"An ordeal every time someone sends you a Microsoft Office file."
Every company has a standard office suite. It's called standard because everyone has the same program, so they can share documents.
It matters not whether a company chooses MS Office, Corel Office, Star Office, Lotus Suite, KDE office, or the Gnome collection. All that is required is that the company picks one and makes it standard
If you want to send a document to someone not knowing what software they run, you'd be insane to choose an obscure word processor format to send it in, whether that be.DOC or Gzipped Abiword XML. At least if you send someone an Abiword document, you can point them to a free program that they can download to read it [abisource.com], same as you can with WordViewer.
"Inconsistent support. If Joe Sixpack were to look for support on a Linux program, usually there's no 1-900 number. If he were to dig up the mailing list info and send in a question, how long would it be before someone says "RTFM!"? What's he gonna do when TFM is half-written or poorly translated from some strange Tibetan dialect?"
I seem to remember Alan Cox publishing his work phone number on the web. I answer all support emails within a couple of days, even though I'm not paid to, and nobody pays for my programs. Other FS authors seem to do the same.
And if you have paid for a product, try asking Mandrake to fix a problem? Their support is fantastic. It's a breath of fresh air to anyone who's had to deal with microsoft lack-of-support in the past.
"A user interface which is slow, designed by computer geeks for what *we* like, rather than designed by marketing departments for what *the public* likes"
The easiest way to let people know how good Mozilla is is to say that it's programmed by users for users, rather than IE6 which is programmed by advertisers for advertisers. It's a kind'a neat way to summarise everything that's good about opensource (i.e. it works for you, not against you)
As to colour-schemes not being as good as XP, my office just unanimously decided not to use XP on any work computers -- we all hate it's so-slow animations, garish colours, and condascending attitude. And these are professional windows programmers.
"Will the government officials who enacted the USA PATRIOT act ever have to really be subjected to the same things they allowed to be done to us?"
Easy way to find out. Leave a car outside the AG's house with a webcam surveilling him, then follow him around videotaping him on his evenings out. After all, CCTV is for your own safety, right?
Interesting to see that the mayor in this article (that's Mayor Vera Katz, Portland, Oregon, for the benefit of search engines) Mayor Vera Katz already knew that sifting through rubbish was a gross invasion of privacy, and that was why she kept her own bins so well defended, even as she endorsed the prosecution of one of her colleagues using illegal evidence from a previous search.
"If Microsoft doesn't own the patents on DRM, and will have to pay royalties to include it, what incentive will they have to include it in their operating systems?"
The chance not to have an injunction banning them from selling any copies of WindowsXP or XBox until the case is resolved?
After all, the German lawyer (one guy) did it to RedHat (Ref: Krayon), so no reason why a larger company can't do it to microsoft.
Step 1: Print 2 identical numberplates onto paper. Step 2: Hold first numberplate to speed camera on the A1 Step 3: A friend holds the second number plate to the next speed camera.
Adjust timing to a "believable" level, somewhere around 150mph. Wander around your competitors' carpark to gather numberplates to use...
every new technology is designed to be a straightforward as possible at first... Why doesn't anybody ever release the secure version in the first place?
Like BlueTooth, for example? With a specification so incredibly complex that none of the potential manufacturers have a clue how to make compliant products...
Then compare that with POP or HTTP, where you could probably write the server in a single line of code, with the right programming language. Seems to be easier to support, and you can add an optional security layer later without much problem.
"more likely they just want a fat discount from Microsoft..."
As opposed to a 100% discount by not using microsoft at all?
According to the article, most people just use the bank's one big application, and that's written in java. Linux is good at running java; Windows isn't. Hence they want to run it on linux.
That also means their application is network-accessible, hence you can do work there using only a browser. And if you only want a browser, which operating system would you choose? (hint: perhaps not one with an insecure browser and a broken java machine)
Because the U.S. Congress decided that libraries have to implement software like Net Nanny or else lose federal funding. The American Library Associate is fighting the law in the U.S. Supreme Court:
However, I don't have a problem with a library using some form of control to block access to sites that lie outside of the mission of a public library.
The difference is between (a) not buying books you don't like, and (b) ripping pages out of the books you already have. (given to you free, indeed)
Libraries are there to store and provide information. As much as possible. Any site incorrectly blocked reduces the amount of information available at the library, thus "reducing the ability of the library to perform its mission" in your vocabulary, whereas leaving "non-core" sites unblocked does not reduce the amount of information available at the library.
-- The flesh library might have more categorisation problems in store with their new adult arrivals pages.
There was talk of using exactly that logo to mark the homes/offices of those who collaborate with just this kind of data-gathering operation. Like warchalking, but to highlight the spies amongst us.
Kind'a weird that they've chosen it for a DARA project logo.
OK, so how come we can't get a train or bus to arrive in time? It's a much shorter distance and scaled down, we should be able to get millisecond accuracy across town.
"Please close the doors, this satellite is ready to depart."
"We are sorry to announce that the Cassini Saturn service will be delayed by... fifty... eight... minutes, due to... the delay of an incoming satellite."
"Would the driver of Cassini 2002 please report to launchpad 2, where your satellite is waiting."
(p.s. yes it's a satellite (of saturn) and not a probe this time)
Slashdot Mirror
"Binary Distributions For Everything."
I have to say, typing "configure/make/make install" is no more complicated than "Unzip/Run/Next/Next/Agree/Next"
As installers go, GNU is one of the best, and certainly more powerful, flexible, and easy to use than InstallShield or Inno.
"An ordeal every time someone sends you a Microsoft Office file."
.DOC or Gzipped Abiword XML. At least if you send someone an Abiword document, you can point them to a free program that they can download to read it [abisource.com], same as you can with WordViewer.
Every company has a standard office suite. It's called standard because everyone has the same program, so they can share documents.
It matters not whether a company chooses MS Office, Corel Office, Star Office, Lotus Suite, KDE office, or the Gnome collection. All that is required is that the company picks one and makes it standard
If you want to send a document to someone not knowing what software they run, you'd be insane to choose an obscure word processor format to send it in, whether that be
"Inconsistent support. If Joe Sixpack were to look for support on a Linux program, usually there's no 1-900 number. If he were to dig up the mailing list info and send in a question, how long would it be before someone says "RTFM!"? What's he gonna do when TFM is half-written or poorly translated from some strange Tibetan dialect?"
I seem to remember Alan Cox publishing his work phone number on the web. I answer all support emails within a couple of days, even though I'm not paid to, and nobody pays for my programs. Other FS authors seem to do the same.
And if you have paid for a product, try asking Mandrake to fix a problem? Their support is fantastic. It's a breath of fresh air to anyone who's had to deal with microsoft lack-of-support in the past.
"A user interface which is slow, designed by computer geeks for what *we* like, rather than designed by marketing departments for what *the public* likes"
The easiest way to let people know how good Mozilla is is to say that it's programmed by users for users, rather than IE6 which is programmed by advertisers for advertisers. It's a kind'a neat way to summarise everything that's good about opensource (i.e. it works for you, not against you)
As to colour-schemes not being as good as XP, my office just unanimously decided not to use XP on any work computers -- we all hate it's so-slow animations, garish colours, and condascending attitude. And these are professional windows programmers.
"What's the cargo capacity on one of those drones?"
You might fit a fag packet and a set of spare underwear. Best leave the crates of books behind, though.
"Will the government officials who enacted the USA PATRIOT act ever have to really be subjected to the same things they allowed to be done to us?"
Easy way to find out. Leave a car outside the AG's house with a webcam surveilling him, then follow him around videotaping him on his evenings out. After all, CCTV is for your own safety, right?
Interesting to see that the mayor in this article (that's Mayor Vera Katz, Portland, Oregon, for the benefit of search engines) Mayor Vera Katz already knew that sifting through rubbish was a gross invasion of privacy, and that was why she kept her own bins so well defended, even as she endorsed the prosecution of one of her colleagues using illegal evidence from a previous search.
"And obviously his homepage is http://members.lycos.co.uk/hostintheshell"
Lycos, of course, being famous for their efforts to defend free speech on hosted websites.
Anyone have a list of mirrors?
"If you are programmer, best way to support FSF is to donate code not money."
This time I'm donating money to get the cool bootable linux distribution on a business card that they're using as membership cards!
"This will revolutionize the desktop background industry!"
xplanet.sourceforge.net
"If Microsoft doesn't own the patents on DRM, and will have to pay royalties to include it, what incentive will they have to include it in their operating systems?"
The chance not to have an injunction banning them from selling any copies of WindowsXP or XBox until the case is resolved?
After all, the German lawyer (one guy) did it to RedHat (Ref: Krayon), so no reason why a larger company can't do it to microsoft.
That's what I do. I usually click "YES" in the EULA popup and install the program, but deep down inside I don't agree with it.
So long as you don't read it, there's no consideration, and without consideration there can be no contract.
There is also no signature, nor proof of acceptance, therefore again, no contract.
HELP WANTED AD: Person in Germany to click EULA agreements for me.
It is a lot easier to filter out email then it is to go through 300+ letters a day to figure out if any of them are important.
Yeah, especially if some of them look really like important bills and legal documents, or domain-name renewals.
Oops, did I just suggest something?
Wouldn't this be useless to anybody that builds from source?
Yeah. If you check the source code before you install it. Could you fix some bugs while you're there...
"cofigure/make/install" is no more secure than a binary.
Step 1: Print 2 identical numberplates onto paper.
Step 2: Hold first numberplate to speed camera on the A1
Step 3: A friend holds the second number plate to the next speed camera.
Adjust timing to a "believable" level, somewhere around 150mph. Wander around your competitors' carpark to gather numberplates to use...
every new technology is designed to be a straightforward as possible at first ... Why doesn't anybody ever release the secure version in the first place?
Like BlueTooth, for example? With a specification so incredibly complex that none of the potential manufacturers have a clue how to make compliant products...
Then compare that with POP or HTTP, where you could probably write the server in a single line of code, with the right programming language. Seems to be easier to support, and you can add an optional security layer later without much problem.
"more likely they just want a fat discount from Microsoft..."
As opposed to a 100% discount by not using microsoft at all?
According to the article, most people just use the bank's one big application, and that's written in java. Linux is good at running java; Windows isn't. Hence they want to run it on linux.
That also means their application is network-accessible, hence you can do work there using only a browser. And if you only want a browser, which operating system would you choose? (hint: perhaps not one with an insecure browser and a broken java machine)
because windows doesn't have bash. So it needs bashing, hence cygwin.
You can't use windows. Really. The command line is just plain awful. Bring back DOS.
Because the U.S. Congress decided that libraries have to implement software like Net Nanny or else lose federal funding.
The American Library Associate is fighting the law in the U.S. Supreme Court:
Yes, and they won. Several months ago.
However, I don't have a problem with a library using some form of control to block access to sites that lie outside of the mission of a public library.
The difference is between (a) not buying books you don't like, and (b) ripping pages out of the books you already have. (given to you free, indeed)
Libraries are there to store and provide information. As much as possible. Any site incorrectly blocked reduces the amount of information available at the library, thus "reducing the ability of the library to perform its mission" in your vocabulary, whereas leaving "non-core" sites unblocked does not reduce the amount of information available at the library.
--
The flesh library might have more categorisation problems in store with their new adult arrivals pages.
Office 11 will have an XML format available, but the default will still be .doc.
You can change this by embedding a VB-macro which changes the default filetype. Create such a macro'd document, and email it to Word users.
20 or so lawyers versus the satanic empire itself? Hmmmm, they'll get real far with this one...
There was talk of using exactly that logo to mark the homes/offices of those who collaborate with just this kind of data-gathering operation. Like warchalking, but to highlight the spies amongst us.
Kind'a weird that they've chosen it for a DARA project logo.
Can you put desktop cases in racks, or do they have to be server cases?
OK, so how come we can't get a train or bus to arrive in time? It's a much shorter distance and scaled down, we should be able to get millisecond accuracy across town.
... fifty ... eight ... minutes, due to ... the delay of an incoming satellite."
"Please close the doors, this satellite is ready to depart."
"We are sorry to announce that the Cassini Saturn service will be delayed by
"Would the driver of Cassini 2002 please report to launchpad 2, where your satellite is waiting."
(p.s. yes it's a satellite (of saturn) and not a probe this time)
That little white pixel is Saturns largest moon Titan.
It's also a composite image, which means the titan bit was exposed 3 times as much as the saturn bit, hence you can see it.