Wow. They sure have a lot of academic weight behind this. I havn't seen so many doctors listed in one place since the time-share sales pitch in Orlando!
Come off it. Java is plenty fast for almost any application, especially on the server side, where it really shines (in some cases it outperforms C++). It's no longer necessary to do low-level performance optimization for most mission-critical enterprise-class applications. Today's processors and current JVMs and JITs are more than fast enought to handle the job. Besides, you get far more optimization milage when you look at it from a structural standpoint rather than from the code level.
The GPL is in it's most simple for a legally-enforced virus. It's a nasty way of spreading the socialist ideals of a certain organization run by Richard M. Stallman.
What's "nasty" about it? You don't like the GPL, so don't use GPL'd code. Write your own stuff. Or do you think it's fair to use someone else's hard work in your own project and then be under no obligation to pay for it? There is NO difference between what the article poster proposes, and taking someone's closed source code and incorporating it into your work without paying for it. In one case the price is monetary, while in the other it is the requirement to open your code. You are free to choose not to use it. Trying to "get around" the license is unethical and morally wrong. No one is forcing anyone to use the GPL.
Speaking as a consultant, I'd have to say a lot depends on what you're trying to accomplish. If this web site is a core piece of your business, then I would suggest it be done in-house. There are few things as flawed as trying to run a business in which you leave the most important core functions to someone else. If you don't have the technical resources to do this, then I think you need to ask yourself why you are trying to run a technology-based business without the resources necessary to do it.
If, on the other hand, the capability you are trying to build is ancilliary to your core business, or it is part of the infrastructure that supports your core business, then consultants are great (note I said consultants, not contractors), provided you have a clear idea of what you want to do, and what you expect them to deliver. If you approach a consulting firm with a nebulous idea, you will only get something nebulous in return, and the costs will skyrocket. Also, my advice is to go with larger established firms, as they have a rigorous hiring procedure that ensures at least a minimum level of capability. They are more expensive, but in my experience they are much more likely to deliver a quality product on time and within budget. Certainly there are some smaller firms that are outstanding, but it's difficult to know what you're getting until after the fact. I've been in enough situations of having to come in and clean up after the inexpensive small firm toitally botched it. This is especially the case when the project is large and/or involves a lot of integration with third parties and legacy systems.
ASPs are great if your requirements mesh nicely with what they provide. Again, this only applies if this is not a core part of your business. Using an ASP to support less critical capabilities can help free up your resources to focus on your core business (but if your core business *is* the piece you are thinking of outsourcing, then again you need to ask yourself if you're headed in the right direction).
I think we should just have a huge government database, freely accessible to all, that contains and catalogues all the porn on the internet. That way we can go there and check to see if what we're seeing on the internet is porn or not. Then we'd have a government approved seal stating that "This Image is Pornography." That way I could browse the database and know how to identify porn when I unwittingly stumble across it while surfing. I can arm myself in advance, lest I be taken unawares. I imagine I would check this database every day, just to see if any new porn has gotten on to the net, so I would be prepared with the most up-to-date information.
Do you honestly think there is any danger of the Linux community just going away? The only thing that would cause that to occur was if some new OS arrived that was much better than Linux, and still allowed us to hack away on it and spread it around. In that case, I would welcome Linux's demise, as we would have something better (plus, odds are such an innovation would come from the ranks of Linux hackers anyway. So it wouldn't really be turning our backs on Linux, it would be an evolution of OS technology; I suspect Linus himself would be championing such an OS).
No, I'm pretty confident people won't decide to stop supporting Linux. I know I have no plans to do so, and I know there are at least a few thousand people out there who share the same feeling, and that's all it takes. Unlike corporate owned and controlled products, all it takes is one person to make sure Linux doesn't go away. The rate of development might decline a bit;) but it will still be there.
...and I'll say it again, OSX, or any other OS for that matter, represents no "threat" to Linux. Does Coca-Cola "threaten" water? Does the existence of dominos "threaten" my ability to play cards? Of course not. It doesn't matter how popular any OS becomes, because Linux is free, and will always be supported and improved upon by those who love it. It does not rely upon a centralized authority to ensure it's continued survival, ala Windows. As long as one person is running Linux, Linux is alive. The pundits keep talking about Linux as though its a traditional product. It's not. It's not in a race to "beat" anything. We users may hope for eventual supremacy over other OSes, but that is not now, nor has it ever been a primary concern. All the attention from the media, and the involvement of companies like RedHat is great, but it's all peripheral to the central idea that Linux was created, and is maintained by the people who use it. Something better may come along someday, and if it is truly better people will switch. But I can tell you that it will have to be free and open for that to happen. I wish Mac OS well. But I have no concerns whatsoever that there is any potential that it will "threaten" my current OS of choice.
So patent the drug. I'm sorry, but the whole concept of patenting pre-existing genetic material that the company had absolutely no hand in creating is utterly and completely ridiculous. Patent the process for identifying it, patent the drugs you make as a result of it, patent the things you actually MADE. Genes are about as prior art as you can get, since they've been around for millions of years. Can you patent electricity? Gravity? How about air? If I invent a device that can identify a breathable atmosphere, does that mean I can patent the atmosphere? Can I charge license fees for everyone who uses 'my' air? Get real man.
So if they can patent genes, and genes are made by that other wonderful invention, people, what's to stop someone from patenting people? Or the manufacturing process - sex?
I have a Mitsubishi T250, and I'm happy with it. The big screen really helps (10 lines using the small font). The T9 word-completion feature makes text entry very easy. I was surprised at how accurate it is.
That being said, I have to admit that I don't use the WAP capabilities that much. It was cool when I first got it, but the novelty has worn off. It does come in handy for looking up phone numbers and addresses, or getting driving directions. It has been a real lifesaver a couple of times. But on average I probably use WAP only once or twice a week at most.
I use AT&T, and the nice thing about it is that the basic WAP service is free for unlimited usage. So you have the capability when you need it, but it doesn't cost you anything
Disclaimer: I am a consultant currently working as a WAP developer for AT&T's PocketNet service. This message should not be considered an endorsement for AT&T's service.
It's irrelevant. The teacher claimed the security company would pay. The teacher had no legal authority to enter into a contract on the company's behalf, verbal or otherwise. The teacher may have provided false information, but there is nothing the teacher said which would incur any monetary liability on his part.
According to the August 30, 1999 issue of Newsweek, videogame revenues exceeded box-office revenues in 1999, and that trend is expected to continue. Video games most definately are supplanting film as the entertainment choice of Americans.
Government auctions are a great place to get stuff cheap. In Denver they have monthly auctions, and I've gone there and seen hundreds of computers on the block. You have to buy in lots, and I've seen a lot of five machines go for as little as $75. They also have cool things like industrial lasers, microscopes, and all sorts of weird stuff.
While there is certainly a segment of the population that "fears" gaming and its possible effects on people and society, I'll wager that for every panic-stricken luddite there is also a technologically savvy peer who sees gaming for what it is.
I'm not exactly old (I'm 33), but I've been playing computer games since pong and Spacewar, and my six-year-old son is also an avid gamer (bought him a new Alienware screamer for Xmas). I am into computers and games largely as a result of my father, a 58 year-old baby boomer and electronics engineer, who got started in the PC revolution way back in the 70's by building his own computer. I know a lot of people who more or less grew up the same way.
I think for the majority of the population, gaming is an accepted activity. I know I'd rather have my kid playing a game that's at least partially interactive, than sittinng in front of the idiot box. It's an activity that brings he and I closer together, and at the same time helps to build interest and familiarity with technology that is a permanent and important factor in our society. Heck, my kid already says he wants to go to Digipen and become a game programmer when he grows up.
I think the problem is a whole lot less serious than Jon makes it out to be. If there were rampant fear of gaming, then the game industry wouldn't be surpassing movies as America's entertainment of choice. Pundits and fear-mongers will attempt to sensationalize and blow things out of proportion in an attempt to get ratings, but this is only a passing trend. Americans in general, who see their kids playing Pokemon stadium and the latest incarnation of Mario Brothers see gaming as it actually is. Not some evil mind-control ultra-violence training ground, but as a fun diversion that can engage a child's mind and creativity.
I'm concerned about the.pro tld. Who gets this elite status? I can see doctors and lawyers, but what about other professionals? Does a computer consultant qualify for.pro? What about security consultants? Investment bankers? Supposedly you have to have credentials. What credentials count? An MCSE (god-forbid)? A CS degree? What if you don't have a CS degree, but nevertheless get paid $250 and hour for computer consulting services? Having a.pro site strikes me as being potentially very lucrative, in that it could be seen as a credential itself. What about people who may not have the "accepted" credentials, yet are still respected practitioners in the field? Seems to me like a lot of potential for abuse and unfairness is built into this one.
Slashdot Mirror
This is nothing. Someone has patented the peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
-Vercingetorix
Wow. They sure have a lot of academic weight behind this. I havn't seen so many doctors listed in one place since the time-share sales pitch in Orlando!
-Vercingetorix
Come off it. Java is plenty fast for almost any application, especially on the server side, where it really shines (in some cases it outperforms C++). It's no longer necessary to do low-level performance optimization for most mission-critical enterprise-class applications. Today's processors and current JVMs and JITs are more than fast enought to handle the job. Besides, you get far more optimization milage when you look at it from a structural standpoint rather than from the code level.
-Vercingetorix
What's "nasty" about it? You don't like the GPL, so don't use GPL'd code. Write your own stuff. Or do you think it's fair to use someone else's hard work in your own project and then be under no obligation to pay for it? There is NO difference between what the article poster proposes, and taking someone's closed source code and incorporating it into your work without paying for it. In one case the price is monetary, while in the other it is the requirement to open your code. You are free to choose not to use it. Trying to "get around" the license is unethical and morally wrong. No one is forcing anyone to use the GPL.
-Vercingetorix
If, on the other hand, the capability you are trying to build is ancilliary to your core business, or it is part of the infrastructure that supports your core business, then consultants are great (note I said consultants, not contractors), provided you have a clear idea of what you want to do, and what you expect them to deliver. If you approach a consulting firm with a nebulous idea, you will only get something nebulous in return, and the costs will skyrocket. Also, my advice is to go with larger established firms, as they have a rigorous hiring procedure that ensures at least a minimum level of capability. They are more expensive, but in my experience they are much more likely to deliver a quality product on time and within budget. Certainly there are some smaller firms that are outstanding, but it's difficult to know what you're getting until after the fact. I've been in enough situations of having to come in and clean up after the inexpensive small firm toitally botched it. This is especially the case when the project is large and/or involves a lot of integration with third parties and legacy systems.
ASPs are great if your requirements mesh nicely with what they provide. Again, this only applies if this is not a core part of your business. Using an ASP to support less critical capabilities can help free up your resources to focus on your core business (but if your core business *is* the piece you are thinking of outsourcing, then again you need to ask yourself if you're headed in the right direction).
-Vercingetorix
I think we should just have a huge government database, freely accessible to all, that contains and catalogues all the porn on the internet. That way we can go there and check to see if what we're seeing on the internet is porn or not. Then we'd have a government approved seal stating that "This Image is Pornography." That way I could browse the database and know how to identify porn when I unwittingly stumble across it while surfing. I can arm myself in advance, lest I be taken unawares. I imagine I would check this database every day, just to see if any new porn has gotten on to the net, so I would be prepared with the most up-to-date information.
-Vercingetorix
Gotta agree. I've had a couple of accounts for a long time, and I've never gotten spam on either one.
-Vercingetorix
No, I'm pretty confident people won't decide to stop supporting Linux. I know I have no plans to do so, and I know there are at least a few thousand people out there who share the same feeling, and that's all it takes. Unlike corporate owned and controlled products, all it takes is one person to make sure Linux doesn't go away. The rate of development might decline a bit ;) but it will still be there.
-Vercingetorix
...and I'll say it again, OSX, or any other OS for that matter, represents no "threat" to Linux. Does Coca-Cola "threaten" water? Does the existence of dominos "threaten" my ability to play cards? Of course not. It doesn't matter how popular any OS becomes, because Linux is free, and will always be supported and improved upon by those who love it. It does not rely upon a centralized authority to ensure it's continued survival, ala Windows. As long as one person is running Linux, Linux is alive. The pundits keep talking about Linux as though its a traditional product. It's not. It's not in a race to "beat" anything. We users may hope for eventual supremacy over other OSes, but that is not now, nor has it ever been a primary concern. All the attention from the media, and the involvement of companies like RedHat is great, but it's all peripheral to the central idea that Linux was created, and is maintained by the people who use it. Something better may come along someday, and if it is truly better people will switch. But I can tell you that it will have to be free and open for that to happen. I wish Mac OS well. But I have no concerns whatsoever that there is any potential that it will "threaten" my current OS of choice.
-Vercingetorix
So patent the drug. I'm sorry, but the whole concept of patenting pre-existing genetic material that the company had absolutely no hand in creating is utterly and completely ridiculous. Patent the process for identifying it, patent the drugs you make as a result of it, patent the things you actually MADE. Genes are about as prior art as you can get, since they've been around for millions of years. Can you patent electricity? Gravity? How about air? If I invent a device that can identify a breathable atmosphere, does that mean I can patent the atmosphere? Can I charge license fees for everyone who uses 'my' air? Get real man.
-Vercingetorix
So if they can patent genes, and genes are made by that other wonderful invention, people, what's to stop someone from patenting people? Or the manufacturing process - sex?
-Vercingetorix
It would seem that anyone who is color-blind, and was born before this patent was filed, could claim prior art, no?
-Vercingetorix
With an ATV transmitter, you can transmit video over a couple of miles, instead of the paltry 200' these consumer-market cameras allow.
-Vercingetorix
That being said, I have to admit that I don't use the WAP capabilities that much. It was cool when I first got it, but the novelty has worn off. It does come in handy for looking up phone numbers and addresses, or getting driving directions. It has been a real lifesaver a couple of times. But on average I probably use WAP only once or twice a week at most.
I use AT&T, and the nice thing about it is that the basic WAP service is free for unlimited usage. So you have the capability when you need it, but it doesn't cost you anything
Disclaimer: I am a consultant currently working as a WAP developer for AT&T's PocketNet service. This message should not be considered an endorsement for AT&T's service.
-Vercingetorix
It's irrelevant. The teacher claimed the security company would pay. The teacher had no legal authority to enter into a contract on the company's behalf, verbal or otherwise. The teacher may have provided false information, but there is nothing the teacher said which would incur any monetary liability on his part.
-Vercingetorix
Mallrats cost more than Dogma? I don't believe it!
-Vercingetorix
According to the August 30, 1999 issue of Newsweek, videogame revenues exceeded box-office revenues in 1999, and that trend is expected to continue. Video games most definately are supplanting film as the entertainment choice of Americans.
-Vercingetorix
Government auctions are a great place to get stuff cheap. In Denver they have monthly auctions, and I've gone there and seen hundreds of computers on the block. You have to buy in lots, and I've seen a lot of five machines go for as little as $75. They also have cool things like industrial lasers, microscopes, and all sorts of weird stuff.
-Vercingetorix
I'm not exactly old (I'm 33), but I've been playing computer games since pong and Spacewar, and my six-year-old son is also an avid gamer (bought him a new Alienware screamer for Xmas). I am into computers and games largely as a result of my father, a 58 year-old baby boomer and electronics engineer, who got started in the PC revolution way back in the 70's by building his own computer. I know a lot of people who more or less grew up the same way.
I think for the majority of the population, gaming is an accepted activity. I know I'd rather have my kid playing a game that's at least partially interactive, than sittinng in front of the idiot box. It's an activity that brings he and I closer together, and at the same time helps to build interest and familiarity with technology that is a permanent and important factor in our society. Heck, my kid already says he wants to go to Digipen and become a game programmer when he grows up.
I think the problem is a whole lot less serious than Jon makes it out to be. If there were rampant fear of gaming, then the game industry wouldn't be surpassing movies as America's entertainment of choice. Pundits and fear-mongers will attempt to sensationalize and blow things out of proportion in an attempt to get ratings, but this is only a passing trend. Americans in general, who see their kids playing Pokemon stadium and the latest incarnation of Mario Brothers see gaming as it actually is. Not some evil mind-control ultra-violence training ground, but as a fun diversion that can engage a child's mind and creativity.
-Vercingetorix
-Jeff
-Vercingetorix
You know, in the US, we have laws protecting senior citizens from being taken in by scammers. Sounds like they need something like that in Sri Lanka.
-Vercingetorix
Minor nit - it's the F-15 *Eagle*, not Falcon.
-Vercingetorix
It was hacked? Got a pointer to the info?
-Vercingetorix
The FAQ on the Virgin site clearly states that you *WILL NOT BE CHARGED* if you do not return the unit. Keep it, and hack away.
-Vercingetorix
-Vercingetorix