I think you are wrong. Part of the appeal of/. over other sites is the sense of belonging to a community it transmits to the readers. One of the best ways of achieving this is make the readers feel that CmdrTaco, Hemos,... are people they know personally. Therefore a few articles about their personal lives only adds to that atmosphere, and is quite usefull in that sense.
The position of Linux is getting stronger each day... Let's see:
Irix will not run on Intel Tru64 will not run on Intel Win2000 will only run on Intel
So which OS will be able to run on more than one platform: Linux!
I have nothing against the other Unixes, even less against ths BSDs, but I think that after decades of fragmentation, the Unix world is coming together at last, in the form of Linux.
This article is forgeting something: people get older, and as they do so, they must worry about earning a living and assuring their future.
We must not forget that Linux is young and developed by young people. There are no miracles: or those people earn their money with Linux or with something else.
For a long time now I wondered about this problem: could there be a way os paying all those volunteers, and try to keep them working for the good of the cause?
I believe that the answer hs been found by RedHat. The developers must be shareholders of as many Linux related companies as possible. Those companies need to keep them active in the development. And RedHat was just the first. I would be surprised if any upcoming IPO would not bring another "letter" to developers.
And I what about those idealists, capable of working solely for the pleasure of hacking? There always be more coming as new generations arrive. As long as the GPL is understood and respected Linux wil be home to idealists. What's wrong if the best of those get rewarded with some wealth?
I just would love to know how many shares did RH offer to Linus. They must! As they put it: "the company's propects would be adversely affected if Linux Torvalds ever decided to stop developing Linux."
This was a much needed article, to explain something we all knew: that the slashdot model works. I've had ample proof of that, helping run a slashdot inspired site gildot. Although we cater for a far smaller audience (Portuguese speaking Linux fans) we've been able to gather a loyal community in a couple of months.
This article helped me in reaching a better understanding of the forces involved.
A word of caution: this also demonstrates that there is an element of fragility in this model. If users ever get the perception that slashdot is going too commercial, it could loose it's primary appeal. In our effort we are commited to keep it strictly non-comercial, and exploiting that fact to promote it.
I live in Europe, in Portugal to be more exact. When at high-school I would be called a geek or a nerd, if there was a equivalent word in portuguese. It so happens that there isn't, or there wasn't. While I was not the most popular of my classmates I was never harassed in any way, and my eccentricity even gave me a certain status.
When I saw the movie "The Revenge of the Nerds" I didn't get it at first. The concept of an underclass of gifted kids opressed by the sporting elite was completely alien. It did not happen here.
It's been a few years, and I don't know how things are now, maybe some american values are being imported....
Yes the study was flawed. But I remember a comment by Matt Welsh in which he said that Linux is not properly represented in the high-end machines.
That is a natural consequence of the open source development. Many of the features of Linux are there because some users needed them (scratch an itch, as ESR says...)
So, bearing in mind that there aren't many Linux users with quad xeons with 4 Gb Ram, it's only natural that issues relating with that kind of machine have a lower priority to the Linux user community
I find the article quite balanced, and this quotation is interesting: "One way is the dumbing down of computing and IT by increasing reliance on monolithic solutions from a single supplier. The other is increasing the knowledge base at every level of computing and choosing from an increasing range of sources."
It goes on to describe how the adoption of Linux would create more jobs for technical people.
This arguments contradict quite nicely the guy at www.microsoft.com that argued that free-software would cause job losses.
In reality it can change the focus from ant-like programmers working for Microsoft to independent programmers/admins working for the small companies empowered by Linux.
I'm not surprised at this resignation: considering the profits warning, the shares tradind at half their january maximum, and several class action lawsuits against CPQ, i rather think this was to be expected.
Shareholders don't take it kindly when the share price halves.
The more interesting implication is that the same can happen to one hugely over-valuated software company, if there is even a little glitch in profits... Could we see resignations then? Could that glitch be a consequence of Linux?
When it comes to computers there are many things that are intrinsically complex, and no amount of smart GUI will make it simple. It will merely hide its complexity.
That's why some tasks, when atempted with Windows, become like a magic ritual, needing endless trying and lots of reboots before it works. And when it finally does, we don't know exactly why it did, nor can we do it again without going through all the mystic wizardry again.
I belong to a team that runs a portuguese language slashdot clone. I'm amazed that now we can not only copy what appears here, but actually before it appears here! Those who read portuguese, check out here".
I belong to a team that runs a portuguese language slashdot clone. I'm amazed that now we can noto only copy waht appears here, but actually before it appears here! Those who read portuguese, check out here".
I always had my doubts about how the mozilla situation would develop... Let's not forget that it has never been done! The Cathedral & Bazaar thing, and all other Open Source examples are based on projects that started and grew as open source. That's much different from someone throwing forth a few million line of code and expectthe community to be able to pick that up. At least now we know that if BillG would open his sources, it wouldn't matter much.
Slashdot Mirror
Use bc instead.
The factors are correct. Just checked.
And don't doubt me, I'm a 3 digits UID
5 digits?
Has it got to 5 digits?
Time really flies...
I think you are wrong. /. over other sites is the sense of belonging to a community it transmits to the readers. ... are people they know personally.
Part of the appeal of
One of the best ways of achieving this is make the readers feel that CmdrTaco, Hemos,
Therefore a few articles about their personal lives only adds to that atmosphere, and is quite usefull in that sense.
Let's see:
Irix will not run on Intel
Tru64 will not run on Intel
Win2000 will only run on Intel
So which OS will be able to run on more than one platform: Linux!
I have nothing against the other Unixes, even less against ths BSDs, but I think that after decades of fragmentation, the Unix world is coming together at last, in the form of Linux.
We must not forget that Linux is young and developed by young people. There are no miracles: or those people earn their money with Linux or with something else.
For a long time now I wondered about this problem: could there be a way os paying all those volunteers, and try to keep them working for the good of the cause?
I believe that the answer hs been found by RedHat. The developers must be shareholders of as many Linux related companies as possible. Those companies need to keep them active in the development. And RedHat was just the first. I would be surprised if any upcoming IPO would not bring another "letter" to developers.
And I what about those idealists, capable of working solely for the pleasure of hacking? There always be more coming as new generations arrive. As long as the GPL is understood and respected Linux wil be home to idealists. What's wrong if the best of those get rewarded with some wealth?
I just would love to know how many shares did RH offer to Linus. They must! As they put it: "the company's propects would be adversely affected if Linux Torvalds ever decided to stop developing Linux."
This article helped me in reaching a better understanding of the forces involved.
A word of caution: this also demonstrates that there is an element of fragility in this model. If users ever get the perception that slashdot is going too commercial, it could loose it's primary appeal. In our effort we are commited to keep it strictly non-comercial, and exploiting that fact to promote it.
I live in Europe, in Portugal to be more exact. When at high-school I would be called a geek or a nerd, if there was a equivalent word in portuguese. It so happens that there isn't, or there wasn't. While I was not the most popular of my classmates I was never harassed in any way, and my eccentricity even gave me a certain status.
When I saw the movie "The Revenge of the Nerds" I didn't get it at first. The concept of an underclass of gifted kids opressed by the sporting elite was completely alien. It did not happen here.
It's been a few years, and I don't know how things are now, maybe some american values are being imported....
Yes the study was flawed. But I remember a comment by Matt Welsh in which he said that Linux is not properly represented in the high-end machines.
That is a natural consequence of the open source
development. Many of the features of Linux are there because some users needed them (scratch an itch, as ESR says...)
So, bearing in mind that there aren't many Linux
users with quad xeons with 4 Gb Ram, it's only natural that issues relating with that kind of machine have a lower priority to the Linux user community
I find the article quite balanced, and this quotation is interesting:
"One way is the dumbing down of computing and IT by increasing reliance on monolithic solutions from a single supplier. The other is increasing the knowledge base at every level of computing and choosing from an increasing range of sources."
It goes on to describe how the adoption of Linux would create more jobs for technical people.
This arguments contradict quite nicely the guy at
www.microsoft.com that argued that free-software would cause job losses.
In reality it can change the focus from ant-like programmers working for Microsoft to independent programmers/admins working for the small companies empowered by Linux.
I read in the book "The Microsoft File" that Ray Noorda always refers to Bill Gates as "Pearly Gates". (and Ballmer as the Embalmer)...
So the title "Pearly Gates of Cyberspace" made me shiver...
This is Katz at his best.
I'm not surprised at this resignation: considering the profits warning, the shares tradind at half their january maximum, and several class action lawsuits against CPQ, i rather think this was to be expected.
Shareholders don't take it kindly when the share price halves.
The more interesting implication is that the same can happen to one hugely over-valuated software company, if there is even a little glitch in profits... Could we see resignations then? Could that glitch be a consequence of Linux?
Wishfull thinking...
It's all very well, but Ghostbusters wouldn't be anywhere near the top of my preference list.
I hope it's cheap, because I can't imagine a lot of people buying that.
When it comes to computers there are many things that are intrinsically complex, and no amount of smart GUI will make it simple. It will merely hide its complexity.
That's why some tasks, when atempted with Windows, become like a magic ritual, needing endless trying and lots of reboots before it works. And when it finally does, we don't know exactly why it did, nor can we do it again without going through all the mystic wizardry again.
Does this mean that a PC with this card will be cheaper than a TV set?
And what about standards? Is there one standard for HDTV, or several competing standards?
They're different languages, but with a
lot of similarities. I think the same
happens with the scandinavian languages.
Tipically a portuguese can read spanish and
a spaniard could read portuguese, if really
motivated.
Almost all the words are different, but
we normally can guess the meaning, because
they look/sound similar.
I belong to a team that runs a portuguese language slashdot clone. I'm amazed that now we can not only copy what appears here, but actually before it appears here! Those who read portuguese, check out here".
I belong to a team that runs a portuguese language slashdot clone. I'm amazed that now we can noto only copy waht appears here, but actually before it appears here! Those who read portuguese, check out here".
I always had my doubts about how the mozilla situation would develop...
Let's not forget that it has never been done!
The Cathedral & Bazaar thing, and all other Open Source examples are based on projects that started and grew as open source.
That's much different from someone throwing forth a few million line of code and expectthe community to be able to pick that up.
At least now we know that if BillG would open his sources, it wouldn't matter much.
AshNazg Durbatuluk
"Sous mon grain, couchon American! "
Your point is proven
If they knew even a little french, there
would be a flame war from your comment.
BTW: Europe rulez!