The distros are stopping us. I gave up Kubuntu precisely because they were dropping KDE3.5. Then I began distro-hopping, which turned out to be a good thing because I found Arch Linux and the KDEMod repositories. It turned out fine for me, after a few months of trying out different distros, but I found myself unable to recommend a good linux distro to my friends anymore.
Suddenly all distros were dropping the good and stable 3.5 version for the 4.0 and 4.1 KDE versions which would only convince my friends to stick (or go back) to Windows. Yes, of course, the new versions needed users that could report bugs and test drive the new functionality, and I understand that was the reason why all distros started including it. But what about those who just wanted to keep using our systems like we did just 6 months before? Most distros just dropped KDE 3.5 without leaving much of a choice. Yes, there is gnome, but there are some people who can't stand it.
I realize most distros has some form of independent repo which allows you to install KDE-3.5, but those shouldn't have to exist at all. We should have had the choice all along.
Was it the fault of the KDE devs? I don't think so, it was the choice of the distro devs who decided users should be their alpha/beta testers without offering them a choice, other than using more advanced distros, or keep using the older versions.
You know, he may have been modded troll, but actually the reason I visited Slashdot today was to see if there was any actual information on what that worm is doing. I was kind of busy minding my own business and I remembered about it.
Now I see the only story that even mentions the conficker worm is an april fool's joke. It's kinda lame that we can't get any real news today, and I suppose we'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out what's happening.
Also, has anyone noticed that these April Fool's stories are becoming lamer and lamer? Every year they seem to be more obvious. I don't think we'll get something as good as OMGPONIES!!11! ever again:(
Now I'm going to post something funny and positive in the April Fool's thread. Then I'm going to tag this story aprilsfools so that someone else has the chance to !tag it. I will !tag something else, too. I will metamoderate and hope to God I get some modpoints so I can splurge them around with no regard to consequences.
Thank you, Slashdot! Now we have more reasons to participate, even if we have nothing to add to a discussion!:D
I often wonder why is it that everybody hates the brown color scheme. Actually that's one of the things that makes me feel right at home when I have just installed an Ubuntu system. That and the drums. It kinda makes you forget that you're looking at a Gnome desktop. Of course, then you get to use it and immediately start searching for a replacement desktop. But those first five minutes are really nice.
Actually I would have preferred it if Kubuntu had picked up a similar color scheme, or at least to have an option for a Human theme.
Now that they're going to replace it, I hope it remains an option for those of us who love it.
Furthermore, even if the RIAA saw my massive MP3 collection, I do have CDs to justify most of it, and I'm not distributing copies to other people. They don't have anything on me.
I bought a Motorola phone, the cheapest I could find, and while the power connector is a mini-USB, and it has the little USB symbol, it only charges when it's connected with the Motorola-branded charger it came with. I once left it at my girlfriend's house (5-7 hours away), and tried charging it with my mp3 player's USB cable. It did nothing but turn the backlight on from time to time and say "Please wait...", then turn back off. I was left without phone for about a month, until my gf visited me and brought the original charger.
I suppose the carrier did some disabling on the port to keep people from actually using their cheap phones. That way they would buy expensive ones the next time. Well it worked. I'm never using that carrier again.
Pretty good analysis you've got there. That's speaking as someone who is not a coder, and takes no part in these discussions, but I have watched them several times, never coming to a definite conclusion. That is, I don't favor one side over the other. It would make me pretty angry and sad to find out that Microsoft were making tons of cash from a piece of code that was originally GPL or BSD or whatever. Only because I see it as the big guy profiting from the little guy's work. But I also love the BSD way of thinking, which is absolute freedom. Here, I wrote this. Do whatever you want with it. I don't care. Whatever. I suppose that my political tendencies cause me to lean more towards BSD licensing.
That said, I only found one thing I don't agree with: the lemons analogy. I don't think GPL coders tell other people how to use their code, only that it should be GPL. You could create a bomb with my code, for all I care, as long as the end result is also GPL. That's because (I assume) GPL coders believe that if what you're writing builds upon their previous work, you should give it away with as much freedom as you received it.
So, the analogy would be more like, you give out lemons for free, with the sole restriction that whatever product is made from these lemons should be given away for free, as well. So if these lemons were GPL, the kid would have to... like give the lemonade away? Or sell the lemonade and give away the recipe he used to prepare the lemonade to whomever asks for it. Also, you would be forced by the GPL to divulge the source of your lemons, if anyone asks, because they didn't come out of yourself, so you didn't create them. You're just the distributor, kind of like ibiblio. So that would be like you have to point to the tree you got them from... or the store you bought them at... or something like that.
The chupacabras was just a story the media made up so people would be distracted from the shit the government was trying (and succeeding) to pull at the time. And people knew it.
It's funny how the media reports what the media says latin american people think, instead of actually making an effort to finding out directly from the source, that is, the actual people.
Don't believe everything the media says. We don't.
I read about something like this a few days ago. A big website was warning people not to register with any Microsoft accounts (MSN, Hotmail, Live) because their mails were bouncing. They also mentioned that if they paid some fee, the cap would be lifted (obviously, they wouldn't in a million years give a cent to these people). Instead of paying, they would only recommend people to use Yahoo or Gmail.
Of course, it's not the exact, same thing, but the similarity between the two situations is spooky, to say the least.
You're absolutely right! We need more people speaking out on the DRM enforcement that's deeply rooted in Linux, making it slower than any OS has ever been, and as stable as Britney Spears' sanity.
The point is that if you want to buy a computer, you're not forced to buy it with Photoshop CS3. You ARE forced to buy a computer with Windows, at least if you want one from the big brands, and you haven't much of a choice if you want a laptop.
Of course, there are some brands that actually make linux laptops (I mean, before Dell), but you have to already know they exist, how to find them, and have a little extra cash, cause they're more expensive.
Back when I bought my laptop at Dell, I asked whether it was possible to buy it without an OS, or at least with XP (it came with Vista). I didn't even get an answer (two weeks later, they started offering computers with Ubuntu, but that's not the point). That is what this is about.
Imagine a person who uses some $20,000 software as part of their job. If all computers came with that software bundled, that wouldn't be a tragedy for this particular individual (unless he/she already had the software). Now imagine some student who only needs a word processor and internet access, or a musician who wants to record his music to sell it on the net, or some parents buying a pc for the kids (no, I won't mention any elderly relatives). Do you think it would be fair for a majority of people to pay for something only 1% of the consumers will ever use?
Now, let's say that software is 100 bucks and that 50%, (hell, 20%) of the people will ever use. It's still the same principle. That's 20 percent of the people who buy computers that are paying for something they don't want, didn't ask for, and will never use.
Maybe don't ask people what OS they want. Maybe don't explain to them the benefits, the differences, the compatibility issues. Maybe have Windows as a default option. But if somebody wants something else, or even nothing at all, for heaven's sake, let them have their way!
Slashdot Mirror
There are at least 285 rules of acquisition.
Weren't there supposed to be people living there now? I remember reading about it about a week ago. Did they arrive after this guy restored the place?
Nikola Tesla: Rockstar Scientist
I think it's Falun Gong
The distros are stopping us. I gave up Kubuntu precisely because they were dropping KDE3.5. Then I began distro-hopping, which turned out to be a good thing because I found Arch Linux and the KDEMod repositories. It turned out fine for me, after a few months of trying out different distros, but I found myself unable to recommend a good linux distro to my friends anymore.
Suddenly all distros were dropping the good and stable 3.5 version for the 4.0 and 4.1 KDE versions which would only convince my friends to stick (or go back) to Windows. Yes, of course, the new versions needed users that could report bugs and test drive the new functionality, and I understand that was the reason why all distros started including it. But what about those who just wanted to keep using our systems like we did just 6 months before? Most distros just dropped KDE 3.5 without leaving much of a choice. Yes, there is gnome, but there are some people who can't stand it.
I realize most distros has some form of independent repo which allows you to install KDE-3.5, but those shouldn't have to exist at all. We should have had the choice all along.
Was it the fault of the KDE devs? I don't think so, it was the choice of the distro devs who decided users should be their alpha/beta testers without offering them a choice, other than using more advanced distros, or keep using the older versions.
If copyright didn't exist, maybe we wouldn't need GPL.
Scientists know about shrinkage, right?
It shrinks?!
You know, he may have been modded troll, but actually the reason I visited Slashdot today was to see if there was any actual information on what that worm is doing. I was kind of busy minding my own business and I remembered about it.
Now I see the only story that even mentions the conficker worm is an april fool's joke. It's kinda lame that we can't get any real news today, and I suppose we'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out what's happening.
Also, has anyone noticed that these April Fool's stories are becoming lamer and lamer? Every year they seem to be more obvious. I don't think we'll get something as good as OMGPONIES!!11! ever again :(
Now I'm going to post something funny and positive in the April Fool's thread. Then I'm going to tag this story aprilsfools so that someone else has the chance to !tag it. I will !tag something else, too. I will metamoderate and hope to God I get some modpoints so I can splurge them around with no regard to consequences.
Thank you, Slashdot! Now we have more reasons to participate, even if we have nothing to add to a discussion! :D
He lives in Alaska, you insensitive clod!
I often wonder why is it that everybody hates the brown color scheme. Actually that's one of the things that makes me feel right at home when I have just installed an Ubuntu system. That and the drums. It kinda makes you forget that you're looking at a Gnome desktop. Of course, then you get to use it and immediately start searching for a replacement desktop. But those first five minutes are really nice.
Actually I would have preferred it if Kubuntu had picked up a similar color scheme, or at least to have an option for a Human theme.
Now that they're going to replace it, I hope it remains an option for those of us who love it.
riffington
aylee
zoe
gwynn
lysinda
lorna
Guess my naming scheme.
Furthermore, even if the RIAA saw my massive MP3 collection, I do have CDs to justify most of it, and I'm not distributing copies to other people. They don't have anything on me.
Shyeah!, like that's ever been an impediment.
What about GNU IMP. You essentially keep the same name, just change the acronym. And an Imp is not as disturbing an image as a Gimp.
Yeah, I'm agree one hundred per... did you say Family Guy?
I bought a Motorola phone, the cheapest I could find, and while the power connector is a mini-USB, and it has the little USB symbol, it only charges when it's connected with the Motorola-branded charger it came with. I once left it at my girlfriend's house (5-7 hours away), and tried charging it with my mp3 player's USB cable. It did nothing but turn the backlight on from time to time and say "Please wait...", then turn back off. I was left without phone for about a month, until my gf visited me and brought the original charger.
I suppose the carrier did some disabling on the port to keep people from actually using their cheap phones. That way they would buy expensive ones the next time. Well it worked. I'm never using that carrier again.
That was exactly what I was thinking. And no, the power port on a DS Lite is not USB. It's as small as the mini USB port, but it's quite different.
That is the first time I have ever laughed at that joke
ditto
Pretty good analysis you've got there. That's speaking as someone who is not a coder, and takes no part in these discussions, but I have watched them several times, never coming to a definite conclusion. That is, I don't favor one side over the other. It would make me pretty angry and sad to find out that Microsoft were making tons of cash from a piece of code that was originally GPL or BSD or whatever. Only because I see it as the big guy profiting from the little guy's work. But I also love the BSD way of thinking, which is absolute freedom. Here, I wrote this. Do whatever you want with it. I don't care. Whatever. I suppose that my political tendencies cause me to lean more towards BSD licensing.
That said, I only found one thing I don't agree with: the lemons analogy. I don't think GPL coders tell other people how to use their code, only that it should be GPL. You could create a bomb with my code, for all I care, as long as the end result is also GPL. That's because (I assume) GPL coders believe that if what you're writing builds upon their previous work, you should give it away with as much freedom as you received it.
So, the analogy would be more like, you give out lemons for free, with the sole restriction that whatever product is made from these lemons should be given away for free, as well. So if these lemons were GPL, the kid would have to... like give the lemonade away? Or sell the lemonade and give away the recipe he used to prepare the lemonade to whomever asks for it. Also, you would be forced by the GPL to divulge the source of your lemons, if anyone asks, because they didn't come out of yourself, so you didn't create them. You're just the distributor, kind of like ibiblio. So that would be like you have to point to the tree you got them from... or the store you bought them at... or something like that.
This is why I read slashdot!
The chupacabras was just a story the media made up so people would be distracted from the shit the government was trying (and succeeding) to pull at the time. And people knew it.
It's funny how the media reports what the media says latin american people think, instead of actually making an effort to finding out directly from the source, that is, the actual people.
Don't believe everything the media says. We don't.
I read about something like this a few days ago. A big website was warning people not to register with any Microsoft accounts (MSN, Hotmail, Live) because their mails were bouncing. They also mentioned that if they paid some fee, the cap would be lifted (obviously, they wouldn't in a million years give a cent to these people). Instead of paying, they would only recommend people to use Yahoo or Gmail.
Of course, it's not the exact, same thing, but the similarity between the two situations is spooky, to say the least.
You're absolutely right! We need more people speaking out on the DRM enforcement that's deeply rooted in Linux, making it slower than any OS has ever been, and as stable as Britney Spears' sanity.
The point is that if you want to buy a computer, you're not forced to buy it with Photoshop CS3. You ARE forced to buy a computer with Windows, at least if you want one from the big brands, and you haven't much of a choice if you want a laptop.
Of course, there are some brands that actually make linux laptops (I mean, before Dell), but you have to already know they exist, how to find them, and have a little extra cash, cause they're more expensive.
Back when I bought my laptop at Dell, I asked whether it was possible to buy it without an OS, or at least with XP (it came with Vista). I didn't even get an answer (two weeks later, they started offering computers with Ubuntu, but that's not the point). That is what this is about.
Imagine a person who uses some $20,000 software as part of their job. If all computers came with that software bundled, that wouldn't be a tragedy for this particular individual (unless he/she already had the software). Now imagine some student who only needs a word processor and internet access, or a musician who wants to record his music to sell it on the net, or some parents buying a pc for the kids (no, I won't mention any elderly relatives). Do you think it would be fair for a majority of people to pay for something only 1% of the consumers will ever use?
Now, let's say that software is 100 bucks and that 50%, (hell, 20%) of the people will ever use. It's still the same principle. That's 20 percent of the people who buy computers that are paying for something they don't want, didn't ask for, and will never use.
Maybe don't ask people what OS they want. Maybe don't explain to them the benefits, the differences, the compatibility issues. Maybe have Windows as a default option. But if somebody wants something else, or even nothing at all, for heaven's sake, let them have their way!
+1 Sad
I'm not being an ass; it really is sad. This is happening in every country in the world.