.Net is an innovation even though it is obviously inspired by java. If you think all MS code is registry entries and 3rd party plugins then you are truly clueless.
I wouldn't make a habit of commenting on things you know nothing about (or ever used)...
Sure, I see your point that movies special effects dudes come out with new stuff every year to top last year's hits, but we're talking about a graphics engine. Already, we are seeing how other types of related technologies are playing a role in the evolution of special effects. For example: MASSIVE (AI) and the Matrix's new technology (Realistic Animated Texture Creation) -- not the graphics engine itself. Carmack's not talking realistic character movement or physics or how to take real-life photography into 3d animation. A 3d graphics engine is like a camera and once the engines are good enough, there will not be the yearly imperative to upgrade them anymore, there will be other related technologies to work on (texture creation, physics, AI, etc).
Even if you don't buy this argument, look at the rest of the history of software development. Programmers used to have to build their own file systems, databases, network libraries, and on and on and now we just use whatever is included on a given platform, filling in where necessary. 3D Graphics will be no different.
Ever heard of Mono? Ever heard of Apache.Net?
You need to do some more homework....MS only implemented.Net on their platform, but other groups are doing so on other platforms.
Many know the quote:
1 death is a tragedy, a million death is a statistic.
It's interesting that so many think a hundred thousand deaths by nuclear weapons is more of a tragedy than millions of deaths by conventional warfare.
Death == Death. Ike killed a hundred thousand to save millions and that is an arguably moral position.
The US isn't a democray where every citizen has equal decision-making power -- It's a republic where the citizens elect representatives to determine law/government action.
If our elected officials decide that they need to keep these kinds of secrets from us, that is their legal right. If you don't like the people making these decisions, then elect others.
The US has never been nor never will be a democracy because it 1) doesn't work (See: Rome vs. Greece), 2) is too difficult to implement and 3) is impractical because urgent matters could not be decided quickly.
It paints.Net with broad, heavy-handed brush strokes talking much about the political ramifications (read: FUD) on software development and leaves very little room, leaving little room for technical discussion. The author often compares.Net with other platforms, showing what those lack instead of giving you a big, independent picture of.Net itself. Bottomline: this is for managers, not developers.
As a programmer who's used.Net for nearly a year now and have watched programmers around me learn it, I can safely say that the best way to learn.Net is to learn it with a.Net language (C#, VB.Net, etc). While the libraries (FCL) are language-independent, you really can't get a grasp of the concepts till you start coding. So, instead of this near-worthless book, I would recommend picking a.Net language and learning.Net alongside with it.
The O'Reilly C# book is by far the best one I've read so far (out of 8 books).
Slashdot Mirror
One of the best adventure games I ever played. Monkey Island I/II and Space Quest I beats it by just a hair though.
.Net is an innovation even though it is obviously inspired by java. If you think all MS code is registry entries and 3rd party plugins then you are truly clueless. I wouldn't make a habit of commenting on things you know nothing about (or ever used) ...
Sure, I see your point that movies special effects dudes come out with new stuff every year to top last year's hits, but we're talking about a graphics engine. Already, we are seeing how other types of related technologies are playing a role in the evolution of special effects. For example: MASSIVE (AI) and the Matrix's new technology (Realistic Animated Texture Creation) -- not the graphics engine itself. Carmack's not talking realistic character movement or physics or how to take real-life photography into 3d animation. A 3d graphics engine is like a camera and once the engines are good enough, there will not be the yearly imperative to upgrade them anymore, there will be other related technologies to work on (texture creation, physics, AI, etc).
Even if you don't buy this argument, look at the rest of the history of software development. Programmers used to have to build their own file systems, databases, network libraries, and on and on and now we just use whatever is included on a given platform, filling in where necessary. 3D Graphics will be no different.
I went to your website, Andy, and all I got to say is I hope you have some other hobbies...
Ha ha! Another creative Bush joke! You make me piss my pants with laughter!
Ever heard of Mono? Ever heard of Apache.Net? You need to do some more homework....MS only implemented .Net on their platform, but other groups are doing so on other platforms.
We Canadians are geniuses...
Now, let's not get carried away...
Many know the quote: 1 death is a tragedy, a million death is a statistic. It's interesting that so many think a hundred thousand deaths by nuclear weapons is more of a tragedy than millions of deaths by conventional warfare. Death == Death. Ike killed a hundred thousand to save millions and that is an arguably moral position.
The US isn't a democray where every citizen has equal decision-making power -- It's a republic where the citizens elect representatives to determine law/government action. If our elected officials decide that they need to keep these kinds of secrets from us, that is their legal right. If you don't like the people making these decisions, then elect others. The US has never been nor never will be a democracy because it 1) doesn't work (See: Rome vs. Greece), 2) is too difficult to implement and 3) is impractical because urgent matters could not be decided quickly.
It paints .Net with broad, heavy-handed brush strokes talking much about the political ramifications (read: FUD) on software development and leaves very little room, leaving little room for technical discussion. The author often compares .Net with other platforms, showing what those lack instead of giving you a big, independent picture of .Net itself. Bottomline: this is for managers, not developers.
As a programmer who's used .Net for nearly a year now and have watched programmers around me learn it, I can safely say that the best way to learn .Net is to learn it with a .Net language (C#, VB.Net, etc). While the libraries (FCL) are language-independent, you really can't get a grasp of the concepts till you start coding. So, instead of this near-worthless book, I would recommend picking a .Net language and learning .Net alongside with it.
The O'Reilly C# book is by far the best one I've read so far (out of 8 books).