So here's what I think is actually going on: Microsoft have finally understood that they are incapable of making a good operating system. They also see they are making far more money off of Linux than Windows 10 so have every intention to pivot ti Linux as their main server OS, then Desktop later. Its obvious whats coming next, straight out of their play book: Embrace-extend-extinguish. I'm actually convinced they are behind this CoC nonsense as a a strategy to fragment Linux at its core (via many secretly paid SJW shills for Microsoft such as Sage Sharp). Now Linus has stepped down even temporarily, things will degrade quickly, so Kernel branches will inevitably appear. Microsoft are aiming at being the new owners of the most popular Linux kernel branch, which will predate on the rest, then Microsoft completely control Linux.
I agree, however if it even starts looking like that, all that will happen is that Linus will loose control because people will just start new branches and continue. The real threat is the subsequent battle for which branch would be the one "true" Linux Kernel, especially if Microsoft see it as an opportunity to further muddy the water and make their own.
> This has the potential to outright destroy Linux.
Exactly, which makes me REALLY wonder how many of the more radical SJW idiots behind the new CoC are not actually paid shills of Microsoft, who have finally found a tactic that at least potentially could destroy Linux.
> Technology is very easy to setup so that it's never wrong.
Baloney. Your assumption is that there is no such thing as a hardware fault or fundamental design error, or nothing ever lost to converting and processing an inherently analog world to an inherently digital processing environment.
And you'r right about bad software really being the fault of the programmer, but that doesn't stop it getting out anyway, including in several cars I've already owned.
I can pretty much guarantee that who's fault it really was is really not the concern on someones mind that is about to be killed by a faulty self-driving car.
Of course you can. Your argument that you can't test if someone has the ability to control a vehicle is ridiculous.
Once they legally have to have the ability to control the vehicle, then you can punish them for not doing so.
> I can envision a much better and safer system where people are not driving at all. Sorry but I simply don't agree with your sentiment that always trading more personal freedom for a little extra safety is automatically a good thing.
>> the taxpayer bankroll your "free" highways and parking?
Last time I checked, motorists are already paying through the nose in tax for that, such as tag tax and tax on gas. In fact the usual case in most states is that there's enough for the government to repurpose most of what they collect ostensibly for exactly that on something else.
> I have never, at any point in this conversation, talked about gun homicide rates. I have always been talking about regular old homicide rate.
If you're knowingly using stats including other forms of homicide that by firearm in the context of justifying gun control, then you are being nothing more than intentionally misleading.
> the fact that we live in a democracy
Lol you really believe that? Firstly the US is a republic not a democracy, secondly both the Democrats and Republicans have proved over and again that they are 2 faces of the same coin. Both are as corrupt as fuck and both totally controlled by special interest groups and big companies, yet one or the other is your only realistically viable choice when voting. Sure you can write-in mickey mouse or vote for independents, but the realistic chance that changes anything is zero. Its all just a part of continuing the grand illusion that Americans have any actual say.
Totally agreed. I love walking into my garage and having to decide whether to take my supercharged V8 SUV or my supercharged V8 convertible sports car to work today, then driving in air-conditioned luxury past all the hipster millenials that choose to cycle or stand at the bus-stop in the Arizona heat.
> The alternative of planning your life entirely around public transit, biking and walking has absolutely no downsides
Thats fine of you live in the middle of a busy city which is well served with public transport and parking is a pain etc, but from the rest of us where the nearest bus-stop is miles away, we need to get kids to school etc, and we LIKE driving and enjoy roadtrips..... your hipster attitude needs to get a freaking clue and not presume to speak for us.
> having a human in the loop is a setup for failure.
No, having a BAD DRIVER in the loop is a setup for failure. The problem at least in the USA is that the driving test is pretty much only focussed on your ability to follow road signs and laws. it does almost nothing to test your actual ability to properly control the vehicle itself, especially in loss of traction type situations.
> Public transportation yet again solves this problem in addition to just about every other problem you can think of.
Baloney. I love driving, especially offroad in the desert. show me a viable public transport alternative.
Until a train or bus can immediately pick me up right from home on my schedule not theirs, and drop me right at the door of wherever I personally want to go just as fast as I can drive there, public transport can never be as good as owning a car.
What makes you think there will be any real cost saving or even hardware difference between a low-end desktop PC and a "terminal" that is in reality still basically a PC, plus a per-user monthly fee?
It makes far more sense than renting desktop time in the cloud, and willingly becoming victim to every risk that being totally dependent on a shady company like Microsoft brings with it.
Replace the name PC with "dumb terminal", the name "cloud" with mainframe, and the the billable period of month with "CPU second" and you have exactly the IBM paradigm that got Microsoft their start by providing a far saner desktop-local alternative to.
Microsoft started out exactly by facilitating and evangelizing the giant move AWAY from connecting to a remote mainframe, and just having localized computing power on each desk.
> You've mentioned London's briefly higher homicide rate than New York's No I didn't, I mentioned the UK's much higher incidence of knife crime than the US's, my point being ifyou take guns away, people will just use something else, and also not be as afraid that their victim might actually be able to defend themself.
All you libs ever talk about is gun homocide rates like thats the only issue here. Please just go ahead and admit that you simply can't understand the whole second amendment. Personally I don't believe that a few lives are more important than a whole countries freedom. And by the way neither do any governments, otherwise military forces of any description simply couldn't exist.
Slashdot Mirror
So here's what I think is actually going on:
Microsoft have finally understood that they are incapable of making a good operating system. They also see they are making far more money off of Linux than Windows 10 so have every intention to pivot ti Linux as their main server OS, then Desktop later.
Its obvious whats coming next, straight out of their play book: Embrace-extend-extinguish.
I'm actually convinced they are behind this CoC nonsense as a a strategy to fragment Linux at its core (via many secretly paid SJW shills for Microsoft such as Sage Sharp). Now Linus has stepped down even temporarily, things will degrade quickly, so Kernel branches will inevitably appear. Microsoft are aiming at being the new owners of the most popular Linux kernel branch, which will predate on the rest, then Microsoft completely control Linux.
You really didn;t already know that Microsoft are always multiple years behind the curve?
I agree, however if it even starts looking like that, all that will happen is that Linus will loose control because people will just start new branches and continue.
The real threat is the subsequent battle for which branch would be the one "true" Linux Kernel, especially if Microsoft see it as an opportunity to further muddy the water and make their own.
> This has the potential to outright destroy Linux.
Exactly, which makes me REALLY wonder how many of the more radical SJW idiots behind the new CoC are not actually paid shills of Microsoft, who have finally found a tactic that at least potentially could destroy Linux.
Of course you can't take back what you freely gave.
But that's the thing about open source. If you don't like whats going on, then just make your own branch.
Totally agree. I really wish I had mod points.
> Technology is very easy to setup so that it's never wrong.
Baloney. Your assumption is that there is no such thing as a hardware fault or fundamental design error, or nothing ever lost to converting and processing an inherently analog world to an inherently digital processing environment.
And you'r right about bad software really being the fault of the programmer, but that doesn't stop it getting out anyway, including in several cars I've already owned.
I can pretty much guarantee that who's fault it really was is really not the concern on someones mind that is about to be killed by a faulty self-driving car.
> Humans are fallible
So is technology.
> You speak as if you can test for a bad driver?
Of course you can. Your argument that you can't test if someone has the ability to control a vehicle is ridiculous.
Once they legally have to have the ability to control the vehicle, then you can punish them for not doing so.
> I can envision a much better and safer system where people are not driving at all.
Sorry but I simply don't agree with your sentiment that always trading more personal freedom for a little extra safety is automatically a good thing.
>> the taxpayer bankroll your "free" highways and parking?
Last time I checked, motorists are already paying through the nose in tax for that, such as tag tax and tax on gas. In fact the usual case in most states is that there's enough for the government to repurpose most of what they collect ostensibly for exactly that on something else.
You've obviously never taken a bus in the USA.
> Guns don't make you safer.
I prefer the freedom to decide that and many other related things for myself thanks.
> Please supply me with a statistic because I completely doubt your claim.
http://igeek.com/w/U.S._vs_U.K...
> I have never, at any point in this conversation, talked about gun homicide rates. I have always been talking about regular old homicide rate.
If you're knowingly using stats including other forms of homicide that by firearm in the context of justifying gun control, then you are being nothing more than intentionally misleading.
> the fact that we live in a democracy
Lol you really believe that? Firstly the US is a republic not a democracy, secondly both the Democrats and Republicans have proved over and again that they are 2 faces of the same coin. Both are as corrupt as fuck and both totally controlled by special interest groups and big companies, yet one or the other is your only realistically viable choice when voting. Sure you can write-in mickey mouse or vote for independents, but the realistic chance that changes anything is zero. Its all just a part of continuing the grand illusion that Americans have any actual say.
Totally agreed. I love walking into my garage and having to decide whether to take my supercharged V8 SUV or my supercharged V8 convertible sports car to work today, then driving in air-conditioned luxury past all the hipster millenials that choose to cycle or stand at the bus-stop in the Arizona heat.
> The alternative of planning your life entirely around public transit, biking and walking has absolutely no downsides
Thats fine of you live in the middle of a busy city which is well served with public transport and parking is a pain etc, but from the rest of us where the nearest bus-stop is miles away, we need to get kids to school etc, and we LIKE driving and enjoy roadtrips..... your hipster attitude needs to get a freaking clue and not presume to speak for us.
> Note the Tesla driver putting his car on auto pilot and then watching a movie before his wreak. Can't say that was really Tesla's fault!
I call that natural selection. If anything we need much more of it.
> having a human in the loop is a setup for failure.
No, having a BAD DRIVER in the loop is a setup for failure.
The problem at least in the USA is that the driving test is pretty much only focussed on your ability to follow road signs and laws. it does almost nothing to test your actual ability to properly control the vehicle itself, especially in loss of traction type situations.
> Public transportation yet again solves this problem in addition to just about every other problem you can think of.
Baloney. I love driving, especially offroad in the desert. show me a viable public transport alternative.
Until a train or bus can immediately pick me up right from home on my schedule not theirs, and drop me right at the door of wherever I personally want to go just as fast as I can drive there, public transport can never be as good as owning a car.
What makes you think there will be any real cost saving or even hardware difference between a low-end desktop PC and a "terminal" that is in reality still basically a PC, plus a per-user monthly fee?
It makes far more sense than renting desktop time in the cloud, and willingly becoming victim to every risk that being totally dependent on a shady company like Microsoft brings with it.
Replace the name PC with "dumb terminal", the name "cloud" with mainframe, and the the billable period of month with "CPU second" and you have exactly the IBM paradigm that got Microsoft their start by providing a far saner desktop-local alternative to.
Microsoft started out exactly by facilitating and evangelizing the giant move AWAY from connecting to a remote mainframe, and just having localized computing power on each desk.
> You've mentioned London's briefly higher homicide rate than New York's
No I didn't, I mentioned the UK's much higher incidence of knife crime than the US's, my point being ifyou take guns away, people will just use something else, and also not be as afraid that their victim might actually be able to defend themself.
All you libs ever talk about is gun homocide rates like thats the only issue here. Please just go ahead and admit that you simply can't understand the whole second amendment.
Personally I don't believe that a few lives are more important than a whole countries freedom. And by the way neither do any governments, otherwise military forces of any description simply couldn't exist.
> Strange that it doesn't infect their algorithms.
Says who?
I love everything in the title just not the Windows 10 part.