After a Hotmail crash some months back John Dvorak started this rumor (that MS deliberately brought Hotmail down). It was one of his more humorous pieces at the time; it's kinda stale now. BTW Now that Linux is on the ZD radar I'm looking for Dvorak to write some really funny stuff about our little revolution. "Transmeta is Paul Allen's (& Bill's) way to *buy* Linus" "The secret code in RedHat" "LinuxOne to be bigger than TurboLinux" Oh, I can't wait.
What a great thought. Second the motion. I enjoy Jon Katz's writings on/. but AL combines insightful social commentary with a solid knowledge of the technology and coding.
A powerful and fact filled article, How COINTELPRO helped destroy the movements of the 60's, is here: http://mediafilter.org/mff/usdomcovops1.html Read it and weep.
Three years ago Y2K was being handled by the bean counters and lawyers. Gary North put up the best set of links to Y2K--and an apocalyptic commentary to the links. And things started to happen. Assuming we get thru OK, we'll never know if he was Paul Revere or Chicken Little.
I visited Orlando several times in the early 60s. It was a small city with a comfortable, easy going ambiance. Jon, be sure you talk to some of the old-timers there and get their take on what happened to their little city.
TCI, The nation's largest cable television company, is in talks to launch a unique pilot project in conjunction with Pacific Gas & Electric Co. & Microsoft Corporation to design a "smart home". The home automation industry is expected to triple in size, from $1.7 billion this year to more than $5.1 billion by the year 2000.
NOVENBER 28, 1995 - Moved in at last. Finally, we live in the smartest house in the neighborhood. Everything's networked. The cable TV is connected to our phone, whitch is connected to my PC, whitch is connected to the power lines, all the appliances and security system. Everything runs off a universal remote with the freindliest interface I've ever used. Programming is a snap. I'm like totally wired.
NOVEMBER 30 - Hot stuff! Programmed my VCR from the office, turned up the thermostat and switched on the lights with the car phone, remotely tweaked the oven a few degrees for my pizza. Everythings nice and cozy when I arrived. Maybe I should have the universal remote surgically attached.
DECEMBER 3 - Yesterday, the kitchen crashed. Freak event. As I opened the refridgerator door, the light blew. Immediately, everything else electrical shut down - lights, microwave, coffee maker - everything! Carefully, I unplugged and plaugged all the appliances back in. Nothing called the cable company (but not from the kitchen phone). The utility insists the problem was in the software. So the software company runs some remote telediagnostics via my house processor. Their expert system claims it has to be the utility's fault. I dont care. I just want my kitchen back. More remote diagnostics. Turns out the problem was "unanticipated failure mode". The network had never seen a refridgerator bulb failure while the door was open. So the fuzzy logic interpreted the burnout as a power surge and shut down the entire kitchen. But because sensor memory confirmed that there hadn't actually been a power surge, the kitchen's logic sequence was confused so it couldn't do a standard restart. The utility guy swears this had never happened. Rebooting the kitchen took over an hour.
DECEMBER 7 - The police are not happy. Our house keeps calling them for help. We discover that whenever we play the TV or stereo above 25 desibels, it creates patterns of micro-vibrations that get amplified when they hit the window. When these vibrations mix with with a gust of wind, the security sensors are activated and the police computer concludes that someone is trying to break in. Go figure... Another glitch: whenever the basement is in self-diagnostic mode, the universal remote won't let me change the channels on my TV. That means I actually have to get up off the couch and change the TV channels by hand. The software and the utility people say this flaw will be fixed in the upgrade - Smarthouse 2.1 but it's not ready yet.
DECEMBER 12 - This is a nightmare! Theres a virus in the house. My PC caught it while browsing the public access network. I come home and the living room is a sauna, the bedroom windows are covered with ice, and the reffridgerator has defrosted. The washing machine has flooded the basement, the garage door is cycling up and down, and the TV is stuck on the Home Shopping Channel. Throughout the house, lights flicker like strobescopes until they explode from the strain. Broken glass is everywhere. Of course the security sensors detect nothing. I look at the message slowly throbbing on my PC screen: "Welcome to Homewrecker!!! Now the fun begins. Be at ever so humble, Theres no virus like Homewrecker..." I get out of the house, FAST!
DECEMBER 18 - They think Iv'e digtally disinfected the house but the place is in shambles. Pipes have bursts and we're not completely sure we've got that part of the virus that attacks toilets. Nevertheless, The Exorcists - as the anti-virus SWAT members like to call themselves - are confident the worst is over. "Homewrecker is pretty bad," one tells me, "but consider yourself lucky you didn't get Poltergiest. That one is really evil".
DECEMBER 19 - apparently, our house isn't insured for viruses, "Fires and mud slides yes," says the claims adjuster, "Viruses, no". My agreement with the Smarthouse poeple explicitly states that all claims warranties are null, and void if any appliances or computer in my house networks in any way, shape, or form with a non-certified on-line services. Everybody's very sorry but they can't be axpected to anticipate every virus that may be created. We call our lawyer. He laughs. He's excited.
DECEMBER 21 - I get a call from a Smarthouse sales rep. As a special holiday offer, we get the free oppertunity to become a beta site for the company's new Smarthouse 2.1 upgrade. He say's I'll be able to meet the programmers personally. "SURE!!!" I tell him.....
I just took a look at internet.com and saw what they did to BoardWatch magazine. And other sites. Sad. LT and/. are my 2 favorite sites by far. I won't be using LT after they change the format.
was developed in 1943 to decipher German codes. It contained 1,500 vacuum tubes and was based on several electronic decipering machines ("bombs") built by Alan Turing.
Whoever you are. Non ACs here only wish the best for "Malda" OAWS Rob or CmdrTaco; and the rest of the/. crew, and RedHat, and those to come: VA Linux, Caldera, Corel,... Live long and prosper. It's good to see $$ coming down on righteous people. May RMS find 10's of millions of $$ raining upon his head.
I really liked my SuSE 6.1 install but I switched to OL 2.2 after trying it. It doesn't have that incredible software library that is so easy to install, *sigh* and OL seems to be a little less "snappy" but it is so slick. Won't appeal to the hard core but any newbie will love it. Choice is good!
Slashdot Mirror
After a Hotmail crash some months back John Dvorak started this rumor (that MS deliberately brought Hotmail down). It was one of his more humorous pieces at the time; it's kinda stale now. BTW Now that Linux is on the ZD radar I'm looking for Dvorak to write some really funny stuff about our little revolution. "Transmeta is Paul Allen's (& Bill's) way to *buy* Linus" "The secret code in RedHat" "LinuxOne to be bigger than TurboLinux" Oh, I can't wait.
What a great thought. Second the motion. I enjoy Jon Katz's writings on /. but AL combines insightful social commentary with a solid knowledge of the technology and coding.
NASA has said they plan to have a woman on the first manned Mars mission. Just in case someone has to ask for directions.
This seems informative to me. Why was it moderated: Troll?
A powerful and fact filled article, How COINTELPRO helped destroy the movements of the 60's, is here:
http://mediafilter.org/mff/usdomcovops1.html
Read it and weep.
'nuff said
Three years ago Y2K was being handled by the bean counters and lawyers. Gary North put up the best set of links to Y2K--and an apocalyptic commentary to the links. And things started to happen. Assuming we get thru OK, we'll never know if he was Paul Revere or Chicken Little.
I visited Orlando several times in the early 60s. It was a small city with a comfortable, easy going ambiance. Jon, be sure you talk to some of the old-timers there and get their take on what happened to their little city.
MY KITCHEN JUST CRASHED
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TCI, The nation's largest cable television company, is in talks to launch a
unique pilot project in conjunction with Pacific Gas & Electric Co. &
Microsoft Corporation to design a "smart home". The home automation industry
is expected to triple in size, from $1.7 billion this year to more than
$5.1 billion by the year 2000.
NOVENBER 28, 1995 - Moved in at last. Finally, we live in the smartest house
in the neighborhood. Everything's networked. The cable TV is connected to our
phone, whitch is connected to my PC, whitch is connected to the power lines,
all the appliances and security system. Everything runs off a universal
remote with the freindliest interface I've ever used. Programming is a snap.
I'm like totally wired.
NOVEMBER 30 - Hot stuff! Programmed my VCR from the office, turned up the
thermostat and switched on the lights with the car phone, remotely tweaked
the oven a few degrees for my pizza. Everythings nice and cozy when I arrived.
Maybe I should have the universal remote surgically attached.
DECEMBER 3 - Yesterday, the kitchen crashed. Freak event. As I opened the
refridgerator door, the light blew. Immediately, everything else electrical
shut down - lights, microwave, coffee maker - everything! Carefully,
I unplugged and plaugged all the appliances back in. Nothing called the cable
company (but not from the kitchen phone). The utility insists the problem was
in the software. So the software company runs some remote telediagnostics via
my house processor. Their expert system claims it has to be the utility's
fault. I dont care. I just want my kitchen back. More remote diagnostics.
Turns out the problem was "unanticipated failure mode". The network had never
seen a refridgerator bulb failure while the door was open.
So the fuzzy logic interpreted the burnout as a power surge and shut down the
entire kitchen. But because sensor memory confirmed that there hadn't actually
been a power surge, the kitchen's logic sequence was confused so it couldn't
do a standard restart. The utility guy swears this had never happened.
Rebooting the kitchen took over an hour.
DECEMBER 7 - The police are not happy. Our house keeps calling them for help.
We discover that whenever we play the TV or stereo above 25 desibels, it
creates patterns of micro-vibrations that get amplified when they hit the
window. When these vibrations mix with with a gust of wind, the security
sensors are activated and the police computer concludes that someone is trying
to break in. Go figure... Another glitch: whenever the basement is in
self-diagnostic mode, the universal remote won't let me change the channels
on my TV. That means I actually have to get up off the couch and change the
TV channels by hand. The software and the utility people say this flaw will be
fixed in the upgrade - Smarthouse 2.1 but it's not ready yet.
DECEMBER 12 - This is a nightmare! Theres a virus in the house. My PC caught
it while browsing the public access network. I come home and the living room
is a sauna, the bedroom windows are covered with ice, and the reffridgerator
has defrosted. The washing machine has flooded the basement, the garage door
is cycling up and down, and the TV is stuck on the Home Shopping Channel.
Throughout the house, lights flicker like strobescopes until they explode
from the strain. Broken glass is everywhere. Of course the security sensors
detect nothing. I look at the message slowly throbbing on my PC screen:
"Welcome to Homewrecker!!! Now the fun begins. Be at ever so humble, Theres
no virus like Homewrecker..." I get out of the house, FAST!
DECEMBER 18 - They think Iv'e digtally disinfected the house but the place is
in shambles. Pipes have bursts and we're not completely sure we've got that
part of the virus that attacks toilets. Nevertheless, The Exorcists - as
the anti-virus SWAT members like to call themselves - are confident the
worst is over. "Homewrecker is pretty bad," one tells me, "but consider
yourself lucky you didn't get Poltergiest. That one is really evil".
DECEMBER 19 - apparently, our house isn't insured for viruses, "Fires and
mud slides yes," says the claims adjuster, "Viruses, no". My agreement with
the Smarthouse poeple explicitly states that all claims warranties are null,
and void if any appliances or computer in my house networks in any way, shape,
or form with a non-certified on-line services. Everybody's very sorry but they
can't be axpected to anticipate every virus that may be created. We call our
lawyer. He laughs. He's excited.
DECEMBER 21 - I get a call from a Smarthouse sales rep. As a special holiday
offer, we get the free oppertunity to become a beta site for the company's
new Smarthouse 2.1 upgrade. He say's I'll be able to meet the programmers
personally. "SURE!!!" I tell him.....
---aurthor unknown
Thanks mochaone for expressing this problem so well. As a /. member I've been very embarassed by our treatment of Jon.
wrote this:
http://www.drue.com/writings/geekgirl.html
I just took a look at internet.com and saw what they did to BoardWatch magazine. And other sites. Sad. LT and /. are my 2 favorite sites by far. I won't be using LT after they change the format.
Corel was once great and it seems to be coming back--I sure like WordPerfect for Linux. Is he the founder or son of the founder?
Scott McNealy is so blinded by envy/hatred of Bill Gates that he can't see that.
Would you want a midwife to name your baby?--LT
Whoops, sorry, didn't mean to shout. But, after reading all the BS above and then coming across a gem like this I just had to.
The RedHat people also said they appreciated that they were welcome to use Mandrake GPL additions in RedHat.
I enjoy reading Jon Katz;I bought his book, VR and have saved dozens of keeper articles. That said, your posting cracked me up. Thanks for the laugh.
Caught me. My Pierre Sallinger filter was down at the time.
was developed in 1943 to decipher German codes. It contained 1,500 vacuum tubes and was based on several electronic decipering machines ("bombs") built by Alan Turing.
Whoever you are. Non ACs here only wish the best for "Malda" OAWS Rob or CmdrTaco; and the rest of the /. crew, and RedHat, and those to come: VA Linux, Caldera, Corel, ... Live long and prosper. It's good to see $$ coming down on righteous people. May RMS find 10's of millions of $$ raining upon his head.
I really liked my SuSE 6.1 install but I switched to OL 2.2 after trying it. It doesn't have that incredible software library that is so easy to install, *sigh* and OL seems to be a little less "snappy" but it is so slick. Won't appeal to the hard core but any newbie will love it. Choice is good!
Insightful!
Listen to the man. (All you RedHat bashers)
Try google.com, you'll like it.