But if you forward it to 30 friends, the email system will automatically forward you your $30 gift certificate.
Ugh...
similar to dropping ".com" from Company Names
on
VA Linux Now VA Software
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· Score: 5, Insightful
After the failure of so many.com companies, the last thing a company wanted in its name was.com . It became synonymous with a poorly thought out business model and imminent bankruptcy.
I'm afraid that this will be a similar trend. The Wall Street love affair with Linux is over. No longer can a company put Linux in its name and demand large sums of venture capital. VA wants to decouple itself from what it perceives as a sinking ship, the "Linux trend".
Notice that I decouple this from the technical merits of the operating system. To argue that Linux-based business models have proven difficult to establish profits is not the same thing as to undermine the Linux operating system.
I love the operating system but don't think many of the current "Linux companies" have viable business models. I favor the IBM approach. They are embracing Linux under their established IT services business.
It may be unpopular to praise your broadband provider but I'm going to seriously miss @home when I'm finally switched over to Comcast's own network.
With all the talk of download caps as low as 768K on the ATT network, I realize how spoiled I've been. My download speeds are often 2.4Mbits or greater. On a speed test website, I tested 7x faster than my neighbors Verizon DSL service (basic level).
Comcast@home was an excellent deal at $39.95 per month. I'll be sorry to see it go.
I find myself wholely unimpressed with a book that documents the downfall of the Internet bubble that is published so long after the bubble breaks.
To have published this book during the "go go" days of the dotcom phenomon would have been another story.
Its kind of like reading a post mortem report on failed business philosophies. At best you might get some insight into what to avoid the next time. Still, "the next time" happens because people are too overcome with greed to consider the lessons of the last bubble.
My wife is a total non-techie and I think she'd rather sell her engagement ring than give up the cable modem. And she just uses the computer for email and shopping.
When AMD gets headlines by introducing a new processor chip that runs only 70 Mhz faster than the previous chip, you can bet their marketing has been/will be successful.
AMD has an advantage. Unlike the old Cyrix PR ratings, these chips really do outperform their intended Intel counterparts. Maybe its just me but I don't think this would be news unless the 1800+ 1900+ etc. rating system was working its way into the minds of the consumer
I've gotten support from Road Runner on Linux. I'm pretty sure it isn't official support, though. I even had one tech almost cream himself when I called with an OpenBSD question. He was more than glad to help out.
Am I the only person who is a little afraid of tech's who "cream" themselves over an operating system?... Any operating system?
actually depending on your tax bracket a tax writeoff translates into a 10% - 34% reduction in the price of the item.
For example. Your $400 iPod reduces your taxable income by $400. That decreases your tax bill by $400*Highest marginal tax rate = about $100 (in my case).
Pester the support people. Make them come out to install every new piece of software that you need to do your job. Hold their feet to the fire for all the support you need.
Eventually they'll realize that the price they're paying in increased support calls is not worth the "security" of locking down your desktop.
I'm in just such an environment. Less than two weeks and they gave me local administrator priviledges under the table.
This is a great point. Any newbie pointers on how to lock the desktop down effectively?
My biggest problem with my mother-in-law's computer is that she moves stuff around and can't find it. She doesn't need to install software, just email and web browsing.
The main problem at least in a business sense is that those efforts can rarely be repeated on the next project or continued on the current project if the one key guru leaves for some reason or another.
We had a brilliant kid in my research group on grad school. He could code up just about anything. Elegant code too. Problem was it was next to impossible to follow up behind him to document his work and he was so "quirky" that it was like pulling teeth to get him to go over it with you.
That's a valuable guy but he's certainly a management challenge to integrate him effectively into a development team.
Is there room for him? Certainly.
But he better be worth the extra effort to manage him effectively.
I had a bad experience on a $150 item (cell phone).
The seller answered email immediately until I verified that I sent payment (he insisted on a money order). After that, he wouldn't answer email and his Ebay account was cancelled.
I didn't take it laying down. I started by running a reverse lookup on his mailing address to get his phone number. Sure enough, that was disconnected. His email didn't bounce so I emailed him and informed him that I was contacting the local police department. I contacted the local police department and it turned out they'd had two complaints against the guy.
All of a sudden he appeared back and said that the "shipment must have been delayed". 5 days later the phone arrived postmarked the day after I notified the Police.
Auction fraud is fraud. Report it and hound them into the ground.
While this could well be adopted in Germany, such a move would stand virtually no chance of adoption in the US. Legislators from both American political parties recognize that government spending has at least two intended consequences.
1. Provide a needed service to the citizens
2. Provide an economic benefit to the area/region/local in which the spending occurs.
The commercial software industry in the United States (led by Microserf, Oracle, Sun and others) has been one of the major economic success stories in the US. It is a major source of export income for the nation and a significant source of wealth.
Despite the obvious technical advantages of adopting open source solutions, the business case at the macroeconomic level makes the decision to employ open source software far less clear cut.
It may make economic sense in Germany or other countries that are net importers of operating system and application software. It makes far less economic sense in the United States.
We are a nation that continues to pour money into federal road projects in West Virginia because the populace depends on the jobs that are created (regardless of the amount of traffic on those roads). Don't underestimate the loyalty of those same politicians to the commercial software industry.
Re:The various military networks are already there
on
GOVNET In the Works
·
· Score: 2
If SIPRNET was what the original poster was referring to, it would not be a good choice government wide.
SIPRNET carries classified data and is physically and logically separate from the Internet. Not even the best hacker can get through an airgap.
The way I understand the proposal, it would be to establish a similar network for unclassified but sensitive data that would also be logically and physically separate from the Internet.
I think most likely this would be accomplished by disconnecting the current unclassified IP router network from the Internet and extending it government wide. Email could pass through a special purpose mail guard/robust firewall of some sorts that would provide a high level of protection.
In Europe, that kind of thing is seen as very corrupt and not worthy of a modern, democratic society.
I'm an American who's lived a decade in Europe. You are both right and wrong on this point. Americans simply accept that to believe that we live in a utopian society with government officials motivated purely by the desire to serve the public is utter nonsense.
Money corrupts. It does so in Europe and it does so in the United States.
We don't accept it. We don't condone it. We just don't delude ourselves into believing that it doesn't apply to our country.
Also at the risk of being redundant, I'd like to add my voice the chorus of voices saying what a ridiculous idea this is.
It reminds me too much of the great tobacco lawsuits that were supposed to go to the "victims" of tobacco use. Instead, the proceeds went largely to the attorneys involved. Settlements with individual states have gone to pay for everything from prescription drugs to road repair. Go ahead and fine them if they deserve it. Just don't fool yourself into thinking you can direct the proceeds to a specific cause.
Marketing capitulation
on
AthlonXP Released
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· Score: 4, Insightful
Its very sad but AMD is essentially admitting through their marketing ploy that the average consumer is incapable of realizing that the speed of a processor and indeed a system is more than a clock frequency.
Although virtually every reviewer pans the confusing processor labelling, I believe that it was a good business decision. With the success of the Athlon processor, AMD went a long way towards minimizing the marketing impact of "Intel Inside". Now they find themselves "burdened" with a processor which out performs its competitors significantly at a given clock speed. If they label the chip with its clock frequency they invite price comparisons to similarly clocked (but underperforming) Intel products.
I think the new labelling scheme is actually a win for AMD. Smart consumers will buy the chips because of their superior performance, regardless of the name. "Joe 6 pack" will buy it because he can buy the AMD 1700+ system for less than the Intel 1600.
Its actually a much easier sale to the German people than the American. Sun and Microsoft are American companies and their revenue is critical to the success of the economy. So what Germany stops buying Microsoft and Sun products, it costs relatively few jobs in Germany (although it does cost some).
If the American government took similar steps it would cost thousands of jobs (unless you assume that diverting the money to other government spending provides an equitable stimulus to the economy). That distinction would probably be lost on Congress.
You have to remember that our legislature is made up of people that raise money from business to ensure their continued existence in Congress.
Particularly at a time when the Government is taking steps to stimulate the economy it makes little sense for them to deal a further blow to software vendors. I know it sounds counterintuitive but most of the voluminous regulations on Federal Acquisition (the FAR for those who deal with it) are not focused on getting the government the best value for the money but rather are focused on meeting congressional mandates (small disadvantaged businesses, minority and women owned businesses, etc.).
I'm all for the Government using open source software. It would just be interesting to watch the Congressional opposition.
I've been waiting for this thread for a long time.
I wish I'd have actually gotten more of a broad based and well rounded education instead of what I did get, trained to be an engineer. I went to what is generally regarded as a good school, University of Virginia. In 4 years, I had only two classes that resembled an english class. Introductory first year english for engineers was called "Language Communication in a Technical Society". Nope, I'm not kidding.
Now approaching middle age, I find myself wishing that I had read a bit more history and a little less circuit diagrams. A bit more poetry and a few less calculus formulas. More political theory and a whole lot less C++.
College and those years presents an unequalled opportunity for personal growth. I'm afraid I wasted much of it in the lab. Those folks in the College of Arts and Sciences really are learning something valuable. I'm just sorry I missed it.
You should fear unrestrained government, which is the position that the government is trying to get itself into in the past couple of weeks.
You're right but this is FUD.
Measures to increase security and the effectiveness of law enforcement does not equal unrestrained government.
I do fear unrestrained government. But that's not the point. I don't fear less restrained government. Our constitution forbids unrestrained government and it goes against the very fabric of our society.
I'm wearing my asbestos but I feel obligated to address this idea of "total commitment to privacy".
Sorry folks, I'm not that interesting. You want to read me email or see what I surf, go right ahead. It doesn't bother me a bit. The only thing I want confidential is my financial information and medical information. If surf for it without SSL protection, it is (at least practically) public domain anyway. Anyone with a packet sniffer could have access.
Want to listen in on my phone conversations? Go ahead. You're going to be bored out of your mind. Like I said, I'm not that interesting.
Want to talk proprietary business sensitive information, encrypt it. Folks don't have the time or inclination to listen in to everyone. The strength is in numbers and there are a couple of hundred million of us. That's the terrorists best security too.
I'm not a criminal. Other than speeding by a few MPH on the Interstates, I don't break the law. I don't have anything to hide. Like many Americans, my security and that of my family is far more important that who's listening in.
I don't feel threatened by our government. The reason I'm not afraid of the government is because I really do believe that the government is made up of citizens. Those citizens are endowed with a common set of values and one of those values is respect for personal freedom. Citizens may disagree with specific issues regarding those freedoms but the basic concept remains intact.
Those values are what adds traction to the "slippery slope" so often referenced. We had ID cards during WWII. Notice they didn't stick around after the war. We put Japanese-American's in camps. We will never repeat that sad and unfortunate chapter in our history. How do I know, I don't. But I do believe in America. Maybe that's what all the flag waving is about.
Re:Drone's defence capabilities
on
Robots Go To War
·
· Score: 2
Their primary defense is their small size, low signature and height of flight.
For something that flies as slow as a Predator, the idea of defencive capabilities is kind of laughable.
Yeah, but it's quite possible that Commander in Chief George W. Bush might. Don't forget, ultimately, the military gets their orders from Congress and the President.
Actually, it is highly unlikely that George W. would micromanage this type of operation. The entire direction of his administration is to hire competent, experienced people for critical jobs and let them use their own initiative and judgement.
Although ultimately the decision to attack belongs to W. It is completely within his character (as well as the example set by his father during the Gulf War) to let Secretary Rumsfeld and the senior military leaders direct the operation.
To call the Pentagon a "valid military target" is both accurate and misleading.
If attacked within the bounds of international law, it would be a "valid military target". Hitting it with an airliner full of innocent civilians is a heinous war crime. Any court in the world would recognize it as such. Any action against military targets during a war is not legal. No more so than using civilians as human shields during a war is legal. Even during war, there are bounds to behavior that international law recognizes. That's the whole point of the Geneva Convention.
Although this was characterized as an "Act of War", the means used to carry out this attack were clearly not military in nature. They were terrorists, pure and simple
Slashdot Mirror
But if you forward it to 30 friends, the email system will automatically forward you your $30 gift certificate.
...
Ugh
After the failure of so many .com companies, the last thing a company wanted in its name was .com . It became synonymous with a poorly thought out business model and imminent bankruptcy.
I'm afraid that this will be a similar trend. The Wall Street love affair with Linux is over. No longer can a company put Linux in its name and demand large sums of venture capital. VA wants to decouple itself from what it perceives as a sinking ship, the "Linux trend".
Notice that I decouple this from the technical merits of the operating system. To argue that Linux-based business models have proven difficult to establish profits is not the same thing as to undermine the Linux operating system.
I love the operating system but don't think many of the current "Linux companies" have viable business models. I favor the IBM approach. They are embracing Linux under their established IT services business.
It may be unpopular to praise your broadband provider but I'm going to seriously miss @home when I'm finally switched over to Comcast's own network.
With all the talk of download caps as low as 768K on the ATT network, I realize how spoiled I've been. My download speeds are often 2.4Mbits or greater. On a speed test website, I tested 7x faster than my neighbors Verizon DSL service (basic level).
Comcast@home was an excellent deal at $39.95 per month. I'll be sorry to see it go.
I find myself wholely unimpressed with a book that documents the downfall of the Internet bubble that is published so long after the bubble breaks.
To have published this book during the "go go" days of the dotcom phenomon would have been another story.
Its kind of like reading a post mortem report on failed business philosophies. At best you might get some insight into what to avoid the next time. Still, "the next time" happens because people are too overcome with greed to consider the lessons of the last bubble.
Amen.
My wife is a total non-techie and I think she'd rather sell her engagement ring than give up the cable modem. And she just uses the computer for email and shopping.
When AMD gets headlines by introducing a new processor chip that runs only 70 Mhz faster than the previous chip, you can bet their marketing has been/will be successful.
AMD has an advantage. Unlike the old Cyrix PR ratings, these chips really do outperform their intended Intel counterparts. Maybe its just me but I don't think this would be news unless the 1800+ 1900+ etc. rating system was working its way into the minds of the consumer
I've gotten support from Road Runner on Linux. I'm pretty sure it isn't official support, though. I even had one tech almost cream himself when I called with an OpenBSD question. He was more than glad to help out.
... Any operating system?
Am I the only person who is a little afraid of tech's who "cream" themselves over an operating system?
That is a major misconception.
actually depending on your tax bracket a tax writeoff translates into a 10% - 34% reduction in the price of the item.
For example. Your $400 iPod reduces your taxable income by $400. That decreases your tax bill by $400*Highest marginal tax rate = about $100 (in my case).
Pester the support people. Make them come out to install every new piece of software that you need to do your job. Hold their feet to the fire for all the support you need.
Eventually they'll realize that the price they're paying in increased support calls is not worth the "security" of locking down your desktop.
I'm in just such an environment. Less than two weeks and they gave me local administrator priviledges under the table.
This is a great point. Any newbie pointers on how to lock the desktop down effectively?
My biggest problem with my mother-in-law's computer is that she moves stuff around and can't find it. She doesn't need to install software, just email and web browsing.
The main problem at least in a business sense is that those efforts can rarely be repeated on the next project or continued on the current project if the one key guru leaves for some reason or another.
We had a brilliant kid in my research group on grad school. He could code up just about anything. Elegant code too. Problem was it was next to impossible to follow up behind him to document his work and he was so "quirky" that it was like pulling teeth to get him to go over it with you.
That's a valuable guy but he's certainly a management challenge to integrate him effectively into a development team.
Is there room for him? Certainly.
But he better be worth the extra effort to manage him effectively.
Quirky + brilliant = YES
Quirky + average = NO
I had a bad experience on a $150 item (cell phone).
The seller answered email immediately until I verified that I sent payment (he insisted on a money order). After that, he wouldn't answer email and his Ebay account was cancelled.
I didn't take it laying down. I started by running a reverse lookup on his mailing address to get his phone number. Sure enough, that was disconnected. His email didn't bounce so I emailed him and informed him that I was contacting the local police department. I contacted the local police department and it turned out they'd had two complaints against the guy.
All of a sudden he appeared back and said that the "shipment must have been delayed". 5 days later the phone arrived postmarked the day after I notified the Police.
Auction fraud is fraud. Report it and hound them into the ground.
While this could well be adopted in Germany, such a move would stand virtually no chance of adoption in the US. Legislators from both American political parties recognize that government spending has at least two intended consequences.
1. Provide a needed service to the citizens
2. Provide an economic benefit to the area/region/local in which the spending occurs.
The commercial software industry in the United States (led by Microserf, Oracle, Sun and others) has been one of the major economic success stories in the US. It is a major source of export income for the nation and a significant source of wealth.
Despite the obvious technical advantages of adopting open source solutions, the business case at the macroeconomic level makes the decision to employ open source software far less clear cut.
It may make economic sense in Germany or other countries that are net importers of operating system and application software. It makes far less economic sense in the United States.
We are a nation that continues to pour money into federal road projects in West Virginia because the populace depends on the jobs that are created (regardless of the amount of traffic on those roads). Don't underestimate the loyalty of those same politicians to the commercial software industry.
If SIPRNET was what the original poster was referring to, it would not be a good choice government wide.
SIPRNET carries classified data and is physically and logically separate from the Internet. Not even the best hacker can get through an airgap.
The way I understand the proposal, it would be to establish a similar network for unclassified but sensitive data that would also be logically and physically separate from the Internet.
I think most likely this would be accomplished by disconnecting the current unclassified IP router network from the Internet and extending it government wide. Email could pass through a special purpose mail guard/robust firewall of some sorts that would provide a high level of protection.
In Europe, that kind of thing is seen as very corrupt and not worthy of a modern, democratic society.
I'm an American who's lived a decade in Europe. You are both right and wrong on this point. Americans simply accept that to believe that we live in a utopian society with government officials motivated purely by the desire to serve the public is utter nonsense.
Money corrupts. It does so in Europe and it does so in the United States.
We don't accept it. We don't condone it. We just don't delude ourselves into believing that it doesn't apply to our country.
Also at the risk of being redundant, I'd like to add my voice the chorus of voices saying what a ridiculous idea this is.
It reminds me too much of the great tobacco lawsuits that were supposed to go to the "victims" of tobacco use. Instead, the proceeds went largely to the attorneys involved. Settlements with individual states have gone to pay for everything from prescription drugs to road repair. Go ahead and fine them if they deserve it. Just don't fool yourself into thinking you can direct the proceeds to a specific cause.
Its very sad but AMD is essentially admitting through their marketing ploy that the average consumer is incapable of realizing that the speed of a processor and indeed a system is more than a clock frequency.
Although virtually every reviewer pans the confusing processor labelling, I believe that it was a good business decision. With the success of the Athlon processor, AMD went a long way towards minimizing the marketing impact of "Intel Inside". Now they find themselves "burdened" with a processor which out performs its competitors significantly at a given clock speed. If they label the chip with its clock frequency they invite price comparisons to similarly clocked (but underperforming) Intel products.
I think the new labelling scheme is actually a win for AMD. Smart consumers will buy the chips because of their superior performance, regardless of the name. "Joe 6 pack" will buy it because he can buy the AMD 1700+ system for less than the Intel 1600.
Its actually a much easier sale to the German people than the American. Sun and Microsoft are American companies and their revenue is critical to the success of the economy. So what Germany stops buying Microsoft and Sun products, it costs relatively few jobs in Germany (although it does cost some).
If the American government took similar steps it would cost thousands of jobs (unless you assume that diverting the money to other government spending provides an equitable stimulus to the economy). That distinction would probably be lost on Congress.
You have to remember that our legislature is made up of people that raise money from business to ensure their continued existence in Congress.
Particularly at a time when the Government is taking steps to stimulate the economy it makes little sense for them to deal a further blow to software vendors. I know it sounds counterintuitive but most of the voluminous regulations on Federal Acquisition (the FAR for those who deal with it) are not focused on getting the government the best value for the money but rather are focused on meeting congressional mandates (small disadvantaged businesses, minority and women owned businesses, etc.).
I'm all for the Government using open source software. It would just be interesting to watch the Congressional opposition.
I've been waiting for this thread for a long time.
I wish I'd have actually gotten more of a broad based and well rounded education instead of what I did get, trained to be an engineer. I went to what is generally regarded as a good school, University of Virginia. In 4 years, I had only two classes that resembled an english class. Introductory first year english for engineers was called "Language Communication in a Technical Society". Nope, I'm not kidding.
Now approaching middle age, I find myself wishing that I had read a bit more history and a little less circuit diagrams. A bit more poetry and a few less calculus formulas. More political theory and a whole lot less C++.
College and those years presents an unequalled opportunity for personal growth. I'm afraid I wasted much of it in the lab. Those folks in the College of Arts and Sciences really are learning something valuable. I'm just sorry I missed it.
You should fear unrestrained government, which is the position that the government is trying to get itself into in the past couple of weeks.
You're right but this is FUD.
Measures to increase security and the effectiveness of law enforcement does not equal unrestrained government.
I do fear unrestrained government. But that's not the point. I don't fear less restrained government. Our constitution forbids unrestrained government and it goes against the very fabric of our society.
I'm wearing my asbestos but I feel obligated to address this idea of "total commitment to privacy".
Sorry folks, I'm not that interesting. You want to read me email or see what I surf, go right ahead. It doesn't bother me a bit. The only thing I want confidential is my financial information and medical information. If surf for it without SSL protection, it is (at least practically) public domain anyway. Anyone with a packet sniffer could have access.
Want to listen in on my phone conversations? Go ahead. You're going to be bored out of your mind. Like I said, I'm not that interesting.
Want to talk proprietary business sensitive information, encrypt it. Folks don't have the time or inclination to listen in to everyone. The strength is in numbers and there are a couple of hundred million of us. That's the terrorists best security too.
I'm not a criminal. Other than speeding by a few MPH on the Interstates, I don't break the law. I don't have anything to hide. Like many Americans, my security and that of my family is far more important that who's listening in.
I don't feel threatened by our government. The reason I'm not afraid of the government is because I really do believe that the government is made up of citizens. Those citizens are endowed with a common set of values and one of those values is respect for personal freedom. Citizens may disagree with specific issues regarding those freedoms but the basic concept remains intact.
Those values are what adds traction to the "slippery slope" so often referenced. We had ID cards during WWII. Notice they didn't stick around after the war. We put Japanese-American's in camps. We will never repeat that sad and unfortunate chapter in our history. How do I know, I don't. But I do believe in America. Maybe that's what all the flag waving is about.
Their primary defense is their small size, low signature and height of flight.
For something that flies as slow as a Predator, the idea of defencive capabilities is kind of laughable.
Yeah, but it's quite possible that Commander in Chief George W. Bush might. Don't forget, ultimately, the military gets their orders from Congress and the President.
Actually, it is highly unlikely that George W. would micromanage this type of operation. The entire direction of his administration is to hire competent, experienced people for critical jobs and let them use their own initiative and judgement.
Although ultimately the decision to attack belongs to W. It is completely within his character (as well as the example set by his father during the Gulf War) to let Secretary Rumsfeld and the senior military leaders direct the operation.
To call the Pentagon a "valid military target" is both accurate and misleading.
If attacked within the bounds of international law, it would be a "valid military target". Hitting it with an airliner full of innocent civilians is a heinous war crime. Any court in the world would recognize it as such. Any action against military targets during a war is not legal. No more so than using civilians as human shields during a war is legal. Even during war, there are bounds to behavior that international law recognizes. That's the whole point of the Geneva Convention.
Although this was characterized as an "Act of War", the means used to carry out this attack were clearly not military in nature. They were terrorists, pure and simple