks, because the defense of "it wasn't our fault, our routers/servers were exploited" probably won't hold up to their customers.
Since I don't use video editing software or, for that matter, have a digital video camera, this might not be a relevant question, but here goes: What exactly of this did Apple do? They didn't create "FireWire", just gave it a snazzy name. They didn't shoot the footage, they don't make cameras and, as far as I know, they don't make digital video editing software. If they are given an Emmy for having nice-looking monitors or some sort of Special Achievement in Technology award for making the G4, fine. But did they even do anything to warrant being given an award for FireWire? Am I missing something?
perhaps it can help you forget about the disparity in education, substandard housing, and, for that matter, legal representation. Oh, and when you're looking for jobs online, be sure to mention how you don't have any high-tech training because the poorly-funded school systems can't afford as much as a working 386.
Yup, this'll fix that whole digital divide right up.
The reason trademark holders win the vast majority of these domain name disputes couldn't possibly be because they deserve the name and the current holder has no reason other than cybersquatting to have it...could it?
I mean, hey, I know the every day average guy has no chance in hell up against a corporation when undergoing fast-track arbitration. And maybe I'm just not clued in to the majority of these cases, but if someone made a statement to me to the effect of "A guy named Joe Toledo bought the domain ford.com and now the car manufacturer wants it, who do you think should have it?" I'd be inclined to side with Ford. Because Ford has a trademark, much like an integral part of their corporate entity. Now, if you told me a guy named "Joe Ford" bought it, I'd say you've got a case. I'd be willing to bet that the vast majority of these defendants in domain name disputes don't have a reason other than profiteering to have these domain names and that's why they lose.
The way they tell it in Pirates of Silicon Valley is much more exciting. *cough*
Sounds great...what's the catch?
on
IBM Wants Linux
·
· Score: 2, Insightful
Something tells me that Linux can be customized in such a way as to handle whatever AIX handles and possible more. But the question I have to ask in this is: Why? Is IBM really looking to cut ties with AIX? How could this be an advantage to IBM? Or their customers who have depended on AIX for a long, long time?
I suppose IBM may make some money upfront convincing their AIX clients to pay for a Linux conversion by convincing said clients that Linux has better support, the client won't be locked in to depending on IBM, stable, fast, blah blah blah. And I suppose IBM might save money in the long-term by having a larger talent pool from which to hire Linux gurus. But, unless someone else can give shed some light on something I just don't understand, this initiative to move AIX customers to Linux, while sounding like a great technical manuever, doesn't sound like a great business manuever.
What, is this guy mad at Microsoft for being clever? So what if it gives Microsoft the perfect out for not supporting competitors' technologies within Microsoft products? A patent is a patent and if Microsoft doesn't want to pay the license fees of the patent holder, their legal obligation is to not use the patented technology. To me, the real problem here is the broad scope of Ealos's patent, not how Microsoft may screw some competitors by actually honoring someone else's patent.
You may not like Microsoft's possible actions in this case, and you may not like how it may further their end goals, but I don't see where they would have any legal choice.
And I for one would actually like to see Microsoft set a precendent by following the law.
that IBM was in hot water for locking their customers in with proprietary hardware and software. I was as astounded as anyone when I first got the news of IBM going Open Source, but the cynic in me warns of a company that may yet return to the "embrace and extend" way of gaining power in a market.
Since IBM's openess has been a relatively new thing, I simply appreciate the fact that they seem to the trying to embrace a new view of software and not get too assured that they won't return to old practices.
Of course, for those who know what I'm talking about, the Sash WDK is kinda cool.:)
Speaking of old MIDI stuff always made me wonder: Just how did Creative Labs become the de facto standard of sound cards back in the days of DOS gaming? Maybe I don't remember clearly, but it's not as if there was a huge gaming population back then (back then, yeah way back in the early 90's...cripes I feel old). Was music more of less an afterthought back then? Seems you'd want to make the gameplay independent of the music (not like movies, where the score plays an integral part in the emotion of the moment) just because there would be a good possibility the user wouldn't have a compatible sound card or perhaps not even a sound card at all.
Perhaps like all things in PC gaming, the sound card only became a necessity because of Leisure Suit Larry and Wolfenstein 3D. You've either got to have it to hear sleazy softporn sounds or the screaming deaths of Nazis.
Personally, I can only hope that Palm does incorporate BeIA/BeOS for the next PalmOS. I've written apps for the Palm and it's a pain in the arse. Writing for the PocketPC is infinitely easier, in my opinion. I haven't written anything specifically for Be, but I hear it's a pleasant experience, so I hope for the best.
Lawyer rabble aside, I think the judges got it right on this one. First of all, there is still plenty of dispute in the medical community on whether or not repetitive stress injuries are as severe as they are represented to be. Beside that point, simply being unable to type or write for extended periods of time does not make one unable to perform some productive task to earn a living. Granted, it does eliminate quite a few jobs from the list, but definitely not all of them.
As a developer, though, I have to say it would be a terrible blow to my career to lose the ability to type for extended periods of time. Who knows? I might have go into...consulting...or something.
C'mon! One more K per second!
on
Dorm Storm?
·
· Score: 1, Interesting
The only tale I can tell was on the student end. The university I attended installed a dorm ethernet network and made the several thousand students share a limited number of connections (I think 500 or so). Given that the pr0n and warez leechers were on every single moment of the day, getting on the network was a test of patience to say the least. Being friends with the grad students responsible for helping support this monstrosity, I was one of many people who pointed out to them that the problem wasn't just the number of available connections or bandwidth (although those were problems), it was these losers abusing the usage policy.
Imagine these users' collective surprise when they got emails that contained copies of their usage logs and a stern warning. None of them were real l33t d00dz, of course, and the getting on the busy network got much easier after that day.:)
They've already proven that their hardware can generate some pretty snazzy special effects. There will probably be a large contingent of studios that don't want to take the risk of getting the hardware from an unproven outfit, so they'll go with SGI.
Makes me wonder, though, if we'll start seeing more and more "Effects Experts" and companies like IBM sending teams of them to help studios out with getting the hardware going and adding in effects.
There are some DSL companies out there that are making it besides the Baby Bells, but I'm not naive. I know the Bells are the only ones who control the lines and they are making life really difficult for DSL providers. But would forcing the Bells to open up access cure the problem of accessibility and "the hard sell", that is, the fact that many consumers don't see an advantage to broadband yet?
Geez, most average Joes would rather plunk down their money on a new HDTV for clearer R-rated movies than get a broadband line they won't use (even if it is because they don't know what to do with it).
I would like to see the Bells have their grip loosened on the lines, even if it does mean more government intervention. But I would actually see that intervention on behalf of the well being of the consumer, so it wouldn't be that bad. Even given that, though, I still don't think it's going to cure the core of the problem unless this kind of government action actually results in DSL prices dive-bombing to levels that appeal to the consumer in a monetary sense (i.e. less than the cost of AOL).
Granted, Apache is great. But the big picture is not whether or not Apache will lose the battle for the web, but whether or not Open Source will lose the battle for the web. I think that we can honestly say that if past experience is any indicator, then no, Open Source will not lose the battle for the web.
There are still plenty of businesses who want to have something on the web, although many of them don't know what. Either it's a "corporate presence" or actually putting a useful application on the web...whatever. All they know is they want it. Many of those businesses are cash-strapped (especially in times that are supposed to be poor, like now), and they don't have the vision to consider all the costs of a web-based project. They only see the cost of the software, hardware and either salary of who they have to hire/contract to get it done or the training budget to teach someone in house. Based on those factors alone Open Source in general (and Apache + PHP in particular) win. But, even if those poor saps in the IT department are called upon to actually give reasons besides money to go with Open Source, they can point out that there are many, many existing deployments of Open Source web servers that are happily humming along handling gobs of traffic without the susceptibility to attacks that Windows NT and 2k are normally susceptible to. Pair that with the overwhelming support of the Open Source community and you've got yourself a viable product.
But hang on, Virginia, it really isn't that simple. Microsoft is a really huge company (duh) and they've got clout in name if nothing else. Plus, IIS is ain't a half bad server and Active Server Pages really are easy to implement. Web services could make the server software more or less irrelevant, so Open Source could be on the ropes, right? WRONG! We, as the developers who are responsible for presenting all the options to our superiors, continually appeal to their desire for profit and remind them that there are alternatives to the pricey software packages they have been limited to knowing about.
If human nature is still what I think it is, the price alone will make the bean-counters salivate. The stability, proven performance and community support will make the IT managers grin. And a goddamned working product will make the customers/clients happy. Open Source may have to simply find itself a comfortable niche as the alternative to budget-busting name-brand software, but it most certainly not lose the battle for the web.
The author writes: "Much has been written already in popular and trade press. Sun's decision to not dictate policy in its Jxta implementation allows it to sail free and clear of this controversy -- leaving the onus on the shoulders of the pioneering early adopter of Jxta technology when working on content distribution. However, the community-based evolution of Jxta technology in this arena has the potential of ensuring a smooth balance of control between the IP owners and the public at large. The open Jxta community can serve as a forum where IP owners and technologists can work out their differences."
In other words, to hell with it. We know all the users are just using it for pr0n and mp3s, so why not just go with the flow and hope someone else figures out a happy medium?:)
Yahoo, as a corporation, is expected to act as an entity, much like you or I. And if you or I took the time and effort to make a bulletin board system and wanted to allow anyone to post to it anonymously (or at least, as anonymously as possible), then it is within our rights.
The court got this one right. No one can force Yahoo to turn over these identities and no one can tell Yahoo not to allow anonymous posting. This entire matter should have been tossed out of court as frivilous in the beginning.
Looks like another also-ran...
on
ATi Radeon 8500
·
· Score: 3, Insightful
I can't help but wonder how ATI can expect to compete with nVidia on the Windows platform with Microsoft and nVidia working so closely together. But I guess it's good that they give it a shot. Competition is a good thing.
Besides, what effing difference does it make? Seeing as how even the most detailed games (Quake III, Max Payne, Black & White) are running at 80 FPS, it's obvious that the cards are way ahead of the games. When is there going to be something that takes advantage of all that power and gives us a reason to plunk down $400-$500 of our hard-earned bucks?
It's been my experience that the only thing really holding the major open-source DBMSs back were exposure and solid transaction management. I hope that, by now at least, many DBAs have at least heard that there are alternatives to Oracle and SQL Server. As a programmer and database designer, I know I've been trying to keep my co-workers' and employer's eyes open to the possibility of having to use an open-source DBMS when the need arises.
It seems to me that implementing MySQL doesn't seem any more difficult that getting an Oracle database built. Although, I must say I've gotten spoiled by the GUI that's available in Microsoft's SQL Server Enterprise Manager. It's damned nice.
I guess the long and short of it is that it's good to have an alternative to Oracle, which is, in my opinion, overpriced for what it is. As long as products like MySQL keep getting better, they'll continue gaining ground as not just "alternatives" to pricey DBMSs, they'll become the DBMSs of choice.
It's actually pretty important, if no other reason than perspective, to understand how ancient civilizations used the materials around them to fashion tools and weapons. It gives us insight into how some societies rose to the level of empires and how they were in turn toppled. It gives us insight to the level of technological advancement that we, as modern people, often assume is very primitive. Let us not forget that we still aren't positive how Stonehinge, the great Pyramids of Egypt or the Easter Island statues got to where they are, and those structures were all placed by ancient people.
Plus, you may not need a sword now, but what about when the government takes away your guns, Microsoft takes away your privacy and the DMCA takes away your ability to pirate without being thrown in jail?;)
The best thing is how it just rolls off the tongue...
Vorbis...
The site is kind of slow (as it is being/.'d, so if you've seen it all before and want to get directly to the downloads...(but I encourage browsing the whole downloads area)
A long time ago I heard a statement to the effect of "Don't believe everything that you read." I apply that to every bit of television, radio and print media I consume. It bothers me that we, as a society, seem to think we are the most educated people ever to live on this planet, yet we allow ourselves to be suckered by rumor, speculation and guessing.
Be a skeptic. Demand proof and accountability from your information sources.
just a thought about these types of libraries in general...
Seems to me that a lot of gamers have complained on and off about the lack of original games and general stagnation of the game industry. In my opinion, that was alleviated a bit with the introduction of 3d engines that were produced specifically to make life easier for game developers. No longer did you need to have a large staff of programmers to write your game engine (2d or 3d) from the ground up. Take a portion of your game dev budget and plunk it down for a proven graphics engine. Get some artists, perhaps some 3d modelers and have at it.
I think the proliferation and evolution of game development libraries like this will lead to making better games. The more of the budget that can be dedicated to fine-tuning the gameplay and design, the better. On the other hand, though, I fear that making games really easy and quick to create will lead to even more cheap, crappy quickie games with no substance.
Help me out on this one...
on
Code Red III
·
· Score: 2, Informative
I understand that Code Red is a worm, but I wish I had more of an understanding of how it really works and what it is really doing. Anyone got a good explanation or link to an explanation?
Slashdot Mirror
I haven't owned a laptop for sometime (sold the last one because I didn't need it anymore), but the one thing that really bothered me was short span of battery life.
:)
It seems that a lot of the hardware (processors, drives, lights) are being tuned to use less and less power (which is a good thing, mind you), but it makes me wonder...has battery technology become stagnant? I don't claim to be an expert on batteries (or anything else), but is the general thought that battery technology has gotten about as good as it's going to get (can't recall the last time I saw anything about better batteries), so let's concentrate on making the parts more effecient? Of course, I'd like to see more efficient parts as well as better batteries, but I won't be greedy yet.
Reason being, the average home user probably isn't going to care about (or even understand) whatever caused the problem at the ISP. All the average consumer knows is that they paid X amount of dollars for an always-on connection that suddenly wasn't on. Should my DSL provider suddenly go down and claim it was Code Red, I'd be upset, but being someone who has at least a little understanding of the nature of networking, I'd be a little understanding (especially if the connection was back up quickly).
I'd imagine that as these types of weaknesses become more exploited, ISPs/DSL providers will have no choice but to try and do business with systems that are increasingly less vulnerable to attacks, because the defense of "it wasn't our fault, our routers/servers were exploited" probably won't hold up to their customers.
Since I don't use video editing software or, for that matter, have a digital video camera, this might not be a relevant question, but here goes: What exactly of this did Apple do? They didn't create "FireWire", just gave it a snazzy name. They didn't shoot the footage, they don't make cameras and, as far as I know, they don't make digital video editing software. If they are given an Emmy for having nice-looking monitors or some sort of Special Achievement in Technology award for making the G4, fine. But did they even do anything to warrant being given an award for FireWire? Am I missing something?
perhaps it can help you forget about the disparity in education, substandard housing, and, for that matter, legal representation. Oh, and when you're looking for jobs online, be sure to mention how you don't have any high-tech training because the poorly-funded school systems can't afford as much as a working 386.
Yup, this'll fix that whole digital divide right up.
The reason trademark holders win the vast majority of these domain name disputes couldn't possibly be because they deserve the name and the current holder has no reason other than cybersquatting to have it...could it?
I mean, hey, I know the every day average guy has no chance in hell up against a corporation when undergoing fast-track arbitration. And maybe I'm just not clued in to the majority of these cases, but if someone made a statement to me to the effect of "A guy named Joe Toledo bought the domain ford.com and now the car manufacturer wants it, who do you think should have it?" I'd be inclined to side with Ford. Because Ford has a trademark, much like an integral part of their corporate entity. Now, if you told me a guy named "Joe Ford" bought it, I'd say you've got a case. I'd be willing to bet that the vast majority of these defendants in domain name disputes don't have a reason other than profiteering to have these domain names and that's why they lose.
The way they tell it in Pirates of Silicon Valley is much more exciting. *cough*
Something tells me that Linux can be customized in such a way as to handle whatever AIX handles and possible more. But the question I have to ask in this is: Why? Is IBM really looking to cut ties with AIX? How could this be an advantage to IBM? Or their customers who have depended on AIX for a long, long time?
I suppose IBM may make some money upfront convincing their AIX clients to pay for a Linux conversion by convincing said clients that Linux has better support, the client won't be locked in to depending on IBM, stable, fast, blah blah blah. And I suppose IBM might save money in the long-term by having a larger talent pool from which to hire Linux gurus. But, unless someone else can give shed some light on something I just don't understand, this initiative to move AIX customers to Linux, while sounding like a great technical manuever, doesn't sound like a great business manuever.
What, is this guy mad at Microsoft for being clever? So what if it gives Microsoft the perfect out for not supporting competitors' technologies within Microsoft products? A patent is a patent and if Microsoft doesn't want to pay the license fees of the patent holder, their legal obligation is to not use the patented technology. To me, the real problem here is the broad scope of Ealos's patent, not how Microsoft may screw some competitors by actually honoring someone else's patent.
You may not like Microsoft's possible actions in this case, and you may not like how it may further their end goals, but I don't see where they would have any legal choice.
And I for one would actually like to see Microsoft set a precendent by following the law.
that IBM was in hot water for locking their customers in with proprietary hardware and software. I was as astounded as anyone when I first got the news of IBM going Open Source, but the cynic in me warns of a company that may yet return to the "embrace and extend" way of gaining power in a market.
:)
Since IBM's openess has been a relatively new thing, I simply appreciate the fact that they seem to the trying to embrace a new view of software and not get too assured that they won't return to old practices.
Of course, for those who know what I'm talking about, the Sash WDK is kinda cool.
Speaking of old MIDI stuff always made me wonder: Just how did Creative Labs become the de facto standard of sound cards back in the days of DOS gaming? Maybe I don't remember clearly, but it's not as if there was a huge gaming population back then (back then, yeah way back in the early 90's...cripes I feel old). Was music more of less an afterthought back then? Seems you'd want to make the gameplay independent of the music (not like movies, where the score plays an integral part in the emotion of the moment) just because there would be a good possibility the user wouldn't have a compatible sound card or perhaps not even a sound card at all.
Perhaps like all things in PC gaming, the sound card only became a necessity because of Leisure Suit Larry and Wolfenstein 3D. You've either got to have it to hear sleazy softporn sounds or the screaming deaths of Nazis.
Personally, I can only hope that Palm does incorporate BeIA/BeOS for the next PalmOS. I've written apps for the Palm and it's a pain in the arse. Writing for the PocketPC is infinitely easier, in my opinion. I haven't written anything specifically for Be, but I hear it's a pleasant experience, so I hope for the best.
Lawyer rabble aside, I think the judges got it right on this one. First of all, there is still plenty of dispute in the medical community on whether or not repetitive stress injuries are as severe as they are represented to be. Beside that point, simply being unable to type or write for extended periods of time does not make one unable to perform some productive task to earn a living. Granted, it does eliminate quite a few jobs from the list, but definitely not all of them.
As a developer, though, I have to say it would be a terrible blow to my career to lose the ability to type for extended periods of time. Who knows? I might have go into...consulting...or something.
The only tale I can tell was on the student end. The university I attended installed a dorm ethernet network and made the several thousand students share a limited number of connections (I think 500 or so). Given that the pr0n and warez leechers were on every single moment of the day, getting on the network was a test of patience to say the least. Being friends with the grad students responsible for helping support this monstrosity, I was one of many people who pointed out to them that the problem wasn't just the number of available connections or bandwidth (although those were problems), it was these losers abusing the usage policy.
:)
Imagine these users' collective surprise when they got emails that contained copies of their usage logs and a stern warning. None of them were real l33t d00dz, of course, and the getting on the busy network got much easier after that day.
They've already proven that their hardware can generate some pretty snazzy special effects. There will probably be a large contingent of studios that don't want to take the risk of getting the hardware from an unproven outfit, so they'll go with SGI.
Makes me wonder, though, if we'll start seeing more and more "Effects Experts" and companies like IBM sending teams of them to help studios out with getting the hardware going and adding in effects.
There are some DSL companies out there that are making it besides the Baby Bells, but I'm not naive. I know the Bells are the only ones who control the lines and they are making life really difficult for DSL providers. But would forcing the Bells to open up access cure the problem of accessibility and "the hard sell", that is, the fact that many consumers don't see an advantage to broadband yet?
Geez, most average Joes would rather plunk down their money on a new HDTV for clearer R-rated movies than get a broadband line they won't use (even if it is because they don't know what to do with it).
I would like to see the Bells have their grip loosened on the lines, even if it does mean more government intervention. But I would actually see that intervention on behalf of the well being of the consumer, so it wouldn't be that bad. Even given that, though, I still don't think it's going to cure the core of the problem unless this kind of government action actually results in DSL prices dive-bombing to levels that appeal to the consumer in a monetary sense (i.e. less than the cost of AOL).
Granted, Apache is great. But the big picture is not whether or not Apache will lose the battle for the web, but whether or not Open Source will lose the battle for the web. I think that we can honestly say that if past experience is any indicator, then no, Open Source will not lose the battle for the web.
There are still plenty of businesses who want to have something on the web, although many of them don't know what. Either it's a "corporate presence" or actually putting a useful application on the web...whatever. All they know is they want it. Many of those businesses are cash-strapped (especially in times that are supposed to be poor, like now), and they don't have the vision to consider all the costs of a web-based project. They only see the cost of the software, hardware and either salary of who they have to hire/contract to get it done or the training budget to teach someone in house. Based on those factors alone Open Source in general (and Apache + PHP in particular) win. But, even if those poor saps in the IT department are called upon to actually give reasons besides money to go with Open Source, they can point out that there are many, many existing deployments of Open Source web servers that are happily humming along handling gobs of traffic without the susceptibility to attacks that Windows NT and 2k are normally susceptible to. Pair that with the overwhelming support of the Open Source community and you've got yourself a viable product.
But hang on, Virginia, it really isn't that simple. Microsoft is a really huge company (duh) and they've got clout in name if nothing else. Plus, IIS is ain't a half bad server and Active Server Pages really are easy to implement. Web services could make the server software more or less irrelevant, so Open Source could be on the ropes, right? WRONG! We, as the developers who are responsible for presenting all the options to our superiors, continually appeal to their desire for profit and remind them that there are alternatives to the pricey software packages they have been limited to knowing about.
If human nature is still what I think it is, the price alone will make the bean-counters salivate. The stability, proven performance and community support will make the IT managers grin. And a goddamned working product will make the customers/clients happy. Open Source may have to simply find itself a comfortable niche as the alternative to budget-busting name-brand software, but it most certainly not lose the battle for the web.
Good night.
The author writes: "Much has been written already in popular and trade press. Sun's decision to not dictate policy in its Jxta implementation allows it to sail free and clear of this controversy -- leaving the onus on the shoulders of the pioneering early adopter of Jxta technology when working on content distribution. However, the community-based evolution of Jxta technology in this arena has the potential of ensuring a smooth balance of control between the IP owners and the public at large. The open Jxta community can serve as a forum where IP owners and technologists can work out their differences."
:)
In other words, to hell with it. We know all the users are just using it for pr0n and mp3s, so why not just go with the flow and hope someone else figures out a happy medium?
Yahoo, as a corporation, is expected to act as an entity, much like you or I. And if you or I took the time and effort to make a bulletin board system and wanted to allow anyone to post to it anonymously (or at least, as anonymously as possible), then it is within our rights.
The court got this one right. No one can force Yahoo to turn over these identities and no one can tell Yahoo not to allow anonymous posting. This entire matter should have been tossed out of court as frivilous in the beginning.
I can't help but wonder how ATI can expect to compete with nVidia on the Windows platform with Microsoft and nVidia working so closely together. But I guess it's good that they give it a shot. Competition is a good thing.
Besides, what effing difference does it make? Seeing as how even the most detailed games (Quake III, Max Payne, Black & White) are running at 80 FPS, it's obvious that the cards are way ahead of the games. When is there going to be something that takes advantage of all that power and gives us a reason to plunk down $400-$500 of our hard-earned bucks?
It's been my experience that the only thing really holding the major open-source DBMSs back were exposure and solid transaction management. I hope that, by now at least, many DBAs have at least heard that there are alternatives to Oracle and SQL Server. As a programmer and database designer, I know I've been trying to keep my co-workers' and employer's eyes open to the possibility of having to use an open-source DBMS when the need arises.
It seems to me that implementing MySQL doesn't seem any more difficult that getting an Oracle database built. Although, I must say I've gotten spoiled by the GUI that's available in Microsoft's SQL Server Enterprise Manager. It's damned nice.
I guess the long and short of it is that it's good to have an alternative to Oracle, which is, in my opinion, overpriced for what it is. As long as products like MySQL keep getting better, they'll continue gaining ground as not just "alternatives" to pricey DBMSs, they'll become the DBMSs of choice.
It's actually pretty important, if no other reason than perspective, to understand how ancient civilizations used the materials around them to fashion tools and weapons. It gives us insight into how some societies rose to the level of empires and how they were in turn toppled. It gives us insight to the level of technological advancement that we, as modern people, often assume is very primitive. Let us not forget that we still aren't positive how Stonehinge, the great Pyramids of Egypt or the Easter Island statues got to where they are, and those structures were all placed by ancient people.
;)
Plus, you may not need a sword now, but what about when the government takes away your guns, Microsoft takes away your privacy and the DMCA takes away your ability to pirate without being thrown in jail?
"Quickly, my sword!"
The best thing is how it just rolls off the tongue...
/.'d, so if you've seen it all before and want to get directly to the downloads...(but I encourage browsing the whole downloads area)
Vorbis...
The site is kind of slow (as it is being
Unix/Linux (RC2)
Win (RC2)
Unix/Linux (RC2)
Macintosh
BeOS
A long time ago I heard a statement to the effect of "Don't believe everything that you read." I apply that to every bit of television, radio and print media I consume. It bothers me that we, as a society, seem to think we are the most educated people ever to live on this planet, yet we allow ourselves to be suckered by rumor, speculation and guessing.
Be a skeptic. Demand proof and accountability from your information sources.
just a thought about these types of libraries in general...
Seems to me that a lot of gamers have complained on and off about the lack of original games and general stagnation of the game industry. In my opinion, that was alleviated a bit with the introduction of 3d engines that were produced specifically to make life easier for game developers. No longer did you need to have a large staff of programmers to write your game engine (2d or 3d) from the ground up. Take a portion of your game dev budget and plunk it down for a proven graphics engine. Get some artists, perhaps some 3d modelers and have at it.
I think the proliferation and evolution of game development libraries like this will lead to making better games. The more of the budget that can be dedicated to fine-tuning the gameplay and design, the better. On the other hand, though, I fear that making games really easy and quick to create will lead to even more cheap, crappy quickie games with no substance.
I understand that Code Red is a worm, but I wish I had more of an understanding of how it really works and what it is really doing. Anyone got a good explanation or link to an explanation?