In Malaysia normal folks use Yahoo Messenger (mostly) or YM with MSN, and the crazy Microsoft wingnuts who daydream about fellating Bill Gates use MSN exclusively.
I dunno man, is it really worth it? The money, the time... when I could spend it on a nice dual G5? I'm pretty sure it'd be more fun than 99.999% of the available girls that I have half a chance with.
It should be a species of a particular genus, no? Mammals are an entire class of organisms, where if the species is new we should at least be able to identify the genus (and order, and family).
If Linus talks down to other developers that contribute to Linux in such a primitive way, he shouldn't complain about Slashdot, as he did here: http://lkml.org/lkml/2005/8/20/95.
Well said, fellow slashdot user teewurstmann of id 755953! With that post, you certainly took Linus Torvalds to task for daring to belittle the collective intelligentsia that is SLASHDOT! As a mere senior kernel developer, founder of the Linux kernel project and leader of the mainline kernel development process certainly he needs to be shown his place by our community of insightful commentators. From mom's basement I stab at thee!
It's for those of us who are frustrated with living in MS-land and unhappy with Windows and how Windows forces it's way of operating on you (don't the MS apologists in the audience flame me with "but it's supposed to be easier/better/shinier", I just don't like Windows and I have a right not to), yet because of the dependency chain that applications require you to use on top of Windows, you're stuck with an OS you don't like. I know a list of alternative applications that don't require Windows would come in handy for people who want to switch away from Windows and its inherent problems.
If you find that the alternatives aren't good enough or aren't up to your standards, fine, stick with Windows. But in a world where Microsoft and the IT industry almost makes it an obligation for every computer user to pay tribute to the mighty monopoly with their wallet and their obedience, it's refreshing to know there's something to help us get out of it.
Well that's good news for those of us who were born with a genetic anomaly that gives us a superhealing factor and retractable claws! We'll have no problems applying for work at IBM!
I live in Malaysia, and have followed this debate for a while.
"Our views as represented by Pikom, are that the government should not dictate which development model--OSS or commercial--should be the preference for procurement," said Peter Moore, Microsoft's general manager for public policy, Asia-Pacific and Greater China.
As you can see from the evidence here, the voice that's being heard "through Pikom" is actually Microsoft's.
If the government chooses to move to an OSS operating system like Linux, Microsoft loses control over us. Malaysian application software developers actually have nothing to fear, because the govt is not going to lock out closed-source. It'll just have a preference for OSS programs if it fulfills the same function as a closed-sourced one. Meaning, locally developed custom apps are always going to be better-suited to the customer (the government), open or closed source. However, if Linux or FreeBSD got around to being the standard underlying operating system, Microsoft and its cronies would lose out big time, as it would lose it's control (but we would get our sovereignity, so who cares about Microsoft).
Where do these people think up these imaginary problems? "Lack of conceptual integrity"? "Lack of innovation"? The open source community has been a source of quality software and helpful guidance for as long as I've used it (YMMV of course). But I've never had the troubles which always get paraded about in the media.
I never did. My 486 computer (with 8MB RAM) came with Win3.11 and DOS6.2, and most of the time I had Windows turned off. It was just distasteful how much resources it wasted to make the thing "pretty".
When Win95 was launched it heralded an age of "user-friendliness", which to me sounded too much like "dumb-downness". And besides, the system boasted features that were useless to me (Autoplay? Who cares! I know how to run things in my CDROM).
I boycotted Windows95. I never ran it. Of course I had to give in at one point, when most software required the new Win32. But that was in 2000, when I started using...Win98. And Linux. And finding that I spend more time in Linux day by day.
Now I use Linux as my primary OS, with a Win98 partition which I still keep around for games (works well enough for that - I think of it as a massive shared library required for games). But then again, I don't even play games that much any more.
We've heard a lot about MS having a lower TCO etc., and who knows it may even be true in some cases, but does Microsoft realise that the reason some of us is on Linux is for the "Free as in Freedom" part? This may matter not to the PHBs, but some of the Linux users MS is trying to court such as HPC consist of engineers and scientists who operate things like particle accelerators and are unfazed by the "complexity" of Linux and appreciate the freedom to be able to customise it to their needs? Can Microsoft ever be as liberal with their operating system as Linux developers are with Linux?
Yup, Microsoft looks like it made a poor imitation of Firefox. But hey, according to Microsoft apologists, nothing exists until Microsoft (re)invents it. So there you go.
But the next time someone says "OSS only copies from Microsoft", remind them of IE7.
Slashdot Mirror
That was pretty dangerous. All you needed was to purchase 1,210 of these PC Power and Cooling 1KW units, and stack 'em on your DeLorean.
Either that or a bolt of lightning.
In Malaysia normal folks use Yahoo Messenger (mostly) or YM with MSN, and the crazy Microsoft wingnuts who daydream about fellating Bill Gates use MSN exclusively.
In the "real" universe, it is Praxis that explodes, and we receive the Klingons for a peace treaty.
I guess now this means we'll have to take the iniative and go meet Chancellor Gorkon.
I dunno man, is it really worth it? The money, the time... when I could spend it on a nice dual G5? I'm pretty sure it'd be more fun than 99.999% of the available girls that I have half a chance with.
Of course they are. That's why Admiral Kirk and Captain Spock came around looking for a pair.
It should be a species of a particular genus, no? Mammals are an entire class of organisms, where if the species is new we should at least be able to identify the genus (and order, and family).
Oh yeah, I had one. Hot Wheels I think. If I rummage through my old boxes I think I can still find it.
"Nonesevent" is a perfectly cromulent word.
He just wants you to think he's fictional. It's all part of the mystical intrigue he's woven around his character.
Not to mention he directed an obscure documentary about the New Zealand air force. He is truly a renaissance man. ;)
If Linus talks down to other developers that contribute to Linux in such a primitive way, he shouldn't complain about Slashdot, as he did here: http://lkml.org/lkml/2005/8/20/95.
Well said, fellow slashdot user teewurstmann of id 755953! With that post, you certainly took Linus Torvalds to task for daring to belittle the collective intelligentsia that is SLASHDOT! As a mere senior kernel developer, founder of the Linux kernel project and leader of the mainline kernel development process certainly he needs to be shown his place by our community of insightful commentators. From mom's basement I stab at thee!
Then the book is not for you.
It's for those of us who are frustrated with living in MS-land and unhappy with Windows and how Windows forces it's way of operating on you (don't the MS apologists in the audience flame me with "but it's supposed to be easier/better/shinier", I just don't like Windows and I have a right not to), yet because of the dependency chain that applications require you to use on top of Windows, you're stuck with an OS you don't like. I know a list of alternative applications that don't require Windows would come in handy for people who want to switch away from Windows and its inherent problems.
If you find that the alternatives aren't good enough or aren't up to your standards, fine, stick with Windows. But in a world where Microsoft and the IT industry almost makes it an obligation for every computer user to pay tribute to the mighty monopoly with their wallet and their obedience, it's refreshing to know there's something to help us get out of it.
Well that's good news for those of us who were born with a genetic anomaly that gives us a superhealing factor and retractable claws! We'll have no problems applying for work at IBM!
*snikt!*
You'd better watch your comments. I hear the mother, Mrs. Torvalds, is a karate master.
I live in Malaysia, and have followed this debate for a while.
"Our views as represented by Pikom, are that the government should not dictate which development model--OSS or commercial--should be the preference for procurement," said Peter Moore, Microsoft's general manager for public policy, Asia-Pacific and Greater China.
As you can see from the evidence here, the voice that's being heard "through Pikom" is actually Microsoft's.
If the government chooses to move to an OSS operating system like Linux, Microsoft loses control over us. Malaysian application software developers actually have nothing to fear, because the govt is not going to lock out closed-source. It'll just have a preference for OSS programs if it fulfills the same function as a closed-sourced one. Meaning, locally developed custom apps are always going to be better-suited to the customer (the government), open or closed source. However, if Linux or FreeBSD got around to being the standard underlying operating system, Microsoft and its cronies would lose out big time, as it would lose it's control (but we would get our sovereignity, so who cares about Microsoft).
Do these issues concern you?
No.
Where do these people think up these imaginary problems? "Lack of conceptual integrity"? "Lack of innovation"? The open source community has been a source of quality software and helpful guidance for as long as I've used it (YMMV of course). But I've never had the troubles which always get paraded about in the media.
That's what they've always done for years.
And this Dame Eliza Manningham-Buller? Is she... M?
Imagine, if you will, Dr. Claw, banging on his desk, alarming his cat:
I'LL GET YOU NEXT TIME GOOGLE! NEXT TIME!!!
I never did. My 486 computer (with 8MB RAM) came with Win3.11 and DOS6.2, and most of the time I had Windows turned off. It was just distasteful how much resources it wasted to make the thing "pretty".
When Win95 was launched it heralded an age of "user-friendliness", which to me sounded too much like "dumb-downness". And besides, the system boasted features that were useless to me (Autoplay? Who cares! I know how to run things in my CDROM).
I boycotted Windows95. I never ran it. Of course I had to give in at one point, when most software required the new Win32. But that was in 2000, when I started using...Win98. And Linux. And finding that I spend more time in Linux day by day.
Now I use Linux as my primary OS, with a Win98 partition which I still keep around for games (works well enough for that - I think of it as a massive shared library required for games). But then again, I don't even play games that much any more.
Sure it isn't. My point is "ooh look it's easy no need to read" selling point of Windows doesn't hold water in the HPC case.
We've heard a lot about MS having a lower TCO etc., and who knows it may even be true in some cases, but does Microsoft realise that the reason some of us is on Linux is for the "Free as in Freedom" part? This may matter not to the PHBs, but some of the Linux users MS is trying to court such as HPC consist of engineers and scientists who operate things like particle accelerators and are unfazed by the "complexity" of Linux and appreciate the freedom to be able to customise it to their needs? Can Microsoft ever be as liberal with their operating system as Linux developers are with Linux?
Yup, Microsoft looks like it made a poor imitation of Firefox. But hey, according to Microsoft apologists, nothing exists until Microsoft (re)invents it. So there you go.
But the next time someone says "OSS only copies from Microsoft", remind them of IE7.
I, for one, erase my Ubuntu partition and welcome our new Utunbu overlords!
It's "Utnubu" dammit! Ubuntu for n00bs!
Sirius Black is dead? Oh no! Great, thanks for spoiling it for me.
BTW, who is Sirius Black?