Which leads to an obvious and inevitable question: Why?
"Because everybody thinks that it's not possible," Mr. Corliss said. "The point is to show people anything can be done. If you want to do amazing things, then you have to take amazing risks."
That sums up so much. Why does any one do anything? Who does anyone jump out from the sky? Why does anyone contribute to open source?
I could see truckers ignoring them, especially if a GPS or map is advising them to take a different route. At least some of them are going to assume that the sign is wrong.
Adding that feature to the software should be a priority.
I thought that originally the kilogram was defined in terms of water, the mass of 10 square cm of water. The meter is defined in terms of the speed of light so that gives an empirical way to define the kg independent of anything else.
It would be interesting to see if it has changed relative to that measurement
If it is a Windows-95 era machine no Linux distro will install on it and, if something does install, no GUI will be available. This will not help those kids at all
A better solution may be to use the machines for an electronics lesson or something. As actual operating systems they will not be useful.
Wouldn't anyone ambitious enough to look for others' customer service experience just google first? If there something to vent about, someone has already done it on the web.
The trouble with this stratagy is you are getting a selective bias: only persons who have had a exceptionally bad experience will actually write about it in a publically indexed blog. If all you go by is google all you will get is the horror stories.
A better stratagy would be to look for some third party statistics on the service offered
I have to say that I would never give any info to anyone who called me uncolicitated. Period.
That seems to be always how these scams work. Someone calls and uses some credentials to get people to reveal personal information. No company worth dealing with would ever initiate contact with customers over the phone were it not previously arranged.
Saddly that comment (even though it is a joke) reflect some truth in this matter. When I see laywers waiting until someone goes on vacation then springing some underhanded motion on them - that seems pretty low too me. It may be technically ethical but shows a real lack of character (or a sense or deperation).
Unfortunatly actions like that are often respected in situations like this one.
That whole "fix on a schedule" idea seems like a great idea until it is put into practice; then it is exposed to be just as bad as any other "stratagy" to patch Microsoft software against every attack.
One of the pitfalls of MS' popularity is that everything they do is exploited. It seems that no matter what they do someone will take advantage of it and screw their customers.
That is really one of the major blocks for most companies to use open source / linux software - lack of a good office suite.
For most companies the majority of computer use is editing documents. Composing proposals, making presentations, writing memos. All you need to do these things is a good word processor. If Linux had a better one companies would ditch MS and use it for the cost savings alone
With embedded media centers not taking off that fast, I'm assuming the latter will most likely happen
I think you hit the nail on the head. From the article,
Microsoft is also keen to move into consumer and entertainment markets, a growing opportunity in the broadband era. However, Apple's iPod and iTunes have wiped the floor with the Windows Media Player in the fast-expanding field of digital music.
MS wants to enter every other market they can now that they have saturated the PC market. Gaming consoles are an area where they have in fact done okay
As much as we all hate ms their market share seems to enable them to break into any area they want and instantly be a success. Look at the antivirus - they picked that one up and it is getting more popular by the day
3) Different organizations handle the vulnerabilities: MS and the Mozilla Foundation. MS is known to sit on bugs as long as possible. Perhaps the Firefox team is just being more responsive to the people looking for them.
One thing in MS's defense (that makes me cringe) is that IE uses quite a big of low level, "kernel level" code with windows. On the other hand firefox is entirely an application.
Fixing something so tightly coupled to the OS requires more dev time, more qa time, and just more resources
I know everyone is going to say "then don't couple the browser with the OS" and you are right. Just trying to give a balenced view
I think the idea is that IT departments could save some time / money if out of box operating systems didn't have so many default holes. Also there will be a more forgiving margin of error
A properly implemented file system does searches far better then the current Windows arch.
Right now to search for a file windows has to go linearly through all your folders looking for the desired one. The idea for the new filesystem (or whatever it is) is that files are stored or indexed in some kind of tree that allows for quicker access - access without a linear search
It is a good idea, something that MS should of done a long time ago, and something that can come through a (big) patch
The security is my one hope for Longhorn. For it to gain acceptance of any kind it will have to excell in that area
However...
No IT departments or managment of any company are excited about Vista. The cost to install, test, coordinate, and train all your processes for a new OS are prohibative. This is one time wear the time honored saying: "If it ain't broke then don't fix it" applies.
If it wasn't for EOL and end of support I wonder if anyone would switch at all...
People are still using search engines other than google
This may sound sarcastic to fellow/. folks but most of the world does not use google. They use whatever is default from their browser: msn
The typical user does not care about open source. They do not care about os freedom, vendor dependance, or any of the other crap everyone on slashdot blabs about. They have a computer and they want to use it.
Or maybe it's just me. I feel like a game like this catching on around the tech world is really a bad idea. In the wake of terrorist bombings on mass transit and cellphone detonation scares, its kind of like playing soccer in a field of landmines....
So are you saying cell phones should be banned in subway stations?
The whole point of this game is to utilize something that everyone already has (a cellphone). There is no increaced security risk whatsoever.
I agree with you. Doing homework (especially math) on a computer sucks
What I was more thinking of is teachers distributing their assignments / notes over the internet. I can print them out at home or work on them on my machine. My experience from school was that profs would distribute assignments electronically and ten want a paper copy handed in.
Except for source code which was usually also handed in electronically through handin or a similar program. This way saved some paper especially those students who would have never read it anyways didn't need a copy
Anyone who has ever read 1984 knows that this is one of the hallmarks of a controlled society. As soon as a book can (untraceably) be edited much objectivity is lost
Hat off
This is a good money saving idea. And it will save paper and make it easier to do homework from home
I did not mean to sound harsh certainly. I just thought the summary made it sound like the main attraction is that packages from multiple systems can be installed.
I realize that there is much more to this tool then package management
Slashdot Mirror
That sums up so much. Why does any one do anything? Who does anyone jump out from the sky? Why does anyone contribute to open source?
Because it is there
Everybody says this but no one wants it.
There's too much spam. It needs to be regulated
Fine, email now costs a penny per message.recipient
Forget it, email needs to be free
Goto 1
Also including the size of the fine on the sign would probably do wonders
I could see truckers ignoring them, especially if a GPS or map is advising them to take a different route. At least some of them are going to assume that the sign is wrong. Adding that feature to the software should be a priority.
I thought that originally the kilogram was defined in terms of water, the mass of 10 square cm of water. The meter is defined in terms of the speed of light so that gives an empirical way to define the kg independent of anything else. It would be interesting to see if it has changed relative to that measurement
Only pre-8.2 slacks I believe
But you are right. It may be better to go for one of the distros like TinyLinux intended for small footprint installs
Agreed
If it is a Windows-95 era machine no Linux distro will install on it and, if something does install, no GUI will be available. This will not help those kids at all
A better solution may be to use the machines for an electronics lesson or something. As actual operating systems they will not be useful.
A better stratagy would be to look for some third party statistics on the service offered
I have to say that I would never give any info to anyone who called me uncolicitated. Period.
That seems to be always how these scams work. Someone calls and uses some credentials to get people to reveal personal information. No company worth dealing with would ever initiate contact with customers over the phone were it not previously arranged.
When will this become common knowledge
I guess that depends on how "good" is defined ;)
Saddly that comment (even though it is a joke) reflect some truth in this matter. When I see laywers waiting until someone goes on vacation then springing some underhanded motion on them - that seems pretty low too me. It may be technically ethical but shows a real lack of character (or a sense or deperation).
Unfortunatly actions like that are often respected in situations like this one.
Salivating? I would say more like grabbing at straws in desperation
Pulling some underhanded almost unethical manuver like this really shows that SCO is coming undone at the seams.
That whole "fix on a schedule" idea seems like a great idea until it is put into practice; then it is exposed to be just as bad as any other "stratagy" to patch Microsoft software against every attack.
One of the pitfalls of MS' popularity is that everything they do is exploited. It seems that no matter what they do someone will take advantage of it and screw their customers.
Not on your life my Hindu friend
That is really one of the major blocks for most companies to use open source / linux software - lack of a good office suite.
For most companies the majority of computer use is editing documents. Composing proposals, making presentations, writing memos. All you need to do these things is a good word processor. If Linux had a better one companies would ditch MS and use it for the cost savings alone
As much as we all hate ms their market share seems to enable them to break into any area they want and instantly be a success. Look at the antivirus - they picked that one up and it is getting more popular by the day
Fixing something so tightly coupled to the OS requires more dev time, more qa time, and just more resources
I know everyone is going to say "then don't couple the browser with the OS" and you are right. Just trying to give a balenced view
I think the idea is that IT departments could save some time / money if out of box operating systems didn't have so many default holes. Also there will be a more forgiving margin of error
A properly implemented file system does searches far better then the current Windows arch.
Right now to search for a file windows has to go linearly through all your folders looking for the desired one. The idea for the new filesystem (or whatever it is) is that files are stored or indexed in some kind of tree that allows for quicker access - access without a linear search
It is a good idea, something that MS should of done a long time ago, and something that can come through a (big) patch
The security is my one hope for Longhorn. For it to gain acceptance of any kind it will have to excell in that area
However...
No IT departments or managment of any company are excited about Vista. The cost to install, test, coordinate, and train all your processes for a new OS are prohibative. This is one time wear the time honored saying: "If it ain't broke then don't fix it" applies.
If it wasn't for EOL and end of support I wonder if anyone would switch at all...
The typical user does not care about open source. They do not care about os freedom, vendor dependance, or any of the other crap everyone on slashdot blabs about. They have a computer and they want to use it.
End of story
The whole point of this game is to utilize something that everyone already has (a cellphone). There is no increaced security risk whatsoever.
I agree with you. Doing homework (especially math) on a computer sucks
What I was more thinking of is teachers distributing their assignments / notes over the internet. I can print them out at home or work on them on my machine. My experience from school was that profs would distribute assignments electronically and ten want a paper copy handed in.
Except for source code which was usually also handed in electronically through handin or a similar program. This way saved some paper especially those students who would have never read it anyways didn't need a copy
That is actually a very good point
Tin foil hat on
Anyone who has ever read 1984 knows that this is one of the hallmarks of a controlled society. As soon as a book can (untraceably) be edited much objectivity is lost
Hat off
This is a good money saving idea. And it will save paper and make it easier to do homework from home
I am torn
I did not mean to sound harsh certainly. I just thought the summary made it sound like the main attraction is that packages from multiple systems can be installed.
I realize that there is much more to this tool then package management