The main thing I recall about AOL and AIM are the hundreds and hundreds of floppies and later on cds that would appear in the mail or in every magazine on the news stand (even completely non computer oriented ones).
We used to have contests to find innovative uses for our AOL disk stashes. The floppies made great coffee coasters (they made for a good and free supply of floppies too for the unimaginative, just format and store something REALLY useful on them):) Later on the CDs made Christmas tree ornaments and they could be melted and warped into a number of interesting and light catching shapes. CD's also made great coffee coasters, even better than the floppies.
You mean to tell me that intelligent people used to actually USE the software to communicate? Really?;)
While it would be a nice feature if your phone company were required to notify you of overages (a smart carrier could make this a real value ad to their plans) and I don't disagree with the concept that the overage charges are way out of line given the amount they charge for your normal usage...
Whatever happened to adults being responsible to watch their spending? Is your bank required to notify you when the money in your checking account is getting low or are you expected to stop writing check/using the debit card when you are out of money? With a cell phone you are spending minutes/megs of data/number of texts. Why is that so different?
I have to say that as a parent with kids on a family plan I had to flat out laugh at the recent commercials from one of the major carriers... in particular one where the family is pleading for help from the superheros because their daughter "won't stop texting"... now I'm all for finding a better plan with a better price or more features etc... BUT if your kid is texting you into the poor house and "won't stop texting when you tell them to" the solution to that is... ready??? TAKE AWAY THEIR PHONE!!!! GASP! What a radical idea!!!
Just my humble opinion!
This article makes me wonder if any OS is really properly optimized for SSDs. Has there been any analysis as to whether or not windows machines properly optimize the use of solid state disks? Perhaps the problem goes beyond just linux?
The place you describe sounds like the company I work for. A former telecom related company that went through a bankruptcy due to fraud and then was bought out and merged with another big player who shall remain nameless for the purpose of this post.
At any rate I understand your position completely and would recommend to you that you check out guru.com . They post requests for freelance development work and you can post your qualifications as a freelancer there as well. They also help with setting things up to make it more likely you will actually get paid, which is always a good thing when you are doing freelance development. They have varying levels including a free account which is all I have ever needed to use.
I wonder how this survey counts web applications with a browser front end and a mysql/php backend or applications written in java as well as other software development that is purposely not targeted for any specific platform? It is heartening to see linux gaining share but more and more it is possible to code not for a specific platform but rather to requirements in a platform agnostic manner.
It seems to me that this is as much an embarrassment for Oracle as it is for SAP. Don't they have that "unbreakable" os and software there?:) I guess no matter how secure your software is, if your human personel place your intellectual property on a web server or connect it into your network to the same subnet as the web server you still have huge security holes!
Outeright illegal search and seizure, total abuse of power, taking away civil liberties and being above the law, flying folks off to foreign torture centers for "interrogation" without due process, lying about "WMD's" Spying on American Citizens...
Will someone with the initials ML PLEASE give this president some oral sex so impeachment procedures can begin?
This bozo, though appearing as the true moron he is here in our informed corner of the world, actually has an idea that makes sense to the various and sundry marketing droids that listen to his CRAP! The general public and consumer at large will go on accepting it up the wazoo because they don't know any better and the name change will act like lube for the DRM insertion into their rectum.
No, I'm sure a name change won't cure all ills or be as successful as this A$$ thinks it will be however, it will fool a higher percentage of the general populace than we would like to believe.
Not taking this from any "bias laden article" or slashdot post but from my own personal experience.
Two years ago I replaced windows as the os on my wife's computer with ubuntu linux. She was hesitant at first but I was at a point where I had to reformat to clean her system up anyhow (again) and I assured her if she did not like it I could re-install windows easily enough. Around the same time we provided my mother in law with a slightly older windows machine for her to use for web browsing and email. Have there been security flaws reported against the linux kernel and applications since then? You bet! How much patching have i done? NONE! My wife's machine is still purring along, no spyware, malware, virii, no noticeable slowdown in performance, rarely rebooting (usually only because the power went out). Not a problem.
Twice a month i need to make the trip to my mother-in-law's house to clean her system using spybot and adaware and make sure her virus scanner is up to date otherwise her machine becomes totally unusable. Her machine is setup to autoupdate with the patches from microsoft.
Bias? Is there bias on this site? you bet! Why? Because the people on this site are aware that there ARE alternatives to microsoft crap!
My wife now knows the difference, my mother-in-law? well for her it is the way things are with computers...
When Microsoft comes up with an os that can stay connected to the internet for 2 years without being laden with so much crap as to become totally useless MAYBE i'll change my tune! Until then, take your whining elsewhere!
Increasingly I find myself spending more and more time on the phone with friends and relatives helping them cope with the latest Microsoft Security hole. Would you REALLy want to fly off into space in a Microsoft Rocket Ship? How many versions of their ship would it take before they concluded that Screen Doors just don't seem to work in the vacuum of space?
One other HUGE difference between SCO and the RIAA/MPAA though their tactics are dispicable and beyond disgusting, the latter two actually do own proveable and legitamate copyright to the works they are suing over. SCO doesn't even come close to owning anything other than their fantasies!
In support of our fearless PJ of Groklaw Fame, I must concur with her disgust at the recent release of the Sun Java Desktop System. I am the recipient of one of thyeir evaluation CD packages. Nothing, and I mean absolutely NOTHING on their packaging mentions GNU, the GPL or Linux in any way shape or form. In fine print on the back of the CD jacket is the statement that portions of the software found on the CD are under licenses from Sun, Bsd, and other licenses. For a GNU/Linux distro not to mention either GNU OR Linux when that is the bulk of the software provided is absolutely rediculous!
As the live cd boots, for a brief, and I do mean brief less than 1 second flash on an almost non-existant command prompt as the graphical environment takes over the words GNU/Linux flash on the screen if you look for it closely. Took me three boots to even notice it! Next there is a draconian EULA that appears to have been written, if I didn't know better, with great help from Microsoft as restrictive as it is. It even explicitly forbids copying the eval live cd to share with others. This is the first Linux live distro I have EVER seen with such a restriction. Perhaps the ability to write such draconian EULAs was a portion of the "technologies" that Sun is cross licensing from Micro$oft?
In the EULA there is absolutely NO mention of the GPL in any way shape or form other than a pointer to a directory in which you can find some "various other licenses" that may apply to certain portions of the software provided on the CD. It takes some real searching to find a copy of the GPL on that disk. I am sure that Sun's (M$'s?) lawyers have made sure that they complied to the strict letter of compliance with the GPL but they have not even come close to compliance with the spirit!
I am thoroughly disgusted with the lengths to which Sun has gone to obliterate and hide the true roots of their "Java Desktop System".
Excuse me!!!??? Hey, when the Mafia sells you protection it is a real product, your store doesn't get trashed. When SCO sells you anything it opens you up to being trashed. Remember according to SCO's own announced policy, "Contracts are things you use against people with whom you have relationships!
It should be abundantly clear to any business running SCO products that to do so presents a high degree of risk! While I am sure that Daimler and Auto Zone can handle the likes of their carefully worded suits from SCO, perhaps it is time to offer some help for small and medium sized businesses who feel the growing need to migrate away from SCO products to Linux. I for one would be happy to help setup Linux servers and networking for any companies in the central Colorado area. Perhaps we could all find our local LUG's and get them involved in such a project as a community service.
Just a thought here, perhaps this would show the kind of positive, forward thinking and dedicated group we really are!
While I would not put it past the SCOurge of the earth to have written this self attacking virus/worm themselves, certainly their ethics (lack thereof) would not seem to prevent such a thing, I honetly can't see there still being anyone working for SCO with the ability to write such a program and have it be successful. Do they even still employ software engineers/developers at all? If they indeed do, what on earth do they do all day long given that SCO hasd produced absolutely nothing original in terms of product for some time now?
I am with the camp that believe the SCO DDoS is a diversionary tactic by those who wrote the program in order to divert attention from it's true purpose (which would likely be the creation of controllable zombie machines).
While I would have to agree that linux is not quite as simple to use as a typical windows machine, I think the biggest thing preventing linux from being accepted is the lack of pre-installation on store bought machines.
Think about what would happen if you gave the average desktop user, not technical user now but simply someone who wants to use a word processor, send and receive email and browse the web, a computer with a blank hard drive and a windows OS cd. If windows did not come pre-installed would it be the desktop of choice for average users?
I have friends and relatives who would never have used Linux if not for someone to help them through the install process but after setting up the basics they find it every bit as easy to use as a Windows OS. I honestly believe that if Linux pre-instralls were as available as Windows, we would see a much higher rate of adoption on the desktop.
Trolltech (a Canopy Company) discontinues free QT... oh yes, big surprise there!!! The thought of using anything remotely involved with Canopy (the parent holding company for SCO) for free under the GPL is actually pretty funny!
IMHO Linux is reaching the point where people are going to begin to seriously consider it as a possible replacement for their desktop users. Not on a sweeping company wide basis for the most part but as a gradual thing. For example, where I work there are quite of few of us in development that prefer to use Linux as our desktop OS. Companies will want support for their desktop os as much as they will for their enterprise server os. Though I am perfectly happy supporting my own desktop, as the Linux os migrates beyond the tech savy, that will not be the case with everyone in the company.
There is definitely a need, in the desktop os area, for a supported version such as RedHat 8, 9, etc was. Corporations are not going to typically chose RedHat Enterprise as their server side os and obtain a different support contract for machines that don't need to run enterprise server. This, in my opinion, will be a major downfall to Red Hat's decision.
Again, just one man's opinion, but an educated opinion based on real world first hand experience!
Ok Microsoft, you had plenty of notice ahead of time that Apple was going to release the iTunes Music Service on the Windows platform. So, you believe it is restircted and a bad choice? Then I challenge you, Microsoft, to bring to market a truly OPEN system with a better selection. It is easy to criticise, give us something better, something that doesn't force us to use Microsoft proprietary media formats, something that really allows us to use our music puchases as we should be able to use something that we bought and OWN.
I'd say that Apple has done an excellent job of mixing ease of use and purchase with reasonable restrictions to satisfy the music companies. So, if you can't SHOW us a truly open choice that is better, keep your FUD to yourselves!
Really. Did they figure that one out themselves or do they have a team of monkeys working on this around the clock?
Perhaps the mystery team of MIT mathematicians from SCO worked this all out, after all they seem to have completely disappeared from the face of the earth, perhaps this math problem is what has had them occupied!:)
Slashdot Mirror
The main thing I recall about AOL and AIM are the hundreds and hundreds of floppies and later on cds that would appear in the mail or in every magazine on the news stand (even completely non computer oriented ones). We used to have contests to find innovative uses for our AOL disk stashes. The floppies made great coffee coasters (they made for a good and free supply of floppies too for the unimaginative, just format and store something REALLY useful on them) :) Later on the CDs made Christmas tree ornaments and they could be melted and warped into a number of interesting and light catching shapes. CD's also made great coffee coasters, even better than the floppies.
You mean to tell me that intelligent people used to actually USE the software to communicate? Really? ;)
While it would be a nice feature if your phone company were required to notify you of overages (a smart carrier could make this a real value ad to their plans) and I don't disagree with the concept that the overage charges are way out of line given the amount they charge for your normal usage... Whatever happened to adults being responsible to watch their spending? Is your bank required to notify you when the money in your checking account is getting low or are you expected to stop writing check/using the debit card when you are out of money? With a cell phone you are spending minutes/megs of data/number of texts. Why is that so different? I have to say that as a parent with kids on a family plan I had to flat out laugh at the recent commercials from one of the major carriers... in particular one where the family is pleading for help from the superheros because their daughter "won't stop texting"... now I'm all for finding a better plan with a better price or more features etc... BUT if your kid is texting you into the poor house and "won't stop texting when you tell them to" the solution to that is... ready??? TAKE AWAY THEIR PHONE!!!! GASP! What a radical idea!!! Just my humble opinion!
Where I work this is referred to as the infamous ID-ten-T issue!
This article makes me wonder if any OS is really properly optimized for SSDs. Has there been any analysis as to whether or not windows machines properly optimize the use of solid state disks? Perhaps the problem goes beyond just linux?
At any rate I understand your position completely and would recommend to you that you check out guru.com . They post requests for freelance development work and you can post your qualifications as a freelancer there as well. They also help with setting things up to make it more likely you will actually get paid, which is always a good thing when you are doing freelance development. They have varying levels including a free account which is all I have ever needed to use.
Hope this helps, happy hunting.
I wonder how this survey counts web applications with a browser front end and a mysql/php backend or applications written in java as well as other software development that is purposely not targeted for any specific platform? It is heartening to see linux gaining share but more and more it is possible to code not for a specific platform but rather to requirements in a platform agnostic manner.
It seems to me that this is as much an embarrassment for Oracle as it is for SAP. Don't they have that "unbreakable" os and software there? :) I guess no matter how secure your software is, if your human personel place your intellectual property on a web server or connect it into your network to the same subnet as the web server you still have huge security holes!
Outeright illegal search and seizure, total abuse of power, taking away civil liberties and being above the law, flying folks off to foreign torture centers for "interrogation" without due process, lying about "WMD's" Spying on American Citizens... Will someone with the initials ML PLEASE give this president some oral sex so impeachment procedures can begin?
This bozo, though appearing as the true moron he is here in our informed corner of the world, actually has an idea that makes sense to the various and sundry marketing droids that listen to his CRAP! The general public and consumer at large will go on accepting it up the wazoo because they don't know any better and the name change will act like lube for the DRM insertion into their rectum. No, I'm sure a name change won't cure all ills or be as successful as this A$$ thinks it will be however, it will fool a higher percentage of the general populace than we would like to believe.
Not taking this from any "bias laden article" or slashdot post but from my own personal experience. Two years ago I replaced windows as the os on my wife's computer with ubuntu linux. She was hesitant at first but I was at a point where I had to reformat to clean her system up anyhow (again) and I assured her if she did not like it I could re-install windows easily enough. Around the same time we provided my mother in law with a slightly older windows machine for her to use for web browsing and email. Have there been security flaws reported against the linux kernel and applications since then? You bet! How much patching have i done? NONE! My wife's machine is still purring along, no spyware, malware, virii, no noticeable slowdown in performance, rarely rebooting (usually only because the power went out). Not a problem. Twice a month i need to make the trip to my mother-in-law's house to clean her system using spybot and adaware and make sure her virus scanner is up to date otherwise her machine becomes totally unusable. Her machine is setup to autoupdate with the patches from microsoft. Bias? Is there bias on this site? you bet! Why? Because the people on this site are aware that there ARE alternatives to microsoft crap! My wife now knows the difference, my mother-in-law? well for her it is the way things are with computers... When Microsoft comes up with an os that can stay connected to the internet for 2 years without being laden with so much crap as to become totally useless MAYBE i'll change my tune! Until then, take your whining elsewhere!
One other HUGE difference between SCO and the RIAA/MPAA though their tactics are dispicable and beyond disgusting, the latter two actually do own proveable and legitamate copyright to the works they are suing over. SCO doesn't even come close to owning anything other than their fantasies!
As the live cd boots, for a brief, and I do mean brief less than 1 second flash on an almost non-existant command prompt as the graphical environment takes over the words GNU/Linux flash on the screen if you look for it closely. Took me three boots to even notice it! Next there is a draconian EULA that appears to have been written, if I didn't know better, with great help from Microsoft as restrictive as it is. It even explicitly forbids copying the eval live cd to share with others. This is the first Linux live distro I have EVER seen with such a restriction. Perhaps the ability to write such draconian EULAs was a portion of the "technologies" that Sun is cross licensing from Micro$oft?
In the EULA there is absolutely NO mention of the GPL in any way shape or form other than a pointer to a directory in which you can find some "various other licenses" that may apply to certain portions of the software provided on the CD. It takes some real searching to find a copy of the GPL on that disk. I am sure that Sun's (M$'s?) lawyers have made sure that they complied to the strict letter of compliance with the GPL but they have not even come close to compliance with the spirit!
I am thoroughly disgusted with the lengths to which Sun has gone to obliterate and hide the true roots of their "Java Desktop System".
DM: Pssst, hey buddy, come'ere
Passerby: Who are you and what do you want?
DM: Wanna buy a valuable license? (opens trench coat)
Passerby: What's it a license for?
DM: I can't tell you, if I tell you I would have to kill you, but truuuusssssttt me, it contains license to use some valuable IP!
Passerby: How Much?
DM: How much you got?
Passerby: (pulling out his checkbook) I only have 12 dollars and 15 cents left in my account.
DM: That'll do.
Passerby: Who do I make the check out to?
DM: Corporate Attorneys Suing Humanity, but you can abbreviate and just make it out to C.A.S.H
Just a thought here, perhaps this would show the kind of positive, forward thinking and dedicated group we really are!
I am with the camp that believe the SCO DDoS is a diversionary tactic by those who wrote the program in order to divert attention from it's true purpose (which would likely be the creation of controllable zombie machines).
Think about what would happen if you gave the average desktop user, not technical user now but simply someone who wants to use a word processor, send and receive email and browse the web, a computer with a blank hard drive and a windows OS cd. If windows did not come pre-installed would it be the desktop of choice for average users?
I have friends and relatives who would never have used Linux if not for someone to help them through the install process but after setting up the basics they find it every bit as easy to use as a Windows OS. I honestly believe that if Linux pre-instralls were as available as Windows, we would see a much higher rate of adoption on the desktop.
I agree completely, it would be incredibly unfair to engage in a battle of wits with such an obviously unarmed man!
There is definitely a need, in the desktop os area, for a supported version such as RedHat 8, 9, etc was. Corporations are not going to typically chose RedHat Enterprise as their server side os and obtain a different support contract for machines that don't need to run enterprise server. This, in my opinion, will be a major downfall to Red Hat's decision.
Again, just one man's opinion, but an educated opinion based on real world first hand experience!
I'd say that Apple has done an excellent job of mixing ease of use and purchase with reasonable restrictions to satisfy the music companies. So, if you can't SHOW us a truly open choice that is better, keep your FUD to yourselves!
Thank you Apple, I think iTMS is great!
Perhaps the mystery team of MIT mathematicians from SCO worked this all out, after all they seem to have completely disappeared from the face of the earth, perhaps this math problem is what has had them occupied! :)