Linux is a great OS, and it is a miracle that it has come this far. But to penetrate the business market takes more than good technology, it needs suits.
Most computer purchasing decisions are not made by tech-savvy developers with their finger on the pulse of modern developments. They are made by golf-playing middle management who are being bribed left right and center by their suppliers with free trips to Hawaii and other inducements.
Linux will make it in the end, but it will be because one of the pre-existing corporations or management consultancies starts pushing it, because it improves their own bottom line.
Wow, this is sort of based on the same principle as refrigerators and airconditioning units. It looks like it will be extremely effective at cooling down an overclocked CPU.
As someone who has never overclocked my CPU, I have nothing but admiration for those brave souls who risk destroying their hardware, and being prosecuted under the DMCA all for the sake of a few extra MHz. It is this pioneering spirit which shows why time and again hackers (not crackers) are at the cutting edge of computer technology.
I pity the poor tech support person at CompUSA when someone brings one of these suckers in for repair though. Looks like it will need a plumber as well as an electronics wizard, and we all know how expensive that can be:-)
Of course I realise adequacy is satire. I just find it distasteful. Satire has never made me laugh. I find it pokes fun at weaker members of society, and tends to be a 'gloating' form of humor that the world could well do without.
I hate adequacy because it represents everything that is wrong with the Gen-X attitude to life. Nothing is sacred, everything exists to have fun made out of it.
I don't know why you are accusing me of being a troll perhaps you are mistaking me for someone else. Or perhaps you are using the 'slashdot definition' of troll: someone whom I disagree with.
Better yet, partition the communities into separate groups of users who all agree with each other. Then there would be no acrimony, and the gates-hating linux users could congratulate each other on their choice of OS all day long, while the real world Microsoft users could try and convince each other that Microsoft innovates really good technologies.
Nobody need ever be challenged by a contradictory thought or opinion...
They have about 10GB max of data, and 290 MB of images, movies, mp3 files etc. None of which is critical, and therefore does not need to be backed up.
But to answer the question: Yes - storage is overtaking backup capacity. A new approach is required. Some sort of writable DVD is probably the solution.
Have you considered a restraining order ? Legal action of any kind ? Abusive use of your computing facility (even a website) is illegal. Plain and simple.
The thing to do is litigate. Follow the money. The abusive user may not have much to lose financially, but his/her ISP sure does.
Use tools like traceroute to detect the source of the attacks. Then use the arin whois database to find the service provider. Then SUE LIKE CRAZY.
A lot of people think the Internet is not part of the real world, so they think laws do not apply.
They are wrong. There is plenty of case law on this subject.
The point is to stop looking for technical solutions to social problems. They agree to a terms and conditions when they visit your site. Make sure they fulfil their side of the legally binding contract.
The website I hate has a 'terms of use' which all posters are legally bound by. It even goes so far as to prohibit the use of the wget client. They seem to have a heavyweight legal team there too. And so far, apart from a minor DDOS attack by a jealous rival website, they have not experienced many problems, despite the highly controversial subject matter they seem to deal with.
So to conclude: Sue their asses off.
This is the machine I have been waiting for.
on
Sharp Readies SL-5000D
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· Score: 3, Interesting
I have held off buying a PDA because I wanted to make sure I could run Linux on it with the manufacturer's blessing (rather than their tolerance, indifference or outright hostility).
Microsoft will be watching the success of this one like a hawk, since their ill-fated WinCE experiment proved windows lack of scalability in the embedded market.
This could be the first of a lon long line of Linux powered handhelds. Roll on world domination !!:-)
I thought the constitution allowed reverse engineering. Or is this some new side effect of the DMCA that I wasn't aware of ?
what is the point of cloning the ARM anyway, it is relatively cheap, and hardly at the cutting edge of processor performance ?
I mean, I despise the undemocratic murderous quasi-talibanic Chinese regime as much as the next American, but really there are other issues that we could criticise China for apart from trivial copyright infractions.
I think this shows the hidden capitalist bias of slashdot. People's rights are infringed on a daily basis in China, they are committing genocide in Tibet, and what does slashdot whine about ? Intellectual Property.
I realise Americans are insular and capitalistic, but have the events of Sept 11th gone completely over your heads ? Or are you in denial ?
Risk Management is basically about identifying any factors which will cause slippage in the schedule, and enumerating them.
E.g. What happens if the scope changes. What happens if a key developer gets sick. What happens if microsoft dump the technology we are using etc etc etc etc.
By constantly monitoring the risk factors, one can get an idea of how risky (and therefore how expensive) a software project is likely to be.
There are plenty of books on the subject, the best one is Tom DiMarco's seminal 'Why Does Software Cost so Much ?'
For sure. I have worked on trading floor development, which are at CMM level -99999 and the main thing seems to be that you have to be seen to be typing something, and to appear stressed and have a sense of urgency about everything, even if what you are actually doing is crappy hacking in perl or tcl or vb with no proper analysis, and no process control.
I have also worked for an organization attempting ISO9000/9001
I know which one I preferred, because ultimately the 'macho' trading floor style developement method is pure BS, and ultimately unrewarding (spiritually). However, otoh the hack and slash of the trading floor job paid a hell of a lot better. I am not sure if that was directly related to the lack of process overhead cost though.
The amazing revealation of process is that it works. People who think they are exceptional, and 'creative' (the Code is Art brigade) do not like it, but you cannot argue with the bottom line.
In short: quality software costs money. But crappy software costs you more in the long run.
Writing software is not like building bridges because halfway through the project some dumbass from marketing doesn't come down and tell you that concrete is out and so it needs to be a steel bridge. Oh, and those tacky cables have got to go -- the focus group hated them
Oh yeah, and while we are at it, it is no longer a bridge we want, it is a tunnel. And it doesn't cross the river any more, it is going to be used as a large wine cellar. And the 50million dollar budget is now 2 million, the 3 year estimate is now six weeks, we need you to use baseball bats and plastic spoons to dig the damn thing, oh yeah and when will it be ready ?
Re:Glad someone has the guts !
on
Gamecube Guts
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· Score: 1
The problem is finding a guide to building a PC that is not riddled with jargon, and easy enough for the layman to understand.
I lose the plot when they start talking about Bus-mastering IDEs and Front Side AGP ports and the like.
Its not quite as easy as it looks to build a PC. Its not lego:-)
How long can it be before someone gets this on DIVX ? I cannot wait. In my opinion, this will be the 'make or break' movie for the whole star wars franchise.
I gave phantom menace the benefit of the doubt, but I will be reading the reviews of 'clones' very carefully before parting with my $$s.
But not with any degree of accuracy. Function point analysis is one method that has had some success. The key to delivering projects on time always has been and always will be RISK MANAGEMENT.
Software development is not a science in the normal sense. Designing large software systems is an art. It cannot be pigeonholed. Stroustrup has a lot to say about this when he describes the 'interchangable morons' concept in the 2nd edition C++ book.
Anyway, read Death march by Ed Yourdon, and the mythical man month by fred brooks, and antipatterns, any time someone asks you for an estimate say 'two weeks' and then bullshit from there on.
That is how it works in the real world. The numbers are essentially meaningless, but the bean counters and suits have to justify their existance somehow:-)
Can you imagine asking Linus when 2.5 will be ready ?
Glad someone has the guts !
on
Gamecube Guts
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· Score: 3, Informative
Whenever a new piece of hardware comes out, there is always one pioneering hacker who takes the risk, and opens the damn thing up to find out whats inside.
Long live this spirit of investigation. It is what true hacking (as opposed to cracking) is all about.
Whenever I buy a PC, the first thing I do, before I even plug it in, is take the case apart and have a look inside. Am I the only one who does this ? I doubt it:-)
VMware is another way, but its a bit expensive. I would rather spend my $300 and get some hardware to show for it and effectively 2PCs, than spend it on vmware because it will run slower.
I did have a copy of VMware which I paid for, but I lost interest when they went all 'enterprise' on it and the prices got stupid.
Still, theres always plex86, but I want to run it under Windows ME:-(
Perhaps this is the way to get over the anti Linux brigade when they say 'Linux is difficult to install'.
Just hand them a PCI card and let them get on with it. I can't help thinking it would be better on a USB device though. Then you wouldn't even need to open the case !
This is a horrendously complex set of XML schemas which do not appear to be greatly useful.
A lot of stuff was rushed out in order to jump on the XML bandwagon.
Look for stuff that is the XML conversion of some already existing message standard. FIXML for example leverages the FIX message format using XML as a transport.
Since most people will only get XP on a new machine, for the vast majority of people, their experience will be of a faster OS. Albeit not as fast as 98 or ME could have been on the same hardware, but nonetheless faster, and with better functionality.
Everybody wins. If many people were running Linux, there would be less need to keep pushing the Moore's law envelope. In that respect we should thank "Osama" Bill Gates:-) for writing bloated buggy code that requires a 2GHz processor, otherwise such machines would not have been developed, since Linux runs fine on a 400MHz PII
The extra functionality of XP demands more of the processor. However since Windows ME came out over a year ago, computers have been obeying Moore's law, and so are around twice as fast.
Most if not all users of XP will be using a bang up-to-date machine, and XP will run like a dream. Those with slower hardware who are not happy with windows should consider switching to Linux or some other OS.
This time, there is no reason to bash XP as a product, it is a rock-solid, stable, performant, secure OS. Just like slashdot's much loved Linux.
The difference is it has the backing of Microsoft, and one of the best marketing machines on the planet behind it. I think it is essentially futile for the open source community to try and fight it. It is like lying down in front of a tank. A nice gesture, but ultimately futile.
Slashdot Mirror
Most computer purchasing decisions are not made by tech-savvy developers with their finger on the pulse of modern developments. They are made by golf-playing middle management who are being bribed left right and center by their suppliers with free trips to Hawaii and other inducements.
Linux will make it in the end, but it will be because one of the pre-existing corporations or management consultancies starts pushing it, because it improves their own bottom line.
Sad but true.
As someone who has never overclocked my CPU, I have nothing but admiration for those brave souls who risk destroying their hardware, and being prosecuted under the DMCA all for the sake of a few extra MHz. It is this pioneering spirit which shows why time and again hackers (not crackers) are at the cutting edge of computer technology.
I pity the poor tech support person at CompUSA when someone brings one of these suckers in for repair though. Looks like it will need a plumber as well as an electronics wizard, and we all know how expensive that can be :-)
I hate adequacy because it represents everything that is wrong with the Gen-X attitude to life. Nothing is sacred, everything exists to have fun made out of it.
I don't know why you are accusing me of being a troll perhaps you are mistaking me for someone else. Or perhaps you are using the 'slashdot definition' of troll: someone whom I disagree with.
Nobody need ever be challenged by a contradictory thought or opinion...
But to answer the question: Yes - storage is overtaking backup capacity. A new approach is required. Some sort of writable DVD is probably the solution.
The thing to do is litigate. Follow the money. The abusive user may not have much to lose financially, but his/her ISP sure does.
Use tools like traceroute to detect the source of the attacks. Then use the arin whois database to find the service provider. Then SUE LIKE CRAZY.
A lot of people think the Internet is not part of the real world, so they think laws do not apply.
They are wrong. There is plenty of case law on this subject.
The point is to stop looking for technical solutions to social problems. They agree to a terms and conditions when they visit your site. Make sure they fulfil their side of the legally binding contract.
The website I hate has a 'terms of use' which all posters are legally bound by. It even goes so far as to prohibit the use of the wget client. They seem to have a heavyweight legal team there too. And so far, apart from a minor DDOS attack by a jealous rival website, they have not experienced many problems, despite the highly controversial subject matter they seem to deal with.
So to conclude: Sue their asses off.
Microsoft will be watching the success of this one like a hawk, since their ill-fated WinCE experiment proved windows lack of scalability in the embedded market.
This could be the first of a lon long line of Linux powered handhelds. Roll on world domination !! :-)
Areas with a strong software development base will have powerful lobbyists promoting the anti-Microsoft agenda.
No doubt in seattle there was pressure not to get involved in the lawsuit.
what is the point of cloning the ARM anyway, it is relatively cheap, and hardly at the cutting edge of processor performance ?
I mean, I despise the undemocratic murderous quasi-talibanic Chinese regime as much as the next American, but really there are other issues that we could criticise China for apart from trivial copyright infractions.
I think this shows the hidden capitalist bias of slashdot. People's rights are infringed on a daily basis in China, they are committing genocide in Tibet, and what does slashdot whine about ? Intellectual Property.
I realise Americans are insular and capitalistic, but have the events of Sept 11th gone completely over your heads ? Or are you in denial ?
E.g. What happens if the scope changes. What happens if a key developer gets sick. What happens if microsoft dump the technology we are using etc etc etc etc.
By constantly monitoring the risk factors, one can get an idea of how risky (and therefore how expensive) a software project is likely to be. There are plenty of books on the subject, the best one is Tom DiMarco's seminal 'Why Does Software Cost so Much ?'
I have also worked for an organization attempting ISO9000/9001
I know which one I preferred, because ultimately the 'macho' trading floor style developement method is pure BS, and ultimately unrewarding (spiritually). However, otoh the hack and slash of the trading floor job paid a hell of a lot better. I am not sure if that was directly related to the lack of process overhead cost though.
The amazing revealation of process is that it works. People who think they are exceptional, and 'creative' (the Code is Art brigade) do not like it, but you cannot argue with the bottom line.
In short: quality software costs money. But crappy software costs you more in the long run.
Oh yeah, and while we are at it, it is no longer a bridge we want, it is a tunnel. And it doesn't cross the river any more, it is going to be used as a large wine cellar. And the 50million dollar budget is now 2 million, the 3 year estimate is now six weeks, we need you to use baseball bats and plastic spoons to dig the damn thing, oh yeah and when will it be ready ?
I lose the plot when they start talking about Bus-mastering IDEs and Front Side AGP ports and the like.
Its not quite as easy as it looks to build a PC. Its not lego :-)
I gave phantom menace the benefit of the doubt, but I will be reading the reviews of 'clones' very carefully before parting with my $$s.
I may go and see 'harry potter' instead.
Software development is not a science in the normal sense. Designing large software systems is an art. It cannot be pigeonholed. Stroustrup has a lot to say about this when he describes the 'interchangable morons' concept in the 2nd edition C++ book.
Anyway, read Death march by Ed Yourdon, and the mythical man month by fred brooks, and antipatterns, any time someone asks you for an estimate say 'two weeks' and then bullshit from there on.
That is how it works in the real world. The numbers are essentially meaningless, but the bean counters and suits have to justify their existance somehow :-)
Can you imagine asking Linus when 2.5 will be ready ?
Long live this spirit of investigation. It is what true hacking (as opposed to cracking) is all about.
Whenever I buy a PC, the first thing I do, before I even plug it in, is take the case apart and have a look inside. Am I the only one who does this ? I doubt it :-)
I did have a copy of VMware which I paid for, but I lost interest when they went all 'enterprise' on it and the prices got stupid.
Still, theres always plex86, but I want to run it under Windows ME :-(
Just hand them a PCI card and let them get on with it. I can't help thinking it would be better on a USB device though. Then you wouldn't even need to open the case !
Those adequacy morons make me sick. If you feel the same, you should check out Linux King's anti-adequacy site: inadequacy.org
Perhaps now scientific programmers can fully leverage object oriented design instead of relying on fortran libraries from the 70s!
For example the Financial Products Markup Language is a good example.
This is a horrendously complex set of XML schemas which do not appear to be greatly useful.
A lot of stuff was rushed out in order to jump on the XML bandwagon.
Look for stuff that is the XML conversion of some already existing message standard. FIXML for example leverages the FIX message format using XML as a transport.
This can only help network engineers to come up with scalable designs that work under various load scenarios.
Everybody wins. If many people were running Linux, there would be less need to keep pushing the Moore's law envelope. In that respect we should thank "Osama" Bill Gates :-) for writing bloated buggy code that requires a 2GHz processor, otherwise such machines would not have been developed, since Linux runs fine on a 400MHz PII
Most if not all users of XP will be using a bang up-to-date machine, and XP will run like a dream. Those with slower hardware who are not happy with windows should consider switching to Linux or some other OS.
This time, there is no reason to bash XP as a product, it is a rock-solid, stable, performant, secure OS. Just like slashdot's much loved Linux.
The difference is it has the backing of Microsoft, and one of the best marketing machines on the planet behind it. I think it is essentially futile for the open source community to try and fight it. It is like lying down in front of a tank. A nice gesture, but ultimately futile.
I wish it weren't the case, but sadly it is.
Although I don't know much about it, it sounds a bit dangerous compared to the lower frequency technology.