Well, I'm doing a study state by state on all the voting irregularities on my blog (in the sig), but I'm doing it without regard to who stole what or where. I know there's a ton of flaws in the system and no one wants to talk about it, but calling everyone who cares about our voting process a nut is a little out there, methinks.
I am writing in about Steven Evan's piece on the MyDoom virus reported on 2/5/2004. I find in reading this piece an uncharacteristically charlatanistic approach to journalism, as well as a genuine disregard for the facts. While Mr. Evan's piece reveals his opinions on the matter, he overlooks several key facts that I am sure you have already heard from other commentors such as myself, but including:
This virus runs on the Windows platforms. While this does not exclude Linux hardcore programmers, it goes a long way to debunking the idea that someone with such viral expertise on Windows is also a Linux guru.
This virus' DOS attack against SCO is, in my opinion and the opinion of many others, a smokescreen to hide the fact that this virus is primarily a SPAM gateway. This fact is completely ignored in Mr. Evans article, which begs the question of whether or not you require reporters to do any research whatsoever.
This article is presented as fact. Since there is precisely zero pieces of factual evidence mentioned in the article, I find it on par with the level of assertion put forth by holocaust deniers and area 51 pundits.
I get a very large portion of my news from the BBC, and I respect your institution immensely. This article reflects very poorly on your integrity as a news agency.
Just so it is known, I am not a Linux programmer, but a Windows programmer, so there is no unbridled rage at hearing Linux get beaten up. I really could care less. I do, however, take umbrage to the idea that the public should be subjected to baseless opinion pieces represented as the truth without any eveidence to back up the position.
Java. It seems to me that everyone is beginning to talk about cross-platform issues now that Microsoft is hitting us with.NET.
But we've been talking about this kind of thing for years, haven't we? Consistency and usability across _all_ platforms and applications?
XP: Hi, I'm Windows XP, and I am innovative and cool because I have a customizable UI and can do skinning, or whatever you call it.
Java: Hey, no cutsies! I was here first!
I agree that in almost all situations you should avoid the mild negative connotations. This community, though, is a different story altogether.
One of the first things that attracted me to/. was the "News for Nerds. Stuff that Matters" title screen. I thought it was intrigued at the outset, and have been a faithful reader ever since. I think the nerd thing attracts us rather than repelling us, in this case.
What I was really trying to say is that nerd doesn't carry a negative connotation to those of us who actually are nerds. All of the nerds I've met love it, and proudly display it. If you call us nerds, you have our attention, and a smile.
who sees that/. is doing what they have to? Come on, at least we have the option to subscribe OR view the ads. That's more than some news agencies require.
When these ads go up, I can still log in to/. and do what I do, right? I don't HAVE to pay, and I think that is an important point. So I have to look at ads, so what? Ads are a part of internet life, and I am relatively sure/. is not going to be too obnoxious about it.
This is just another case of us tearing down someone who is doing what needs to be done to survive. The tentative approach is, IMHO, a pretty good indication that they would not have done this if they had a choice.
A lot of people have mentioned the fact that our submissions make up the content of this site. That's a decent point, but it is irrelevent. Nobody up there at/. HQ is becoming a millionaire on our research, are they? No, they are offering us a free medium to see the latest news and discuss it in an open forum. They need to put up some more ads so they can keep us connected like this, and I say more power to them. Being given the option to remove the ads (for 5 bucks a month, come on, my bank fee to keep an account open is more than that, and the bastards make a killing on me anyway) is pretty good, if you ask me.
FYI, I am not a business major, but I think that when your operating costs are more than your revenue you are running at a loss.
Anyway, I am going to pay my five dollars and, when I run out of pages, I'll pay five more. I think this community is worth saving, since it's really the only one most of us fit into, isn't it?
Does anyone still take offense to this term? A little while ago in a land pretty close by being a nerd became a good thing, and a compliment besides. Save your hypersensitivity in our stead, we nerds are pretty thick skinned.
What you consider demeaning to us is one of the greatest triumphs socially in our age. Think about it for a minute, and you'll understand. Our community (the 'nerds') has taken a word with derisive meaning and turned it into a compliment, something someones say when they are impressed by you. What other formally repressed and introverted minorities can offer that kind of triumph?
Personally, I prefer 'geek', but you get to feel good about yourself either way.
~MadScie
There is one coming on SourceForge, I believe called SourceCheck. From what I have been told by the guy developing it, it parses Java files up to 1.3 and looks for standards and problematic conditions in the code on a static level, generating an HTML report at its conclusion. Should be pretty neat, if it ever gets going.
Slashdot Mirror
Well, I'm doing a study state by state on all the voting irregularities on my blog (in the sig), but I'm doing it without regard to who stole what or where. I know there's a ton of flaws in the system and no one wants to talk about it, but calling everyone who cares about our voting process a nut is a little out there, methinks.
~A!
WatchingTheWatchers
I posted on this Twenty-one days ago at Watching the Watchers, and it was completely ignored. Now, a month later, it gets attention. Bullshit.
Greetings,
I am writing in about Steven Evan's piece on the MyDoom virus reported on 2/5/2004. I find in reading this piece an uncharacteristically charlatanistic approach to journalism, as well as a genuine disregard for the facts. While Mr. Evan's piece reveals his opinions on the matter, he overlooks several key facts that I am sure you have already heard from other commentors such as myself, but including:
This virus runs on the Windows platforms. While this does not exclude Linux hardcore programmers, it goes a long way to debunking the idea that someone with such viral expertise on Windows is also a Linux guru.
This virus' DOS attack against SCO is, in my opinion and the opinion of many others, a smokescreen to hide the fact that this virus is primarily a SPAM gateway. This fact is completely ignored in Mr. Evans article, which begs the question of whether or not you require reporters to do any research whatsoever.
This article is presented as fact. Since there is precisely zero pieces of factual evidence mentioned in the article, I find it on par with the level of assertion put forth by holocaust deniers and area 51 pundits.
I get a very large portion of my news from the BBC, and I respect your institution immensely. This article reflects very poorly on your integrity as a news agency.
Just so it is known, I am not a Linux programmer, but a Windows programmer, so there is no unbridled rage at hearing Linux get beaten up. I really could care less. I do, however, take umbrage to the idea that the public should be subjected to baseless opinion pieces represented as the truth without any eveidence to back up the position.
Regards,
~A!
I thought that one was Ockham's Razor. I didn't know Twain said that. Thanks.
Java. It seems to me that everyone is beginning to talk about cross-platform issues now that Microsoft is hitting us with .NET.
But we've been talking about this kind of thing for years, haven't we? Consistency and usability across _all_ platforms and applications?
XP: Hi, I'm Windows XP, and I am innovative and cool because I have a customizable UI and can do skinning, or whatever you call it. Java: Hey, no cutsies! I was here first!
I agree that in almost all situations you should avoid the mild negative connotations. This community, though, is a different story altogether.
/. was the "News for Nerds. Stuff that Matters" title screen. I thought it was intrigued at the outset, and have been a faithful reader ever since. I think the nerd thing attracts us rather than repelling us, in this case.
One of the first things that attracted me to
What I was really trying to say is that nerd doesn't carry a negative connotation to those of us who actually are nerds. All of the nerds I've met love it, and proudly display it. If you call us nerds, you have our attention, and a smile.
Good original post, BTW.
who sees that /. is doing what they have to? Come on, at least we have the option to subscribe OR view the ads. That's more than some news agencies require.
/. and do what I do, right? I don't HAVE to pay, and I think that is an important point. So I have to look at ads, so what? Ads are a part of internet life, and I am relatively sure /. is not going to be too obnoxious about it.
/. HQ is becoming a millionaire on our research, are they? No, they are offering us a free medium to see the latest news and discuss it in an open forum. They need to put up some more ads so they can keep us connected like this, and I say more power to them. Being given the option to remove the ads (for 5 bucks a month, come on, my bank fee to keep an account open is more than that, and the bastards make a killing on me anyway) is pretty good, if you ask me.
When these ads go up, I can still log in to
This is just another case of us tearing down someone who is doing what needs to be done to survive. The tentative approach is, IMHO, a pretty good indication that they would not have done this if they had a choice.
A lot of people have mentioned the fact that our submissions make up the content of this site. That's a decent point, but it is irrelevent. Nobody up there at
FYI, I am not a business major, but I think that when your operating costs are more than your revenue you are running at a loss.
Anyway, I am going to pay my five dollars and, when I run out of pages, I'll pay five more. I think this community is worth saving, since it's really the only one most of us fit into, isn't it?
Does anyone still take offense to this term? A little while ago in a land pretty close by being a nerd became a good thing, and a compliment besides. Save your hypersensitivity in our stead, we nerds are pretty thick skinned. What you consider demeaning to us is one of the greatest triumphs socially in our age. Think about it for a minute, and you'll understand. Our community (the 'nerds') has taken a word with derisive meaning and turned it into a compliment, something someones say when they are impressed by you. What other formally repressed and introverted minorities can offer that kind of triumph? Personally, I prefer 'geek', but you get to feel good about yourself either way. ~MadScie
There is one coming on SourceForge, I believe called SourceCheck. From what I have been told by the guy developing it, it parses Java files up to 1.3 and looks for standards and problematic conditions in the code on a static level, generating an HTML report at its conclusion. Should be pretty neat, if it ever gets going.