Perhaps not... although I would imagine Windows 95 would load a lot faster.
Seriously, this would probably help along Linux and Free Software in general, as such is being developed my people around the world; those who do the internationalization in the kernel as well as other sections of the system are usually people who are relatively well-familiar with the individual geographical... idiosyncrasies....of course, I bet they know where the Pacific Ocean is, as well.
Sorry about the above, template wasn't working properly.;)
*chuckle* Well, I have the scale down pretty good, seeing as how I drove from the northeastern edge of Ohio (Youngstown) all the way to south central Arizona (Phoenix)
The whole trip took four days, going an average of 60-70 MPH (and, of course, getting 8 hours nightly); a trip of about 2000 miles. From past experience, I have also clocked about 8-9 hours travelling from Ohio to Maryland, so overall, I would probably reckon somewhere between 5 and 6 days total from NY to LA... provided we don't break any traffic laws...
How long would a cross-country trip be from one end of europe to the other?
At the top of the hour, we'll bring you Microsoft's latest battle to ensure Security in their Service Pack 2 Upgrade, but first, this message from your sponsor...
*cue the Microsoft ad*...Okay, Microsoft the #1 manufacturer of software in the US has announced that it will not be shipping its Service Pack 2 upgrade on time. We have an operative at Microsoft headquarters who can bring you the scoop. Stan?
*cut to Microsoft Windows ad*
Mr. Ballmer, how does this delay affect your company's efforts to ensure the security of your customers? What does this mean in your plans to release the Longhorn operating system?
"Well, Stan, we here at Microsoft have been long at work making things safe and secure for every single person, and we don't plan to change that now. As for Longhorn, that will be put on delay until we can secure what we have now. Beyond that, I can't comment."
Do you give any credence to the rumors that more and more of your customer base might be slipping to Windows?
"Yes, but they'll be back, when they discover that the costs of going to Linux is higher than staying with us. Our plans of world......security are coming along just fine. Hang in there, and we'll show you that Microsoft is the only company in the world that can offer you security from all manners of Internet threats, from pirates to hackers, and of course, file-sharers."
Thank you, Mr. Ballmer. Back to you, Charlie.
*cut to Charlie*
Thank you, Stan. When we come back, a look at your money, and a surprising look at SCO's evidence, proving once and for all, it's ownership of UNIX and Linux...
*cut to MSN Ad*
Darl McBride, CEO of the SCO Group, uncovers an amazing discovery that could turn the tables in their court case against IBM, who they allege had taken UNIX code, the recipe for a computer to work, as they provided this evidence this afternoon in court...
*cut to scene where Darl is in a straitjacket, screaming that Linux is his and if he can't have it, no one will*...oops, sorry, wrong footage...
*cut to scene where SCO lawyers present the Chewbacca Defense*
No question, IBM's claims make no sense. So, here we have conclusive evidence that Linux rightly belongs to the SCO Group.
In an unrelated incident, Darl McBride, surprised at the effectiveness of the maneuver, lost his sanity, and shouted about his ownership of Linux.
*whisper: Do you think they'll buy that? What?* *looks at camera* Oh, when we return, we'll cover your money, and it's safety in MS-backed stocks.
The problem with this is that Land is a zero-sum game... if one lord had more land, it was obviously also true that another lord had less.
Money, however, is not land. It's not even a true object.
Money is a measurement of value. And that measurement raises depending on the personal assets you have; and as programmers, technicians and administrators, much of you have inherent value that, with proper leveraging, can in fact be transformed into quite a bit of money.
If you can recognize the ways of capitalizing on your personal assets, you will discover that you're as rich as you are, not as rich as the dollars you hold; those will come with your efforts.
Hell, I have not seen one in a few years; not since LotR: TT in the theater a couple years ago. I don't watch TV. With my computer, I have no reason for passive entertainment when there's a more active form of entertainment in which I can not only watch, but actually get involved.
Of course, I do have some enjoyment of passive entertainment... they consist of words printed on pieces of paper, and I get them for free at the local library. They have much better plots, and far richer effects than just about all movies. And you can enjoy them even in the middle of nowhere.
Which begs the question: What exactly do TVs and Movies offer?
Good. Unions are, in my opinion, the #1 reason that labor in other countries are so cheap; once the purpose of a union is complete (safe and fair work environment), they don't stop there. They never stop demanding. Unions put companies out of business, and thus comes loss of jobs.
The Islamic extremists call this the Jihad. The holy war.
Since when could that be resolved over talk?
Say what you want of Christian Fundamentalists, but don't assume they're the only ones who have an unreasonable zeal.
Men trying to right a wrong wouldn't take their own lives in the process... it would prevent them from taking further steps. This is religious, folks, and it's not going to be solved by discussion.
*chuckle* For all we know, they might use x-ray signals... or infraredtooth... or subspace... or even telepathy (why even have communication technology when the natural form is adequate?)
Just because they might be intelligent, doesn't mean they had to necessarily evolve technology in the same way we did...
Hell, who knows? Maybe they're far in advance of anything we have... probably because they didn't think of patents.;)
Well, first of all, nothing is truly invincible to a determined person. AES is currently a real bitch to decode, but it's a fallacy to assume that because you have AES, you'll never need to worry about security again. DES would have stumped the hell out of anyone during WW2 days; it's not impossible these days, especially with smaller bit sizes. AES is the trend du jour of encryption algorithms... but only until it's broken. If someone breaks the first encryption algorithm, I want the "plaintext" to be as unreadable as the "cyphertext." Who knows, maybe they'll think they failed?
Second, my point is based on what you're saying. An unsecured communications infrastructure in any business can cause irreparable competitive harm, especially in the case of startups where, say, entrepreneurs use their laptops in a booth in a cafe, within the vicinity of their competitors establishments, having done some "shopping," working on their business plans that are safely snuggled in their home computers.
But you realize that I was always a paranoid soul. One form of encryption, one firewall, one proxy... it's not enough. *chuckle* And that was BEFORE reading "Cryptonomicon.";)
The Average Joe falls into one of the following categories:
* Net Junkie - Uses their computer to get on the 'Net. The sales pitch here involves security and incompatibility with Windows Viruses, built-in pop-up blocking, built-in Spam filtering, and a built-in firewall. In other words, a far safer environment to be browsing the Web in... and Email no longer has the "gotcha" factor.
* Typer - Type up letters and homework on the computer. Sometimes makes lists using Excel. As long as they're MAKING the documents, Word compatibility isn't an issue. They usually don't use a TENTH of the features in the $400 product anyways, and this generally HAS the features they DO use.
Usually, the Typer's also a Net Addict. And this combination is by far the most common "common" person I've met. Everyone else is usually pretty savvy and knows what they want.
* Gamer - Computer games are this person's life. Obviously not the market for Linux, and I won't waste my breath trying.
* Creative Professional - Adobe * CS (or the Creative Suite itself, or Elements), Macromedia *, Pro Tools, Logic Audio, Cubase... The professional-grade creative tools are not on Linux, and while I might be flamed for this, those products massively outstrip anything even remotely comparable in Linux. I know, I've used a number of them (Photoshop in particular makes the Gimp look to be a fitting name) Once again, marketing Linux to this person would likely be a waste of my time.
* Computer Enthusiast - Not likely worth my breath endorsing Linux... these people already know about it, and have likely established opinions one way or the other. If they ask questions, I'll be glad to answer them, but only if they have questions....unless I get drawn into a drawn-out conversation about the latest SCO debacle, Microsoft's Patent plan, CSS, DMCA, or other Social/Political/Technical issue.
* Businessman - Worth the discussion, but the lack of direct bank-access from Linux financial software counts as a MASSIVE disadvantage to an otherwise perfect system tool. However, It IS worth discussing Linux with them as another option, as business people like to be kept abreast of potential technology trends. And if they can dedicate another computer for accounting, they are often amenable to trying Linux out for their main communication/management desktops.
The BIG advantage to Linux is the "Try before you buy" principle. I keep a notebook in my shirt pocket when I work, and just about every customer who proves hesitant about Linux, I give a way to try it absolutely free before they make any decision. Knoppix is my friend.;)
So far, a huge number of those people I've given the Knoppix website to have returned, and SuSE has sold pretty regularly where I work.
IBM is probably cold, calculating and ruthless. But that simply means they're too analytical to actually be malicious.
Here's one for you... what would a patent case against Linux give IBM? Cross-licensing? Redistribution rights? Money? Linux is essentially already giving IBM all three willingly.
IBM gains value from working with Linux. If AIX started to become threatened by Linux, then IBM wouldn't seek revenge; they'd simply either adapt AIX to compete, or strengthen their Linux strategy, either of which is an easier and more profitable route; legal action is expensive for BOTH sides.
And let's not forget the MAD clause in the GPL; the moment IBM tries to take Linux by legal force, it has revoked its license to distribute Linux.
In such a case, I think that IBM moving out of the Linux market would be a definite warning that patent hell is coming from their quarter.
*chuckle* You kidding? Something like this would be a boon to IT departments in companies whose edge depends on their communications structure... particularly ones whose salesmen are field agents and road warriors.
Business is cutthroat. Communications in one company, if intercepted, can give other companies the edge. One layer of protection isn't enough, but then again, encrypting everything in one layer gives the would-be cracker that much more difficulty getting to the valuable blood of business.
This, combined with IPSec, such as OpenS/WAN or KAME, would make a relatively formidable ground level to build up from.
I'm similar to a large portion of the population on this particular story. I can type at 40-50 words per minute with nary so much as a single error, and I do not use the typical method of typing. I simply hover my hands, independently, over the keys I know I will be typing soon, most often overtop the QWERTY row, since it is where most of the vowels happen to be. (With the exception of 'A', and that's close enough)
When I type, I often readjust the angle of my hands over the keyboard where I want to type, so as to cover the necessary keys. This has the interesting advantage; there's plenty of wrist-movement, so I have not, in 21 years, even had a HINT of carpal-tunnel syndrome.
Well, okay, I've had a few hints, but that was usually after a few hours straight of nothing but mousing, during specific video games.
There was a blue moon a couple days ago. This prompted Doom 3 to come out, and McBride to say he was not going to do any more litigation for a while. This significantly reduced the temperature in hell, causing it to break loose.
I saw one article where she was quoted several times, and made it apparent she agreed with this "evil" organization.
Besides, when you see a risk, you take precautions against it happening. That is known as risk management and it is well-known as a cost of doing business.
I don't want to hear any BS about Linux not infringing on any patents; there's so many ridiculous patents out there (see the icon of this story for an appropriate analog) that it would be good to have a buffer against another SCO coming along with a patent suit, specifically to give strategic partners (read: Microsoft) a weapon against Linux.
For many companies, it's worth the money for the ability to say to some submariner "Here's the information for my insurer. Take your case to them."
*chuckle* Why not? If it becomes accepted that MS is actually innovating, then it can also become a possibility that they are also issuing valid patents to keep us out. As long as other systems are issuing these features before MS can patent them, they will still be overturned.
Psychological warfare, my friend. People are psyching themselves up against the legal battles to come.;)
I like the idea of PatentForge, but the problem here is that unlike copyright, which applies as soon as the copyable product is made, a patent must be accepted by the USPTO. Otherwise, there is no legal monopoly guarantees to license against.
However, the point I was trying to make is that patents work in a specific way; the government publishes them in the USPTO as patents. From that moment on, the patent is considered effective.
Now, what if there was another organization that worked exactly like the USPTO, except that when their "patents" are published, they are actually official prior art.
Hell, I'd start one myself if I had any idea at all how to research patents... and not warp my mind into spaghetti over the linguistics of such a thing... I'm no lawyer.
Slashdot Mirror
What are they going do do, Pirate the software?
MS probably can't win for losing there...
Perhaps not... although I would imagine Windows 95 would load a lot faster.
...of course, I bet they know where the Pacific Ocean is, as well.
;)
Seriously, this would probably help along Linux and Free Software in general, as such is being developed my people around the world; those who do the internationalization in the kernel as well as other sections of the system are usually people who are relatively well-familiar with the individual geographical... idiosyncrasies.
Sorry about the above, template wasn't working properly.
*insert obligatory vi vs. EMACS quote here, with references to Windows vs. UNIX*
*extrapolate on initial phraseology*
*add witticism*
*disclaimer*
*chuckle* Well, I have the scale down pretty good, seeing as how I drove from the northeastern edge of Ohio (Youngstown) all the way to south central Arizona (Phoenix)
The whole trip took four days, going an average of 60-70 MPH (and, of course, getting 8 hours nightly); a trip of about 2000 miles. From past experience, I have also clocked about 8-9 hours travelling from Ohio to Maryland, so overall, I would probably reckon somewhere between 5 and 6 days total from NY to LA... provided we don't break any traffic laws...
How long would a cross-country trip be from one end of europe to the other?
You make it sound like Barter doesn't exist in many places.
You forget that money is simply a barter broker... the middleman in a fair trade.
Keep drinking and posting... that's one of the most insightful posts I've seen regarding the topic.
At the top of the hour, we'll bring you Microsoft's latest battle to ensure Security in their Service Pack 2 Upgrade, but first, this message from your sponsor...
...Okay, Microsoft the #1 manufacturer of software in the US has announced that it will not be shipping its Service Pack 2 upgrade on time. We have an operative at Microsoft headquarters who can bring you the scoop. Stan?
...security are coming along just fine. Hang in there, and we'll show you that Microsoft is the only company in the world that can offer you security from all manners of Internet threats, from pirates to hackers, and of course, file-sharers."
...oops, sorry, wrong footage...
*cue the Microsoft ad*
*cut to Microsoft Windows ad*
Mr. Ballmer, how does this delay affect your company's efforts to ensure the security of your customers? What does this mean in your plans to release the Longhorn operating system?
"Well, Stan, we here at Microsoft have been long at work making things safe and secure for every single person, and we don't plan to change that now. As for Longhorn, that will be put on delay until we can secure what we have now. Beyond that, I can't comment."
Do you give any credence to the rumors that more and more of your customer base might be slipping to Windows?
"Yes, but they'll be back, when they discover that the costs of going to Linux is higher than staying with us. Our plans of world...
Thank you, Mr. Ballmer. Back to you, Charlie.
*cut to Charlie*
Thank you, Stan. When we come back, a look at your money, and a surprising look at SCO's evidence, proving once and for all, it's ownership of UNIX and Linux...
*cut to MSN Ad*
Darl McBride, CEO of the SCO Group, uncovers an amazing discovery that could turn the tables in their court case against IBM, who they allege had taken UNIX code, the recipe for a computer to work, as they provided this evidence this afternoon in court...
*cut to scene where Darl is in a straitjacket, screaming that Linux is his and if he can't have it, no one will*
*cut to scene where SCO lawyers present the Chewbacca Defense*
No question, IBM's claims make no sense. So, here we have conclusive evidence that Linux rightly belongs to the SCO Group.
In an unrelated incident, Darl McBride, surprised at the effectiveness of the maneuver, lost his sanity, and shouted about his ownership of Linux.
*whisper: Do you think they'll buy that? What?* *looks at camera* Oh, when we return, we'll cover your money, and it's safety in MS-backed stocks.
The problem with this is that Land is a zero-sum game... if one lord had more land, it was obviously also true that another lord had less.
Money, however, is not land. It's not even a true object.
Money is a measurement of value. And that measurement raises depending on the personal assets you have; and as programmers, technicians and administrators, much of you have inherent value that, with proper leveraging, can in fact be transformed into quite a bit of money.
If you can recognize the ways of capitalizing on your personal assets, you will discover that you're as rich as you are, not as rich as the dollars you hold; those will come with your efforts.
Stop watching movies.
Hell, I have not seen one in a few years; not since LotR: TT in the theater a couple years ago. I don't watch TV. With my computer, I have no reason for passive entertainment when there's a more active form of entertainment in which I can not only watch, but actually get involved.
Of course, I do have some enjoyment of passive entertainment... they consist of words printed on pieces of paper, and I get them for free at the local library. They have much better plots, and far richer effects than just about all movies. And you can enjoy them even in the middle of nowhere.
Which begs the question: What exactly do TVs and Movies offer?
Good. Unions are, in my opinion, the #1 reason that labor in other countries are so cheap; once the purpose of a union is complete (safe and fair work environment), they don't stop there. They never stop demanding. Unions put companies out of business, and thus comes loss of jobs.
"I just saved a lot of money by switching to Linux..."
The Islamic extremists call this the Jihad. The holy war.
Since when could that be resolved over talk?
Say what you want of Christian Fundamentalists, but don't assume they're the only ones who have an unreasonable zeal.
Men trying to right a wrong wouldn't take their own lives in the process... it would prevent them from taking further steps. This is religious, folks, and it's not going to be solved by discussion.
Two words... Hilary Clinton.
*chuckle* For all we know, they might use x-ray signals... or infraredtooth... or subspace... or even telepathy (why even have communication technology when the natural form is adequate?)
;)
Just because they might be intelligent, doesn't mean they had to necessarily evolve technology in the same way we did...
Hell, who knows? Maybe they're far in advance of anything we have... probably because they didn't think of patents.
Well, first of all, nothing is truly invincible to a determined person. AES is currently a real bitch to decode, but it's a fallacy to assume that because you have AES, you'll never need to worry about security again. DES would have stumped the hell out of anyone during WW2 days; it's not impossible these days, especially with smaller bit sizes. AES is the trend du jour of encryption algorithms... but only until it's broken. If someone breaks the first encryption algorithm, I want the "plaintext" to be as unreadable as the "cyphertext." Who knows, maybe they'll think they failed?
;)
Second, my point is based on what you're saying. An unsecured communications infrastructure in any business can cause irreparable competitive harm, especially in the case of startups where, say, entrepreneurs use their laptops in a booth in a cafe, within the vicinity of their competitors establishments, having done some "shopping," working on their business plans that are safely snuggled in their home computers.
But you realize that I was always a paranoid soul. One form of encryption, one firewall, one proxy... it's not enough. *chuckle* And that was BEFORE reading "Cryptonomicon."
I hope I made my position clear.
The Average Joe falls into one of the following categories:
...unless I get drawn into a drawn-out conversation about the latest SCO debacle, Microsoft's Patent plan, CSS, DMCA, or other Social/Political/Technical issue.
;)
* Net Junkie - Uses their computer to get on the 'Net.
The sales pitch here involves security and incompatibility with Windows Viruses, built-in pop-up blocking, built-in Spam filtering, and a built-in firewall. In other words, a far safer environment to be browsing the Web in... and Email no longer has the "gotcha" factor.
* Typer - Type up letters and homework on the computer. Sometimes makes lists using Excel. As long as they're MAKING the documents, Word compatibility isn't an issue. They usually don't use a TENTH of the features in the $400 product anyways, and this generally HAS the features they DO use.
Usually, the Typer's also a Net Addict. And this combination is by far the most common "common" person I've met. Everyone else is usually pretty savvy and knows what they want.
* Gamer - Computer games are this person's life. Obviously not the market for Linux, and I won't waste my breath trying.
* Creative Professional - Adobe * CS (or the Creative Suite itself, or Elements), Macromedia *, Pro Tools, Logic Audio, Cubase... The professional-grade creative tools are not on Linux, and while I might be flamed for this, those products massively outstrip anything even remotely comparable in Linux. I know, I've used a number of them (Photoshop in particular makes the Gimp look to be a fitting name) Once again, marketing Linux to this person would likely be a waste of my time.
* Computer Enthusiast - Not likely worth my breath endorsing Linux... these people already know about it, and have likely established opinions one way or the other. If they ask questions, I'll be glad to answer them, but only if they have questions.
* Businessman - Worth the discussion, but the lack of direct bank-access from Linux financial software counts as a MASSIVE disadvantage to an otherwise perfect system tool. However, It IS worth discussing Linux with them as another option, as business people like to be kept abreast of potential technology trends. And if they can dedicate another computer for accounting, they are often amenable to trying Linux out for their main communication/management desktops.
The BIG advantage to Linux is the "Try before you buy" principle. I keep a notebook in my shirt pocket when I work, and just about every customer who proves hesitant about Linux, I give a way to try it absolutely free before they make any decision. Knoppix is my friend.
So far, a huge number of those people I've given the Knoppix website to have returned, and SuSE has sold pretty regularly where I work.
They DO distribute Linux. They just didn't DESIGN or MODIFY the distribution.
IBM is probably cold, calculating and ruthless. But that simply means they're too analytical to actually be malicious.
Here's one for you... what would a patent case against Linux give IBM? Cross-licensing? Redistribution rights? Money? Linux is essentially already giving IBM all three willingly.
IBM gains value from working with Linux. If AIX started to become threatened by Linux, then IBM wouldn't seek revenge; they'd simply either adapt AIX to compete, or strengthen their Linux strategy, either of which is an easier and more profitable route; legal action is expensive for BOTH sides.
And let's not forget the MAD clause in the GPL; the moment IBM tries to take Linux by legal force, it has revoked its license to distribute Linux.
In such a case, I think that IBM moving out of the Linux market would be a definite warning that patent hell is coming from their quarter.
A statement with one signature is more than enough for legal purposes. Especially when such is displayed prominently where anyone can get a copy.
Hell, a statement on a napkin with a signature is just as valid in a court as a professionally-prepared, lawyer-approved document.
*chuckle* You kidding? Something like this would be a boon to IT departments in companies whose edge depends on their communications structure... particularly ones whose salesmen are field agents and road warriors.
Business is cutthroat. Communications in one company, if intercepted, can give other companies the edge. One layer of protection isn't enough, but then again, encrypting everything in one layer gives the would-be cracker that much more difficulty getting to the valuable blood of business.
This, combined with IPSec, such as OpenS/WAN or KAME, would make a relatively formidable ground level to build up from.
I'm similar to a large portion of the population on this particular story. I can type at 40-50 words per minute with nary so much as a single error, and I do not use the typical method of typing. I simply hover my hands, independently, over the keys I know I will be typing soon, most often overtop the QWERTY row, since it is where most of the vowels happen to be. (With the exception of 'A', and that's close enough)
When I type, I often readjust the angle of my hands over the keyboard where I want to type, so as to cover the necessary keys. This has the interesting advantage; there's plenty of wrist-movement, so I have not, in 21 years, even had a HINT of carpal-tunnel syndrome.
Well, okay, I've had a few hints, but that was usually after a few hours straight of nothing but mousing, during specific video games.
There was a blue moon a couple days ago. This prompted Doom 3 to come out, and McBride to say he was not going to do any more litigation for a while. This significantly reduced the temperature in hell, causing it to break loose.
I saw one article where she was quoted several times, and made it apparent she agreed with this "evil" organization.
Besides, when you see a risk, you take precautions against it happening. That is known as risk management and it is well-known as a cost of doing business.
I don't want to hear any BS about Linux not infringing on any patents; there's so many ridiculous patents out there (see the icon of this story for an appropriate analog) that it would be good to have a buffer against another SCO coming along with a patent suit, specifically to give strategic partners (read: Microsoft) a weapon against Linux.
For many companies, it's worth the money for the ability to say to some submariner "Here's the information for my insurer. Take your case to them."
*chuckle* Why not? If it becomes accepted that MS is actually innovating, then it can also become a possibility that they are also issuing valid patents to keep us out. As long as other systems are issuing these features before MS can patent them, they will still be overturned.
;)
Psychological warfare, my friend. People are psyching themselves up against the legal battles to come.
I like the idea of PatentForge, but the problem here is that unlike copyright, which applies as soon as the copyable product is made, a patent must be accepted by the USPTO. Otherwise, there is no legal monopoly guarantees to license against.
However, the point I was trying to make is that patents work in a specific way; the government publishes them in the USPTO as patents. From that moment on, the patent is considered effective.
Now, what if there was another organization that worked exactly like the USPTO, except that when their "patents" are published, they are actually official prior art.
Hell, I'd start one myself if I had any idea at all how to research patents... and not warp my mind into spaghetti over the linguistics of such a thing... I'm no lawyer.
Any groklaw folks here wanna weigh in?