I think the original poster was thinking more about desktops than servers when he was speaking of usability, although the point holds somewhat with servers as well.
Let's face the ugly truth: to a non-tech head, Linux is hard to use, hard to install, full of meaningless technobabble and developer speak, and easy to totally screw up. The Linux community seems to be composed of one part technical people (who are usually unable to phrase things in layman's terms) one part evangelical (who immediately stomp and -1 Troll/Flamebait anyone who dares speak out against their god Linux) and one part helpful, useful people who are trying to move Linux along in an inclusive fashion.
Linux is an awesome server. I can say that because servers generally are (or should be) run by people who actually know something about computers. Those of us in the know realize that the fine-grained structure of Linux, its endless configurability and extendability, are plusses. To newbies, this is a minus, because more confusing choices is not a better thing. This is, IMHO, a primary reason why Linux has not and probably will not succeed in the desktop space. Something called "Linux" may one day dominate desktops, but it will not be resemble the thing we call "Linux" today.
As for service differences between Redmond and newsgroups, I have to say I've had good and bad from both. MS has been good at doggedly staying with me until a problem is solved, they've also been stupid by suggesting fixes that clearly have no impact on the problem (reference your "swap file" call).
Linux responses have been good in that there is usually no shortage of help, but the help quality is a HUGE variable. I'll say this: if Linux zealots would get a goddam chip off their shoulder and quit bashing "newbies" as clueless fools, they'd get a lot more converts to the "cause". And spewing technospeak about makefiles, kernel recompilation, and obscure jargon does not help. Just because you find it easy does not mean everyone else will. Until the Linux community understands that and compensates for it, Linux will remain in the server world forever. Some would like it to stay that way; I am not one of those people, because as long as MS controls the desktop, they will use it to bludgeon Linux out of existence. Witness what they did to Novell, which at its height controlled the server market with much more of an iron hand than Linux ever has or can ever hope to. Linux folk who say that could never happen are deluding themselves.
Given time, MS will steamroller ANYONE, regardless of merit. The only way to fight them is to steamroller them first, and living in a world of geeks and server closets is NOT going to accomplish this. Linux must grow to accept non-technical people, and more importantly, so must the Linux community. Think about that next time you see a struggling newbie ask what a command line is.
Bowie, you're wasting your breath stating the obvious on Slashdot. The crowd here seems to be comprised of a bunch of twentysomething hackers who think "the man" is keeping them down. Corporations are evil here -- not just evil like the boogeyman, I mean evil like Satan, Hitler, and bin Laden all rolled into one. These folks hate corporations, never once imagining that without them, we'd have no computers, no phones, no cars...you get the idea.
Yes, I immediately noted the slant on the artile, starting with the title. Are you surpised? I'm not. It seems de rigeur on Slashdot. Like you I started small, clawed my way up from Admin to Engineering, to I.T. management. I make good money and work damn hard for it, and I don't complain. Of course, since I'm now in management, I'm immediately hated by/.'ers.
I got news for you management-haters and corporation-haters out there: the only way things will ever be run YOUR WAY is if YOU enter management yourself! Either found your own company or rise within the ranks of the one you're already in. If you simply sit in your cubicle and bitch, then you're no better than those you criticize. Worse, you become part of the pathetic mass of apathy that would rather complain than do.
And guess what? If you do rise to a position that lets you manage or supervise, you may find that the things you were bitching about are that way for a reason that actually makes sense. Amazing what can happen when you open your eyes and see things from another perspective.
So you'd work for free? Good to hear it. Tell that to your boss and I'm sure he could accomodate you promptly!;-)
What's stopping this idea isn't labor, it's capital investment. ISP's take an awful lot of hardware, power, physical plant, and telecom needs to get going. Even a garden variety ISP would take $10 million to get started if you planned on serving anything more than a single community or small club of people. Then there's the ongoing telecom/power costs as well. There is simply no way it will ever work -- it's too costly to keep going.
Thank you for volunteering my tax dollars to fund your idea, which I disagree with. Now I'd like to propose that you pay a tax to support my commute to work each day, since that benefits my idea of cheaper transportation.
The point is this: federalization means acres of beauracracy and waste. You thought NSI was bad? Welcome to government! No customer service. No alternatives. No new innovations. And you damn well can't sue them, either, if things go down poorly. Don't forget government is the big protector of Politically Correct Speech(tm) these days. You might find them more eager to shut you down than some commercial ISP's/corporations!
It's very easy for a company to send a "cease and desist" letter to someone like you, that neither means they have the legal wherewithall to prosecute you nor the time/money to do so. They hope you will be intimidated by the letter and comply. Sounds like borg to me.
What this is rooted in is not necessarily some greedy corporate culture drones out there (although they do exist) but more in patent and trademark law. Both, unfortunately, are horrifically broken in this modern era. What you are probably getting needled for is so that TI can defend it's trademark. Here's why:
Trademark law (in the U.S.) put simply states that if you do not vigorously defend your trademark, you lose it. "Vigorous" to lawyers means you sue anyone, anywhere, anytime they might appear to be infringing. Thus, the letter to you. TI could care less what you're doing, but the damn legal system wants its pound of flesh, and the corporate lawyers on retainer know that.
I'm willing to bet that outside the legal department nobody at TI has one inkling of an idea that you were "threatened". Further, and this has worked for me in the past, if you contact someone higher up in the company (and it is damnably difficult -- use the "investor relations" links to get their contact info) you'll usually find them sympathetic to your cause if you're not slandering them left and right. Nobody wants a PR black eye, and it's very easy to distribute negative info on a company to the entire world overnight via the Internet.
So, to sum it up, if you're being threatened, stand your ground. If things look to get nasty, contact the EFF for legal assistance. As a last resort, the ACLU might be of help sometimes as well (for Americans only, though). Sooner or later the legal system will change to catch up with technology.
As has probably been stated (but I shall restate) corrosion is the enemy of watercooling setups far more than most people give credit for. If you don't put some sort of anti-corrosion additive into your water, you're going to have black or greenish water (depends on waterblock material, copper or aluminum) in about four days. Forget algae growth and all that which might take weeks, corrosion will destroy your system in no time.
Think I'm wrong? Go to www.overclock-watercool.com and look at the links on water additives like Redline's Water Wetter. Without it, the system had black water and a fouled pump in a couple of days. Of course, Water Wetter will swiftly kill your fish, too, so that's not such a "hot" idea.
If you really want to do this you'll have to build a water-to-water heat exchanger. This is going to be a lot of trouble but if you really want to this would be kinda neat (in a geeky way). If you're unfamiliar with heat exchangers, look up info on nuclear reactors, who have two coolant loops. One is "hot" (radioactive) that cools the nuclear core itself (analagous to your processor), the second is the "outside" loop that never mixes with the "hot" loop but picks up heat from it via a heat exchange ("outside" analogous to your fishtank).
Oh, by the way, you should check out the thermal dissapation figures of the processor you're talking about. My Athlon 1800+ dual setup (watercooled, by Koolance.com) puts out about 80W of heat per processor. I have five of these (I do 3D graphics) and they warm the room in the winter without any heat. Unless you have a truly massive fishtank (large thermal sink) you're going to overheat your fish. They won't boil, but it would definitely kill them.
You cannot ban something simply because it has the potential to be abused. If I start dropping piano's from the top of a building onto innocent bystanders, should we ban piano's? Or how about make a law that no building can be over 1 story in height?
The above example serves to illustrate that everything has the potential for abuse if someone really wants to abuse it. Hydroponics are used frequently in growing marijauna, but it is not illegal to produce, buy, or use hydroponics, nor should it be.
Some fools have used the "it could be abused, so ban it" argument to argue for banning firearms. They've frequently used the "well, it has no other purpose than to kill", which is entirely incorrect and very shortsighted to those of us who enjoy target shooting at clays just for the heck of it. The argument than Felten's work should be illegal because it has no other purpose than to allow illegal copying is ridiculous.
After all, when I buy a CD with music on it, fair use says I can do anything I want with that music short of providing copies to someone else who hasn't paid for it. If I want to rip it, MP3 encode it, and then listen to it on my portable MP3 player, fair use says I can, while the DMCA says I can't. Fair use predates DMCA by a good bit, and many feel that the DMCA is patently illegal itself. I have little doubt that eventually the consumer will win on this one, simply because the RIAA cannot stop the march of technology. They can continue to try and secure their music, but ultimately it will backfire as consumers will not put up with increasing hassles in order to enjoy their entertainment.
And let's not forget that an army of hackers, crackers, and n'er-do-well's out there will always have a leg up in cracking the stuff that the MPAA and RIAA produce. We will always win, it may just take time.
If anarchy is so good, how come in the past 10,000 years of history it has never lasted nor succeeded? I'll tell you why: because a fractious society of individuals cannot stand against a more organized, united force of similar numbers. It is true, and cannot be denied.
Anarchy isn't the answer any more than Despotism is. Extreme forms of government DO NOT WORK, and it is childish to think they will just because you want it to be so. True longevity is derived from balance. Anarchy means no laws: if I can find a way to kill you, it's perfectly alright to do so, and vice versa. If I want to rape your wife and get away with it, I face no penalty if you cannot bring force to bear on me. Ditto for stealing your stuff. Despotism means no freedom: you live at the sufferance of the government, and you can be made to disappear without consequence if the government decides they don't like you anymore.
To date, the best possible form of government devised by man is the Representative Democracy. It is not perfect, and perfection is not possible anymore than it is possible to calculate infinity, but it has preserved more freedom longer than any other form of government in history. In the end, it will prevail regardless of national affiliate, because it is the only thing that balances personal freedoms with responsiblity for actions.
Your failing is that you fail to understand the military-political junta that rules China. You say the massacre was the result of the government's inability to control the military. Well, perhaps you don't know it, but the military for all practical purposes IS the government. No Chinese leader can survive long without the military's support, thus they are loathe to anger them. After all, without the military, the people could rise up and topple the government. And the military leaders are well burrowed into the halls of power and are not about to give it up without of fight. "Might makes right" indeed.
The Soviets had a similar problem, and it was their undoing. You cannot hold a population oppressed without military control, but then the military becomes the government. Corruption and waste follow, then decay and overthowing of that government.
You are an anarchist? No government at all, eh? Well, your ideal has been tried, and it failed, miserably. Anarchy will never work. Why? Because most people are, by nature, sheep. They do not want the responsibility for their own lives, they want someone else to lead them, someone else to take responsibility. It has been that way since the dawn of humanity, and it's not going to change anytime soon. Anarchy may sound nice, but then again so does Communism. It won't work, and perhaps when you've grown a little older you will understand why.
Hear hear! You have espoused an idea that I thought was long past anyone grasping: power is not taken from the people, it is given by the people to the government.
Even the most totalitarian regime in history was outnumbered by the citizens of said regime. If a revolt happened on a national scale, any government could be toppled, even the U.S. All that's needed is citizens with courage -- Ghandi proved that to the mightiest empire in modern times (Britain), and he never fired a shot. It is not easy, it is hard. People die. But what is better? Living in oppression or fighting and perhaps dying for freedom? I would rather fight and take my chances than huddle at the government's whim. It's a pity that more people don't realize where power comes from, but then again they are educated from day one by government institutions that "the system" is unfightable.
You're right, there are an infinite number of economic systems waiting to be explored. The one we're currently in is called "capitalism", and it's the most successful in history. Is it the pinnacle? Of course not, but it's the best we've come up with so far. Unless you've got a better idea that hasn't been tried in the last, oh, say, 3000 years, you really shouldn't be knocking it so much.
How is the game rigged from the beginning? Your argument seems to indicate that it's impossible to succeed on your own, that you can't fight the system. Now, where did Linux come from?
The point is this: bashing corporate culture while enjoying the prosperity it creates is hypocrisy. And people that work hard don't make it to the top? That's news to me. I'm 30 years old. I joined the Marines at age 18 from a divorced family living at the poverty wage. I got out of the Marines, paid for my own schooling (no handouts, thank you), got a private sector job as an asst. sysadmin.
Today, I'm in charge of a small (8 person) I.T. department for a successful development company. I'm at the Director level now, and I'm gunning to climb to VP in another few years. I work my ass off, and I'm well compensated for it. I've worked with plenty of "employees" who bitch and moan about how they never get what they deserve. Well, none of the people who work for me gripe about that. I can't speak about other managers and directors, but don't blame the whole system because a few people screw it up. It insults those of us who have worked hard and are enjoying the fruits of our labors.
You CAN succeed on your own, merit IS rewarded if you work hard and persist, and corporations DO produce wealth, despite some inane ranting above to the contrary. What is wealth? Wealth is prosperity, the ability to live life with the luxuries and priviliges that you've earned by working hard and making the right decisions.
So, to those of you who think the system is rigged, that old money dominates, and the halls of power are reserved to those with suits and ties, who the hell is this Linus Torvalds guy?
Do I like Gates or his products? Of course not. But he got there by starting with nothing and making something. You could come up with an awesome idea tomorrow, spend 20 years marketting it, bringing it forward, and become a billionaire just like him. Now, should you hate yourself because "the system" rewarded you? Or are you going to lie and say that you'd live like a monk and eschew material things and donate it all to the poor?
So Tiannamen Square was just like the Seattle/WTO demonstration? Gosh, I didn't know that the U.S. government jacked up their soldiers with mind-altering drugs and then ran over protesters with tanks while gunning them down with machine guns. That must've not made the news.
Bottom line: the protesters weren't looting or destroying the city, and the city inhabitants weren't opposed to their presence. The longer they stayed, the more support they got. The Chinese government probably did want to end it peacefully (to save international face) but when the chips came down, they resorted to the same things that tyrants always resort to: I will kill you if you don't do what I say.
Seattle was nothing like that. Protesters WERE looting and destroying things, and they had absolutely no "noble" goal in mind other than to preach anarchy. Comparing Seattle to T-square both demeans the Chinese protesters and endows the Seattle protesters with honor they don't deserve.
I find it really interesting you critizing Capitalism so much. And what, pray tell, does the Canadian economy run on? Bear skins? No, it runs on dollars, Canadian and U.S. alike. You are probably paid by a "corporate master", and if you were fired tomorrow, you'd have to seek employment from another "corporate master". The car you drive was made by a company with a "corporate master", and your PC was designed by a company with a "corporate master". No doubt you think the world would be a much nicer place if someone else ran things...why, somebody like you! Yes! There's the answer! Oh, but then you'd be a "corporate master", right?
What is your solution? Dissolve all companies and turn the clock back, say, thirty centuries? I got news for you, bud, companies PRODUCE wealth, the don't take it. Not happy with your job? Go find another one. Can't find a company that doesn't have a "corporate master"? Live on the street, or start your own hippy commune.
For all the hatred of Capitalism, it has created more technology, more wealth, and more prosperity than any other system in the history of the world. What folks seem to focus on is the "left behind" and the "super wealthy", and the gap between. You know why there's a gap? Because people who work hard, take risks, and take responsibility usually succeed and make it to the top. Those that sit around and gripe about their "corporate masters" become the "left behind". Which are you?
Okay, so we're just supposed to look out for freedom on the home front, eh? "Screw the rest of the world, I'm looking out for ME!" It's called isolationist, and it's largely to blame for two World Wars last century. Go pick up a history book, you might learn something.
Was 9/11 horrific? Of course. But what should we do about it? Well, the Taliban is pretty much gone, so that's thing number one. But in the long run, America's security has a lot to do with the rest of the world. If we don't stand up for freedom everywhere, we risk being the only place on Earth where it's practiced (albeit imperfectly).
Now, I'm not going to say "get over it" because you've already been told that. I'm going to say "do something about it". You gripe and moan about people's priorities, but I don't hear any solutions coming from you, or even a point other than you don't like people getting on with their lives. It is possible to carry on a normal life and not forget about a horrific event. We did it for about 4 years during WWII, and we still haven't forgotten Pearl Harbor. Let people deal with things their own way, and stop trying to make people conform to your idea of mourning.
And, of course, the government sponsored and controlled media is a bastion of objectivity, right? After all, Pravda was a model of non-propaganda, wouldn't you say?
Wake up and smell the logic, buddy. If you think non-China news outlets are just sources of propaganda, then perhaps you ought to check with the Chinese government -- I think they have a job for you somewhere as a government censor.
The argument has been made that by giving MFN trading status to China will introduce western ideas and culture along with the economic advantages that China is so desperate to secure. I am somewhat divided on the issue. Sure, putting a Micky D's on every street corner will help, but it takes much more than that to start people thinking "free".
Baby steps, perhaps, but something just feels loathsome about "rewarding" China for their past transgressions by giving them MFN status. One thing is certain, however -- China's communist regime will eventually fall. "Nothing is so powerful a force as an idea who's time has come".
All living, thinking things desire freedom, and all things will eventually get it. If history has shown us anything, it's that repressed populations ALWAYS win in the end. Why? The oppressors grow old and die, or the culture changes and passes them by, or external forces sweep in with change. Progress cannot be stopped, and ultimate freedom is the ultimate progress. China's government is heading down, they just don't know it yet.
Just pick up this week's copy of U.S. News and World Report and you'll find an article in there about how the Internet should be creating global utopia through the free exchange of information. The author even specifically states that China doesn't fear the 'net because they screen things with "The Great Firewall of China". Well, we now see how well THAT'S worked.
I personally think global utopia is a pipe dream, no matter what the methods proposed to get there. People will always disagree on something, and extremists from those arguments will seek to have their ideas implemented by force.
What does the Internet represent to China? Free ideas that cannot be controlled by a communist central government. It must be noted that many Islamic countries practice similar "bans" in order to keep their people in the dark and allow corrupt regimes to keep on corrupting.
Those of you who supported the "Europe Bans Hate Speech" initiative last week should take a long look here and see just where your "ideas" would take you. Trying to control any one idea or thought is just as bad as trying to control any of them. Sure, you may think it's a good idea now, but what happens when they come for YOU?
Oh, we're such bullies! After all, we built the largest collection of advanced military might this world has ever seen. We have more weapons, more warheads, more tanks, planes, ships, and subs than anyone else in the world...
...and what have we done with it? What glorious wars of conquest have we embarked on? How many peaceful, benevolent countries have we invaded, slaughtered the poor, ransacked their riches, and ruled them with an iron fist?
None. That's right -- none. Now, last time I checked, France, Spain, Italy, Great Britain, and a host of other European countries have had an awful lot of blood on their hands. Remember "the sun never sets on the British Empire?" How about Japan and Manchuria? Or for that matter modern-day China versus Taiwan? Taiwan wants independence, and China parks some nukes on their front doorstep and says "go ahead, make our day". But I hear no mention from you on that.
The Taliban beat and stone their citizens to death for having beards too short, or women showing their feet. In some middle-eastern countries it is legal to kill your wife if she commits adultery, but the male partner gets no punishment at all. Iraq systematically gassed their own people. The former Soviet balkan states have committed bloody attrocities of ethnic cleansing just like good 'ole Hitler wanted in '39, and it's sixty years later!
But the U.S. is the worst thing on the planet, right? I mean, after all, we've done all this nasty saber rattling instead of killing people, conquering, and lobbing nuclear missle tests at democratic nations.
Y'know, if this is the thanks we get for showing down the Soviet Bear, sometimes I think we ought to have just let them have Europe. After all, the current citizenry seems to WANT us banished from the Earth when 20 years ago they were screaming for us to protect them. Perhaps after a few decades under oppressive Soviet rule would make you appreciate the fact that while we are not angels, we're a damn sight better than the alternatives. Perhaps we should've made a deal with the Soviets to divide up Europe, and the invade from each end, Poland style. Oh, but that would suck because we'd end up with the French portion.
That's interesting...you're certainly advocating on how WE should behave. But I forgot, it's okay for everyone to hate the U.S. these days. We're so evil, right?
You've got 20% refugees and asylum seekers? Please, you're talking to someone who's country was NOTHING BUT refugees when it started, so quit with the holier-than-thou attitude. I bet we have more Mexicans come into Texas in a month than you have refugees in a year.
You created the Red Cross symbol? Whoopie! Good for you. Now who funds the majority of the Red Cross? The U.S. Where are the majority if its people located? In the U.S. Seeing a trend here? Oh, I forget, you're wearing your anti-U.S. glasses that prevent you from seeing anything reasonable.
You say the Swiss BANKS were responsible for Nazi collaboration. If your history books hadn't been rewritten you'd know that your government was an active collaborator with the Germans. Do you honestly think that the government was oblivious to what was going on, and that the banks operated on their own? If you think that, you're more naive than I first took you for. They were anxious to prove their "neutrality" to Hitler, and performed a nice act of "appeasement" all on their own. Oh, and if the banks were the evil ones, why has it taken your government half a century to own up to stashing Nazi loot, and then not giving it back even now?
International Labor Organization -- sounds like a nice, collective, workers paradise type of operation. Smells like a union. Acts like a socialist organization. Oh, I forget, you guys think socialist is a GOOD thing.
And where does the W.H.O. get all the fancy drugs, the top-notch treatments, the latest medical procedures from? The vast majority come from our shores.
So, I think I can sum you up right about now. You're happy to live with all the wonderful benefits that you've derived from the U.S. (technology, medicine, economic, military) but you think we're Satan's gift to the world. Around these parts, we call that a hypocrite. Go look it up.
Here in the U.S. we have a really good phrase that applies here: "put up or shut up". Quite literally, it means if you're going to complain about how someone is doing something wrong, you must be prepared to do it right yourself.
Switzerland has a really neat history of not giving a damn about anything outside of its own borders, and you have the gall to consider us insular and self-centered? Where were you when the Nazi's were bowling across Europe? Oh, I forgot, you were helping the Nazi's stash their gold, taken from dead Jews.
I'm not a Jew, BTW, I'm a Christian, but I mourn for the murdered no matter their nationality or religion.
Yes, Switzerland has a fine history of helping the rest of the world, doing good at every turn, funding third world countries, protecting liberty, enriching the world. Pardon me whilst I throw up. There is only so much sarcasm I can come up with.
Is the U.S. perfect? Not by a long shot. And I'm not trying to say "you too have problems". We ALL have problems. The difference is, the U.S. does something about our problems. Our solutions don't always work the way intended, but it's a damn sight better that sitting around and ignoring the rest of the world.
"The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in times of great moral crisis, preserve their neutrality".
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I think the original poster was thinking more about desktops than servers when he was speaking of usability, although the point holds somewhat with servers as well.
Let's face the ugly truth: to a non-tech head, Linux is hard to use, hard to install, full of meaningless technobabble and developer speak, and easy to totally screw up. The Linux community seems to be composed of one part technical people (who are usually unable to phrase things in layman's terms) one part evangelical (who immediately stomp and -1 Troll/Flamebait anyone who dares speak out against their god Linux) and one part helpful, useful people who are trying to move Linux along in an inclusive fashion.
Linux is an awesome server. I can say that because servers generally are (or should be) run by people who actually know something about computers. Those of us in the know realize that the fine-grained structure of Linux, its endless configurability and extendability, are plusses. To newbies, this is a minus, because more confusing choices is not a better thing. This is, IMHO, a primary reason why Linux has not and probably will not succeed in the desktop space. Something called "Linux" may one day dominate desktops, but it will not be resemble the thing we call "Linux" today.
As for service differences between Redmond and newsgroups, I have to say I've had good and bad from both. MS has been good at doggedly staying with me until a problem is solved, they've also been stupid by suggesting fixes that clearly have no impact on the problem (reference your "swap file" call).
Linux responses have been good in that there is usually no shortage of help, but the help quality is a HUGE variable. I'll say this: if Linux zealots would get a goddam chip off their shoulder and quit bashing "newbies" as clueless fools, they'd get a lot more converts to the "cause". And spewing technospeak about makefiles, kernel recompilation, and obscure jargon does not help. Just because you find it easy does not mean everyone else will. Until the Linux community understands that and compensates for it, Linux will remain in the server world forever. Some would like it to stay that way; I am not one of those people, because as long as MS controls the desktop, they will use it to bludgeon Linux out of existence. Witness what they did to Novell, which at its height controlled the server market with much more of an iron hand than Linux ever has or can ever hope to. Linux folk who say that could never happen are deluding themselves.
Given time, MS will steamroller ANYONE, regardless of merit. The only way to fight them is to steamroller them first, and living in a world of geeks and server closets is NOT going to accomplish this. Linux must grow to accept non-technical people, and more importantly, so must the Linux community. Think about that next time you see a struggling newbie ask what a command line is.
Bowie, you're wasting your breath stating the obvious on Slashdot. The crowd here seems to be comprised of a bunch of twentysomething hackers who think "the man" is keeping them down. Corporations are evil here -- not just evil like the boogeyman, I mean evil like Satan, Hitler, and bin Laden all rolled into one. These folks hate corporations, never once imagining that without them, we'd have no computers, no phones, no cars...you get the idea.
/.'ers.
Yes, I immediately noted the slant on the artile, starting with the title. Are you surpised? I'm not. It seems de rigeur on Slashdot. Like you I started small, clawed my way up from Admin to Engineering, to I.T. management. I make good money and work damn hard for it, and I don't complain. Of course, since I'm now in management, I'm immediately hated by
I got news for you management-haters and corporation-haters out there: the only way things will ever be run YOUR WAY is if YOU enter management yourself! Either found your own company or rise within the ranks of the one you're already in. If you simply sit in your cubicle and bitch, then you're no better than those you criticize. Worse, you become part of the pathetic mass of apathy that would rather complain than do.
And guess what? If you do rise to a position that lets you manage or supervise, you may find that the things you were bitching about are that way for a reason that actually makes sense. Amazing what can happen when you open your eyes and see things from another perspective.
So you'd work for free? Good to hear it. Tell that to your boss and I'm sure he could accomodate you promptly! ;-)
What's stopping this idea isn't labor, it's capital investment. ISP's take an awful lot of hardware, power, physical plant, and telecom needs to get going. Even a garden variety ISP would take $10 million to get started if you planned on serving anything more than a single community or small club of people. Then there's the ongoing telecom/power costs as well. There is simply no way it will ever work -- it's too costly to keep going.
Thank you for volunteering my tax dollars to fund your idea, which I disagree with. Now I'd like to propose that you pay a tax to support my commute to work each day, since that benefits my idea of cheaper transportation.
The point is this: federalization means acres of beauracracy and waste. You thought NSI was bad? Welcome to government! No customer service. No alternatives. No new innovations. And you damn well can't sue them, either, if things go down poorly. Don't forget government is the big protector of Politically Correct Speech(tm) these days. You might find them more eager to shut you down than some commercial ISP's/corporations!
It's very easy for a company to send a "cease and desist" letter to someone like you, that neither means they have the legal wherewithall to prosecute you nor the time/money to do so. They hope you will be intimidated by the letter and comply. Sounds like borg to me.
What this is rooted in is not necessarily some greedy corporate culture drones out there (although they do exist) but more in patent and trademark law. Both, unfortunately, are horrifically broken in this modern era. What you are probably getting needled for is so that TI can defend it's trademark. Here's why:
Trademark law (in the U.S.) put simply states that if you do not vigorously defend your trademark, you lose it. "Vigorous" to lawyers means you sue anyone, anywhere, anytime they might appear to be infringing. Thus, the letter to you. TI could care less what you're doing, but the damn legal system wants its pound of flesh, and the corporate lawyers on retainer know that.
I'm willing to bet that outside the legal department nobody at TI has one inkling of an idea that you were "threatened". Further, and this has worked for me in the past, if you contact someone higher up in the company (and it is damnably difficult -- use the "investor relations" links to get their contact info) you'll usually find them sympathetic to your cause if you're not slandering them left and right. Nobody wants a PR black eye, and it's very easy to distribute negative info on a company to the entire world overnight via the Internet.
So, to sum it up, if you're being threatened, stand your ground. If things look to get nasty, contact the EFF for legal assistance. As a last resort, the ACLU might be of help sometimes as well (for Americans only, though). Sooner or later the legal system will change to catch up with technology.
As has probably been stated (but I shall restate) corrosion is the enemy of watercooling setups far more than most people give credit for. If you don't put some sort of anti-corrosion additive into your water, you're going to have black or greenish water (depends on waterblock material, copper or aluminum) in about four days. Forget algae growth and all that which might take weeks, corrosion will destroy your system in no time.
Think I'm wrong? Go to www.overclock-watercool.com and look at the links on water additives like Redline's Water Wetter. Without it, the system had black water and a fouled pump in a couple of days. Of course, Water Wetter will swiftly kill your fish, too, so that's not such a "hot" idea.
If you really want to do this you'll have to build a water-to-water heat exchanger. This is going to be a lot of trouble but if you really want to this would be kinda neat (in a geeky way). If you're unfamiliar with heat exchangers, look up info on nuclear reactors, who have two coolant loops. One is "hot" (radioactive) that cools the nuclear core itself (analagous to your processor), the second is the "outside" loop that never mixes with the "hot" loop but picks up heat from it via a heat exchange ("outside" analogous to your fishtank).
Oh, by the way, you should check out the thermal dissapation figures of the processor you're talking about. My Athlon 1800+ dual setup (watercooled, by Koolance.com) puts out about 80W of heat per processor. I have five of these (I do 3D graphics) and they warm the room in the winter without any heat. Unless you have a truly massive fishtank (large thermal sink) you're going to overheat your fish. They won't boil, but it would definitely kill them.
Gee, I think I can sum up the reaction: with only two comments in about five hours, I'd have to say the overall reaction is "uhh...what's OpenGL?"
Sad but true.
You cannot ban something simply because it has the potential to be abused. If I start dropping piano's from the top of a building onto innocent bystanders, should we ban piano's? Or how about make a law that no building can be over 1 story in height?
The above example serves to illustrate that everything has the potential for abuse if someone really wants to abuse it. Hydroponics are used frequently in growing marijauna, but it is not illegal to produce, buy, or use hydroponics, nor should it be.
Some fools have used the "it could be abused, so ban it" argument to argue for banning firearms. They've frequently used the "well, it has no other purpose than to kill", which is entirely incorrect and very shortsighted to those of us who enjoy target shooting at clays just for the heck of it. The argument than Felten's work should be illegal because it has no other purpose than to allow illegal copying is ridiculous.
After all, when I buy a CD with music on it, fair use says I can do anything I want with that music short of providing copies to someone else who hasn't paid for it. If I want to rip it, MP3 encode it, and then listen to it on my portable MP3 player, fair use says I can, while the DMCA says I can't. Fair use predates DMCA by a good bit, and many feel that the DMCA is patently illegal itself. I have little doubt that eventually the consumer will win on this one, simply because the RIAA cannot stop the march of technology. They can continue to try and secure their music, but ultimately it will backfire as consumers will not put up with increasing hassles in order to enjoy their entertainment.
And let's not forget that an army of hackers, crackers, and n'er-do-well's out there will always have a leg up in cracking the stuff that the MPAA and RIAA produce. We will always win, it may just take time.
It's my goat, and you've gotten it for the last time!
If anarchy is so good, how come in the past 10,000 years of history it has never lasted nor succeeded? I'll tell you why: because a fractious society of individuals cannot stand against a more organized, united force of similar numbers. It is true, and cannot be denied.
Anarchy isn't the answer any more than Despotism is. Extreme forms of government DO NOT WORK, and it is childish to think they will just because you want it to be so. True longevity is derived from balance. Anarchy means no laws: if I can find a way to kill you, it's perfectly alright to do so, and vice versa. If I want to rape your wife and get away with it, I face no penalty if you cannot bring force to bear on me. Ditto for stealing your stuff. Despotism means no freedom: you live at the sufferance of the government, and you can be made to disappear without consequence if the government decides they don't like you anymore.
To date, the best possible form of government devised by man is the Representative Democracy. It is not perfect, and perfection is not possible anymore than it is possible to calculate infinity, but it has preserved more freedom longer than any other form of government in history. In the end, it will prevail regardless of national affiliate, because it is the only thing that balances personal freedoms with responsiblity for actions.
Your failing is that you fail to understand the military-political junta that rules China. You say the massacre was the result of the government's inability to control the military. Well, perhaps you don't know it, but the military for all practical purposes IS the government. No Chinese leader can survive long without the military's support, thus they are loathe to anger them. After all, without the military, the people could rise up and topple the government. And the military leaders are well burrowed into the halls of power and are not about to give it up without of fight. "Might makes right" indeed.
The Soviets had a similar problem, and it was their undoing. You cannot hold a population oppressed without military control, but then the military becomes the government. Corruption and waste follow, then decay and overthowing of that government.
You are an anarchist? No government at all, eh? Well, your ideal has been tried, and it failed, miserably. Anarchy will never work. Why? Because most people are, by nature, sheep. They do not want the responsibility for their own lives, they want someone else to lead them, someone else to take responsibility. It has been that way since the dawn of humanity, and it's not going to change anytime soon. Anarchy may sound nice, but then again so does Communism. It won't work, and perhaps when you've grown a little older you will understand why.
Hear hear! You have espoused an idea that I thought was long past anyone grasping: power is not taken from the people, it is given by the people to the government.
Even the most totalitarian regime in history was outnumbered by the citizens of said regime. If a revolt happened on a national scale, any government could be toppled, even the U.S. All that's needed is citizens with courage -- Ghandi proved that to the mightiest empire in modern times (Britain), and he never fired a shot. It is not easy, it is hard. People die. But what is better? Living in oppression or fighting and perhaps dying for freedom? I would rather fight and take my chances than huddle at the government's whim. It's a pity that more people don't realize where power comes from, but then again they are educated from day one by government institutions that "the system" is unfightable.
What does that have to do with anything?
You're right, there are an infinite number of economic systems waiting to be explored. The one we're currently in is called "capitalism", and it's the most successful in history. Is it the pinnacle? Of course not, but it's the best we've come up with so far. Unless you've got a better idea that hasn't been tried in the last, oh, say, 3000 years, you really shouldn't be knocking it so much.
How is the game rigged from the beginning? Your argument seems to indicate that it's impossible to succeed on your own, that you can't fight the system. Now, where did Linux come from?
The point is this: bashing corporate culture while enjoying the prosperity it creates is hypocrisy. And people that work hard don't make it to the top? That's news to me. I'm 30 years old. I joined the Marines at age 18 from a divorced family living at the poverty wage. I got out of the Marines, paid for my own schooling (no handouts, thank you), got a private sector job as an asst. sysadmin.
Today, I'm in charge of a small (8 person) I.T. department for a successful development company. I'm at the Director level now, and I'm gunning to climb to VP in another few years. I work my ass off, and I'm well compensated for it. I've worked with plenty of "employees" who bitch and moan about how they never get what they deserve. Well, none of the people who work for me gripe about that. I can't speak about other managers and directors, but don't blame the whole system because a few people screw it up. It insults those of us who have worked hard and are enjoying the fruits of our labors.
You CAN succeed on your own, merit IS rewarded if you work hard and persist, and corporations DO produce wealth, despite some inane ranting above to the contrary. What is wealth? Wealth is prosperity, the ability to live life with the luxuries and priviliges that you've earned by working hard and making the right decisions.
So, to those of you who think the system is rigged, that old money dominates, and the halls of power are reserved to those with suits and ties, who the hell is this Linus Torvalds guy?
Do I like Gates or his products? Of course not. But he got there by starting with nothing and making something. You could come up with an awesome idea tomorrow, spend 20 years marketting it, bringing it forward, and become a billionaire just like him. Now, should you hate yourself because "the system" rewarded you? Or are you going to lie and say that you'd live like a monk and eschew material things and donate it all to the poor?
So Tiannamen Square was just like the Seattle/WTO demonstration? Gosh, I didn't know that the U.S. government jacked up their soldiers with mind-altering drugs and then ran over protesters with tanks while gunning them down with machine guns. That must've not made the news.
Bottom line: the protesters weren't looting or destroying the city, and the city inhabitants weren't opposed to their presence. The longer they stayed, the more support they got. The Chinese government probably did want to end it peacefully (to save international face) but when the chips came down, they resorted to the same things that tyrants always resort to: I will kill you if you don't do what I say.
Seattle was nothing like that. Protesters WERE looting and destroying things, and they had absolutely no "noble" goal in mind other than to preach anarchy. Comparing Seattle to T-square both demeans the Chinese protesters and endows the Seattle protesters with honor they don't deserve.
I find it really interesting you critizing Capitalism so much. And what, pray tell, does the Canadian economy run on? Bear skins? No, it runs on dollars, Canadian and U.S. alike. You are probably paid by a "corporate master", and if you were fired tomorrow, you'd have to seek employment from another "corporate master". The car you drive was made by a company with a "corporate master", and your PC was designed by a company with a "corporate master". No doubt you think the world would be a much nicer place if someone else ran things...why, somebody like you! Yes! There's the answer! Oh, but then you'd be a "corporate master", right?
What is your solution? Dissolve all companies and turn the clock back, say, thirty centuries? I got news for you, bud, companies PRODUCE wealth, the don't take it. Not happy with your job? Go find another one. Can't find a company that doesn't have a "corporate master"? Live on the street, or start your own hippy commune.
For all the hatred of Capitalism, it has created more technology, more wealth, and more prosperity than any other system in the history of the world. What folks seem to focus on is the "left behind" and the "super wealthy", and the gap between. You know why there's a gap? Because people who work hard, take risks, and take responsibility usually succeed and make it to the top. Those that sit around and gripe about their "corporate masters" become the "left behind". Which are you?
Okay, so we're just supposed to look out for freedom on the home front, eh? "Screw the rest of the world, I'm looking out for ME!" It's called isolationist, and it's largely to blame for two World Wars last century. Go pick up a history book, you might learn something.
Was 9/11 horrific? Of course. But what should we do about it? Well, the Taliban is pretty much gone, so that's thing number one. But in the long run, America's security has a lot to do with the rest of the world. If we don't stand up for freedom everywhere, we risk being the only place on Earth where it's practiced (albeit imperfectly).
Now, I'm not going to say "get over it" because you've already been told that. I'm going to say "do something about it". You gripe and moan about people's priorities, but I don't hear any solutions coming from you, or even a point other than you don't like people getting on with their lives. It is possible to carry on a normal life and not forget about a horrific event. We did it for about 4 years during WWII, and we still haven't forgotten Pearl Harbor. Let people deal with things their own way, and stop trying to make people conform to your idea of mourning.
And, of course, the government sponsored and controlled media is a bastion of objectivity, right? After all, Pravda was a model of non-propaganda, wouldn't you say?
Wake up and smell the logic, buddy. If you think non-China news outlets are just sources of propaganda, then perhaps you ought to check with the Chinese government -- I think they have a job for you somewhere as a government censor.
The argument has been made that by giving MFN trading status to China will introduce western ideas and culture along with the economic advantages that China is so desperate to secure. I am somewhat divided on the issue. Sure, putting a Micky D's on every street corner will help, but it takes much more than that to start people thinking "free".
Baby steps, perhaps, but something just feels loathsome about "rewarding" China for their past transgressions by giving them MFN status. One thing is certain, however -- China's communist regime will eventually fall. "Nothing is so powerful a force as an idea who's time has come".
All living, thinking things desire freedom, and all things will eventually get it. If history has shown us anything, it's that repressed populations ALWAYS win in the end. Why? The oppressors grow old and die, or the culture changes and passes them by, or external forces sweep in with change. Progress cannot be stopped, and ultimate freedom is the ultimate progress. China's government is heading down, they just don't know it yet.
Just pick up this week's copy of U.S. News and World Report and you'll find an article in there about how the Internet should be creating global utopia through the free exchange of information. The author even specifically states that China doesn't fear the 'net because they screen things with "The Great Firewall of China". Well, we now see how well THAT'S worked.
I personally think global utopia is a pipe dream, no matter what the methods proposed to get there. People will always disagree on something, and extremists from those arguments will seek to have their ideas implemented by force.
What does the Internet represent to China? Free ideas that cannot be controlled by a communist central government. It must be noted that many Islamic countries practice similar "bans" in order to keep their people in the dark and allow corrupt regimes to keep on corrupting.
Those of you who supported the "Europe Bans Hate Speech" initiative last week should take a long look here and see just where your "ideas" would take you. Trying to control any one idea or thought is just as bad as trying to control any of them. Sure, you may think it's a good idea now, but what happens when they come for YOU?
Oh, we're such bullies! After all, we built the largest collection of advanced military might this world has ever seen. We have more weapons, more warheads, more tanks, planes, ships, and subs than anyone else in the world...
...and what have we done with it? What glorious wars of conquest have we embarked on? How many peaceful, benevolent countries have we invaded, slaughtered the poor, ransacked their riches, and ruled them with an iron fist?
None. That's right -- none. Now, last time I checked, France, Spain, Italy, Great Britain, and a host of other European countries have had an awful lot of blood on their hands. Remember "the sun never sets on the British Empire?" How about Japan and Manchuria? Or for that matter modern-day China versus Taiwan? Taiwan wants independence, and China parks some nukes on their front doorstep and says "go ahead, make our day". But I hear no mention from you on that.
The Taliban beat and stone their citizens to death for having beards too short, or women showing their feet. In some middle-eastern countries it is legal to kill your wife if she commits adultery, but the male partner gets no punishment at all. Iraq systematically gassed their own people. The former Soviet balkan states have committed bloody attrocities of ethnic cleansing just like good 'ole Hitler wanted in '39, and it's sixty years later!
But the U.S. is the worst thing on the planet, right? I mean, after all, we've done all this nasty saber rattling instead of killing people, conquering, and lobbing nuclear missle tests at democratic nations.
Y'know, if this is the thanks we get for showing down the Soviet Bear, sometimes I think we ought to have just let them have Europe. After all, the current citizenry seems to WANT us banished from the Earth when 20 years ago they were screaming for us to protect them. Perhaps after a few decades under oppressive Soviet rule would make you appreciate the fact that while we are not angels, we're a damn sight better than the alternatives. Perhaps we should've made a deal with the Soviets to divide up Europe, and the invade from each end, Poland style. Oh, but that would suck because we'd end up with the French portion.
That's interesting...you're certainly advocating on how WE should behave. But I forgot, it's okay for everyone to hate the U.S. these days. We're so evil, right?
You've got 20% refugees and asylum seekers? Please, you're talking to someone who's country was NOTHING BUT refugees when it started, so quit with the holier-than-thou attitude. I bet we have more Mexicans come into Texas in a month than you have refugees in a year.
You created the Red Cross symbol? Whoopie! Good for you. Now who funds the majority of the Red Cross? The U.S. Where are the majority if its people located? In the U.S. Seeing a trend here? Oh, I forget, you're wearing your anti-U.S. glasses that prevent you from seeing anything reasonable.
You say the Swiss BANKS were responsible for Nazi collaboration. If your history books hadn't been rewritten you'd know that your government was an active collaborator with the Germans. Do you honestly think that the government was oblivious to what was going on, and that the banks operated on their own? If you think that, you're more naive than I first took you for. They were anxious to prove their "neutrality" to Hitler, and performed a nice act of "appeasement" all on their own. Oh, and if the banks were the evil ones, why has it taken your government half a century to own up to stashing Nazi loot, and then not giving it back even now?
International Labor Organization -- sounds like a nice, collective, workers paradise type of operation. Smells like a union. Acts like a socialist organization. Oh, I forget, you guys think socialist is a GOOD thing.
And where does the W.H.O. get all the fancy drugs, the top-notch treatments, the latest medical procedures from? The vast majority come from our shores.
So, I think I can sum you up right about now. You're happy to live with all the wonderful benefits that you've derived from the U.S. (technology, medicine, economic, military) but you think we're Satan's gift to the world. Around these parts, we call that a hypocrite. Go look it up.
Here in the U.S. we have a really good phrase that applies here: "put up or shut up". Quite literally, it means if you're going to complain about how someone is doing something wrong, you must be prepared to do it right yourself.
Switzerland has a really neat history of not giving a damn about anything outside of its own borders, and you have the gall to consider us insular and self-centered? Where were you when the Nazi's were bowling across Europe? Oh, I forgot, you were helping the Nazi's stash their gold, taken from dead Jews.
I'm not a Jew, BTW, I'm a Christian, but I mourn for the murdered no matter their nationality or religion.
Yes, Switzerland has a fine history of helping the rest of the world, doing good at every turn, funding third world countries, protecting liberty, enriching the world. Pardon me whilst I throw up. There is only so much sarcasm I can come up with.
Is the U.S. perfect? Not by a long shot. And I'm not trying to say "you too have problems". We ALL have problems. The difference is, the U.S. does something about our problems. Our solutions don't always work the way intended, but it's a damn sight better that sitting around and ignoring the rest of the world.
"The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in times of great moral crisis, preserve their neutrality".