If Saddam had weapons, then why didn't he use them as a defence against the USA? So, he got rid of them so that no-one would see he had them, and the moment the war started they didn't reappear to defend him.
Was Saddam linked to Bin Laden? Indirectly? Show me how you get "indirectly".
You feel safer? For stirring up a hornets nest in Iraq instead of leaving it in its contained state? You want to take a guess at how long US troops are going to be based there in large numbers? I'm guessing 3 years absolute minimum, up to 10 years.
As for the UK, when were we violating UN sanctions on Iraq? Got any proof on France, either.
I suppose locking people up without trial at camp x-ray is your idea of liberty too?
The problem is, when you vote for a president, you vote for a package.
I guess a lot of people picked Bush for low taxes or war on terror reasons, without considering the civil rights/religion questions. Or, just don't care because they figure it won't happen to them.
Sadly, they'll get the results, and probably won't like it.
The millions in the middle ground will probably swing back to the dems when the economy turns to shit and the war in Iraq is still going on.
We have laws in the UK about election days, about candidates not campaigning or running TV spots. Basically, TV really tries to avoid being party political until after the polls officially close. The first exit poll is generally broadcast a few minutes after the polls close.
Prime Ministers do quite frequently evade the question, be in no doubt - or throw it as "and the right honourable gentleman opposite failed to support our bill on x, y or z".
My impression is that your media, or at least the ones who get presidential access are weeds, often more interested in having the interview than making the president accountable. If they give him a hard time, does that affect access in future?
Just out of interest (this isn't intended to flame, but a serious question) are a lot of young, bright Americans looking at life elsewhere?
From the other side of the pond, I see your freedoms disappearing. I once thought that the USA was a freer country than the UK, but I'm starting to think otherwise.
Any form of clampdown has an effect on business. People will simply go elsewhere. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of companies working in certain business areas decide to move operations to Canada , Mexico or Europe.
No-one right now is willing to trade with Zimbabwe.
In fact, you've just convinced me why I should find a UK host for one of my clients, and just keep the test server in the US.
It's amazing that they try this. Fair dos - have basic popup ads, I've met people who have said that they like them (I kid thee not).
But, if someone's taken an action to block popup ads, please respect it. There's a couple of sites that I just don't visit anymore because of some hideous flash ads (maybe they don't want people like me).
There's a lot of people who will play whatever games they can get.
OK, there's a lot of hardcore gamers who may choose their system based on the games, but a lot of people I know (age 30+) buy a computer for home, internet and business and then maybe will put the odd game on.
If a game isn't available, or they need extra hardware to run it, it won't be a big deal to them.
At least there may be a possible link in this case. What do kids think about politics? Until the age of about 13 when they become a bunch of rebellious idealists, probably exactly what their parents think.
One of the problems is that people seek these things out.
There have been many predictors made on patterns in the past (there was one recently about why England was going to win the World cup because of some sort of pattern about countries winning, which failed).
It's like tossing a coin. You get 15 tails, and people will start to think it's a rigged coin, when it could just be chance. OK, it's a one in 8,000 chance, but that means that journalists looking at 8,000 possible predictors are going to find one.
It's partly about being selfish, too. Like people spending money on iPods or premium coffee. You go up to people in the supermarket and say "you know what, you should buy shit coffee and give money to the 3rd world".
There are some 3rd world benefits, like maybe people in the 3rd world have standards based computing. This should allow for more options and even benefits of those countries having home grown software.
For me, however, I give money to certain FOSS projects because I want open standards, I want choice of tools. It's also a bit of a "paying a debt" thing to me. I promote Firefox and tell people how great it is and help them set up, but I'm not cutting the code and fixing the bugs like some guys are, so I'll give something back financially.
It could be quite interesting if someone did say "OK, see you in court, then". For instance, someone who's paying alimony to 3 ex-wives living in rented accomodation with nothing to lose.
That's the quid pro quo of OSS - fixing the thing that bothers you (or paying someone else to do it) will cost you time or money and the benefit will go back to the community.
What's funny to me is the view of the "software industry" about OSS. The idea that you have to jealously guard all the code because that's your value. They forget that a heck of a lot of companies don't really view their code as "IP" - it's just something they use. For them, there are some benefits of giving away code...
implemented in the software. Next release, it's back in there.
familiarity for developers. The code may become more familiar to people outside. This can protect the investment because there are a lot more developers know your code.
part of something/familiarity/goodwill. I do a lot of things on a couple of forums, and I help a lot of people out. When I get up shit creek, I can ask a question, and I get a lot of help, people are reciprocating. IBM are open sourcing a ton of code at the moment, and you hear quite a lot of geeks speaking nicely about IBM. This may translate into more laptop sales or whatever.
For some companies, giving it away is a bit of a no-brainer. They had to do the change whether they give it away or not. Giving it away doesn't affect that cost. And the cost of giving it away? In many cases, it's an upload.
The only download is competitor advantage. That if you own a bank and upload your interest calculation routine, one of your customers can use it and take advantage or your investment. But rarely do people write a huge project and OSS it now. It's either a small project that grew big, or something sitting around which a company decided to open source, often because they couldn't make money from it. So, often the changes added by 1 company in 1 go are often quite small.
And absolutely governments should be pro open-standards. And government, unlike many businesses can do it - start by insisting that any communication between a supplier and government has to be in OASIS format. Business will do it because they will want the contract. You'll immediately raise the install base of OpenOffice.org, and as a result have a lot more businesses communicating between each other with it.
I'm reminded of what someone told me once about people who are successful. They don't waste their time telling people how successful they are, they let others do it for them.
My experience with Windows is that it works just fine until something unexpected happens.
As an ex-mainframe guy, we knew a lot of how the stuff works, like how the database pages were written. Get a corruption, and you can probably work it out.
I've had a really odd problem with a Word document where pressing the enter key actually moves it along a space. Very weird, and I'm wondering if it's going to corrupt. If it does, will I be able to go through and find the problem, or hope that OpenOffice.org will?
I'm still on Windows, but once I get a spare box, I'm going to start training myself off it. I like how Apache has a config file, not an interface.
Slashdot Mirror
With a bit of luck, more of this might result in people questioning the wisdom of a monolithic NHS.
Was Saddam linked to Bin Laden? Indirectly? Show me how you get "indirectly".
You feel safer? For stirring up a hornets nest in Iraq instead of leaving it in its contained state? You want to take a guess at how long US troops are going to be based there in large numbers? I'm guessing 3 years absolute minimum, up to 10 years.
As for the UK, when were we violating UN sanctions on Iraq? Got any proof on France, either.
I suppose locking people up without trial at camp x-ray is your idea of liberty too?
I guess a lot of people picked Bush for low taxes or war on terror reasons, without considering the civil rights/religion questions. Or, just don't care because they figure it won't happen to them.
Sadly, they'll get the results, and probably won't like it.
The millions in the middle ground will probably swing back to the dems when the economy turns to shit and the war in Iraq is still going on.
Care to share why, exactly?
They knew that Bush still had people believing in the post-September 11th direction he was taking them in.
Give it 4 years, and this could look like Vietnam - a democrat will probably walk it.
We have laws in the UK about election days, about candidates not campaigning or running TV spots. Basically, TV really tries to avoid being party political until after the polls officially close. The first exit poll is generally broadcast a few minutes after the polls close.
Free thinkers gravitate to freedom. Without free thinkers, you become a non-innovative economy and your economy goes down the pan.
My impression is that your media, or at least the ones who get presidential access are weeds, often more interested in having the interview than making the president accountable. If they give him a hard time, does that affect access in future?
From the other side of the pond, I see your freedoms disappearing. I once thought that the USA was a freer country than the UK, but I'm starting to think otherwise.
No-one right now is willing to trade with Zimbabwe.
In fact, you've just convinced me why I should find a UK host for one of my clients, and just keep the test server in the US.
But, if someone's taken an action to block popup ads, please respect it. There's a couple of sites that I just don't visit anymore because of some hideous flash ads (maybe they don't want people like me).
Bet those cinema owners are pretty mad about that ;)
OK, there's a lot of hardcore gamers who may choose their system based on the games, but a lot of people I know (age 30+) buy a computer for home, internet and business and then maybe will put the odd game on.
If a game isn't available, or they need extra hardware to run it, it won't be a big deal to them.
At least there may be a possible link in this case. What do kids think about politics? Until the age of about 13 when they become a bunch of rebellious idealists, probably exactly what their parents think.
There have been many predictors made on patterns in the past (there was one recently about why England was going to win the World cup because of some sort of pattern about countries winning, which failed).
It's like tossing a coin. You get 15 tails, and people will start to think it's a rigged coin, when it could just be chance. OK, it's a one in 8,000 chance, but that means that journalists looking at 8,000 possible predictors are going to find one.
Personally, I think that Bush is going to win.
There are some 3rd world benefits, like maybe people in the 3rd world have standards based computing. This should allow for more options and even benefits of those countries having home grown software.
For me, however, I give money to certain FOSS projects because I want open standards, I want choice of tools. It's also a bit of a "paying a debt" thing to me. I promote Firefox and tell people how great it is and help them set up, but I'm not cutting the code and fixing the bugs like some guys are, so I'll give something back financially.
Or buy from bands who aren't on labels that are part of the RIAA. There's a lot out there, many of whom are producing fantastic music.
It could be quite interesting if someone did say "OK, see you in court, then". For instance, someone who's paying alimony to 3 ex-wives living in rented accomodation with nothing to lose.
Some also have great music - Blade Runner is amazing, as is The Piano.
The test is, if someone played the music and it wasn't in a film you really liked, would you buy it? If not, why are you buying it?
What's funny to me is the view of the "software industry" about OSS. The idea that you have to jealously guard all the code because that's your value. They forget that a heck of a lot of companies don't really view their code as "IP" - it's just something they use. For them, there are some benefits of giving away code...
implemented in the software. Next release, it's back in there.
familiarity for developers. The code may become more familiar to people outside. This can protect the investment because there are a lot more developers know your code.
part of something/familiarity/goodwill. I do a lot of things on a couple of forums, and I help a lot of people out. When I get up shit creek, I can ask a question, and I get a lot of help, people are reciprocating. IBM are open sourcing a ton of code at the moment, and you hear quite a lot of geeks speaking nicely about IBM. This may translate into more laptop sales or whatever.
For some companies, giving it away is a bit of a no-brainer. They had to do the change whether they give it away or not. Giving it away doesn't affect that cost. And the cost of giving it away? In many cases, it's an upload.
The only download is competitor advantage. That if you own a bank and upload your interest calculation routine, one of your customers can use it and take advantage or your investment. But rarely do people write a huge project and OSS it now. It's either a small project that grew big, or something sitting around which a company decided to open source, often because they couldn't make money from it. So, often the changes added by 1 company in 1 go are often quite small.
And absolutely governments should be pro open-standards. And government, unlike many businesses can do it - start by insisting that any communication between a supplier and government has to be in OASIS format. Business will do it because they will want the contract. You'll immediately raise the install base of OpenOffice.org, and as a result have a lot more businesses communicating between each other with it.
I'll remember that one.
Hopefully not someone from the USA, a country whose major culinary exports are tasteless piss beer, burgers and a number of carbonated soft drinks.
I'm reminded of what someone told me once about people who are successful. They don't waste their time telling people how successful they are, they let others do it for them.
As an ex-mainframe guy, we knew a lot of how the stuff works, like how the database pages were written. Get a corruption, and you can probably work it out.
I've had a really odd problem with a Word document where pressing the enter key actually moves it along a space. Very weird, and I'm wondering if it's going to corrupt. If it does, will I be able to go through and find the problem, or hope that OpenOffice.org will?
I'm still on Windows, but once I get a spare box, I'm going to start training myself off it. I like how Apache has a config file, not an interface.
You build a HTTP server and don't test things like what happens if someone puts the wrong slash in?