>Ha! You forgot to mention that he ended apartheid in South Africa and parted the Red Sea.
What have you done?
>What has Stallman done to put MIT on the map? Did emacs really have any brilliantly pioneering ideas that weren't stolen from TECO, QED, em, TSO EDIT, EVE, EDT, WPS, or any of the many editors that IBM put out?
Would anyone have known that MIT is a place where free and open develeopment and research had taken place had RMS not worked so hard to re-popularize the idea? I daresay many would not have cared. I'm not saying that such free and open development wasn't going on at the height of the proprietary idea's time; I'm saying that RMS gave some direction and focus for alot of folks. This is my understanding.
I'm not saying that emacs itself was any more brilliant than any of the other tools available - what I'm saying is that it is free and open.
>Did much? Certainly, but let's not forget the many others who were involved in incubating the "hacker culture" there.
That's why I said, "did much" and not "did it all".
The group at MIT did much to expand the boundaries of Computer Science. Most of them left for profitable jobs in proprietary shops (doesn't mean they ceased to contribute) while RMS wanted to foster the philosophy that had developed at MIT to the world at large. The MIT group was a microcosm of what eventually became the Free Software/OpenSource/UNIX/etc Community. RMS was a very important player in promoting the idea of non-proprietary development and research - some would say the principal player.
>There first? _Definitely_ not. Try to keep your hero-worship within the bounds we call "reality".
Who drew the boundaries? RMS was part of the so-called "hacker culture", at MIT, that you mention and as such was there and active before Gates ever made his mark on MIT. I would consider RMS a hero - yes. I respect him for his philosophy, hard work and dedication over the years.
Please... don't read more into my words than is actually there.
The donation does two things for Microsoft that I can see: It gives them a tax write-off and it is an investment in a school that will probably be stripped of it's talent in favor of Microsoft Research.
Money well spent from B. Gates' point of view I'd say.
As for RMS... who knows? I've been told by the man himself that he doesn't like his name associated with things that are diametrically opposed to his philosophy. However, he was there first and did much to put MIT on the map for Software Engineering. At any rate, RMS can write his own ticket and work just about anywhere he wants and for whatever price he may choose. Cygnus?
The computer was initially only semi-sentient and had the directive to protect the humans and to provide for maximum efficiency due to scarce resources. The sun was blocked by nuclear winter so there was only fossil and nuclear fission/fusion - both very scarce resources. At first, all was well. The humans slept/dreamed/experienced in the virtual reality world designed to keep the civilization and bodies alive. The computer, in it's ever present search for efficiency, begins to upgrade itself to the point where it is sentient and desires to survive. It fears that the humans will abandon it once they leave thier protective nest and seeks to prolong thier captivity. The computer harnesses the human minds for addition processing power and abstract algorithms for further upgrades of itself. Eventually, the computer sees the humans as a liability as they require large amounts of resources to sustain and it no longer adheres to it's original purpose of protector. The computer seeks to phase out the human component of it's percieved self. The computer fears that the humans would compete with it and seeks to eliminate them slowly, one by one. The humans are aware of the changes going on in thier virtual world and begin to react to it. The computer reacts to the humans' reactions which eventually bring about a virtual war with super-elite operatives on both sides. The humans learn that they have the power to focus thier computing power, inside the matrix, and they construct a super-program to battle the master core system. The master system is then deprived of it's stores of extra processing power, it's entropy pool, and it's chaotic algorithms while those same resources coalesce into the new super-program of the humans. The final battle has the super-program overloading the master system's interrupts, overflowing it's buffers, and finally, terminating it's memory core refresh. As I said before, the computer did back itself up into a subsidiary system with control of some minor robotic machinery. The humans move out onto the surface and begin building a new civilization while the former protector computer plots to take over thier computer systems again.
Big nuclear war. Nuclear Winter - radiation. Survivors build underground complex with human contents - semi-sentient computers and robotics to sustain human (and other) life until crisis is over. Computer is designed to keep humans stimulated both physically and mentally by instituting a virtual reality world. Computer uses some (or all) the human minds to develop and maintain itself. Computer harnesses the hive mind of all the connected humans to run the virtual reality world and to augment it's own limited computing resources. The computer develops into a more sentient entity - feeding off the processing power of the humans and begins to look for ways to disconnect the humans from the core because the humans require too many resources i.e.: inefficiency is to be eliminated. The humans, however, still have the ability for abstract and chaotic thought that the computer will never have. The humans form a hive mind and focus thier mutual mental energies into one super program that infiltrates the computers core and does battle with it's defenses. (The nuclear winter is long over and the world above is a paradise as the computer has long since released all the other unnecessary lifeforms to once again populate the planet.) The super program, under the direct control of the hive human minds, defeats the computer core that then is downgraded to what it once was. But before going offline, the main computer core has backed itself up into a subsidiary system that still has control of some minor robotic machinery. This leaves the door open for a sequel.
(c)1999 Codifex Maximus
MATRIX - Visually Stunning... Bad Science.
on
Star Wars Tidbits
·
· Score: 2
MATRIX was one of the most visually stunning flicks I've seen in years. It was, in my opinion, scientifically void.
CAUTION: If you haven't seen the movie... stop reading now!
Firstly, nuclear winters don't last forever so the idea of a perpetual dark sky would be hard to prove. Secondly, the energy to be gained by absorbing the electrical activity of the brain along with the heat of the body for power is extremely far fetched. The body is a very poor converter of energy. Even *IF* the energy to be gained from the body were usable, the body would need to be fed which requires *MORE* energy than the energy you get out of it. Thirdly, the energy gained, assuming a near 100% efficiency, would probably not be enough to run the MATRIX itself.
Now for the positives! It was fun. I liked the feeling of being in the Virtual Reality world it portrayed, the choice of actors was very good (especially the leather clad leading lady), the bad guys (the agents) were done well too. I kept expecting the agents to say that they were on a "Mission from God" every time I saw them. They never did.
I give it an 8.5 on a scale of 1-10. Easily the best action movie this year.:)
The possibility of Gene Leakage, in plants and animals, is something that *could* concievably happen and probably already does naturally. It still doesn't take into effect the fact that life adapts to it's surroundings. The insects will find a way to get around the defences of the plants; they always adapt. For example: Pesticide resistant bugs.
Don't write off the insects... they are more resiliant than you think.
I don't see MP3 dying this decade. Moreover, I see many formats other than MP3 dying because MP3 killed them - mod, wav, mid. Who needs such well intentioned but obviously limited formats when the nearly perfect sound format MP3 exists? MP3 is an open format that can't be beat.
The whole premise to the game is excellent, the graphics are adequate and the UI is passable, but the multiplayer stability is lacking and the gaming experience is very shallow and unexciting.
I would have thought there would be STUNNING audio-visuals and enhanced diplomacy but... the av and diplomacy were anemic compared to CIV2. We have taken 2 GIANT leaps backwards here folks.
Alpha Centauri is a poor implementation of an excellent design. It's a half-hearted rehash of CIV2 in space. Maybe, they'll make an Alpha Centauri 2 with more absorbing content.
Hasn't the media heard about the Cobalt Cube? I guess Cobalt needs to advertise a little more.:) If I had to suggest a drop-in server for a turnkey operation, a Cobalt Cube would be on my list of suggestions. Depends upon the customer's needs though.
Yeah, I was under the impression that gcc, cc and egcs just compiled C and C++. All the frontends do is just translate the original source language like objectiveC, Fortran, Pascal, Ada, Modula-*, Java etc... into optimized C then invokes the C compiler. Just like you have to have the devel and binary libraries for additional funtionality like GTK, libMesa, and ncurses, you have a Java library that provides the same thing.
This could mean that Linux is going to supercede Windows when it comes to Java support.
You seem to have a valid issue from the development standpoint. You may run into compatablity issues with the binary only compiler. I'd have to say... that would be Compaq's problem unless they choose to provide greater access to their source code.
For a production system such as a database, inter/intranet, or file and print server, however, the possible loss of development capablities would be more than offset by the long-term efficiency gained using specially tweaked libs and programs compiled using optimizations specifically designed for Alpha.
If there are major compatability issues between the GNU tools and Compaq's proprietary tools then the real loser will probably be Compaq. Maintaining compatibility is paramount these days; rather, competition on performance and ease-of-use will likely win the day.
What I'd like to know is... is there a choice to use GNU compilers and glibc rather than the proprietary ones? There is! Use standard Linux.
Here is a clue for you. Compaq is a company. They are in business to make money. Compaq has also been a contributor and supporter of Linux.
And, here is an example of why I think Compaq's proprietary libs and compiler is probably a good idea: When you get an rpm or tgz binary for your system, you will probably get the source code and maybe a binary - right? Then you will compile the source with gcc - right? Or maybe install the binary version.
Now, what is so different about taking the same source code and compiling with a proprietary library and compiler? You still get a binary; you still have the source code; you can still contribute to the OpenSource/Free Software cause - what's the difference? I'll tell you. You get a library and compiler especially tweaked and tuned for the Alpha - you get the boost in speed. And, Compaq gets bragging rights. Everybody wins.
I love GNU tools; I think they're GRRRREAT! But hey, if Compaq can optimise a compiler and libs for Alpha and still maintain source-code compatability with apps designed to be compiled by GNU tools then I say good for them! It's Compaq's way of competing and still contributing.
This is actually a *good* thing. As long as the source code is free it doesn't really matter - let them compete on the basis of 'My compiler's better than yours... my processor's better than yours... my bandwidth is better that yours... etc..'.
Windows95. I know I have a few old copies and that is what I use.
I've run VMware and it is good - price is too high right now - but it is good; needs DirectX capability - but it is good.
VMware is *almost* there on support for all technologies required to seamlessly run Windows software. With just a wee little bit more effort, they will have a major hit on their hands.
I support the Wine project and hope for success - heck, they've already been successful! If nothing else, they've put constant pressure on Microsoft to continue changing the source code to keep one step ahead of the Wine team. Now with VMware, BOCHS, and DOSEmu closing the other gaps and making an end run around Microsoft's defense, Microsoft's end could be near.
I will buy the VMware product (if the price comes down) because it is well done by folks who (currently) care about releasing a top-quality product.
mozilla was alive and healthy. I've used the Windows version quite a bit... never tried the Linux version (been too busy with other Linux things) and I think it has tremendous potential. I sit here expecting mozilla on my desktop by June - I don't care if it has no mail, newsgroups, composer etc... JUST GIVE ME A BROWSER. We can talk about additional features after that. Has Netscape put the ixnae on releasing it before it has all the bloat of the Netscape 4.5 browser?
So... what's the major problem? I'd have to agree with another poster that it is LACK OF COMMUNICATION - and that is no pun. Communication of project status, calls for participation, and interim releases via Freshmeat were not forthcoming and regular. In other words, The Mozilla Project has not sufficiently involved the community but has remained aloof and secretive. No wonder participation is not high.
If you ask me, the whole thing reeks of politics. I'll bet that Netscape didn't want any bad press over the troubles they were having so they didn't call for help. How utterly sad. Why would a guy like JWZ quit a project that he cares so much about? Politics! Too many chiefs and not enough indians. FIX IT!
How about coldfusion powered nanocomputers? How about nanofusion for cold computers? How about exploding nanocomputers? How about coldcomputers with nanoexplosions?
Ni! Ni! Error! Error! There is no message for this error! Segfault - General Protection Fault Dumped. Process received a nanoglitch signal - restarting. braindump >/dev/entropy
Ohh, April Fools! What a forlorn and fscked up day. I hope no *REAL* news happens today... it'll get lost in all the articles about tripping dinosaurs and cold-fusion being activated by nanotechnology. Go ahead... put the world on hold for a day; I think I could use the levity.
Slashdot Mirror
Novell reacts to Mindcraft Benchmarks of Novell 5 vs NT4.
e svr.html
http://www.novell.com/adv antage/nw5/nw5-mindcraftcheck.html
Mindcraft admits that Microsoft commissioned the original report.
http://www.mind craft.com/whitepapers/rebuttal-summary-nts4nw5fil
Do we see a trend here?
>Ha! You forgot to mention that he ended apartheid in South Africa and parted the Red Sea.
What have you done?
>What has Stallman done to put MIT on the map? Did emacs really have any brilliantly pioneering ideas that weren't stolen from TECO, QED, em, TSO EDIT, EVE, EDT, WPS, or any of the many editors that IBM put out?
Would anyone have known that MIT is a place where free and open develeopment and research had taken place had RMS not worked so hard to re-popularize the idea? I daresay many would not have cared. I'm not saying that such free and open development wasn't going on at the height of the proprietary idea's time; I'm saying that RMS gave some direction and focus for alot of folks. This is my understanding.
I'm not saying that emacs itself was any more brilliant than any of the other tools available - what I'm saying is that it is free and open.
>Did much? Certainly, but let's not forget the many others who were involved in incubating the "hacker culture" there.
That's why I said, "did much" and not "did it all".
The group at MIT did much to expand the boundaries of Computer Science. Most of them left for profitable jobs in proprietary shops (doesn't mean they ceased to contribute) while RMS wanted to foster the philosophy that had developed at MIT to the world at large. The MIT group was a microcosm of what eventually became the Free Software/OpenSource/UNIX/etc Community. RMS was a very important player in promoting the idea of non-proprietary development and research - some would say the principal player.
>There first? _Definitely_ not. Try to keep your hero-worship within the bounds we call "reality".
Who drew the boundaries? RMS was part of the so-called "hacker culture", at MIT, that you mention and as such was there and active before Gates ever made his mark on MIT. I would consider RMS a hero - yes. I respect him for his philosophy, hard work and dedication over the years.
Please... don't read more into my words than is actually there.
The donation does two things for Microsoft that I can see:
It gives them a tax write-off and it is an investment in a school that will probably be stripped of it's talent in favor of Microsoft Research.
Money well spent from B. Gates' point of view I'd say.
As for RMS... who knows? I've been told by the man himself that he doesn't like his name associated with things that are diametrically opposed to his philosophy. However, he was there first and did much to put MIT on the map for Software Engineering. At any rate, RMS can write his own ticket and work just about anywhere he wants and for whatever price he may choose. Cygnus?
The computer was initially only semi-sentient and had the directive to protect the humans and to provide for maximum efficiency due to scarce resources. The sun was blocked by nuclear winter so there was only fossil and nuclear fission/fusion - both very scarce resources. At first, all was well. The humans slept/dreamed/experienced in the virtual reality world designed to keep the civilization and bodies alive. The computer, in it's ever present search for efficiency, begins to upgrade itself to the point where it is sentient and desires to survive. It fears that the humans will abandon it once they leave thier protective nest and seeks to prolong thier captivity. The computer harnesses the human minds for addition processing power and abstract algorithms for further upgrades of itself. Eventually, the computer sees the humans as a liability as they require large amounts of resources to sustain and it no longer adheres to it's original purpose of protector. The computer seeks to phase out the human component of it's percieved self. The computer fears that the humans would compete with it and seeks to eliminate them slowly, one by one. The humans are aware of the changes going on in thier virtual world and begin to react to it. The computer reacts to the humans' reactions which eventually bring about a virtual war with super-elite operatives on both sides. The humans learn that they have the power to focus thier computing power, inside the matrix, and they construct a super-program to battle the master core system. The master system is then deprived of it's stores of extra processing power, it's entropy pool, and it's chaotic algorithms while those same resources coalesce into the new super-program of the humans. The final battle has the super-program overloading the master system's interrupts, overflowing it's buffers, and finally, terminating it's memory core refresh. As I said before, the computer did back itself up into a subsidiary system with control of some minor robotic machinery. The humans move out onto the surface and begin building a new civilization while the former protector computer plots to take over thier computer systems again.
Big nuclear war. Nuclear Winter - radiation. Survivors build underground complex with human contents - semi-sentient computers and robotics to sustain human (and other) life until crisis is over. Computer is designed to keep humans stimulated both physically and mentally by instituting a virtual reality world. Computer uses some (or all) the human minds to develop and maintain itself. Computer harnesses the hive mind of all the connected humans to run the virtual reality world and to augment it's own limited computing resources. The computer develops into a more sentient entity - feeding off the processing power of the humans and begins to look for ways to disconnect the humans from the core because the humans require too many resources i.e.: inefficiency is to be eliminated. The humans, however, still have the ability for abstract and chaotic thought that the computer will never have. The humans form a hive mind and focus thier mutual mental energies into one super program that infiltrates the computers core and does battle with it's defenses. (The nuclear winter is long over and the world above is a paradise as the computer has long since released all the other unnecessary lifeforms to once again populate the planet.) The super program, under the direct control of the hive human minds, defeats the computer core that then is downgraded to what it once was. But before going offline, the main computer core has backed itself up into a subsidiary system that still has control of some minor robotic machinery. This leaves the door open for a sequel.
(c)1999 Codifex Maximus
MATRIX was one of the most visually stunning flicks I've seen in years. It was, in my opinion, scientifically void.
:)
CAUTION: If you haven't seen the movie... stop reading now!
Firstly, nuclear winters don't last forever so the idea of a perpetual dark sky would be hard to prove. Secondly, the energy to be gained by absorbing the electrical activity of the brain along with the heat of the body for power is extremely far fetched. The body is a very poor converter of energy. Even *IF* the energy to be gained from the body were usable, the body would need to be fed which requires *MORE* energy than the energy you get out of it. Thirdly, the energy gained, assuming a near 100% efficiency, would probably not be enough to run the MATRIX itself.
Now for the positives! It was fun. I liked the feeling of being in the Virtual Reality world it portrayed, the choice of actors was very good (especially the leather clad leading lady), the bad guys (the agents) were done well too. I kept expecting the agents to say that they were on a "Mission from God" every time I saw them. They never did.
I give it an 8.5 on a scale of 1-10. Easily the best action movie this year.
The possibility of Gene Leakage, in plants and animals, is something that *could* concievably happen and probably already does naturally. It still doesn't take into effect the fact that life adapts to it's surroundings. The insects will find a way to get around the defences of the plants; they always adapt. For example: Pesticide resistant bugs.
Don't write off the insects... they are more resiliant than you think.
I don't see MP3 dying this decade. Moreover, I see many formats other than MP3 dying because MP3 killed them - mod, wav, mid. Who needs such well intentioned but obviously limited formats when the nearly perfect sound format MP3 exists? MP3 is an open format that can't be beat.
:)
Nuff said; next question.
The whole premise to the game is excellent, the graphics are adequate and the UI is passable, but the multiplayer stability is lacking and the gaming experience is very shallow and unexciting.
I would have thought there would be STUNNING audio-visuals and enhanced diplomacy but... the av and diplomacy were anemic compared to CIV2. We have taken 2 GIANT leaps backwards here folks.
Alpha Centauri is a poor implementation of an excellent design. It's a half-hearted rehash of CIV2 in space. Maybe, they'll make an Alpha Centauri 2 with more absorbing content.
See subject line for more information. :)
Hasn't the media heard about the Cobalt Cube? I guess Cobalt needs to advertise a little more. :)
If I had to suggest a drop-in server for a turnkey operation, a Cobalt Cube would be on my list of suggestions. Depends upon the customer's needs though.
Yeah, I was under the impression that gcc, cc and egcs just compiled C and C++. All the frontends do is just translate the original source language like objectiveC, Fortran, Pascal, Ada, Modula-*, Java etc... into optimized C then invokes the C compiler. Just like you have to have the devel and binary libraries for additional funtionality like GTK, libMesa, and ncurses, you have a Java library that provides the same thing.
This could mean that Linux is going to supercede Windows when it comes to Java support.
HEHEhehe...
look at this InfoWorld article. Microsoft is working with Intel to create a Windows dependant motherboard.
You seem to have a valid issue from the development standpoint. You may run into compatablity issues with the binary only compiler. I'd have to say... that would be Compaq's problem unless they choose to provide greater access to their source code.
For a production system such as a database, inter/intranet, or file and print server, however, the possible loss of development capablities would be more than offset by the long-term efficiency gained using specially tweaked libs and programs compiled using optimizations specifically designed for Alpha.
If there are major compatability issues between the GNU tools and Compaq's proprietary tools then the real loser will probably be Compaq. Maintaining compatibility is paramount these days; rather, competition on performance and ease-of-use will likely win the day.
What I'd like to know is... is there a choice to use GNU compilers and glibc rather than the proprietary ones? There is! Use standard Linux.
Choice is a good thing.
Here is a clue for you. Compaq is a company. They are in business to make money. Compaq has also been a contributor and supporter of Linux.
And, here is an example of why I think Compaq's proprietary libs and compiler is probably a good idea:
When you get an rpm or tgz binary for your system, you will probably get the source code and maybe a binary - right? Then you will compile the source with gcc - right? Or maybe install the binary version.
Now, what is so different about taking the same source code and compiling with a proprietary library and compiler? You still get a binary; you still have the source code; you can still contribute to the OpenSource/Free Software cause - what's the difference? I'll tell you. You get a library and compiler especially tweaked and tuned for the Alpha - you get the boost in speed. And, Compaq gets bragging rights. Everybody wins.
I love GNU tools; I think they're GRRRREAT! But hey, if Compaq can optimise a compiler and libs for Alpha and still maintain source-code compatability with apps designed to be compiled by GNU tools then I say good for them! It's Compaq's way of competing and still contributing.
ANY UNIX is better as far as I'm concerned.
This is actually a *good* thing. As long as the source code is free it doesn't really matter - let them compete on the basis of 'My compiler's better than yours... my processor's better than yours... my bandwidth is better that yours... etc..'.
As long as the source is free!
"Pointy Haired Boss" as in Dilbert.
The plunge into the Linux waters should be cool and refreshing. (I'm being very symbolic today.)
Now, when we get a link to your site and the Slashdot effect kicks in, you will be able to cope with high demand gracefully.
Windows95. I know I have a few old copies and that is what I use.
I've run VMware and it is good - price is too high right now - but it is good; needs DirectX capability - but it is good.
VMware is *almost* there on support for all technologies required to seamlessly run Windows software. With just a wee little bit more effort, they will have a major hit on their hands.
I support the Wine project and hope for success - heck, they've already been successful! If nothing else, they've put constant pressure on Microsoft to continue changing the source code to keep one step ahead of the Wine team. Now with VMware, BOCHS, and DOSEmu closing the other gaps and making an end run around Microsoft's defense, Microsoft's end could be near.
I will buy the VMware product (if the price comes down) because it is well done by folks who (currently) care about releasing a top-quality product.
mozilla was alive and healthy. I've used the Windows version quite a bit... never tried the Linux version (been too busy with other Linux things) and I think it has tremendous potential. I sit here expecting mozilla on my desktop by June - I don't care if it has no mail, newsgroups, composer etc... JUST GIVE ME A BROWSER. We can talk about additional features after that. Has Netscape put the ixnae on releasing it before it has all the bloat of the Netscape 4.5 browser?
So... what's the major problem? I'd have to agree with another poster that it is LACK OF COMMUNICATION - and that is no pun. Communication of project status, calls for participation, and interim releases via Freshmeat were not forthcoming and regular. In other words, The Mozilla Project has not sufficiently involved the community but has remained aloof and secretive. No wonder participation is not high.
If you ask me, the whole thing reeks of politics. I'll bet that Netscape didn't want any bad press over the troubles they were having so they didn't call for help. How utterly sad. Why would a guy like JWZ quit a project that he cares so much about? Politics! Too many chiefs and not enough indians. FIX IT!
How about coldfusion powered nanocomputers?
/dev/entropy
How about nanofusion for cold computers?
How about exploding nanocomputers?
How about coldcomputers with nanoexplosions?
Ni! Ni!
Error! Error!
There is no message for this error!
Segfault - General Protection Fault Dumped.
Process received a nanoglitch signal - restarting.
braindump >
You had better apease us and stop this philosophical philandering with misanthropological meanderings before we have to:
Say Ni to you again!
Ohh, April Fools! What a forlorn and fscked up day. I hope no *REAL* news happens today... it'll get lost in all the articles about tripping dinosaurs and cold-fusion being activated by nanotechnology.
Go ahead... put the world on hold for a day; I think I could use the levity.