A while back there was a post about people doing "mathematical" art, and I'd recommend looking at those people and contacting them to see if they're willing to send you prints.
In particular, I know Jeff Ely does great stuff that way, usually involving newton's method for polynomial solving, and fancy other constructs using simple objects. I think it'd suit the general "geek" atmosphere you would need in a CS department.
As much as it makes sense to ask the question here, I'm afraid of the thunder of distro bashing this is going to start.
This is slashdot. We're not always rational, and we argue our tastes in linux distributions and other functionally equivalent software.
That said, someone suggested gentoo, and while as a gentoo user I applaud the suggestion, I cannot help but think that it is a little steep in the learning curve to fulfill these (relatively simple) goals. While I don't think anywhere else would like to have a distro bash party like slashdot only can, I don't know that the poster will find a decent answer...
Notice that I did note that it wasn't an FOSS program. However, for most intents and purposes it's free (as in beer) for end users, and companies who wish to use it can get a subscription for technical support.
Also as the debate over proprietary / standard argument goes elsewhere in this thread, I'd like to point out that most end users are aware of Windows Live Messenger's webcam capabilities, yet many of them switch to skype. Just because Microsoft came up with netmeeting and MSN / WL Messenger doesn't mean that it will become the standard. Same holds true with Skype. Yes it's easy, yes it's simple, but NO it's doesn't have features that can't be provided by another software project, like MS Office, specifically Outlook is what my father (remarkably computer literate for a director of his department, I worked in his company) is constantly reminding me of.
If you could make Outlook platform independent, or come up with an alternative that does everything Outlook does (yes, I know about Evolution, but it's not quite as complete) and is compatible (or can import all of Outlook's data) then you'd have a chance of migrating companies off MS Office. The real problem is that the tools in competitors to Office aren't always as high quality, or existent (thinking of the document revision tools in OO.o).
But that was a long off topic segment. Personally I'd support a company that makes their product as cross-platform as possible, as Skype has done. Sure it's not OSS, but people have a right to make a living with code, too!
I know Skype isn't FOSS, but the latest Linux beta for skype does video chat with windows.
I was pleasantly surprised when I tried it last week from my linux platform.
It also does n-way calls. And runs on Linux, Windows and Mac. Something to follow up on?
Why in the world would you go to the trouble of brute-forcing the passwords when you can simply pop an ubuntu CD in the drive, mount the filesystem and bypass the passwords entirely?
It's something that's got me slightly puzzled, to be honest, but you can chroot into someone's root user account just by popping in any live cd. Short of having your root / home folders in a cryptoloop, any physical access to your machine can reveal all your files to someone stubborn (and smart) enough to want them.
As far as ethics, what's the difference between looking through a deceased's computer files versus looking through all of his stuff in his college dorm room, finding the key for that safe-box he had? Just pop in the CD, hook an external drive, and backup all the files to it so the family can sort through it.
I'm not so sure about that. I mean, yes the application is the point, but the application itself is the reason for needing math.
One could argue that without a need, or application, math wouldn't exist.
BUT we know that laws of physics, or of logic for that matter, will still follow the same rules. So in essence, math is only notation of universal truths. In that sense, it is neither discovered nor invented.
The only thing mathematicians invent are notations and names that describe the logic they're trying to work with. The logic would be there whether we are aware of it or not. It's like a kid thinking that if he closes his eyes everything else doesn't exist. Just because we don't know much about certain domains in math doesn't mean that they don't exist. Hence mathematics can exist without mathematicians, and is neither discovered or invented, it just is.
And I'd like to point out something else mathematicians have managed to invent: a perpetuating class of socially inept people...
I dunno about math nerds, but what my CS prof likes to throw is a party with chinese food and obscure (often German) board games (Lifeboats, No thanks, Starmada, Ricochet Robots, etc...), and that is usually VERY popular with students and other professors here alike.
Make sure you have plenty of drinks, and a LOOOONG table. Of course, if you don't have the board games, then you're screwed. Starmada is produced by Majestic 12, and they have a demo of the rules on their website... It needs miniatures and a hexagonal map, but the miniatures you can buy anywhere, or printout on paper, and you can find a sample hexagonal map you can just duplicate and print a whole bunch... Just make sure people know it'll be a LONG night.
The problem is that as I became more and more accustomed to Linux I also wanted more from it.
Yes. That was exactly my thought as I was reading this article. I've been using gentoo for five years (not that it matters, not saying one distro's better than the other), and I've tried various distros on my laptop just to see what worked, what was better, and finally just stuck to my primary setup. The main reason is, I expect my desktop/window manager to give me the means of being productive, and enough ways to configure it so that should my habits change, my desktop would as well.
And KDE simply has much more to offer. Take for example the menu you get when you right click on the title bar of a window. Most desktops/WMs give you some very basic options. KDE alone gives you advanced options and the possibility to always apply certain rules for a window. Of course this might scare you off if all you wanted to do was to Close or Minimize the window, but still there can be no argument about how powerful KDE is.
Unfortunately, that statement I can't agree with. I've been using E17 (which is still pre-alpha status, granted), and all the examples that you give, are easily available from a right click menu. KDE is not in any way superior to other WMs/desktops, it's different: KDE gives the user a certain amount of choices, and a layout to get to these choices. Gnome also has that kind of properties, but you have to dig deep within obscure configuration panels or files to find them, while Enlightenment (E16, the released version) gives you the same choices but in a completely different manner from KDE.
It is true as the article claims that we dislike change (because it means we have to learn new ways to do things that we need to do). I think this will be less of a problem for KDE in the future, since many KDE 4 applications are being ported to other Windows. Perhaps in the future people that are already accustomed to using Konqueror or Amarok under Windows will find the transition to the powerful but cluttered KDE much easier than a transition to GNOME.
Yes, people dislike change, and that's also one of the fundamental reasons that we're not going to see a whole lot of people actively switching from windows to linux anytime soon. Instead, we'll see the same kind of rate happening, but it'll become relatively constant. Linux is already in the headlines, and the war between MS's OOXML and ODF is making a HUGE fuss about open source in general. If we want to see more people switching to linux, make schools use it, make businesses use it and force users to migrate. We all know this isn't going to happen anytime soon, but this would be the only way to pull the linux conversion rate out of the single digits.
Now, the question does appear as flamebait: "Is GNOME better than KDE?" Well, no. They're meant for different audiences. I know some people who love KDE, others who swear by GNOME, and others yet who can't stay away from less well known WMs such as XFCE or Enlightenment.
What the article and argument should have been, would be "how do I find which environment best helps me do what I'm trying to accomplish, and with the least amount of complications?" We all know that Linux is the platform for those choices to sprout from, but the rest depends on users' tastes. And as my mom used to say "You can't discuss tastes."
So you're looking for something that'll replace Adobe's CS. Well, for image/photo editing, everyone here is mentioning Gimp, so I'm not going to repeat that.
Now, for InDesign replacement: I'm not sure if it supports CMYK, but look up Scribus. I found that it had most of the basic functions of Indesign, and it's opensource. I have no idea about windows support, and even less about how a real designer uses the tool, I took a few GD classes in school, but that was it.
Now, instead of dreamweaver, which is a WYSIWYG editor, FrontPage, as much as it sucks, is one. I don't usually do web pages, so I can't really name any particular product, but my sister's doing alright by using Screem and typing in the HTML herself. Probably not all that great if you're looking for something easy, but it works, and well.
Instead of Illustrator, take a look at Inkscape. That little program is super sweet, and works really really well. I tried it a year ago, and still use it every time I need some sort of clipart. Granted, it doesn't do the fake 3D stuff that Illustrator does. BUT, if you want 3D, then use something else (Blender, ideally, but the learning curve is steep, probably some of the other built in things like kpovmodeler, and render in povray).
As far as color management... well, I dunno, if they can't spring the $2500 for Adobe CS, what makes you think they can afford to buy a printer that understand CMYK? Think about it, they're probably not going to need that kind of precision for a while.
Yet the money for the schools would help. The problem is that most of that money doesn't go into schools... In California, Schwarzenegger increased the budget for education tremendously. What did schools get? Zap! It was all sucked by the higher levels of the administration, getting fancy dinners etc. If you want something done, set a cap of administration levels and staff. That way it becomes competitive and money will trickle down to schools.
How is it the democrats doing it? It's the *Governor's National Association*. That means it's happening at what may seem a federal level, but rather, it's more like a conference of State leaders. Guess what? It's not a democratic majority. Stop bashing the right of the left in this country, they're both there to screw us over. It's all a matter of who's going to screw us over worse.
Even if you do that, Amarok's got serious speed issues with too large libraries. I've got around 30k songs (~50 GB), and it does exactly as said above, and then some. I lose keyboard focus occasionally while using the win+x win+b shortcuts, and Amarok doesn't act upon them. Then I have to quit amarok to be able to type anything. I switched from the SQListe db to mysql, and that helped with the playlist/library load times, but not the other issues. Instead of adding new featuresI don't use any from scripts), can't we just fix the ones there and speed them up? Please? I use amarok because I like the search feature it offers, as opposed to xmms. Rhythmbox is even slower than amarok for some reason. And I have everything on SATA-II disks, with dual opteron and 4 gigs of ram... Not normal!
No, I'm not that confused. The conclusion he originally pulled from that data was that "even atheists won't vote for their own candidate" which is an inaccurate conclusion based on the data given. That's why I'm saying there's lies, damn lies, and statistics. If you manipulate it well enough, no one will notice that you're distorting the context and the actual statistical conclusions.
That's not how I read the results. From what I read, it seemed the questions were more along the lines of: Are you Catholic? Would you vote for a catholic? Are you Atheist? Would you vote for an atheist?
etc., my point being that the percentage of people saying they wouldn't vote for an atheist is based on the total number of people polled, and NOT just the atheists asked whether they would vote for their own candidates. That poll doesn't reveal anything at all.
remind me why blacks, women, hispanics, 3rd marriage and homosexuals believe in god? The poll just doesn't make any sense, you've got overlapping data and pulling conclusions that don't match. Of all the data you cited, only jewish, atheists, mormons and catholics relate to god. Of those numbers, we don't know how representative each sample was. All that MoE of 3% says is that the overall result of your analysis' accuracy is 3% away from the true value of that analysis. Watch out for stats... There's lies, damn lies and statistics.
FTA: "3 - People want certainty that hardware and software will work Name me five bits of hardware that lists Linux as a supported system on the box. I've just had a look around the office and I can't find a single thing that lists Linux explicitly (I think I got a USB key some time ago that mentioned Linux but I can't be sure). Until we see hardware vendors shipping Linux drivers for hardware as standard, this will remain a nightmare for anyone who doesn't have a sense of adventure."
Umm, okay. So you want VENDORS to make linux drivers? I think we've had this discussion for years... And guess what? I popped in an Ubuntu CD, and my laptop works with more of the extra functions OFF THE BAT than windows did after a fresh install. Hmm, let me go through step by step: 1: pop in Ubuntu CD at boot 2: boot 3: click install 4: go through 5 steps where it asks for information 5: reboot onto the hard drive and enjoy everything working.
Now, same deal with Windows: 1: pop in Windows disk 2: reboot because I missed that 5 second delay to choose which to boot because I wasn't paying attention, and it defaults to the blank hard drive. 3: do the partitioning in ugly blue and gray DOS looking interface 4: copy setup files to the hard drive 5: reboot 6: give windows basic information in a huge number of steps (close to 15 if you count the number of "Next" buttons) 7: reboot 8: install antivirus/firewall/spy-ad ware remover 9: reboot 10: install drivers for one piece of hardware 11: reboot etc. ad infinitum until you have it all working. And god forbid if you have an old piece of hardware designed for 98 that XP can't recognize, you're screwed! Yes Linux reverse-engineers the drivers, but often they work just as well, and sometimes better than the default drivers. Ever heard of a person who couldn't get on the 'net with a linux machine? Wireless, sure, but ethernet/dial-up is pretty much well covered! Even usb modems don't require extra steps... Get the point now?
"It's worse for software. Anyone making the leap from Windows to Linux has to start from scratch with regards to applications. That's a much bigger undertaking than the Linux community gives credit for. Having to come up with an alternative for every application you use is a big job."
Ok, but how big of an undertaking is it, really? My mom can't tell the difference between word and openoffice... Firefox and opera are the same on all platforms... OH, and if you're really into IE, there's a nice little program that's called "ies4linux" that install Internet Explorer using wine for you. And all the steps are written down clearly. Sure you've got to find new applications, but if you like simple written down solutions, then you'll find what you need, because the Linux community has been MUCH better about writing documentations and "howto"s than their counterparts.
"Even with Dell's plan to ship PCs with Linux pre-installed, it's likely that the only people who will buy these will be people with enough experience using Linux to know what will work and what won't (or who will know where to find the answers). I'm also left wondering how many people will buy an Ubuntu-powered Dell only to find out that there's more to running a Linux distro than getting an OS for nothing. And how many will eventually give up and install Windows onto them? "
Umm, ok, so instead of having to deal with Windows Update, Norton/McAfee AV updates, Firewall updates and constantly trying to rid yourself of spyware you're going to have to think about the Ubuntu update manager which only reminds you if you ask for it, and then figure out how to deal with hard drive space. Your argument really stands up... My parents are not exactly young, my mom was computer illiterate until 3 years ago. She uses XP and a KDE desktop interchangeably, using a thumbdrive to store her data. She's happy with both, which kind of contends your point, but Windows has become such a hassle that she's liking her Linux alternative a lot better. She didn't setup her linux stuff, but if she was trying to install XP or Vista, she wouldn't be much better off. So how's that for an average user?
Actually, I think they *want* to fail at that. Microsoft is the predominant supplier, and if other programs don't work with Office, MS will claim that it's "inferior" code, that the *other* programs don't follow standards, and the people in management will buy that BS because they've been dealing with MS for ever. It's sad, really, that we lack properly educated IT people. IT is not just about understanding machines, it's also understanding humans who try to sell you machines or software that runs on those machines. It's something few people truly try to understand, but is essential to being fully aware of the situation.
No, I think it has to do with the fact that more and more governments are requiring ODF to be adopted. MS was scared by this, as Office wasn't designed around it, so they're trying to put themselves in a position where they can supply what the governments want AND fulfill legislative requirements. They've learned that from the ongoing EU dispute, imo. The fact that they're still pushing for their own format just shows that they want to retain dominance in the office world, and perhaps regain complete monopoly of the office programs suite. However, it's going to be harder and harder, as OpenOffice will implement a way to read and write MS's XML format, since it HAS to be documented if MS intends to satisfy government customers. It's a business move, nothing less! I just hope that OpenOffice will catch up on the feature list quickly (there's some basic stuff that OO's still missing) so that the decision really does come down to TCO for the IT managers, and then OO will truly shine, as there is no license fee, only support cost, and I'm guessing it'll be cheaper than MS Office support. Just my $0.02 of opinion on this matter.
Actually, there was a problem with the early implants, but it was a manufacturing defect that the company tried to cover up. There's a reason you can still get silicon implants in Europe: longer research and more quality control of said implants. The FDA is currently considering re-allowing silicon implants, given the advances in making safer containers.
Thank you for that. I couldn't have said it better myself. The real problem is that Microsoft is not liking resistance. They bought out the US government through lobbying, which is legal. But in the EU, they call lobbying "bribes". France outright bans the practice, and it is highly frowned upon in the UK. Granted that businesses should have a voice in government, but they should not be the ones RUNNING the government, and that, I believe, is where Microsoft has trouble accepting the EU authority. Now that the EU rules that Microsoft is over-charging for access to certain documents is completely acceptable, because if the competitors, i.e the few hundreds of small or medium programming companies, not to mention game companies in the EU need those documents to survive, and if the fees are too high, then there's a problem for the EU economy. It's part protectionism, part economic boost. If MS is forced to compete, it will drive true innovation, which is what the EU is trying to achieve.
Actually, the real enemy of Osama is his own country: he's after Saudi Arabia, for whatever reason (I forgot what it was). The Saudis hate him just as much as we do, and America is only his second target, but since Saudi Arabia gets all its weapons and training from us, he's trying to weaken them from the source, and then take over. Besides, for the other reply, what exactly does Iraq have to do with Osama? We've gone to Iraq knowing full well he was hiding in a hole in Afghanistan... So the real question is "Is it worth spending all those lives on a country we didn't like?" Sorry, it sounds as if I'm bashing the politics again, but it's a fact. Why congress voted for it I'm still confused. People that say "I voted for it before I voted against it" are either stupid or just a little slow realizing what they threw us in. The people that were against it from the beginning are maybe more self-centered, but at least they didn't complain about Afghanistan.
Also, the real problem in this country, is that it's about as big as a continent. Real ID's purpose is for what, exactly? To make it easier to fake IDs? Because they'll all have the same format, it'll be even easier to fake them, while now we have 50 different formats, and all have different holographs on them. Besides, a centralized system is also a system that is easier to hack. No matter how many layers of security, if you infiltrate them all, you gain control to the whole system. With the current setup, if you hack California's DMV, well, that leaves the other 270 million americans safe. Simple, no? The fear is not all that irrational, it's a fear of the federal government interfering with its citizens' private lives. Since the RealID spec implements some sort of RFID, privacy, or lack thereof, is a REAL concern, and I can say this for having lived in Europe for about 20 years. Europe doesn't have nearly the same problem of ID theft because the data truly is compartmentalized and mostly unavailable for anyone not truly needing it, and RealID would only centralize all that information in one place, it's as if we had ID Thiefs running the country, they want to know everything about everyone at every possible occasion. Time to say "no"! Does that scare you a little more about RealID? Other countries have national IDs, yes, but they're either tyrannical/communist or they have a really well thought out system protecting the information from readily being stolen. The federal government in this country has proved several times already its lack of commitment towards the privacy of individual citizens, and now states are fighting back. It's about time I say!
Whitelisting can also be a problem if he's going to use several email addresses. But here's what I was thinking: PGP signatures. A spammer can't fake that, and you can register a single signature to use in all your emails with a specific email like authentication@example.com. That way, since the signature is present, they are guaranteed it's from your domain, and a filter can throw out mails that don't have those. Granted, there's not enough PGP signature use on the net, but it's a step that I think would work, since they can't really be spoofed. Upload your key to all the major keyservs/certificate holders, and you've got a valid system. I'm surprised nobody else mentioned it earlier... I mean, that was the whole point of having PGP around at all.
I believe he was trying to make a joke. However, he does have a point that we are not enjoying true freedom as I remember it in the 90s, before that whole terrorist scare. Today, you turn on the news and everything is about how we should be scared for our lives, how there's people out there to "get us", the rest of the world is an uncivilized and dangerous place, save maybe for the UK. Then there's a shooting here or there, and all of a sudden the rest of the country panics and becomes COMPLETELY paranoid. For instance: a student here has worn an ammo belt with inactive bullets since the beginning of the year. Today, someone spots him wearing his usual ammo belt. They panick, remembering Virginia Tech, which was scary and disastrous, but still an ISOLATED INCIDENT, and call campus safety. Result? Our campus was paralyzed for an hour and that student will be sanctioned because of his clothing habits, because everyone is scared of a repeat of the Virginia tech disaster. Admittedly he's not being really smart about things putting that one a couple days later, but the point is that people are driven to panick by the crap the media shows us all the time. The turn happened sharply, and not just in this country, because of the 9/11 events.
The Terrorists have already won! Indeed Osama must be patting his shoulder! He didn't want us annihilated, he just wanted us to act like frightened chickens! And he got that, thanks to the oh-so-cooperative media, and a government trying itself to instill fear into its citizens! So yes, most of us don't really have a "life" anymore, if by life you imply freedom of mind, and freedom of fear!
Heh, well good luck to them. I avoid this whole issue by running with Tor. So they're probably going to target some poor chap in China or the middle of Russia as browsing my history. But now I understand better why I keep getting Japanese versions of eharmony spam mails... Oh well, such is life. Spam is spam, and spam filters just keep with the flow, and it works for me. Sorry you uber inquisitive capitalists, I ain't gonna reveal my personality to a corporation just yet. Not until you force me with a brain implant to read my mind.
Slashdot Mirror
A while back there was a post about people doing "mathematical" art, and I'd recommend looking at those people and contacting them to see if they're willing to send you prints. In particular, I know Jeff Ely does great stuff that way, usually involving newton's method for polynomial solving, and fancy other constructs using simple objects. I think it'd suit the general "geek" atmosphere you would need in a CS department.
As much as it makes sense to ask the question here, I'm afraid of the thunder of distro bashing this is going to start.
This is slashdot. We're not always rational, and we argue our tastes in linux distributions and other functionally equivalent software.
That said, someone suggested gentoo, and while as a gentoo user I applaud the suggestion, I cannot help but think that it is a little steep in the learning curve to fulfill these (relatively simple) goals. While I don't think anywhere else would like to have a distro bash party like slashdot only can, I don't know that the poster will find a decent answer...
Notice that I did note that it wasn't an FOSS program. However, for most intents and purposes it's free (as in beer) for end users, and companies who wish to use it can get a subscription for technical support.
Also as the debate over proprietary / standard argument goes elsewhere in this thread, I'd like to point out that most end users are aware of Windows Live Messenger's webcam capabilities, yet many of them switch to skype. Just because Microsoft came up with netmeeting and MSN / WL Messenger doesn't mean that it will become the standard. Same holds true with Skype. Yes it's easy, yes it's simple, but NO it's doesn't have features that can't be provided by another software project, like MS Office, specifically Outlook is what my father (remarkably computer literate for a director of his department, I worked in his company) is constantly reminding me of.
If you could make Outlook platform independent, or come up with an alternative that does everything Outlook does (yes, I know about Evolution, but it's not quite as complete) and is compatible (or can import all of Outlook's data) then you'd have a chance of migrating companies off MS Office. The real problem is that the tools in competitors to Office aren't always as high quality, or existent (thinking of the document revision tools in OO.o).
But that was a long off topic segment. Personally I'd support a company that makes their product as cross-platform as possible, as Skype has done. Sure it's not OSS, but people have a right to make a living with code, too!
I know Skype isn't FOSS, but the latest Linux beta for skype does video chat with windows.
I was pleasantly surprised when I tried it last week from my linux platform.
It also does n-way calls. And runs on Linux, Windows and Mac. Something to follow up on?
Why in the world would you go to the trouble of brute-forcing the passwords when you can simply pop an ubuntu CD in the drive, mount the filesystem and bypass the passwords entirely?
It's something that's got me slightly puzzled, to be honest, but you can chroot into someone's root user account just by popping in any live cd. Short of having your root / home folders in a cryptoloop, any physical access to your machine can reveal all your files to someone stubborn (and smart) enough to want them.
As far as ethics, what's the difference between looking through a deceased's computer files versus looking through all of his stuff in his college dorm room, finding the key for that safe-box he had? Just pop in the CD, hook an external drive, and backup all the files to it so the family can sort through it.
I'm not so sure about that. I mean, yes the application is the point, but the application itself is the reason for needing math.
One could argue that without a need, or application, math wouldn't exist.
BUT we know that laws of physics, or of logic for that matter, will still follow the same rules. So in essence, math is only notation of universal truths. In that sense, it is neither discovered nor invented.
The only thing mathematicians invent are notations and names that describe the logic they're trying to work with.
The logic would be there whether we are aware of it or not. It's like a kid thinking that if he closes his eyes everything else doesn't exist. Just because we don't know much about certain domains in math doesn't mean that they don't exist. Hence mathematics can exist without mathematicians, and is neither discovered or invented, it just is.
And I'd like to point out something else mathematicians have managed to invent: a perpetuating class of socially inept people...
I dunno about math nerds, but what my CS prof likes to throw is a party with chinese food and obscure (often German) board games (Lifeboats, No thanks, Starmada, Ricochet Robots, etc...), and that is usually VERY popular with students and other professors here alike.
Make sure you have plenty of drinks, and a LOOOONG table. Of course, if you don't have the board games, then you're screwed. Starmada is produced by Majestic 12, and they have a demo of the rules on their website... It needs miniatures and a hexagonal map, but the miniatures you can buy anywhere, or printout on paper, and you can find a sample hexagonal map you can just duplicate and print a whole bunch...
Just make sure people know it'll be a LONG night.
The problem is that as I became more and more accustomed to Linux I also wanted more from it.
Yes. That was exactly my thought as I was reading this article. I've been using gentoo for five years (not that it matters, not saying one distro's better than the other), and I've tried various distros on my laptop just to see what worked, what was better, and finally just stuck to my primary setup. The main reason is, I expect my desktop/window manager to give me the means of being productive, and enough ways to configure it so that should my habits change, my desktop would as well.
And KDE simply has much more to offer. Take for example the menu you get when you right click on the title bar of a window. Most desktops/WMs give you some very basic options. KDE alone gives you advanced options and the possibility to always apply certain rules for a window. Of course this might scare you off if all you wanted to do was to Close or Minimize the window, but still there can be no argument about how powerful KDE is.
Unfortunately, that statement I can't agree with. I've been using E17 (which is still pre-alpha status, granted), and all the examples that you give, are easily available from a right click menu. KDE is not in any way superior to other WMs/desktops, it's different: KDE gives the user a certain amount of choices, and a layout to get to these choices. Gnome also has that kind of properties, but you have to dig deep within obscure configuration panels or files to find them, while Enlightenment (E16, the released version) gives you the same choices but in a completely different manner from KDE.
It is true as the article claims that we dislike change (because it means we have to learn new ways to do things that we need to do). I think this will be less of a problem for KDE in the future, since many KDE 4 applications are being ported to other Windows. Perhaps in the future people that are already accustomed to using Konqueror or Amarok under Windows will find the transition to the powerful but cluttered KDE much easier than a transition to GNOME.
Yes, people dislike change, and that's also one of the fundamental reasons that we're not going to see a whole lot of people actively switching from windows to linux anytime soon. Instead, we'll see the same kind of rate happening, but it'll become relatively constant. Linux is already in the headlines, and the war between MS's OOXML and ODF is making a HUGE fuss about open source in general. If we want to see more people switching to linux, make schools use it, make businesses use it and force users to migrate. We all know this isn't going to happen anytime soon, but this would be the only way to pull the linux conversion rate out of the single digits.
Now, the question does appear as flamebait: "Is GNOME better than KDE?" Well, no. They're meant for different audiences. I know some people who love KDE, others who swear by GNOME, and others yet who can't stay away from less well known WMs such as XFCE or Enlightenment.
What the article and argument should have been, would be "how do I find which environment best helps me do what I'm trying to accomplish, and with the least amount of complications?" We all know that Linux is the platform for those choices to sprout from, but the rest depends on users' tastes. And as my mom used to say "You can't discuss tastes."
So you're looking for something that'll replace Adobe's CS.
Well, for image/photo editing, everyone here is mentioning Gimp, so I'm not going to repeat that.
Now, for InDesign replacement: I'm not sure if it supports CMYK, but look up Scribus. I found that it had most of the basic functions of Indesign, and it's opensource. I have no idea about windows support, and even less about how a real designer uses the tool, I took a few GD classes in school, but that was it.
Now, instead of dreamweaver, which is a WYSIWYG editor, FrontPage, as much as it sucks, is one. I don't usually do web pages, so I can't really name any particular product, but my sister's doing alright by using Screem and typing in the HTML herself. Probably not all that great if you're looking for something easy, but it works, and well.
Instead of Illustrator, take a look at Inkscape. That little program is super sweet, and works really really well. I tried it a year ago, and still use it every time I need some sort of clipart. Granted, it doesn't do the fake 3D stuff that Illustrator does. BUT, if you want 3D, then use something else (Blender, ideally, but the learning curve is steep, probably some of the other built in things like kpovmodeler, and render in povray).
As far as color management... well, I dunno, if they can't spring the $2500 for Adobe CS, what makes you think they can afford to buy a printer that understand CMYK? Think about it, they're probably not going to need that kind of precision for a while.
Hope this helps.
Yet the money for the schools would help. The problem is that most of that money doesn't go into schools... In California, Schwarzenegger increased the budget for education tremendously. What did schools get? Zap! It was all sucked by the higher levels of the administration, getting fancy dinners etc.
If you want something done, set a cap of administration levels and staff. That way it becomes competitive and money will trickle down to schools.
How is it the democrats doing it? It's the *Governor's National Association*. That means it's happening at what may seem a federal level, but rather, it's more like a conference of State leaders. Guess what? It's not a democratic majority.
Stop bashing the right of the left in this country, they're both there to screw us over. It's all a matter of who's going to screw us over worse.
Even if you do that, Amarok's got serious speed issues with too large libraries. I've got around 30k songs (~50 GB), and it does exactly as said above, and then some. I lose keyboard focus occasionally while using the win+x win+b shortcuts, and Amarok doesn't act upon them. Then I have to quit amarok to be able to type anything.
I switched from the SQListe db to mysql, and that helped with the playlist/library load times, but not the other issues. Instead of adding new featuresI don't use any from scripts), can't we just fix the ones there and speed them up? Please?
I use amarok because I like the search feature it offers, as opposed to xmms. Rhythmbox is even slower than amarok for some reason. And I have everything on SATA-II disks, with dual opteron and 4 gigs of ram... Not normal!
No, I'm not that confused. The conclusion he originally pulled from that data was that "even atheists won't vote for their own candidate" which is an inaccurate conclusion based on the data given. That's why I'm saying there's lies, damn lies, and statistics. If you manipulate it well enough, no one will notice that you're distorting the context and the actual statistical conclusions.
That's not how I read the results. From what I read, it seemed the questions were more along the lines of:
Are you Catholic?
Would you vote for a catholic?
Are you Atheist?
Would you vote for an atheist?
etc., my point being that the percentage of people saying they wouldn't vote for an atheist is based on the total number of people polled, and NOT just the atheists asked whether they would vote for their own candidates. That poll doesn't reveal anything at all.
remind me why blacks, women, hispanics, 3rd marriage and homosexuals believe in god? The poll just doesn't make any sense, you've got overlapping data and pulling conclusions that don't match.
Of all the data you cited, only jewish, atheists, mormons and catholics relate to god. Of those numbers, we don't know how representative each sample was. All that MoE of 3% says is that the overall result of your analysis' accuracy is 3% away from the true value of that analysis. Watch out for stats...
There's lies, damn lies and statistics.
FTA:
"3 - People want certainty that hardware and software will work
Name me five bits of hardware that lists Linux as a supported system on the box. I've just had a look around the office and I can't find a single thing that lists Linux explicitly (I think I got a USB key some time ago that mentioned Linux but I can't be sure). Until we see hardware vendors shipping Linux drivers for hardware as standard, this will remain a nightmare for anyone who doesn't have a sense of adventure."
Umm, okay. So you want VENDORS to make linux drivers? I think we've had this discussion for years... And guess what?
I popped in an Ubuntu CD, and my laptop works with more of the extra functions OFF THE BAT than windows did after a fresh install. Hmm, let me go through step by step:
1: pop in Ubuntu CD at boot
2: boot
3: click install
4: go through 5 steps where it asks for information
5: reboot onto the hard drive and enjoy everything working.
Now, same deal with Windows:
1: pop in Windows disk
2: reboot because I missed that 5 second delay to choose which to boot because I wasn't paying attention, and it defaults to the blank hard drive.
3: do the partitioning in ugly blue and gray DOS looking interface
4: copy setup files to the hard drive
5: reboot
6: give windows basic information in a huge number of steps (close to 15 if you count the number of "Next" buttons)
7: reboot
8: install antivirus/firewall/spy-ad ware remover
9: reboot
10: install drivers for one piece of hardware
11: reboot
etc. ad infinitum until you have it all working. And god forbid if you have an old piece of hardware designed for 98 that XP can't recognize, you're screwed! Yes Linux reverse-engineers the drivers, but often they work just as well, and sometimes better than the default drivers. Ever heard of a person who couldn't get on the 'net with a linux machine? Wireless, sure, but ethernet/dial-up is pretty much well covered! Even usb modems don't require extra steps... Get the point now?
"It's worse for software. Anyone making the leap from Windows to Linux has to start from scratch with regards to applications. That's a much bigger undertaking than the Linux community gives credit for. Having to come up with an alternative for every application you use is a big job."
Ok, but how big of an undertaking is it, really? My mom can't tell the difference between word and openoffice... Firefox and opera are the same on all platforms... OH, and if you're really into IE, there's a nice little program that's called "ies4linux" that install Internet Explorer using wine for you. And all the steps are written down clearly. Sure you've got to find new applications, but if you like simple written down solutions, then you'll find what you need, because the Linux community has been MUCH better about writing documentations and "howto"s than their counterparts.
"Even with Dell's plan to ship PCs with Linux pre-installed, it's likely that the only people who will buy these will be people with enough experience using Linux to know what will work and what won't (or who will know where to find the answers). I'm also left wondering how many people will buy an Ubuntu-powered Dell only to find out that there's more to running a Linux distro than getting an OS for nothing. And how many will eventually give up and install Windows onto them? "
Umm, ok, so instead of having to deal with Windows Update, Norton/McAfee AV updates, Firewall updates and constantly trying to rid yourself of spyware you're going to have to think about the Ubuntu update manager which only reminds you if you ask for it, and then figure out how to deal with hard drive space. Your argument really stands up... My parents are not exactly young, my mom was computer illiterate until 3 years ago. She uses XP and a KDE desktop interchangeably, using a thumbdrive to store her data. She's happy with both, which kind of contends your point, but Windows has become such a hassle that she's liking her Linux alternative a lot better. She didn't setup her linux stuff, but if she was trying to install XP or Vista, she wouldn't be much better off. So how's that for an average user?
Actually, I think they *want* to fail at that.
Microsoft is the predominant supplier, and if other programs don't work with Office, MS will claim that it's "inferior" code, that the *other* programs don't follow standards, and the people in management will buy that BS because they've been dealing with MS for ever. It's sad, really, that we lack properly educated IT people. IT is not just about understanding machines, it's also understanding humans who try to sell you machines or software that runs on those machines. It's something few people truly try to understand, but is essential to being fully aware of the situation.
No, I think it has to do with the fact that more and more governments are requiring ODF to be adopted.
MS was scared by this, as Office wasn't designed around it, so they're trying to put themselves in a position where they can supply what the governments want AND fulfill legislative requirements. They've learned that from the ongoing EU dispute, imo.
The fact that they're still pushing for their own format just shows that they want to retain dominance in the office world, and perhaps regain complete monopoly of the office programs suite. However, it's going to be harder and harder, as OpenOffice will implement a way to read and write MS's XML format, since it HAS to be documented if MS intends to satisfy government customers.
It's a business move, nothing less! I just hope that OpenOffice will catch up on the feature list quickly (there's some basic stuff that OO's still missing) so that the decision really does come down to TCO for the IT managers, and then OO will truly shine, as there is no license fee, only support cost, and I'm guessing it'll be cheaper than MS Office support.
Just my $0.02 of opinion on this matter.
Actually, there was a problem with the early implants, but it was a manufacturing defect that the company tried to cover up.
There's a reason you can still get silicon implants in Europe: longer research and more quality control of said implants.
The FDA is currently considering re-allowing silicon implants, given the advances in making safer containers.
Yeah, no argument there, I'm just saying, when the court system actually works, it's illegal.
Thank you for that. I couldn't have said it better myself.
The real problem is that Microsoft is not liking resistance. They bought out the US government through lobbying, which is legal. But in the EU, they call lobbying "bribes". France outright bans the practice, and it is highly frowned upon in the UK.
Granted that businesses should have a voice in government, but they should not be the ones RUNNING the government, and that, I believe, is where Microsoft has trouble accepting the EU authority.
Now that the EU rules that Microsoft is over-charging for access to certain documents is completely acceptable, because if the competitors, i.e the few hundreds of small or medium programming companies, not to mention game companies in the EU need those documents to survive, and if the fees are too high, then there's a problem for the EU economy. It's part protectionism, part economic boost. If MS is forced to compete, it will drive true innovation, which is what the EU is trying to achieve.
Actually, the real enemy of Osama is his own country: he's after Saudi Arabia, for whatever reason (I forgot what it was).
The Saudis hate him just as much as we do, and America is only his second target, but since Saudi Arabia gets all its weapons and training from us, he's trying to weaken them from the source, and then take over.
Besides, for the other reply, what exactly does Iraq have to do with Osama?
We've gone to Iraq knowing full well he was hiding in a hole in Afghanistan... So the real question is "Is it worth spending all those lives on a country we didn't like?"
Sorry, it sounds as if I'm bashing the politics again, but it's a fact. Why congress voted for it I'm still confused. People that say "I voted for it before I voted against it" are either stupid or just a little slow realizing what they threw us in.
The people that were against it from the beginning are maybe more self-centered, but at least they didn't complain about Afghanistan.
Also, the real problem in this country, is that it's about as big as a continent. Real ID's purpose is for what, exactly? To make it easier to fake IDs? Because they'll all have the same format, it'll be even easier to fake them, while now we have 50 different formats, and all have different holographs on them. Besides, a centralized system is also a system that is easier to hack. No matter how many layers of security, if you infiltrate them all, you gain control to the whole system. With the current setup, if you hack California's DMV, well, that leaves the other 270 million americans safe.
Simple, no? The fear is not all that irrational, it's a fear of the federal government interfering with its citizens' private lives.
Since the RealID spec implements some sort of RFID, privacy, or lack thereof, is a REAL concern, and I can say this for having lived in Europe for about 20 years. Europe doesn't have nearly the same problem of ID theft because the data truly is compartmentalized and mostly unavailable for anyone not truly needing it, and RealID would only centralize all that information in one place, it's as if we had ID Thiefs running the country, they want to know everything about everyone at every possible occasion. Time to say "no"!
Does that scare you a little more about RealID?
Other countries have national IDs, yes, but they're either tyrannical/communist or they have a really well thought out system protecting the information from readily being stolen. The federal government in this country has proved several times already its lack of commitment towards the privacy of individual citizens, and now states are fighting back. It's about time I say!
Whitelisting can also be a problem if he's going to use several email addresses.
But here's what I was thinking:
PGP signatures. A spammer can't fake that, and you can register a single signature to use in all your emails with a specific email like authentication@example.com. That way, since the signature is present, they are guaranteed it's from your domain, and a filter can throw out mails that don't have those.
Granted, there's not enough PGP signature use on the net, but it's a step that I think would work, since they can't really be spoofed.
Upload your key to all the major keyservs/certificate holders, and you've got a valid system.
I'm surprised nobody else mentioned it earlier... I mean, that was the whole point of having PGP around at all.
I believe he was trying to make a joke.
However, he does have a point that we are not enjoying true freedom as I remember it in the 90s, before that whole terrorist scare.
Today, you turn on the news and everything is about how we should be scared for our lives, how there's people out there to "get us", the rest of the world is an uncivilized and dangerous place, save maybe for the UK.
Then there's a shooting here or there, and all of a sudden the rest of the country panics and becomes COMPLETELY paranoid.
For instance: a student here has worn an ammo belt with inactive bullets since the beginning of the year. Today, someone spots him wearing his usual ammo belt. They panick, remembering Virginia Tech, which was scary and disastrous, but still an ISOLATED INCIDENT, and call campus safety.
Result?
Our campus was paralyzed for an hour and that student will be sanctioned because of his clothing habits, because everyone is scared of a repeat of the Virginia tech disaster. Admittedly he's not being really smart about things putting that one a couple days later, but the point is that people are driven to panick by the crap the media shows us all the time.
The turn happened sharply, and not just in this country, because of the 9/11 events.
The Terrorists have already won! Indeed Osama must be patting his shoulder! He didn't want us annihilated, he just wanted us to act like frightened chickens! And he got that, thanks to the oh-so-cooperative media, and a government trying itself to instill fear into its citizens!
So yes, most of us don't really have a "life" anymore, if by life you imply freedom of mind, and freedom of fear!
Heh, well good luck to them.
I avoid this whole issue by running with Tor. So they're probably going to target some poor chap in China or the middle of Russia as browsing my history.
But now I understand better why I keep getting Japanese versions of eharmony spam mails...
Oh well, such is life. Spam is spam, and spam filters just keep with the flow, and it works for me.
Sorry you uber inquisitive capitalists, I ain't gonna reveal my personality to a corporation just yet. Not until you force me with a brain implant to read my mind.