I pretty much agree with your assessment. And it certainly makes the most sense in todays level of cut, finish and polish. I am seriously thinking of going back to apple after fooling with linux for a couple of years now myself, especially since Apple has finally gotten it that there needs to be an entry level machine that isn't completely nuts as to price, although I wish they would offer the same 500 dollar price in just a normal minitower or desktop,and not just the mini. Seems like they could drop the price even further then for entry level. I haven't *quite* made up my mind on that switch back, but I am getting much much closer.
eh, I'm a hundred projects behind now. Mechanically, I need new engines for my van and her highness's jeep here (cash register ca CHING), fix the little car, work on a few small engines and for fun the gas electric hybrid lawn mower/tool buggy/watchamacallit project. That's the only one I really want to do... A stirling would be nice to play with though.....
The burner is less than a month old. I bought it for myself as a late Christmas present. I never owned one before, and I wanted to try out what micro and mini distros I could find on the net, to put on these older machines I have kicking around, to make them useful again so as to give them away. I'm on dialup so full bloat distros are just out of the question to download. As it is now, I set one to download at night, then it's a 50/50 if it actually finishes downloading. I got a few successfully burnt, but now it stopped burning. Maybe I will move it over to a test windows box, it came with "nero" burning software, but that also means what I want to burn *isn't* on the box where the burner would be, and I won't put a windows box on the net anymore. It's a catch 22, you can't stay on long enough to get the latest anti everything programs and patches, etc, and you can't patch it from disk if your safer machine won't burn a disk from a download. I might still try it though, just to see if it works, just burn some random stuff I guess. That's a good idea. I have been reading up at k3b and xcdroast places and on some forums, I'm not the only one hosed lately with burning issues...err wait, that doesn't sound very good.....
...just the "works just fine" part is erroneous. 99% are owned, hosed, rooted, screwed up, adwared, spywared, virus infected, spam spewing, buggy disasters. I cannot think of a single person I know in meatspace who owns peecees and hasn't had serious run ins with windows bogusness. Zero, even leet windows professionals who do it for a living. I know people who have literally bought new computers because their windows installs were SO bad with malware that they thought the hardware itself was broken. After people have thrown hundreds of dollars in software add ons at it, installed every patch they can,undergone multiple trips to the local puter fixit shop, there comes a point that something needs to be said and admitted to, and this dude in the article nailed it dead on square on and right on.
It's way past time for all the people out there to realise it's not raining, that really is Microsoft pissing on their back. and they pay for that privelege.
Now I don't care what private folks do with their time and money, that's their business, but in the public sector, there's no longer any need for that using tax payers money to prop up that company and it's alleged products that make them hundreds of billions of dollars and come with no warranty whatsoever and got enough bugs to keep a flock of entomologists happy for several millenia. Now free software is another thing, you get what you pay for, but those hundreds of billions of dollars dropped on MS software scribbles they pass off as "intellectual property" and demand it be treated like valuable property for their profits sake is another kettle of rather ripe and steenking fish. And that's where I think the law-line should be drawn too,changed drastically and I hope it does and I hope it shakes the software world to it's roots and the dirt beyond, if anyone pays for it, it's a commercial product and it should have a warranty, simple as that, same as any other product, bought, sold, or leased. Change that law, get rid of the get out of responsibility EULA nonsense they push for stuff that's sold or leased. If windows is so great, billy bob buckets of profits can do it voluntarily, there's a challenge to the microsofties who charge money (or anyone else who charges money for their IP "products") put a warranty on it that you back up or quit calling it a product.
never really thought about it that way, but I guess there's a profit in there with shunning some place if you want to do something,or buy something, or get serviced by something..err, you know what I mean, but the traditional way is something you don't agree with. A boycott is an economic shuuning, it usually makes whomever is being boycotted change what they are doing, or some alternative gets the business from the boycotters. Like todays music, more people are gong to be turning to alternative music as the DRM crap gets ramped up more in hardware and in digital copies. They will shun the big guys somehow. Look at the supermarket where organic food is finally mainstream "enough" and being sold on the shelves and gets a good price. Traditional chemical food is being shunned more and more. Shunning works if enough people do it. In politics I started shunning the two major parties many election cycles ago now, because I see no practical overall differences. I shun most TV now because I don't like the programming I can get, I switched to getting amused off the internet. I get most of my news off the net. The local OTA am/fm radio stations are so universally sucky, me, a decades long radio news junky now primarily uses shortwave or netfeeds. I shun the crap and give my business to the non-crap, which is a personal opinion on quality and content, but it's an effective technique. Hmm, like years ago I realised professional team sports was no different than the gladiator games in the roman times with keeping the populations dumbed down and complacent,bread and circusesm so I stopped viewing, discussing, going to the physical games, etc and now wehenever anyone in meat space brings it up I just tell them frankly it's a bigfat waste of time and money and not worth it, that there are so many other more important things out there I can't be bothered. Shuts em up quick I guess, probably annoys a few folks but I don't care either, so tired of hearing about someones "team" like that score means anything practical to be such a big part of your life. I admit I was addicted once, then WHAM one day it just dawned on me HOW MUCH people get addicted to that. Things like that I guess are part of the economics of shunning and then going to an alternative.
I guess I could help with some tech writing, but it would have to be real time directly with the programs author(s). I would have to take extensive notes and ask a ton of questions. I mean a ton of questions. Frequently I get stuck on some thing I am trying to do and get frustrated pretty severely with the lack of what would be to me adequate documentation or guides. When things go smooth, there isn't much need of a guide,there's the catch 22 with GUI programs, it's when you run into a problem that it gets squirrely. Like right now I have been working two weeks on being able to burn ISOs. Just tried another time not half an hour ago, using the latest most dripping raw bleeding program I can find, as none of the earlier ones are working for me. I can't do it. I burned a few when I first started,clikc click click burn works, just like it is supposed to, it just worked, no probs, then it stopped working and dang if I can find out why. I've tried trashing it and reinstalling and useing default settings, trying various user specified settings, whatever. I have tried downloading and installing different programs, used different kernels, tried burning as root, under sudo, or as a user, nada. Got FOUR different brands of blanks sitting around here now, Rs and R/Ws, don't even know if they are all coasters or not. All I get as an error message is "no media found". Huh? Staring at the brand new blank. The cd device will read an actual CD, that it does, so I bet it's not broken hardware wise, I'd bet a week pay it's the software from linux land. Reading what I can find from both cdroast and k3b pages that are findable via google, it apparently got nasty for a lot of people just lately, right when I get my first cd burner.Ya I know they been out forever, I just bought one though. Had to wait until they got cheap enough for me meagre budget and all. Sucks the big one. Seems to be an issue between the gui front end guys, the kernel maintainers and the 2.6 whatever kernel and the dude who wrote the command line every one uses. They are all pointing fingers at each other.
I am this close to going back to Macs with the latest mini hitting a somewhat reasonable price level, I mean *this close* holds finger and thumb one MM apart. Guess I got spoiled with a decade of "just works" and zip security issues. I am getting tired of 90% of an operating system, free or not, FOSS philsophy or not,cheaper hardware or not, which I agree with, if it don't work for something common like getting online via dialup(3/4ths of the distros I have ever tried fail that test) or burning a cd, or printing, then it "ain't there" yet. Have a friend of mine wants to buy a new computer, a noob except for webtv, I recommended macs to her, just this week. If she already had hardware I would still recommend linux, but starting out raw, nope, told her to get the mac with osx. I trust apple to release stuff that works, guess you get what you pay for and all. I would pay a reasonable fee for a linux distro that actually worked, but I am not going to be forced into becoming a programmer just to do some simple tasks. ain't gonna go there, nope.
rant grumble kvetch..... got a toothache and a headache, I'm in the mood to shoot someone except it would be too loud.... heh heh heh;)
I used to answer all calls in a heavy contrived accent, as if the telemarketer (usually) caller had just gotten a business with an immigrant running it (usually I used like an indo/pak accent). Confused heck out of anyone who didn't know me, and they would remove the phone number then automatically if they were trying to push something targeted to homeowners. My friends knew it was me so they'd go "hey, it's me" whatever so I could talk. Worked a charm it did.
although I write, the point is moot unless you have an understanding of the program from a programmers perspective, and I am not a coder. I have considered it before, but it's sorta silly having the blind lead the sightless around. If I don't understand the program, I can't write about it, and there's no way I could include technical details of which I have no idea of. It's a catch 22. The best that can happen is that the developer has a close friend who can hover around and re-write what they wrote and try to get it into a more friendly and complete format. Just full complete sentences would be a start. Joe noob seeing something like this
bin/bash *(**&&^-11whateverfoo))if(0
just don't cut it I'm afraid....that's what man pages look like to me, and to 99% of the people out there. That is not a readable document for anyone beyond a pro or serious hobbiest admin/programmer. If it used actual sentences, it would probably work, even if they weren't the most eloquent. If the programmer would devote as little as 1% of the actual physical time spent programming to writing the doc,just one percent, in most cases it would be legible enough, but I've seen programs that have obviously been out for yearsd and they have like three almost paragraphs for a man page and that's it, or even worse, they have dozens of pages that look like my example above. eeeek, scary, back away real slow......
I used to have a friend years ago did technical writing and it was a bear for him, because he insisted on mini crash courses in the various engineering aspects of what he was tasked to write. Took him a long time per piece that way, but he got well paid for it.
Man pages exist, they just need to be fleshed out into actual real sentences and have clear cut examples of what does where and why. They are outlines of docs, I wouldn't call them docs per se although technically they are.
I submit bug reports occassionaly when I run into them, best I can do to help out I'm afraid. I prefer a forum format, but every single site out there wants yet again another registration and cookie and email registration etc that that gets obnoxious quickly as well and most of the time it's a waste of time, just went through that with yet another distro the other day.. I'm registered at half a dozen sites but rarely use them, and at bugzilla but not too much, because I don't run into that many problems anymore, although I still have a few stumpers, like why does my cd burner work once in awhile but not all the time, even with the settings unchanged and identical? And it makes no diff the blanks used. Goofy stuff like that. I just accept it and move on now, because if you go look at some help site someone will say paraphrased "'well tough luck it works for me and I did this so it should work for you" and that's it. I've just learned to deal with linux as a perpetual "90% there" thing and become complacent about it. Every iteration gets better, but it still hovers at 90% "fixed", because they add new features, but a certain percentage re-break then or new bugs get introduced. I think linux will always be a 90% thing because of how it is developed in a state of pure anarchy and zero cohesion. It's fun, but that's a true observation as well. I personally wouldn't mind a generic across the board and complete FOSS freeze for two years just to fix all the existing bugs outstanding and don't touch anything new. I mean it, serious. I know it won't happen but it would be a good thing. Fix bugs, write docs, no new progs, features, skins, themes, distros, nothing, just fix what's already released, finish the project or officially kill it and bury it.
"A method and apparatus for altering at least one selected region which normally exists above the earth's surface. The region is excited by electron cyclotron resonance heating to thereby increase its charged particle density. In one embodiment, circularly polarized electromagnetic radiation is transmitted upward in a direction substantially parallel to and along a field line which extends through the region of plasma to be altered. The radiation is transmitted at a frequency which excites electron cyclotron resonance to heat and accelerate the charged particles. This increase in energy can cause ionization of neutral particles which are then absorbed as part of the region thereby increasing the charged particle density of the region."
final exceedingly long paragraph (not my fault)
"This invention has a phenomenal variety of possible ramifications and potential future developments. As alluded to earlier, missile or aircraft destruction, deflection, or confusion could result, particularly when relativistic particles are employed. Also, large regions of the atmosphere could be lifted to an unexpectedly high altitude so that missiles encounter unexpected and unplanned drag forces with resultant destruction or deflection of same. Weather modification is possible by, for example, altering upper atmosphere wind patterns or altering solar absorption patterns by constructing one or more plumes of atmospheric particles which will act as a lens or focusing device. Also as alluded to earlier, molecular modifications of the atmosphere can take place so that positive environmental effects can be achieved. Besides actually changing the molecular composition of an atmospheric region, a particular molecule or molecules can be chosen for increased presence. For example, ozone, nitrogen, etc. concentrations in the atmosphere could be artificially increased. Similarly, environmental enhancement could be achieved by causing the breakup of various chemical entities such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrous oxides, and the like. Transportation of entities can also be realized when advantage is taken of the drag effects caused by regions of the atmosphere moving up along diverging field lines. Small micron sized particles can be then transported, and, under certain circumstances and with the availability of sufficient energy, larger particles or objects could be similarly affected. Particles with desired characteristics such as tackiness, reflectivity, absorptivity, etc., can be transported for specific purposes or effects. For example, a plume of tacky particles could be established to increase the drag on a missile or satellite passing therethrough. Even plumes of plasma having substantially less charged particle density than described above will produce drag effects on missiles which will affect a lightweight (dummy) missile in a manner substantially different than a heavy (live) missile and this affect can be used to distinguish between the two types of missiles. A moving plume could also serve as a means for supplying a space station or for focusing vast amount of sunlight on selected portions of the earth. Surveys of global scope could also be realized because the earth's natural magnetic field could be significantly altered in a controlled manner by plasma beta effects resulting in, for example, improved magnetotelluric surveys. Electromagnetic pulse defenses are also possible. The earth's magnetic field could be decreased or disrupted at appropriate altitudes to modify or eliminate the magnetic field in high Compton electron generation (e.g., from high altitude nuclear bursts) regions. High intensity, well controlled electrical fields can be provided in selected locations for various purposes. For example, the plasma sheath surroun
...you are being delibarately obtuse. You are asking a vague generalised question on "corruption" and how to deal with it and expecting a specific answer from me beyoind what I wrote in general terms. How in hell can anyone even attempt to answer such a vague question? Which specific corruption in which specific circumstance to which individual in which nation to do you want a possible answer to? How is anyone supposed to answer that unless you are willing to go down the list of 6 billion humans in a variety of nations and political situations?
Want a vague answer in general terms? If the corruption is so bad that you can't exist and the local political secret police are killing people and etc, then you physically fight back, armed resistance and take no prisoners because they certainly won't. That's one way of dealing with corruption. If the situation is less than that but still of an extreme nature you must seek to ally yourself with reformist elements and try to seize control of the government by any means and then try to not become corrupt yourself.. If it's less than that, you try to develop a political organization that can work hand in hand with labor and the media and some elements of the capital class and do a work around. if it's less than that.....
See? You keep asking for an answer to such a vague assertion that any possible reply is bound to sound ambiguous, IF, you want just a general reply. If you want a specific reply that goes beyond my recommendations, then you need to ask a very specific question.
As to my dealing with it by ignoring it, I'll give an example. I don't incorporate, I don't seek licenses, permissions, permits, etc to the best of my ability from the state. Extreme bare minimum. As little as possible. Less interactions, the less I have to deal with actual corruption or be around the possibility of having my life influenced by possible corruption. I own very little in the way of personal property. I don't get loans or have credit or use credit more specifically. It hasn't happened but in the future if the state insists on my getting "chipped" or "tagged" I will refuse that..in any manner I can. That is one way of avoiding the corruption associated with governments, by "not dealing with them". And I was clear to state several times it's how *I* deal with it. And similar can be done anywhere, just degrees and situations are so widely divergent that no adequate parallel may be established, that's why I said it was more described as a mindset than an exact follow to the letter specific process. Did you understand that part? I don't want to assume so I will reemphasize that.
of course, your way involves just putting up with it near as I can tell, because all you have done so far is insult me personally,and compl;ain, tell me I don't have or offer the single magic bullet solution to all the planets political corruption problems. Well, never said I did, just one method of a practical immediate work around. Yet I don't see any answers from you on how you deal with corruption in your area. Please share! What are your personal big examples of successes and techniques that you might have to share? Be specific please, so that we all may learn from those examples. And see if you can do it without the ad hominems.
If you recall, the beginnings of this thread I stated that the money was there for the critical infrastructure in those two areas I mentioned, Tsunami warnings and then with small cheap computers, and I DID provide specific examples of where that potential money could have come from. If you want to dispute THAT, then identify the exact name of your country in question and it's situation and a place on the web to look at it's budget in some detaiul, because I bet I can prove/illustrate to you the money would have been there, but the political will wasn't.. If you can't or refuse, then end the conversation now, your choice. In other words, put up or shut up.
As to how do I influence politics, well in my small way I was once instrumental in get
really good idea there. when I first came over to linux I tried using man pages, incomprehensible acronymed to the extreme junk pages mostly. First impression I had and I still have it whenever I am forced to type that dreaded command. I still rarely use them, and avoid them if at all possible. Written when hard drives were ten megs and cost hundreds of dollars and little changed it appears. Instructions should be written in clear unambiguous form with complete sentences and any acronyms should be written out full so that the actual names may be understood so that if there is a reference needed for understanding it can be easily found. There's no reason in 2005 to have crap manuals, electronic or dead tree version. Not for something you purchase for large folding money at least. Now, I didn't like this review, but it has to be noted it wasn't a review for snooty unix admins either, so all commentary from that perspective on this whole thread from various pro admins is a tangent from the situation with "instructions". The concept of "user friendly" applies to all humans actually. If you use it, you want it friendly, no matter if you are an admin with decades of experience or a noob with hours of experience. Whether GUI/html form or console text, help pages should solve problems, not confuse the issue, so simple with a reference to a more in depth help section is a very good idea and I hope it gets adopted more by the major distros.
I imagine all this is covered, but really, they needed to have used some other distros as well. As explain the process of actually getting linux in more detail. No mention was made of the huge number of copy resellers who offer linux for a few dollars and the cost of shipping. I found very little emphasis on how actually free or cheap in cost linux can be, how customizable, or how many programs actually come with various distrobutions. If all you knew about linux came from this review, it would look like if you went and got some linux distro it would have at best a dozen programs. Heck, even the mini distros have dozenS of programs available. The full size distros have hundreds, multiple browsers, multiple word processors, developer tools, multiple this or that, covering the range of human activities that you would actually want to do on a computer, even for joe home user. And if they wanted to do "live cd" review, they really should have included the latest knoppix, as that got that whole ball rolling.
It was a review, I wouldn't call it even a good review, I give it a C-.
Of what? Having way too much political and economic power over other humans? No, I am not. Never had any desire for it. Even when I have had small business, the workers who helped me got equal shares in whichever project immediately after direct quantifiable expenses were taken care of. I know that is not the usual case with most people, but I have always had that as a part of my nature for as long as I can remember. I believe in fair exchange but not in exploitation, if that is understood clearly. If that isn't what you are asking just be more specific and I'm glad to reply. I also don't think that that in particular detracts from the over all observations of where the money can come from in these various nations for critical infrastructe advancements of various kinds, in these examples for the Tsunami early warning radios or cheaper computers for the people at large (the tech was/is there, readily, the money and motivation weren't in favor of some of the other examples of what I see as more waste than not). That's a separate issue entirely from my personal expenses or work habits, although I will admit it does effect me emotionally and psychologically, I admit quite openly to not being very fond of people/orgs/groups who make a habit of overly exploiting others for their personal profits or pleasure, either politically or economically, and today it's the same thing mostly. To be short I don't approve of instituionalised forced serfdom and thievery masquerading as government or "business". That is unfortunately a personal variable that every human holds to a different degree and as such canot be readily quantifiable. In my case, because I dislike the practice, it would hardly be possible for me to be jealous of those who do practice that sort of "lifestyle".
no idea beyiond a global shunning, or boycott, like gandhi did against the british, or like the blacks did to get actual civil rights in the US. Just *stop* cooperating with being a victim, whatever that takes. Resist, using the best of your imagination. Just stop working for the fatcats. Don't let people exploit you, and you wind up being less exploited. That's the simplest way I can put it. Voting doesn't work, this should be obvious. I still vote but I know it's a joke anymore too. The US where I live has been run by a cooperating junta of two criminal cartels for generations now. the only way to break that system is to consistently never ever support even the tiniest facet of that two criminal gang cartel. In your nation or wherever I would imagine it's similar, just the names change around. Tyrannical corrupt regimes do not get voted out of office, they can be removed, but the vote by itself won't do it. and because the transnationals control all these various larger political parties, the actions have to be taken there as well, you can't just pick one or the other, it's both you have to look at.
I don't think the political problem is fixable in any universal practical sense, not any longer and not with the transnationals running the world. Thinking of governments per se is old school now, it should be becoming more apparent that the transnationals are where true concentrated political power rests, with the established larger political parties being their political front pieces.
Whereas on a personal level it is still possible to effect meaningful change, so that means it's up to individuals to take charge of their own lives more and cease interacting with their "leaders" as much as they can get away with. An individual first and foremost has to really get to the mindset that they are, in fact, a "soverign" individual and to act like it. You have to be really free in your mind heart and soul before you are free in your physical surroundings. This is a difficult concept to get across but it's the best way I can put it. Until that happens thinking you can affect the planet is sorta silly. That's a one person deal to another person, viral in nature like the GPL or something. It bypasses the old way that has been proven to just not work very well. That's such a varied deal it's about uncommentable past that point.
I'm all for getting cheaper computers out to people, but no idea how to do it, in the US economy, I am pretty far down the economic totem pole, ie, I don't have millions to throw at some grandiose project. The planet is awash in personal computers already,they are a waste problem in a lot of areas, maybe it would be better to recyle them better and more extensibly? Rather than build new ones? I mean, I use a computer made in 1996 myself. these sorts of computers cost way less than 100 us dollars now. And there are millions of them out there. Granted, I have a much easier time getting a new one or newer one that most people on the planet, but then again I am existing with what I have right now adequately as well,near as I can see, I mean, here I am on the web and all, no problems, and see no immediate reason to change. I put my other energies and resources into producing more of my own food, more of my own energy, maintaining older machinery, etc, partly because I don't like wasteful society and want to tread more lightly on the planet and to get away from so much middleman-isms using the central bankers and transnationals and stock shillers scam schemes to control my existence. the more I produce myself or make use of recycled tech, the more I don't have to deal with the transnationals on any sort of immediate basis. ?the simpler I live my life the less I have to deal with stupid governmental bureaucracy. See how that works? I deal with corruption by *not dealing with it*, I avoid the necessity of interaction as much as possible. it's not total and not saying or implying it is, but I guarantee it's much less than joe median average USian.
just use a paperback book, change the book occassionaly. All you have to remember is the page number, paragraph number and line number, those are your random digits that preface or follow the letters. They refer to the phrase or sentence in that location, where you get your letters. Interposing can be your choice of course, straight ahead or rotating backwards to forwards, etc. Example page *237(insert first word)*, paragraph *5(insert first word)*, line *4(insert first word)*. Ton of variations on that theme, and in this example you only need to remember *23754* in case you forget the entire passphrase sequence. The book can be an ebook for that matter on your PDA or any other stealthy/innocent written thing you have handy. Throw in some special characters and it gets even more difficult of course, or instead of inserting a word, do several words that you find there within the number and special characters. You can add an additional wildcard to help stop a dictionary attack on the word, add a 4th digit, that reminds you to remove every 4th letter from every word for example, or add a special character at that place. So then you would only have to remember in this example *237544(insert special character to remember this cycle)* for your hint. One more number added to the initial memorized number is an additional hint as to where to look if you forget the whole thing, example, 2375448 would be a hint to look at book 8 for the other hints on your shelf of tech books perhaps.
One time pads especially when it's only you using them and not two or more people are a good thing. Of course it won't beat a boss injected keylogger someplace in the mix. In this example, even if joe bad guy has your book,and knows you are using it, those sorts of combinations are immense, especially with the special characters on the keyboard to use. And if it's gotten that far you are most likely cooked anyway, so time for plan B to avoid the rubber hoses, heh. I recommend a.45, a bag of cash in well used bills, several gold pieces, and a really fast motorcycle. Might as well have fun during your escape I always say;) Oh and don't forget the self destruct key for your cubicle....
Don't want to use a book, you can use something like the playlist and metadata for the song on your music player gadget. Example song 909, beatles, heyjude, something minutes and seconds or something KB in song length,etc. You only need to rember one song title per 90 day period then, along with the original placement number in the menu.
Ton of ways to do a one time pad variant easily, you just want it stealthy so no one realises that's where your passphrase hint is stored. Do you get any quarterly journals of the dead trees variety? You can use that, fits the 90 day rule too, and an excuse to have that journal kicking around already. You could do it optically with random "things" that are around your office. Look up, you might have a calendar, some houseplant, a picture in a frame, the color of the wall, how many tiles on the ceiling between x place and y place in the office, etc. Just rotate your junk around, then all you have to do is look at the placements, along with that quarters number sequence you remember. Example number 48910(wildcard character), this quarters passphrase might be january4*spiderplant8*mom9*cream10*
Thanks, you got it, that's what I was trying to say, and apparently not being as clear as I could be with it. Even these poorer developing nations have money, it's just not wisely spent, and it's mainly the political process at fault. Whether the political process favors one man nutjob rule,like your example of kil ill dung in NK, or rule by the transnationals via kick backs and corrupted governments (most nations now), or just a top heavy lazy bureaucracy and oligarchy, it's still political and revolves around waste and putting too much emphasis on luxuries for the controlling class and for ridiculous militaries.
And I'd put the current USA at the top of the heap doing exactly the same thing right now. Not playing any favorites in this issue. I mean they just dropped 40 million on what is in essence a royal inauguration spectacle, for no apparent useful purpose other than "pomp and circumstance".
No I haven't "forgotten" about divide and conquer, nor bread and circuses to keep the people occuplied while the fatcats lord it over them and rip them off. I write about it constantly here, and have been here and other places for 40 years plus now. Way ahead of ya sport. My point is, even in the developing nations, they have the money for basic infrastructure, but luxuries for the richer controlling classes, both private and governmental, seem to come first, at the expense of everyone else. Now let that sink in first before ya get all knee jerked around. Read it as many times as you need to, to understand it. I can't make it any simpler. They claim no money for this or that, yet seem to have the money for new jet fighter airplanes and limosines and etc. Got it? It's true too and undeniable, pick any doofus nation you want, they have a bloated military. they have rich fatcats in limousines at the top of the political heap. THAT'S where the poorer folks infrastructure is sitting right now.
How noticing that makes me "insenstive" to peoples plight I really don't know. I am very sensitive to peoples plight, that's why I made my observations. I am "pro" a healthy strong and robust middle class as any nations primarily economic duty to develop. I am realistic enough to note that there will always be different economic classes, but I think with the right politics that this can be heavily skewed towards creation of the middle class, while dropping numbers of the very lowest class economically, by getting them the education and infrastructure they need, and paying for it via the extra loot the controller classes always seem to have and waste. I WANT those folks to have good educations and decent infrastructure, I was just pointing out where the money could come from. It exists there already, just not wisely spent in a lot of ways. And that's a political problem.
And just a FWIW, there are no pure capitalist or pure socialist governments or economies out there, they are all a blend of the two, just the ratios differ nation to nation. Again, just being realistic about it.. As to "what's feeding it", that's an EASY question to answer, it's called "greed", filthy stinking plain vanilla human greed. These technofeudalistic overlords here and there, developing nation or well established industrialized nation, are all rich as snot yet they want "more" all the time,and then more on top of that, and still more. And they get it, either by skewing the laws, or by avoiding them via transnational corporations, or by just being fascists thieves and just taking it. So guess who suffers, guess who doesn't have Tsuanmi warning systems or a cheap computer per village or no clean water or....that sort of thing? Anyone who ain't them, who ain't part of that filthy rich elite class, that's who.
And ya, I got a problem with that,a big problem, and it's political, and so do millions and millions more folks, all over the planet. Screwed generation after generation, while the fatcats buy fighter jets limousines and outfit their armies, usually used mostly to keep their populations in check more than for anything else. I have a political problem with waste, greed, liars, skunks, murderers and assorted other political weasels who refuse to do much for their own people and help keep them in serfdom forever, then turn around and blame some other nation or people for these problems. The "economic technological and educational" problems are EXACTLY what I am talking about, and if you follow the economic food chain upstream, it always leads to where those poor people don't get what they need with those three things, so that their various fatcats can have luxuries beyond belief and bloated militaries. If that ain't a political problem than I don't know what one is.
..and this is the same observations and therefore advice I had for the lack of any credible warning system for the Tsunami, despite the fact it hit asia, the home of cheap labor, and even cheaper electronics. Most of these "developing nations" seem to have no problem supporting a military/industrial/politician/ generic fatcat class with all the latest expensive toys. One less jet fighter plane per nation would pay for a lot of simple basic computers and dedicated tsunami and earthquake warning radios, probably more than one per poor village. A few less tanks pays for some decent electrical generational facilities of the small scale and distributed nature. One less high muckety muck mercedes limo buys a lot of DC solar panels and simple DC charge controllers. One less governmental fatcat palace = a few radio station/cell/net setups. And so on and so forth.
It's not so much a technological problem or even an economic problem, it's a political problem, and the problem is that the global *two* class society is being pushed (from the top down obviously, from the folks with the guns and money and power) instead of the global *three* class heavy on the middle society like it should be.
This thing is starting to have some additional odors to it. It's weird, reading some of it, it gives me the sense that they were forced to write something aiming at multiple moving targets. I am guessing a few points: It not only looks to seriously fork and harm the now standard and accepted gpl version of upcoming computing (this is obvious really), but it also looks to down the road harm Sun itself, which don't compute on the surface or two levels deep at least. Because of that, the odor goes to the secret ms/sun agreements and the personalities involved there. Hmm, have to tippy toe carefully now..I am just wondering what exactly went down in some backrooms off the aisle away from the "official" backroom? People will have to use their corruption/conspiracy imagination on that one.
And we have the still outstanding shakeout with sco/ibm and novell really, as in "who knows" what that outcome will do. Despite all the claims and assurances from tom, dick and harry across the net, it's still in the court system and that's a gigantic wildcard, one of the moving targets I mentioned.
As for developers, you take your chances I guess. Looks like you could enjoy the fruits of your labors to a very controlled and limited level until such a time in the future as someone surprises you with a "OK, thanks, see ya later or pay me bigtime" notice, that you would have agreed to in advance. Like painting yourself into a corner. That's the best analogy I have in simplistic form. Caveat emptor.
I think that one of the "standards" that needs to be implemented, even to the point of legislation and law if it isn't done voluntarily, across the board with various companies/monopolies/distros whatever should be an easy-peasy default "play nice" provision and implemented design that respects other OSes on the hard drive. You shouldn't need to jump through any hoops whatsoever to multiboot beyond "do you wish to save the existing installation, yes/no?". Automatic default over writing is teh e-vile.
we are moving back towards feudalism, although the fedualist pushers don't call themselves "royal".
The new "technofeudalists" are the huge transnational corporations, who are increasingly controlling the "laws" in various nations, overtly (open lobbying, trade associations,pushing "free trade" instead of "fair trade", etc) or covertly (bribing and blackmailing their boys into power in the "legitimate" governments, copting journalists to push propoganda, etc, etc). And it's very hard to control them, because corporations act as a group of people as to profits, but the responsibilities that a normal human person might have are not conclusive or extensive enough, witness time after time corporation-x gets busted for this or that. Usually it results in a fine, said fine monies then being pushed off onto the ultimate customers to pay. The corps themselves are rarely if ever actually busted up entirely, no matter how many times their officers/managers whatever get caught in illegal acts. And to make it worse, even if that happens, they can just "go bankrupt" and most of the same people involved can just go start up another string of corporations under new corporate person names and controlling addresses.
Corporations are very similar to the old concept of "royal bloodlines" in that regard, they persist generation after generation, with the twist they can just morph away and reform, to go on and continue with unethical or illegal practices. You can't really kill them off or revolt against them,like you could with some royal feudalist gang of rank "bluebloods" in ye olden days, not in any practical sense anyway and stay inside technological civilisation.
Slashdot Mirror
I pretty much agree with your assessment. And it certainly makes the most sense in todays level of cut, finish and polish. I am seriously thinking of going back to apple after fooling with linux for a couple of years now myself, especially since Apple has finally gotten it that there needs to be an entry level machine that isn't completely nuts as to price, although I wish they would offer the same 500 dollar price in just a normal minitower or desktop,and not just the mini. Seems like they could drop the price even further then for entry level. I haven't *quite* made up my mind on that switch back, but I am getting much much closer.
eh, I'm a hundred projects behind now. Mechanically, I need new engines for my van and her highness's jeep here (cash register ca CHING), fix the little car, work on a few small engines and for fun the gas electric hybrid lawn mower/tool buggy/watchamacallit project. That's the only one I really want to do... A stirling would be nice to play with though.....
The burner is less than a month old. I bought it for myself as a late Christmas present. I never owned one before, and I wanted to try out what micro and mini distros I could find on the net, to put on these older machines I have kicking around, to make them useful again so as to give them away. I'm on dialup so full bloat distros are just out of the question to download. As it is now, I set one to download at night, then it's a 50/50 if it actually finishes downloading. I got a few successfully burnt, but now it stopped burning. Maybe I will move it over to a test windows box, it came with "nero" burning software, but that also means what I want to burn *isn't* on the box where the burner would be, and I won't put a windows box on the net anymore. It's a catch 22, you can't stay on long enough to get the latest anti everything programs and patches, etc, and you can't patch it from disk if your safer machine won't burn a disk from a download. I might still try it though, just to see if it works, just burn some random stuff I guess. That's a good idea. I have been reading up at k3b and xcdroast places and on some forums, I'm not the only one hosed lately with burning issues...err wait, that doesn't sound very good.....
...just the "works just fine" part is erroneous. 99% are owned, hosed, rooted, screwed up, adwared, spywared, virus infected, spam spewing, buggy disasters. I cannot think of a single person I know in meatspace who owns peecees and hasn't had serious run ins with windows bogusness. Zero, even leet windows professionals who do it for a living. I know people who have literally bought new computers because their windows installs were SO bad with malware that they thought the hardware itself was broken. After people have thrown hundreds of dollars in software add ons at it, installed every patch they can,undergone multiple trips to the local puter fixit shop, there comes a point that something needs to be said and admitted to, and this dude in the article nailed it dead on square on and right on.
It's way past time for all the people out there to realise it's not raining, that really is Microsoft pissing on their back. and they pay for that privelege.
Now I don't care what private folks do with their time and money, that's their business, but in the public sector, there's no longer any need for that using tax payers money to prop up that company and it's alleged products that make them hundreds of billions of dollars and come with no warranty whatsoever and got enough bugs to keep a flock of entomologists happy for several millenia. Now free software is another thing, you get what you pay for, but those hundreds of billions of dollars dropped on MS software scribbles they pass off as "intellectual property" and demand it be treated like valuable property for their profits sake is another kettle of rather ripe and steenking fish. And that's where I think the law-line should be drawn too,changed drastically and I hope it does and I hope it shakes the software world to it's roots and the dirt beyond, if anyone pays for it, it's a commercial product and it should have a warranty, simple as that, same as any other product, bought, sold, or leased. Change that law, get rid of the get out of responsibility EULA nonsense they push for stuff that's sold or leased. If windows is so great, billy bob buckets of profits can do it voluntarily, there's a challenge to the microsofties who charge money (or anyone else who charges money for their IP "products") put a warranty on it that you back up or quit calling it a product.
signed, joe software consumer
pretty much nails it, thanks for the link!
never really thought about it that way, but I guess there's a profit in there with shunning some place if you want to do something,or buy something, or get serviced by something..err, you know what I mean, but the traditional way is something you don't agree with. A boycott is an economic shuuning, it usually makes whomever is being boycotted change what they are doing, or some alternative gets the business from the boycotters. Like todays music, more people are gong to be turning to alternative music as the DRM crap gets ramped up more in hardware and in digital copies. They will shun the big guys somehow. Look at the supermarket where organic food is finally mainstream "enough" and being sold on the shelves and gets a good price. Traditional chemical food is being shunned more and more. Shunning works if enough people do it. In politics I started shunning the two major parties many election cycles ago now, because I see no practical overall differences. I shun most TV now because I don't like the programming I can get, I switched to getting amused off the internet. I get most of my news off the net. The local OTA am/fm radio stations are so universally sucky, me, a decades long radio news junky now primarily uses shortwave or netfeeds. I shun the crap and give my business to the non-crap, which is a personal opinion on quality and content, but it's an effective technique. Hmm, like years ago I realised professional team sports was no different than the gladiator games in the roman times with keeping the populations dumbed down and complacent,bread and circusesm so I stopped viewing, discussing, going to the physical games, etc and now wehenever anyone in meat space brings it up I just tell them frankly it's a bigfat waste of time and money and not worth it, that there are so many other more important things out there I can't be bothered. Shuts em up quick I guess, probably annoys a few folks but I don't care either, so tired of hearing about someones "team" like that score means anything practical to be such a big part of your life. I admit I was addicted once, then WHAM one day it just dawned on me HOW MUCH people get addicted to that. Things like that I guess are part of the economics of shunning and then going to an alternative.
I guess I could help with some tech writing, but it would have to be real time directly with the programs author(s). I would have to take extensive notes and ask a ton of questions. I mean a ton of questions. Frequently I get stuck on some thing I am trying to do and get frustrated pretty severely with the lack of what would be to me adequate documentation or guides. When things go smooth, there isn't much need of a guide,there's the catch 22 with GUI programs, it's when you run into a problem that it gets squirrely. Like right now I have been working two weeks on being able to burn ISOs. Just tried another time not half an hour ago, using the latest most dripping raw bleeding program I can find, as none of the earlier ones are working for me. I can't do it. I burned a few when I first started,clikc click click burn works, just like it is supposed to, it just worked, no probs, then it stopped working and dang if I can find out why. I've tried trashing it and reinstalling and useing default settings, trying various user specified settings, whatever. I have tried downloading and installing different programs, used different kernels, tried burning as root, under sudo, or as a user, nada. Got FOUR different brands of blanks sitting around here now, Rs and R/Ws, don't even know if they are all coasters or not. All I get as an error message is "no media found". Huh? Staring at the brand new blank. The cd device will read an actual CD, that it does, so I bet it's not broken hardware wise, I'd bet a week pay it's the software from linux land. Reading what I can find from both cdroast and k3b pages that are findable via google, it apparently got nasty for a lot of people just lately, right when I get my first cd burner.Ya I know they been out forever, I just bought one though. Had to wait until they got cheap enough for me meagre budget and all. Sucks the big one. Seems to be an issue between the gui front end guys, the kernel maintainers and the 2.6 whatever kernel and the dude who wrote the command line every one uses. They are all pointing fingers at each other.
;)
I am this close to going back to Macs with the latest mini hitting a somewhat reasonable price level, I mean *this close* holds finger and thumb one MM apart. Guess I got spoiled with a decade of "just works" and zip security issues. I am getting tired of 90% of an operating system, free or not, FOSS philsophy or not,cheaper hardware or not, which I agree with, if it don't work for something common like getting online via dialup(3/4ths of the distros I have ever tried fail that test) or burning a cd, or printing, then it "ain't there" yet. Have a friend of mine wants to buy a new computer, a noob except for webtv, I recommended macs to her, just this week. If she already had hardware I would still recommend linux, but starting out raw, nope, told her to get the mac with osx. I trust apple to release stuff that works, guess you get what you pay for and all. I would pay a reasonable fee for a linux distro that actually worked, but I am not going to be forced into becoming a programmer just to do some simple tasks. ain't gonna go there, nope.
rant grumble kvetch..... got a toothache and a headache, I'm in the mood to shoot someone except it would be too loud.... heh heh heh
I used to answer all calls in a heavy contrived accent, as if the telemarketer (usually) caller had just gotten a business with an immigrant running it (usually I used like an indo/pak accent). Confused heck out of anyone who didn't know me, and they would remove the phone number then automatically if they were trying to push something targeted to homeowners. My friends knew it was me so they'd go "hey, it's me" whatever so I could talk. Worked a charm it did.
although I write, the point is moot unless you have an understanding of the program from a programmers perspective, and I am not a coder. I have considered it before, but it's sorta silly having the blind lead the sightless around. If I don't understand the program, I can't write about it, and there's no way I could include technical details of which I have no idea of. It's a catch 22. The best that can happen is that the developer has a close friend who can hover around and re-write what they wrote and try to get it into a more friendly and complete format. Just full complete sentences would be a start. Joe noob seeing something like this
bin/bash *(**&&^-11whateverfoo))if(0
just don't cut it I'm afraid....that's what man pages look like to me, and to 99% of the people out there. That is not a readable document for anyone beyond a pro or serious hobbiest admin/programmer. If it used actual sentences, it would probably work, even if they weren't the most eloquent. If the programmer would devote as little as 1% of the actual physical time spent programming to writing the doc,just one percent, in most cases it would be legible enough, but I've seen programs that have obviously been out for yearsd and they have like three almost paragraphs for a man page and that's it, or even worse, they have dozens of pages that look like my example above. eeeek, scary, back away real slow......
I used to have a friend years ago did technical writing and it was a bear for him, because he insisted on mini crash courses in the various engineering aspects of what he was tasked to write. Took him a long time per piece that way, but he got well paid for it.
Man pages exist, they just need to be fleshed out into actual real sentences and have clear cut examples of what does where and why. They are outlines of docs, I wouldn't call them docs per se although technically they are.
I submit bug reports occassionaly when I run into them, best I can do to help out I'm afraid. I prefer a forum format, but every single site out there wants yet again another registration and cookie and email registration etc that that gets obnoxious quickly as well and most of the time it's a waste of time, just went through that with yet another distro the other day.. I'm registered at half a dozen sites but rarely use them, and at bugzilla but not too much, because I don't run into that many problems anymore, although I still have a few stumpers, like why does my cd burner work once in awhile but not all the time, even with the settings unchanged and identical? And it makes no diff the blanks used. Goofy stuff like that. I just accept it and move on now, because if you go look at some help site someone will say paraphrased "'well tough luck it works for me and I did this so it should work for you" and that's it. I've just learned to deal with linux as a perpetual "90% there" thing and become complacent about it. Every iteration gets better, but it still hovers at 90% "fixed", because they add new features, but a certain percentage re-break then or new bugs get introduced. I think linux will always be a 90% thing because of how it is developed in a state of pure anarchy and zero cohesion. It's fun, but that's a true observation as well. I personally wouldn't mind a generic across the board and complete FOSS freeze for two years just to fix all the existing bugs outstanding and don't touch anything new. I mean it, serious. I know it won't happen but it would be a good thing. Fix bugs, write docs, no new progs, features, skins, themes, distros, nothing, just fix what's already released, finish the project or officially kill it and bury it.
heh, dreamin again,, I'll STFU now...
Abstract:
"A method and apparatus for altering at least one selected region which normally exists above the earth's surface. The region is excited by electron cyclotron resonance heating to thereby increase its charged particle density. In one embodiment, circularly polarized electromagnetic radiation is transmitted upward in a direction substantially parallel to and along a field line which extends through the region of plasma to be altered. The radiation is transmitted at a frequency which excites electron cyclotron resonance to heat and accelerate the charged particles. This increase in energy can cause ionization of neutral particles which are then absorbed as part of the region thereby increasing the charged particle density of the region."
final exceedingly long paragraph (not my fault)
"This invention has a phenomenal variety of possible ramifications and potential future developments. As alluded to earlier, missile or aircraft destruction, deflection, or confusion could result, particularly when relativistic particles are employed. Also, large regions of the atmosphere could be lifted to an unexpectedly high altitude so that missiles encounter unexpected and unplanned drag forces with resultant destruction or deflection of same. Weather modification is possible by, for example, altering upper atmosphere wind patterns or altering solar absorption patterns by constructing one or more plumes of atmospheric particles which will act as a lens or focusing device. Also as alluded to earlier, molecular modifications of the atmosphere can take place so that positive environmental effects can be achieved. Besides actually changing the molecular composition of an atmospheric region, a particular molecule or molecules can be chosen for increased presence. For example, ozone, nitrogen, etc. concentrations in the atmosphere could be artificially increased. Similarly, environmental enhancement could be achieved by causing the breakup of various chemical entities such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrous oxides, and the like. Transportation of entities can also be realized when advantage is taken of the drag effects caused by regions of the atmosphere moving up along diverging field lines. Small micron sized particles can be then transported, and, under certain circumstances and with the availability of sufficient energy, larger particles or objects could be similarly affected. Particles with desired characteristics such as tackiness, reflectivity, absorptivity, etc., can be transported for specific purposes or effects. For example, a plume of tacky particles could be established to increase the drag on a missile or satellite passing therethrough. Even plumes of plasma having substantially less charged particle density than described above will produce drag effects on missiles which will affect a lightweight (dummy) missile in a manner substantially different than a heavy (live) missile and this affect can be used to distinguish between the two types of missiles. A moving plume could also serve as a means for supplying a space station or for focusing vast amount of sunlight on selected portions of the earth. Surveys of global scope could also be realized because the earth's natural magnetic field could be significantly altered in a controlled manner by plasma beta effects resulting in, for example, improved magnetotelluric surveys. Electromagnetic pulse defenses are also possible. The earth's magnetic field could be decreased or disrupted at appropriate altitudes to modify or eliminate the magnetic field in high Compton electron generation (e.g., from high altitude nuclear bursts) regions. High intensity, well controlled electrical fields can be provided in selected locations for various purposes. For example, the plasma sheath surroun
...you are being delibarately obtuse. You are asking a vague generalised question on "corruption" and how to deal with it and expecting a specific answer from me beyoind what I wrote in general terms. How in hell can anyone even attempt to answer such a vague question? Which specific corruption in which specific circumstance to which individual in which nation to do you want a possible answer to? How is anyone supposed to answer that unless you are willing to go down the list of 6 billion humans in a variety of nations and political situations?
Want a vague answer in general terms? If the corruption is so bad that you can't exist and the local political secret police are killing people and etc, then you physically fight back, armed resistance and take no prisoners because they certainly won't. That's one way of dealing with corruption. If the situation is less than that but still of an extreme nature you must seek to ally yourself with reformist elements and try to seize control of the government by any means and then try to not become corrupt yourself.. If it's less than that, you try to develop a political organization that can work hand in hand with labor and the media and some elements of the capital class and do a work around. if it's less than that.....
See? You keep asking for an answer to such a vague assertion that any possible reply is bound to sound ambiguous, IF, you want just a general reply. If you want a specific reply that goes beyond my recommendations, then you need to ask a very specific question.
As to my dealing with it by ignoring it, I'll give an example. I don't incorporate, I don't seek licenses, permissions, permits, etc to the best of my ability from the state. Extreme bare minimum. As little as possible. Less interactions, the less I have to deal with actual corruption or be around the possibility of having my life influenced by possible corruption. I own very little in the way of personal property. I don't get loans or have credit or use credit more specifically. It hasn't happened but in the future if the state insists on my getting "chipped" or "tagged" I will refuse that..in any manner I can. That is one way of avoiding the corruption associated with governments, by "not dealing with them". And I was clear to state several times it's how *I* deal with it. And similar can be done anywhere, just degrees and situations are so widely divergent that no adequate parallel may be established, that's why I said it was more described as a mindset than an exact follow to the letter specific process. Did you understand that part? I don't want to assume so I will reemphasize that.
of course, your way involves just putting up with it near as I can tell, because all you have done so far is insult me personally,and compl;ain, tell me I don't have or offer the single magic bullet solution to all the planets political corruption problems. Well, never said I did, just one method of a practical immediate work around. Yet I don't see any answers from you on how you deal with corruption in your area. Please share! What are your personal big examples of successes and techniques that you might have to share? Be specific please, so that we all may learn from those examples. And see if you can do it without the ad hominems.
If you recall, the beginnings of this thread I stated that the money was there for the critical infrastructure in those two areas I mentioned, Tsunami warnings and then with small cheap computers, and I DID provide specific examples of where that potential money could have come from. If you want to dispute THAT, then identify the exact name of your country in question and it's situation and a place on the web to look at it's budget in some detaiul, because I bet I can prove/illustrate to you the money would have been there, but the political will wasn't.. If you can't or refuse, then end the conversation now, your choice. In other words, put up or shut up.
As to how do I influence politics, well in my small way I was once instrumental in get
really good idea there. when I first came over to linux I tried using man pages, incomprehensible acronymed to the extreme junk pages mostly. First impression I had and I still have it whenever I am forced to type that dreaded command. I still rarely use them, and avoid them if at all possible. Written when hard drives were ten megs and cost hundreds of dollars and little changed it appears. Instructions should be written in clear unambiguous form with complete sentences and any acronyms should be written out full so that the actual names may be understood so that if there is a reference needed for understanding it can be easily found. There's no reason in 2005 to have crap manuals, electronic or dead tree version. Not for something you purchase for large folding money at least. Now, I didn't like this review, but it has to be noted it wasn't a review for snooty unix admins either, so all commentary from that perspective on this whole thread from various pro admins is a tangent from the situation with "instructions". The concept of "user friendly" applies to all humans actually. If you use it, you want it friendly, no matter if you are an admin with decades of experience or a noob with hours of experience. Whether GUI/html form or console text, help pages should solve problems, not confuse the issue, so simple with a reference to a more in depth help section is a very good idea and I hope it gets adopted more by the major distros.
That can't be correct? Xandros runs explorer?
I imagine all this is covered, but really, they needed to have used some other distros as well. As explain the process of actually getting linux in more detail. No mention was made of the huge number of copy resellers who offer linux for a few dollars and the cost of shipping. I found very little emphasis on how actually free or cheap in cost linux can be, how customizable, or how many programs actually come with various distrobutions. If all you knew about linux came from this review, it would look like if you went and got some linux distro it would have at best a dozen programs. Heck, even the mini distros have dozenS of programs available. The full size distros have hundreds, multiple browsers, multiple word processors, developer tools, multiple this or that, covering the range of human activities that you would actually want to do on a computer, even for joe home user. And if they wanted to do "live cd" review, they really should have included the latest knoppix, as that got that whole ball rolling.
It was a review, I wouldn't call it even a good review, I give it a C-.
Of what? Having way too much political and economic power over other humans? No, I am not. Never had any desire for it. Even when I have had small business, the workers who helped me got equal shares in whichever project immediately after direct quantifiable expenses were taken care of. I know that is not the usual case with most people, but I have always had that as a part of my nature for as long as I can remember. I believe in fair exchange but not in exploitation, if that is understood clearly. If that isn't what you are asking just be more specific and I'm glad to reply. I also don't think that that in particular detracts from the over all observations of where the money can come from in these various nations for critical infrastructe advancements of various kinds, in these examples for the Tsunami early warning radios or cheaper computers for the people at large (the tech was/is there, readily, the money and motivation weren't in favor of some of the other examples of what I see as more waste than not). That's a separate issue entirely from my personal expenses or work habits, although I will admit it does effect me emotionally and psychologically, I admit quite openly to not being very fond of people/orgs/groups who make a habit of overly exploiting others for their personal profits or pleasure, either politically or economically, and today it's the same thing mostly. To be short I don't approve of instituionalised forced serfdom and thievery masquerading as government or "business". That is unfortunately a personal variable that every human holds to a different degree and as such canot be readily quantifiable. In my case, because I dislike the practice, it would hardly be possible for me to be jealous of those who do practice that sort of "lifestyle".
no idea beyiond a global shunning, or boycott, like gandhi did against the british, or like the blacks did to get actual civil rights in the US. Just *stop* cooperating with being a victim, whatever that takes. Resist, using the best of your imagination. Just stop working for the fatcats. Don't let people exploit you, and you wind up being less exploited. That's the simplest way I can put it. Voting doesn't work, this should be obvious. I still vote but I know it's a joke anymore too. The US where I live has been run by a cooperating junta of two criminal cartels for generations now. the only way to break that system is to consistently never ever support even the tiniest facet of that two criminal gang cartel. In your nation or wherever I would imagine it's similar, just the names change around. Tyrannical corrupt regimes do not get voted out of office, they can be removed, but the vote by itself won't do it. and because the transnationals control all these various larger political parties, the actions have to be taken there as well, you can't just pick one or the other, it's both you have to look at.
I don't think the political problem is fixable in any universal practical sense, not any longer and not with the transnationals running the world. Thinking of governments per se is old school now, it should be becoming more apparent that the transnationals are where true concentrated political power rests, with the established larger political parties being their political front pieces.
Whereas on a personal level it is still possible to effect meaningful change, so that means it's up to individuals to take charge of their own lives more and cease interacting with their "leaders" as much as they can get away with. An individual first and foremost has to really get to the mindset that they are, in fact, a "soverign" individual and to act like it. You have to be really free in your mind heart and soul before you are free in your physical surroundings. This is a difficult concept to get across but it's the best way I can put it. Until that happens thinking you can affect the planet is sorta silly. That's a one person deal to another person, viral in nature like the GPL or something. It bypasses the old way that has been proven to just not work very well. That's such a varied deal it's about uncommentable past that point.
I'm all for getting cheaper computers out to people, but no idea how to do it, in the US economy, I am pretty far down the economic totem pole, ie, I don't have millions to throw at some grandiose project. The planet is awash in personal computers already,they are a waste problem in a lot of areas, maybe it would be better to recyle them better and more extensibly? Rather than build new ones? I mean, I use a computer made in 1996 myself. these sorts of computers cost way less than 100 us dollars now. And there are millions of them out there. Granted, I have a much easier time getting a new one or newer one that most people on the planet, but then again I am existing with what I have right now adequately as well,near as I can see, I mean, here I am on the web and all, no problems, and see no immediate reason to change. I put my other energies and resources into producing more of my own food, more of my own energy, maintaining older machinery, etc, partly because I don't like wasteful society and want to tread more lightly on the planet and to get away from so much middleman-isms using the central bankers and transnationals and stock shillers scam schemes to control my existence. the more I produce myself or make use of recycled tech, the more I don't have to deal with the transnationals on any sort of immediate basis. ?the simpler I live my life the less I have to deal with stupid governmental bureaucracy. See how that works? I deal with corruption by *not dealing with it*, I avoid the necessity of interaction as much as possible. it's not total and not saying or implying it is, but I guarantee it's much less than joe median average USian.
Now a lot o
three more nice ones of the mini live cd variety are feather, puppy and one I just tried and liked a lot called austrumi.
just use a paperback book, change the book occassionaly. All you have to remember is the page number, paragraph number and line number, those are your random digits that preface or follow the letters. They refer to the phrase or sentence in that location, where you get your letters. Interposing can be your choice of course, straight ahead or rotating backwards to forwards, etc. Example page *237(insert first word)*, paragraph *5(insert first word)*, line *4(insert first word)*. Ton of variations on that theme, and in this example you only need to remember *23754* in case you forget the entire passphrase sequence. The book can be an ebook for that matter on your PDA or any other stealthy/innocent written thing you have handy. Throw in some special characters and it gets even more difficult of course, or instead of inserting a word, do several words that you find there within the number and special characters. You can add an additional wildcard to help stop a dictionary attack on the word, add a 4th digit, that reminds you to remove every 4th letter from every word for example, or add a special character at that place. So then you would only have to remember in this example *237544(insert special character to remember this cycle)* for your hint. One more number added to the initial memorized number is an additional hint as to where to look if you forget the whole thing, example, 2375448 would be a hint to look at book 8 for the other hints on your shelf of tech books perhaps.
.45, a bag of cash in well used bills, several gold pieces, and a really fast motorcycle. Might as well have fun during your escape I always say;) Oh and don't forget the self destruct key for your cubicle....
One time pads especially when it's only you using them and not two or more people are a good thing. Of course it won't beat a boss injected keylogger someplace in the mix. In this example, even if joe bad guy has your book,and knows you are using it, those sorts of combinations are immense, especially with the special characters on the keyboard to use. And if it's gotten that far you are most likely cooked anyway, so time for plan B to avoid the rubber hoses, heh. I recommend a
Don't want to use a book, you can use something like the playlist and metadata for the song on your music player gadget. Example song 909, beatles, heyjude, something minutes and seconds or something KB in song length,etc. You only need to rember one song title per 90 day period then, along with the original placement number in the menu.
Ton of ways to do a one time pad variant easily, you just want it stealthy so no one realises that's where your passphrase hint is stored. Do you get any quarterly journals of the dead trees variety? You can use that, fits the 90 day rule too, and an excuse to have that journal kicking around already. You could do it optically with random "things" that are around your office. Look up, you might have a calendar, some houseplant, a picture in a frame, the color of the wall, how many tiles on the ceiling between x place and y place in the office, etc. Just rotate your junk around, then all you have to do is look at the placements, along with that quarters number sequence you remember. Example number 48910(wildcard character), this quarters passphrase might be january4*spiderplant8*mom9*cream10*
have fun
Thanks, you got it, that's what I was trying to say, and apparently not being as clear as I could be with it. Even these poorer developing nations have money, it's just not wisely spent, and it's mainly the political process at fault. Whether the political process favors one man nutjob rule,like your example of kil ill dung in NK, or rule by the transnationals via kick backs and corrupted governments (most nations now), or just a top heavy lazy bureaucracy and oligarchy, it's still political and revolves around waste and putting too much emphasis on luxuries for the controlling class and for ridiculous militaries.
And I'd put the current USA at the top of the heap doing exactly the same thing right now. Not playing any favorites in this issue. I mean they just dropped 40 million on what is in essence a royal inauguration spectacle, for no apparent useful purpose other than "pomp and circumstance".
No I haven't "forgotten" about divide and conquer, nor bread and circuses to keep the people occuplied while the fatcats lord it over them and rip them off. I write about it constantly here, and have been here and other places for 40 years plus now. Way ahead of ya sport. My point is, even in the developing nations, they have the money for basic infrastructure, but luxuries for the richer controlling classes, both private and governmental, seem to come first, at the expense of everyone else. Now let that sink in first before ya get all knee jerked around. Read it as many times as you need to, to understand it. I can't make it any simpler. They claim no money for this or that, yet seem to have the money for new jet fighter airplanes and limosines and etc. Got it? It's true too and undeniable, pick any doofus nation you want, they have a bloated military. they have rich fatcats in limousines at the top of the political heap. THAT'S where the poorer folks infrastructure is sitting right now.
How noticing that makes me "insenstive" to peoples plight I really don't know. I am very sensitive to peoples plight, that's why I made my observations. I am "pro" a healthy strong and robust middle class as any nations primarily economic duty to develop. I am realistic enough to note that there will always be different economic classes, but I think with the right politics that this can be heavily skewed towards creation of the middle class, while dropping numbers of the very lowest class economically, by getting them the education and infrastructure they need, and paying for it via the extra loot the controller classes always seem to have and waste. I WANT those folks to have good educations and decent infrastructure, I was just pointing out where the money could come from. It exists there already, just not wisely spent in a lot of ways. And that's a political problem.
And just a FWIW, there are no pure capitalist or pure socialist governments or economies out there, they are all a blend of the two, just the ratios differ nation to nation. Again, just being realistic about it.. As to "what's feeding it", that's an EASY question to answer, it's called "greed", filthy stinking plain vanilla human greed. These technofeudalistic overlords here and there, developing nation or well established industrialized nation, are all rich as snot yet they want "more" all the time,and then more on top of that, and still more. And they get it, either by skewing the laws, or by avoiding them via transnational corporations, or by just being fascists thieves and just taking it. So guess who suffers, guess who doesn't have Tsuanmi warning systems or a cheap computer per village or no clean water or....that sort of thing? Anyone who ain't them, who ain't part of that filthy rich elite class, that's who.
And ya, I got a problem with that,a big problem, and it's political, and so do millions and millions more folks, all over the planet. Screwed generation after generation, while the fatcats buy fighter jets limousines and outfit their armies, usually used mostly to keep their populations in check more than for anything else. I have a political problem with waste, greed, liars, skunks, murderers and assorted other political weasels who refuse to do much for their own people and help keep them in serfdom forever, then turn around and blame some other nation or people for these problems. The "economic technological and educational" problems are EXACTLY what I am talking about, and if you follow the economic food chain upstream, it always leads to where those poor people don't get what they need with those three things, so that their various fatcats can have luxuries beyond belief and bloated militaries. If that ain't a political problem than I don't know what one is.
Switzerland?
just a guess...
..and this is the same observations and therefore advice I had for the lack of any credible warning system for the Tsunami, despite the fact it hit asia, the home of cheap labor, and even cheaper electronics. Most of these "developing nations" seem to have no problem supporting a military/industrial/politician/ generic fatcat class with all the latest expensive toys. One less jet fighter plane per nation would pay for a lot of simple basic computers and dedicated tsunami and earthquake warning radios, probably more than one per poor village. A few less tanks pays for some decent electrical generational facilities of the small scale and distributed nature. One less high muckety muck mercedes limo buys a lot of DC solar panels and simple DC charge controllers. One less governmental fatcat palace = a few radio station/cell/net setups. And so on and so forth.
It's not so much a technological problem or even an economic problem, it's a political problem, and the problem is that the global *two* class society is being pushed (from the top down obviously, from the folks with the guns and money and power) instead of the global *three* class heavy on the middle society like it should be.
Looks like you could use it for other purposes as well, like an audio variant of a stealth mode steganography-like crypto file transfer.
This thing is starting to have some additional odors to it. It's weird, reading some of it, it gives me the sense that they were forced to write something aiming at multiple moving targets. I am guessing a few points: It not only looks to seriously fork and harm the now standard and accepted gpl version of upcoming computing (this is obvious really), but it also looks to down the road harm Sun itself, which don't compute on the surface or two levels deep at least. Because of that, the odor goes to the secret ms/sun agreements and the personalities involved there. Hmm, have to tippy toe carefully now..I am just wondering what exactly went down in some backrooms off the aisle away from the "official" backroom? People will have to use their corruption/conspiracy imagination on that one.
And we have the still outstanding shakeout with sco/ibm and novell really, as in "who knows" what that outcome will do. Despite all the claims and assurances from tom, dick and harry across the net, it's still in the court system and that's a gigantic wildcard, one of the moving targets I mentioned.
As for developers, you take your chances I guess. Looks like you could enjoy the fruits of your labors to a very controlled and limited level until such a time in the future as someone surprises you with a "OK, thanks, see ya later or pay me bigtime" notice, that you would have agreed to in advance. Like painting yourself into a corner. That's the best analogy I have in simplistic form. Caveat emptor.
I think that one of the "standards" that needs to be implemented, even to the point of legislation and law if it isn't done voluntarily, across the board with various companies/monopolies/distros whatever should be an easy-peasy default "play nice" provision and implemented design that respects other OSes on the hard drive. You shouldn't need to jump through any hoops whatsoever to multiboot beyond "do you wish to save the existing installation, yes/no?". Automatic default over writing is teh e-vile.
we are moving back towards feudalism, although the fedualist pushers don't call themselves "royal".
The new "technofeudalists" are the huge transnational corporations, who are increasingly controlling the "laws" in various nations, overtly (open lobbying, trade associations,pushing "free trade" instead of "fair trade", etc) or covertly (bribing and blackmailing their boys into power in the "legitimate" governments, copting journalists to push propoganda, etc, etc). And it's very hard to control them, because corporations act as a group of people as to profits, but the responsibilities that a normal human person might have are not conclusive or extensive enough, witness time after time corporation-x gets busted for this or that. Usually it results in a fine, said fine monies then being pushed off onto the ultimate customers to pay. The corps themselves are rarely if ever actually busted up entirely, no matter how many times their officers/managers whatever get caught in illegal acts. And to make it worse, even if that happens, they can just "go bankrupt" and most of the same people involved can just go start up another string of corporations under new corporate person names and controlling addresses.
Corporations are very similar to the old concept of "royal bloodlines" in that regard, they persist generation after generation, with the twist they can just morph away and reform, to go on and continue with unethical or illegal practices. You can't really kill them off or revolt against them,like you could with some royal feudalist gang of rank "bluebloods" in ye olden days, not in any practical sense anyway and stay inside technological civilisation.