There is a chronic loss of freedom of speech, and expression in our world today. Corporations and institutions now wield the sort of political and economic power most nations do not have. The Internet must find some way of reamining self-policed and self-regulated, allowing the near total freedom that it has had until this day.
How can we maintain the Internet free for the years to come? That is the issue that needs to be dealt with. The sooner, the better.
What would be the best use for one of these things? What uses can we come up with, other than the usual MP3 server, etc. (Thise are good too, but I'm interested in what the ultra-imaginative Slashdot readers think.)
I for one, would love to see these on the desktops of secretaries and other non-power-users in a company. Coupled with a nice LCD monitor and a sutably cool, matching decor, these puppies could make a technology office look uber cool.
The concept of open-source is all about choice and the empowerment of the consumer. This is analogous to the Internet as a whole: the giving of power back to the individual. This is why the open-source movement will be successful.
Companies need to realize that the dominant business model for the future will be geared towards the need and wants of the consumer. We see this already in small things such as increased availability of *designer* styles for home products. Even the most basic of items can be had in any style, shape, or color based on an individual's preference. The individual can make the choice of what they want.
In the same way the Internet and the Web does this for information. Almost anything you could possibly want to know is available and free.
Open-source does the same. It allows us to choose what functionality we want, how we want it, what it looks like, and so on. It lets us do what we want, which ultimately is where the appeal lies. As soon as mainstream media, and companies realize and begin to capitalize on it, the computing world will become a better place for all.
Any person has the right to speak regarding whatever they wish in whatever manner they choose. Even if Mitnick is being compensated for the speaking engagements that is his right, and the right of the promoters and those who want to hear him speak. This amounts to government censorship and should be fought tooth and nail.
Even if you disagree with what Mitnick stands for, he has paid his price due to society for his crimes and this kind of *punishment* or whatever it is meant to be should not be tolerated.
Additionally, it is unconstitutional for that the judge "prohibited Mitnick for three years after his release from any access to computers, cellular telephones, televisions or any equipment that can be used for Internet access." Should a convict be denied books because something he read once applies to his crime? I think not.
I, for one, voice my support for Kevin Mitnick in this. He may have done things wrong in the past, but he had paid his due to society and should be left alone.
I think there are several things that a user interface needs in order for the user to be comfortable and productive using it.
First, the UI must be customizable. The needs of a user change over time, and the UI should change accordingly. If something can be streamlined by the user for his/her particular situation, then the UI should be able to accomodate them.
Second, the UI must find the delicate balance between feature-rich and simple. The truly good UIs will be the ones that provide what the user needs, not more and not less. Any added "fluff" features will go ignored by the user adding overhead to the program for no reason. Conversely, missing features will frustrate the user anddiminish productivity.
Third, it must be attractive. A UI that sucks visually, misses the point entirely. Style is a form of usability...nobody wants to look at an ugly screen all day. This applie to text interfaces as well. Well designed textual interfaces should have a professional-looking layout just as if it were a graphical app, and/or well designed key "shortcuts".
Lastly, a good UI will be well designed internally. It should be as modular, code-wise, as possible to allow for customizability, as well as be streamlined and efficient.
BeOS is a great operating system, and it would be a severe mistake for BE to discontinue support of it, especially with their recent Free BeOS campaign (some ungodly number of downloads). The amount of new users generated on the novelty of a *new* alternative oprating system alone should be enough to tell Be that there is a viable market here.
Having used most OSes known to man at some time or another, I can sincerely say that BeOS is the most *comfortable* OS for the desktop. Its user interface just feels natural and easy to use.
I'll agree that BeOS is not for everything or everyone. Linux, FreeBSD, and the free Unices are by far superior on the backend, whereas BeOS network performance, features, and support are, for lack of a better word crappy at the moment. Be was meant for the desktop. M$ still has the corner market on games, but BeOS is coming out with some great ones, including Worms: Armaggeddon.
BeOS is designed to be "The Media OS" and now it is beginning to live up to it's claims with the new features and media support that has been introduced in R5. Several things still need to be done for BeOS to become a M$ killer on the desktop:
More media support (increased codecs, file translators, etc.) UDF and DVD movie support Increased device driver support Better browsers (can we say Bezilla?) Mainstream applications (we're halfway there) More interested programmers
Eventually, with the continued help of everyone, BeOS will become a truly competitive OS of it's own right.
If you are a programmer and are interested in developing for the BeOS, have innovative ideas, or just would like to help, email me [carlos.noguera@millersville.edu] and visit the BeUnited website.
Now the big question(s) that remain for Be to become a true rival to Microsoft for the desktop are:
When will BE include DVD support, both the UDF file system and the ability to play DVD video via software or hardware players....?
When will accelerated OpenGL support appear for Be...?
It seems to me that as a "Media OS" these should be the priorities for Be developers. If Be had these features, I wouldn't even think of booting Windows anymore, and I bet a lot of people would feel the same way. BeOS combines the usability of a *really decent* GUI with the underlying power far superior to WinAnything.
Several colleges already offer an option to take virtual university courses. The benefit of this new "Online College" would be to tie it in strongly to other universities, transfer-credit-wise. Then one could take the hands on courses like Chemistry and Physics that require labs at the local University, while the bulk of the courses fro Comp Sci., English, etc. could be taken online. While it's not quite "free-as-air-and-water" it'd be a real boon for people like me who have already taken some courses and wish to have the convenience of online classes.
On another note, this would be great for those less fortunate people who wish to get a college education but can't afford it or schedule it in because of many jos, etc. They could set up centers in local libraries for this sort of thing, with a cluster of inexpensive computers (Linux, anyone?) and a place to study. Then both the computers and the books would be covered.
I'm very excited at this bit of news, especially given my interests in the fields of computers and bionics. It's about time these fields started developing true brakthroughs such as this "near-to-human" vision system.
I believe this is one of the first steps to a world similar to what William Gibson describes in his novels, where humans and technology interface in a whole new way. With these types of advances a whole slew of ethical and privacy issues will develop, as they do with any revolutionary technology, but I believe that in the end the benefits will far outweigh the drawbacks.
Now all that is needed is for some other emerging thechnologies from varied fields such as nerve re-growth, computer miniturization, etc. will combine to produce things like relacement/upgrade body parts.
Personally, I can't wait for the first brain-embedded computers to emerge. I'd be willing to be one of the first human testers of such technology.
I found question 11 to be the most intriguing of the bunch. The others brought up some good points while constraining you to think within set boundaries and solving problems with only limited resources, but 11 put it all together in a situation that can be all too real.
I will attempt to answer the question according to my perception, please let me know your thoughts.
First of all, we need to analyze the problems our theoretical person has in front of him, in order of importance:
Save his daughter's life (a) mediacally, (b) nutritionally
Feed himself
Deal with the soldiers
Within the framework of his "new Web" and using comon sense, he could attempt to solve the problems in the following way:
For his daughter he could contact one of the many humanitarian groups that have a presence on the internet, inform them of his daughter's condition, and plea for help from them. He could also research different medical sites that may detail symptoms that his daughter may have, as well as remedies for what ails her.
For his/his daughter's nutrirional needs he could read articles on more efficient planting techniques, or even learn another skill that he could use in order to gain income to purchase food.
Using the "enhanced capabilities" we were given at the biginning of the exam he could create a unforgeable pseudonymous identity for himself as well as use capability-based security with strong encryption (to prevent his obviously oppressive government from spyig on his communications, theoretically) and, again, spread the word of his (and presumably his people's) plight and maybe even get a digital cash fund with which he could travel to a big city and trade for real goods.
To deal with the soldiers as many pointed out, he could start a information-based revolution. Gettting the word of the oppression out may help garner allies or get support from humanitarian efforts. Here again the aforementioned "enhanced capabilities" com into play.
Lastly, and unfortunately more realistically, he could travel to a big city and sell the device which would probably get him enough money to feed himself and daughter for a little while, and to perhaps get his daughter medical care.
Well...those are my thoughts on the subject. Let me know what you think.
I have had laser eye surgery recently (LASIK procedure), and I must recommend it completely to anyone who is seriously considered it and has talked to his/her doctor about it.
I am 19 years old and had bad vision in only my right eye (about 20/400). After talking to my eye doctor and considering the different options, we settled on the LASIK procedure for about $2500 including follow-up for a year. The actual procedure went flawlessly, I had no problems with pain or otherwise during or after the actual procedure. After the correction I con now see 20/25 - 20/20 in my right eye...no more contacts or cumbersome glasses again.
While there are some risks involved, they are minimal and the benefits far outweigh the risks. If anyone has more specific questions for someone who has gone through the surgery, please feel free to post them, and I will answer them as completely as I can.
Having not seen the MTV "documentary", I can't coment directly on how badly the show portrayed/hackers/ but I can surmise.
First, one has to realize that MTV is not a reliable source of fact for any thinking member of our society. Rather, it is more like a big advertisement, telling us the youth what we should be, look, and act like. Consequently, it is no surprise they f'd up the portrayal of hackers and serious computer people. They will not be reporting on what is ttrue whet is real, just on what sound like it'd sell or be cool.
Second, we need to see that (unfortunately) this is what most people think of us. I cannot describe how annoying it is for computer-stupid and technlogy-ignorant people to come up to me and ask me about how to hack this, or do that...just because they saw that that's what people like us do (on TV) when in reality, if they bothered to get some real information, they'd see how skewed their view really is.
It is equally annoying that some people regard our line of work as trivial or unimportant, even dangerous (evil hackers!) especialy after seeing something like the MTV show. Unfortunately that is a widespread general stereotype that cheapens who we are as well as what we do.
I'd personally like to see a program that explores the real *computer geekdom* and portrays us as regular human beings with an interest in technology. Especially in regards to youth, who usually don't get much respect from older people, I'm sure the documentary did not help matters any. As a Web Developer for Millersville University (not responsible for the page design - please no flames - *grin*), I am a youth (19) with a serious computer job, with serious responsiblities, and would like to be treated by others outside the computer community with some degree of professional respect. As it is, I'll probably be viewed as a haX0r due to the way I prefer to dress and what I do.
Anyway, sorry to get off on a tirade like that, but I just wanted to put in my 2 on this issue.
-------------------- kayser_soze (aka Carlos Noguera) -------------------- "if it's not one thing.....it's probably not that thing."
Sorry to be technical, but actually the voting system is a Republic or representative type government system (a la U.S.A.) as opposed to a Democracy. A Republic employs reps. voted by the people to "stand in" for them at the actual decision-making level, whereas a Democracy employs all of the people at the decision-making level (with the most popular vote winning out...). -- kayser_soze -- "If it's not one thing...it's probably not that thing." "He who laughs last has probably killed everyone else."
Slashdot Mirror
How can we maintain the Internet free for the years to come? That is the issue that needs to be dealt with. The sooner, the better.
I for one, would love to see these on the desktops of secretaries and other non-power-users in a company. Coupled with a nice LCD monitor and a sutably cool, matching decor, these puppies could make a technology office look uber cool.
Any other suggestions?
Companies need to realize that the dominant business model for the future will be geared towards the need and wants of the consumer. We see this already in small things such as increased availability of *designer* styles for home products. Even the most basic of items can be had in any style, shape, or color based on an individual's preference. The individual can make the choice of what they want.
In the same way the Internet and the Web does this for information. Almost anything you could possibly want to know is available and free.
Open-source does the same. It allows us to choose what functionality we want, how we want it, what it looks like, and so on. It lets us do what we want, which ultimately is where the appeal lies. As soon as mainstream media, and companies realize and begin to capitalize on it, the computing world will become a better place for all.
Even if you disagree with what Mitnick stands for, he has paid his price due to society for his crimes and this kind of *punishment* or whatever it is meant to be should not be tolerated.
Additionally, it is unconstitutional for that the judge "prohibited Mitnick for three years after his release from any access to computers, cellular telephones, televisions or any equipment that can be used for Internet access." Should a convict be denied books because something he read once applies to his crime? I think not.
I, for one, voice my support for Kevin Mitnick in this. He may have done things wrong in the past, but he had paid his due to society and should be left alone.
First, the UI must be customizable. The needs of a user change over time, and the UI should change accordingly. If something can be streamlined by the user for his/her particular situation, then the UI should be able to accomodate them.
Second, the UI must find the delicate balance between feature-rich and simple. The truly good UIs will be the ones that provide what the user needs, not more and not less. Any added "fluff" features will go ignored by the user adding overhead to the program for no reason. Conversely, missing features will frustrate the user anddiminish productivity.
Third, it must be attractive. A UI that sucks visually, misses the point entirely. Style is a form of usability...nobody wants to look at an ugly screen all day. This applie to text interfaces as well. Well designed textual interfaces should have a professional-looking layout just as if it were a graphical app, and/or well designed key "shortcuts".
Lastly, a good UI will be well designed internally. It should be as modular, code-wise, as possible to allow for customizability, as well as be streamlined and efficient.
Well just my 2.....
Not bad.
Having used most OSes known to man at some time or another, I can sincerely say that BeOS is the most *comfortable* OS for the desktop. Its user interface just feels natural and easy to use.
I'll agree that BeOS is not for everything or everyone. Linux, FreeBSD, and the free Unices are by far superior on the backend, whereas BeOS network performance, features, and support are, for lack of a better word crappy at the moment. Be was meant for the desktop. M$ still has the corner market on games, but BeOS is coming out with some great ones, including Worms: Armaggeddon.
BeOS is designed to be "The Media OS" and now it is beginning to live up to it's claims with the new features and media support that has been introduced in R5. Several things still need to be done for BeOS to become a M$ killer on the desktop:
More media support (increased codecs, file translators, etc.)
UDF and DVD movie support
Increased device driver support
Better browsers (can we say Bezilla?)
Mainstream applications (we're halfway there)
More interested programmers
Eventually, with the continued help of everyone, BeOS will become a truly competitive OS of it's own right.
If you are a programmer and are interested in developing for the BeOS, have innovative ideas, or just would like to help, email me [carlos.noguera@millersville.edu] and visit the BeUnited website.
Now the big question(s) that remain for Be to become a true rival to Microsoft for the desktop are:
When will BE include DVD support, both the UDF file system and the ability to play DVD video via software or hardware players....?
When will accelerated OpenGL support appear for Be...?
It seems to me that as a "Media OS" these should be the priorities for Be developers. If Be had these features, I wouldn't even think of booting Windows anymore, and I bet a lot of people would feel the same way. BeOS combines the usability of a *really decent* GUI with the underlying power far superior to WinAnything.
Just my 2....
Several colleges already offer an option to take virtual university courses. The benefit of this new "Online College" would be to tie it in strongly to other universities, transfer-credit-wise. Then one could take the hands on courses like Chemistry and Physics that require labs at the local University, while the bulk of the courses fro Comp Sci., English, etc. could be taken online. While it's not quite "free-as-air-and-water" it'd be a real boon for people like me who have already taken some courses and wish to have the convenience of online classes.
On another note, this would be great for those less fortunate people who wish to get a college education but can't afford it or schedule it in because of many jos, etc. They could set up centers in local libraries for this sort of thing, with a cluster of inexpensive computers (Linux, anyone?) and a place to study. Then both the computers and the books would be covered.
I believe this is one of the first steps to a world similar to what William Gibson describes in his novels, where humans and technology interface in a whole new way. With these types of advances a whole slew of ethical and privacy issues will develop, as they do with any revolutionary technology, but I believe that in the end the benefits will far outweigh the drawbacks.
Now all that is needed is for some other emerging thechnologies from varied fields such as nerve re-growth, computer miniturization, etc. will combine to produce things like relacement/upgrade body parts.
Personally, I can't wait for the first brain-embedded computers to emerge. I'd be willing to be one of the first human testers of such technology.
Any comments/ideas?
I will attempt to answer the question according to my perception, please let me know your thoughts.
First of all, we need to analyze the problems our theoretical person has in front of him, in order of importance:
Within the framework of his "new Web" and using comon sense, he could attempt to solve the problems in the following way:
For his daughter he could contact one of the many humanitarian groups that have a presence on the internet, inform them of his daughter's condition, and plea for help from them. He could also research different medical sites that may detail symptoms that his daughter may have, as well as remedies for what ails her.
For his/his daughter's nutrirional needs he could read articles on more efficient planting techniques, or even learn another skill that he could use in order to gain income to purchase food.
Using the "enhanced capabilities" we were given at the biginning of the exam he could create a unforgeable pseudonymous identity for himself as well as use capability-based security with strong encryption (to prevent his obviously oppressive government from spyig on his communications, theoretically) and, again, spread the word of his (and presumably his people's) plight and maybe even get a digital cash fund with which he could travel to a big city and trade for real goods.
To deal with the soldiers as many pointed out, he could start a information-based revolution. Gettting the word of the oppression out may help garner allies or get support from humanitarian efforts. Here again the aforementioned "enhanced capabilities" com into play.
Lastly, and unfortunately more realistically, he could travel to a big city and sell the device which would probably get him enough money to feed himself and daughter for a little while, and to perhaps get his daughter medical care.
Well...those are my thoughts on the subject. Let me know what you think.
Carlos Noguera
Web Development
Millersville University
I have had laser eye surgery recently (LASIK procedure), and I must recommend it completely to anyone who is seriously considered it and has talked to his/her doctor about it.
I am 19 years old and had bad vision in only my right eye (about 20/400). After talking to my eye doctor and considering the different options, we settled on the LASIK procedure for about $2500 including follow-up for a year. The actual procedure went flawlessly, I had no problems with pain or otherwise during or after the actual procedure. After the correction I con now see 20/25 - 20/20 in my right eye...no more contacts or cumbersome glasses again.
While there are some risks involved, they are minimal and the benefits far outweigh the risks. If anyone has more specific questions for someone who has gone through the surgery, please feel free to post them, and I will answer them as completely as I can.
Carlos Noguera
Web Development
Millersville University
Having not seen the MTV "documentary", I can't coment directly on how badly the show portrayed /hackers/ but I can surmise.
First, one has to realize that MTV is not a reliable source of fact for any thinking member of our society. Rather, it is more like a big advertisement, telling us the youth what we should be, look, and act like. Consequently, it is no surprise they f'd up the portrayal of hackers and serious computer people. They will not be reporting on what is ttrue whet is real, just on what sound like it'd sell or be cool.
Second, we need to see that (unfortunately) this is what most people think of us. I cannot describe how annoying it is for computer-stupid and technlogy-ignorant people to come up to me and ask me about how to hack this, or do that...just because they saw that that's what people like us do (on TV) when in reality, if they bothered to get some real information, they'd see how skewed their view really is.
It is equally annoying that some people regard our line of work as trivial or unimportant, even dangerous (evil hackers!) especialy after seeing something like the MTV show. Unfortunately that is a widespread general stereotype that cheapens who we are as well as what we do.
I'd personally like to see a program that explores the real *computer geekdom* and portrays us as regular human beings with an interest in technology. Especially in regards to youth, who usually don't get much respect from older people, I'm sure the documentary did not help matters any. As a Web Developer for Millersville University (not responsible for the page design - please no flames - *grin*), I am a youth (19) with a serious computer job, with serious responsiblities, and would like to be treated by others outside the computer community with some degree of professional respect. As it is, I'll probably be viewed as a haX0r due to the way I prefer to dress and what I do.
Anyway, sorry to get off on a tirade like that, but I just wanted to put in my 2 on this issue.
--------------------
kayser_soze
(aka Carlos Noguera)
--------------------
"if it's not one thing.....it's probably not that thing."
Sorry to be technical, but actually the voting system is a Republic or representative type government system (a la U.S.A.) as opposed to a Democracy. A Republic employs reps. voted by the people to "stand in" for them at the actual decision-making level, whereas a Democracy employs all of the people at the decision-making level (with the most popular vote winning out...). -- kayser_soze -- "If it's not one thing...it's probably not that thing." "He who laughs last has probably killed everyone else."