The U.S. government is such a laughable morass of bureaucracy, exploitative contractors, incompetence, and outright ignorance that any huge project with big promises has to be viewed with suspicion (if not outright laughter). Anyone remember the FBI database overhaul debacle?
NASA, the FBI, etc. all seem to follow the same pattern. They get the idea in their head for something big (usually as the result of politicians putting it there or the need to make it look like they're doing something about some big problem). Then they contract the technical stuff out to some contractor who feeds them a line of bullshit (instead of hiring their own people to do it, the way NASA did it in the 60's). Then they hold a big press conference, in which they make grandiose promises about how great this new thing will be (the best ones are accompanied by CGI animation of said great thing). Then they give some contractor a shitload of money. Then the contractor ends up in delays and overruns, forcing government agency to give them even MORE money. Then the contractor either doesn't deliver anything usable at all, delivers a shoddy piece of shit that doesn't even come close to the original promise, or simply delays it until the administration changes or the project gets canceled. Rinse. Wash. Repeat.
Obviously, I wasn't referring to some transatlantic trunk line in my post (or even U.S. backbone line). I'm talking about the lines that run to your house or apartment (the ones that cable and phone companies control pretty much exclusively).
"Second Variety" is the most underrated story in history, if you ask me. It heavily influenced both "The Terminator" and the new "Battlestar Galactica," yet it's assholes like Harlan Ellison who steal the credit
We all know that a lot of the best programmers live in California, like pictures of hot scantily-clad women, and are hardcore gamers. So my suggestion is this:
Put a really hot, scantily-clad woman out on an LA street-corner holding up a sign that says "Looking to give jobs to the hardcore".
Aye, but you shall need many a good man to tend to such a ship, good sir. We shall need a method of obtaining such men in an unscrupulous manner. Perhaps, with the aid of a local grog establishment we can deceive these men into drinking themselves into a stupor, then kidnapping them into the service. But we shall need a city to function of as our base of operations. Perhaps somewhere in the Orient.
This is just not going to happen. Why? Because there is still a question of physical wiring involved. Unless and until some MAJOR advances are made in wireless technology (way beyond what the 700 Mhz auction can provide), wired is always going to enjoy the advantage and there are only so many wires going into your house/apartment, with only one company controling each (normally). Most people (at least in the U.S.) basically have one or two choices for truly high-speed broadband, your phone company (DSL) and your cable company (cable modem)--AT&T and Time-Warner in my case.
For all of Google's and other "destination sites'" talk about buying all this wireless spectrum, the fact is that wireless will just never be able to match wired for speed or quality (a 20-year-old corded phone still sounds better than even the best cordless or cell phone). You just can't get around the fact that a wire (fiberoptic or copper) still has to be laid out there for the best results. And no "destination site" is going to be laying that line anytime soon.
Yeah, did they fine Apple for doing the EXACT SAME THING that MS is doing (bundling their own apps with their OS)? I must have missed that news story, because I thought that they singled out MS.
Constitutions are for commies, queers, and terrorists. Every American knows that the only "constitution" in *this* country is God (spoken for by his loyal servant James Dobson) and George W. Bush.
That Hawaiian shirt rule reminded me of Leo Laporte (of early G4/TechTV fame). He was known for wearing some some of the most atrocious Hawaiian shirts even created by God or man. I think he might have actually blinded more than one cameraman.
Leo was a geek God, though. He could have shown up on TechTV everyday wearing nothing but a thong and still put any other staffer there to shame in both tech knowledge and broadcasting skill. Man, I miss the old TechTV.
IF MS followed standards, it might also drive them into bankruptcy. They depend on the ubiquity of their proprietary formats (like with Office) to survive. If they went to standardized formats, any yahoo or his brother could just clone or even top any of their products (as Firefox did with IE). It would essentially make their IP worthless, which would, in turn, make their stock worthless (since their IP *is* their company).
The EU isn't "holding large corporations accountable to the law." They have a very personal vendetta against MS, period. MS is an American company that dared thumb its nose at them in the past. Nothing MS can do (short of going out of business) will EVER appease the EU. They're (ironically) taking the same approach with MS that the Bush administration took with Saddam Hussein in the lead up to the 2nd Iraq War: make unreasonable demands and then, if your opponent concedes, make even more unreasonable demands until your opponent finally can't possible comply--using this as a pretext to fight them (which you intended to do all along anyway).
At this point, it's not a case of the EU acting in the best interests of its citizens. This is extortion of a rich American company, pure and simple.
This is a guy who got screwed out of a lot of money because the state took his hard work without giving him a dime. I am not surprised that he finds the idea of people giving away their hard work for no money to be repulsive (even if it's voluntary).
Of course the irony is that he is from a country where piracy is (and has been) running crazy rampant.
Slashdot Mirror
Hah, not always.
Well, the EU and pretty much everyone on /. seems to think *Microsoft* is sitting together in a room saying that.
NASA, the FBI, etc. all seem to follow the same pattern. They get the idea in their head for something big (usually as the result of politicians putting it there or the need to make it look like they're doing something about some big problem). Then they contract the technical stuff out to some contractor who feeds them a line of bullshit (instead of hiring their own people to do it, the way NASA did it in the 60's). Then they hold a big press conference, in which they make grandiose promises about how great this new thing will be (the best ones are accompanied by CGI animation of said great thing). Then they give some contractor a shitload of money. Then the contractor ends up in delays and overruns, forcing government agency to give them even MORE money. Then the contractor either doesn't deliver anything usable at all, delivers a shoddy piece of shit that doesn't even come close to the original promise, or simply delays it until the administration changes or the project gets canceled. Rinse. Wash. Repeat.
The DoD will just assume they can't read anyway.
"NASA Plans to Smash Spacecraft into the Moon"
"NASA to Demonstrate Moon Rover"
You know guys, smashing things is not the best way to demonstrate them.
Obviously, I wasn't referring to some transatlantic trunk line in my post (or even U.S. backbone line). I'm talking about the lines that run to your house or apartment (the ones that cable and phone companies control pretty much exclusively).
"Second Variety" is the most underrated story in history, if you ask me. It heavily influenced both "The Terminator" and the new "Battlestar Galactica," yet it's assholes like Harlan Ellison who steal the credit
Put a really hot, scantily-clad woman out on an LA street-corner holding up a sign that says "Looking to give jobs to the hardcore".
I guarantee it will generate a lot of interest.
I just hope Weyland-Yutani honors my claim.
Starvin' Marvin in space, you say?
The press may call it "Moon lander mission goes horribly wrong due to multiple system failures," but NASA calls it "retasking."
Aye, but you shall need many a good man to tend to such a ship, good sir. We shall need a method of obtaining such men in an unscrupulous manner. Perhaps, with the aid of a local grog establishment we can deceive these men into drinking themselves into a stupor, then kidnapping them into the service. But we shall need a city to function of as our base of operations. Perhaps somewhere in the Orient.
For all of Google's and other "destination sites'" talk about buying all this wireless spectrum, the fact is that wireless will just never be able to match wired for speed or quality (a 20-year-old corded phone still sounds better than even the best cordless or cell phone). You just can't get around the fact that a wire (fiberoptic or copper) still has to be laid out there for the best results. And no "destination site" is going to be laying that line anytime soon.
Yeah, did they fine Apple for doing the EXACT SAME THING that MS is doing (bundling their own apps with their OS)? I must have missed that news story, because I thought that they singled out MS.
Funny, on *my* desktop I use Firefox. Does Windows stop *you* from installing it?
Ubuntu installs Firefox as the default web browser. But I want to use Opera. I demand that Canonical be fined!!
MS = hated by EU ==> bundling restrictions
Apple not= not hated by EU ==> no bundling restrictions
Slashdoters who excuse Apple for doing the exact same evil shit as MS ==> hypocrites
Is it now "flamebait" to even DARE defend MS on /.? So much for the lauded metamoderation system. Guess that only applies defending Apple and Linux.
Then were are the fines for Apple (who still bundle all their media stuff in OS X just like MS)? Huh?
Hello?
You there?
Constitutions are for commies, queers, and terrorists. Every American knows that the only "constitution" in *this* country is God (spoken for by his loyal servant James Dobson) and George W. Bush.
Leo was a geek God, though. He could have shown up on TechTV everyday wearing nothing but a thong and still put any other staffer there to shame in both tech knowledge and broadcasting skill. Man, I miss the old TechTV.
IF MS followed standards, it might also drive them into bankruptcy. They depend on the ubiquity of their proprietary formats (like with Office) to survive. If they went to standardized formats, any yahoo or his brother could just clone or even top any of their products (as Firefox did with IE). It would essentially make their IP worthless, which would, in turn, make their stock worthless (since their IP *is* their company).
At this point, it's not a case of the EU acting in the best interests of its citizens. This is extortion of a rich American company, pure and simple.
I wish their ISP's would just block the entire internet. The farther away from the rest of us, the better.
Of course the irony is that he is from a country where piracy is (and has been) running crazy rampant.