I'm disappointed that people think Linus' behaviour is justified. His outbursts are a nasty habit that only serve to escalate his anger. Whilst politeness might only be a social veneer, it's better than the alternative.
PROOF BY CONTRADICTION: Let S be the set of all numbers that aren't interesting. It must have a minimum value, call it n. That being the case, n is quite an interesting number!
The thing about the CLI is that it gives you automatability, which is the whole sine qua non of computers. GUIs take away automatability.
GUIs are like gilded cages or walled gardens. They're pretty to look at from the inside, but there's no way to step outside their strictly limited capability. Since most users are non-technical, especially on Windows, there is an inherent push towards GUIs rather than CLIs.
In my experience, it's a bit of a balance. Some random advice: * learn to throw out stuff. YAGNI works in life as well as in programming. Perform regular purges of historic data. * use Flickr/photobucket/whatever to store your pics * keepass is your friend * separate data between secret and non-secret. For non-secret stuff, create a git repo on github. Use it as a brain dump and store your projects and information in some heirarchical form. Don't get over-fancy with heirarchical depth. * Create a "website" for storing technical information . You don't have to host it if you don't want to, just store it in your repo and link to the index.htm file on Firefox.
If we are trying to reduce inifficiencies and energy waste, then I suggest a good place to start would be to eliminate the self-perpetuating bureaucracy that deem it necessary to micro-legislate every aspect of our lives like this one. Tell me, exactly what business does the EU have in passing laws that regulate what kind of light bulb I can use? Utter madness.
Arrgh! When I lived in London, there was a Mongolian restaurant advertising "All you Khan eat", and "Khan and get it", and many other daft slogans, which I now forget.
Oh, educators already fuck around with extra credit.
I'm a Brit, and I've never understood the concept of "extra credit". Surely you either understand the material, or you don't. Call me simplistic for not "getting" it, but in my head a written test is the final arbiter of this. Bonus assignments just seem like a way of gaming the system and currying favour to me, and doesn't address the central question: do you know the material? If you know the material, then why would you need extra credit? If you don't know the material, then surely extra credit is just a fudge? Take a written test, and let's find out. Why complicate something that doesn't need complicating?
Do anyone has thought that instead of investing resources in fighting rising levels, it may be cheaper and safer constructing in the long run on higher terrain (england has many country parts),
Here's an idea - stop building on flood plains! Some time ago I heard how one English council approved planning persmission on a flood plain. The councilor explained that "we had to balance risks", or somesuch nonsense, in defence of the decision. The logic totally baffles me. If you look on an Ordnance Survey and it says "flood plain" then guess what - the area is liable to flooding. Really, is it that difficult to work out?
I'm not saying that all flooding problems have such simple-minded solutions - just that, you know, why do something that you know is going to be a problem?
Recently, the government had the idea of taxing employers for each parking place they provided to employees. No doubt they need this money so that they can waste on utter nonsense like CCTV in people's homes.
The UK taxpayer is handing over tax money for rubbish that we can ill afford.
Game makers attempt to make games that people want to play. Ethnic diversity... who cares. What's next... are we going to start complaining about the apalling health and safety conditions that the characters endure. Or the distinct lack of creche facilities in the game?
Don't these researchers have anything better to do with their time and our money? Get real, people.
All these lawsuits. Aren't they just tales of sound and fury, signifying nothing? In 20 years, when Facebook and whoever else is involved have long passed, it wont even be in our collective memory to look back and realise just what a load of nonsense this all was.
Many years ago I worked as an accountant in the UK. I have never been involved in SOX, but can offer a perspective on audit reports.
First off, an audit report is for the benefit of the shareholders, not the management. Management prepares accounts, and auditor signs it off as representing a true and fair view of the financial position of the company. This gives the shareholders some confidence that the figures aren't just totally made up.
Secondly, it is managements responsibility to manage the company. Not the auditors. It is up to management to put in everything in place that needs to be put in place, and ensure that everything is working correctly. This is what it means to be a manager. The auditor merely counts the beans and ticks the boxes.
Thirdly, auditors do not owe a duty of care to the company. When performing an audit, they should conduct their work neither to expect malfeasance, nor neglect it as a possibility. However, if they have reason to believe that there is malfeasance, then it is their duty to perform a proper investigation.
Fourthly, auditors usually write a report to management explaining where their accounting procedures could be improved. Management often dismisses such recomendations. Imagine, then, the scenario where the auditor has to be accountable for what essentially boils down to the actions of the management. They'd presumably write book-length reports on what needs to be done. If anything were to then subsequently go wrong, you'd have lawyers pouring over these reports with fine-tooth combs. The auditors lawyers will be asking management "did you implement this recomendation?", "did you implement that recomendation?", "how about this one over here?". "No? Oh sorry, we can't be held responsible when we've clearly laid out the defects, and you refused to correct them."
Anyone wanting to create a wiki without a whole bunch of complicated infrastructure should try Swiki. It is written in Smalltalk, and good to go straight out of the box.
Open source code may arguably count in this, but it's very dependent on what the project is.
Employers are so arrogant. I programmed as part of my maths PhD. When I went to get a job in the commercial sector, I was told that academia didn't "count". Well, why not? Programming is programming, right? Jeez, it's like they thought there was one set of skills for "academic" programming, and a different set of skills for "business" programming.
The problem here is empire building and fat cats with no accountability. The BBC should be scaled back to what it was a decade ago. We don't need BBC Three and the other TV channels that nobody watches. And how many radio channels are they up to now?
Sack the management consultants, take a hatchet to all the fat, and have a good look at what "The Talent" is being paid. The BBC doesn't need more money, it just needs to cut out the shit.
Breaking someone's legs is a crime (GBH), so the contract is probably illegal, and void at the outset. Basically, you cannot enter into a legal contract to do something illegal. Which makes sense.
One more voice, this of an open (and therefore enemy) patent organization calls out the FUD.
If MS thought its patents to be valuable, then why wouldn't it disclose the alleged infringements, and put a stop to them? After all, isn't open source "violating" its "valuable" "intellectual property"? If it considered that all of its patents were valuable, why wouldn't they go through their portfolio with a fine tooth comb to see what other infringements there may be? One can only presume that MS doesn't think its patents are even worth the effort of looking for violations.
Slashdot Mirror
I'm disappointed that people think Linus' behaviour is justified. His outbursts are a nasty habit that only serve to escalate his anger. Whilst politeness might only be a social veneer, it's better than the alternative.
I'm so tired of these April Fool articles on slashdot that I generally just delete the emails either side of April 1.
Four days later, and I find that this nonsense is still arriving in my inbox.
I'm not a happy bunny.
All of the problems could be solved by simply switching to a metric time.
Remember this time people, 80 past 2 on April 47th, it's the dawn of a new enlightenment.
How much is that in "employees per mile"?
Old maths puzzle that I heard ages ago ...
THEOREM: All numbers are interesting
PROOF BY CONTRADICTION: Let S be the set of all numbers that aren't interesting. It must have a minimum value, call it n. That being the case, n is quite an interesting number!
QED
The thing about the CLI is that it gives you automatability, which is the whole sine qua non of computers. GUIs take away automatability.
GUIs are like gilded cages or walled gardens. They're pretty to look at from the inside, but there's no way to step outside their strictly limited capability. Since most users are non-technical, especially on Windows, there is an inherent push towards GUIs rather than CLIs.
In my experience, it's a bit of a balance. Some random advice:
* learn to throw out stuff. YAGNI works in life as well as in programming. Perform regular purges of historic data.
* use Flickr/photobucket/whatever to store your pics
* keepass is your friend
* separate data between secret and non-secret. For non-secret stuff, create a git repo on github. Use it as a brain dump and store your projects and information in some heirarchical form. Don't get over-fancy with heirarchical depth.
* Create a "website" for storing technical information . You don't have to host it if you don't want to, just store it in your repo and link to the index.htm file on Firefox.
If we are trying to reduce inifficiencies and energy waste, then I suggest a good place to start would be to eliminate the self-perpetuating bureaucracy that deem it necessary to micro-legislate every aspect of our lives like this one. Tell me, exactly what business does the EU have in passing laws that regulate what kind of light bulb I can use? Utter madness.
you Khan believe in!
Arrgh! When I lived in London, there was a Mongolian restaurant advertising "All you Khan eat", and "Khan and get it", and many other daft slogans, which I now forget.
Oh, educators already fuck around with extra credit.
I'm a Brit, and I've never understood the concept of "extra credit". Surely you either understand the material, or you don't. Call me simplistic for not "getting" it, but in my head a written test is the final arbiter of this. Bonus assignments just seem like a way of gaming the system and currying favour to me, and doesn't address the central question: do you know the material? If you know the material, then why would you need extra credit? If you don't know the material, then surely extra credit is just a fudge? Take a written test, and let's find out. Why complicate something that doesn't need complicating?
Do anyone has thought that instead of investing resources in fighting rising levels, it may be cheaper and safer constructing in the long run on higher terrain (england has many country parts),
Here's an idea - stop building on flood plains! Some time ago I heard how one English council approved planning persmission on a flood plain. The councilor explained that "we had to balance risks", or somesuch nonsense, in defence of the decision. The logic totally baffles me. If you look on an Ordnance Survey and it says "flood plain" then guess what - the area is liable to flooding. Really, is it that difficult to work out?
I'm not saying that all flooding problems have such simple-minded solutions - just that, you know, why do something that you know is going to be a problem?
> People are staying late because of the Manager, or people staying late because of crappy code.
And maybe they're writing crappy code because they're staying late.
although, I confess, that happened occaisionally -- maybe six times in a brutal 8 month crunch, when we were getting close to a breathrough
What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare?
Leisure -- W. H. Davies
I agree, but on the other hand, I don't think grammar matters that much either way.
To quote from the Simpsons: Grammar is not a time of waste.
Recently, the government had the idea of taxing employers for each parking place they provided to employees. No doubt they need this money so that they can waste on utter nonsense like CCTV in people's homes.
The UK taxpayer is handing over tax money for rubbish that we can ill afford.
: Honestly, I'm tired of this bullshit.
Most insightful comment on this thread.
Game makers attempt to make games that people want to play. Ethnic diversity ... who cares. What's next ... are we going to start complaining about the apalling health and safety conditions that the characters endure. Or the distinct lack of creche facilities in the game?
Don't these researchers have anything better to do with their time and our money? Get real, people.
All these lawsuits. Aren't they just tales of sound and fury, signifying nothing? In 20 years, when Facebook and whoever else is involved have long passed, it wont even be in our collective memory to look back and realise just what a load of nonsense this all was.
First off, an audit report is for the benefit of the shareholders, not the management. Management prepares accounts, and auditor signs it off as representing a true and fair view of the financial position of the company. This gives the shareholders some confidence that the figures aren't just totally made up.
Secondly, it is managements responsibility to manage the company. Not the auditors. It is up to management to put in everything in place that needs to be put in place, and ensure that everything is working correctly. This is what it means to be a manager. The auditor merely counts the beans and ticks the boxes.
Thirdly, auditors do not owe a duty of care to the company. When performing an audit, they should conduct their work neither to expect malfeasance, nor neglect it as a possibility. However, if they have reason to believe that there is malfeasance, then it is their duty to perform a proper investigation.
Fourthly, auditors usually write a report to management explaining where their accounting procedures could be improved. Management often dismisses such recomendations. Imagine, then, the scenario where the auditor has to be accountable for what essentially boils down to the actions of the management. They'd presumably write book-length reports on what needs to be done. If anything were to then subsequently go wrong, you'd have lawyers pouring over these reports with fine-tooth combs. The auditors lawyers will be asking management "did you implement this recomendation?", "did you implement that recomendation?", "how about this one over here?". "No? Oh sorry, we can't be held responsible when we've clearly laid out the defects, and you refused to correct them."
Anyone wanting to create a wiki without a whole bunch of complicated infrastructure should try Swiki. It is written in Smalltalk, and good to go straight out of the box.
terminator - Multiple GNOME terminals in one window
Open source code may arguably count in this, but it's very dependent on what the project is.
Employers are so arrogant. I programmed as part of my maths PhD. When I went to get a job in the commercial sector, I was told that academia didn't "count". Well, why not? Programming is programming, right? Jeez, it's like they thought there was one set of skills for "academic" programming, and a different set of skills for "business" programming.
I agree it's not a scam, but a 5 year warranty on an item with no moving parts?
One is born every minute, especially since you could buy 2 for less than this one and have a spare if teh first ever fails after a year.
Why would I need a warranty on an item I got free?
No more bloody taxes, Jeez.
The problem here is empire building and fat cats with no accountability. The BBC should be scaled back to what it was a decade ago. We don't need BBC Three and the other TV channels that nobody watches. And how many radio channels are they up to now?
Sack the management consultants, take a hatchet to all the fat, and have a good look at what "The Talent" is being paid. The BBC doesn't need more money, it just needs to cut out the shit.
IANAL either.
Breaking someone's legs is a crime (GBH), so the contract is probably illegal, and void at the outset. Basically, you cannot enter into a legal contract to do something illegal. Which makes sense.
One more voice, this of an open (and therefore enemy) patent organization calls out the FUD.
If MS thought its patents to be valuable, then why wouldn't it disclose the alleged infringements, and put a stop to them? After all, isn't open source "violating" its "valuable" "intellectual property"? If it considered that all of its patents were valuable, why wouldn't they go through their portfolio with a fine tooth comb to see what other infringements there may be? One can only presume that MS doesn't think its patents are even worth the effort of looking for violations.