We have this problem as an organisation and have found a small co-operative in the East End of Glagow that takes them and refurbishes them for community groups.
When I have a computer that is looking a bit worn, I wipe the drive, reload the OS, adn give to a local group that needs it. So far, that has included a local lawn bowling club, a scout troop and a senior's home. These people don't need a fast machine. Just someone that can dial up to the internet and print newletters or raffle tickets. I get more room at home and they get the machine. Works a treat.
Hats off to you mate - but I hate cube working
on
Cube House
·
· Score: 1, Insightful
I personally cannot see how this style of working is good for anyone.
Isolated behind cloth covered walls all day is not my idea of a good working environment.
My workplace is not ideal. We are semi-open plan with groups of four but it looks like luxury when compared to the layout of a cube farm.
Well done with the House Mate. However, by the time I got to the stage of making a house out of my cube I would have got out of that place.
Boy Mechanics were deadly
on
Linux Toys
·
· Score: 3, Funny
The machines and projects in The Boy Mechanic: 700 Things for Boys to Do were fun to read but no one with an ounce of sense would ever try to construct them.
Some classics:
Fourth of July Fun - aka Pipe Bombs for the Feeble of mind
Classic Glider - They don't tell you that the original model killed the inventor Otto Lilienthal in 1896
How to manufacture Hydrogen or Acetylene for more explosive fun!
Thankfully today we only have idiots with the Anarchists CookBook in pdf format.
The main driver behind P2P downloading is not price. It is availability.
Here is a thriving industry (The Indian and Pakistani film groups) offering their goods online to make them available to those who live in geographical areas that would not normally be accessible. It eliminates videotape piracy which is rampant in this marketplace and allows fans access to the content.
Why have the Bollywood chiefs picked this up and the American and British Music Industry dropped the ball. Was it pressure from their distributors? Lack of knowledge of the internet? No method of micropayments?
I would really like to know why it took a hardware manufacturer to bring in a system of legal digital content delivery (Apple and iTunes).
It also is good to see one of the largest and most productive media producers embracing digital video distribution. This completely jumps the gun on Hollywood and leaves the North American producers playing catch-up.
The tracking ability of mobiles has already been used commercially. There is a service to track folk in the UK. It is also being used commercially for trucking firms in the states.
However, I cannot see how it will affect the average person on the street. I doubt the government will be keeping tabs on individuals. It seems as insidious as store loyalty cards.
I don't see government agents appearing on my lawn due to information gleaned from my Sainsbury's Nectar Card.
I meant switching between more cities on the East and West Coast. The idea of Las Vegas as a West Coast location is not a bad one, along with New Orleans on the East.
Both of these cities are seasoned conference cities and well able to take care of the crowds from LinuxWorld.
And as I said before it allows individuals that would not normally have access to these dialogues an opportunity to participate.
Despite the endless opportunities out there for peer-to-peer downloads and free digital content, your ordinary guy on the street would prefer to have his music centrally available and easy to access.
The P2P apps have come a long way since their inception but it is still a struggle for non-technical people to come to terms with centralised servers and clientids.
Apple has always enabled ordinary people to use computers. This does not mean that they "dumb down" the technology, rather they lower the learning curve to allow people to at least get on and and working before they need to start seriously learning.
iTunes provides that portal for easy access to online content and it allows people to pay for it. I am sure if Apple had a free peer-to-peer site, we would be talking bigger numbers. But the success of iTunes is part of the overall Apple strategy and design guidleines.
What amazes me is that Apple are not making any money from it and are using it simply to sell mp3 players. How much are the record companies raking in on this and yet still complaining about the death of the music industry?
Work phone is a Motorola A760 - it is better than the CEO's because they don't understand that you can get server alerts on a Nokia 5110. It is on some corporate plan usually it is Vodafone. I let the finance guys deal with that.
The home phone is a Nokia 8210. Small light - limited features and I use Virgin No Frills, "pay if you use it" plan. I never use the business phone for personal use and everyone is happy.
I currently use my phone as a multi-mode commuication device. It allows me to use it for email, sms and voice,. It also has fuctions as a PDA, gamepad and camera. It alerts me if my servers go down or the comms room is flooded and it allows a number of people to keep track of where I am all the time.
I am not sure if I want it suddenly to hold all of my cash as well. It holds all of my personal information, dates and phone numbers, and if someone was clever they could find out alot about my servers. So currently, I believe that I have too many eggs in one basket with the functions that it carries out now. To expand those to include purchasing seems to be inviting disaster.
Will that amount of money build a mile of highway these days? It seems that public work projects start at 14 Mil and work their way up.
There is money to be made (or saved) in public transport. There are several routes right now that are crying out for fast efficient public transport where maglev is the best answer (London Commuter Corridors, Germany Inter-City and New York to Washington). These are routes which people will pay for faster services. Someone just has to have the willpower and political stamina to bring it to fruition.
Like any new technology, the first one will be expensive and probably not the fastest. But this technology has to start somewhere.
I have been looking at one of these for a while. I make up dream configurations using the Shuttle Barebones system and then price out the components from Overclockers or TekHeads.
They seem to solve a lot of problems that conventional systems are plagued with. Cooling a large box, noise generated by the cooling systems, space used by the server sitting under your desk. I was originally looking at rack mount systems but these Small Form Factor PC's have the added advantage of portability. Perfect for LAN Parties.
In addition they retain standard PC components, so you are not thrust into the expensive world of laptop computing. I did that for a while and got tired of paying double for everything.
Howver, currently I have the server under the desk. The major problem is the storage space of these boxes but if I can find an external storage system that suits, I am definitely going small form factor.
I have implemented a lot of Open Source software at work and I often feel that I would like to give something back to the people who have created it.
Often the open-source stuff is better supported, more stable and has better features than the commercial software that it replaced. Two examples of this are VNC and Liberum (both SourceForge hosted projects).
VNC works much better for us than other commercial software and Liberum has completely replaced all of other helpdesk software due to its easy web interface and no need for a client install. A support person can clear a call while sitting on the desk of the person whose box they have just fixed.
If we gave even a percentage of the money that we saved due to these two products, it would run in the thousands of pounds.
Do we need more disposable items clogging up our landfills and wasting resources.
If it is methanol, then why not have the ability to refill it? I just hate the thought of the energy that went in to producing that item suddenly wasted when it runs out of the cheapest component (the fuel).
We need to start rethink about the resources we use, and this is an excellent place to start. Fuel cells could cut out batteries, which are notoriously hazardous and difficult to dispose.
This is a pretty expensive system for something that is underpowered and not specifically a "server". You could easily turn an older desktop into the same system.
It seems you are paying for design rather than performance
I doubt that co-location centres would look at this type of solution. If you want to get a lot of servers in a set amount of space, look to 1U racks and blades.
As far as a home solution goes, a small form factor PC could do the same job for a fraction of the cost and in roughly the same space.
This story is not only about people finding open wireless networks but also abysmal network security being practised by some folks who have installed wireless kit
There has to be some way of ensuring that people sort out the security on their boxes. How about not allowing the box to connect unless they change the default settings?
In several offices we used to set the first password for the user accounts as their user login, and then not allow the same password to be used again. We knew the temptation was too great for people to use their login as the network password (and too easy for someone to crack).
If that is all you want - then why would you get this box. Get an old desktop (p450 with limited RAM) and chuck either Windows 2000 or Open Source equivalents on it (ie samba etc).
Heck of a lot cheaper then 1100 bucks.
I simply cannot see the sense of this "server" system, it just seems underpowered and overpriced.
When did size become a massive concern for people buying servers?
I thought cooling, data transfer rates and reliability (redundant PSU's etc) were the main considerations. Processor speed and storage capacity are definitely up there as well.
I am getting tired of these fools getting themselves into these situations and then crying when the authorities don't help them out.
We have countless numbers of British Adventurers who due to a mid-life crisis or a death-wish have decided to Row/Swim/Dog-Sled/Hike/Crawl across every inhospitable land/ocean.
At some point you wished they would stay home and start hobby or have an affair to deal with their life's inadequacies.
It used to be the standard method of dealing with Microsoft Service Packs that you never deployed the latest one on your boxes. You always stayed one step behind. This practice was proved right with the Service Pack 6/6a debacle.
With automatic patching of machines from Windows Updates at Microsoft, it seems that everyone is thrown into chaos at the same time.
Do we really trust Microsoft enough to think that they will get their updates right everytime?
If you are looking for an alternative, you will find that the competitive players that have same capacity are the same price (20Gb roughly 250 - 300).
The alternative is to look for something with removable media. SmartMedia or SD Card players are running around the 100 quid mark (probably the same in US dollars). If you need to use it on a longer journey just bring a couple media cards with you. At roughly 20 (pounds again!) for a 128Mb Card you can get a couple hours of music on each. This works out to pretty reasonable/Mb ratio.
Is this the Music Industry finally admitting that they no longer can inhibit digital music distribution and that need to grab their share of the pie?
The music industry corporations made a bundle by changing the format of the media that they supply. There were millions made when the CD replaced the LP and millions of older releases were sold to people who already had the album.
The shift to a portable digital format has been made outside of their control and now they are struggling to catch up.
The lack of willingness by the younger population (12-17) in this study to purchase music points to the fact that they may have already missed the boat.
I would assume that forking is the result of software filling specialty niches. No software project can produce an application that can or will do everything and eventually it will fork to allow it to adapt to the needs of the users. This is similar to the evolutionary mechanism of punctuated equilibrium.
VNC is an excellent example of this. The ancestral WinVNC has forked into a variety of specialty projects which each do their own area best. UltraVNC is a very good full feature app, while TightVNC handles thin clients superbly.
This does not endanger the VNC project, rather it strengthens it by providing a larger group of usres and contributors that may not have been interested in the software until the variation had appeared.
As long as the unwritten rules of forking are adhered to (as stated by Eric Raymond) and it occurs to satisfy project needs and not individual's egos then I would see it as a positive occurrence.
The other major problem with European Libraries is the continued use of the Dewey Decimal system.
The Dewey Decimal System may be fine for smaller community libraries but for any research institution with a sizable collection, the Library of Congress system is the only one worth considering.
Slashdot Mirror
When I have a computer that is looking a bit worn, I wipe the drive, reload the OS, adn give to a local group that needs it. So far, that has included a local lawn bowling club, a scout troop and a senior's home. These people don't need a fast machine. Just someone that can dial up to the internet and print newletters or raffle tickets. I get more room at home and they get the machine. Works a treat.
Isolated behind cloth covered walls all day is not my idea of a good working environment.
My workplace is not ideal. We are semi-open plan with groups of four but it looks like luxury when compared to the layout of a cube farm.
Well done with the House Mate. However, by the time I got to the stage of making a house out of my cube I would have got out of that place.
Some classics:
Fourth of July Fun - aka Pipe Bombs for the Feeble of mind
Classic Glider - They don't tell you that the original model killed the inventor Otto Lilienthal in 1896
How to manufacture Hydrogen or Acetylene for more explosive fun!
Thankfully today we only have idiots with the Anarchists CookBook in pdf format.
Here is a thriving industry (The Indian and Pakistani film groups) offering their goods online to make them available to those who live in geographical areas that would not normally be accessible. It eliminates videotape piracy which is rampant in this marketplace and allows fans access to the content. Why have the Bollywood chiefs picked this up and the American and British Music Industry dropped the ball. Was it pressure from their distributors? Lack of knowledge of the internet? No method of micropayments?
I would really like to know why it took a hardware manufacturer to bring in a system of legal digital content delivery (Apple and iTunes).
It also is good to see one of the largest and most productive media producers embracing digital video distribution. This completely jumps the gun on Hollywood and leaves the North American producers playing catch-up.
However, I cannot see how it will affect the average person on the street. I doubt the government will be keeping tabs on individuals. It seems as insidious as store loyalty cards.
I don't see government agents appearing on my lawn due to information gleaned from my Sainsbury's Nectar Card.
I meant switching between more cities on the East and West Coast. The idea of Las Vegas as a West Coast location is not a bad one, along with New Orleans on the East.
Both of these cities are seasoned conference cities and well able to take care of the crowds from LinuxWorld.
And as I said before it allows individuals that would not normally have access to these dialogues an opportunity to participate.
It would allow those who may not be able to travel the width of the US the opportunity to get to a LinuxWorld.
And hopefully it would get some more dialogue happening between people who would not normally meet other than in a Linux Newsgroup or Forum.
The P2P apps have come a long way since their inception but it is still a struggle for non-technical people to come to terms with centralised servers and clientids.
Apple has always enabled ordinary people to use computers. This does not mean that they "dumb down" the technology, rather they lower the learning curve to allow people to at least get on and and working before they need to start seriously learning.
iTunes provides that portal for easy access to online content and it allows people to pay for it. I am sure if Apple had a free peer-to-peer site, we would be talking bigger numbers. But the success of iTunes is part of the overall Apple strategy and design guidleines.
What amazes me is that Apple are not making any money from it and are using it simply to sell mp3 players. How much are the record companies raking in on this and yet still complaining about the death of the music industry?
The home phone is a Nokia 8210. Small light - limited features and I use Virgin No Frills, "pay if you use it" plan. I never use the business phone for personal use and everyone is happy.
I am not sure if I want it suddenly to hold all of my cash as well. It holds all of my personal information, dates and phone numbers, and if someone was clever they could find out alot about my servers. So currently, I believe that I have too many eggs in one basket with the functions that it carries out now. To expand those to include purchasing seems to be inviting disaster.
What the hell do I do if I lose it?
There is money to be made (or saved) in public transport. There are several routes right now that are crying out for fast efficient public transport where maglev is the best answer (London Commuter Corridors, Germany Inter-City and New York to Washington). These are routes which people will pay for faster services. Someone just has to have the willpower and political stamina to bring it to fruition.
Like any new technology, the first one will be expensive and probably not the fastest. But this technology has to start somewhere.
They seem to solve a lot of problems that conventional systems are plagued with. Cooling a large box, noise generated by the cooling systems, space used by the server sitting under your desk. I was originally looking at rack mount systems but these Small Form Factor PC's have the added advantage of portability. Perfect for LAN Parties.
In addition they retain standard PC components, so you are not thrust into the expensive world of laptop computing. I did that for a while and got tired of paying double for everything.
Howver, currently I have the server under the desk. The major problem is the storage space of these boxes but if I can find an external storage system that suits, I am definitely going small form factor.
Often the open-source stuff is better supported, more stable and has better features than the commercial software that it replaced. Two examples of this are VNC and Liberum (both SourceForge hosted projects).
VNC works much better for us than other commercial software and Liberum has completely replaced all of other helpdesk software due to its easy web interface and no need for a client install. A support person can clear a call while sitting on the desk of the person whose box they have just fixed.
If we gave even a percentage of the money that we saved due to these two products, it would run in the thousands of pounds.
If it is methanol, then why not have the ability to refill it? I just hate the thought of the energy that went in to producing that item suddenly wasted when it runs out of the cheapest component (the fuel).
We need to start rethink about the resources we use, and this is an excellent place to start. Fuel cells could cut out batteries, which are notoriously hazardous and difficult to dispose.
It seems you are paying for design rather than performance
I doubt that co-location centres would look at this type of solution. If you want to get a lot of servers in a set amount of space, look to 1U racks and blades.
As far as a home solution goes, a small form factor PC could do the same job for a fraction of the cost and in roughly the same space.
There has to be some way of ensuring that people sort out the security on their boxes. How about not allowing the box to connect unless they change the default settings?
In several offices we used to set the first password for the user accounts as their user login, and then not allow the same password to be used again. We knew the temptation was too great for people to use their login as the network password (and too easy for someone to crack).
Heck of a lot cheaper then 1100 bucks.
I simply cannot see the sense of this "server" system, it just seems underpowered and overpriced.
I thought cooling, data transfer rates and reliability (redundant PSU's etc) were the main considerations. Processor speed and storage capacity are definitely up there as well.
But Size?
I don't understand
We have countless numbers of British Adventurers who due to a mid-life crisis or a death-wish have decided to Row/Swim/Dog-Sled/Hike/Crawl across every inhospitable land/ocean.
At some point you wished they would stay home and start hobby or have an affair to deal with their life's inadequacies.
With automatic patching of machines from Windows Updates at Microsoft, it seems that everyone is thrown into chaos at the same time.
Do we really trust Microsoft enough to think that they will get their updates right everytime?
The alternative is to look for something with removable media. SmartMedia or SD Card players are running around the 100 quid mark (probably the same in US dollars). If you need to use it on a longer journey just bring a couple media cards with you. At roughly 20 (pounds again!) for a 128Mb Card you can get a couple hours of music on each. This works out to pretty reasonable /Mb ratio.
The music industry corporations made a bundle by changing the format of the media that they supply. There were millions made when the CD replaced the LP and millions of older releases were sold to people who already had the album.
The shift to a portable digital format has been made outside of their control and now they are struggling to catch up.
The lack of willingness by the younger population (12-17) in this study to purchase music points to the fact that they may have already missed the boat.
Novell was trumpeting this as their Linux Mail Client on Ximian.
VNC is an excellent example of this. The ancestral WinVNC has forked into a variety of specialty projects which each do their own area best. UltraVNC is a very good full feature app, while TightVNC handles thin clients superbly.
This does not endanger the VNC project, rather it strengthens it by providing a larger group of usres and contributors that may not have been interested in the software until the variation had appeared.
As long as the unwritten rules of forking are adhered to (as stated by Eric Raymond) and it occurs to satisfy project needs and not individual's egos then I would see it as a positive occurrence.
The Dewey Decimal System may be fine for smaller community libraries but for any research institution with a sizable collection, the Library of Congress system is the only one worth considering.
Current Debates in Library Classification