I would just like to point out that this would be the same thing as stereotyping, say, dogs as having 4 legs or somesuch... You have a point, but then again, what term did the hellmouth series use to describe this group?
I admit I personally do not terribly like the label "geek", but it seems to have stuck to "programmers" and "network administrators" (of the type who do it for reasons other than the money!)
Personally, I read this article with horrified disgust. I can think of a few things worse I've read, but not by many. This seems like the furtherment of human devolution to me.
Then again, I am also noticing that slashdot is becoming a real nexus. I would be much less than surprised if much of the new world order which is slowly emerging will come from sources like this. (if you don't realize what I mean, do a quick review of economics and then look at the implications of opensource. Then think about opensource nanoassemblers. Scary thought, eh?)
Anyways, I've rambled, but my point is just that soon we will have the total convergence, of not just technology, but of everything. I'm talking total virtual reality, and in a way that young people can find their own information and formulate their own reasoning. (note: I'm not just a dreamer, I'm an experienced 3D programmer who does the precursor to this type of thing for a living.)
Okay, so WHAT does this have to do with the topic at hand? Well, I just think that we are about to see the day where these unfounded stereotypes vanish. Suddenly the people who were "geeks" before will become the icons of popular culture. Imagine a fully virtual place with the connectivity of the Internet. I'm not talking VRML either, but true VR. Who will be able to build amazing structures and make amazing constructs? Who will be best able to make a "unique" signature? Interesting, eh?
Oh well, I fear that I've disgressed too far, oh well, don't blame me, it's the sleep deprivation... Enough goofing off, I have work to get done, (a 3D rendering system...)
GOOD CALL! Oh, and don't nuke WinNT CD's either, they crash your microwave (forget the link...). If I had any moderator points this one would be going up...
Just wanted to point out that Canada is overall more wired than the US. And we dont have any "internet decency" censorship laws either. So I vote Canada. I'm typing this on DSL right now from a rather small little place that SHOULDNT have DSL at all, but DOES.
Unrealistic? I can personally verify that this technology not only exists, but that it is FAR more advanced than they showed on that movie. It only looks unrealistic because it has not been released to the general public.
It's only when we combine them collecting personal information and unique hardware ID's that we can truly be scared.
Um, between Passport and the PIII chip.... I think it may be time to be truly scared already.
Mind you, I refuse to enter my info on a MS page, and I will never buy a PIII chip, or even accept one for free. You would need to pay ME to use one...
Maybe this makes no difference, me being a Canadian and all, but I want to fight it too. The last thing in the world I want is for this to pass. I mean, sure I'm fairly high up in my company, enough to make some decisions, but everybody here is against it. We make a mix of opensource stuff too, (we know the value). Either way though, it is just plain wrong!!!
If somebody does not soon oppose this stuff, then the US is going to become either a dictatorship or (worse) a corporate state. The last thing I want is to be neighbors with such a place. Maybe I'm paranoid, but its getting too obvious now.
Those of you who don't get what I'm saying, imagine this: Microsoft decides to put all available resources into PURCHASING AOL. When they succeed, they go after the phone companies (being a logical step in the communications infrastructure) or they just start competing directly with "internet based" telephony. When they see that Intel has jumped ship, they buy out some small company in hard times (like AMD or Cyrix) (not really small I know but this IS microsoft) and start making their own chips. Sorry, but so far that sounds a lot like a corporate state to me!
Recompile libc every time you compile your program? WHY? That isnt what I was saying AT ALL. No, imagine having to completely recompile all programs at each window server build. Like you have to during many of the changes in Windows (just try running a win95 OSR1 program on NT4. Sure it works, but is it STABLE?)
Have you ever upgraded your libc? Never EVER had to recompile programs for GLIBC2.0 instead of LIBC5? Or GLIBC2.1 instead of GLIBC2.0?
I happen to know a fair amount about dynamic and shared library linking and loading. I wrote the entirety of the DLX Dynamic Linker for DOS/DJGPP/GNU32. I have written proprietary ones as well.
While I admit that XWindows DOES certainly slow some applications down considerably, IMX the MITSHM extension helps considerably and the DGA extension is very powerful. Discounting the extensions simply is NOT fair. How would the Win95 graphics stand up without DirectX? How is DX different from DGA (implementation details aside). Granted, DGA is simply a framebuffer interface stub, but GGI runs just fine on it.
Also, the new XFree86 4.0 comes with the new DRI, "Direct Rendering Interface". While I admit that my understanding of this new feature is limited, it is supposed to allow the XServer to communicate directly with the system libraries (the X11 libs and GLX).
True, but this is merely a design hurdle. The thing to note here is that transaction speed is not really mission-critical, if it takes half a second to complete a transaction, then that is fine. A bunch of dedicated file servers with partial databases set up to use a network hash table (certain database keys on certain systems) on a very high bandwidth backbone could drive quite a lot of transactions. While it would be a "modified Beowulf" or some such, a scheme like this would work quite well.
As long as there was not one huge shared database, of course. And to dump old databases to semi-offline storage, a second backbone could be installed in these file servers to push the data onto backup servers, which would merge the databases again, and write them out. A lot of investment in hardware, but much less than a similar proprietary system.
Sorry, I didn't mean to make such a crass generalization, I wrote that at 2:00 AM. What I meant to say is that it is much HARDER to catch up, and that, unless somebody is VERY motivated, they probably will not.
Huh? RPM is unable to do anything more than rudimentary from the command-line? Since when?
I use RPM all the time, write my own.spec files, turn.tgz archives into rpm's, use its very powerful database query system. I even have some scripts to perform common tasks.
Anyway, if you want to edit the registry on an NT box from the command-line, it should be quite simple with a little hack 10-liner program. (A CLI regedit basically).
>When I have kids, I'll give them a computer with a command line interface, and if they are interested in learning to use it, I will teach them. Then, when they get to be teenagers, they can have their GUI. That ought to be interesting.
Good idea actually. I learned on a C-128. No GUI unless you could use the CLI.
One point that should be made: DO NOT LET THEM PLAY ENDLESS HOURS OF COMPUTER GAMES WITHOUT CONDITIONS. When I was 5 on my C128, the condition was "1 hour programming, then 1 hour games". Actually, after I wrote "hello world" and "count to 100", I took to programming and the reality became more like "4 hours programming, 10 minutes games." to the point where I needed my own machine. But this WORKS.
Of course, if they can't stand programming, then they need to find something else to do;) Actually any other PRODUCTIVE computer thing could be substituted here too if it mattered. Typing practice or graphics programs come to mind.
Can I ever post to/. without rambling? I wonder... Ah, 2:14AM, no wonder...
This is a fairly good point right here. Children can NOT "catch up" as well as if they had a computer there the whole time. I got my first computer at age 5 and started programming then. Right now I'm a senior software engineer at age 17. Granted Nanosoft is not that big, but it still counts. I have a deep understanding of them, which I simply could NOT have gotten later in life. I can recite almost all of the powers of two all the way up to 2^20 without breaking off. I got started on a Commodore 128 myself, but I think that starting a kid nowadays on a C64 would be unfair.
Actually, a full PC system could EASILY be given to a child (as long as they were CAREFUL with it physically of course). The only thing to watch would be internet access.
But the question about internet access is if it really is harmful. Truth be told, if the parents were not so lazy, children would not be negatively influenced by the internet. And I'm not talking censorship either. All it takes is a firm ethical and moral standpoint to be taught to the children. This is NOT impossible.
I admit that I got the internet fairly early. I could poke at it from other peoples machines about age 13 or so, but the lack of a real connection for me was very isolating. So (I should have posted this as an AC) around 14 years old I hacked a feed myself and got in that way. Not something I'm terribly proud of, but necessary. But when I got on the internet, I intentionally avoided all "sick" or "off" sites, all objectionable material. It didn't take somebody watching me, it didn't take a filter, I just screened it myself.
If you think kids have no self control, ask yourselves: WHY NOT?
If parenting was taken more seriously, this would not be an issue.
Wow, I ranted longer than I thought.... Ah well...
Strange, they said that it wouldnt be good for large volume transactions. Isn't this exactly the sort of task that works really well concurrently? It seems to be the perfect candidate, lots of non-interconnected tasks, perfect for multiple execution.
It wastes some. It goes as much as 5 to 10% slower because of it. That is about it. However, the benefits are well worth it. Imagine all the recompile cycles needed if all the programs were dynamically linked to the server (like Windows does). Ouch...
I can say for a fact that I do. In fact, the reason I played Quake at all was that QuakeC was fun to code in. I made entire episodes for DOOM, even doing some EXE hacking using DehackeD and later I even ported the Linuxdoom sources back to DOS.
Of course, my sig might explain why... But opensource was how I learned enough to earn it.
Slashdot Mirror
I admit I personally do not terribly like the label "geek", but it seems to have stuck to "programmers" and "network administrators" (of the type who do it for reasons other than the money!)
Personally, I read this article with horrified disgust. I can think of a few things worse I've read, but not by many. This seems like the furtherment of human devolution to me.
Then again, I am also noticing that slashdot is becoming a real nexus. I would be much less than surprised if much of the new world order which is slowly emerging will come from sources like this. (if you don't realize what I mean, do a quick review of economics and then look at the implications of opensource. Then think about opensource nanoassemblers. Scary thought, eh?)
Anyways, I've rambled, but my point is just that soon we will have the total convergence, of not just technology, but of everything. I'm talking total virtual reality, and in a way that young people can find their own information and formulate their own reasoning. (note: I'm not just a dreamer, I'm an experienced 3D programmer who does the precursor to this type of thing for a living.)
Okay, so WHAT does this have to do with the topic at hand? Well, I just think that we are about to see the day where these unfounded stereotypes vanish. Suddenly the people who were "geeks" before will become the icons of popular culture. Imagine a fully virtual place with the connectivity of the Internet. I'm not talking VRML either, but true VR. Who will be able to build amazing structures and make amazing constructs? Who will be best able to make a "unique" signature? Interesting, eh?
Oh well, I fear that I've disgressed too far, oh well, don't blame me, it's the sleep deprivation... Enough goofing off, I have work to get done, (a 3D rendering system...)
GOOD CALL! Oh, and don't nuke WinNT CD's either, they crash your microwave (forget the link...). If I had any moderator points this one would be going up...
Just wondered, if her E-Mail may have been sent from a non-MS platform... Probably not, but you never know.
Just wanted to point out that Canada is overall more wired than the US. And we dont have any "internet decency" censorship laws either. So I vote Canada. I'm typing this on DSL right now from a rather small little place that SHOULDNT have DSL at all, but DOES.
Yes you can block the serial number, and then it can be unblocked again. Interesting....
Unrealistic? I can personally verify that this technology not only exists, but that it is FAR more advanced than they showed on that movie. It only looks unrealistic because it has not been released to the general public.
Um, between Passport and the PIII chip.... I think it may be time to be truly scared already.
Mind you, I refuse to enter my info on a MS page, and I will never buy a PIII chip, or even accept one for free. You would need to pay ME to use one...
You had bellies? Why, in my day we had to transmute the shape of our outer cell walls!!
Personally I have an old IBM terminal with a REALLY nice keyboard. It has 24 function keys! Personally I want 36 or so...
I also would like a few dozen more keys all around the keyboard, like another 12 or so on the left and another 12 or so on the right.
256-key keyboards anybody? (hey I wonder if this idea is MARKETABLE??? HRM....)
If somebody does not soon oppose this stuff, then the US is going to become either a dictatorship or (worse) a corporate state. The last thing I want is to be neighbors with such a place. Maybe I'm paranoid, but its getting too obvious now.
Those of you who don't get what I'm saying, imagine this: Microsoft decides to put all available resources into PURCHASING AOL. When they succeed, they go after the phone companies (being a logical step in the communications infrastructure) or they just start competing directly with "internet based" telephony. When they see that Intel has jumped ship, they buy out some small company in hard times (like AMD or Cyrix) (not really small I know but this IS microsoft) and start making their own chips. Sorry, but so far that sounds a lot like a corporate state to me!
If I'm off, excuse me its late.
Have you ever upgraded your libc? Never EVER had to recompile programs for GLIBC2.0 instead of LIBC5? Or GLIBC2.1 instead of GLIBC2.0?
I happen to know a fair amount about dynamic and shared library linking and loading. I wrote the entirety of the DLX Dynamic Linker for DOS/DJGPP/GNU32. I have written proprietary ones as well.
While I admit that XWindows DOES certainly slow some applications down considerably, IMX the MITSHM extension helps considerably and the DGA extension is very powerful. Discounting the extensions simply is NOT fair. How would the Win95 graphics stand up without DirectX? How is DX different from DGA (implementation details aside). Granted, DGA is simply a framebuffer interface stub, but GGI runs just fine on it.
Also, the new XFree86 4.0 comes with the new DRI, "Direct Rendering Interface". While I admit that my understanding of this new feature is limited, it is supposed to allow the XServer to communicate directly with the system libraries (the X11 libs and GLX).
As long as there was not one huge shared database, of course. And to dump old databases to semi-offline storage, a second backbone could be installed in these file servers to push the data onto backup servers, which would merge the databases again, and write them out. A lot of investment in hardware, but much less than a similar proprietary system.
Sorry, I didn't mean to make such a crass generalization, I wrote that at 2:00 AM. What I meant to say is that it is much HARDER to catch up, and that, unless somebody is VERY motivated, they probably will not.
I use RPM all the time, write my own .spec files, turn .tgz archives into rpm's, use its very powerful database query system. I even have some scripts to perform common tasks.
Anyway, if you want to edit the registry on an NT box from the command-line, it should be quite simple with a little hack 10-liner program. (A CLI regedit basically).
You're joking, right? This sounds like one of those "Society Against Technology" scams that runs on the Internet. Only an AC could post such trash.
Good idea actually. I learned on a C-128. No GUI unless you could use the CLI.
One point that should be made: DO NOT LET THEM PLAY ENDLESS HOURS OF COMPUTER GAMES WITHOUT CONDITIONS. When I was 5 on my C128, the condition was "1 hour programming, then 1 hour games". Actually, after I wrote "hello world" and "count to 100", I took to programming and the reality became more like "4 hours programming, 10 minutes games." to the point where I needed my own machine. But this WORKS.
Of course, if they can't stand programming, then they need to find something else to do ;) Actually any other PRODUCTIVE computer thing could be substituted here too if it mattered. Typing practice or graphics programs come to mind.
Can I ever post to /. without rambling? I wonder... Ah, 2:14AM, no wonder...
Actually, a full PC system could EASILY be given to a child (as long as they were CAREFUL with it physically of course). The only thing to watch would be internet access.
But the question about internet access is if it really is harmful. Truth be told, if the parents were not so lazy, children would not be negatively influenced by the internet. And I'm not talking censorship either. All it takes is a firm ethical and moral standpoint to be taught to the children. This is NOT impossible.
I admit that I got the internet fairly early. I could poke at it from other peoples machines about age 13 or so, but the lack of a real connection for me was very isolating. So (I should have posted this as an AC) around 14 years old I hacked a feed myself and got in that way. Not something I'm terribly proud of, but necessary. But when I got on the internet, I intentionally avoided all "sick" or "off" sites, all objectionable material. It didn't take somebody watching me, it didn't take a filter, I just screened it myself.
If you think kids have no self control, ask yourselves: WHY NOT?
If parenting was taken more seriously, this would not be an issue.
Wow, I ranted longer than I thought.... Ah well...
Strange, they said that it wouldnt be good for large volume transactions. Isn't this exactly the sort of task that works really well concurrently? It seems to be the perfect candidate, lots of non-interconnected tasks, perfect for multiple execution.
It wastes some. It goes as much as 5 to 10% slower because of it. That is about it. However, the benefits are well worth it. Imagine all the recompile cycles needed if all the programs were dynamically linked to the server (like Windows does). Ouch...
I can say for a fact that I do. In fact, the reason I played Quake at all was that QuakeC was fun to code in. I made entire episodes for DOOM, even doing some EXE hacking using DehackeD and later I even ported the Linuxdoom sources back to DOS.
Of course, my sig might explain why... But opensource was how I learned enough to earn it.