Re:How have you stayed intouch with tech these yea
on
Ask Kevin Mitnick
·
· Score: 1
how did you keep up to date with the latest developments on tech-related issues?
On a related note, I'd like to ask you if you have any political views relating to free software and open source? There's been a lot of debate on the issue. Since you have seen the computer revolution from a different perspective than most other people, I'd like to hear your comments.
I kinda assumed that the mathematical definition of volume is consistent, regardless of the dimensional propreties of the object in question. If not, I think our heads could start hurting even more;)
I'm not an expert on this and I don't know if I'm digressing. This is just a thought.
The limit of the volume as the number of sides tend to infinity perhaps approaches the volume you'd get if you melt the whole thing down.
It looks like that for fractals with a dimension less than 2. If the volume can be thought of analogus to area in this case then it should be so.
I'm writing a small program to draw such fractals ( PFractL ).
and it seems like that to me.
If I'm wrong, do let me know.
Turning one's nose up at something for non-technical reasons is usually a bad idea.
I disagree. Computers and software have become so much a part of society these days that issues other than technical ones become important.
As an example, if the entire ducation system of a country decide to switch to a closed platform like windows and churns out MCSE types by the dozen, they'd become zombies if Microsoft closed down tomorrow.
I personally believe that it's the idealism that keeps this sort of thing moving in the long run. A blind zealous passion is probably pointless but a good amount of idealism is necessary to keep something like this alive.
I am calling it like I see it. I don't think a reasonable person would conclude that Eclipse is "useless for the free software community" simply because it was built with and runs on Java[..] It is based on the idea that anything that is not ideologically pure is "useless."
I wouldn't classify all this simply as free/non free. It's not a black and white situation. It would be better for the free software community if the underlying platform was open too. If not, atleast we get to use eclipse on a free(libre) operating system.
I believe the real media player situation is something similar. Although it's not free, I atleast get to use the player on my free OS and view Real media unlike other proprietary formats.
Calling it "useless for the free software community" is overkill but calling it "perfect for the free software community" is an equal deviation from the ideal state of things IMHO.
A lot of goodies which 1.4 had missing from GNOME2 IMHO.
The ability to dynamically bind keychords to menu items, lot of customisability options (panel behaviour etc.) etc. are all missing. I tried to customise Metacity and I get a small menu from the gnome-control-center with two or three options which is definitely less than what I can do with sawfish.
where most my software engineering friends are microsoft praisers who think that c# is the greatest invention since the stone age
I couldn't agree more. I'd distinguish between the "software engineers" and the "CS folks" by saying that the former are soulless code grinders who slave away and fuel the "software industry" which is not too hot in itself (as Jamie Zawinski rightly pointed out, "whole sick, navel-gazing mess we called the software industry"). The latter people on the other hand are the people that keep the earth spinning. Whether their percentage is dwindling or growing is anyone's guess.
It's a mistake IMO to think that "standard software engineering practices" are some kind of panacea that can correct bad coders and produce good code.
Slashdot Mirror
On a related note, I'd like to ask you if you have any political views relating to free software and open source? There's been a lot of debate on the issue. Since you have seen the computer revolution from a different perspective than most other people, I'd like to hear your comments.
I kinda assumed that the mathematical definition of volume is consistent, regardless of the dimensional propreties of the object in question. If not, I think our heads could start hurting even more ;)
I'm not an expert on this and I don't know if I'm digressing. This is just a thought.
The limit of the volume as the number of sides tend to infinity perhaps approaches the volume you'd get if you melt the whole thing down.
It looks like that for fractals with a dimension less than 2. If the volume can be thought of analogus to area in this case then it should be so. I'm writing a small program to draw such fractals ( PFractL ). and it seems like that to me. If I'm wrong, do let me know.
I disagree. Computers and software have become so much a part of society these days that issues other than technical ones become important.
As an example, if the entire ducation system of a country decide to switch to a closed platform like windows and churns out MCSE types by the dozen, they'd become zombies if Microsoft closed down tomorrow.
I personally believe that it's the idealism that keeps this sort of thing moving in the long run. A blind zealous passion is probably pointless but a good amount of idealism is necessary to keep something like this alive.
I wouldn't classify all this simply as free/non free. It's not a black and white situation. It would be better for the free software community if the underlying platform was open too. If not, atleast we get to use eclipse on a free(libre) operating system.
I believe the real media player situation is something similar. Although it's not free, I atleast get to use the player on my free OS and view Real media unlike other proprietary formats.
Calling it "useless for the free software community" is overkill but calling it "perfect for the free software community" is an equal deviation from the ideal state of things IMHO.
A lot of goodies which 1.4 had missing from GNOME2 IMHO.
The ability to dynamically bind keychords to menu items, lot of customisability options (panel behaviour etc.) etc. are all missing. I tried to customise Metacity and I get a small menu from the gnome-control-center with two or three options which is definitely less than what I can do with sawfish.
You have to love the fonts though :)
CheerioI couldn't agree more. I'd distinguish between the "software engineers" and the "CS folks" by saying that the former are soulless code grinders who slave away and fuel the "software industry" which is not too hot in itself (as Jamie Zawinski rightly pointed out, "whole sick, navel-gazing mess we called the software industry"). The latter people on the other hand are the people that keep the earth spinning. Whether their percentage is dwindling or growing is anyone's guess.
It's a mistake IMO to think that "standard software engineering practices" are some kind of panacea that can correct bad coders and produce good code.