Dijkstra makes an argument about what he calls object oriented programming, but doesn't really use OOP. That he happens to base his argument around two styles of coding, one that is clearly procedural, and one that happens to use objects, is merely accidental. His argument is centered around poor code organization, plain and simple. He passingly slaps down some code modeling Student as an object, neglecting to mention anything about why one would do that (e.g. encapsulation), and completely fails to even mention other OOP ideas such as composition, inheritance, polymorphism, etc. In short, he bashes horrendous code organization, and calls that OOP, without addressing a single reason typically given in favor of OOP.
Frankly, that article was awful.
Most interactive fiction seems interactive in one way--you may get to choose what to do next, but that's only out of the available list of options, and the story from that point forward is predetermined.
What about a story where you can do that (like a Choose Your Own Adventure), but you can also add another choice, and write what happens? Don't like the way one path turned out? Go back and write another one that turns out better!
If you're interested in checking something like that out, try out BookLick.
Disclaimer: I am involved in the creation of that site.
Unfortunately that's often true, since it's so easy to get started on sourceforge and then not do anything. Time will tell if that happens to me or not. Hopefully not, but then others have surely said that. I have gotten some e-mails indicating interest which is sure to motivate me to work on it as time permits.
I'm actually working on a project that EXACTLY fits your problem. Please check it out at homelibrary at sourceforge. I've only just started the project, it's not very easy to install right now, and there are a few bugs, but I started it with the exact problem in mind.
BitPass has had micropayments for some time... the catch is you have to buy at least $3 credits, but then you can pay those anonymously to websites in increments as small as one cent.
Or, for that matter, what about suing them for "unfair competition," since they might be providing for free what others want to sell (i.e., a fee for an article more than, say, a week old).
I have used a few other packages, command-line utilities, which I find useful:
Recently I'm using one for my honors research project (I'm an undgergrad):
GAP and another I've used which I like: PARI-GP. GAP tends to deal with group-theoretical functions, and GP tends to deal more with number theory, but both shouldn't be ignored.
I admit that I don't know much about the infrastructure of the Internet and the costs incurred to ISPs. However, I'd like to take this opportunity to briefly dispel a couple myths of this post:
1. It was me who fell victim to any fiber glut myth, in defense of my professor. In reading the other posts on this thread, I've learned a lot about these costs, though.
2. Perhaps most importantly, I would like to clarify one of my comments: As a few other posters have noted, ISPs are out to make money.
I did not mean this as a criticism, only a fact. I am wholeheartedly a capitalist. Regarding Atlas Shrugged, I've read it 3 times--it's my favorite book.
3. Yeah, you're right, the model applies more to companies like Microsoft who actually have little reproduction and distribution costs... as I said before, I wasn't fully aware of the costs.
However, now that this thread is getting further and further off-topic, it has brought up s to interesting points about economics. Thanks!
I just finished an economics course in college, and ISPs are probably what can be termed "price searchers." I imagine there is certainly some extra cost per extra unit of bandwidth, but largely I imagine this is negligible--the bandwidth is there whether or not it is used.
As a few other posters have noted, ISPs are out to make money. A price searcher has a set cost that is basically unrelated to the amount of service they sell. However, they are faced with a demand curve sloping downwards: the higher they charge, the fewer customers they get. They simply match up the price/quantity demanded at that price that leads to the highest revenue and thus profit.
Slashdot Mirror
Quite right you are. I read the summary too quickly and authored my reply hastily. s/Dijkstra/The author/.
Dijkstra makes an argument about what he calls object oriented programming, but doesn't really use OOP. That he happens to base his argument around two styles of coding, one that is clearly procedural, and one that happens to use objects, is merely accidental. His argument is centered around poor code organization, plain and simple. He passingly slaps down some code modeling Student as an object, neglecting to mention anything about why one would do that (e.g. encapsulation), and completely fails to even mention other OOP ideas such as composition, inheritance, polymorphism, etc. In short, he bashes horrendous code organization, and calls that OOP, without addressing a single reason typically given in favor of OOP. Frankly, that article was awful.
:nohls
Most interactive fiction seems interactive in one way--you may get to choose what to do next, but that's only out of the available list of options, and the story from that point forward is predetermined.
What about a story where you can do that (like a Choose Your Own Adventure), but you can also add another choice, and write what happens? Don't like the way one path turned out? Go back and write another one that turns out better!
If you're interested in checking something like that out, try out BookLick.
Disclaimer: I am involved in the creation of that site.
Unfortunately that's often true, since it's so easy to get started on sourceforge and then not do anything. Time will tell if that happens to me or not. Hopefully not, but then others have surely said that. I have gotten some e-mails indicating interest which is sure to motivate me to work on it as time permits.
I'm actually working on a project that EXACTLY fits your problem. Please check it out at homelibrary at sourceforge. I've only just started the project, it's not very easy to install right now, and there are a few bugs, but I started it with the exact problem in mind.
BitPass has had micropayments for some time... the catch is you have to buy at least $3 credits, but then you can pay those anonymously to websites in increments as small as one cent.
Or, for that matter, what about suing them for "unfair competition," since they might be providing for free what others want to sell (i.e., a fee for an article more than, say, a week old).
I have used a few other packages, command-line utilities, which I find useful: Recently I'm using one for my honors research project (I'm an undgergrad): GAP and another I've used which I like: PARI-GP. GAP tends to deal with group-theoretical functions, and GP tends to deal more with number theory, but both shouldn't be ignored.
I admit that I don't know much about the infrastructure of the Internet and the costs incurred to ISPs. However, I'd like to take this opportunity to briefly dispel a couple myths of this post:
1. It was me who fell victim to any fiber glut myth, in defense of my professor. In reading the other posts on this thread, I've learned a lot about these costs, though.
2. Perhaps most importantly, I would like to clarify one of my comments:
As a few other posters have noted, ISPs are out to make money.
I did not mean this as a criticism, only a fact. I am wholeheartedly a capitalist. Regarding Atlas Shrugged, I've read it 3 times--it's my favorite book.
3. Yeah, you're right, the model applies more to companies like Microsoft who actually have little reproduction and distribution costs... as I said before, I wasn't fully aware of the costs.
However, now that this thread is getting further and further off-topic, it has brought up s to interesting points about economics. Thanks!
I just finished an economics course in college, and ISPs are probably what can be termed "price searchers." I imagine there is certainly some extra cost per extra unit of bandwidth, but largely I imagine this is negligible--the bandwidth is there whether or not it is used.
As a few other posters have noted, ISPs are out to make money. A price searcher has a set cost that is basically unrelated to the amount of service they sell. However, they are faced with a demand curve sloping downwards: the higher they charge, the fewer customers they get. They simply match up the price/quantity demanded at that price that leads to the highest revenue and thus profit.