I'm not a coder, I'm just a guy who appreciates the role technology plays in my world. That's why I hang on/.
Whether you want to laugh at it, see if you can find bugs, write improved versions of things, write ubercool viruses or whatever, we all want the source.
Frankly, as a Joe Blow-level user (well ok, maybe a tad above that but still just a user), I find the casual reference to writing ubercool virii uncool at best.
My computer is a tool I use for a lot of my daily life-functions; some of those functions are reliant upon my MicroSoft OS (I dual-boot, but the heavy lifting is still done by M$. I don't necessarily like it, but this is my reality).
I really, truly don't appreciate the efforts of all those altruists out there who alert me to the security flaws in my cyber-home by handing out skeleton keys to the local branches of the Thieves and Vandals Guilds.
If there's one tiny inkling of justification in MicroSoft's preference for keeping the source code under wraps, you support it with those words. It does the cause of opening up the computers of the world to other OS's (a cause I fully support) no good at all to feed the FUD monster in this fashion.
Violence has solved more human problems than any other type of activity.
On the other hand, it has also caused more problems than any other type of activity; in fact, most of the problems violence has solved were caused by violence in the first place.
If this post seems offtopic, please replace the word "violence" with the word "Microsoft".
Could Microsoft go run to the DoJ and complain that giving away Red Hat Linux for free with Dell computers (and no Windows came installed) was driving them out of business?
No, not if they were willing to supply Windows for free (which is different from "included in the list price").
Of course, should Red Hat, using their (in this alternate universe) pre-existing monopoly power, insist upon applying unreasonable financial sanctions to Dell should Dell elect to offer BOTH operating systems pre-installed (for free), that would indeed be illegal and something which the DoJ would be required by law to investigate.
If Red Hat were (through some legislative legerdemain undermining the current license) to charge for their OS as well as preventing Dell from installing Windows, the practice would be self-evidently predatory.
Now let's say the government comes along and says "By integrating TCP/IP into your OS you have destroyed a market for third party network solutions. You must remove it."
Not quite. Try this:
Now let's say the government comes along and says "By integrating TCP/IP into your OS you have destroyed a market for third party network solutions. You must allow your customers to remove it."
Better yet:
Now let's say the government comes along and says "By integrating TCP/IP into your OS you have destroyed a market for third party network solutions. You must allow your customers to remove it or decline its installation in the first place, without penalty, and install instead the protocol of their choice."
I'd have to admit, though, the first version makes a better sound byte...:)
Poor eyesight can, under the right circumstances, add to your propagation chances... when the jocks went off hunting, Mole was sneeringly told to "Stay here with the women, useless!";)
Wearing glasses was for a while a sign of wealth, and is still often percieved (often incorrectly) as a visual indicator or intelligence, which equates to earning potential, i.e. ability to provide for young.
O'course, with advancing technology in opthalmic surgery, glasses will soon be seen as a sign that the wearer can't afford LASIK...
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Whether you want to laugh at it, see if you can find bugs, write improved versions of things, write ubercool viruses or whatever, we all want the source.
Frankly, as a Joe Blow-level user (well ok, maybe a tad above that but still just a user), I find the casual reference to writing ubercool virii uncool at best.My computer is a tool I use for a lot of my daily life-functions; some of those functions are reliant upon my MicroSoft OS (I dual-boot, but the heavy lifting is still done by M$. I don't necessarily like it, but this is my reality).
I really, truly don't appreciate the efforts of all those altruists out there who alert me to the security flaws in my cyber-home by handing out skeleton keys to the local branches of the Thieves and Vandals Guilds.
If there's one tiny inkling of justification in MicroSoft's preference for keeping the source code under wraps, you support it with those words. It does the cause of opening up the computers of the world to other OS's (a cause I fully support) no good at all to feed the FUD monster in this fashion.
On the other hand, it has also caused more problems than any other type of activity; in fact, most of the problems violence has solved were caused by violence in the first place.
If this post seems offtopic, please replace the word "violence" with the word "Microsoft".No, not if they were willing to supply Windows for free (which is different from "included in the list price").
Of course, should Red Hat, using their (in this alternate universe) pre-existing monopoly power, insist upon applying unreasonable financial sanctions to Dell should Dell elect to offer BOTH operating systems pre-installed (for free), that would indeed be illegal and something which the DoJ would be required by law to investigate.
If Red Hat were (through some legislative legerdemain undermining the current license) to charge for their OS as well as preventing Dell from installing Windows, the practice would be self-evidently predatory.
Not quite. Try this:
Now let's say the government comes along and says "By integrating TCP/IP into your OS you have destroyed a market for third party network solutions. You must allow your customers to remove it."
Better yet:
Now let's say the government comes along and says "By integrating TCP/IP into your OS you have destroyed a market for third party network solutions. You must allow your customers to remove it or decline its installation in the first place, without penalty, and install instead the protocol of their choice."
I'd have to admit, though, the first version makes a better sound byte... :)
Poor eyesight can, under the right circumstances, add to your propagation chances... when the jocks went off hunting, Mole was sneeringly told to "Stay here with the women, useless!" ;)
Wearing glasses was for a while a sign of wealth, and is still often percieved (often incorrectly) as a visual indicator or intelligence, which equates to earning potential, i.e. ability to provide for young.
O'course, with advancing technology in opthalmic surgery, glasses will soon be seen as a sign that the wearer can't afford LASIK...