Maxx Payne was never over in WCW, he couldn't get over in the then WWF as "Man Mountain Rock", then when he went back to WCW he couldn't get over. Maxx Payne couldn't draw money if you covered him in glue and dragged in through Fort Knox.
Identity Theft? What Indentity? Maxx Payne was never more then a lower midcarder.
Part of the problem with Windows is that they compile the binaries to the least common demoninator. Imaging how much faster Windows could be if they were to release binaries optimized for a Pentium 4, for example instead of a Pentium 1 or 2... or if they released the source so people could tailor it to their hardware...
As far as Linux, if you just spend an evening rebuilding your kernel and apps and target your processor properly, you *will* see a marked increase in performance if you're running a reasonably fast PC.
That said, I bet typing on the IntyOS is a bitch without a keyboard.. since Mattel only shipped what, 12 of those things?
xyrw, I can't agree with you about there not really being a need for Christian games. I'm personally worried about the motives behind a lot of "Christian" media, it seems that a lot of companies are just churning out absolute crap, saying that it's Christian, and reaping the profits.
But that's not to say there wouldn't be a value in a well written, well designed, Christian-themed game. If the game made the player really think about the consequences of their actions, and NOT just the eternal consequences, then there could be value in the game. Or, if the game presented a compelling Gospel based storyline, maybe on one of the "minor" characters such as Nicodemus or Joseph of Aramathea, I think a game would be a good way to present the Christian message.
Unfortunately, thus far "Christian" games have just been utter crap. I'd be embarassed if I was the company that produced "Bible Adventures" or other unplayable NES crapware. But, one can always hope that someone with talent will develop a good Christian game... there are popular licenses such as Veggie Tales that could be made into an entertaining game suitable for kids.
I'd also say that there is a need for Christian movies. Movies such as "Jesus of Nazareth", "King of Kings", even "Ten Commandments" and "Prince of Egypt" (lest we forget or Jewish roots) can reach audiences that otherwise might not experience the message of Christianity.
However, I think we'd agree that unfortunately too many Christians want to hide behind Christian media and not deal with the fact the we do live in an ugly, brutal, fallen world.
While it would be easier to just install Perl on the Windows machine, I'm not sure you'd want a child who is learning how to program complete and unfettered access to the PC.
While I'll admit Perl is a fantastic language, I'm not sure I'd start a beginner out on it. A better solution might be Java, which is also a free download / install, and then you don't have to worry about your registry getting screwed by your curious new programmer who wants to understand the way things work in your PC. While the JVM has it's limits, it is a pretty good sandbox for your aspiring developer to play in, without the nuances of pointers and memory allocation. Pascal would be another fine choice, except that I'd argue it's more of a dead language.
Now I fully expect my fellow C/C++ programmers to point out that any programmer should know pointers and memory allocation, and I'd agree, but let the child walk with Java in a protected environment before running barefoot in the rough with C/C++.
And really, the above applies to people who already have Linux and the gcc tools - Java for Linux is still a free download, and will still be a good environment for a first language.
Finally, you'll also be giving your child a head start, as many universities are starting to teach Java as the Computer Science intro class instead of Pascal or C.
My suggestion - get a PS2, not an Xbox, and give Grand Theft Auto 3 and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City a try. There's a good reason these games are so popular, they're extremely fun.
I get paid to write code. For forty to fifty hours a week I park my ass in a chair at a desk in front of a computer and crank out code.
But am I an Engineer? Hmm.. let's see what my degree says. "Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Engineering".. yup, I have an Engineering Degree, therefore I am an Engineer.
Where's my business card.. it says "Software Engineer". Yeah, Texas Legislature, prepare for me to vote your monkey asses out next year. Pray that I don't take the initiative (and the pay cut) and run against your stupid asses.
They don't own the best station in Dallas - 93.3 The Bone - Rock station - plays a lot of 70's / 80's / early 90's rock. Ozzy, AC/DC, Van Halen, Led Zeppelin, Alice Cooper.. the Bone rocks.
Hopefully, the community can take over the Mandrake Distro. Mandrake has the reputation of being once of the easiest distros to get up and running, and with KDE 3 it's definately something that could appeal to Mom & Pop AOL'er.
It would be a shame for Mandrake to go the way of the dodo, so I personally hope that members of the community step up and support it.
Personally, I use Mandrake 9. Previously, I was running Red Hat 7.3, and since I didn't like what Red Hat did to KDE (which I prefer to GNOME, though GNOME is definately not without its merits), I decided to give Mandrake a try - and I've been running it since. Other Linux distros would do well to take a look at Mandrake and see how easy they make it to install and set up a Linux box. While not for everybody*, the drakconf utilities can be extremely useful.
Since most "home" translations of popular classic games left a lot to be desired (Atari 2600 Pac-Man, anyone?), why not release a set-top box so people can easily relive their youth by playing classic games?
And yes, I know how easy it is to get MAME up and running, but face it. If you're reading slashdot, chances are you're in the top 5% of the technically inclined and setting up an emulator is *easy*. But, if you're mom and pop AOL who don't even know what type of sound or video card they have, let alone the processor speen and RAM, well then it becomes a more daunting task.
Though I have to wonder how much of a market there will be for this... considering how many publishers have released collections of their old games for the latest consoles already..
An Electrical Engineer, a Mechanical Engineer, and a Software Engineer are driving in the hills when the car suddenly veers off the road, down a steep incline, and into a ditch.
The Mechanical Engineer, surveying the wreckage, says "I think the steering column may have broke, causing the wheel to turn violently to the right."
The Electrical Engineer, disagreeing, says "No, I think there may have been a short circuit in the power assisted steering system."
The Software Engineer, looks at the other two, and says "Well anyways, let's push the car back up the hill, on to the road, and see if it happens again."
(Disclaimer: I am a Software Engineer with a CSE degree.)
What's more important, is exactly what counts as "hate speech"? Who decides what is "hate speech"?
If a child's web site is dedicated to history, would commentary on the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor be considered "Hate Speech" since it might offend Japanese kids?
Or what about a current events story on the conflict between Isreal and the PLO? Would the other side denounce any opinion given as "hate speech"?
Or more recent - there are some that consider it "hate speech" to talk ill of Al Qaeda (despite the fact that their goal is the destruction of the US).
Sounds like this may be just another example of political correctness gone too far. Why shield kids from any speech, even if it is vile, racist garbage? Wouldn't it be better to point out to the kids that racist organizations exist, but are wrong because they don't believe that All Men (and women) are created Equal?
First, I assure you, while I'm a lot of things, I'm not trolling here.
But my point remains - on a team, the weakest link slows everybody down, and unfortunately some managers refuse to fire negatively productive (ie, write more bugs then they fix) people.
Extreme Programming may work for you, but in my experience it hasn't worked for me, in fact, it's a reason for me to leave a company.
It's also not a matter of being able to communicate - quite frankly I shouldn't have to explain what CListCtrl::SetItemData () does, for example, while getting reamed for slipping behind in a schedule. Had that lasted more then a week, I would have gone even more insane then some people claim I already am.
As far as looking good checking in code, why, yes, that's exactly what I do, and in turn, because my code is good, I make my supervisor look good to his boss, and he remembers that and gives me pay raises.
It's not that I don't want to work in a team environment, it's that I don't want a goblin breathing down my neck for 8 hours a day.
And therein lies the problem I had with it. The goblin I was paired with was completely useless, questioning every little line I wrote until I finally typed in ::MessageBox (NULL, _T("Fuck You"), _T("I Quit"), MB_OK); Then I simply got up and left.
As far as the clarity of my code, if someone didn't pay attention in class or doesn't have the foggiest notion about what the STL can do, then why is it my problem? If they don't understand "Hungarian Notation" or MFC or even the base Win32 API, then again, why is it my problem? The goblin I was paired with supposedly had 5 years of Windows programming experience. Methinks he lied on his resume...
If I'm on a tight deadline to ship code, then the last thing I have time for it so break down the logic into small words for little goblins who don't understand the programming language. No, I'd much rather have a code review to where I can explain everything in great detail then trying to remember my place in my thought process and continually getting annoyed at the interruptions.
As far as your third paragraph - that really depends on the bug. If it's a trite little bug that takes 5 seconds to fix, then the time is far better then it takes to explain in small words to a goblin.
XP lasted for about a week at a client site, before I got fed up with a foul smelling twit sharing my cubicle with me and quit. Personally, I'm going to get this book, and place it prominently on my shelf at work so that nobody ever gets the idea of giving me a cube mate ever again. Of course, if she's 5'8". 36-24-36, and in her 20's, I might have to change my mind..:)
But in all seriousness, and at the risk of sounding incredibly arrogant, I've not met someone who can keep up with me when writing code. And really, that's not the time for 2 heads, the time for having multiple people looking at a problem is in the design phase - not the implementation.
"The document in question seems to suggest that the basis for evaluating products has been long-term customer value, and that's something we agree with. I think our marketing is geared toward that issue, toward long-term customer value."
Translation: I wasn't aware of this memo existing because I'm just a PR Weasel, and totally out of the loop, but just in case this is a real memo then I'd better praise it before I'm selling French Fries.
Seriously though - if it wasn't authentic, they would have vehemently denied it was authentic in a way to discredit Eric Raymond.
And we will respond in kind by not purchasing crippled CD's from retail stores. Surely someone in that company took a business class where they were taught that the best way to stay in business to to keep your customers coming back. Pissing people off like this doesn't get your customers back...
Besides, their first attempt was defeated by a permanent marker. What will the next one be defeated by? A stapler?
Oh well.. give the RIAA enough rope, and it will hang itself. It's already acting like it's having a nervous breakdown. And with the GOP running the Senate, Fritz Hollings (aka Senator Disney) has no chance in hell of getting his SCCCCCCCCCCA bill passed.
Maybe I should buy some stock in Sanford (manufacturers of Sharpie markers)...
OK, substitute "PSX" for "PS2" and "Genesis" or even "Master System" for "XBox", and my point still makes sense. Nintendo doesn't have a monopoly now, and they didn't then, so price fixing makes no business sense.
How can price fixing even make business sense (legal or not) for Nintendo? Nintendo is definately not a monopoly, so you'd think that price fixing games would just drive more customers from the Gamecube to the PS2 or (gasp) XBox.
For example (and for argument's sake) why would a person spend $60 for a game when they can get the exact same game for PS2 for $40? (Notwithstanding the difference in the cost of the hardware - which at roughly $50 evens out at about 3 games. Who only ever buys 3 games for a console?) You'd think that this scenario would simply hurt sales, and not increase profit. Unless of course, they only care about short term gain and higher profit margins and not increasing market share. Makes sense in the short term, but kills you in the long term.
Sounds to me that not only is Nintendo guilty of price fixing, but that they're guilty of having a somewhat flawed business model.
Not if you upgrade to a Linux Distro like Mandrake 9. Then you can tell MS to go screw themselves. Below is a link where you can get all kinds of ISO's of different distros (and FreeBSD).
As someone who's posted several Anti-Microsoft posts, let me agree with you. Bashing Windows or Microsoft because you think it's "l33t" to do so only pisses off the people who we are trying to convert to Linux. If the message is "Use Linux Instead of Windows" then back it up with reasons WHY (like better stability, better performance on legacy hardware, cost, OpenOffice, KDE, GNOME, The GIMP, etc.)
The fact that this Porchse Design laptop comes with Windows pre-installed in and of itself should not be a knock againt the laptop. Knock the look of the laptop, or the weight, or the keyboard layout, or the hardware specs..Besides, how hard it it to just wipe the drive and install the distro of your choice?
Face it, companies are going to pre-install Windows to reach the largest target market - that is, until the Linux community can convince enough people to switch to where MS doesn't have such a dominance over the desktop.
But please, stop the insane "Everything Microsoft Does Sucks" mantra. Some Microsoft Technology is very good, though it usually doesn't take long for the open source community to come up with something better. Instead of mindlessly bashing Microsoft, it's better to praise the excellent alternatives that Linux offers - OpenOffice, KDE, GNOME, The Gimp, the GNU development tools, the cost or lack thereof, the abscence of restrictions on concurrent IP connections (*cough*cough*Win NT 4 Professional*cough*cough*) and the list goes on and on.. sell people on the idea that by switching to Linux, they're getting a superior platform.
Slashdot Mirror
Maxx Payne was never over in WCW, he couldn't get over in the then WWF as "Man Mountain Rock", then when he went back to WCW he couldn't get over.
Maxx Payne couldn't draw money if you covered him in glue and dragged in through Fort Knox.
Identity Theft? What Indentity? Maxx Payne was never more then a lower midcarder.
As far as Linux, if you just spend an evening rebuilding your kernel and apps and target your processor properly, you *will* see a marked increase in performance if you're running a reasonably fast PC.
That said, I bet typing on the IntyOS is a bitch without a keyboard.. since Mattel only shipped what, 12 of those things?
But that's not to say there wouldn't be a value in a well written, well designed, Christian-themed game. If the game made the player really think about the consequences of their actions, and NOT just the eternal consequences, then there could be value in the game. Or, if the game presented a compelling Gospel based storyline, maybe on one of the "minor" characters such as Nicodemus or Joseph of Aramathea, I think a game would be a good way to present the Christian message.
Unfortunately, thus far "Christian" games have just been utter crap. I'd be embarassed if I was the company that produced "Bible Adventures" or other unplayable NES crapware. But, one can always hope that someone with talent will develop a good Christian game... there are popular licenses such as Veggie Tales that could be made into an entertaining game suitable for kids.
I'd also say that there is a need for Christian movies. Movies such as "Jesus of Nazareth", "King of Kings", even "Ten Commandments" and "Prince of Egypt" (lest we forget or Jewish roots) can reach audiences that otherwise might not experience the message of Christianity.
However, I think we'd agree that unfortunately too many Christians want to hide behind Christian media and not deal with the fact the we do live in an ugly, brutal, fallen world.
While I'll admit Perl is a fantastic language, I'm not sure I'd start a beginner out on it. A better solution might be Java, which is also a free download / install, and then you don't have to worry about your registry getting screwed by your curious new programmer who wants to understand the way things work in your PC. While the JVM has it's limits, it is a pretty good sandbox for your aspiring developer to play in, without the nuances of pointers and memory allocation. Pascal would be another fine choice, except that I'd argue it's more of a dead language.
Now I fully expect my fellow C/C++ programmers to point out that any programmer should know pointers and memory allocation, and I'd agree, but let the child walk with Java in a protected environment before running barefoot in the rough with C/C++.
And really, the above applies to people who already have Linux and the gcc tools - Java for Linux is still a free download, and will still be a good environment for a first language.
Finally, you'll also be giving your child a head start, as many universities are starting to teach Java as the Computer Science intro class instead of Pascal or C.
My suggestion - get a PS2, not an Xbox, and give Grand Theft Auto 3 and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City a try. There's a good reason these games are so popular, they're extremely fun.
I like my brother, and all, but I don't want to have to sit close enough to smell him when whooping him at F-Zero Advance.
But am I an Engineer? Hmm.. let's see what my degree says. "Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Engineering".. yup, I have an Engineering Degree, therefore I am an Engineer.
Where's my business card.. it says "Software Engineer". Yeah, Texas Legislature, prepare for me to vote your monkey asses out next year. Pray that I don't take the initiative (and the pay cut) and run against your stupid asses.
Fortunately, the one *good* station isn't - 93.3 The Bone.
They don't own the best station in Dallas - 93.3 The Bone - Rock station - plays a lot of 70's / 80's / early 90's rock. Ozzy, AC/DC, Van Halen, Led Zeppelin, Alice Cooper.. the Bone rocks.
It would be a shame for Mandrake to go the way of the dodo, so I personally hope that members of the community step up and support it.
Personally, I use Mandrake 9. Previously, I was running Red Hat 7.3, and since I didn't like what Red Hat did to KDE (which I prefer to GNOME, though GNOME is definately not without its merits), I decided to give Mandrake a try - and I've been running it since. Other Linux distros would do well to take a look at Mandrake and see how easy they make it to install and set up a Linux box. While not for everybody*, the drakconf utilities can be extremely useful.
*Perl script wizards need not apply!
And yes, I know how easy it is to get MAME up and running, but face it. If you're reading slashdot, chances are you're in the top 5% of the technically inclined and setting up an emulator is *easy*. But, if you're mom and pop AOL who don't even know what type of sound or video card they have, let alone the processor speen and RAM, well then it becomes a more daunting task.
Though I have to wonder how much of a market there will be for this... considering how many publishers have released collections of their old games for the latest consoles already..
Goodbye forever, windows, you won't be missed.
If I ever see a BSOD again, it will be too soon.
The Mechanical Engineer, surveying the wreckage, says "I think the steering column may have broke, causing the wheel to turn violently to the right."
The Electrical Engineer, disagreeing, says "No, I think there may have been a short circuit in the power assisted steering system."
The Software Engineer, looks at the other two, and says "Well anyways, let's push the car back up the hill, on to the road, and see if it happens again."
(Disclaimer: I am a Software Engineer with a CSE degree.)
If a child's web site is dedicated to history, would commentary on the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor be considered "Hate Speech" since it might offend Japanese kids?
Or what about a current events story on the conflict between Isreal and the PLO? Would the other side denounce any opinion given as "hate speech"?
Or more recent - there are some that consider it "hate speech" to talk ill of Al Qaeda (despite the fact that their goal is the destruction of the US).
Sounds like this may be just another example of political correctness gone too far. Why shield kids from any speech, even if it is vile, racist garbage? Wouldn't it be better to point out to the kids that racist organizations exist, but are wrong because they don't believe that All Men (and women) are created Equal?
But my point remains - on a team, the weakest link slows everybody down, and unfortunately some managers refuse to fire negatively productive (ie, write more bugs then they fix) people.
Extreme Programming may work for you, but in my experience it hasn't worked for me, in fact, it's a reason for me to leave a company.
It's also not a matter of being able to communicate - quite frankly I shouldn't have to explain what CListCtrl::SetItemData () does, for example, while getting reamed for slipping behind in a schedule. Had that lasted more then a week, I would have gone even more insane then some people claim I already am.
As far as looking good checking in code, why, yes, that's exactly what I do, and in turn, because my code is good, I make my supervisor look good to his boss, and he remembers that and gives me pay raises.
It's not that I don't want to work in a team environment, it's that I don't want a goblin breathing down my neck for 8 hours a day.
Then I simply got up and left.
As far as the clarity of my code, if someone didn't pay attention in class or doesn't have the foggiest notion about what the STL can do, then why is it my problem? If they don't understand "Hungarian Notation" or MFC or even the base Win32 API, then again, why is it my problem? The goblin I was paired with supposedly had 5 years of Windows programming experience. Methinks he lied on his resume...
If I'm on a tight deadline to ship code, then the last thing I have time for it so break down the logic into small words for little goblins who don't understand the programming language. No, I'd much rather have a code review to where I can explain everything in great detail then trying to remember my place in my thought process and continually getting annoyed at the interruptions.
As far as your third paragraph - that really depends on the bug. If it's a trite little bug that takes 5 seconds to fix, then the time is far better then it takes to explain in small words to a goblin.
What else should I be doing during a massive rebuild of the project so that the testing group can get their greedy little hands on it?
But in all seriousness, and at the risk of sounding incredibly arrogant, I've not met someone who can keep up with me when writing code. And really, that's not the time for 2 heads, the time for having multiple people looking at a problem is in the design phase - not the implementation.
Code Reviews are great, but personally I hate XP.
Translation: I wasn't aware of this memo existing because I'm just a PR Weasel, and totally out of the loop, but just in case this is a real memo then I'd better praise it before I'm selling French Fries.
Seriously though - if it wasn't authentic, they would have vehemently denied it was authentic in a way to discredit Eric Raymond.
Besides, their first attempt was defeated by a permanent marker. What will the next one be defeated by? A stapler?
Oh well.. give the RIAA enough rope, and it will hang itself. It's already acting like it's having a nervous breakdown. And with the GOP running the Senate, Fritz Hollings (aka Senator Disney) has no chance in hell of getting his SCCCCCCCCCCA bill passed.
Maybe I should buy some stock in Sanford (manufacturers of Sharpie markers)...
You'd think they'd *want* a bunch of geeks reading this.
Maybe they could sell kits to change the LED color on your mice to recoup the bandwidth cost of a good slashdotting.
OK, substitute "PSX" for "PS2" and "Genesis" or even "Master System" for "XBox", and my point still makes sense. Nintendo doesn't have a monopoly now, and they didn't then, so price fixing makes no business sense.
For example (and for argument's sake) why would a person spend $60 for a game when they can get the exact same game for PS2 for $40? (Notwithstanding the difference in the cost of the hardware - which at roughly $50 evens out at about 3 games. Who only ever buys 3 games for a console?) You'd think that this scenario would simply hurt sales, and not increase profit. Unless of course, they only care about short term gain and higher profit margins and not increasing market share. Makes sense in the short term, but kills you in the long term.
Sounds to me that not only is Nintendo guilty of price fixing, but that they're guilty of having a somewhat flawed business model.
http://www.linuxiso.org
The fact that this Porchse Design laptop comes with Windows pre-installed in and of itself should not be a knock againt the laptop. Knock the look of the laptop, or the weight, or the keyboard layout, or the hardware specs..Besides, how hard it it to just wipe the drive and install the distro of your choice?
Face it, companies are going to pre-install Windows to reach the largest target market - that is, until the Linux community can convince enough people to switch to where MS doesn't have such a dominance over the desktop.
But please, stop the insane "Everything Microsoft Does Sucks" mantra. Some Microsoft Technology is very good, though it usually doesn't take long for the open source community to come up with something better. Instead of mindlessly bashing Microsoft, it's better to praise the excellent alternatives that Linux offers - OpenOffice, KDE, GNOME, The Gimp, the GNU development tools, the cost or lack thereof, the abscence of restrictions on concurrent IP connections (*cough*cough*Win NT 4 Professional*cough*cough*) and the list goes on and on.. sell people on the idea that by switching to Linux, they're getting a superior platform.