I would wager that the overwhelming majority of the people yelling bloody murder have not ever written a single line of open source code.
I keep hearing this kind of statement, and I have to wonder why writing code is so critical to defending software freedom?
Okay, if I'm an author and I want my code kept free, I must defend the GPL terms. I can understand that.
But, as a user, I am also just as interested in software freedom. The many eyes keeping watch for security holes, bugs, performance hits, etc. in the free software that I use make it imperative that I defend that software's usage terms! Being unable or uninterested in contributing to a software project has no bearing on my defending my use of it. This is a point that must accepted, nay, embraced by contributors. An elitist attitude on the developers' part will eventually get in the way of progress. Like it or not, the developer community and the user community are one in the same when it comes to defending free software.
I've read nothing but posts saying either 'Corel is violating the GPL (period)' or 'Corel probably made a mistake'. I've decided to check it out for myself. Here's the scoop from:
http://www.corel.com/betaprogram/faq.htm
(Select Portions Follow:)
Corel® LINUX® Beta Q & A
What are the requirements for becoming a beta tester for Corel LINUX? We will select users based on their experience with Linux®, the diversity of hardware at their disposal and on their software testing experience. In addition, we are reserving spaces for some KDE and Debian developers.
Why isn't Corel putting Corel LINUX on an FTP site for download? The first version of Corel LINUX is still in the development and testing phase and is not ready for general distribution. Beta testing is part of the development process that Corel is following to ensure that Corel LINUX reaches a suitable level of completeness and stability before it becomes widely available.
How many people will be testing Corel LINUX? In order to ensure that the beta testing process can be properly administered, we will be limiting the number of registered beta testers for this first round of testing. The exact number of testers has not yet been determined.
Is this testing style in keeping with the spirit of Open Source software distribution? Yes. The recruitment of outside Beta testers is part of the initial development process of Corel LINUX and will allow Corel to release the first version of Corel LINUX to the general public at an earlier date than would be possible if Corel relied only on its internal testing resources. Once Corel LINUX is ready for general distribution, it will be distributed in accordance with the criteria for Open Source software.
When will Corel release the source code for Corel LINUX? The source code for Corel LINUX will be available with the first distribution of Corel LINUX.
Will Corel be releasing the source code for applications it has created such as the Corel File Manager? Corel will be making the source code available for such applications. The exact terms of the license under which the source code will be distributed has not yet been announced.
Record last updated on 03-Sep-99. Record created on 29-Mar-99. Database last updated on 15-Sep-99 05:06:04 EDT. [snip] (FYI - WorldNIC = Network Solutions) I wonder if I can get a "no.valid.email@" address on my registration?
The trail of Microsoft-acquired firms looks to me like the images of the road to Basra at the end of the Gulf War.
How long can Microsoft be permitted to buy out anybody and everybody it pleases? Doesn't its position as 'behemoth' and 'dominant' justify extreme scrutiny in each acquisition it makes? I submit that every time Microsoft purchases another software company, it is further strengthening its monopolistic power by reducing the presence of competitors. I feel that Microsoft's dominant market is no longer OSes or Business Suites or server software*...it's just plain SOFTWARE! Let Justice prevail soon...only I doubt the current DOJ will facilitate this.
*for the sake of argument, let's just say NT is dominant.
-- Because you are what we call, in Latin, a "dorkus malorkus".
There's no need to be as ignorant as you are arrogant. If you don't like what you see, don't give them your business. Non-english speakers have to put up with the likes of you all the time, and it isn't pleasant. Not only can you not tolerate some simple spelling mistakes made by someone willing to learn your language for your benefit, but you then proceed to butcher another language (latin, in this case) to call me a "dorkus malorkus," whatever that may be.
I must say, the quality of the crowd here at Slashdot seems more and more like that of the real world -- rude, ignorant, and intolerant.
I think these cute, cuddly jackass penguins have a right to attend Linux World. In fact, it's practically an obligation.
Therefore, I feel that the proper way to display them is in a refrigerated semi-trailer, with one side made of clear plexiglass, and a nice cool swimming pool stocked with live herring. Also, put a cheapo chaise lounge in there with 'em so that Linus can pose for pictures with a mai-tai in his hand.
Now, that would be the proper way to display those penguins! (IMHO)
I think Microsoft, who saw fit to ignore them for so long, should have used SysRq and Break (or maybe some Fx keys) to perform its special functions required for Windows 9x/NT.
Now we're stuck with embraced/extended hardware with unintelligible icons on them that perform absolutely no function whatsoever in any other OS.
Has anyone found a use for these in Linux or other alternative OSes? Perhaps a good piece of gag software is lying around for these...let me know.
Maybe its time for the federal government to pass laws requiring a minimum standard education, since aparently some states seem to think its enough to just chuck the kids into a building for six or seven hours so their parents can work.
Oh, no! Don't even suggest this! Like any evolutionary trait, this Kansan episode will (hopefully) eventually die out. If we federalize educational requirements, we run the risk of someday having the teaching of evolution removed from federal educational standards. This would make the "repair of defective genes" (genes=policies in this case) far more difficult to effect.
Had the removal of the teaching of evolution occurred at the township, or perhaps county school board level, it is less likely that the impact (e.g. as these > 1000 responses from Slashdot readers) would be felt. The impact of such a policy at the federal level could be catastrophic.
You'd be surprised at how far a half-watt can travel. Lots of amateur radio operators work the world by bouncing signals off the atmosphere's ionized layers at power levels under 10 milliwatts. That'll give you some idea of what range line-of-sight travel through the vacuum of space can achieve.
And the farther spam travels from earth, the better:-)
What about OS upgrades?
on
LinModems?
·
· Score: 1
Being less knowledgeable on this subject, let me ask the question:
Will future versions of Linux ever require that the "LinModem" driver be updated? In this case, would we not be dependent on the manufacturer for such updates?
If yes, this is a bad thing indeed. Closed source model through and through!
May I suggest that you offer us some reason to "check it"? Your post is about as helpful as a spam-o-gram.
Re:I'll stick with cash
on
Beaming Money
·
· Score: 1
There are things to be said about cash... but:
I can't be traced: oh, yeah? Where can you spend a lot of cash and not be traced!
refunds are easy: Where are refunds easy? I always seem to have to show a receipt, show ID, and fill out/sign a form.
and I know if someone's trying to use my money: After they've robbed you, you might know if they're using your money, but you won't know who or where!
Cash and checks are increasingly uncommon in Europe, especially checks. Smart cards may face a hostile environment here in the USA, but Visa and MasterCard at least provide some protections against unauthorized use that might occur. Cash will only be protected by a safe, a gun, the police, or moral behaviour. I say, bring on some smart, technologically intelligent alternatives!
I can buy Babe Ruth rookie cards and use 'em to soak up grease spots under the car. I can buy US flags and burn them in the fireplace. I can buy classic cars and crush them into cubes.
I understand that, very shortly, a constitutional amendment will ban the use of Babe Ruth rookie cards for soaking up grease spots.
Seriously though, a lot of our "rights" have been going down the dumper lately. I'd like to see a law passed that outlawed any campaign contributions from any corporation. After all, corporations can't vote. I think, if passed, the power in Washington DC might stand a chance of reverting back to We The People.
Seems to me that the situation is not really one of ex-post facto laws, but rather one of prima-facia: what looks (on the surface) to be legal is illegal in the context of overall anti-competitive behaviour. In this case, simplified, the defendant may have committed a legal act (such as adding a "warning message" to the operating system code), and another legal act (such as, for example, announcing a vaporware upgrade) which COMBINED TOGETHER constitute a willful and illegal effort to put DR-DOS out of business.
Oh, BTW, I am neither a lawyer nor an expert. But I do (obviously) have an opinion.
The author probably submitted this here in order to gauge/.'ers responses to it. The Slashdot forum is probably the best one around for getting not only criticism, but also emotional feedback. I'm guessing the reason I'm hooked to this site is because I enjoy seeing how my feelings mesh with those of others', whether agreeable or not.
I hope that many more folks are inspired to put their arguments into cohesive articles, and then submit themselves to our relentless commentary. I further hope that those folks gain enough quality feedback to polish the rough ends (where necessary) and place their views where the powers of change can be most effective. Keep up the good work, Russ!
muLinux is probably the most versatile and interesting one-floppy-disk distribution of Linux out there. (Mr.) Michele Andreoli has written some incredible apps, such as an http server that's less than 1500 bytes in size. You can get X-windows on a second floppy, too. If you want it all (gcc compiler, ssh...), you'll have three floppies to deal with. I've been having lots of fun with this package...and very little bloat.
Could you expand on this? In what way is FreeBSD more rock-solid and tried-and-true than Linux? What is it, specifically, that makes FreeBSD better for this application than Linux? I am currently a Linux user, and want to know if FreeBSD (or any of the other *BSDs) might be better suited to some applications. I also think there are many other users looking for concrete reasons to evaluate free OSes other than Linux.
I think our system is not up to the task of making laws suitable to the current and future technological arena. We're going to need a lot more creative (and therefore possibly dangerous?) thinking in Washington to address this situation, and others...e.g. internet sales taxation, site regulation, etc. I really don't want any of this regulation or taxation, but it's bound to happen somehow...what can we suggest to make it happen is a more positive way?
No, I'm not going to move. And I'm not going to make a distribution, either.
But if I wanted to do what khaOs is doing, I'd have to choose between moving and not doing it. And I am unhappy about it, too. I used to think this was a free country, but when it doesn't allow me to share the product of my intellect even when it doesn't infringe on my neighbors' rights and freedoms...I declare those rights and freedoms to be gone.
Slashdot Mirror
This comment just about sums it up for me. No, I didn't write it.
I would wager that the overwhelming majority of the people yelling bloody murder have not ever written a single line of open source code.
I keep hearing this kind of statement, and I have to wonder why writing code is so critical to defending software freedom?
Okay, if I'm an author and I want my code kept free, I must defend the GPL terms. I can understand that.
But, as a user, I am also just as interested in software freedom. The many eyes keeping watch for security holes, bugs, performance hits, etc. in the free software that I use make it imperative that I defend that software's usage terms! Being unable or uninterested in contributing to a software project has no bearing on my defending my use of it. This is a point that must accepted, nay, embraced by contributors. An elitist attitude on the developers' part will eventually get in the way of progress. Like it or not, the developer community and the user community are one in the same when it comes to defending free software.
I've read nothing but posts saying either 'Corel is violating the GPL (period)' or 'Corel probably made a mistake'. I've decided to check it out for myself. Here's the scoop from:
http://www.corel.com/betaprogram/faq.htm
(Select Portions Follow:)
Corel® LINUX® Beta Q & A
What are the requirements for becoming a beta tester for Corel LINUX?
We will select users based on their experience with Linux®, the diversity of hardware at their disposal and on their software testing experience. In addition, we are reserving spaces for some KDE and Debian developers.
Why isn't Corel putting Corel LINUX on an FTP site for download?
The first version of Corel LINUX is still in the development and testing phase and is not ready for general distribution. Beta testing is part of the development process that Corel is following to ensure that Corel LINUX reaches a suitable level of completeness and stability before it becomes widely available.
How many people will be testing Corel LINUX?
In order to ensure that the beta testing process can be properly administered, we will be limiting the number of registered beta testers for this first round of testing. The exact number of testers has not yet been determined.
Is this testing style in keeping with the spirit of Open Source software distribution?
Yes. The recruitment of outside Beta testers is part of the initial development process of Corel LINUX and will allow Corel to release the first version of Corel LINUX to the general public at an earlier date than would be possible if Corel relied only on its internal testing resources. Once Corel LINUX is ready for general distribution, it will be distributed in accordance with the criteria for Open Source software.
When will Corel release the source code for Corel LINUX?
The source code for Corel LINUX will be available with the first distribution of Corel LINUX.
Will Corel be releasing the source code for applications it has created such as the Corel File Manager?
Corel will be making the source code available for such applications. The exact terms of the license under which the source code will be distributed has not yet been announced.
(end of Corel quote)
Now what do you think?
The Nino has a 75Mhz chip in it. Can I plug it into my fuse box and have it serve as a power consumption controller??
Not without possibly blowing your 30 amp fuse!
8^)
Do you think IBM might be led to release OS/2 source under GPL or similar license?
If so,
-Would anybody want to work with it?
-Would it happen soon enough? (a la GEM desktop, Turbo Pascal, etc, although these aren't GPL)
Hmmmm...
Yeah, I looked them up, too. Interesting thing is the e-mail address listed for the main contact:
[snip]
Domain Name: INTEGRAM.ORG
Administrative Contact:
INTEGRAM (IN601-ORG) no.valid.email@WORLDNIC.NET
703 849 1700
Technical Contact, Zone Contact:
Markle, Chad (CM3763) cmarkle@INTEGRAM1.COM
703-849-1700 (FAX) 703-849-0056
Billing Contact:
INTEGRAM (IN601-ORG) no.valid.email@WORLDNIC.NET
703 849 1700
Record last updated on 03-Sep-99.
Record created on 29-Mar-99.
Database last updated on 15-Sep-99 05:06:04 EDT.
[snip]
(FYI - WorldNIC = Network Solutions)
I wonder if I can get a "no.valid.email@" address on my registration?
The trail of Microsoft-acquired firms looks to me like the images of the road to Basra at the end of the Gulf War.
How long can Microsoft be permitted to buy out anybody and everybody it pleases? Doesn't its position as 'behemoth' and 'dominant' justify extreme scrutiny in each acquisition it makes? I submit that every time Microsoft purchases another software company, it is further strengthening its monopolistic power by reducing the presence of competitors. I feel that Microsoft's dominant market is no longer OSes or Business Suites or server software*...it's just plain SOFTWARE! Let Justice prevail soon...only I doubt the current DOJ will facilitate this.
*for the sake of argument, let's just say NT is dominant.
-- Because you are what we call, in Latin, a "dorkus malorkus".
There's no need to be as ignorant as you are arrogant. If you don't like what you see, don't give them your business. Non-english speakers have to put up with the likes of you all the time, and it isn't pleasant. Not only can you not tolerate some simple spelling mistakes made by someone willing to learn your language for your benefit, but you then proceed to butcher another language (latin, in this case) to call me a "dorkus malorkus," whatever that may be.
I must say, the quality of the crowd here at Slashdot seems more and more like that of the real world -- rude, ignorant, and intolerant.
C'mon, people! Just scroll down the Terms & Conditions page a little further. It's all there, in ENGLISH!
This is a WORLD-WIDE WEB page...English is not everyone's first language, especially in Germany!
I think these cute, cuddly jackass penguins have a right to attend Linux World. In fact, it's practically an obligation.
Therefore, I feel that the proper way to display them is in a refrigerated semi-trailer, with one side made of clear plexiglass, and a nice cool swimming pool stocked with live herring. Also, put a cheapo chaise lounge in there with 'em so that Linus can pose for pictures with a mai-tai in his hand.
Now, that would be the proper way to display those penguins! (IMHO)
Since when does Tux wear a "Blue Tie"?
Ever since IBM came aboard the Linux bandwagon, of course!
I think Microsoft, who saw fit to ignore them for so long, should have used SysRq and Break (or maybe some Fx keys) to perform its special functions required for Windows 9x/NT.
Now we're stuck with embraced/extended hardware with unintelligible icons on them that perform absolutely no function whatsoever in any other OS.
Has anyone found a use for these in Linux or other alternative OSes? Perhaps a good piece of gag software is lying around for these...let me know.
Maybe its time for the federal government to pass laws requiring a minimum standard education, since aparently some states seem to think its enough to just chuck the kids into a building for six or seven hours so their parents can work.
Oh, no! Don't even suggest this! Like any evolutionary trait, this Kansan episode will (hopefully) eventually die out. If we federalize educational requirements, we run the risk of someday having the teaching of evolution removed from federal educational standards. This would make the "repair of defective genes" (genes=policies in this case) far more difficult to effect.
Had the removal of the teaching of evolution occurred at the township, or perhaps county school board level, it is less likely that the impact (e.g. as these > 1000 responses from Slashdot readers) would be felt. The impact of such a policy at the federal level could be catastrophic.
You'd be surprised at how far a half-watt can travel. Lots of amateur radio operators work the world by bouncing signals off the atmosphere's ionized layers at power levels under 10 milliwatts. That'll give you some idea of what range line-of-sight travel through the vacuum of space can achieve.
:-)
And the farther spam travels from earth, the better
Being less knowledgeable on this subject, let me ask the question:
Will future versions of Linux ever require that the "LinModem" driver be updated? In this case, would we not be dependent on the manufacturer for such updates?
If yes, this is a bad thing indeed. Closed source model through and through!
Eschelon Keywords: Allah Semtex Castro Plutonium Pakistan Jihad Fnord Intelsat Yakima Sarin Hezballah Fertilizer Bomb Al-Qaidah RSA Sendero Luminoso Linux
:)
Oh, no!!! Now I know they've been listening in on me!
Why?
May I suggest that you offer us some reason to "check it"? Your post is about as helpful as a spam-o-gram.
There are things to be said about cash... but:
I can't be traced: oh, yeah? Where can you spend a lot of cash and not be traced!
refunds are easy: Where are refunds easy? I always seem to have to show a receipt, show ID, and fill out/sign a form.
and I know if someone's trying to use my money: After they've robbed you, you might know if they're using your money, but you won't know who or where!
Cash and checks are increasingly uncommon in Europe, especially checks. Smart cards may face a hostile environment here in the USA, but Visa and MasterCard at least provide some protections against unauthorized use that might occur. Cash will only be protected by a safe, a gun, the police, or moral behaviour. I say, bring on some smart, technologically intelligent alternatives!
I can buy Babe Ruth rookie cards and use 'em to soak up grease spots under the car. I can buy US flags and burn them in the fireplace. I can buy classic cars and crush them into cubes.
I understand that, very shortly, a constitutional amendment will ban the use of Babe Ruth rookie cards for soaking up grease spots.
Seriously though, a lot of our "rights" have been going down the dumper lately. I'd like to see a law passed that outlawed any campaign contributions from any corporation. After all, corporations can't vote. I think, if passed, the power in Washington DC might stand a chance of reverting back to We The People.
Seems to me that the situation is not really one of ex-post facto laws, but rather one of prima-facia: what looks (on the surface) to be legal is illegal in the context of overall anti-competitive behaviour. In this case, simplified, the defendant may have committed a legal act (such as adding a "warning message" to the operating system code), and another legal act (such as, for example, announcing a vaporware upgrade) which COMBINED TOGETHER constitute a willful and illegal effort to put DR-DOS out of business.
Oh, BTW, I am neither a lawyer nor an expert. But I do (obviously) have an opinion.
The author probably submitted this here in order to gauge /.'ers responses to it. The Slashdot forum is probably the best one around for getting not only criticism, but also emotional feedback. I'm guessing the reason I'm hooked to this site is because I enjoy seeing how my feelings mesh with those of others', whether agreeable or not.
I hope that many more folks are inspired to put their arguments into cohesive articles, and then submit themselves to our relentless commentary. I further hope that those folks gain enough quality feedback to polish the rough ends (where necessary) and place their views where the powers of change can be most effective. Keep up the good work, Russ!
muLinux is probably the most versatile and interesting one-floppy-disk distribution of Linux out there. (Mr.) Michele Andreoli has written some incredible apps, such as an http server that's less than 1500 bytes in size. You can get X-windows on a second floppy, too. If you want it all (gcc compiler, ssh...), you'll have three floppies to deal with. I've been having lots of fun with this package...and very little bloat.
Check it out at www.sunsite.auc.dk/mulinux
Could you expand on this? In what way is FreeBSD more rock-solid and tried-and-true than Linux? What is it, specifically, that makes FreeBSD better for this application than Linux? I am currently a Linux user, and want to know if FreeBSD (or any of the other *BSDs) might be better suited to some applications. I also think there are many other users looking for concrete reasons to evaluate free OSes other than Linux.
I think our system is not up to the task of making laws suitable to the current and future technological arena. We're going to need a lot more creative (and therefore possibly dangerous?) thinking in Washington to address this situation, and others...e.g. internet sales taxation, site regulation, etc. I really don't want any of this regulation or taxation, but it's bound to happen somehow...what can we suggest to make it happen is a more positive way?
No, I'm not going to move. And I'm not going to make a distribution, either.
But if I wanted to do what khaOs is doing, I'd have to choose between moving and not doing it. And I am unhappy about it, too. I used to think this was a free country, but when it doesn't allow me to share the product of my intellect even when it doesn't infringe on my neighbors' rights and freedoms...I declare those rights and freedoms to be gone.