Have you ever tried to open a door that has an air pocket on one side and water under pressure on the other? Apparently not. I hope you never have to.
Consider this for a moment: Car doors open OUTWARD.
Comments like yours are considered in some circles as Evolution In Action.
Most of us are, after reading page upon page of posts until 6 AM....then sleeping for 2 minutes and doing it all over again....
Hell, he makes nearly everybody look like a drooling idiot. They should nominate him for the Nobel Prize in Lit Elegance and Style, not to mention Research and Common Sense.
There was a 3rdparty game I saw on the web some time ago called MCP vs Enzymatic God or some such...it was primitive, but with decent graphics and great sound effects. I don't have a link anymore...something to do today.
I don't know if it was ever finished...
I think they are. Certainly one can't argue that we aren't seeing more and more opposition from ordinary people and in the prime time media against spam, intrusive advertising, corporate idiocy and mismanagement (Enron)and like behavior.
This doesn't mean that the penduluum has swung over, just that it is not swinging quite so far as it used to.
Also I'll point out that just because people are going to go see Star Wars epII, or because they're buying Britney Spears albums, does not mean that they aren't becoming aware of what is going on. I'm very much against large corporate crap tactics and the intrusiveness of advertising, but boycotting Star Wars would be ridiculous. Why is it that some zealots can't seem to get it thru their heads that boycotts accomplish just about zero? Look at what happened during the so-called "Slashdot boycott" last month and you'll see what I mean. Just what did it accomplish? Zip.
Change is going to happen not because a few people boycott popular entertainment but because the corps/companies involved are publicly shamed or legally forced into changing their tactics.
"but how am I going to do that without an OS to begin with" + plus other gripes about not having the knowledge to know how to install Linux.
Ask your local experienced tech. You can usually find at least one person who is willing to help. In most towns there is generally at least one Linux geek who would be willing to help. If he/she isn't, then *fsck* him - and find someone else - there are many of us who spend uncountable volunteer hours doing just that sort of thing. You also might try going to a local computer users club and swallowing your pride (no offense meant) and listening to what they say.
Then again, if you want to do it yourself, don't bitch if you don't know how. Those of us who have spent thousands of hours learning all of the ins and outs will be happy to help you. We might charge you for it, but hey, we have to pay the bills somehow. If you don't want to pay, then spend the time reading, learning, making mistakes, and figuring out how to do it, just like we have.
Before anyone mods that as flamebait or troll, let me remind you that the vast majority of people can't build a stable windows install by themselves, either. I know of what I speak, I've been doing that (+ tutoring + teaching + service & repair) for more than half a decade.
As an example with windows installs, a new (non OEM) motherboard/setup nearly always requires
1) fdisk and format the HD
2) run the windows installer (if you don't have a bootable CD, as in
windows 98 installs, then you have to do it from floppy.
3) After windows install, load MB drivers, Vid, Sound, Modem, and
any other drivers, and configure things such as your network connection.
4) Update the windows installation and deal with old/non-funct. WDM drivers and update other drivers as neccessary. (yes, that requires an internet connection.)
5) Windows updates. Not always necessary, but sometimes are, and often can break your system - MS Win Update is not perfect, either.
6) Software Installation and the associated problems;
7) Fixing the odds and ends problems such as unstable drivers, software conflicts, and tweaking the system to fit your needs.
If you feel confident and do accomplish that, then congrats! You are a beginning Windows Geek. Now: Repeat for linux( Minus most of the above, if you get a good distrib like Mandrake or Redhat). Then, repeat for the next system you do....with different circumstances to deal with.
For those of you who buy OEM systems, if you have a stable system, great. You got lucky. Most people don't get lucky that way. I've lost count of the systems I've fixed/repaired/troubleshot for people who bought some piece of crap from Walm^^^whomever that doesn't work right, for various reasons (and often they come to us Geeks because they either have to pay for tech support from their OEM or they got frustrated dealing with min wage techs who don't know what they're doing)
So my point is, where is Linux any different than windows as regards installation? Except, of course, that I can install Mandrake on most generic systems and it recognizes nearly all devices, installs and configures them properly; the hardest thing to learn is setting up the network and deciding what DE to use)
There is not now, and probably never will be, an OS that installs without at least some Knowledge Required from the installer, whether a average user or a Geek. This also applies to a great degree to software installation on a preloaded OEM system. It's going to apply even more as computers get faster and more complicated. The analogy to new cars is hard to avoid - but applies just as much, there are a lot fewer backyard mechanics then there used to be.
Then there is always the first and foremost important thing to do: Do Your Research On What You Are Buying and The People You Are Buying It From. I cannot stress this enough! You are not buying a VCR - you are buying a very complex piece of hardware that is going to, now or later, require you to Learn Something. One of the most important things to look for is local tech support - to save you the telephone time and save shipping your system back to some OEM who will not transfer your data nor set up your internet config for your or customize your system to your liking.
Also, remember something: We are Human Beings Also, and can get just as frustrated with stubborn stiff necked users as the users can get frustrated with clueless techs (and there are plenty of those out there). Have some patience. Rome was not built in a day, either.
An example of my day today ( a slow but typical day): Today I dealt with 2 Klez virus repairs, a user who had a newsletter crashing Netscape 4.x, a really odd problem with ghosting an installation that was ultimately determined as being caused by a weird difference ? between the old MS fdisk and the new version that is supposed to deal properly with 80GB+ HDs, two people who after several years still have not learned how to cut&paste, and someone who screwed his mobo down to the case plate with no standoffs ( and blew it up), plus the odd and end calls. Just....another day.
My personal feeling with what you encountered: No offense, but most of the problems you encountered were caused by a lack of knowledge about what you were doing. Next time, find some help. You wouldn't try to tear apart and fix your own car without some help, now, would you? (unless, of course, you are a experienced mechanic - and I'll say without modesty that I learned to do that for myself 20 years ago when I was in High School, but the, I'm an unusual type of person...masochistic, some say) Swallow your pride and ASK someone for help!
To me, the attraction of Star Wars was that a nowhere, nobody could make a difference. In the late 70s, that was something that spoke to a lot of us. One of the strongest scenes for me in New Hope was Luke watching the twin sunset, wishing he could be elsewhere, doing something that made a real difference, not just being another gear in the machine. (Yes, I know what Yoda thought of that)
Phantom Menace was, to a large degree, just entertainment, without that deep call.
I have seen all the trailers for EPII, and from what I've seen, there's very little of that call in there...but at least there is some of that "last ditch defense" feeling that I used to have when I thought of what the "Clone Wars" that ObiWan spoke of in NH was there.
Plus we get to see Yoda using a lightsaber. Is this a "short" lightsaber?;-)
"The suits allege these features effectively deprive networks of the means of paying for their programs -- advertising revenue. And they allow people who paid for premium programming -- say HBO's ``Six Feet Under'' -- to send it to consumers who haven't."
Does this remind anyone of Senator D^H^H^H^H^H Holl^H^H^H^H 's antics???
SB to advertisers: Boo Friccing Hoo. I've been putting up with your advertising on various media formats from TV to Internet for 25 years - and I HAVE NEVER BOUGHT A SINGLE PRODUCT BASED ON THAT ADVERTISING - simply because I am capable of deciding what I wish to buy and can do my own research.
If I sound Pissed Off, I am. If your product can't sell to the people within your market who might actually look at, research, and make an intelligent decision on it, than I have no sympathy nor pity for you. Make a Better Product. Deal with it. The masses are waking up to your brainwash-style marketing.
Get your crap off of the media I pay for! Welcome to the Internet Business Model - I pay for NO ADVERTISING, not MORE.
(Yes, sad acronym, that - IBM = Internet Business Model)
Before I left my last Clone Job (ie, employed by someone else) about 10 years ago, I had several hundred hours of sickleave/vacation time accrued.
I never saw any compensation for that, despite the clause in the contract saying that I would. After nearly a year of back and forth with the idiots in district management I finally gave up.
There are good reasons that employees can accumulate sick/vacation time they don't use. Some of us work harder than the slackers.
"Challenger, Gray and Christmas based its projection on the assumption that a random cross section of the American population will see the movie, with 46 percent in full-time jobs,"
But what they aren't considering (?) is that most of the movie theater shows start at 7 PM or later, which is well after most "fulltime" employees (except for us 24/7 types) get off work.
This is a very insightful comment. If the IE upgrade installer has to replace system files that are in use (without the browser open, of course) then it's definitely upgrading parts of the OS, not just the browser.
Another point I'd like to make is that IE upgrades generally upgrade system security, including but not limited to the TCP/IP stack, windows scripting host, explorer/IE tie-ins(starting executables from the browser) and Office tie-ins among many others.
Seriously. Windows 95 was not designed with USB compatibility in mind. (I have heard that there are third-party cards/soft that can make it work with USB, but I have never seen nor heard of a computer in which they worked.)
I went thru something similar some years back when my brother got me a USB webcam and I ended up upgrading all my win95 boxen to win98. It is by far the easiest solution, especially if you plan to ever purchase more USB devices.
Forty some years ago going to the moon was beyond our "current technology".
This is how we advance - decide we're going to do something, figure out how to do it, then go ahead and do it. Of course the decision part seems to be the toughest one here in the states....
" NASA needs to trim some of it's bureacratic fat."
Absolutely. Regular readers of Pournelle's site will realize that NASA has always had all the funding it needed. Then there's the DC-X, the development of which NASA took over and subsequently killed dead thru mismanagement.
I've been seeing articles about the "next gen shuttle" for 15 years...and I'm still wondering where it is. If the Aussies (kudos!) can fly Scramjet engines on minimal budget, we need to take a really hard look at exactly where the money at NASA is being spent (hint: the best engineers can earn more money elsewhere).
One might also mention laser launchers, which show great promise but have received little or no real attention from the government or NASA.
IMO NASA should concentrate on science and R&D and leave commercial sat launches and manned flight to the private sector. Unfortunately until the larger corp's in the private sector wake up to the potential profits (and get some decent legislation from the gov) the US's private sector space flight programs will remain small.
Of course then there's people like John Carmack http://www.armadilloaerospace.com
Slashdot Mirror
*shrug* One would think so.
Just goes to show how greed can turn off one's brain. I never understood that.
What I find most amazing is that his wife RETURNED TO HIM. If I ever lied to a woman on that scale, she'd perform surgery on my...never mind.
Musta been the money, I guess.
SB
Any links you can share with us? (English if possible, my spanish is rusty).
/. users don't seem to be aware that this is a pending bill, not law).
Does it look like the bill will pass? (I'll note here that quite a few
I would just about kill something to have a transcript of any meetings between MS rep's and the wonderful Doctor/Congressman....
I am sure that MS is aware that any public comment on this is likely to have a strong backlash...
SB
"EULAs everytime they get a new ICBM control system"
LOL
I can just see it.
Commander: "Russia has launched, we have a launch order".
Sergeant: "Launch order, insert keys".
Private#1: "Keys inserted, sir"
Sergeant: "Execute launch".
Private #1: "Sir...the console says "Your 30 day trial period is up, this software is now disabled, please purchase this software."
Private #2:"Sir! Sir! What do we do??!!"
Sergeant: "Put head between legs...."
SB
Have you ever tried to open a door that has an air pocket on one side and water under pressure on the other? Apparently not. I hope you never have to.
Consider this for a moment: Car doors open OUTWARD.
Comments like yours are considered in some circles as Evolution In Action.
SB
"One development platform to rule them all"
I bet Microsoft wishes like heck that they'd thought of that....
SB
*waiting with held breath*
So what did he say, dammit?
SB
Most of us are, after reading page upon page of posts until 6 AM....then sleeping for 2 minutes and doing it all over again....
Hell, he makes nearly everybody look like a drooling idiot. They should nominate him for the Nobel Prize in Lit Elegance and Style, not to mention Research and Common Sense.
SB
Need I say more? I will anyway.
This is a very elegant and to the point rebuttal of the idiot argument that Microsoft continues to make against OSS.
SB
There was a 3rdparty game I saw on the web some time ago called MCP vs Enzymatic God or some such...it was primitive, but with decent graphics and great sound effects. I don't have a link anymore...something to do today.
I don't know if it was ever finished...
SB
erm....at the time of the original Tron, B. Gates was on the side of the users....now he IS the MCP.
K'K'K'arma death...I can feel it....Obi One! (oops, wrong movie)
SB
Well, I thought it was obvious.
senator D (isney deleted) Holl (ings deleted).
It's not blind repetition, I learned to code long before cut&paste came around and used to know my shortcut keys extremely well.
SB
I think they are. Certainly one can't argue that we aren't seeing more and more opposition from ordinary people and in the prime time media against spam, intrusive advertising, corporate idiocy and mismanagement (Enron)and like behavior.
This doesn't mean that the penduluum has swung over, just that it is not swinging quite so far as it used to.
Also I'll point out that just because people are going to go see Star Wars epII, or because they're buying Britney Spears albums, does not mean that they aren't becoming aware of what is going on. I'm very much against large corporate crap tactics and the intrusiveness of advertising, but boycotting Star Wars would be ridiculous. Why is it that some zealots can't seem to get it thru their heads that boycotts accomplish just about zero? Look at what happened during the so-called "Slashdot boycott" last month and you'll see what I mean. Just what did it accomplish? Zip.
Change is going to happen not because a few people boycott popular entertainment but because the corps/companies involved are publicly shamed or legally forced into changing their tactics.
SB
"but how am I going to do that without an OS to begin with" + plus other gripes about not having the knowledge to know how to install Linux.
Ask your local experienced tech. You can usually find at least one person who is willing to help. In most towns there is generally at least one Linux geek who would be willing to help. If he/she isn't, then *fsck* him - and find someone else - there are many of us who spend uncountable volunteer hours doing just that sort of thing. You also might try going to a local computer users club and swallowing your pride (no offense meant) and listening to what they say.
Then again, if you want to do it yourself, don't bitch if you don't know how. Those of us who have spent thousands of hours learning all of the ins and outs will be happy to help you. We might charge you for it, but hey, we have to pay the bills somehow. If you don't want to pay, then spend the time reading, learning, making mistakes, and figuring out how to do it, just like we have.
Before anyone mods that as flamebait or troll, let me remind you that the vast majority of people can't build a stable windows install by themselves, either. I know of what I speak, I've been doing that (+ tutoring + teaching + service & repair) for more than half a decade.
As an example with windows installs, a new (non OEM) motherboard/setup nearly always requires
1) fdisk and format the HD
2) run the windows installer (if you don't have a bootable CD, as in
windows 98 installs, then you have to do it from floppy.
3) After windows install, load MB drivers, Vid, Sound, Modem, and
any other drivers, and configure things such as your network connection.
4) Update the windows installation and deal with old/non-funct. WDM drivers and update other drivers as neccessary. (yes, that requires an internet connection.)
5) Windows updates. Not always necessary, but sometimes are, and often can break your system - MS Win Update is not perfect, either.
6) Software Installation and the associated problems;
7) Fixing the odds and ends problems such as unstable drivers, software conflicts, and tweaking the system to fit your needs.
If you feel confident and do accomplish that, then congrats! You are a beginning Windows Geek. Now: Repeat for linux( Minus most of the above, if you get a good distrib like Mandrake or Redhat). Then, repeat for the next system you do....with different circumstances to deal with.
For those of you who buy OEM systems, if you have a stable system, great. You got lucky. Most people don't get lucky that way. I've lost count of the systems I've fixed/repaired/troubleshot for people who bought some piece of crap from Walm^^^whomever that doesn't work right, for various reasons (and often they come to us Geeks because they either have to pay for tech support from their OEM or they got frustrated dealing with min wage techs who don't know what they're doing)
So my point is, where is Linux any different than windows as regards installation? Except, of course, that I can install Mandrake on most generic systems and it recognizes nearly all devices, installs and configures them properly; the hardest thing to learn is setting up the network and deciding what DE to use)
There is not now, and probably never will be, an OS that installs without at least some Knowledge Required from the installer, whether a average user or a Geek. This also applies to a great degree to software installation on a preloaded OEM system. It's going to apply even more as computers get faster and more complicated. The analogy to new cars is hard to avoid - but applies just as much, there are a lot fewer backyard mechanics then there used to be.
Then there is always the first and foremost important thing to do: Do Your Research On What You Are Buying and The People You Are Buying It From. I cannot stress this enough! You are not buying a VCR - you are buying a very complex piece of hardware that is going to, now or later, require you to Learn Something. One of the most important things to look for is local tech support - to save you the telephone time and save shipping your system back to some OEM who will not transfer your data nor set up your internet config for your or customize your system to your liking.
Also, remember something: We are Human Beings Also, and can get just as frustrated with stubborn stiff necked users as the users can get frustrated with clueless techs (and there are plenty of those out there). Have some patience. Rome was not built in a day, either.
An example of my day today ( a slow but typical day): Today I dealt with 2 Klez virus repairs, a user who had a newsletter crashing Netscape 4.x, a really odd problem with ghosting an installation that was ultimately determined as being caused by a weird difference ? between the old MS fdisk and the new version that is supposed to deal properly with 80GB+ HDs, two people who after several years still have not learned how to cut&paste, and someone who screwed his mobo down to the case plate with no standoffs ( and blew it up), plus the odd and end calls. Just....another day.
My personal feeling with what you encountered: No offense, but most of the problems you encountered were caused by a lack of knowledge about what you were doing. Next time, find some help. You wouldn't try to tear apart and fix your own car without some help, now, would you? (unless, of course, you are a experienced mechanic - and I'll say without modesty that I learned to do that for myself 20 years ago when I was in High School, but the, I'm an unusual type of person...masochistic, some say)
Swallow your pride and ASK someone for help!
SB
To me, the attraction of Star Wars was that a nowhere, nobody could make a difference. In the late 70s, that was something that spoke to a lot of us. One of the strongest scenes for me in New Hope was Luke watching the twin sunset, wishing he could be elsewhere, doing something that made a real difference, not just being another gear in the machine. (Yes, I know what Yoda thought of that)
Phantom Menace was, to a large degree, just entertainment, without that deep call.
I have seen all the trailers for EPII, and from what I've seen, there's very little of that call in there...but at least there is some of that "last ditch defense" feeling that I used to have when I thought of what the "Clone Wars" that ObiWan spoke of in NH was there.
Plus we get to see Yoda using a lightsaber. Is this a "short" lightsaber?
SB
"The suits allege these features effectively deprive networks of the means of paying for their programs -- advertising revenue. And they allow people who paid for premium programming -- say HBO's ``Six Feet Under'' -- to send it to consumers who haven't."
Does this remind anyone of Senator D^H^H^H^H^H Holl^H^H^H^H 's antics???
SB to advertisers: Boo Friccing Hoo. I've been putting up with your advertising on various media formats from TV to Internet for 25 years - and I HAVE NEVER BOUGHT A SINGLE PRODUCT BASED ON THAT ADVERTISING - simply because I am capable of deciding what I wish to buy and can do my own research.
If I sound Pissed Off, I am. If your product can't sell to the people within your market who might actually look at, research, and make an intelligent decision on it, than I have no sympathy nor pity for you.
Make a Better Product. Deal with it. The masses are waking up to your brainwash-style marketing.
Get your crap off of the media I pay for! Welcome to the Internet Business Model - I pay for NO ADVERTISING, not MORE.
(Yes, sad acronym, that - IBM = Internet Business Model)
SB
Amen. Mr. Page-Widening Troll has 16 posts in the last 24 hours that I've counted, and he's still not banned, nor has he been shot.
I think he's probably running up his own bandwidth bill all over the world.....as I've pointed out to Oostendorp (too soon to expect an answer yet)
Personally, if I find Mr. PWT, I am going to make him wish he'd never been hatched.
SB
PS just got a reply from RO saying that because he posts at -1, he cannot get "modded down and get banned by the system."
Methinks there needs to be some code changes here. Any comments?
(BTW, PWT, popup cutoff in Mozilla deals perfectly with your crap code.)
SB
*Teed off for getting subnet banned a week and a half ago for nothing that *I* apparently did* while this bastard walks free....
I'd rather see crap like this http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=32040&cid=345
SB
Before I left my last Clone Job (ie, employed by someone else) about 10 years ago, I had several hundred hours of sickleave/vacation time accrued.
I never saw any compensation for that, despite the clause in the contract saying that I would. After nearly a year of back and forth with the idiots in district management I finally gave up.
There are good reasons that employees can accumulate sick/vacation time they don't use. Some of us work harder than the slackers.
SB
"P-R-O-P-E-L-L-E-R H-E-A-D-S"
Then one could say that we put a spin on the economists projections, eh?
SB
From the article:
"Challenger, Gray and Christmas based its projection on the assumption that a random cross section of the American population will see the movie, with 46 percent in full-time jobs,"
But what they aren't considering (?) is that most of the movie theater shows start at 7 PM or later, which is well after most "fulltime" employees (except for us 24/7 types) get off work.
*sigh*
SB
Please mod parent up
This is a very insightful comment. If the IE upgrade installer has to replace system files that are in use (without the browser open, of course) then it's definitely upgrading parts of the OS, not just the browser.
Another point I'd like to make is that IE upgrades generally upgrade system security, including but not limited to the TCP/IP stack, windows scripting host, explorer/IE tie-ins(starting executables from the browser) and Office tie-ins among many others.
SB
Seriously. Windows 95 was not designed with USB compatibility in mind.
(I have heard that there are third-party cards/soft that can make it work with USB, but I have never seen nor heard of a computer in which they worked.)
I went thru something similar some years back when my brother got me a USB webcam and I ended up upgrading all my win95 boxen to win98. It is by far the easiest solution, especially if you plan to ever purchase more USB devices.
SB
Forty some years ago going to the moon was beyond our "current technology".
This is how we advance - decide we're going to do something, figure out how to do it, then go ahead and do it. Of course the decision part seems to be the toughest one here in the states....
SB
" NASA needs to trim some of it's bureacratic fat."
Absolutely. Regular readers of Pournelle's site will realize that NASA has always had all the funding it needed. Then there's the DC-X, the development of which NASA took over and subsequently killed dead thru mismanagement.
I've been seeing articles about the "next gen shuttle" for 15 years...and I'm still wondering where it is. If the Aussies (kudos!) can fly Scramjet engines on minimal budget, we need to take a really hard look at exactly where the money at NASA is being spent (hint: the best engineers can earn more money elsewhere).
One might also mention laser launchers, which show great promise but have received little or no real attention from the government or NASA.
IMO NASA should concentrate on science and R&D and leave commercial sat launches and manned flight to the private sector. Unfortunately until the larger corp's in the private sector wake up to the potential profits (and get some decent legislation from the gov) the US's private sector space flight programs will remain small.
Of course then there's people like John Carmack http://www.armadilloaerospace.com
Go Carmack!
SB
"there is a nearer and more certain source of ridiculously hot chicks"
Planet Hollywood!
SB