Considering that it sounds like a small town which probably doesn't have a lot of connectivity, teaching people how to set up or connect to a wireless network would be a great idea. That way, the city's inhabitants could share any connectivity (even between neighbors) it gets very efficiently and happily. Wireless also makes the tourists happy and might make them want to vacation there more!
This of course, presupposes courses on Microsoft 101 and the Internet 101.
Don't forget Linux 101 for those who like a challenge!;)
While that is true, if you look at Wyse's current WinTerm models, which use Windows CE or XP embedded, the lowest cost is about $299.
That's one of the main reasons that these Lindows "webstations" cost $189 without rebate, because they are trying to undercut the more expensive thin client market.
Check out Wyse's prices/models here and you'll see. For web browsing with plug-ins, you'd have to pay at least $300 ->
http://www.wyse.com/products/winterm/index.htm
These type of bootable CDs only load the OS into the system RAM, and then don't usually read from the CD any more after that point. It only takes one read at boot time to get the whole OS and software expanded and into memory.
First of all, it can store data in a RAM drive, which is basically what it uses to store the OS as well. The "RAM drive" acts like a very small (but fast) hard drive using the system's RAM.
It's a nice solution because a similarly equipped and more proprietary thin client (a Wyse terminal, for example) is much more expensive and most of the thin clients have Windows XP Embedded on them.
Kudos to the Linux world for lowering costs again!
...I really think Mom and Pop are going to find it SO easy to get an Apple and set up their Airport! Especially if it's broadcasting to PCs instead of Macs!
Really though, why on earth would anybody waste their time doing this? Sure the Airport is good, BUT spend less time, buy a Linksys or a DLink or a Cisco or something, plug it in, plug some wireless cards into the computers, turn it on, and let the wireless router and software do the rest!
Man.. I wonder if this guy gets paid more than I do! *grin*
I don't know about anybody else - but the fact that this could be used to make DVDs simply "stop working" after so long seems to cry out "planned obsolescence".
As an example, maybe they make a new generation of DVDs only lasts 6 months before it wears out (and don't tell us). That would generate a lot of profit if somebody's DVD stopped working and they really liked it (they'd either have to go buy it again, or get it copied).
Ick.
-6d
"Then can the money saved be distributed to all of the other members of the company to increase their standard of living? Does the inconvenience of the original 10 justify the better life for the others?"
The money saved almost always goes into the pockets of whoever survives such technological change. So in a sense, it does make their lives better.
Unless those ten people can find a job they are qualified for, or gain new skills to meet new requirements (which many do), they are out of luck. Just for the sake of argument, what would happen if the world was made up of organizations that were mostly automated, controlled by a few very powerful people? Maybe this explains the tendency for tech firms to exhibit monopolistic (one firm controlling the whole market)/oligopolistic (few firms controlling the market) type economic behavior.
A very simple ethical dilemma - if a machine can do what ten people can, is it unethical to take away their jobs in the name of saving money? I mean, these are real humans we are talking about!
On a side note, I'm an information systems specialist, and the systems I design do flatten organizations and often eliminate people's jobs. This issue is one I often think about.
Is there a balance between how much machine replaces man?
This seems like a quibble over the definition of a word (definitely not something worth occupying so much of our time).
I'd like to point out the job title "software engineer". They don't just hand that to anybody.
Secondly, the dictionary definition of engineer (Dictionary.com) states the following:
One who is trained or professionally engaged in a branch of engineering.
One who operates an engine.
One who skillfully or shrewdly manages an enterprise.
These definitions aren't the best, so let's go back to the Latin origins of the word, "ingenium", which means "ability". I think that covers what programmers (especially software engineers) do.
The title engineer can apply to lots of things. You could call a horticulturist a "plant engineer" if you wanted to!
What can I say? I'm a programmer! I'm a software engineer!
You know, in addition to the fact that FPS games have always been bag'em and frag'em, it seems to me that the multiplayer model really took away all the single player fun that we used to have. I mean, some games still attempt to have storylines (and I know some games like the new Counterstrike Condition Zero or Doom 3, etc. will have single player experiences). It's nice to play against 30 other real people online- but what ever happened to co-op games where you beat the game together?
I'll have to give FFX a play.. I never played it but have often wanted to.;)
You know, I often wonder if as the technology gets even better and better if to some degree, film and games will merge together to create entirely new types of entertainment.
I mean, the engine for Doom 3 could very well create environments that scare the pants off most people (hopefully!), and we've seen a lot of movies lately trying to make use of the game technology (as with LOTR and its AI battle of Helm's Deep).
It's not like this is a new idea - people have been making art out of computer games forever.. just check out Machinima for an example - but I think it'd be cool to play a game that is TRULY as dynamic as a movie, or to go to a movie that actually requires audience interaction (sort of like a theme park ride but more like a game).
This makes the point nicely though - even with the simple doom engine a story can be told.;)
Not that I appreciate the way MP3.com works anymore after being bought by Vivendi Universal, but I'm pretty sure you can nab a few gigs of MP3s which are freely downloadable/legal from MP3.com. Just don't expect to be getting any big name artists giving away THEIR music.
Chipwich, really nice summary of the "critical crossroads". I am a grad student that just finished writing my thesis on the conflict that now exists in this information/information technology arena (which can ONLY be characterized as political, unfortunately).
I find it so ironic how so many of the "internet ideals" directly clash with capitalism. Without putting my own critique into which way is better, it's amazing that a few computers connected with really long cables and a few individuals who thought information should flow freely have caused so much change in our world. I love it;)
I usually object to government interference, but for once I think they're really on track here. If you read the draft document, available here, you'll see that the government really wants to keep its hands off as much as possible, but also realizes the fundamental need for central control for security.
It's nice to see they also want to work with a strong public/private partnership, not solely one with private organizations. I'll try and be listening in for sure!
IMHO, part of the problem is not only embracing new technology, but also applying the enormous amount of perfectly functional technology that came out of the last tech boom to current problems.
Maybe that's because of copyright/innovation stifling measures... I can't say for sure, but I do know that too many good things are going to waste. Innovation happens when you make what you have better... we need to improve more than just our chip speeds and HD sizes, maybe spending time investigating better ways of integrating technology with business processes to widen our advantage?
I live in the USA, but I have to agree with you here.. I for one not only see that the Internet started out USA-based, but I also know that on both sides, transcontinental latency is horrible, even today.
As long as everything stays OPEN to anybody who wants to access it, it makes me wonder why nobody is working on this one right now (or are they?). Is it the cost of laying out fiber over such great distances still too costly for some countries to afford?
Oh, I know plenty about P2P networks that existed long before Napster - that wasn't my point. How about Hotline, for example? Or the very first P2P network diagrams that never got implemented early on in networking?
I also am not considering P2P networks on the application level - I am referring to the notion of low-level network communication protocols being changed in a significant way.
Example - spreading out the data the root servers carry for DNS, but having it seem as though it is centralized, would be a great boost for the Internet. But right now, there ARE central servers that are the very last place that DNS around the world references. Even allowing more competition in the major ISP field would be a way of decentralizing more. But no, we have to put up with everything running through WorldCom's and other large ISP's pipes, at least in the US.
Furthermore, regarding your comment on the politics - I wholeheardtedly agree with you - the politics ARE what get in the way particularly when it comes to P2P. Maybe the internet would be different if regulation and commercialization hadn't seized the internet away from individuals who wanted a method of sharing information that was open and free.
If P2P networks hadn't been used for illegal purposes right from their creation, I wonder if maybe more the the Internet might be in a P2P form at this late stage. Certainly, you can't disagree that P2P didn't get pushed back in the technology development cycle because of all the political issues surrounding it. It wasn't "embraced"...
Slashdot Mirror
Since the market is closed already, it should not be a tremendous issue. Besides, many firms have backup generators and are still up and running!
Considering that it sounds like a small town which probably doesn't have a lot of connectivity, teaching people how to set up or connect to a wireless network would be a great idea. That way, the city's inhabitants could share any connectivity (even between neighbors) it gets very efficiently and happily. Wireless also makes the tourists happy and might make them want to vacation there more!
;)
This of course, presupposes courses on Microsoft 101 and the Internet 101.
Don't forget Linux 101 for those who like a challenge!
-6d
While that is true, if you look at Wyse's current WinTerm models, which use Windows CE or XP embedded, the lowest cost is about $299. That's one of the main reasons that these Lindows "webstations" cost $189 without rebate, because they are trying to undercut the more expensive thin client market. Check out Wyse's prices/models here and you'll see. For web browsing with plug-ins, you'd have to pay at least $300 -> http://www.wyse.com/products/winterm/index.htm
These type of bootable CDs only load the OS into the system RAM, and then don't usually read from the CD any more after that point. It only takes one read at boot time to get the whole OS and software expanded and into memory.
First of all, it can store data in a RAM drive, which is basically what it uses to store the OS as well. The "RAM drive" acts like a very small (but fast) hard drive using the system's RAM.
It's a nice solution because a similarly equipped and more proprietary thin client (a Wyse terminal, for example) is much more expensive and most of the thin clients have Windows XP Embedded on them.
Kudos to the Linux world for lowering costs again!
Can we say, honeypots? Let's go catch us some h4x0rz!
...I really think Mom and Pop are going to find it SO easy to get an Apple and set up their Airport! Especially if it's broadcasting to PCs
instead of Macs!
Really though, why on earth would anybody waste their time doing this? Sure the Airport is good, BUT spend less time, buy a Linksys or a DLink or a Cisco or something, plug it in, plug some wireless cards into the computers, turn it on, and let the wireless router and software do the rest!
Man.. I wonder if this guy gets paid more than I do! *grin*
I don't know about anybody else - but the fact that this could be used to make DVDs simply "stop working" after so long seems to cry out "planned obsolescence". As an example, maybe they make a new generation of DVDs only lasts 6 months before it wears out (and don't tell us). That would generate a lot of profit if somebody's DVD stopped working and they really liked it (they'd either have to go buy it again, or get it copied). Ick. -6d
I might be way off here, but didn't he just recently ACCEPT this position and he's already resigning?
"More machines doing the work = smaller slave cast = larger middle class.
:) Thanks for the comment, I appreciate it!
If I were you, I'd be proud of my job."
That's an interesting take on the issue... I could only hope that my job makes the world a better place.
"Then can the money saved be distributed to all of the other members of the company to increase their standard of living? Does the inconvenience of the original 10 justify the better life for the others?"
The money saved almost always goes into the pockets of whoever survives such technological change. So in a sense, it does make their lives better.
Unless those ten people can find a job they are qualified for, or gain new skills to meet new requirements (which many do), they are out of luck. Just for the sake of argument, what would happen if the world was made up of organizations that were mostly automated, controlled by a few very powerful people? Maybe this explains the tendency for tech firms to exhibit monopolistic (one firm controlling the whole market)/oligopolistic (few firms controlling the market) type economic behavior.
-6d
A very simple ethical dilemma - if a machine can do what ten people can, is it unethical to take away their jobs in the name of saving money? I mean, these are real humans we are talking about!
On a side note, I'm an information systems specialist, and the systems I design do flatten organizations and often eliminate people's jobs. This issue is one I often think about.
Is there a balance between how much machine replaces man?
Just my 2 cents..
-6d
This seems like a quibble over the definition of a word (definitely not something worth occupying so much of our time).
I'd like to point out the job title "software engineer". They don't just hand that to anybody.
Secondly, the dictionary definition of engineer (Dictionary.com) states the following:
One who is trained or professionally engaged in a branch of engineering.
One who operates an engine.
One who skillfully or shrewdly manages an enterprise.
These definitions aren't the best, so let's go back to the Latin origins of the word, "ingenium", which means "ability". I think that covers what programmers (especially software engineers) do.
The title engineer can apply to lots of things. You could call a horticulturist a "plant engineer" if you wanted to!
What can I say? I'm a programmer! I'm a software engineer!
-6d
You know, in addition to the fact that FPS games have always been bag'em and frag'em, it seems to me that the multiplayer model really took away all the single player fun that we used to have. I mean, some games still attempt to have storylines (and I know some games like the new Counterstrike Condition Zero or Doom 3, etc. will have single player experiences). It's nice to play against 30 other real people online- but what ever happened to co-op games where you beat the game together?
;)
I'll have to give FFX a play.. I never played it but have often wanted to.
You know, I often wonder if as the technology gets even better and better if to some degree, film and games will merge together to create entirely new types of entertainment.
;)
I mean, the engine for Doom 3 could very well create environments that scare the pants off most people (hopefully!), and we've seen a lot of movies lately trying to make use of the game technology (as with LOTR and its AI battle of Helm's Deep).
It's not like this is a new idea - people have been making art out of computer games forever.. just check out Machinima for an example - but I think it'd be cool to play a game that is TRULY as dynamic as a movie, or to go to a movie that actually requires audience interaction (sort of like a theme park ride but more like a game).
This makes the point nicely though - even with the simple doom engine a story can be told.
-6d
Not that I appreciate the way MP3.com works anymore after being bought by Vivendi Universal, but I'm pretty sure you can nab a few gigs of MP3s which are freely downloadable/legal from MP3.com. Just don't expect to be getting any big name artists giving away THEIR music.
...if only they were affordable and every site Slashdot linked to had one for a webserver.. ;)
Chipwich, really nice summary of the "critical crossroads". I am a grad student that just finished writing my thesis on the conflict that now exists in this information/information technology arena (which can ONLY be characterized as political, unfortunately).
;)
I find it so ironic how so many of the "internet ideals" directly clash with capitalism. Without putting my own critique into which way is better, it's amazing that a few computers connected with really long cables and a few individuals who thought information should flow freely have caused so much change in our world. I love it
Thanks for your post!
I usually object to government interference, but for once I think they're really on track here. If you read the draft document, available here, you'll see that the government really wants to keep its hands off as much as possible, but also realizes the fundamental need for central control for security.
It's nice to see they also want to work with a strong public/private partnership, not solely one with private organizations. I'll try and be listening in for sure!
IMHO, part of the problem is not only embracing new technology, but also applying the enormous amount of perfectly functional technology that came out of the last tech boom to current problems.
Maybe that's because of copyright/innovation stifling measures... I can't say for sure, but I do know that too many good things are going to waste. Innovation happens when you make what you have better... we need to improve more than just our chip speeds and HD sizes, maybe spending time investigating better ways of integrating technology with business processes to widen our advantage?
Just a thought..
Whitelisting. If you don't know what it means, you only specify who you want to receive email from, and don't receive any other mail.
That would be a start!
Well, see, when your eye starts ringing...
;)
*i know, i'm just asking for it*
I live in the USA, but I have to agree with you here.. I for one not only see that the Internet started out USA-based, but I also know that on both sides, transcontinental latency is horrible, even today.
As long as everything stays OPEN to anybody who wants to access it, it makes me wonder why nobody is working on this one right now (or are they?). Is it the cost of laying out fiber over such great distances still too costly for some countries to afford?
Oh, I know plenty about P2P networks that existed long before Napster - that wasn't my point. How about Hotline, for example? Or the very first P2P network diagrams that never got implemented early on in networking?
I also am not considering P2P networks on the application level - I am referring to the notion of low-level network communication protocols being changed in a significant way.
Example - spreading out the data the root servers carry for DNS, but having it seem as though it is centralized, would be a great boost for the Internet. But right now, there ARE central servers that are the very last place that DNS around the world references. Even allowing more competition in the major ISP field would be a way of decentralizing more. But no, we have to put up with everything running through WorldCom's and other large ISP's pipes, at least in the US.
Furthermore, regarding your comment on the politics - I wholeheardtedly agree with you - the politics ARE what get in the way particularly when it comes to P2P. Maybe the internet would be different if regulation and commercialization hadn't seized the internet away from individuals who wanted a method of sharing information that was open and free.
If P2P networks hadn't been used for illegal purposes right from their creation, I wonder if maybe more the the Internet might be in a P2P form at this late stage. Certainly, you can't disagree that P2P didn't get pushed back in the technology development cycle because of all the political issues surrounding it. It wasn't "embraced"...