I've worked on or with a number of major open-source projects. Most of them have strict QA guidelines. I'm talking about Gentoo, KDE, Debian, etc. The problem is that you're talking about an operating system (Ubuntu) assembled from hundreds of independent software packages, which may be running on millions of different hardware configurations. Shit happens. Even Microsoft, with its massive budget, huge team, and total control over all the code that forms their OS and desktop rarely gets it right the first time around.
If you have specific complaints about specific dev teams, go ahead and make them. But don't make asinine generalizations about thousands of developers who are volunteering their time to develop free software.
No way. Last time I installed OpenOffice from source, it took at least 12 hours, probably more like 16, and that was on a P4 2.4GHz. That's why everyone uses the binary package that Gentoo provides.
I like browser.tabs.closeButttons = 2. If you have a middle mouse button (ie, clickable scroll wheel), who needs a close button on the tab? Middle-click or Ctrl+W work fine for me.
Maybe the GP was talking about Office 2007 (beta). I hope. The GUI was totally redesigned by one of my software engineering professor's former students, who apparently has a clue about how an interface should work. The older versions of MS Office (and OpenOffice) are great models of how to drive a user insane.
They don't mention re-compression. If they're using the Apple lossless format, quality loss should be negligible unless you have a really awful soundcard.
Microsoft is attempting to address you point 1. in a reasonable way, by disallowing unsigned drivers
That is not "reasonable". In fact, it totally screws many independent software developers. For example, if you have a piece of software with a driver that gets frequently updated, do they really expect you to get every one tested and signed by MS? This is their way of making money and locking out smaller software companies.
I don't see how it helps security, anyway. If something has gotten to the point where it's trying to install some infected driver, aren't you already screwed? Does it really matter that the virus code isn't allowed to run in kernel mode?
Will there be system-wide automatic updates or will people still need to update a large part of the system by hand?
If there's one thing that Windows is missing, it's a Linux-style package manager. There's this, but development has apparently stalled, and their database server doesn't work. It seems like a fairly simple to do; I want a program that will take a list of open-source and freeware packages, download and install the latest version, and keep them updated. Why doesn't this exist already? It's crazy that each program has to check for its own updates.
I don't think there is sufficient evidence to show that wikipedia articles are any more or less trustworthy than other sources of information. Take anything you read with a grain of salt.
Uhhh, have you ever even heard of peer-reviewed journals?
Pointing out a weakness is not necessarily "mean"; constructive criticism should always be welcome. It seems like he deliberately avoided answering a single question with substance, for no apparent reason. Really, is it so hard to name one specific feature that you would have liked to see in IE7, or one annoyance with Firefox?
Appreciate the suggestion, but I'm almost in the market for a real new computer anyway (I'm running a P4 2.4GHz with 512MB RAM...yuck). The idea of buying a shiny new Mac that can run MacOS X, Windows, and Linux is very appealing. As I said, GarageBand is hardly the only reason I'm interested;-)
I'm seriously considering a Mac as my next computer, partially because of GarageBand. There's nothing for Windows that comes close for the same price. It's hardly the only reason I'm interested, but it's certainly one of them. Every little thing pushes me closer to that tipping point where I would finally decide to go for a Mac.
short of re-imaging the hard drive after every user, I'm not sure how they could entirely prevent it.
Use an operating system that doesn't allow a user to fuck with anything other than their own files? If you're running a public kiosk on *nix, this is as simple as zapping the home directory and replacing it with some default every time the guest user logs off. A fresh start with every login. Something similar is likely possible with Windows, though I wouldn't know where to start.
TITANIA. Set your heart at rest; The fairy land buys not the child of me. His mother was a vot'ress of my order; And, in the spiced Indian air, by night, Full often hath she gossip'd by my side; And sat with me on Neptune's yellow sands, Marking th' embarked traders on the flood; When we have laugh'd to see the sails conceive, And grow big-bellied with the wanton wind; Which she, with pretty and with swimming gait Following - her womb then rich with my young squire - Would imitate, and sail upon the land, To fetch me trifles, and return again, As from a voyage, rich with merchandise. But she, being mortal, of that boy did die; And for her sake do I rear up her boy; And for her sake I will not part with him.
Yeah...suggesting a "modern English translation" of Shakespeare suggests to me that the GP has never taken the time to actually read and understand what was written. Of course the stories are trite by now; Shakespeare was copying others, and he's been copied a million times more. If he were alive today, he'd probably be writing in Hollywood. But the language is beautiful, it is genius.
And if you understand the humor (use footnotes for background, etc.), it's often pretty damn hilarious.
That's awesome. Nobody really performs Shakespeare line-for-line anyway, so improv Shakespeare sounds like a great idea. There are a thousand different stories you could tell just by cutting scenes and lines in A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Heh, sure. But there are degrees; Bush 41 is clearly less insane. I'm just happy for the one redeeming feature of the US electoral system: I live in New York, so I don't feel the obligation to vote for idiots like Kerry or (gag, please god no, don't run in 2008) Hillary Clinton. On the other hand, it is somewhat depressing that the outcome is inevitable before the candidate is even picked.
Hilarious that you got modded up for this. I fully expect it to get to +5. Did you see, for example, the recent global warming post? Something like 80% of the +5 comments were of the fringe global warming "skeptic" view. The notion that the prevailing view of Slashdot moderators is "anti-American" (ie liberal, translating from dittohead speak) is absurd. Perhaps the editors are mostly liberal, but the community has quite a large number of right-libertarians.
Slashdot Mirror
I've worked on or with a number of major open-source projects. Most of them have strict QA guidelines. I'm talking about Gentoo, KDE, Debian, etc. The problem is that you're talking about an operating system (Ubuntu) assembled from hundreds of independent software packages, which may be running on millions of different hardware configurations. Shit happens. Even Microsoft, with its massive budget, huge team, and total control over all the code that forms their OS and desktop rarely gets it right the first time around.
If you have specific complaints about specific dev teams, go ahead and make them. But don't make asinine generalizations about thousands of developers who are volunteering their time to develop free software.
No way. Last time I installed OpenOffice from source, it took at least 12 hours, probably more like 16, and that was on a P4 2.4GHz. That's why everyone uses the binary package that Gentoo provides.
I like browser.tabs.closeButttons = 2. If you have a middle mouse button (ie, clickable scroll wheel), who needs a close button on the tab? Middle-click or Ctrl+W work fine for me.
Maybe the GP was talking about Office 2007 (beta). I hope. The GUI was totally redesigned by one of my software engineering professor's former students, who apparently has a clue about how an interface should work. The older versions of MS Office (and OpenOffice) are great models of how to drive a user insane.
Clearly, I'm an idiot and/or I can't read. Re-encoding as MP3 is a terrible idea.
They don't mention re-compression. If they're using the Apple lossless format, quality loss should be negligible unless you have a really awful soundcard.
The fact that a few people had some pistols because of the Second Amendment is entirely irrelevant, no?
Microsoft is attempting to address you point 1. in a reasonable way, by disallowing unsigned drivers
That is not "reasonable". In fact, it totally screws many independent software developers. For example, if you have a piece of software with a driver that gets frequently updated, do they really expect you to get every one tested and signed by MS? This is their way of making money and locking out smaller software companies.
I don't see how it helps security, anyway. If something has gotten to the point where it's trying to install some infected driver, aren't you already screwed? Does it really matter that the virus code isn't allowed to run in kernel mode?
What the hell? Comedy Central has always hosted its own videos in a streaming format. It has absolutely nothing to do with YouTube.
Will there be system-wide automatic updates or will people still need to update a large part of the system by hand?
If there's one thing that Windows is missing, it's a Linux-style package manager. There's this, but development has apparently stalled, and their database server doesn't work. It seems like a fairly simple to do; I want a program that will take a list of open-source and freeware packages, download and install the latest version, and keep them updated. Why doesn't this exist already? It's crazy that each program has to check for its own updates.
Uhhh, have you ever even heard of peer-reviewed journals?
Pointing out a weakness is not necessarily "mean"; constructive criticism should always be welcome. It seems like he deliberately avoided answering a single question with substance, for no apparent reason. Really, is it so hard to name one specific feature that you would have liked to see in IE7, or one annoyance with Firefox?
Nah...I switched because IE sucks, but I will never leave for one reason: AdBlock + Filterset.G Updater. Ads? What ads?
Appreciate the suggestion, but I'm almost in the market for a real new computer anyway (I'm running a P4 2.4GHz with 512MB RAM...yuck). The idea of buying a shiny new Mac that can run MacOS X, Windows, and Linux is very appealing. As I said, GarageBand is hardly the only reason I'm interested ;-)
Yeah, really...host files? At least use Privoxy.
I'm seriously considering a Mac as my next computer, partially because of GarageBand. There's nothing for Windows that comes close for the same price. It's hardly the only reason I'm interested, but it's certainly one of them. Every little thing pushes me closer to that tipping point where I would finally decide to go for a Mac.
Use an operating system that doesn't allow a user to fuck with anything other than their own files? If you're running a public kiosk on *nix, this is as simple as zapping the home directory and replacing it with some default every time the guest user logs off. A fresh start with every login. Something similar is likely possible with Windows, though I wouldn't know where to start.
Were there any changes since RC3, or is it identical?
Exactly. They're plays, not novels. Go see one, or better yet act in one. The Branagh films are okay if you have nothing else.
That's awesome. Nobody really performs Shakespeare line-for-line anyway, so improv Shakespeare sounds like a great idea. There are a thousand different stories you could tell just by cutting scenes and lines in A Midsummer Night's Dream.
YXRKT
"Everything" probably includes the ability to be a spam-bot, but I'm still not sure.
Doubtful. It's certainly possible to write something like a spam bot at the driver level.
Heh, sure. But there are degrees; Bush 41 is clearly less insane. I'm just happy for the one redeeming feature of the US electoral system: I live in New York, so I don't feel the obligation to vote for idiots like Kerry or (gag, please god no, don't run in 2008) Hillary Clinton. On the other hand, it is somewhat depressing that the outcome is inevitable before the candidate is even picked.
Hilarious that you got modded up for this. I fully expect it to get to +5. Did you see, for example, the recent global warming post? Something like 80% of the +5 comments were of the fringe global warming "skeptic" view. The notion that the prevailing view of Slashdot moderators is "anti-American" (ie liberal, translating from dittohead speak) is absurd. Perhaps the editors are mostly liberal, but the community has quite a large number of right-libertarians.