Re:Is google becoming a central point of failure?
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The open directory project is part of your insurance in thise area. The open directory project maintains the largest link collection. If google were to go down, you would set your spider to all the links in the ODP as a starting point and create a new index. If you are really worried about this, grab the dump of all the urls and descriptions of dmoz. Some of us do this every month.
With today's high-tech antibiotics, I seriously doubt an influenza epidemic could get very far.
A flu is caused by a virus. An antibiotic would be useless. The CDC says that you can vaccinate against flu, but there is little to do but rest and drink hot liquids once you have it.
Living in my parents basement, never leaving the house, having no human contact, there is no way that I'll ever get the flu. The germ that destroys humanity may already be breeding in my filth, but I've learned to live with it.
I'm working on a some web log analysis software to license under the GPL. The output will be XML that is linked to CSS and Javascript. Besides being easily parsed by another program, the output is pretty, and the tables can all be sorted by any of their columns. It uses DOM Level2 functions called from MergeSort implemented in Javascript. Watch my website, I should have it done, or at least a first version within a couple weeks.
Even if Microsoft doesn't own the word Windows, I would still advise software authors to choose creative names. Product names do not have to be descriptive, they are often better wacky. Yahoo does just fine without the word "directory" in its name. Same your Ebay without "auctions".
If your product does something useful, people will associate any name you choose with the functionality of your product. Just because your product runs on Windows or is written in Java, you should not feel that you should include the word in the title. Just because your software is an FTP client, you don't have to name it JoeFTP.
Naming your product similarly to another project piggy backs on their efforts. I would rather have my stuff stand on its own merits. Naming after functionality, platform, or language can later be limiting if you ever want to expand your functionality or port it to other platforms.
Many users only use the software that is given to them. Until computers start shipping with open source software to mainstream users, open source software won't be mainstream.
So what is preventing this from happening? Microsoft
Microsoft has a monopoly in operating systems.
Microsoft does not bundle any open source software with its OS (although it has plundered open source, returning nothing when the OSS license allows (BSD))
Microsoft prevents large computer manufacturers from selling PCs with other OSes. (The "Microsoft Tax")
All that users get is a Windows computer with no source. Many users are content with this.
Widespread open source adoption will depend on the efforts of distributors, such as RedHat, and the downfall of Microsoft as a monopoly. Open Source software will not stand on its own merits (although I believe that it could).
I have seen several posts in the last few days questioning why the Slashdot editors are posting a particular story. The complaint usually runs along the lines, "Everybody on slashdot already knows this, post it somewhere that will do some good."
The folks that are out there converting people to free software are the people that read slashdot. Keeping the slashdot crowd informed of the latest security holes in Windows, Microsoft's most recent snafu, and the best new open source project allows Slashdot readers to spead the word more effectivly. New information and new arguments are key.
The problem is I'm using JServ (an early precursor to Tomcat that handles servlets.) Having JServ installed seems to prevent Tomcat from installing itself properly. Does anybody have any links that show how to migrate from JServ to Tomcat?
Specifically, an overview of the JServ unistall, Tomcat install on RedHat Linux, and a document that describes config file changes that will be needed.
If you could tell which parts were proprietary, then this wouldn't be much of an ask slashdot question, now would it.
Here is what sounds like happened:
Some unscrupulous person without any regard to copyright holders' rights took code from multiple sources, used it and released it as their own. The sources included a GPLed project and various bits of code from proprietary sources. The result may have been useful, but it was using stolen GPL code as well as code stolen from other developers trying to make a profit.
It sounds like any number of people could have gone after this product, as several people hold copyright over portions of it. Unfortunatly, that means that the code is not distributable under any license. By GPLing the product, it sounds like the author is opening himself up from the other side, allowing the folks who own the copyright on the proprietary code to sue.
My advice: Don't redistribute the code yourself. If the person who wrote it wants to distribute it, they have to distribute the source too. Let them take the flack. They should be the ones that are hit by the lawsuits. At the very least, get a written statement from them that all the code in the package that was not taken from GPLed sources was written by them. That way you can pass the buck if you do get sued.
Ok. I downloaded it and I'm in the readme. It appears that it does not have IMAP support built in, you have to use it with some other program. They suggest procmail. Ok. So far so good, but isn't procmail something that needs to be run on the server? The config in the spamprobe readme gives file names. I'd expect server names with username and password.
Not being familiar with a "Point of Sale System", I did some Googling. It appears to by synonymous with "Cash Register".
Linux has been used on cash registers in the past. If I recall correctly, The Home Depot, uses Linux in its system. However, I wouldn't want to go with what they use because it doesn't have a lot of functionality. I tried to get a subtotal printed on my receipt and it couldn't do it.
You can forward your spam to uce@ftc.gov. Some spammer took a random address from one of my domains to use as a return address. I was suddenly getting hundreds of bounced spam per hour. I redirected that address to uce@ftc.gov. Hopefully they are using some of those bounces in this roundup.
...then stored in a corresponding folder for subsequent retrieval by and display to the recipient.
So it looks as if this patent only covers server side implementations. A client side (Mozilla's) implementation retreives it and then filters and displays it.
It seems to me it would be possible to write a filter that works with IMAP but still runs on the client. Basically, the client would connect to the mail server from a cron job every 5 minutes (or just before your mail reader checks) and check for new email. It would filter any new messages and move the spam to the spam folder. When you check your email you would move spam it didn't catch to the spam folder and move stuff it marked as spam that wasn't back to the inbox. The next time the program ran, it would account for moved messages.
The great thing is that it wouldn't rely on any particular mail reader (you could even use imap webmail and switch between various reader), and you wouldn't have to run your own server.
My make file starts the JVM once for compile and once for javadoc.
That isn't too bad. Make is very flexible and it is easy to customize this. I call javac on only the files that have changed, and yet I only call it once.
The basic idea is when make detects a java file has changed, it adds the file name to a list. When all the adding is done, javac is called on this list. My compile times are great and I have the full power of Make.
It is up and running, it just may have a few bugs.
I just downloaded the latest nightly build and enabled the features for my mail. So far I have seen that the icons are kind of funky, the dialog box is way oversized, there doesn't appear to be a good way of marking multiple messages as spam or not spam.
On the other hand, it does seem to be doing a good job of filtering my messages. If you were one of the folks that complained about mozilla until mozilla 1.1 or 1.2, then I wouldn't go near it with a ten foot pole. If you are one of the folks, like me, who used mozilla since milestone 11 when it crashed every hour and couldn't render a heck of a lot of pages, you'll probably want to try it. Especially, if you use mozilla for mail anyway.
I also use make files. Since my make files work on Linux, Windows, Solaris, and Mac OSX, I don't know how much more cross-platform you need. There isn't much else on which Java will run, so I'm pretty set as far as I am concerned.
As for the spaces vs tabs issue with make, it is no worse than trying to figure out the syntax of Ant build files.
I need to be able to do the following tasks:
pre-compile (Jflex)
compile
build html from templates
generate javadoc
spell check
build a jar file
tests
sanity check (download size correct on web page, etc)
upload using scp
Make can do them all easily and quickly. (Yes you can even set it to only compile what has changed, without running a new instance of javac for each file.) I don't know how to do the spell-check in Ant, and most of the other stuff is nowhere near as straight forward as in Make.
It is not as flexible as Make. Sure make has its limitations, but I can hack around all those with a little bash scripting. Compiling Java programs is slow because you have to recompile everything? Well my make files don't do that (see the JAVAFILES=$(wildcard *.java) section).
With make files, I can keep everything in one directory (I dislike having a src directory). With make files I can run ispell (I don't know of a spell checker I can use with Ant.) With make files, I can upload to my web site using scp (Is there a Java scp?)
You might want to switch to Ant to make building on different platforms easier. My make files work on Linux, Mac OSX, and Windows with Cygwin, so I don't feel too limited.
Is there one that I can run on my IMAP mail system? Here is what I would need to be able to use it:
Runs as a cronjob every minute or so to check my IMAP mail. It would rearrange mail on the server. If it thinks it is spam it would move it to the spam folder. If I think it is wrong, I could move it back and it would recognize this and take move the words in the email from the spam list to not spam list once. If I find more spam I can move them to the spam folder and it would add them to its filter.
Solutions that you have to run in a mail client will not work for me because I move between home, work, and labs so much.
Slashdot Mirror
The open directory project is part of your insurance in thise area. The open directory project maintains the largest link collection. If google were to go down, you would set your spider to all the links in the ODP as a starting point and create a new index. If you are really worried about this, grab the dump of all the urls and descriptions of dmoz. Some of us do this every month.
Lycos is a Boston based company. Their offices are on Totten Pond Rd. in Waltham, MA, just outside of Boston.
Living in my parents basement, never leaving the house, having no human contact, there is no way that I'll ever get the flu. The germ that destroys humanity may already be breeding in my filth, but I've learned to live with it.
My life would also be so much better if my moderator points were given to me to mod these things down.
I'm working on a some web log analysis software to license under the GPL. The output will be XML that is linked to CSS and Javascript. Besides being easily parsed by another program, the output is pretty, and the tables can all be sorted by any of their columns. It uses DOM Level2 functions called from MergeSort implemented in Javascript. Watch my website, I should have it done, or at least a first version within a couple weeks.
If your product does something useful, people will associate any name you choose with the functionality of your product. Just because your product runs on Windows or is written in Java, you should not feel that you should include the word in the title. Just because your software is an FTP client, you don't have to name it JoeFTP.
Naming your product similarly to another project piggy backs on their efforts. I would rather have my stuff stand on its own merits. Naming after functionality, platform, or language can later be limiting if you ever want to expand your functionality or port it to other platforms.
So what is preventing this from happening? Microsoft
- Microsoft has a monopoly in operating systems.
- Microsoft does not bundle any open source software with its OS (although it has plundered open source, returning nothing when the OSS license allows (BSD))
- Microsoft prevents large computer manufacturers from selling PCs with other OSes. (The "Microsoft Tax")
All that users get is a Windows computer with no source. Many users are content with this.Widespread open source adoption will depend on the efforts of distributors, such as RedHat, and the downfall of Microsoft as a monopoly. Open Source software will not stand on its own merits (although I believe that it could).
The folks that are out there converting people to free software are the people that read slashdot. Keeping the slashdot crowd informed of the latest security holes in Windows, Microsoft's most recent snafu, and the best new open source project allows Slashdot readers to spead the word more effectivly. New information and new arguments are key.
Specifically, an overview of the JServ unistall, Tomcat install on RedHat Linux, and a document that describes config file changes that will be needed.
If you could tell which parts were proprietary, then this wouldn't be much of an ask slashdot question, now would it.
Here is what sounds like happened:
Some unscrupulous person without any regard to copyright holders' rights took code from multiple sources, used it and released it as their own. The sources included a GPLed project and various bits of code from proprietary sources. The result may have been useful, but it was using stolen GPL code as well as code stolen from other developers trying to make a profit.
It sounds like any number of people could have gone after this product, as several people hold copyright over portions of it. Unfortunatly, that means that the code is not distributable under any license. By GPLing the product, it sounds like the author is opening himself up from the other side, allowing the folks who own the copyright on the proprietary code to sue.
My advice: Don't redistribute the code yourself. If the person who wrote it wants to distribute it, they have to distribute the source too. Let them take the flack. They should be the ones that are hit by the lawsuits. At the very least, get a written statement from them that all the code in the package that was not taken from GPLed sources was written by them. That way you can pass the buck if you do get sued.
Gopher uses Mozilla with his MBNA Card.
AmDrEx points to Discover Card.
tswinzig says that American Express works fine.
spaceling points out that you could get an AT&T Universal Card.
inepom01 recommends Chase Manhattan.
An Anonymous Coward says that he uses Providian.
Several folks have also pointed out online banks that they use:
Ok. I downloaded it and I'm in the readme. It appears that it does not have IMAP support built in, you have to use it with some other program. They suggest procmail. Ok. So far so good, but isn't procmail something that needs to be run on the server? The config in the spamprobe readme gives file names. I'd expect server names with username and password.
Linux has been used on cash registers in the past. If I recall correctly, The Home Depot, uses Linux in its system. However, I wouldn't want to go with what they use because it doesn't have a lot of functionality. I tried to get a subtotal printed on my receipt and it couldn't do it.
Links:
You can forward your spam to uce@ftc.gov. Some spammer took a random address from one of my domains to use as a return address. I was suddenly getting hundreds of bounced spam per hour. I redirected that address to uce@ftc.gov. Hopefully they are using some of those bounces in this roundup.
The great thing is that it wouldn't rely on any particular mail reader (you could even use imap webmail and switch between various reader), and you wouldn't have to run your own server.
The basic idea is when make detects a java file has changed, it adds the file name to a list. When all the adding is done, javac is called on this list. My compile times are great and I have the full power of Make.
It is up and running, it just may have a few bugs.
I just downloaded the latest nightly build and enabled the features for my mail. So far I have seen that the icons are kind of funky, the dialog box is way oversized, there doesn't appear to be a good way of marking multiple messages as spam or not spam.
On the other hand, it does seem to be doing a good job of filtering my messages. If you were one of the folks that complained about mozilla until mozilla 1.1 or 1.2, then I wouldn't go near it with a ten foot pole. If you are one of the folks, like me, who used mozilla since milestone 11 when it crashed every hour and couldn't render a heck of a lot of pages, you'll probably want to try it. Especially, if you use mozilla for mail anyway.
As for the spaces vs tabs issue with make, it is no worse than trying to figure out the syntax of Ant build files.
I need to be able to do the following tasks:
- pre-compile (Jflex)
- compile
- build html from templates
- generate javadoc
- spell check
- build a jar file
- tests
- sanity check (download size correct on web page, etc)
- upload using scp
Make can do them all easily and quickly. (Yes you can even set it to only compile what has changed, without running a new instance of javac for each file.) I don't know how to do the spell-check in Ant, and most of the other stuff is nowhere near as straight forward as in Make.With make files, I can keep everything in one directory (I dislike having a src directory). With make files I can run ispell (I don't know of a spell checker I can use with Ant.) With make files, I can upload to my web site using scp (Is there a Java scp?)
You might want to switch to Ant to make building on different platforms easier. My make files work on Linux, Mac OSX, and Windows with Cygwin, so I don't feel too limited.
Solutions that you have to run in a mail client will not work for me because I move between home, work, and labs so much.