'Short answer, you're probably not going to get rich there.'
No kidding, I took a train from Chicago to Portland that went across Montana lengthwise. You could tell you had entered Montana when you couldn't see anything, not even on the horizon. You could tell when you left Montana because you saw things again.
Hell I don't even remember any towns. I saw a couple dead trees but thats about it.
Call it flamebait if you want but it is true. In the past Washington and Oregon have adopted extreme environmental legislation in a number of areas and it hasn't spread. There is no reason to think states are more likely to adopt their environmental policies now.
Okay, there is a standard... being adopted by open programs that will collaborate to implement that standard. This means choices and the ability to avoid vendor lock. I wasn't aware of the existing (unimplemented) standard but that doesn't change anything else I said. It is usage by a number of open, robust, and secure applications that makes it safe to adopt technology. Having the backing of a standards organization is just a bonus.
'WHY should microsoft/windows have to support other platforms?'
Because Microsoft has a desktop monopoly. That means they have a different set of rules than normal businesses. Specifically, they can't use their existing monopoly to gain new monopolies and they do anything to prevent competition (like leveraging proprietary new technologies to force people onto their platform).
I realize this sounds alien, almost every move Microsoft makes is doing one of those things they aren't supposed to be doing. But they have found that they make dramatically more money than have to pay out in Anti-trust suits. For some odd reason governments don't think companies who have made all their profits illegally should be bankrupted by the fines. Never made sense to me, I think the company should be fined MORE than they made illegally and the amount of ill-gotten gains as a minimum.
'In some situations, the ability to quickly migrate to an alternate database outweighs the benefits that stored procedures may provide. In other situations, it doesn't.'
Doubtful. There are no shortage of individuals who find vendor lock to the worst possible scenario. There is nothing irrational about avoiding technology until it becomes standardized. Now that open applications implement them, the open applications will collaborate and develop a standard. Then there will be a certain level of standards compliant SPs you can use and still not be locked into a vendor. There will still no doubt be proprietary choices as well, the young and stupid will use them for their whizzbang features, the wise will avoid them until they become ubiquitous.
I don't know about the UK but in the US we are EXTREMELY top heavy when it comes to wealth. We are a very wealthy nation in general and the poor man's living standards are higher than what you would find in say.. Africa but well over 90% of the wealth rests in the hands of the top 10% and most of that wealth in the hands of the top 1%.
We like to point at other nations that are top heavy and say how there is a ruling class and it economically represses the people (especially if they are evil commies). We are right, its just that the same is true of a ruling class economically repressing people here as well. It has, in fact, been true of every nation I have looked and I believe it is true in pretty much every nation. For that reason average income will always be used while median income would give a more accurate outlook.
It is also good to remember that economists have motives like everyone else, they also have no particular expertise in various types of averages. Your argument is an appeal to authority but the economists you refer to are not authoritative on averages, that honor falls on statisticians.
'In the end, though, if you need a tongue-bar to hit the heights that any properly performing s3xual human does you can be sure that you've got nothing but a crutch to augment your lack of skill.'
What if she doesn't need the tongue bar and then adds that performance enhancing tool to exceed the heights that your average properly performing sexual human achieves?
Just because the sex you experience is dull, mediocre, and reaches a pleasure plateau doesn't mean some of us don't get to go beyond those heights.
'An algorithm that does what, now? Invents new sounds to fill the supersonic range?'
Shh don't tell anyone but it doesn't matter. Those frequencies are outside the range of human hearing anyway. How about I sell you a program to fill in the gaps for $500 (it really just zips and then unzips the file, but I promise the HQ vinyl, the CD, and the final result will sound identical).
'Yeah and wasn't legalized prostitution, hashish and Monty Python also popular in Europe? Shows you that they have it al over us and US.:)'
Yes it does, prostitution and hashish are just good clean fun. The US just has a problem with them because it was founded by puritans and remains full of pruds to this day. Snooby pruds at that, here in the US we actually think our outlook is superior because our outlook includes viewing ourselves as superior.
'Wasn't the Amiga also popular in Europe at some point? Nothing wrong with the Amiga, just pointing out that you can't always use Europe as a gauge for success.;-)'
You might be right. But the Amiga was vastly superior to any other PC available at the time (or for some time after Commadore went out). Hell they still used Amigas for the graphics on Babylon 5 years after Commadore went out. It could be that Europeon usage is a measure of quality rather than success?
'Other than more efficient air circulation within the chassis? There was never an official spec for rounded parallel ATA cables.'
Unless you are overclocking it really doesn't make a difference. You can run a modern processor on a stock fan without a chassis cooler and everything will run within acceptable operating temperatures.
Besides, those who say that SATA cables are smaller and better for airflow may be forgetting that you need twice as many cables with SATA.
'if you're doing nothing wrong, you've got nothing to hide'
This is neither accurate nor logical. A desire for privacy does NOT imply guilt, it is a fundamental need shared by most forms of life.
'Or, if you're using your gun for hunting and keeping the coyotes away from your chickens, why not register it? I know, it's nobody's damn business, it's more bureaucracy, it's a pain in the ass... But I register my vehicle, I register to vote, I "register" with Revenue Canada when I take a job, I am obliged to take part in the census...'
Because I don't want the government to have information about me. I am opposed to all of those things. The less intelligence about me that government possesses the less harm they can do in my life. Registering your vehicle serves one purpose, allowing the government to track you. I can not see how that could EVER actually benefit me. Should I commit a traffic offense that would be quit helpful to the government in collecting revenues but it would never benefit me. If I am concerned about my vehicle being stolen then I'll call lojack.
It wasn't that long ago that none of those controls existed and somehow society functioned.
'As far as privacy goes, keeping the fact that I own a gun secret is pretty low on the list.'
My guns are for the protection of myself and my family. Perhaps you trust the powers at be and the police to be honest.. because you have faith. Perhaps you believe in flying spaghetti monsters as well. Maybe you think not trusting the police and government is paranoid. That's fine, you are entitled to your beliefs. I am just as entitled to mine. And my beliefs include those groups in the list of people who might try to use force to impose their will on me and my family. Why would I tell someone who may present a threat to my family that I have a gun? That intelligence could only help them.
'Well, given that, it's only offensive and not horribly stupid. One of the best things about PC hardware is the amazing backwards compatibility...'
It's still horribly stupid. There are SATA optical drives but there is no particular reason for a normal pc user to use them. Or to use SATA for that matter. Most people only have one HDD and one optical drive, you don't really benefit from SATA under those conditions. It's especially annoying because most boards only give you two SATA ports.
'Our new architecture is clean enough that one could even write add-ins using non-GPL-compatable licenses provided that our code is not used.'
That sounds refreshing and gives me hope. I looked at the project roadmap and it looks like you guys are doing quite a bit of cleanup under the hood. How long do you think it will be before we can start to see improvements in end-user experience? I would love to have an open solution to recommend to my customers and myself rather than Quickbooks.
'Intel also foreshadowed a major announcement tomorrow around Universal Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) -- the replacement for BIOS that has so far only been used in Intel Macs. "We have been working with Microsoft," Intel hinted."'
'LedgerSMB does not require copyright assignment precisely because we don't want to send the message that we will change the license unilaterally.'
'It is possible down the road that parts of the project could be under LGPL or similar licenses, but we do promise that we will only use OSI-approved licenses.'
What happens if you are unable to contact someone who submitted a patch to ask his permission? It isn't as if you can just announce and then change. If you don't hold the copyrights, you can't change the license without written authorization from everyone who submitted a patch. For a patch submitted yesterday that is probably not that big an issue, for a patch submitted 2 years ago it can be a non-trivial task.
Licensing issues aside, I wish you guys the best on LedgerSMB. I haven't tried LedgerSMB but I did try SQL-Ledger about a year ago. It was a terrible experience. The interface was cluttered and non-intuitive. When a transaction was entered I had to put in all the corresponding entries in other parts of the program manually. Another huge problem is that I had to install Postres. I know many are fans of Postgres and that Postgres supposedly performs better at high load. But every other app of this type uses MySQL. I don't like running both.
'a great place to develop obsessions (e.g. hypochondriacs); also a great place to mess up your eating habits, etc.'
Less exercise I can see (although those of us who don't enjoy sports don't get much excercise outside the gym anyway). But I am completely lost when trying to figure out how you associate being online with obsessions and diet. If anything, the internet is filled with loads of good information to help you avoid a complex or plan a good diet.
You make it sound like being online is unhealthy. In my experience netizens are more likely to be healthy and informed than non-netizens. Further, the internet is a place where social interaction can take place without the burdens of superficial things getting in the way. People can interact with other people of compatible personality and get to know them BEFORE superficial things like race, age, and appearance can interfere.
The only time I see the internet becoming unhealthy is when a MMORPG like WoW, EQ, or DAOC gets involved.
Slashdot Mirror
'Short answer, you're probably not going to get rich there.'
No kidding, I took a train from Chicago to Portland that went across Montana lengthwise. You could tell you had entered Montana when you couldn't see anything, not even on the horizon. You could tell when you left Montana because you saw things again.
Hell I don't even remember any towns. I saw a couple dead trees but thats about it.
Call it flamebait if you want but it is true. In the past Washington and Oregon have adopted extreme environmental legislation in a number of areas and it hasn't spread. There is no reason to think states are more likely to adopt their environmental policies now.
'Demonstrably false.'
Okay, there is a standard... being adopted by open programs that will collaborate to implement that standard. This means choices and the ability to avoid vendor lock. I wasn't aware of the existing (unimplemented) standard but that doesn't change anything else I said. It is usage by a number of open, robust, and secure applications that makes it safe to adopt technology. Having the backing of a standards organization is just a bonus.
'WHY should microsoft/windows have to support other platforms?'
Because Microsoft has a desktop monopoly. That means they have a different set of rules than normal businesses. Specifically, they can't use their existing monopoly to gain new monopolies and they do anything to prevent competition (like leveraging proprietary new technologies to force people onto their platform).
I realize this sounds alien, almost every move Microsoft makes is doing one of those things they aren't supposed to be doing. But they have found that they make dramatically more money than have to pay out in Anti-trust suits. For some odd reason governments don't think companies who have made all their profits illegally should be bankrupted by the fines. Never made sense to me, I think the company should be fined MORE than they made illegally and the amount of ill-gotten gains as a minimum.
'You mean do people who intend the data to reach people online realize that people will need computers to view it?'
Using a computer != Using Windows
'In some situations, the ability to quickly migrate to an alternate database outweighs the benefits that stored procedures may provide. In other situations, it doesn't.'
Doubtful. There are no shortage of individuals who find vendor lock to the worst possible scenario. There is nothing irrational about avoiding technology until it becomes standardized. Now that open applications implement them, the open applications will collaborate and develop a standard. Then there will be a certain level of standards compliant SPs you can use and still not be locked into a vendor. There will still no doubt be proprietary choices as well, the young and stupid will use them for their whizzbang features, the wise will avoid them until they become ubiquitous.
I don't know about the UK but in the US we are EXTREMELY top heavy when it comes to wealth. We are a very wealthy nation in general and the poor man's living standards are higher than what you would find in say.. Africa but well over 90% of the wealth rests in the hands of the top 10% and most of that wealth in the hands of the top 1%.
We like to point at other nations that are top heavy and say how there is a ruling class and it economically represses the people (especially if they are evil commies). We are right, its just that the same is true of a ruling class economically repressing people here as well. It has, in fact, been true of every nation I have looked and I believe it is true in pretty much every nation. For that reason average income will always be used while median income would give a more accurate outlook.
It is also good to remember that economists have motives like everyone else, they also have no particular expertise in various types of averages. Your argument is an appeal to authority but the economists you refer to are not authoritative on averages, that honor falls on statisticians.
Washington and Oregon are both known for extreme environmental legislation.
No matter how you try to slight those with tongue rings the fact remains.
The greatest and most skilled of tongue users + tongue ring > the greatest and most skilled of tongue users - tongue ring
PATA: wide flat cable that supports two device per cable.
SATA: small, narrow cable that supports one device per cable.
'In the end, though, if you need a tongue-bar to hit the heights that any properly performing s3xual human does you can be sure that you've got nothing but a crutch to augment your lack of skill.'
What if she doesn't need the tongue bar and then adds that performance enhancing tool to exceed the heights that your average properly performing sexual human achieves?
Just because the sex you experience is dull, mediocre, and reaches a pleasure plateau doesn't mean some of us don't get to go beyond those heights.
'An algorithm that does what, now? Invents new sounds to fill the supersonic range?'
Shh don't tell anyone but it doesn't matter. Those frequencies are outside the range of human hearing anyway. How about I sell you a program to fill in the gaps for $500 (it really just zips and then unzips the file, but I promise the HQ vinyl, the CD, and the final result will sound identical).
'Yeah and wasn't legalized prostitution, hashish and Monty Python also popular in Europe? Shows you that they have it al over us and US. :)'
Yes it does, prostitution and hashish are just good clean fun. The US just has a problem with them because it was founded by puritans and remains full of pruds to this day. Snooby pruds at that, here in the US we actually think our outlook is superior because our outlook includes viewing ourselves as superior.
Kernel == Operating System, Operating System != User Environment.
'Wasn't the Amiga also popular in Europe at some point? Nothing wrong with the Amiga, just pointing out that you can't always use Europe as a gauge for success. ;-)'
You might be right. But the Amiga was vastly superior to any other PC available at the time (or for some time after Commadore went out). Hell they still used Amigas for the graphics on Babylon 5 years after Commadore went out. It could be that Europeon usage is a measure of quality rather than success?
'Other than more efficient air circulation within the chassis? There was never an official spec for rounded parallel ATA cables.'
Unless you are overclocking it really doesn't make a difference. You can run a modern processor on a stock fan without a chassis cooler and everything will run within acceptable operating temperatures.
Besides, those who say that SATA cables are smaller and better for airflow may be forgetting that you need twice as many cables with SATA.
'if we outlaw guns only outlaws will have guns'
... But I register my vehicle, I register to vote, I "register" with Revenue Canada when I take a job, I am obliged to take part in the census ...'
This is both accurate and logical.
'if you're doing nothing wrong, you've got nothing to hide'
This is neither accurate nor logical. A desire for privacy does NOT imply guilt, it is a fundamental need shared by most forms of life.
'Or, if you're using your gun for hunting and keeping the coyotes away from your chickens, why not register it? I know, it's nobody's damn business, it's more bureaucracy, it's a pain in the ass
Because I don't want the government to have information about me. I am opposed to all of those things. The less intelligence about me that government possesses the less harm they can do in my life. Registering your vehicle serves one purpose, allowing the government to track you. I can not see how that could EVER actually benefit me. Should I commit a traffic offense that would be quit helpful to the government in collecting revenues but it would never benefit me. If I am concerned about my vehicle being stolen then I'll call lojack.
It wasn't that long ago that none of those controls existed and somehow society functioned.
'As far as privacy goes, keeping the fact that I own a gun secret is pretty low on the list.'
My guns are for the protection of myself and my family. Perhaps you trust the powers at be and the police to be honest.. because you have faith. Perhaps you believe in flying spaghetti monsters as well. Maybe you think not trusting the police and government is paranoid. That's fine, you are entitled to your beliefs. I am just as entitled to mine. And my beliefs include those groups in the list of people who might try to use force to impose their will on me and my family. Why would I tell someone who may present a threat to my family that I have a gun? That intelligence could only help them.
'Well, given that, it's only offensive and not horribly stupid. One of the best things about PC hardware is the amazing backwards compatibility...'
It's still horribly stupid. There are SATA optical drives but there is no particular reason for a normal pc user to use them. Or to use SATA for that matter. Most people only have one HDD and one optical drive, you don't really benefit from SATA under those conditions. It's especially annoying because most boards only give you two SATA ports.
'then youre living in the wrong areas'
Maybe. I've lived in Central IL without a peep and now in Miami.
'or not educating the people around you'
I wouldn't really count the people I talk to about it. They are hearing it from me. I'm talking about the ignorant masses.
'Are you implying that this is something which should not naturally be complained about unless one follows Slashdot groupthink?'
Hey, I'm first in line to complain but even I have to admit I have never heard of someone outside of Slashdot complaining about the DMCA.
'seeks to abolish our beloved gun registry'
Opposing registries (of guns or anything else) doesn't really mesh with claiming civil rights advocacy.
'Our new architecture is clean enough that one could even write add-ins using non-GPL-compatable licenses provided that our code is not used.'
That sounds refreshing and gives me hope. I looked at the project roadmap and it looks like you guys are doing quite a bit of cleanup under the hood. How long do you think it will be before we can start to see improvements in end-user experience? I would love to have an open solution to recommend to my customers and myself rather than Quickbooks.
'Intel also foreshadowed a major announcement tomorrow around Universal Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) -- the replacement for BIOS that has so far only been used in Intel Macs. "We have been working with Microsoft," Intel hinted."'
$10 bucks says this heralds a new age of DRM.
'LedgerSMB does not require copyright assignment precisely because we don't want to send the message that we will change the license unilaterally.'
'It is possible down the road that parts of the project could be under LGPL or similar licenses, but we do promise that we will only use OSI-approved licenses.'
What happens if you are unable to contact someone who submitted a patch to ask his permission? It isn't as if you can just announce and then change. If you don't hold the copyrights, you can't change the license without written authorization from everyone who submitted a patch. For a patch submitted yesterday that is probably not that big an issue, for a patch submitted 2 years ago it can be a non-trivial task.
Licensing issues aside, I wish you guys the best on LedgerSMB. I haven't tried LedgerSMB but I did try SQL-Ledger about a year ago. It was a terrible experience. The interface was cluttered and non-intuitive. When a transaction was entered I had to put in all the corresponding entries in other parts of the program manually. Another huge problem is that I had to install Postres. I know many are fans of Postgres and that Postgres supposedly performs better at high load. But every other app of this type uses MySQL. I don't like running both.
'a great place to develop obsessions (e.g. hypochondriacs); also a great place to mess up your eating habits, etc.'
Less exercise I can see (although those of us who don't enjoy sports don't get much excercise outside the gym anyway). But I am completely lost when trying to figure out how you associate being online with obsessions and diet. If anything, the internet is filled with loads of good information to help you avoid a complex or plan a good diet.
You make it sound like being online is unhealthy. In my experience netizens are more likely to be healthy and informed than non-netizens. Further, the internet is a place where social interaction can take place without the burdens of superficial things getting in the way. People can interact with other people of compatible personality and get to know them BEFORE superficial things like race, age, and appearance can interfere.
The only time I see the internet becoming unhealthy is when a MMORPG like WoW, EQ, or DAOC gets involved.