Linux doesn't have fear on its side. There is not nor have there ever been choice in computers. What keeps people using Windows is what will happen if they stop. I for example, against my will will have to install a Windows Server 2003 machine in a VM because my university Class requires it, otherwise, the teacher will fail me. (There are certain assignments I can get by on with Linux, but maybe one or two where he has INSISTED on seeing screenshots of a Windows Desktop, as for Application.
Right now, in peoples minds, the fear exists that if they use Linux they will most fail and if they use Windows there is no way they can fail. Until Linux has the applications nessessary to hold users by that iron gauntlet of fear, Windows will hold people in its Iron Gauntlet of fear. People love Linux, but they don't fear it because Windows is there. We need to be loved and feared.
By the way.
To those who say Linux has no productive applications. I did this in Cinelerra just yesterday. I find I'm terrible at Cinematography. I made a Youtube Video about a Linux game called FreeDroid RPG, but this is the first time I have ever done anything for youtube. I plan on re-uploading it later. but just keep in mind. I did this with Linux programs on Linux for a Linuix program, with a functional Linux capture card.
Apple was never any better than MS and I have no love for them, in fact, they are worse, they have always been worse, and the fact they are worse, is the reason Windows is Dominant today. Never forget, never ever forget the reason Dos prevailed, Lock in, and that lock in translated to one killer application: Doom. Doom, not Windows, created the x86 world we live in. Had Doom come out on Mac First, we would live in a Mac world.
Apple has always been the worst about lock-in. There were once some old variations of the Mac you could only plug in Mac approved speakers, microphones, printers, etc etc etc etc. EVERYTHING was proprietary. Well. This thing about Mac Computers being compatible with everything, is new. I don't trust Apple, I never have, I never will, I don't trust MS, I never have, I never will because MS is moving in the same direction Mac was in the mid 90s. "Approved" Speakers, Network cards that don't work, USB Peripherials that sit there and smile at you. The list goes on. I vote Linux.
You have to realize that in Microsoft's landscape, Windows Users are not entitled to "choose" anything. Making the choice to use Linux is insanely difficult. You grow accustomed and comfortable after a while but its still really hard. There is no free market in computers. Proliferation of IIS and ActiveX will force people to IE.
DirectX Will make just the advancements it needs to keep programmers from going SDL and OpenGL. Thats what it is for. The question is not how far has DirectX come, its how far does SDL and OpenGL have to go.
I don't want to talk about that because I'm not the most qualified person in the area to comment on the issue. I have my perceptions, I'm probably going to shoot myself in the foot by proceeding further and embarrassing myself.
If you combine PEBKAC with the nightmare OS that is Windows, you see the dark and terrible Hell that has been created. Granted, it is true that alot of people who use computers don't deserve them, but everyone feels they are entitled to them. Really, the majority of people haven't earned the right to use computers, because they have no discipline to do so. But they will anyway, because there is money to be made. Its like giving Guns to chimps.
I started on Tandy 1000 286s, and Commodore 64s, so I have that discipline, that experience, I learned how to walk before I ran, and ran before I flew. But that just isn't the way our world works.
Do realize that the actions these insecure people with irresponsible habits take affect the lives of millions of people through scams, and DoS attacks.
I agree, perhaps this will mean the prevention of another burning of the library of Alexandria. The bad part is, yes, alot of tribal Wisdom will be lost that shouldn't. As for Spanish overtaking English, I don't think so, I think thats just racist fear mongering. No, I think eventually English and Chinese will drive Spanish to extinction.
As much as I'd love an injunction saying that MS must make its DOCX File format readable by other Office suites, and it must produce a plugin for OO.org to open it NOW. We are screwed. MS already has Office 2007 out in the wild, and I'm starting to get.docx files I can't open in OO.org. There's only one reason this was done, OO.org is so good at opening Docs it started to threaten Office. It doesn't matter if whether OOXML gets certified, its going to be up to OO.org to reverse engineer it as fast as possible or it will make everyone cry blood.
By the way, what do you think the result will be in a year when we start seeing Samba 4 AD? MS will attack again with even harsher resolve/.
Those of us who support Linux, I stated on the last article like this, the slower adoption of Vista is, the more time it buys Windows users. So consider this. What happens if we get a "Golden" Wine that can run some killer Windows App XP can, Vista can't. All the sudden you have a small targeted dent in MS's market share that makes a big dent.
What are some ways the calculating Linux user can use this to further undermine MS?
I have a feeling that in some way we will see a repeat of the Indian Removal act with this. Congress and the President will say: The justices have made their decision, now let them enforce it.
There are Directory Services "Done Right" look at Novell's eDirectory? When Samba 4 comes out, it won't replicate AD, it will instead take away the one disadvantage Samba has had, the inability to process AD logins for Windows nodes. When Samba 4 goes golden and it starts being something that is fettered out to all the distributions, it will create new ideas that were never thought of. Samba 4 will start looking more like eDirectory.
Furthermore. There are services such as Radius and TACSTACS that prefer FreeRadius over IAS.
When Samba 2.2.1 came out it had one critical advantage. It could resolve SMB Shares with DNS, something 95, 98, and NT4 Couldn't do. But by the time Samba 2.2 was released, Windows 2000 was already out there, and so it was too late. The possibility, however remote, exists that Samba could make Windows 2003 look like a pile of junk by comparison.
Samba 4 is going to mean that AFS and Kerberos need to change to accomodate it. I can think of a few senerioes where using AFS with Samba could again, create something Windows has no possibility of matching.
The longer XP stays in circulation, the more time Wine, Samba, Kerberos, OpenLDAP, Fedora DS, and a myriad of Linux producers have to target Windows. If Vista really has mass rejection by consumers and businesses, it buys Linux oh so precious weeks, Days, and hours, to try and overtake Active Directory.
The regulators are not technical people and don't understand that. To make the playing field level, you would have to mandate all hardware makers make all their hardware specs completely available. Bundling or un-bundling Windows won't help so long as you have legions of hardware makers making only Windows drivers for their hardware.
Another thing is, it would have to be mandated that ActiveX on the Public Internet be banned, WMA DRM banned and AAC DRM banned. That would level the playing feild.
As I have demonstrated from some of my previous posts, Kerberos is indispensable in the network administration infrastructure in the Linux world, it connects to SSH, Samba, Apache, and god knows what else. Its something no Linux Admin should be without knowledge of. The MIT Kerberos implementation has been behind for years because of their refusal to implement LDAP support until now. I'm just glad Kerberos finally gets a standard LDAP Connector. I'm sick of having to maintain one database for Kerberos and LDAP for everything else.
Still, Kerberos rocks my world. I couldn't do without it.
I don't agree with everything RMS says about Open Source vs. Closed Source software, but anything that makes DRM extinct is a good thing in my book, DRM has no right to exist in this universe.
I'm an experienced Linux User, and you sound like someone I know.
Editing files has nothing to do with it. Generally, Under Linux, Wifi falls in three catagories. Those that do work. Those that work with NDISwrapper, and those that don't work. Those that work with NDIS wrapper NDIS wrapper installs the drive for you. Those that work out of the box will simply work out of the box. Those that don't work will sit there and stare at you and do nothing. There is a minor special exception for the BCM 43xx, you have to install their firmware first using something called the bcm43xx-fwcutter. But most distroes automate this.
While Human being sex drives are not genetically programmed, this plays a role here. For example, alot of people here are talking about Second Life, and EverQuest, and WoW, are you in love with the person? Or are you in love with the avatar?
Text based mediums create a different issue. Your much more likely to find out about a real person because they aren't quite so obviously playing a game. In the case of text media like IRC, are you in love with that person? or are you in love with the person created in your imagination based on what the other person has typed? Furthermore, being on a chat based medium insulates you from bad habits. Bad habits that will become visible in a face to face encounter.
This month, a friend of mine I have known for over a decade flew accross the country to meet me in person for the first time. We had been friends since we worked on a failed project to produce an Open Source Mega Man video game that got to a certain point then failed. We stayed IRC friends for for 11 years, and he came to visit me for 6 days in August. This isn't to say I don't have friends in the real world that come visit me too, I do. but I had always known who he was, and he and I were really friends.
Now. Relationships are another matter. Relationships need an element of physical proximity. They fall apart anyway. I wouldn't feel comfortable in an online relationship. Long distance relationships generally don't work out even when its telephone conversations.
It seems like gradually an inch at a time, the US is 'criminalizing' protocols it doesn't like. This will probably end badly. Remember that guy who was convicted of 'criminal copyright infringement'? Isn't copyright infringement supposed to be a civil matter? Well its not anymore. The IP Holders make the laws, and if they say if you go to jail for 20 years sharing one song, then so be it. (Just as an example.)
Unless there are major changes in US leadership soon, and there won't be, living in the US has very undesirable prospects in my opinion. Geeks are a minority and Geek opinions are not going to be respected. IP laws or not, this can only end badly. Maybe its time we start asking the 'if not the USA, where?' again and seriously start looking for other countries to live in.
Now I know what you are going to say, 'but why can't we vote people into office to change the rules?' Well, theoretically we could. but Geeks are such a small minority compared to the hordes of 'values voters' out there, any issue you voice out on will be drowned out.
So that begs the question, what are the best Geek friendly countries?
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Linux doesn't have fear on its side. There is not nor have there ever been choice in computers. What keeps people using Windows is what will happen if they stop. I for example, against my will will have to install a Windows Server 2003 machine in a VM because my university Class requires it, otherwise, the teacher will fail me. (There are certain assignments I can get by on with Linux, but maybe one or two where he has INSISTED on seeing screenshots of a Windows Desktop, as for Application.
Right now, in peoples minds, the fear exists that if they use Linux they will most fail and if they use Windows there is no way they can fail. Until Linux has the applications nessessary to hold users by that iron gauntlet of fear, Windows will hold people in its Iron Gauntlet of fear. People love Linux, but they don't fear it because Windows is there. We need to be loved and feared.
By the way.
To those who say Linux has no productive applications. I did this in Cinelerra just yesterday. I find I'm terrible at Cinematography. I made a Youtube Video about a Linux game called FreeDroid RPG, but this is the first time I have ever done anything for youtube. I plan on re-uploading it later. but just keep in mind. I did this with Linux programs on Linux for a Linuix program, with a functional Linux capture card.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUCY9cu3eac
There you go.
There are more Linux users than OSX Users.
Apple was never any better than MS and I have no love for them, in fact, they are worse, they have always been worse, and the fact they are worse, is the reason Windows is Dominant today. Never forget, never ever forget the reason Dos prevailed, Lock in, and that lock in translated to one killer application: Doom. Doom, not Windows, created the x86 world we live in. Had Doom come out on Mac First, we would live in a Mac world.
Apple has always been the worst about lock-in. There were once some old variations of the Mac you could only plug in Mac approved speakers, microphones, printers, etc etc etc etc. EVERYTHING was proprietary. Well. This thing about Mac Computers being compatible with everything, is new. I don't trust Apple, I never have, I never will, I don't trust MS, I never have, I never will because MS is moving in the same direction Mac was in the mid 90s. "Approved" Speakers, Network cards that don't work, USB Peripherials that sit there and smile at you. The list goes on. I vote Linux.
We knew this would happen, so lets do what we can.
Upgrades. Don't run old versions of Linux Support has run out on. Upgrade.
Lets put emphasis on security, and develop new models.
You have to realize that in Microsoft's landscape, Windows Users are not entitled to "choose" anything. Making the choice to use Linux is insanely difficult. You grow accustomed and comfortable after a while but its still really hard. There is no free market in computers. Proliferation of IIS and ActiveX will force people to IE.
SDL covers the behavior of Joypads and the keyboard and sound. OpenGL handles 3D
DirectX Will make just the advancements it needs to keep programmers from going SDL and OpenGL. Thats what it is for. The question is not how far has DirectX come, its how far does SDL and OpenGL have to go.
There is a Unix, OSX.
I don't want to talk about that because I'm not the most qualified person in the area to comment on the issue. I have my perceptions, I'm probably going to shoot myself in the foot by proceeding further and embarrassing myself.
If you combine PEBKAC with the nightmare OS that is Windows, you see the dark and terrible Hell that has been created. Granted, it is true that alot of people who use computers don't deserve them, but everyone feels they are entitled to them. Really, the majority of people haven't earned the right to use computers, because they have no discipline to do so. But they will anyway, because there is money to be made. Its like giving Guns to chimps.
I started on Tandy 1000 286s, and Commodore 64s, so I have that discipline, that experience, I learned how to walk before I ran, and ran before I flew. But that just isn't the way our world works.
Do realize that the actions these insecure people with irresponsible habits take affect the lives of millions of people through scams, and DoS attacks.
I agree, perhaps this will mean the prevention of another burning of the library of Alexandria. The bad part is, yes, alot of tribal Wisdom will be lost that shouldn't. As for Spanish overtaking English, I don't think so, I think thats just racist fear mongering. No, I think eventually English and Chinese will drive Spanish to extinction.
"I can't open DOCX files, send it in DOC". This won't last forever.
As much as I'd love an injunction saying that MS must make its DOCX File format readable by other Office suites, and it must produce a plugin for OO.org to open it NOW. We are screwed. MS already has Office 2007 out in the wild, and I'm starting to get .docx files I can't open in OO.org. There's only one reason this was done, OO.org is so good at opening Docs it started to threaten Office. It doesn't matter if whether OOXML gets certified, its going to be up to OO.org to reverse engineer it as fast as possible or it will make everyone cry blood.
By the way, what do you think the result will be in a year when we start seeing Samba 4 AD? MS will attack again with even harsher resolve/.
I would have at least tried. No shame in trying even if I'm wrong, I would have at least given it a shot.
Those of us who support Linux, I stated on the last article like this, the slower adoption of Vista is, the more time it buys Windows users. So consider this. What happens if we get a "Golden" Wine that can run some killer Windows App XP can, Vista can't. All the sudden you have a small targeted dent in MS's market share that makes a big dent.
What are some ways the calculating Linux user can use this to further undermine MS?
I have a feeling that in some way we will see a repeat of the Indian Removal act with this. Congress and the President will say: The justices have made their decision, now let them enforce it.
There are Directory Services "Done Right" look at Novell's eDirectory? When Samba 4 comes out, it won't replicate AD, it will instead take away the one disadvantage Samba has had, the inability to process AD logins for Windows nodes. When Samba 4 goes golden and it starts being something that is fettered out to all the distributions, it will create new ideas that were never thought of. Samba 4 will start looking more like eDirectory.
Furthermore. There are services such as Radius and TACSTACS that prefer FreeRadius over IAS.
When Samba 2.2.1 came out it had one critical advantage. It could resolve SMB Shares with DNS, something 95, 98, and NT4 Couldn't do. But by the time Samba 2.2 was released, Windows 2000 was already out there, and so it was too late. The possibility, however remote, exists that Samba could make Windows 2003 look like a pile of junk by comparison.
Samba 4 is going to mean that AFS and Kerberos need to change to accomodate it. I can think of a few senerioes where using AFS with Samba could again, create something Windows has no possibility of matching.
The longer XP stays in circulation, the more time Wine, Samba, Kerberos, OpenLDAP, Fedora DS, and a myriad of Linux producers have to target Windows. If Vista really has mass rejection by consumers and businesses, it buys Linux oh so precious weeks, Days, and hours, to try and overtake Active Directory.
The regulators are not technical people and don't understand that. To make the playing field level, you would have to mandate all hardware makers make all their hardware specs completely available. Bundling or un-bundling Windows won't help so long as you have legions of hardware makers making only Windows drivers for their hardware.
Another thing is, it would have to be mandated that ActiveX on the Public Internet be banned, WMA DRM banned and AAC DRM banned. That would level the playing feild.
As I have demonstrated from some of my previous posts, Kerberos is indispensable in the network administration infrastructure in the Linux world, it connects to SSH, Samba, Apache, and god knows what else. Its something no Linux Admin should be without knowledge of. The MIT Kerberos implementation has been behind for years because of their refusal to implement LDAP support until now. I'm just glad Kerberos finally gets a standard LDAP Connector. I'm sick of having to maintain one database for Kerberos and LDAP for everything else.
Still, Kerberos rocks my world. I couldn't do without it.
I don't agree with everything RMS says about Open Source vs. Closed Source software, but anything that makes DRM extinct is a good thing in my book, DRM has no right to exist in this universe.
I'm an experienced Linux User, and you sound like someone I know.
Editing files has nothing to do with it. Generally, Under Linux, Wifi falls in three catagories. Those that do work. Those that work with NDISwrapper, and those that don't work. Those that work with NDIS wrapper NDIS wrapper installs the drive for you. Those that work out of the box will simply work out of the box. Those that don't work will sit there and stare at you and do nothing. There is a minor special exception for the BCM 43xx, you have to install their firmware first using something called the bcm43xx-fwcutter. But most distroes automate this.
So stop Trolling.
While Human being sex drives are not genetically programmed, this plays a role here. For example, alot of people here are talking about Second Life, and EverQuest, and WoW, are you in love with the person? Or are you in love with the avatar?
Text based mediums create a different issue. Your much more likely to find out about a real person because they aren't quite so obviously playing a game. In the case of text media like IRC, are you in love with that person? or are you in love with the person created in your imagination based on what the other person has typed? Furthermore, being on a chat based medium insulates you from bad habits. Bad habits that will become visible in a face to face encounter.
This month, a friend of mine I have known for over a decade flew accross the country to meet me in person for the first time. We had been friends since we worked on a failed project to produce an Open Source Mega Man video game that got to a certain point then failed. We stayed IRC friends for for 11 years, and he came to visit me for 6 days in August. This isn't to say I don't have friends in the real world that come visit me too, I do. but I had always known who he was, and he and I were really friends.
Now. Relationships are another matter. Relationships need an element of physical proximity. They fall apart anyway. I wouldn't feel comfortable in an online relationship. Long distance relationships generally don't work out even when its telephone conversations.
It seems like gradually an inch at a time, the US is 'criminalizing' protocols it doesn't like. This will probably end badly. Remember that guy who was convicted of 'criminal copyright infringement'? Isn't copyright infringement supposed to be a civil matter? Well its not anymore. The IP Holders make the laws, and if they say if you go to jail for 20 years sharing one song, then so be it. (Just as an example.)
Unless there are major changes in US leadership soon, and there won't be, living in the US has very undesirable prospects in my opinion. Geeks are a minority and Geek opinions are not going to be respected. IP laws or not, this can only end badly. Maybe its time we start asking the 'if not the USA, where?' again and seriously start looking for other countries to live in.
Now I know what you are going to say, 'but why can't we vote people into office to change the rules?' Well, theoretically we could. but Geeks are such a small minority compared to the hordes of 'values voters' out there, any issue you voice out on will be drowned out.
So that begs the question, what are the best Geek friendly countries?