I've tried posting creative and thoughtful posts. I've seen posts that were modded up as interesting, but were much more "troll"-ish than any of mine have ever been.
...tree hugging environmentalist freak. How the hell this dribble ever made it to Slashdot is beyond me.
As if a tree is aware of the temperature it maintains anyway... A tree is an organism, albeit a very efficient organism. The thousands of years of growth and development have dictated the system by which it generates and stores energy, not some longing for comfort. Give me a break. Next thing you know, environmentalists will be trying to develop a method of using photosynthesis to generate electricity.
...the subject of this article is, "Boy Scouts Ask Open Source Community for Help"
Close to 500 comments on this and only a small percent address the actual topic.
Like any organization, finances are a huge deal in the BSA. Just imagine the cost of equipping every council office with commercial software and networking these so that a centralized database is in place for their membership records, camps, fund raisers, and trainings. I can see why they would be seriously considering open source as a solution.
Additionally, culturally, the Boy Scouts of America is quite compatible with Open Source philosophies regarding teamwork, self-reliance, and innovation. It makes perfect sense to me why they are looking at the Open Source community as a viable option.
I am a volunteer scouter and, frankly, I can say that the Boy Scouts of America need to do something to fix their information inaccuracies, whether they use Open Source or something else, something has got to be done.
Let's leave the moral positions of the BSA for another topic. I have found very little helpful information in this thread about the topic at hand.
I'm surprised to see so much off topic here on Slashdot. It usually doesn't go to this extent.
I stopped downloading illegal software years ago. I've been burned too many times with viruses and unreliable installs.
Just buy legal copies of software. It's good for the developer, good for the consumer, and good for the economy. Conversly, software piracy is detramental to developers, risky to consumers, and places a burden on the economy.
If you are not willing to legally purchase commercial software then try free alternatives such as open source.
If you intend to continue working at the wage you are currently earning and you have no intention to move into another area then I'd say you've succeeded at reaching that goal!
If, on the other hand, your goals are more money with new and interesting challenges then remaining in a Help Desk position which has no opportunities for growth may not in your best interest.
I have worked in the IT field for over 15 years and I have worked for companies where there is absolutely no upward mobility as well as those in which any opportunity is available if you want it. It is true that in the latter type of company career growth is dependent on the corporate environment, the type of work that is performed, and how ambitious the Help Desk employee is. In general though, it is mostly up to the individual how far they wish to go in any job.
There is always a point at which one should ask themselves if continuing at their present position has the potential for getting them where they want to ultimately be. If the answer to this question is ever 'no' then it may be time to brush up on that resume and start looking for new opportunities. I've done it and it has generally worked out for the better for me, as long as I've kept in mind that the next opportunities depend on my efforts.
First of all, the Linux community is not that naive. Does anyone really believe that we are ready to bend over and cave to M$'s rhetoric of empty promises, lies, and business deals based on coercement. Remember this deal? http://www.linux-watch.com/news/NS9843352777.html
30+ years of observation is sufficient evidence for me to not trust Microsoft. I have no doubt the Linux community will, as a whole, remain uncompromising with their principles (Principles - Microsoft: oxymoron).
I'll either boot into windows or go play a game console.
ROFL - I agree completely, but please tell me the difference between a game console and a windows partition? Oh.. that's right. The console is more stable and secure.
Agreed
Another misconception is that support for MS is cheaper and you have to pay higher rates for Unix sysadmins. This is only true insomuch as the cost of support and staff is higher for good quality support. You get what you pay for. Low quality MS support does cost less.
Also, let's not forget security. Even the most up-to-date completely patched Windows system is more vulnerable than a Unix system out of the box. This is not to say the Unix is all that much more secure, Windows is just hacked more.
The corporate world is willing to believe the lie in order to save a few dollars in upfront costs, but they end up paying a higher price in the end.
Your ignorance and bigotry is so apparent. I am sure you must be aware of the exposure you are subjecting yourself to on/.
You remind me of those people who call into national radio stations and sound so ignorant, not even aware they are being broadcast over hundreds of radio stations and thousands of listeners across the country.
I feel sorry for you.
The real problem here is incompatible philosophies. Ever since their foundation, Microsoft's philosophy of doing business has been in direct conflict with the whole concept of Open Source, and it remains such to this day.
Some day the huge chasm between Open Source and, at least Microsoft's, way of doing business may be bridged, but it certainly will not be Microsoft that builds that bridge; which would be replete with crossing guards, tariffs, and EULA's a-plenty.
The only thing Open Source companies can and should hope to achieve in order to remain a true Open Source company is a clearly defined and specific list of values and objectives which are non-negotiable and not for sale.
Microsoft's recent offers to "partner" with Open Source companies is like mixing oil and water: it just doesn't mix.
I find it interesting when a company (Novell) claims to adopt an Open Source philosophy on one hand, and then gets in bed with one of the least Open Source companies in America on the other. No! Scratch that, I find it insulting to the Open Source communities.
So the solution to any object on a (near) collision course to earth is for the astronomers observing the object to just blink. In astronomic terms, a blink would be enough time to loose track of the object. By the time they found it again, it would simply have missed us.
It can see 10-km-square from an altitude of 7.5 kilometres with a resolution better than 50 centimetres per pixel.
An average satellite orbits earth from an altitude of 386km. What kind of satellite are they planning on keeping at only 7.5km altitude? I bet they can see me flipping them off from that distance pretty clearly.
Maybe if Microsoft spent more time on stuff (that people actually _use_ you know), instead of fluff, maybe Vista would actually be half decent.
Why are you waiting for M$ to provide you with this?
- A way to customize the File Open dialog box, with the folders you constantly use, gasp!? Available in Linux
- Expose. Enough said.Available in Linux
- A built in spell checker / Dictionary / Thesaurus, with quick access to wikipedia Available in Linux
- A search that isn't broken (Thx WinXP!) Available in Linux
- The ability to re-locate, (or hide) the dam 'close' button Available in Linux
- Title bars that stop sucking up valuable screen space, instead of being small movable tabs like in BeOS Available in Linux
- Virtual Desktops Available in Linux
- An OS that gets FASTER from version to version (again BeOS) Available in Linux
- A proper KILL command -- I'm admin on the dam box, let me kill that process. Available in Linux
- Unified widgets/gadgets: NO, I don't want seperate run-times for Yahoo, Google, Apple, Microsoft, insert flavor of the month company because they decided to do their own implementation. Available in Linux
- A home folder without spaces that doesn't move with almost every version of windows. Available in Linux
- A file system that doesn't suck. YES, I want to be able to start my filenames with spaces for sorting purposes (Thx Explorer. NOT.) have my filenames contain colons, end with a period or question mark. And treat the underscore as a virtual space, so we don't have to quote filenames in our command scripts. A way to "tag" files, so I can visually see BOTH a heirarchy, AND flat filesystem. Available in Linux
- Config files that can be moved from system to system instead of hiding everything in the bloated registry Available in Linux
- Free dev tools would be nice. Available in Linux
- Stop rebooting my dam system everytime you update system software. Or at least give me notification/icon that a reboot is required BEFORE installing. Available in Linux
All I want is an OS that doesn't suck... is that _really_ too much for a programmer to ask? Available in Linux
Slashdot Mirror
It's all Bush's fault.
Why the hell am I constantly modded down!
I've tried posting creative and thoughtful posts. I've seen posts that were modded up as interesting, but were much more "troll"-ish than any of mine have ever been.
...tree hugging environmentalist freak. How the hell this dribble ever made it to Slashdot is beyond me.
As if a tree is aware of the temperature it maintains anyway... A tree is an organism, albeit a very efficient organism. The thousands of years of growth and development have dictated the system by which it generates and stores energy, not some longing for comfort. Give me a break. Next thing you know, environmentalists will be trying to develop a method of using photosynthesis to generate electricity.
When will it end?
...the subject of this article is, "Boy Scouts Ask Open Source Community for Help"
Close to 500 comments on this and only a small percent address the actual topic.
Like any organization, finances are a huge deal in the BSA. Just imagine the cost of equipping every council office with commercial software and networking these so that a centralized database is in place for their membership records, camps, fund raisers, and trainings. I can see why they would be seriously considering open source as a solution.
Additionally, culturally, the Boy Scouts of America is quite compatible with Open Source philosophies regarding teamwork, self-reliance, and innovation. It makes perfect sense to me why they are looking at the Open Source community as a viable option. I am a volunteer scouter and, frankly, I can say that the Boy Scouts of America need to do something to fix their information inaccuracies, whether they use Open Source or something else, something has got to be done.
Let's leave the moral positions of the BSA for another topic. I have found very little helpful information in this thread about the topic at hand.
I'm surprised to see so much off topic here on Slashdot. It usually doesn't go to this extent.
(Go ahead. Mod me off topic. Please.)
I applaud Comcast.
Seriously...
I stopped downloading illegal software years ago. I've been burned too many times with viruses and unreliable installs.
Just buy legal copies of software. It's good for the developer, good for the consumer, and good for the economy. Conversly, software piracy is detramental to developers, risky to consumers, and places a burden on the economy.
If you are not willing to legally purchase commercial software then try free alternatives such as open source.
...what are your career goals?
If you intend to continue working at the wage you are currently earning and you have no intention to move into another area then I'd say you've succeeded at reaching that goal!
If, on the other hand, your goals are more money with new and interesting challenges then remaining in a Help Desk position which has no opportunities for growth may not in your best interest.
I have worked in the IT field for over 15 years and I have worked for companies where there is absolutely no upward mobility as well as those in which any opportunity is available if you want it. It is true that in the latter type of company career growth is dependent on the corporate environment, the type of work that is performed, and how ambitious the Help Desk employee is. In general though, it is mostly up to the individual how far they wish to go in any job.
There is always a point at which one should ask themselves if continuing at their present position has the potential for getting them where they want to ultimately be. If the answer to this question is ever 'no' then it may be time to brush up on that resume and start looking for new opportunities. I've done it and it has generally worked out for the better for me, as long as I've kept in mind that the next opportunities depend on my efforts.
Yep, this is one of the things that keep me up at night... wondering if I need to consider trusting a Microsoft "promise".
Agreed
First of all, the Linux community is not that naive. Does anyone really believe that we are ready to bend over and cave to M$'s rhetoric of empty promises, lies, and business deals based on coercement. Remember this deal? http://www.linux-watch.com/news/NS9843352777.html
30+ years of observation is sufficient evidence for me to not trust Microsoft. I have no doubt the Linux community will, as a whole, remain uncompromising with their principles (Principles - Microsoft: oxymoron).
You're modded 5, Funny??? For that???
Dude.. how do you get mods like that? I really need decent mod points. Please tell me!
...for someone to hack iTunes and get this stuff out on the black market.
And no! I am not doing it. It's illegal, so don't ask. Sheeeesh!
ROFL - I agree completely, but please tell me the difference between a game console and a windows partition? Oh.. that's right. The console is more stable and secure.
I was trying to think of a good term for him. You got it!
Agreed Another misconception is that support for MS is cheaper and you have to pay higher rates for Unix sysadmins. This is only true insomuch as the cost of support and staff is higher for good quality support. You get what you pay for. Low quality MS support does cost less.
Also, let's not forget security. Even the most up-to-date completely patched Windows system is more vulnerable than a Unix system out of the box. This is not to say the Unix is all that much more secure, Windows is just hacked more.
The corporate world is willing to believe the lie in order to save a few dollars in upfront costs, but they end up paying a higher price in the end.
So what does the H. stand for?
Global warming is an http://www.nationalpost.com/opinion/columnists/story.html?id=332289 absolute scam.
My comments have nothing to do with pro- or anti-pornography opinions. You missed my point entirely.
Your ignorance and bigotry is so apparent. I am sure you must be aware of the exposure you are subjecting yourself to on /.
You remind me of those people who call into national radio stations and sound so ignorant, not even aware they are being broadcast over hundreds of radio stations and thousands of listeners across the country.
I feel sorry for you.
The real problem here is incompatible philosophies. Ever since their foundation, Microsoft's philosophy of doing business has been in direct conflict with the whole concept of Open Source, and it remains such to this day.
Some day the huge chasm between Open Source and, at least Microsoft's, way of doing business may be bridged, but it certainly will not be Microsoft that builds that bridge; which would be replete with crossing guards, tariffs, and EULA's a-plenty.
The only thing Open Source companies can and should hope to achieve in order to remain a true Open Source company is a clearly defined and specific list of values and objectives which are non-negotiable and not for sale.
Microsoft's recent offers to "partner" with Open Source companies is like mixing oil and water: it just doesn't mix.
I find it interesting when a company (Novell) claims to adopt an Open Source philosophy on one hand, and then gets in bed with one of the least Open Source companies in America on the other. No! Scratch that, I find it insulting to the Open Source communities.
Well, I don't know how.
I guess that leaves me out... bummer.
LOL
/.ers.
I was born in '67
The patent was made in '71
You just aged me at least 4 years older than most
Thanks a lot, Solandri
So the solution to any object on a (near) collision course to earth is for the astronomers observing the object to just blink. In astronomic terms, a blink would be enough time to loose track of the object. By the time they found it again, it would simply have missed us.
Gaming is their true forté. Screw the whole Windows product line. MS should stick with the gaming arena.
Apparently, Bungie gets it...
- A way to customize the File Open dialog box, with the folders you constantly use, gasp!? Available in Linux
- Expose. Enough said.Available in Linux
- A built in spell checker / Dictionary / Thesaurus, with quick access to wikipedia Available in Linux
- A search that isn't broken (Thx WinXP!) Available in Linux
- The ability to re-locate, (or hide) the dam 'close' button Available in Linux
- Title bars that stop sucking up valuable screen space, instead of being small movable tabs like in BeOS Available in Linux
- Virtual Desktops Available in Linux
- An OS that gets FASTER from version to version (again BeOS) Available in Linux
- A proper KILL command -- I'm admin on the dam box, let me kill that process. Available in Linux
- Unified widgets/gadgets: NO, I don't want seperate run-times for Yahoo, Google, Apple, Microsoft, insert flavor of the month company because they decided to do their own implementation. Available in Linux
- A home folder without spaces that doesn't move with almost every version of windows. Available in Linux
- A file system that doesn't suck. YES, I want to be able to start my filenames with spaces for sorting purposes (Thx Explorer. NOT.) have my filenames contain colons, end with a period or question mark. And treat the underscore as a virtual space, so we don't have to quote filenames in our command scripts. A way to "tag" files, so I can visually see BOTH a heirarchy, AND flat filesystem. Available in Linux
- Config files that can be moved from system to system instead of hiding everything in the bloated registry Available in Linux
- Free dev tools would be nice. Available in Linux
- Stop rebooting my dam system everytime you update system software. Or at least give me notification/icon that a reboot is required BEFORE installing. Available in Linux
All I want is an OS that doesn't suck... is that _really_ too much for a programmer to ask? Available in Linux