Or just pretty, but not practical workspace? Most all of these are open plans or *gag* one that looks like a fishbowl. Just because something looks all artsy, doesn't mean it's practical to work in. You might as well have your office in a Barnes & Noble Starbucks (and it would probably be quieter.) The only time I feel an open concept really works is if you're working as a team ALL the time--which is rare.
Valleywag has culled its picks for Tech's Top 10 Workspaces from Office Snapshots, where you'll find plenty of other Best-Places-to-Work contenders.
And how does a nice workspace = Best place to work? That's only part of it even if you like your office.
It's not better technology, it's better targeting. College students are 'soft targets'. They have limited funds, hence they are more liable to share music and less likely to be able to fight back. The RIAA doesn't want to try and extort from someone capable of fighting back, you know.
Naaah, it's because that's the age group that's downloading most of what's out there. Most of us old foggies with such an inclination have already either bought and/or downloaded all the music they want. The stuff they have coming out today is crap. If they wanted to sell music, they should have been marketing to baby-boomers with disposable income (and technically, probably less aware of how to find and download the illegal stuff) instead of poor college students!
From 2005: "But since SCO owns the UNIX operating system and it made up 95 percent of our company's revenue, and we were getting strong demand from customers for a next generation version of UNIX, that's where we concentrated our efforts."
Well the courts will decide that.
"'Isn't SCO just all about defeating Linux?' Of course we are innovating and we absolutely want to defeat Linux, just as we want to defeat any other competitor."
Following is usual FUD about how Linux costs more in the long run because of (reaches back to pull numbers out of ass) subscription fees. And of course Microsoft has been a great contributor to SCO's fight against Linux.
But here's the kicker:
"SCO Has a Superior Kernel - SCO OpenServer 6 includes the UNIX System V Release 5 (SVR5) kernel, the result of more than 25 years of high-end development work that has created a proven track record of stability and reliability. With our latest release, OpenServer provides support for up to 32 processors, 64 GB of memory, terabyte file sizes, and full support for multi-threaded applications. Linux is still young from an operating system perspective. I would challenge any kernel out there to match us head-to-head. While Linux may appeal to some as the sleek, new "racer" on the track, the experienced IT professional will truly see the real power under the hood when they test the UNIX kernel and the tried and true power of UNIX combined with the new capabilities of SCO OpenServer 6."
Now the obvious: If Linux = UNIX, then how can their kernel be superior? There's NOTHING on this page saying Linux copied UNIX in whole or part.
Then some more FUD--I actually laughed at this figure:
"Unfortunately for Linux, mi2g also confirmed that the Linux operating system has become somewhat of a hacker's paradise. In a study conducted only seven months ago they found that overall, the most vulnerable operating system for manual hacker attacks was Linux, accounting for 65.64% of all hacker breaches reported.
Again, how can you be oh-so superior in security if your product is identical to Linux? You can't have it both ways. BTW, I tried to find this figure in context on mi2g site, but got this error from the search box:
ht://Dig error
htsearch detected an error. Please report this to the webmaster of this site. The error message is:
Unable to read word database file
Did you run htmerge?
It sounds likely that this person did not leave a will, so the next of kin gets to do as they please.
Not exactly--and IANAL. But if there was no will, the court will have to appoint an executor. If he's a minor, this will likely be one of his parents. A bank is not going to let you rifle through a safty deposit box unless you were already listed as an co-owner of that box or you are the executor.
I hope the family can find peace. I suspect the family doesn't care as much about the insurance as they would just discovering that it was an accident or at least the "why" he would take his own life. I think they would more likely find evidence if he was planning to kill himself--if he wasn't then they won't find anything out of the ordinary. I don't think that will change the insurance's mind (and I agree they need to check their policy--suicide is sometimes covered if the policy has been in force 2 or more years) but it would bring them peace.
There is just no way to give your children a quality life on the cheap in a capitalist country like America. This is not Sweden.
What difference does it make--we're all going to die anyway! Has Marvin landed on Slashdot?
Seriously...you are either trolling and getting away with it or you might look into some professional help. Sincerely.
Kids do not need "things". They need you. When it comes to college, it never hurt anyone to have to work their way through, apply for scholarships or *gasp* join the military. My step-son went through the navy and then worked his way through to a BS in Economics. Do you know how much accomplishment he got out of doing that?! Oh, and in the meantime he married his high school sweetheart and is helping to raise her two daughters as well.
And guess what...you're not going to live your life like your parents did. But neither are you going to have to live your live like you're grandparents or great-grandparents did which was a lot harder. You're kids will live differntly too. Hopefully they'll learn to be less materialistic than the current generations.
BTW, Sweden has some of the highest taxes in the world. Income tax: 0-59.09% VAT/GST/Sales: 6/12/25% Do you really think that paying out 60% of your income and 25% on sales tax would make your life easier?
Wow and I hope YOU'RE not a parent--how depressing would that be for your kid. They'd be thinking, "Gee if I wasn't around, my dad (or mom) could do anything they want!" And trust me, they KNOW how you feel about your job or life.
I would rather have a parent that follows their dream (responsibly) compared to one in who was miserable in a high-paying, but dead-end job!
Yes because you're a parent, you may have to do things differently than if you were single: start a business on the side, spouse may have to work instead of staying home full-time, cut back on luxuries, etc. But everyone has to face barriers or set backs, including the childless, that shouldn't make you give up on your goal.
I highly recommend a book "WishCraft". It's FREE on the web now! No, there's nothing occult about this book. It's really about discovering what you want (have you actually ever sat down and put your dreams on paper?)--from where you'd like to live, spouse, career, etc. setting goals and getting there. Even how to do the "impossible" things you've always wanted to do. It's interesting how things will fall together when you can actually visualize what you want.
I started learning HTML in 1996 and I miss some of the old days of web design. When you have to keep in mind that people are using 56K (or less!) baud modems you have to do more with less code or they wouldn't come back. Tighter code doesn't always make a prettier page, but it does make a better coder. Now people slap up all the obnoxious crap they want because they expect the user to have DSL/cable hookups. It hasn't been an improvement.
I finally had to hook my mom up to broadband--it wasn't just for speeding up the agonizingly slow file downloads. She had a hard time just surfing, much less shopping--the pages were taking too long to render. And forget trying to watch a video, even on "low bandwidth."
Back in the day, there was the 5K Web page award. (The prize for completing the winning page under 5K in size was $50 + bragging rights). It was interesting to see what people could do with so little code and I'm sorry that there doesn't seem to be any of the winning pages still up--the site stands frozen in time back in 2000.
If you want to see what the internet looked like before the rest of the world figured it out what "The Internet" even was, check out the Internet Archive Wayback Machine that has a cache of "85 billion web pages archived from 1996." Their section on the Web Pioneers is a good place to start.
Selling a computer with XP past the Microsoft cutoff date is pretty irresponsible. At least Ubuntu has community support, whereas XP will have no support? Is it really Dell's place to oversee microsoft's business decisions?
What support are they going to need? It's not like MS is going to turn off the "update" link altogether. Even though *official* support is supposed to be long gone, I believe they still post major bug or vulnerability fixes for Windows 2000.
XP, like 2000 is pretty much "stable" so unless you're going to upgrade to a software that doesn't work on XP, they don't need to upgrade. And most companies don't really need to upgrade past what they have now. So when they buy a new computer, they're going to want to have everyone on the same OS. Where I'm working they're still on Win2000, Office 2000 and IE6. Missing a few bells and whistles, but it works just fine.
A business switching to Linux is going to go with Red Hat or some distro with years under it's belt. Ubuntu is the hot thing now, but will it have longevity? That and businesses are not going to be able to rely on "community" support. They're going to need techs well-versed in Linux, either on-site or available for emergencies.
Well, I for one, EvilNTUser totally disagree with someone tagging you with flame bait and I hope someone with mod points will correct that error.
As one who has taught computer classes, even I can't understand why for some people have a difficult time remembering where things *should* be on the menu (not that they always are). It's just natural to assume that everyone should pick up on this as easily as you and I do. I think for some people--usually those in the baby-boom generation who didn't grow up with computers, there is a fear factor (I am in that age bracket, but did get exposure to them beginning in my early to mid-20's).
Most people didn't get formal training on the computer unless they took the classes themselves or were fortunate enough to be offered them by their company. Many people look at computers as a necessary evil they have to use to get their work done. (They in turn don't understand why we go home after work and fire up the desktop or laptop until the wee hours.)
Fear makes people hate something instead of trying to understand it and if they get frustrated they're going to think they're just stupid (even when it's sometimes just a MS problem) and then they get mad at the computer and direct their hatred at that. Which blocks further learning.
I know a guy who's terrific at mechanics and knows all sort of technical car things. But he wouldn't know how to program a VCR or a DVDR. He also tends to ask the same computer question over and over--which is maddening and makes you wonder how someone otherwise so smart can't remember a simple computer command. But that's because he's not really that interested in computers except for email and car forums.
What they should be doing is teach them how to use operating systems, office suites, and generic user interfaces.
One other problem we have is patents--all three major OS: Linux (KDE), Apple, Windows, and the office suites (Open Office and MS Office) work very similarly. But they are different to avoid copyright lawsuits. I don't think you're going to have to worry about children picking them up or having any problems with the differences. They're growing up with computers--it will be like second nature for most of them. I think Linux will be a great system to learn because it's always viewed as the "hardest" by those only using Windows or Apple.
Back when I were in school, we had no other choice than to use Windows. Even back then, I realized the clever tactic of Microsoft - if everyone is taught to use Windows the have plenty of market.
But Microsoft is just too greedy, instead of giving the software away to educators, which, in the en would result in bigger market share, insist on licensing and charging everyone - which in turn makes initiatives like these worthwhile.
Early on in the US, Apple was donating systems to schools in order accomplish the same thing. But by the time MS got involved, they already got a foothold on business. Most people wanted a computer that was compatible with the type they used at work. MS gave some licenses away, but just like a crack dealer they just gave them enough to replace Apples with PCs. The next hit you pay for. Then it became the defacto OS and so the school hierarchy thought--no sense teaching children the Apple when business are all using Windows....
The director of the libraries I've working on, has been told that installing Linux will result in BSA audit. We did, nothing happened, obviously, but all the other libraries are still using Windows servers.
From the article: OK, pop quiz. A local car dealership sells a car to a new customer. A week later, that same automobile is used in a terrorist car bombing. The business can't be held liable for what the customer did, right?
Now the idea that terrorist would buy a car to blow up rather than stealing one so it can't be tracked back to them seems rather ridiculous. But we here at slashdot love a car analogy so let's stick with that.
Businesses, unlike airport screeners apparently, KNOW where most modern terrorists come from. Is the government then going to protect that dealership from a lawsuit when a middle-easterner with ties to the motherland is turned down when he shows up cashier's check in hand?
Most businesses DON'T want to do business with crooks or terrorists. Makes sense because they don't want to get screwed in the deal. But it's ridiculous to expect business to do the federal government's job for them under threat of criminal charges and fines. And there's certainly been times where business didn't have that choice.
Thanks for the info. The thing with code is it can be reused. As to someone's article, that would be pretty much it without a major rewrite. You're not going to be able to turn around and sell it to a magazine, for instance. I know some people will be excited to say, "Hey my article's in a book!" But I would think any serious writer would think, "Hey, my article's going into a book and someone's making money off the sale of the book, but it won't be me." I guess that also depends on how much it's edited down.
No they can't copyright the articles, but does the copyright still belong to the original author and can they revoke the right to have their article printed? Also they say 1 euro from each will go to Wikimedia, but where does the rest of the money go? IOW, is someone making a profit off of this and is that ok?
Arne Klempert, a spokesman for Wikipedia Germany, said the definitions would only be short summaries of the Wikipedia articles and there was no breach of the rights of Wikipedia contributors.
Commercial republication was allowed under the Wikipedia rules accepted by the site's users.
I can't believe Random House would have suggested this project without feeling they were going to make some money off of it. Their costs will consist of editing and publishing, but they won't have to worry about future writer royalties. I wonder if the writers have possibly given up their copyrights? As a writer, I might not have a problem contributing an article to something--say a special interest group's newsletter I was involved in--but I would want to retain all copyright claims to it, including the right to send it to a magazine at a later date and get a paycheck for it. I would NOT want to find that someone took my article from those newsletters and then published it (even in edited form) in a book. It seems to me that, even though Random doesn't hold the rights to the articles now, neither do the authors. Unless they (the book's editors) make the contributions so watered down that their value toward an encyclopedia of popular culture is negated.
I'll be interested to see if some of the contributors start to object.
Drugs...yeah probably not worthwhile, but bombs.....
One of the reasons they started making people turn on their laptops was to make sure it was a working computer and not hollowed out computer carrying an explosive divise.
I'm guessing they equated this search with looking through a suitcase, finding a suspicious envelope, which when opened contained child porn photos or film.
Oh and BTW, before everyone starts blaming Bush and overzealous national security laws, this ruling came from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, known for being one of the most liberal (and most overturned) of the federal appeals courts. However, the article speculates that this probably won't be heard in the Supreme Court because the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va., upheld a conviction for a man who crossed the Canadian border with a computer holding child pornography.
I don't know why some people are thinking Vegetarians/Vegans want this so they can have steak. Obviously Peta wants this so the meat-eaters will quit killing cows, pigs, chickens etc. Most Vegans are perfectly happy with their diet--just like any other diet choice, you can't stick to something you hate.
I'm not a vegetarian, but we do have some dietary restrictions in our house. Personally I like to use the Morningstar Beef crumble substitute. It is also kosher dairy.
This download applies to the following Office applications:
Microsoft Office Excel 2007 Microsoft Office Excel 2003 Microsoft Excel 2002 Microsoft Excel 2000 Microsoft Excel 97...did you miss?
I'm not referring to the current, previous viewers. We're talking about a NEW version of Office not yet released. Also a viewer does not mean you'll be able to do anything, BUT view the documents.
(Apparently; currently the survey on the page says 41% prefer the traditional way of buying Office, 38.5% would rather not buy it at all, and 20.5% think it sounds better).
Well, it looks like Slashdotters have been voting--now it's 42.2% would rather use a free alternative, 39% want Office traditional and 18.9% cough*idiots*cough think it sounds appealing.
Oh, and then there's this:
Those who subscribe to Albany will also get several free Microsoft products pushed onto their desktop--including online document-sharing product Office Live Workspace, Windows Live Messenger, Windows Live Photo Gallery, and Windows Live Mail.
Great...program spam! I can see Clippy now, "I can see you need to use one of our other products. Here, I'll just fill up your hard drive with it!" Plonk!
But hold on...who says they're going to MAKE any viewers for the new version of Office. There's no guarantee that older viewers will work. What you'd be better off doing is saving your documents to where they will work on older versions of Office.
Then of course, there's just telling M$ to stick it and continue to use the current version of Office or switch to Open Office. I don't think most users will want or need anything beyond what is available now. I used to teach classes in Office--very few ever use the advanced features. I feel like MS took too long to get something like this out. It's almost like taking a step back to the mainframe days when programs were routinely put out as a subscription coupled with a help/service plan.
What will be interesting is when Open Office can read/write "Albany" documents. Will MS file a lawsuit?
Exactly. The ONLY reason the French and the Russians opposed the war in Iraq is they had their fingers in Iraq's economic pie. Remember the bogus "oil for food" program?
For how many years have slashdot 'experts' been predicting the 'downfall' of windows? For 23 years they have not just controlled, the word is 'dominated' the desktop environment. For the majority of computer users, the words 'Windows' and 'Computer' are borderline synonymous.
Some would say they dominated by using illegal, monopolistic practices, like making sure competing software *broke* and tying their browser to the OS.
This IS the first time I've see computer companies FORCED to provide the option of having Windows XP because customers are flat refusing to upgrade. I've seen several businesses who are still on Windows 2000 and who's plans to skip Windows XP for the next generation have been cast into doubt. It's also the first time I've seen the experts NOT saying, "Wait until after the first major bug fix" but "Avoid installing the first major bug fix."
And you're proof? Because some users believe that 'Vista sucks' blah blah blah. How many people started ringing the bells for Microsoft after Windows ME? We saw how that worked out...
Actually I think some started ringing bells after seeing Microsoft Bob.... Windows ME was for the HOME user, it didn't really affect the businesses. Once they decided to merge the business version with the home user version is when a lot of the problems started. Business doesn't care about bells and whistles, they just want something functional and stable--they're not going to upgrade unless there's a really good reason. And it's business that's MS's bread and butter. If Microsoft wants to survive they're going to have to quit the notion that they can just make several flavors of the same crap and think everyone will be happy.
Hopefully someone in Australia will get smart and open up a competing "eBay" that offers other payment methods. This is clearly just a way for eBay to make more $$$ off their purchase of PayPal.
I seldom use PayPal--I only use one credit card on the net (not a debit one either) that comes with protection. Even though I seldom use PayPal, I've had two problems with it.
One came when I worked with a client to get her list of purchasers ported up to her newsletter subscriber list so she could announce new items, features, upgrades, etc. After various attempts I was able to download some of the list, but then got a message that I needed to call an 800 number. I did--I could have (and probably should have) just lied and said I was her, but I told them who I was, what I was doing and had all the pertinent information, account number, etc. All I got was the run around, they'd say I had to call X, X would say I needed to call Y. It became pretty obvious that no one wanted to allow anything and so they just passed the buck between the two numbers. After an hour of this I gave up and called my client. Even she didn't want to deal with them and decided to go with the information I had been able to pull as it was the most recent. I found PayPal to be highly unprofessional and decided if I ever had that type of business I wasn't going to use them.
The other came when I most recently purchased something. When I logged into may account, PayPal said my credit card wasn't "verified". When I clicked to find out what that was about, they want you to either list a bank account with them or to apply for their PayPal Visa Card. Now, there's no effing WAY that I'm giving those clowns my bank account number! (I believe this is illegal if they're using bank accounts as a backup to make any payment not met by a credit card.) And I certainly don't want their, no doubt, high interest credit card. But if you don't do that then they say they'll put a limit on your spend, although they don't say what the limits are. I was able to make my purchases, but again, unless I have to I'll prefer to just use my credit card or a different payment method.
Slashdot Mirror
Or just pretty, but not practical workspace? Most all of these are open plans or *gag* one that looks like a fishbowl. Just because something looks all artsy, doesn't mean it's practical to work in. You might as well have your office in a Barnes & Noble Starbucks (and it would probably be quieter.) The only time I feel an open concept really works is if you're working as a team ALL the time--which is rare.
Valleywag has culled its picks for Tech's Top 10 Workspaces from Office Snapshots, where you'll find plenty of other Best-Places-to-Work contenders.
And how does a nice workspace = Best place to work? That's only part of it even if you like your office.
It's not better technology, it's better targeting. College students are 'soft targets'. They have limited funds, hence they are more liable to share music and less likely to be able to fight back. The RIAA doesn't want to try and extort from someone capable of fighting back, you know.
Naaah, it's because that's the age group that's downloading most of what's out there. Most of us old foggies with such an inclination have already either bought and/or downloaded all the music they want. The stuff they have coming out today is crap. If they wanted to sell music, they should have been marketing to baby-boomers with disposable income (and technically, probably less aware of how to find and download the illegal stuff) instead of poor college students!
Now, get off my lawn!
This is from McBride's own website (ego much?)
From 2005: "But since SCO owns the UNIX operating system and it made up 95 percent of our company's revenue, and we were getting strong demand from customers for a next generation version of UNIX, that's where we concentrated our efforts."
Well the courts will decide that. "'Isn't SCO just all about defeating Linux?' Of course we are innovating and we absolutely want to defeat Linux, just as we want to defeat any other competitor."
Following is usual FUD about how Linux costs more in the long run because of (reaches back to pull numbers out of ass) subscription fees. And of course Microsoft has been a great contributor to SCO's fight against Linux.
But here's the kicker:
"SCO Has a Superior Kernel - SCO OpenServer 6 includes the UNIX System V Release 5 (SVR5) kernel, the result of more than 25 years of high-end development work that has created a proven track record of stability and reliability. With our latest release, OpenServer provides support for up to 32 processors, 64 GB of memory, terabyte file sizes, and full support for multi-threaded applications. Linux is still young from an operating system perspective. I would challenge any kernel out there to match us head-to-head. While Linux may appeal to some as the sleek, new "racer" on the track, the experienced IT professional will truly see the real power under the hood when they test the UNIX kernel and the tried and true power of UNIX combined with the new capabilities of SCO OpenServer 6."
Now the obvious: If Linux = UNIX, then how can their kernel be superior? There's NOTHING on this page saying Linux copied UNIX in whole or part.
Then some more FUD--I actually laughed at this figure:
"Unfortunately for Linux, mi2g also confirmed that the Linux operating system has become somewhat of a hacker's paradise. In a study conducted only seven months ago they found that overall, the most vulnerable operating system for manual hacker attacks was Linux, accounting for 65.64% of all hacker breaches reported.
Again, how can you be oh-so superior in security if your product is identical to Linux? You can't have it both ways. BTW, I tried to find this figure in context on mi2g site, but got this error from the search box:
Hmmm. Maybe they got hacked....
It sounds likely that this person did not leave a will, so the next of kin gets to do as they please.
Not exactly--and IANAL. But if there was no will, the court will have to appoint an executor. If he's a minor, this will likely be one of his parents. A bank is not going to let you rifle through a safty deposit box unless you were already listed as an co-owner of that box or you are the executor.
I hope the family can find peace. I suspect the family doesn't care as much about the insurance as they would just discovering that it was an accident or at least the "why" he would take his own life. I think they would more likely find evidence if he was planning to kill himself--if he wasn't then they won't find anything out of the ordinary. I don't think that will change the insurance's mind (and I agree they need to check their policy--suicide is sometimes covered if the policy has been in force 2 or more years) but it would bring them peace.
"If your parents were musicians, following their dream, and as a result they become drug addicts."
Now I KNOW you're just trolling....
There is just no way to give your children a quality life on the cheap in a capitalist country like America. This is not Sweden.
What difference does it make--we're all going to die anyway! Has Marvin landed on Slashdot?
Seriously...you are either trolling and getting away with it or you might look into some professional help. Sincerely.
Kids do not need "things". They need you. When it comes to college, it never hurt anyone to have to work their way through, apply for scholarships or *gasp* join the military. My step-son went through the navy and then worked his way through to a BS in Economics. Do you know how much accomplishment he got out of doing that?! Oh, and in the meantime he married his high school sweetheart and is helping to raise her two daughters as well.
And guess what...you're not going to live your life like your parents did. But neither are you going to have to live your live like you're grandparents or great-grandparents did which was a lot harder. You're kids will live differntly too. Hopefully they'll learn to be less materialistic than the current generations.
BTW, Sweden has some of the highest taxes in the world. Income tax: 0-59.09% VAT/GST/Sales: 6/12/25% Do you really think that paying out 60% of your income and 25% on sales tax would make your life easier?
Wow and I hope YOU'RE not a parent--how depressing would that be for your kid. They'd be thinking, "Gee if I wasn't around, my dad (or mom) could do anything they want!" And trust me, they KNOW how you feel about your job or life.
I would rather have a parent that follows their dream (responsibly) compared to one in who was miserable in a high-paying, but dead-end job!
Yes because you're a parent, you may have to do things differently than if you were single: start a business on the side, spouse may have to work instead of staying home full-time, cut back on luxuries, etc. But everyone has to face barriers or set backs, including the childless, that shouldn't make you give up on your goal.
I highly recommend a book "WishCraft". It's FREE on the web now! No, there's nothing occult about this book. It's really about discovering what you want (have you actually ever sat down and put your dreams on paper?)--from where you'd like to live, spouse, career, etc. setting goals and getting there. Even how to do the "impossible" things you've always wanted to do. It's interesting how things will fall together when you can actually visualize what you want.
I started learning HTML in 1996 and I miss some of the old days of web design. When you have to keep in mind that people are using 56K (or less!) baud modems you have to do more with less code or they wouldn't come back. Tighter code doesn't always make a prettier page, but it does make a better coder. Now people slap up all the obnoxious crap they want because they expect the user to have DSL/cable hookups. It hasn't been an improvement.
I finally had to hook my mom up to broadband--it wasn't just for speeding up the agonizingly slow file downloads. She had a hard time just surfing, much less shopping--the pages were taking too long to render. And forget trying to watch a video, even on "low bandwidth."
Back in the day, there was the 5K Web page award. (The prize for completing the winning page under 5K in size was $50 + bragging rights). It was interesting to see what people could do with so little code and I'm sorry that there doesn't seem to be any of the winning pages still up--the site stands frozen in time back in 2000.
If you want to see what the internet looked like before the rest of the world figured it out what "The Internet" even was, check out the Internet Archive Wayback Machine that has a cache of "85 billion web pages archived from 1996." Their section on the Web Pioneers is a good place to start.
And yes, Slashdot is there too! :-)
Selling a computer with XP past the Microsoft cutoff date is pretty irresponsible. At least Ubuntu has community support, whereas XP will have no support? Is it really Dell's place to oversee microsoft's business decisions?
What support are they going to need? It's not like MS is going to turn off the "update" link altogether. Even though *official* support is supposed to be long gone, I believe they still post major bug or vulnerability fixes for Windows 2000.
XP, like 2000 is pretty much "stable" so unless you're going to upgrade to a software that doesn't work on XP, they don't need to upgrade. And most companies don't really need to upgrade past what they have now. So when they buy a new computer, they're going to want to have everyone on the same OS. Where I'm working they're still on Win2000, Office 2000 and IE6. Missing a few bells and whistles, but it works just fine.
A business switching to Linux is going to go with Red Hat or some distro with years under it's belt. Ubuntu is the hot thing now, but will it have longevity? That and businesses are not going to be able to rely on "community" support. They're going to need techs well-versed in Linux, either on-site or available for emergencies.
Well, I for one, EvilNTUser totally disagree with someone tagging you with flame bait and I hope someone with mod points will correct that error.
As one who has taught computer classes, even I can't understand why for some people have a difficult time remembering where things *should* be on the menu (not that they always are). It's just natural to assume that everyone should pick up on this as easily as you and I do. I think for some people--usually those in the baby-boom generation who didn't grow up with computers, there is a fear factor (I am in that age bracket, but did get exposure to them beginning in my early to mid-20's).
Most people didn't get formal training on the computer unless they took the classes themselves or were fortunate enough to be offered them by their company. Many people look at computers as a necessary evil they have to use to get their work done. (They in turn don't understand why we go home after work and fire up the desktop or laptop until the wee hours.)
Fear makes people hate something instead of trying to understand it and if they get frustrated they're going to think they're just stupid (even when it's sometimes just a MS problem) and then they get mad at the computer and direct their hatred at that. Which blocks further learning.
I know a guy who's terrific at mechanics and knows all sort of technical car things. But he wouldn't know how to program a VCR or a DVDR. He also tends to ask the same computer question over and over--which is maddening and makes you wonder how someone otherwise so smart can't remember a simple computer command. But that's because he's not really that interested in computers except for email and car forums.
What they should be doing is teach them how to use operating systems, office suites, and generic user interfaces.
One other problem we have is patents--all three major OS: Linux (KDE), Apple, Windows, and the office suites (Open Office and MS Office) work very similarly. But they are different to avoid copyright lawsuits. I don't think you're going to have to worry about children picking them up or having any problems with the differences. They're growing up with computers--it will be like second nature for most of them. I think Linux will be a great system to learn because it's always viewed as the "hardest" by those only using Windows or Apple.
Back when I were in school, we had no other choice than to use Windows. Even back then, I realized the clever tactic of Microsoft - if everyone is taught to use Windows the have plenty of market.
But Microsoft is just too greedy, instead of giving the software away to educators, which, in the en would result in bigger market share, insist on licensing and charging everyone - which in turn makes initiatives like these worthwhile.
Early on in the US, Apple was donating systems to schools in order accomplish the same thing. But by the time MS got involved, they already got a foothold on business. Most people wanted a computer that was compatible with the type they used at work. MS gave some licenses away, but just like a crack dealer they just gave them enough to replace Apples with PCs. The next hit you pay for. Then it became the defacto OS and so the school hierarchy thought--no sense teaching children the Apple when business are all using Windows....
The director of the libraries I've working on, has been told that installing Linux will result in BSA audit. We did, nothing happened, obviously, but all the other libraries are still using Windows servers.
Yes, I'm sure the MS rep told him that!
From the article: OK, pop quiz. A local car dealership sells a car to a new customer. A week later, that same automobile is used in a terrorist car bombing. The business can't be held liable for what the customer did, right?
Now the idea that terrorist would buy a car to blow up rather than stealing one so it can't be tracked back to them seems rather ridiculous. But we here at slashdot love a car analogy so let's stick with that.
Businesses, unlike airport screeners apparently, KNOW where most modern terrorists come from. Is the government then going to protect that dealership from a lawsuit when a middle-easterner with ties to the motherland is turned down when he shows up cashier's check in hand?
Most businesses DON'T want to do business with crooks or terrorists. Makes sense because they don't want to get screwed in the deal. But it's ridiculous to expect business to do the federal government's job for them under threat of criminal charges and fines. And there's certainly been times where business didn't have that choice.
Thanks for the info. The thing with code is it can be reused. As to someone's article, that would be pretty much it without a major rewrite. You're not going to be able to turn around and sell it to a magazine, for instance. I know some people will be excited to say, "Hey my article's in a book!" But I would think any serious writer would think, "Hey, my article's going into a book and someone's making money off the sale of the book, but it won't be me." I guess that also depends on how much it's edited down.
No they can't copyright the articles, but does the copyright still belong to the original author and can they revoke the right to have their article printed? Also they say 1 euro from each will go to Wikimedia, but where does the rest of the money go? IOW, is someone making a profit off of this and is that ok?
Arne Klempert, a spokesman for Wikipedia Germany, said the definitions would only be short summaries of the Wikipedia articles and there was no breach of the rights of Wikipedia contributors.
Commercial republication was allowed under the Wikipedia rules accepted by the site's users.
I can't believe Random House would have suggested this project without feeling they were going to make some money off of it. Their costs will consist of editing and publishing, but they won't have to worry about future writer royalties. I wonder if the writers have possibly given up their copyrights? As a writer, I might not have a problem contributing an article to something--say a special interest group's newsletter I was involved in--but I would want to retain all copyright claims to it, including the right to send it to a magazine at a later date and get a paycheck for it. I would NOT want to find that someone took my article from those newsletters and then published it (even in edited form) in a book. It seems to me that, even though Random doesn't hold the rights to the articles now, neither do the authors. Unless they (the book's editors) make the contributions so watered down that their value toward an encyclopedia of popular culture is negated.
I'll be interested to see if some of the contributors start to object.
I have to ask. What constitutes a 'suspicious' envelope in a suitcase?
When police are conducting a search EVERY envelope, garbage bag, backpack, etc. will be considered suspicious.
Drugs...yeah probably not worthwhile, but bombs.....
One of the reasons they started making people turn on their laptops was to make sure it was a working computer and not hollowed out computer carrying an explosive divise.
I'm guessing they equated this search with looking through a suitcase, finding a suspicious envelope, which when opened contained child porn photos or film.
Oh and BTW, before everyone starts blaming Bush and overzealous national security laws, this ruling came from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, known for being one of the most liberal (and most overturned) of the federal appeals courts. However, the article speculates that this probably won't be heard in the Supreme Court because the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va., upheld a conviction for a man who crossed the Canadian border with a computer holding child pornography.
I don't know why some people are thinking Vegetarians/Vegans want this so they can have steak. Obviously Peta wants this so the meat-eaters will quit killing cows, pigs, chickens etc. Most Vegans are perfectly happy with their diet--just like any other diet choice, you can't stick to something you hate.
I'm not a vegetarian, but we do have some dietary restrictions in our house. Personally I like to use the Morningstar Beef crumble substitute. It is also kosher dairy.
Why don't you come over for dinner sometime? I'm making some fava beans. Please bring a nice Chianti....
And what part of...
...did you miss?
This download applies to the following Office applications:
Microsoft Office Excel 2007
Microsoft Office Excel 2003
Microsoft Excel 2002
Microsoft Excel 2000
Microsoft Excel 97
I'm not referring to the current, previous viewers. We're talking about a NEW version of Office not yet released. Also a viewer does not mean you'll be able to do anything, BUT view the documents.
(Apparently; currently the survey on the page says 41% prefer the traditional way of buying Office, 38.5% would rather not buy it at all, and 20.5% think it sounds better).
Well, it looks like Slashdotters have been voting--now it's 42.2% would rather use a free alternative, 39% want Office traditional and 18.9% cough*idiots*cough think it sounds appealing.
Oh, and then there's this:
Those who subscribe to Albany will also get several free Microsoft products pushed onto their desktop--including online document-sharing product Office Live Workspace, Windows Live Messenger, Windows Live Photo Gallery, and Windows Live Mail.
Great...program spam! I can see Clippy now, "I can see you need to use one of our other products. Here, I'll just fill up your hard drive with it!" Plonk!
But hold on...who says they're going to MAKE any viewers for the new version of Office. There's no guarantee that older viewers will work. What you'd be better off doing is saving your documents to where they will work on older versions of Office.
Then of course, there's just telling M$ to stick it and continue to use the current version of Office or switch to Open Office. I don't think most users will want or need anything beyond what is available now. I used to teach classes in Office--very few ever use the advanced features. I feel like MS took too long to get something like this out. It's almost like taking a step back to the mainframe days when programs were routinely put out as a subscription coupled with a help/service plan.
What will be interesting is when Open Office can read/write "Albany" documents. Will MS file a lawsuit?
Someone mod parent up.
Exactly. The ONLY reason the French and the Russians opposed the war in Iraq is they had their fingers in Iraq's economic pie. Remember the bogus "oil for food" program?
For how many years have slashdot 'experts' been predicting the 'downfall' of windows? For 23 years they have not just controlled, the word is 'dominated' the desktop environment. For the majority of computer users, the words 'Windows' and 'Computer' are borderline synonymous.
Some would say they dominated by using illegal, monopolistic practices, like making sure competing software *broke* and tying their browser to the OS.
This IS the first time I've see computer companies FORCED to provide the option of having Windows XP because customers are flat refusing to upgrade. I've seen several businesses who are still on Windows 2000 and who's plans to skip Windows XP for the next generation have been cast into doubt. It's also the first time I've seen the experts NOT saying, "Wait until after the first major bug fix" but "Avoid installing the first major bug fix."
And you're proof? Because some users believe that 'Vista sucks' blah blah blah. How many people started ringing the bells for Microsoft after Windows ME? We saw how that worked out...
Actually I think some started ringing bells after seeing Microsoft Bob.... Windows ME was for the HOME user, it didn't really affect the businesses. Once they decided to merge the business version with the home user version is when a lot of the problems started. Business doesn't care about bells and whistles, they just want something functional and stable--they're not going to upgrade unless there's a really good reason. And it's business that's MS's bread and butter. If Microsoft wants to survive they're going to have to quit the notion that they can just make several flavors of the same crap and think everyone will be happy.
And to think how you hated it when the neighbors invite you over only to show you a slideshow of their vaction!
Hopefully someone in Australia will get smart and open up a competing "eBay" that offers other payment methods. This is clearly just a way for eBay to make more $$$ off their purchase of PayPal.
I seldom use PayPal--I only use one credit card on the net (not a debit one either) that comes with protection. Even though I seldom use PayPal, I've had two problems with it.
One came when I worked with a client to get her list of purchasers ported up to her newsletter subscriber list so she could announce new items, features, upgrades, etc. After various attempts I was able to download some of the list, but then got a message that I needed to call an 800 number. I did--I could have (and probably should have) just lied and said I was her, but I told them who I was, what I was doing and had all the pertinent information, account number, etc. All I got was the run around, they'd say I had to call X, X would say I needed to call Y. It became pretty obvious that no one wanted to allow anything and so they just passed the buck between the two numbers. After an hour of this I gave up and called my client. Even she didn't want to deal with them and decided to go with the information I had been able to pull as it was the most recent. I found PayPal to be highly unprofessional and decided if I ever had that type of business I wasn't going to use them.
The other came when I most recently purchased something. When I logged into may account, PayPal said my credit card wasn't "verified". When I clicked to find out what that was about, they want you to either list a bank account with them or to apply for their PayPal Visa Card. Now, there's no effing WAY that I'm giving those clowns my bank account number! (I believe this is illegal if they're using bank accounts as a backup to make any payment not met by a credit card.) And I certainly don't want their, no doubt, high interest credit card. But if you don't do that then they say they'll put a limit on your spend, although they don't say what the limits are. I was able to make my purchases, but again, unless I have to I'll prefer to just use my credit card or a different payment method.