Everytime I have grabbed my checkbook, and gotten ready to head out for wireless...the articles say "in a few months_____________", the new standard, the longer range, etc. is going to come out, and render my purchase just foolish, and I will be so embarassed I didn't wait.
Gee - If he had waited until "this summer" when the new.g standard is ratified, I'm sure one WAP for only $199 would cover his whole house, and garage and his patio too.
Faced with the need for an ERP program, traditionally you could hire some programmers, wait a couple of years for them to create the software, and see if it worked, or was a big disaster.
Or, you could purchase from Oracle, Peoplesoft. Datatel, SCT, etc, gamble a lot of money, maybe discover you have to change your business processes to fit the software, and in a couple of years you may be.... kind of up and running.
I worry that if Oracle buys Peoplesoft, we lose a choice, such as it is. It's already a complex dynamic, and this may make the choices a bit more narrow.
I feel more admiration for Woz (and Jobs) than I do for Bill Gates.
Obviously Bill G _______ (fill-in-the-blank: made greater impact - fostered more technical innovation - blah,blah) but early stories, which may or may not be accurate, were of Woz sharing out the neatness of what he discovered with others, and Bill retaining and selling his, and getting so angry at his BASIC leaking out to the community, etc.
It's harder to assess Woz's impact on the world, as the things he came up with, don't have his name legally stamped on them, and what they lead to.
If I factored out the technical impact of their actions, etc. and just viewed which guy I would rather go over to his house tonight and drink beer with, and shoot the breeze, it's Woz. So that's why I second that Woz is a good man.
Several things might work about the UN deciding URL's.
First the Internet is broader than the US, and why not get an International existing body to deal with the problem now? Let's not create a special new group.
Secondly, maybe they would be speedier than the US courts, which changes things about the final justice, and the decision by their superslow speed.
Of course if any country really gets upset with the way the rulings end up going, they just pull out, and try and do what they want anyway.
Well, you've got a point about the upkeep needed. I had a pinball machine many years ago, Robin Hood. I used to go to the electronics shop and buy #47 light bulbs by the box (a dozen?) and amaze the salesmen.
The rubber bumpers lost their bounce pretty quickly, and were hard to find and keep fresh. Contacts did burn and pit. Dirt got on the board and affected the roll. It took a lot to keep them maintained.
But, the good part was a kind of a whole body involvement with playing them. Sounds, big machines to learn to thump and nudge, flippers to learn, lights flashing, balls sinking into holes then flashing back out. You could also put your beer glass on them;-)
My latest favorite is Extreme Street Luge. You sit on it, shift back and forth, whack people, break for tight turns, and regain some of the body input of pinball.
I will miss them, and hope there is always a place to go play a game once in a while.
"The 'Napster Begone' track is so long and so horrible that no one in their right mind would take the time to download it. Our loyal fans will buy it though, because most have spent so much money on our merchandise that they can't afford a computer."
Holy Cow! They produce a giantic boring long trite song of 55 minutes that is purposely terrible... just so no one downloads it using Napster?
Works for me all right. I promise I will not download it. I think they have discovered a cure.
Now if only all other recording artists follow suit, and only produce similar albums, the problem will be cured. Gee! Why didn't someone think of this sooner?
I eventually plan on ending up back near my old high school where I will become a serious pain in the ass for the administration there. I don't like to see kids get crapped all over and have no recourse but to sit and take it... But in school there's nothing he can do... they want him to conform and shut up. So don't get all holier than thou and tell us to sit quietly and take it. Get your sorry ass out there and try to put a stop to it.
I can read that you are frustrated, angry, hurt and fed up. What to do to make it different is the question.
If you take the easy way and "become a serious pain in the ass for the administration", they can act very quiet and polite, and if you are too loud or radical, they can call the authorities. If this happens more than once, then you are branded a troublemaker, and you lose your change to change things, and then it's okay to dismiss your views.
Take a deeper approach. Maybe write down what you saw as wrong, followed by what it would take to change it. Don't accuse individuals, or name names as you don't want to provide the information for your own harrasement. Express the problem factually. Make it easy to read, with bullet points, one page per issue, lots of white space and not flaming. Show a draft to others you respect, and take their suggestions on changing it. Writers have their editors tune their writing for more power.
Find out if there is a School Board member who you can talk to. Maybe write to the board and ask for a chance to address the board at one of their meetings. If there are 12 people, then prepare, copy and staple up 20 packets, and hand one out to all board members, as well as everyone else in the room, including the newspaper reporter. Dress so they won't write you off as a radical. Talk slow, and even. Present the problems, and ask for them to look into them and get back to you on making changes.
Or, prepare the writeup and send it to all board members asking for a chance to speak to a board meeting. If they decline, call the newspaper and ask to speak to a reporter about it, and send your packet.
Or, set up a meeting with the School Superintendent, but they may ask if you've met with the board first.
If all that fails, go to the newspaper.
Or, find an honest person, and help them win election to the school board, then take up your cause.
Or, figure out how to run for the school board yourself. Even if you don't get elected, you can use the campaigning to send your message to the community of people who care enough to listen to the candidates.
This can look like "sitting on your ass" and not taking action, but if you charge in too angry and too early, then everyone has permission to act like you were wrong about everything you wanted to say, and you're history.
To grasp the significance, just imagine an Internet on which offensive speech becomes either criminal or libelous.
I think that we will see the day when a person cannot say anything they wish with impunity on the Internet. Probably the geeks will start a new equivalent then, less regulated, etc.
It seems like we should try and move toward taking responsiblity for what we say, and skipping expressing raw negative thoughts. Right now we are restrained by what is legal, but we do pay an internal price for dwelling on negative thoughts. I don't mean to sound too corny, but we all have had the experience of getting dragged into some negative spiral, and noted how we acted and sounded, and when we weren't into it any longer, felt and acted better.
The Internet is still pretty "new" and it seems like a positive thing to have an opportunity to exress your negative thoughts anomyously, but I'm not so sure it works for us in the long run.
Slashdot itself wrestles daily with the dynamic of negative expression.
This news story shows how wound-up the society is about it all, and how badly they want to just order it to change, as evidenced by trying stiff punishments. I doubt the punishments will solve it, and wonder if there is a near-term solution?
Is the problem of excessively negative expression escalating? Has the Interent made it easier, or is it just better publicised at the moment?
Ever since 1993 or so, I have heard those (of us) in the computer field say the words: "Now that computers are so powerful, users will be able to accomplish complex tasks without having to learn new software. That's the strength of Windows (etc.)"
In spite of unbelieveable advancements and strides in hardware\software, nothing has changed. You can input raw text into the newest word processor, but if you want to do some fancy formatting, you need to learn some pretty complex new steps.
Those wishing to switch to Linux, are quite surprised at what they have to learn to maintain the OS, as well as become expert in the new software.
Back in 1993 when someone gave the "easy to use" rap in a meeting, I spoke up and said that I noted that not one person in the room had decided to stop writing the newest whatever, and make what we have easy for the unskilled new user. Developers are of course still hell-bent off in the direction of inventing the newest and most powerful version of everything, and seven years later we have pretty hard-to-learn operating systems and software.
We geeks have a drive to see, create and use newer and newer "stuff", and we have a habit of dragging the users we serve along with us (whether they want to change or not). This of course is aided by companies such as Micro$oft having to sell us new software every 9 -12 months, or face drastic cutbacks in their physical plants, earnings and salary structure. The users get dragged along in the wake of it all.
It would probably be possible to stay at one of the versions of current operating systems, and current versions of office software for several years, but we would worry that we "were not keeping up", and those who did upgrade would be using the versions not compatible with us, and we would have to upgrade to exchange files.
In spite of talk that identifies users as the "customers" of tech services, and pretends that we are doing it all to simplify their lives, that is not really what is happening, and it becomes harder to be a user every year. Users produce the end work without the practice time, hacking opportunities, and learning opportunities that the tech services staff get. Then we feel they are not too bright.
I have heard bits and pieces of these issues and problems before, but seeing all of this in one place...I think I will wait about 6 months, and then maybe go for cable access.
I realize at least now I have about 100% reliable dial-up 24/7 access at 56K.
I started with FORTRAN, then later learned GWBASIC, then IBM Assembler, then Atari BASIC (8 bit on the 800XL) then wrote some BASIC on TRS-80 machines.
I found "Deep Blue C" for the Atari, then bought "Lightspeed C" for the Atari, then got into C on the PC's, then C++.
I am teaching a Programming Concepts course in a community college and using "Absolute Beginner's Guide to Programming" by Greg Perry, that uses QBASIC. The attractive part to me is that students can use QBASIC from a floppy disk, and code at home, in the lab, at their grandmother's house, etc. This beats students having to spend $50 - $100 for a compiler to get started. Also, many people can help them with simple BASIC programs.
My experience is that the low cost, wealth of helpful info, and ability to code anywhere makes BASIC a good place to start. Those people who get the bug, will find their way quickly to languages that have greater speed and power, and you won't lose too many to an overly steep learning curve.
I like C, but I believe the ability to get going quickly with BASIC, makes a difference. If a person can learn a different language, or has someone to show them, then by all means, that would be good too.
I read today that China limits the import of US made films to 10 a year. They like Titanic, etc.
They defend this as not being "censorship", but as preventing the Chinese people from becoming bored by too many films that are too similar. Granting Favored Nation status would boost this number to 20 films a year, so Hollywood is all in favor.
It seems like a short step for governments to fall into believing that they know what is best for the people they "represent", and to start filtering what people have access to. They even belive that this regulation is a good thing for us and for them too.
I'll bet they feel misunderstood by the resultant criticism.
I'm hoping that once these ship, we will have a pretty sizeable price drop on existing chips as long as they last, and for a while, a guy can buy/build real bargain boxes for medium-duty use.
I seem to recall a news story of a reactor with flaking graphite on control rods that jammed. Staff screwed on a T handle and pulled on it. It came up suddenly and killed the guy.
I think programming is very appropriate for H.S. H.S. should be a place where you get some exposure to a variety of topics to help you choose a specialization (maybe) later. When you learn programming, theory is nice, but you must be able to produce a few actual programs to get that thrill of having produced a program yourself. If it leaves you cold, or it's only so-so, then that's one thing. If it rings your chimes big-time, you may be off on an important new adventure in your life. H.S seems like a good place for this to me.
Slashdot Mirror
I have a quick one-hour charger for NiMh batteries, and it seems to do the job.
I don't know if these chargers have long-range ill effects or not?
Jackson
Did you notice that this was an early sales pitch for "Outlook 2003"? If you buy it ... it will solve your problems with Spam.
After all, we all have to buy something next year to keep sales flow at a suitable level.
Well Darn.
You mean other people got this email too? Mine only had my name on it, and I thought Bill only sent it to me.
Oh well.
Everytime I have grabbed my checkbook, and gotten ready to head out for wireless...the articles say "in a few months_____________", the new standard, the longer range, etc. is going to come out, and render my purchase just foolish, and I will be so embarassed I didn't wait.
.g standard is ratified, I'm sure one WAP for only $199 would cover his whole house, and garage and his patio too.
Gee - If he had waited until "this summer" when the new
But, the one coming out after that....
Faced with the need for an ERP program, traditionally you could hire some programmers, wait a couple of years for them to create the software, and see if it worked, or was a big disaster.
.... kind of up and running.
Or, you could purchase from Oracle, Peoplesoft. Datatel, SCT, etc, gamble a lot of money, maybe discover you have to change your business processes to fit the software, and in a couple of years you may be
I worry that if Oracle buys Peoplesoft, we lose a choice, such as it is. It's already a complex dynamic, and this may make the choices a bit more narrow.
Hmmmm. I am kinda of taken back at the thought of carrying a can of flammable (I assume) stuff to recharge my phone?
How may days / hours do I get on a "can"?
Jackson
I feel more admiration for Woz (and Jobs) than I do for Bill Gates.
Obviously Bill G _______ (fill-in-the-blank: made greater impact - fostered more technical innovation - blah,blah) but early stories, which may or may not be accurate, were of Woz sharing out the neatness of what he discovered with others, and Bill retaining and selling his, and getting so angry at his BASIC leaking out to the community, etc.
It's harder to assess Woz's impact on the world, as the things he came up with, don't have his name legally stamped on them, and what they lead to.
If I factored out the technical impact of their actions, etc. and just viewed which guy I would rather go over to his house tonight and drink beer with, and shoot the breeze, it's Woz. So that's why I second that Woz is a good man.
Jackson
First the Internet is broader than the US, and why not get an International existing body to deal with the problem now? Let's not create a special new group.
Secondly, maybe they would be speedier than the US courts, which changes things about the final justice, and the decision by their superslow speed.
Of course if any country really gets upset with the way the rulings end up going, they just pull out, and try and do what they want anyway.
The rubber bumpers lost their bounce pretty quickly, and were hard to find and keep fresh. Contacts did burn and pit. Dirt got on the board and affected the roll. It took a lot to keep them maintained.
But, the good part was a kind of a whole body involvement with playing them. Sounds, big machines to learn to thump and nudge, flippers to learn, lights flashing, balls sinking into holes then flashing back out. You could also put your beer glass on them ;-)
My latest favorite is Extreme Street Luge. You sit on it, shift back and forth, whack people, break for tight turns, and regain some of the body input of pinball.
I will miss them, and hope there is always a place to go play a game once in a while.
Holy Cow! They produce a giantic boring long trite song of 55 minutes that is purposely terrible ... just so no one downloads it using Napster?
Works for me all right. I promise I will not download it. I think they have discovered a cure.
Now if only all other recording artists follow suit, and only produce similar albums, the problem will be cured. Gee! Why didn't someone think of this sooner?
I can read that you are frustrated, angry, hurt and fed up. What to do to make it different is the question.
If you take the easy way and "become a serious pain in the ass for the administration", they can act very quiet and polite, and if you are too loud or radical, they can call the authorities. If this happens more than once, then you are branded a troublemaker, and you lose your change to change things, and then it's okay to dismiss your views.
Take a deeper approach. Maybe write down what you saw as wrong, followed by what it would take to change it. Don't accuse individuals, or name names as you don't want to provide the information for your own harrasement. Express the problem factually. Make it easy to read, with bullet points, one page per issue, lots of white space and not flaming. Show a draft to others you respect, and take their suggestions on changing it. Writers have their editors tune their writing for more power.
Find out if there is a School Board member who you can talk to. Maybe write to the board and ask for a chance to address the board at one of their meetings. If there are 12 people, then prepare, copy and staple up 20 packets, and hand one out to all board members, as well as everyone else in the room, including the newspaper reporter. Dress so they won't write you off as a radical. Talk slow, and even. Present the problems, and ask for them to look into them and get back to you on making changes.
Or, prepare the writeup and send it to all board members asking for a chance to speak to a board meeting. If they decline, call the newspaper and ask to speak to a reporter about it, and send your packet.
Or, set up a meeting with the School Superintendent, but they may ask if you've met with the board first.
If all that fails, go to the newspaper.
Or, find an honest person, and help them win election to the school board, then take up your cause.
Or, figure out how to run for the school board yourself. Even if you don't get elected, you can use the campaigning to send your message to the community of people who care enough to listen to the candidates.
This can look like "sitting on your ass" and not taking action, but if you charge in too angry and too early, then everyone has permission to act like you were wrong about everything you wanted to say, and you're history.
See the difference? Plan.
I think that we will see the day when a person cannot say anything they wish with impunity on the Internet. Probably the geeks will start a new equivalent then, less regulated, etc.
It seems like we should try and move toward taking responsiblity for what we say, and skipping expressing raw negative thoughts. Right now we are restrained by what is legal, but we do pay an internal price for dwelling on negative thoughts. I don't mean to sound too corny, but we all have had the experience of getting dragged into some negative spiral, and noted how we acted and sounded, and when we weren't into it any longer, felt and acted better.
The Internet is still pretty "new" and it seems like a positive thing to have an opportunity to exress your negative thoughts anomyously, but I'm not so sure it works for us in the long run.
Slashdot itself wrestles daily with the dynamic of negative expression.
This news story shows how wound-up the society is about it all, and how badly they want to just order it to change, as evidenced by trying stiff punishments. I doubt the punishments will solve it, and wonder if there is a near-term solution?
Is the problem of excessively negative expression escalating? Has the Interent made it easier, or is it just better publicised at the moment?
In spite of unbelieveable advancements and strides in hardware\software, nothing has changed. You can input raw text into the newest word processor, but if you want to do some fancy formatting, you need to learn some pretty complex new steps.
Those wishing to switch to Linux, are quite surprised at what they have to learn to maintain the OS, as well as become expert in the new software.
Back in 1993 when someone gave the "easy to use" rap in a meeting, I spoke up and said that I noted that not one person in the room had decided to stop writing the newest whatever, and make what we have easy for the unskilled new user. Developers are of course still hell-bent off in the direction of inventing the newest and most powerful version of everything, and seven years later we have pretty hard-to-learn operating systems and software.
We geeks have a drive to see, create and use newer and newer "stuff", and we have a habit of dragging the users we serve along with us (whether they want to change or not). This of course is aided by companies such as Micro$oft having to sell us new software every 9 -12 months, or face drastic cutbacks in their physical plants, earnings and salary structure. The users get dragged along in the wake of it all.
It would probably be possible to stay at one of the versions of current operating systems, and current versions of office software for several years, but we would worry that we "were not keeping up", and those who did upgrade would be using the versions not compatible with us, and we would have to upgrade to exchange files.
In spite of talk that identifies users as the "customers" of tech services, and pretends that we are doing it all to simplify their lives, that is not really what is happening, and it becomes harder to be a user every year. Users produce the end work without the practice time, hacking opportunities, and learning opportunities that the tech services staff get. Then we feel they are not too bright.
I'm afraid I see no change in sight.
I realize at least now I have about 100% reliable dial-up 24/7 access at 56K.
I found "Deep Blue C" for the Atari, then bought "Lightspeed C" for the Atari, then got into C on the PC's, then C++.
I am teaching a Programming Concepts course in a community college and using "Absolute Beginner's Guide to Programming" by Greg Perry, that uses QBASIC. The attractive part to me is that students can use QBASIC from a floppy disk, and code at home, in the lab, at their grandmother's house, etc. This beats students having to spend $50 - $100 for a compiler to get started. Also, many people can help them with simple BASIC programs.
My experience is that the low cost, wealth of helpful info, and ability to code anywhere makes BASIC a good place to start. Those people who get the bug, will find their way quickly to languages that have greater speed and power, and you won't lose too many to an overly steep learning curve.
I like C, but I believe the ability to get going quickly with BASIC, makes a difference. If a person can learn a different language, or has someone to show them, then by all means, that would be good too.
They defend this as not being "censorship", but as preventing the Chinese people from becoming bored by too many films that are too similar. Granting Favored Nation status would boost this number to 20 films a year, so Hollywood is all in favor.
It seems like a short step for governments to fall into believing that they know what is best for the people they "represent", and to start filtering what people have access to. They even belive that this regulation is a good thing for us and for them too.
I'll bet they feel misunderstood by the resultant criticism.
I did not know about this link above, and it looks like a good idea. Thanks for posting this here enabling opting out of DoubleClick.
I'm hoping that once these ship, we will have a pretty sizeable price drop on existing chips as long as they last, and for a while, a guy can buy/build real bargain boxes for medium-duty use.
Was that in Hanford?
I think programming is very appropriate for H.S. H.S. should be a place where you get some exposure to a variety of topics to help you choose a specialization (maybe) later. When you learn programming, theory is nice, but you must be able to produce a few actual programs to get that thrill of having produced a program yourself. If it leaves you cold, or it's only so-so, then that's one thing. If it rings your chimes big-time, you may be off on an important new adventure in your life. H.S seems like a good place for this to me.