Then I tried to get the export-to-PDF add-in from the Microsoft site
Hey, just FYI: OpenOffice on Linux (and maybe Windows - I don't know) can easily export to PDF. So if you really need that functionality right now, you can use OpenOffice to convert your document from Word to PDF.
If the PATRIOT Act is in conflict with the Constitution, then it is unpatriotic, just like the Members of Congress who voted it in and the President who signed the bill.
Agreed. They were so afraid of getting attacked that they ignored the constitution they swore to uphold. So they are, specifically: cowards, traitors, and oath-breakers.
Yeah, but I think for those people who have thought about it carefully, they only want money in moderation.
It's nice to be able to afford only doing work you find meaningful, and not having to worry about affording food, health care, etc. But I've also heard that most lottery winners end up unhappy (and often broke).
My brother is a semi-techie who's always been interested in Linux. I realized that for the past few years, I've always been pretty sure that the *next* release of Ubuntu would be just what he's looking for. But...
The ACPI and driver issues just never seem to really go away. Doing an "apt-get upgrade" doesn't always leave the system in a 100% functional state. Etc. So I'm starting to think that Linux distros will rarely or never have the same degree of polish that Apple, and in some ways M$, achieve.
Will I ever be able to recommend Linux to a semi-/non-techie without reservation? I'm starting to wonder.
The Wheel of time Series has been in a downward spiral since about book 5. Disjointed, dragging out endless plot lines in a poor attempt to make it to book 12. Personally I hope they don't bother to put book 12 together, I stopped at 9.
Same here. After about book 4 or 5, I got the sense that rather than going for a great story, he was dragging out the series as long as possible. That's when I said, "screw it".
I also looked at his photo on the back of the book, and I was pretty sure he'd have some cardiac-related death before he concluded the series.
So basically what Google wants is for decision about laws to be further and further removed from small communities, and instead moved to national, and ultimately international, bodies.
When this happens, individual voters rightly believe that they've lost a meaningful say in the laws that govern them.
Corporate profits are not a good reason for us to give up our freedom of self-legislation.
If the members of Congress had any sort of backbone, we wouldn't have needed to bring checks and balances into play.
And if we citizens had any kind of backbone, the Whitehouse and Capitol building would have burned the very night the bill became law.
Armed citizens are supposed to be the ultimate check and balance, but we too seem to prefer comfort over doing our jobs.
Re:Biggest myths of all have been around for ages.
on
Why Myths Persist
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· Score: 1
Please list your arguments for religion. I'll start for you:
1 The Bible says so!
You know, if I thought you were interested in an actual discussion I'd make the time to give my reasons. But at the moment I just don't think you'd listen anyway.
I guess this will cost me some karma, too. For some reason today people are modding up what I'd normally consider a troll, and moding as flamebait what I meant as a serious discussion starter. Oh well.
Great book creation process
on
Programming Erlang
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· Score: 3, Informative
I bought the book while it was still being written. I was able to download drafts, and (if I had the time) submit bug reports. When it was finally done, I got a printed copy in the mail.
I haven't had much time to play with Erlang (or the book) yet, but it was a really nice feeling to be able to get early access as long as I was willing to see unpolished content. Bravo, publisher.
Re:Biggest myths of all have been around for ages.
on
Why Myths Persist
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· Score: 2, Insightful
Religion persists against all common sense.
There are many decent arguments both for and against the veracity of religion.
Don't be a troll and act like the rejection of religion is a slam dunk for all thinking persons.
The ISO seriously needs to look at fixing how Microsoft attempted to hijack the process to suit their own gain, and ignore the real purpose of International Standards.
The IETF's RFCs (Request For Comments) are a pretty good solution. IETF doesn't bless standards. It's a clearinghouse for proposed standards, and people implement them or they don't.
I like to think the technology field I base myself in is popular based on technical merits rather than stupid market hacking.
Patents can turn a document format that would be good for many people, into a format only good for some people. Your lawyers and lobbyists are undermining any technical merit you may have worked into OOXML. Their support for software patents, and their predatory history,
are keeping OOXML from being considered purely on technical merit.
And let me be the first to thank for supporting an organization which erodes my civil liberties by supporting software patents.
I was first going to write a blurb saying "Great! How can we lose! Let the best OS win!"
But on second thought, I can think of one bad scenario: OpenSolaris and Linux end up with different groups of users, where-as they previously would have mostly used Linux. This makes it harder for *either* open-source OS to get enough market share to attract ISVs, manufacturers writing device drivers, etc.
I guess the best of both worlds is if Linux and OpenSolaris kind of merge, resulting in a single OS with the strengths of both (for example, the goodness of getting dtrace into Linux).
Slashdot Mirror
Hey, just FYI: OpenOffice on Linux (and maybe Windows - I don't know) can easily export to PDF. So if you really need that functionality right now, you can use OpenOffice to convert your document from Word to PDF.
Agreed. They were so afraid of getting attacked that they ignored the constitution they swore to uphold. So they are, specifically: cowards, traitors, and oath-breakers.
Actually, you're spot on. I misread the end of the sentence as "... too outlandish to share." rather than "too outlandish *not* to share."
But no need to get crabby just because I misread the sentence. Sheesh.
So you made it a story on /.?
Here's to you, Mister Hide It in Plain View Guy!
Yeah, but I think for those people who have thought about it carefully, they only want money in moderation.
It's nice to be able to afford only doing work you find meaningful, and not having to worry about affording food, health care, etc. But I've also heard that most lottery winners end up unhappy (and often broke).
Well, at least 1/3 correctness is better than nothing.
Seriously... I doubt many non-geeks thing Gates is cool, and a large fraction of bona fide geeks loathe him.
We know that America is probably the worst country for digital freedoms, and it sounds like Germany is in the running for second-worst.
Which countries are the *most* permissive in terms of fair use, lack of software patents, etc.?
(And I don't mean which countries don't enforce their laws. I mean which countries actually have laws offer the most freedom for citizens.)
Both the nunchucks and the normal Wii remote have a motion sensor.
Sure, using the nunchuck to use the Force is a cool idea, but being able to play as Darth Maul has its attraction as well.
I think his point is that he shouldn't have had to.
His article was pretty well balanced and calm.
My brother is a semi-techie who's always been interested in Linux. I realized that for the past few years, I've always been pretty sure that the *next* release of Ubuntu would be just what he's looking for. But...
The ACPI and driver issues just never seem to really go away. Doing an "apt-get upgrade" doesn't always leave the system in a 100% functional state. Etc. So I'm starting to think that Linux distros will rarely or never have the same degree of polish that Apple, and in some ways M$, achieve.
Will I ever be able to recommend Linux to a semi-/non-techie without reservation? I'm starting to wonder.
Same here. After about book 4 or 5, I got the sense that rather than going for a great story, he was dragging out the series as long as possible. That's when I said, "screw it".
I also looked at his photo on the back of the book, and I was pretty sure he'd have some cardiac-related death before he concluded the series.
Poor guy.
So basically what Google wants is for decision about laws to be further and further removed from small communities, and instead moved to national, and ultimately international, bodies.
When this happens, individual voters rightly believe that they've lost a meaningful say in the laws that govern them.
Corporate profits are not a good reason for us to give up our freedom of self-legislation.
No can do. We'd be an illegal cartel of lawsuit targets.
Yeah, right.
Got it... we need to do it on the sly. Kind of like how Arthur Dent was able to fly.
When people say physics is tricky, they ain't kidding!
I'm sure the tapes are just getting flown by CIA charter planes to other places that it can happen in secret.
I say that half in jest, but seriously, how would we ever know?
And if we citizens had any kind of backbone, the Whitehouse and Capitol building would have burned the very night the bill became law.
Armed citizens are supposed to be the ultimate check and balance, but we too seem to prefer comfort over doing our jobs.
You know, if I thought you were interested in an actual discussion I'd make the time to give my reasons. But at the moment I just don't think you'd listen anyway.
I guess this will cost me some karma, too. For some reason today people are modding up what I'd normally consider a troll, and moding as flamebait what I meant as a serious discussion starter. Oh well.
I bought the book while it was still being written. I was able to download drafts, and (if I had the time) submit bug reports. When it was finally done, I got a printed copy in the mail.
I haven't had much time to play with Erlang (or the book) yet, but it was a really nice feeling to be able to get early access as long as I was willing to see unpolished content. Bravo, publisher.
There are many decent arguments both for and against the veracity of religion.
Don't be a troll and act like the rejection of religion is a slam dunk for all thinking persons.
Even if that is how the OP meant it, there's a really high SNR on this thread, imho.
I think you're proven wrong by the posts that have been highly rated.
For many of us, hating MPAA/RIAA/M$ is just a hobby. We do actually have varied day jobs you know.
The IETF's RFCs (Request For Comments) are a pretty good solution. IETF doesn't bless standards. It's a clearinghouse for proposed standards, and people implement them or they don't.
Patents can turn a document format that would be good for many people, into a format only good for some people. Your lawyers and lobbyists are undermining any technical merit you may have worked into OOXML. Their support for software patents, and their predatory history, are keeping OOXML from being considered purely on technical merit.
And let me be the first to thank for supporting an organization which erodes my civil liberties by supporting software patents.
I was first going to write a blurb saying "Great! How can we lose! Let the best OS win!"
But on second thought, I can think of one bad scenario: OpenSolaris and Linux end up with different groups of users, where-as they previously would have mostly used Linux. This makes it harder for *either* open-source OS to get enough market share to attract ISVs, manufacturers writing device drivers, etc.
I guess the best of both worlds is if Linux and OpenSolaris kind of merge, resulting in a single OS with the strengths of both (for example, the goodness of getting dtrace into Linux).