It's sort of like reading about how linux is helping the US Military to more efficiently make weapons/train people to carry out their highly questionable "activities" worldwide.
Yay, McDonald's will be able to exploit workers, wreak havoc on the environment, and serve sub-standard more efficiently and to make more money doing it. Hooray.
Freedom is freedom and open is open but I'm not exactly gleeful about this news.
I agree that there are problems with the GIMP. The 'endless window' interfaces of dia, sodipodi, and the gimp will probably never catch on, for good reasons. Plus there are the other problems elaborated on above.
However, as I read the review I kept thinking how weird the results were. I can only attribute it to running the Mac version. I run gentoo so maybe I'm optimized more than some but I regularily work with 100MB files with no real problems (on a PIII 450). Files that photoshop for windows takes ages to handle. Furthermore, there are preview windows all over the place... I don't know if the mac version is missing them or what but I was surprised to see that mentioned.
So, I think the review is fine and it wouldn't hurt the GIMP creators to read it with an open mind probably but it seems like the article is also saying that the Mac version is slow and may be missing features... though I'm not sure why that would be.
The word translucent can be used for light passing through objects that do not scatter it. From m-w.com:
1 : permitting the passage of light: a : CLEAR, TRANSPARENT b : transmitting and diffusing light so that objects beyond cannot be seen clearly
So the site did not misuse the word. Not that your idea isn't interesting (though probably it'd be too complex to implement user-interface wise (I don't want to adjust a control everytime I want an underneath window to be in focus...)) it's just that some words can be used to indicate different things. Furthermore it's arguable that when using the alpha channel, the stuff underneath cannot be "clearly seen", it may be discernable or readable but "clear" isn't the word when there's a something else, however transparent, sitting right on top of it.
As strange and arcane as this is, it doesn't surprise me much.
Mandrake has always been full of bugs, I've always found it way less stable and useable even then microsoft stuff. I think this has something to do with KDE but it seems there are enough KDE zealots around to defeat that line of reasoning. Everyone I've talked to likes mandrake's bubbly user friendliness at first... until they realize things keep crashing and/or are only half implemented.
If a Redhat or Debian distribution had this problem I'd be blown away, Mandrakes complete instability somehow makes it unsurprising.
One way to get a knife in the back
on
The Diamond Age
·
· Score: 1
It's exciting and interesting that they're getting better at this process but we're not on the verge of any sort of leap here. 'The General' is talking about selling the diamonds for 50% less to wholesalers at the cheapest which isn't exactly a discount rate. He's no anarchist or freedom loving slashdot user, he's in it for the cash, nothing else.
If 'The General' and Bryant Linares survive the next few years, both physically and metaphorically (in that their companies continue to operate), we'll see a couple of big diamond barons instead of one.
I don't know if anyone has noticed but competetion in this system doesn't exactly lead to things being priced reasonably compared to their production costs. Hate to haul out the economic theory on y'all but this ain't no adam smith world.
I figure Apollo and Gemesis will just quietly shut down. I think De Beers will find 'ways of persuading them'.
I'm all for highspeed internet access, especially being a resident of Alberta, but...
One thing not mentioned, that is typical of the Alberta government with their 'bold' and 'innovative' money making ideas, is the fact that these cables have to be laid in the ground. I haven't dug out my topographical maps but it looks to me like a lot of these internet access areas intersect or encompass native land claims/reserves. I'm sure that the government will whip up public support for the project in the media before any native protests are heard so they'll be easily quashed and ignored.
"Who cares about them damnass backward injuns, eh, I need my high-speed in-ter-net"
Especially for a monopolostic company, you need to understand how consumers use your software. As usual MS missed the boat.
Back in the day (before I was enlightened) and I actually used Windows, one of the important things was that I could share it with my family and a few things, or vice versa. Or that when windows totally screwed up I could bring over a windows disk and fix their system. Even if I was still uninitiated into open source I'd be looking for a new OS if I had to phone MS to "activate" my software everytime I tried to fix it, reinstall it, or whatever (or else I'd be pirating a cracked version like crazy to everyone I know).
Piracy allows a whole bunch of people to use something right away, if they like it, they give it to their friends or tell them to buy it or their friends just hear about them using it all the time. It builds up momentum and sets up this environment where a bunch a people are using the software and more people see that and then buy it. Some nice priates even choose to buy the stuff they pirate and like. I dare say a large number of games have gotten enormously popular riding fame based partly in piracy (unreal tournament?), not just making sure no one at all can use the software without paying.
pf
Displays the lack of integrity of the US justice system? Depends how you define the word but I think it shows real integrity. In that we can continue to expect big corporations to operate outside of (or control) the legal system. That hasn't changed since the beginning of US history!
It's more than IE wanting to render the site in an IE specific way.
As anyone who develops web pages knows: IE is the biggest monstrosity for making pages viewable by all. They don't follow all the standards and their implementation is always full of bugs. Maybe in the lastest versions (I only test pages with IE5.5sp2) they finally got it together but last time I checked they still haven't figured out how to do things like CSS margins and inheritance decently (which seems pretty basic to me).
MS likes to do what it wants and have standards be written according to their implementation. I can't believe they, of all companies, are saying that mozilla doesn't comply to W3C standards.
Can you imagine what people would have done 100 years ago if they weren't allowed to walk into their place of work without being searched? Revolt, that's what.
Why do we have an ever increasing tolerance for having our freedom removed by the state? Partially due to the fear mongering we're exposed to every day (the recent corporate media coverage of the hijackings was a pretty good example). Fear and paranoia are very real and I understand why people would think that it's reasonable to give up their freedom in exchange for protection but we have to realize who's giving the protection, what type of protection their giving us, and why they are removing our freedom.
The state has a lot to gain from isolating us from each other. Now we need protection against those "Whackos" at the place where we work. Who remembers the string of videos for kids in the 80's with the message "Never talk to strangers"? Communities question, discuss, and have the power to act. This is pretty threatening to the man. Safer for him if we're isolated and afraid of other people and if our personal freedom is severely restricted. "Terrorist" is just the buzzword of the day to further the public psyches' fear of each other.
Remember everyone, good citizens go to work/school, drive their individual vehicle home, lock the door, turn on the alarm, and watch TV. Let the police take care of the criminals/activists/terrorists/illegal aliens/anarchists/immigrants/(insert flavour of the month here).
Slashdot Mirror
I think it can.
It's sort of like reading about how linux is helping the US Military to more efficiently make weapons/train people to carry out their highly questionable "activities" worldwide. Yay, McDonald's will be able to exploit workers, wreak havoc on the environment, and serve sub-standard more efficiently and to make more money doing it. Hooray. Freedom is freedom and open is open but I'm not exactly gleeful about this news.
I agree that there are problems with the GIMP. The 'endless window' interfaces of dia, sodipodi, and the gimp will probably never catch on, for good reasons. Plus there are the other problems elaborated on above. However, as I read the review I kept thinking how weird the results were. I can only attribute it to running the Mac version. I run gentoo so maybe I'm optimized more than some but I regularily work with 100MB files with no real problems (on a PIII 450). Files that photoshop for windows takes ages to handle. Furthermore, there are preview windows all over the place... I don't know if the mac version is missing them or what but I was surprised to see that mentioned. So, I think the review is fine and it wouldn't hurt the GIMP creators to read it with an open mind probably but it seems like the article is also saying that the Mac version is slow and may be missing features... though I'm not sure why that would be.
If there's a habitable planet in Vega and I manage to get myself there, I'd be the most veganist vegan around.
Some of my ovo-lacto vegetarian friends could come with and thereby gain "vegan" status without giving up cheese pizzas.
As strange and arcane as this is, it doesn't surprise me much.
Mandrake has always been full of bugs, I've always found it way less stable and useable even then microsoft stuff. I think this has something to do with KDE but it seems there are enough KDE zealots around to defeat that line of reasoning. Everyone I've talked to likes mandrake's bubbly user friendliness at first... until they realize things keep crashing and/or are only half implemented.
If a Redhat or Debian distribution had this problem I'd be blown away, Mandrakes complete instability somehow makes it unsurprising.
It's exciting and interesting that they're getting better at this process but we're not on the verge of any sort of leap here. 'The General' is talking about selling the diamonds for 50% less to wholesalers at the cheapest which isn't exactly a discount rate. He's no anarchist or freedom loving slashdot user, he's in it for the cash, nothing else.
If 'The General' and Bryant Linares survive the next few years, both physically and metaphorically (in that their companies continue to operate), we'll see a couple of big diamond barons instead of one.
I don't know if anyone has noticed but competetion in this system doesn't exactly lead to things being priced reasonably compared to their production costs. Hate to haul out the economic theory on y'all but this ain't no adam smith world.
I figure Apollo and Gemesis will just quietly shut down. I think De Beers will find 'ways of persuading them'.
I'm all for highspeed internet access, especially being a resident of Alberta, but...
One thing not mentioned, that is typical of the Alberta government with their 'bold' and 'innovative' money making ideas, is the fact that these cables have to be laid in the ground. I haven't dug out my topographical maps but it looks to me like a lot of these internet access areas intersect or encompass native land claims/reserves. I'm sure that the government will whip up public support for the project in the media before any native protests are heard so they'll be easily quashed and ignored.
"Who cares about them damnass backward injuns, eh, I need my high-speed in-ter-net"
I might bag your groceries but I can still do differential equations!
Ursula K. Le Guin's two 2001 releases, The Other Wind and Tales From Earthsea, were some of the most amazing books I've ever read.
I've learned more from reading Ursula Le Guin than I can even express. If you haven't read this author yet you are missing out!
Especially for a monopolostic company, you need to understand how consumers use your software. As usual MS missed the boat. Back in the day (before I was enlightened) and I actually used Windows, one of the important things was that I could share it with my family and a few things, or vice versa. Or that when windows totally screwed up I could bring over a windows disk and fix their system. Even if I was still uninitiated into open source I'd be looking for a new OS if I had to phone MS to "activate" my software everytime I tried to fix it, reinstall it, or whatever (or else I'd be pirating a cracked version like crazy to everyone I know). Piracy allows a whole bunch of people to use something right away, if they like it, they give it to their friends or tell them to buy it or their friends just hear about them using it all the time. It builds up momentum and sets up this environment where a bunch a people are using the software and more people see that and then buy it. Some nice priates even choose to buy the stuff they pirate and like. I dare say a large number of games have gotten enormously popular riding fame based partly in piracy (unreal tournament?), not just making sure no one at all can use the software without paying. pf
Displays the lack of integrity of the US justice system? Depends how you define the word but I think it shows real integrity. In that we can continue to expect big corporations to operate outside of (or control) the legal system. That hasn't changed since the beginning of US history!
It's more than IE wanting to render the site in an IE specific way.
As anyone who develops web pages knows: IE is the biggest monstrosity for making pages viewable by all. They don't follow all the standards and their implementation is always full of bugs. Maybe in the lastest versions (I only test pages with IE5.5sp2) they finally got it together but last time I checked they still haven't figured out how to do things like CSS margins and inheritance decently (which seems pretty basic to me).
MS likes to do what it wants and have standards be written according to their implementation. I can't believe they, of all companies, are saying that mozilla doesn't comply to W3C standards.
the princess
Can you imagine what people would have done 100 years ago if they weren't allowed to walk into their place of work without being searched? Revolt, that's what.
Why do we have an ever increasing tolerance for having our freedom removed by the state? Partially due to the fear mongering we're exposed to every day (the recent corporate media coverage of the hijackings was a pretty good example). Fear and paranoia are very real and I understand why people would think that it's reasonable to give up their freedom in exchange for protection but we have to realize who's giving the protection, what type of protection their giving us, and why they are removing our freedom.
The state has a lot to gain from isolating us from each other. Now we need protection against those "Whackos" at the place where we work. Who remembers the string of videos for kids in the 80's with the message "Never talk to strangers"? Communities question, discuss, and have the power to act. This is pretty threatening to the man. Safer for him if we're isolated and afraid of other people and if our personal freedom is severely restricted. "Terrorist" is just the buzzword of the day to further the public psyches' fear of each other.
Remember everyone, good citizens go to work/school, drive their individual vehicle home, lock the door, turn on the alarm, and watch TV. Let the police take care of the criminals/activists/terrorists/illegal aliens/anarchists/immigrants/(insert flavour of the month here).
The princess.