At night they shut down the rover to conserve power. It is powered by solar cells. Also, the moons are so small that I am not sure you could see them from the surface. Our experience with Luna misleads us: the Earth-Moon system is really a double planet, considering how similar Luna is to Earth. I have often wondered if life, or intelligent life, can only form on a double planet for some subtle reason. Maybe total solar eclipses are necessary for the development of astronomy.
John Sauter (J_Sauter@Empire.Net)
A CEO may decide that software is too buggy to ship based on input from below, or he may decide to push the release date. A junior team leader shouldn't be the one making that call, although a culture of fear tends to make that exactly what happens all too often.
Who makes the decision on whether to slip a product for quality reasons depends heavily on the size of the company. When I worked for Digital Equipment Corporation, we did not expect Ken Olsen to make those decisions. Generally, the tension was between the Project Leader (a technical team leader) the Product Manager or Cost Center Manager, who might have several products under his care, and his boss, who was still well below top management. If all three of these people were intelligent and honest, we shipped working products.
John Sauter (J_Sauter@Empire.Net)
So, do you think bugs make it into the code because the emphasis is on cranking out software quickly, without caring about the quality ?
The parent has an eloquent description of the software development process from the point of view of fixing bugs. The conclusion is obvious: it costs less to fix bugs sooner rather than later, and every software development manager agrees with this. However, the reality is that software is coded quickly, without regard for quality or testing, and shipped as soon as possible.
Why? There is an unvoiced feeling among software managers that they had better get the product on the shelves by Christmas or their careers will suffer. In the extreme, they become yes-men, telling their bosses only what is pleasing, with no regard for the truth. Too many yes-men and the company crashes because top management is not aware of problems until it is too late to fix them.
The solution? Software product managers must have the intelligence to recognize when their product needs more time, and the courage to tell their superiors the bad news. To encourage that behavior, top management needs to be tolerant of bad news, and not limit the careers of their subordinates who bring it.
John Sauter (J_Sauter@Empire.Net)
When an artist must create something which also has a function, that is a challenge rather than an obstruction to his art. I feel that beautiful buildings and bridges, for example, are worthy of respect because they are also functional. The greatest work of art that I have seen is the US Interstate Highway system. I find myself enjoying the smooth lines of the overpasses as I drive along it. I wouldn't be surprised if it were the largest work of art in the world.
Computer programs must also have a function, but I think there is more room for innovative design than you implied when you said "a small set of best ways." To take a well-researched example, there are lots of ways of sorting, and it is by no means certain that somebody won't discover an additional good way.
John Sauter (J_Sauter@Empire.Net)
Many carpenters and plumbers are artists. My home is a work of art, and was built by carpenters and plumbers. As a computer programmer, I create beautiful programs in the same way that carpenters and plumbers create beautiful homes.
John Sauter (J_Sauter@Empire.Net)
Alternatively, run a lot of random noise through their analysis, and publish whatever gets high scores. That's pretty much what record companies do now, and that may be why they find this product valuable. Think how much money the record publishing companies could save if they could eliminate artists entirely!
John Sauter (J_Sauter@Empire.Net)
The part that makes the Cougaar license unfree by my standards is the requirement that derivative works be sent to the original authors. If they recommended this practice, or encouraged it, I wouldn't have a problem. Requiring it, though, will get to be a burden in the long run, particularly if lots of software makes such a requirement.
John Sauter (J_Sauter@Empire.Net)
I have something better. I have a box leased at the local Mail Boxes Etc (now The UPS Store). I stop there each evening as I return from work and pick up my mail. When stuff needs a signature, there is someone to sign for it, and they keep watch over it until I get there. The service isn't very expensive, and I find the convenience irresistable.
John Sauter (J_Sauter@Empire.Net)
I had the privilege, along with many others, of getting a personal demonstration of the mouse from Doug Engelbart when I was at Stanford in the 1960s. In addition to the mouse he demonstrated a device that has not yet become popular: the chord-board. As I recall it was six levers, one for each finger plus two for the thumb, so you could operate it with either your right or your left hand. By pressing the levers in various combinations he could enter data into the computer. The only similar device I have seen since is the keyboard used by court reporters.
John Sauter (J_Sauter@Empire.Net)
Actually, the commercial software companies stopped developing Amiga software when Commodore declared bankrupcy and stopped manufacturing the Amiga. We all knew that there would not be an Amiga faster than 50 MHz, and the gamers quickly migrated to computers that still had manufacturers.
John Sauter (J_Sauter@Empire.Net)
"Essentially every operating system on Earth" is an overstatement. OpenVMS is based on TOPS-10, TOPS-20 and RSX-11M; it owes nothing to Unix. IBM's OS/360 has roots older than Unix, as does the Burroughs B5000 Master Control Program. I believe CDC also has an operating system that is not derived from Unix.
John Sauter (J_Sauter@Empire.Net)
This is excellent advice. My son wanted to be a game designer. He got a CS degree at a local college, then got a good break because his sister was working as a tester for a game maker. On the strength of her recommendation he got an entry-level job, and is now working his way up. I think it will take him more than four years to reach Lead Designer, but he is on the path.
John Sauter (J_Sauter@Empire.Net)
Since inventors are included, I nominate Issac Asimov for his Three Laws of Robotics. Dr. Asimov is as responsible for robots as Jules Verne is for the nuclear submarine and Robert Heinlein is for the waldo.
John Sauter (J_Sauter@Empire.Net)
Almost every time I hear a professional soloist or well-organized group play live music, I can buy a CD from them of their music. Recently I encountered a very good guitar/tambourine player in a restaurant. He didn't have a CD, so I referred my friendly local CD producer to him.
Music production is moving from the expensive studio to the musician's garage. I don't use Pro Tools, and I don't have a sound studio, but I can make a simple demo CD for a music group by mikeing their rehearsal hall for about $500. That's $250 for me and $250 to stamp the CDs commercially. My friendly local CD producer charges more but gets better results. If all you want is a demo or a CD to sell at your gigs you don't need a $100,000 producer.
John Sauter (J_Sauter@Empire.Net)
You are probably right, but I would argue that reverse engineering a file format for the purpose of facilitating communications between two programs is exempted by the DMCA.
John Sauter (J_Sauter@Empire.Net)
I use Intuit Quicken to track investments as well as my various accounts. Although Quicken claims to export data in QIF format, some information is missed or corrupted. The article warns of possible duplicate transactions, and the reviewer omitted two of his accounts because he didn't want to fix them up manually. He speculates that the problem is with the software that created the QIF files, and I have verified this by trying unsuccessfully to import a QIF file back into Intuit Quicken.
It appears that the only reliable way to read Quicken data is by reading its native files. Considering the years of carefully-verified data I have entered into Quicken, I will wait for a replacement that reads these files. I regret that I do not know the format of Quicken's native files, or have any source for that information.
John Sauter (J_Sauter@Empire.Net)
The organization needs security to protect its data, but the inconvenience of security precautions falls on the employees. That disconnect means that security procedures have to be mandatory. Where I work I established a policy that passwords expire after 120 days. Furthermore, old passwords cannot be re-used and passwords cannot be changed more than once every two days. I know every employee personally, so when somebody forgets his password I know I am dealing with the actual owner of the account. I still get occasional complaints about having to change passwords, but after 6 years people are pretty well accustomed to it.
John Sauter (J_Sauter@Empire.Net)
Thank you for the reference. Although I haven't downloaded the files, the README leads me to believe that they are serious about making available the sources for the kernel, since they include the tools necessary to use it. I am disappointed that they do not include all of their software. Apparently they don't buy my argument that all the software in a set-top box constitutes a single application. Is there a link to the "linux" page from their home page? I was unable to find one.
John Sauter (J_Sauter@Empire.Net)
Interesting. I didn't know that TiVo used the Linux kernel. Do they make the sources for the kernel available as required by the GPL? I didn't see anything about either the Linux kernel or sources on their Web site, but there might be something in their user documentation. I don't have a TiVo myself; I am waiting for the HDTV version.
John Sauter (J_Sauter@Empire.Net)
No, I am saying that the distinction between user space and kernel space is irrelavent on a set-top box. A set-top box is a single-purpose box, like a printer. The software that it runs, no matter what mode verious parts of it runs in, is a single application. If that application is derived from the Linux kernel, it must be distributed under the terms of the GPL.
John Sauter (J_Sauter@Empire.Net)
I can write and distribute an application which runs on Linux without licensing it under the GPL, but that does not describe the situation of a set-top box. In a set-top box, there is a single application. If that application is derived from the Linux kernel, it can be distributed only under the terms of the GPL.
John Sauter (J_Sauter@Empire.Net)
Slashdot Mirror
At night they shut down the rover to conserve power. It is powered by solar cells. Also, the moons are so small that I am not sure you could see them from the surface. Our experience with Luna misleads us: the Earth-Moon system is really a double planet, considering how similar Luna is to Earth. I have often wondered if life, or intelligent life, can only form on a double planet for some subtle reason. Maybe total solar eclipses are necessary for the development of astronomy.
John Sauter (J_Sauter@Empire.Net)
John Sauter (J_Sauter@Empire.Net)
Why? There is an unvoiced feeling among software managers that they had better get the product on the shelves by Christmas or their careers will suffer. In the extreme, they become yes-men, telling their bosses only what is pleasing, with no regard for the truth. Too many yes-men and the company crashes because top management is not aware of problems until it is too late to fix them.
The solution? Software product managers must have the intelligence to recognize when their product needs more time, and the courage to tell their superiors the bad news. To encourage that behavior, top management needs to be tolerant of bad news, and not limit the careers of their subordinates who bring it.
John Sauter (J_Sauter@Empire.Net)
When an artist must create something which also has a function, that is a challenge rather than an obstruction to his art. I feel that beautiful buildings and bridges, for example, are worthy of respect because they are also functional. The greatest work of art that I have seen is the US Interstate Highway system. I find myself enjoying the smooth lines of the overpasses as I drive along it. I wouldn't be surprised if it were the largest work of art in the world.
Computer programs must also have a function, but I think there is more room for innovative design than you implied when you said "a small set of best ways." To take a well-researched example, there are lots of ways of sorting, and it is by no means certain that somebody won't discover an additional good way.
John Sauter (J_Sauter@Empire.Net)
Many carpenters and plumbers are artists. My home is a work of art, and was built by carpenters and plumbers. As a computer programmer, I create beautiful programs in the same way that carpenters and plumbers create beautiful homes.
John Sauter (J_Sauter@Empire.Net)
Alternatively, run a lot of random noise through their analysis, and publish whatever gets high scores. That's pretty much what record companies do now, and that may be why they find this product valuable. Think how much money the record publishing companies could save if they could eliminate artists entirely!
John Sauter (J_Sauter@Empire.Net)
Since you still have the check, Microsoft didn't actually pay anything.
John Sauter (J_Sauter@Empire.Net)
The part that makes the Cougaar license unfree by my standards is the requirement that derivative works be sent to the original authors. If they recommended this practice, or encouraged it, I wouldn't have a problem. Requiring it, though, will get to be a burden in the long run, particularly if lots of software makes such a requirement.
John Sauter (J_Sauter@Empire.Net)
I have something better. I have a box leased at the local Mail Boxes Etc (now The UPS Store). I stop there each evening as I return from work and pick up my mail. When stuff needs a signature, there is someone to sign for it, and they keep watch over it until I get there. The service isn't very expensive, and I find the convenience irresistable.
John Sauter (J_Sauter@Empire.Net)
I had the privilege, along with many others, of getting a personal demonstration of the mouse from Doug Engelbart when I was at Stanford in the 1960s. In addition to the mouse he demonstrated a device that has not yet become popular: the chord-board. As I recall it was six levers, one for each finger plus two for the thumb, so you could operate it with either your right or your left hand. By pressing the levers in various combinations he could enter data into the computer. The only similar device I have seen since is the keyboard used by court reporters.
John Sauter (J_Sauter@Empire.Net)
Actually, the commercial software companies stopped developing Amiga software when Commodore declared bankrupcy and stopped manufacturing the Amiga.
We all knew that there would not be an Amiga faster than 50 MHz, and the gamers quickly migrated to computers that still had manufacturers.
John Sauter (J_Sauter@Empire.Net)
Thomas Jefferson probably didn't say that, though it is widely believed that he did. Look here for background.
John Sauter (J_Sauter@Empire.Net)
That's University of California at Berkeley, not University of Berkley.
John Sauter (J_Sauter@Empire.Net)
"Essentially every operating system on Earth" is an overstatement. OpenVMS is based on TOPS-10, TOPS-20 and RSX-11M; it owes nothing to Unix. IBM's OS/360 has roots older than Unix, as does the Burroughs B5000 Master Control Program. I believe CDC also has an operating system that is not derived from Unix.
John Sauter (J_Sauter@Empire.Net)
This is excellent advice. My son wanted to be a game designer. He got a CS degree at a local college, then got a good break because his sister was working as a tester for a game maker. On the strength of her recommendation he got an entry-level job, and is now working his way up. I think it will take him more than four years to reach Lead Designer, but he is on the path.
John Sauter (J_Sauter@Empire.Net)
Sorry, that's Isaac Asimov.
John Sauter (J_Sauter@Empire.Net)
Since inventors are included, I nominate Issac Asimov for his Three Laws of Robotics. Dr. Asimov is as responsible for robots as Jules Verne is for the nuclear submarine and Robert Heinlein is for the waldo.
John Sauter (J_Sauter@Empire.Net)
Almost every time I hear a professional soloist or well-organized group play live music, I can buy a CD from them of their music. Recently I encountered a very good guitar/tambourine player in a restaurant. He didn't have a CD, so I referred my friendly local CD producer to him.
Music production is moving from the expensive studio to the musician's garage. I don't use Pro Tools, and I don't have a sound studio, but I can make a simple demo CD for a music group by mikeing their rehearsal hall for about $500. That's $250 for me and $250 to stamp the CDs commercially. My friendly local CD producer charges more but gets better results. If all you want is a demo or a CD to sell at your gigs you don't need a $100,000 producer.
John Sauter (J_Sauter@Empire.Net)
You are probably right, but I would argue that reverse engineering a file format for the purpose of facilitating communications between two programs is exempted by the DMCA.
John Sauter (J_Sauter@Empire.Net)
I use Intuit Quicken to track investments as well as my various accounts. Although Quicken claims to export data in QIF format, some information is missed or corrupted. The article warns of possible duplicate transactions, and the reviewer omitted two of his accounts because he didn't want to fix them up manually. He speculates that the problem is with the software that created the QIF files, and I have verified this by trying unsuccessfully to import a QIF file back into Intuit Quicken.
It appears that the only reliable way to read Quicken data is by reading its native files. Considering the years of carefully-verified data I have entered into Quicken, I will wait for a replacement that reads these files. I regret that I do not know the format of Quicken's native files, or have any source for that information.
John Sauter (J_Sauter@Empire.Net)
The organization needs security to protect its data, but the inconvenience of security precautions falls on the employees. That disconnect means that security procedures have to be mandatory. Where I work I established a policy that passwords expire after 120 days. Furthermore, old passwords cannot be re-used and passwords cannot be changed more than once every two days. I know every employee personally, so when somebody forgets his password I know I am dealing with the actual owner of the account. I still get occasional complaints about having to change passwords, but after 6 years people are pretty well accustomed to it.
John Sauter (J_Sauter@Empire.Net)
Thank you for the reference. Although I haven't downloaded the files, the README leads me to believe that they are serious about making available the sources for the kernel, since they include the tools necessary to use it. I am disappointed that they do not include all of their software. Apparently they don't buy my argument that all the software in a set-top box constitutes a single application. Is there a link to the "linux" page from their home page? I was unable to find one.
John Sauter (J_Sauter@Empire.Net)
Interesting. I didn't know that TiVo used the Linux kernel. Do they make the sources for the kernel available as required by the GPL? I didn't see anything about either the Linux kernel or sources on their Web site, but there might be something in their user documentation. I don't have a TiVo myself; I am waiting for the HDTV version.
John Sauter (J_Sauter@Empire.Net)
No, I am saying that the distinction between user space and kernel space is irrelavent on a set-top box. A set-top box is a single-purpose box, like a printer. The software that it runs, no matter what mode verious parts of it runs in, is a single application. If that application is derived from the Linux kernel, it must be distributed under the terms of the GPL.
John Sauter (J_Sauter@Empire.Net)
I can write and distribute an application which runs on Linux without licensing it under the GPL, but that does not describe the situation of a set-top box. In a set-top box, there is a single application. If that application is derived from the Linux kernel, it can be distributed only under the terms of the GPL.
John Sauter (J_Sauter@Empire.Net)