Hooray for unsustainable businesses getting susidized by the government. coughAmTrackcough
The city bus system in my home town is the same way. We ("we" as in "not me") voted to raise the property tax so the bus company could buy shiny new buses that no one is riding. Sure some people depend on it to get to work and whatnot, but if I want to donate to the keep-the-buses-around-so-the-less-fortunate-can-ge t-to-work charity, I will.
On a smaller scale, what if I had a son who was old enough for me to charge him rent. Let's say part of his rent went towards using my DSL. So my ISP is carrying both my and my son's traffic. Should they charge me extra because both of us use their service? Of course not. The bandwidth is bought and paid for regardless of where the traffic is coming from and who is generating it.
The same applies to the whole of the Internet. Some companies want to double-charge for their bandwidth, and it's wrong.
Sure, but that's the point. The GP said he wouldn't put a "computer" directly on the Internet, but "computer" is a pretty vague word (as we both have demonstrated). And by no means am I saying CPU+RAM+ROM+storage=computer is the correct definition. That is left as an exercise for the reader.;)
I suppose it all depends on your definition of "computer." Computers have processor(s), RAM, a boot ROM, and some sort of non-volitile storage, right? So does my Cisco 871W. =D
AMD lost the mobility race. Intel won. Sure AMD are great performers, if want to be deaf.
I have to say, the noise levels in a laptop have nearly nothing to do with the processor used and everything to do with the arrangement of the internal components, airflow, size and speed of fans, etc'. I can think of a few Intel-powered laptops (I own one) that just screams when it's warmed up.
Sure, AMD's mobile stuff is a little less mature than Intel's, but I can say with a fair level of confidence that you have no idea of what you're talking about.
...this is going to end up just like every other off-the-wall motherboard/CPU/video card/etc' feature: way too expensive for anybody to care about. Remember the mobo a while back that would take either an AMD or an Intel CPU? It was basically two mainboards on the same PCB and it costed about as much.
This also looks quite a bit like SLI/Crossfire in that it's marketed as "add on more stuff later to boost performance and save money in the long run." It looks nice on paper, but in practice, it's pretty worthless unless you have hundred dollar bills falling out of your ass; thus bargain-hunters are better of just going with a more vanilla setup.
Okay, forgive me, but why have I seen this "møøse" thing twice in the past few days? I have a feeling I'm missing out on a Slashdot-meme I'm not familiar with...
I get what you're saying, but I think that open-endedness might be valuable to a teacher when used correctly. For instance, you can start with a very simple, subroutine-less program like:
#!/usr/local/bin/perl print "Welcome to a program."; print "This statement is executed..."; print "Then this one is.";
exit;
Then when you introduce subroutines, you can implement the same program with them:
#!/usr/local/bin/perl print "Welcome to a program."; &DoStuff(); print "Then this one is.";
sub DoStuff() { print "This statement is executed..."; }
exit;
I think the flexibility could be useful in that programs can be as simple or as complex as you want them to be. There's not as much perquisite instruction before you get to a functioning program. (Think about all the stuff you need in a C++ program before it will even compile and think about how little you need for a Perl program to parse and run.) Then again, I'm not an Ed major, so that just might not work.:-P
I admittedly haven't done much work in PHP, and quite a bit in Perl, so take the following with a grain of salt.
I agree that a budding programmer should start with a language that's, simple, not so simple it makes is useless for much more than instructional purposes (my main gripe with BASIC), and widely supported/used. Now, PHP fits those three pretty well, but I'm of the opinion that more general purpose languages like Perl (including Python, Ruby, etc') are going to be more beneficial in the long run. Perl not only can do everything PHP can do (the CGI stuff) but lots of other not-necessarily-web-related things. There are so many ways you can go once you know the basics of it. Why limit yourself early on?
Now, I don't want to trash PHP. I'm sure it's a lovely language and I'm sure it may do x far better than Perl and others can, but when you're implementing your first bubble-sort, those kind of language-specific pros/cons are a long way down the road.
Nice. If we could tag posts, I would tag this one "hellsyeah".
You're right on. That's what most folks forget about DRM. Sure, it squashes fair use -- sure, you're locked into this or that vendor of widget, but at the heart of it, DRM is the separation of control and possession when it comes to information. Traditionally, if you possessed information, you controlled it. With DRM, you may posses a song, a book, a movie, but you've lost control over it. In the case of said Slipknot song, or the latest X-Men movie, that's not the biggest of deals. But what happens if the media is something more important? A digital birth certificate? How scary would it be to call the FBI about your missing kid only to find out he never existed?
We'll get our movies and music in annoying formats today to desensitize us, but DRM is big, ugly flower just waiting to bloom and we have to educate and motivate if we want to nip it in the bud.
...a programming class should be about learning the language, not VI, EMACS, or screwing around 0 ith the command line.
I have to disagree. A CS student should know how to use a computer long before he/she learns to program it. If that means ensuring incoming CS students already know vi/emacs/bash/etc' via a pre-major course/test, so be it.
I agree that CS115 shouldn't be about learning an editor/shell, but that doesn't mean you deprive the students of those (powerful!) tools altogether by fluffing the course up with an IDE.
Slashdot Mirror
Hooray for unsustainable businesses getting susidized by the government. coughAmTrackcough
e t-to-work charity, I will.
The city bus system in my home town is the same way. We ("we" as in "not me") voted to raise the property tax so the bus company could buy shiny new buses that no one is riding. Sure some people depend on it to get to work and whatnot, but if I want to donate to the keep-the-buses-around-so-the-less-fortunate-can-g
</rant>
Why Jobs should take the helm at Microsoft
Now that would be a story...
I'm not sure I'd call one of Dvorak's columns a story as much as a meaningless pile of steaming crap.
I think you mean "...now that all the volume of them darn dolphins...".
Remember, lead dolphins and Styrofoam dolphins displace the same amount of water.
Nonetheless, your Hitchhikers' Guide reference is appreciated.
Exactly.
On a smaller scale, what if I had a son who was old enough for me to charge him rent. Let's say part of his rent went towards using my DSL. So my ISP is carrying both my and my son's traffic. Should they charge me extra because both of us use their service? Of course not. The bandwidth is bought and paid for regardless of where the traffic is coming from and who is generating it.
The same applies to the whole of the Internet. Some companies want to double-charge for their bandwidth, and it's wrong.
I was just about to post a long tirade about how the parent is a worthless douche bag, but I see you've taken care of that.
:)
Thanks!
Sure, but that's the point. The GP said he wouldn't put a "computer" directly on the Internet, but "computer" is a pretty vague word (as we both have demonstrated). And by no means am I saying CPU+RAM+ROM+storage=computer is the correct definition. That is left as an exercise for the reader. ;)
I suppose it all depends on your definition of "computer." Computers have processor(s), RAM, a boot ROM, and some sort of non-volitile storage, right? So does my Cisco 871W. =D
Long ago I renamed mine to "Bill's Computer." I just didn't feel like it was mine anymore. ='(
AMD lost the mobility race. Intel won. Sure AMD are great performers, if want to be deaf.
I have to say, the noise levels in a laptop have nearly nothing to do with the processor used and everything to do with the arrangement of the internal components, airflow, size and speed of fans, etc'. I can think of a few Intel-powered laptops (I own one) that just screams when it's warmed up.
Sure, AMD's mobile stuff is a little less mature than Intel's, but I can say with a fair level of confidence that you have no idea of what you're talking about.
...this is going to end up just like every other off-the-wall motherboard/CPU/video card/etc' feature: way too expensive for anybody to care about. Remember the mobo a while back that would take either an AMD or an Intel CPU? It was basically two mainboards on the same PCB and it costed about as much.
This also looks quite a bit like SLI/Crossfire in that it's marketed as "add on more stuff later to boost performance and save money in the long run." It looks nice on paper, but in practice, it's pretty worthless unless you have hundred dollar bills falling out of your ass; thus bargain-hunters are better of just going with a more vanilla setup.
Oh well. Just my two cents.
Wow, if you need a whole core to play one of your "personal" movies, I'd start using a different codec.
What's that?
You downloaded it?
And you're not in it?
You sir, are a sick individual.
For the most part I consider general-purpose TLDs a waste of time.
:-P
Man, all TLDs are a waste of time. Real men use IP addresses.
Not only do you save the registration costs, but you ensure a far more educated clientele.
Okay, forgive me, but why have I seen this "møøse" thing twice in the past few days? I have a feeling I'm missing out on a Slashdot-meme I'm not familiar with...
It'd be,
...0001%
50.000... (repeating)
I admittedly haven't done much work in PHP, and quite a bit in Perl, so take the following with a grain of salt.
I agree that a budding programmer should start with a language that's, simple, not so simple it makes is useless for much more than instructional purposes (my main gripe with BASIC), and widely supported/used. Now, PHP fits those three pretty well, but I'm of the opinion that more general purpose languages like Perl (including Python, Ruby, etc') are going to be more beneficial in the long run. Perl not only can do everything PHP can do (the CGI stuff) but lots of other not-necessarily-web-related things. There are so many ways you can go once you know the basics of it. Why limit yourself early on?
Now, I don't want to trash PHP. I'm sure it's a lovely language and I'm sure it may do x far better than Perl and others can, but when you're implementing your first bubble-sort, those kind of language-specific pros/cons are a long way down the road.
Eh, just my $0.02.
Nice. If we could tag posts, I would tag this one "hellsyeah".
You're right on. That's what most folks forget about DRM. Sure, it squashes fair use -- sure, you're locked into this or that vendor of widget, but at the heart of it, DRM is the separation of control and possession when it comes to information. Traditionally, if you possessed information, you controlled it. With DRM, you may posses a song, a book, a movie, but you've lost control over it. In the case of said Slipknot song, or the latest X-Men movie, that's not the biggest of deals. But what happens if the media is something more important? A digital birth certificate? How scary would it be to call the FBI about your missing kid only to find out he never existed?
We'll get our movies and music in annoying formats today to desensitize us, but DRM is big, ugly flower just waiting to bloom and we have to educate and motivate if we want to nip it in the bud.
...a programming class should be about learning the language, not VI, EMACS, or screwing around 0 ith the command line.
I have to disagree. A CS student should know how to use a computer long before he/she learns to program it. If that means ensuring incoming CS students already know vi/emacs/bash/etc' via a pre-major course/test, so be it.
I agree that CS115 shouldn't be about learning an editor/shell, but that doesn't mean you deprive the students of those (powerful!) tools altogether by fluffing the course up with an IDE.
would you want to see Margaret Thatcher walking around naked?
Eh, I'd at least give her a shot...
Are you serious? I have to agree with these other replies, that's just retarded.
Am I the only one who read that "New Possible SSID Genes Identified"?
:-P
So leaving your router with ssid linksys is hereditary? Who'd a thunk?
The Intel Core Peregrine Duo versus the AMD Pulsaron64 X2 !!!
:-P
The most exiting round of CPU battles yet!
'bout time.
Fear? Initially, yes, but we all know the the first and only rule to tentacle pr0n:
;-)
If she survived, she liked it.
Well okay, I was only kidding -- but eh, it's an AC anyway.