Remember, not every one uses HTML email, therefore, they will just get a load of unreadable crap - unless ASCII and HTML versions are sent, but, that is incrediable annoying, you get unnoying unwanted unreadable text - just as annoying as MS Mail put that mime stuff at the bottom of the mail...
Really, you should only use HTML email if you *know* the receiptenant is using HTML mail.
Remember, not every one uses HTML email, therefore, they will just get a load of unreadable crap - unless ASCII and HTML versions are sent, but, that is incrediable annoying, you get unnoying unwanted unreadable text - just as annoying as MS Mail put that mime stuff at the bottom of the mail...
Really, you should only use HTML email if you *know* the receiptenant is using HTML mail.
are misguided. The internet is not for microsoft, microsoft did not invent it, it is not an extention for microsoft platforms. The internet is for ALL platforms, ie, platorm independent. Clueless companies / people who think the world uses microsoft and the world uses IE. Well, *they do not* - 100% of people do not use microsoft. They don't live in reality. This just shows another example of microsoft power - it can use its power, indirectly to make people and companies alike to force other people to use windows - when they create IE only sites and when there is a demand for that site for non microsoft audience. As for the person who says "he is disappointed with mozilla"... pardon? its not even released yet, its alpha. How can you form a judgement on an incomplete piece of software? Atleast wait for its completion and then make up your mind.
i really didn't think the judge would rule against microsoft. But now, this time, hopefully sufficient penalties will be given to MS. Remember the last time the US government had the chance to do this - back in 95, when Windows 95 was relesed, MS were just let off. hopefully this time round the lessons have been learnt. If this is handled correctly the computer market can be opened up to more competition for the benefit of us customers and hopefully innoviation will return - not MS's version of innoviation. Companies will no longer but swallowed and put out of business because of MS's dodgy trading practices. Hopefully companies will have more of a chance to compete, like companies of other industries have always enjoyed. Computer industry should be no different... Of course there is a long way to go... this is just an initial ruling... this could change. I wouldn't start celebrating properly until MS get the penatlies they richly deserve. big sigh of relief!
it works on your windows 95 machine because it had IE 4 installed on it. As standard (win 95 release1 and osr2), with no IE the scroller on the MS mouse does not work. so, get your facts straight, and get a life....
microsoft mice, keyboard, joysticks, etc etc, just don't compare to microsoft. Microsoft Scroll wheel is a joke: Remember the Microsoft mouse with the wheel - Intelli-Mouse? What a con! It would only work with applications that had been made to support the mouse wheel, such as Microsoft Office etc. You had to wait until Windows 98 to use it with other applications, unless you found a third party application. Logitech got it right from the start with their scroll wheel mice. Their mice could work with all (32 bit) applications, whether or not the applications supported it. With all the other features that MouseMan range has, they are far more suprior than the Microsoft Mouse. 5 Mouse Button logitech mice is what logitech give us, so flexible and well, easier to use. When logitech bring out a version of this microsoft mice, it will offer soo much more than MS version... just wait. As for the MS natural keyboard, there are far cheaper keyboards than are just the same. Again, most people only use mice etc is because its microsoft and NOT because its the best... hmm, same as software.
You will see few linux applications. borland will probably cancel their linux projects, and corel the same. Companies would not want to develop 2 apps for 2 operating systems if one will run on both. You can see this now, corel are using WINE, so the same source code will work under linux and windows. You have to just look at history.. look at OS/2, that could run win16 apps, and because of this, companies just released the native windows version because it ran on os/2 as well. Also, if customers run both linux and windows, and run the app on both operating systems, do you really think for one minute they are going to buy the linux and windows version? Nope, too expensive. Yes, it may bring more apps to linux, but linux doesn't really need this. You need patience. It looks good at first, but if you look further, linux will be another windows platform. First quarter of 2000 is going to be good for linux with alot of applications released for it. thinking the MainWin will be good for linux, yes in the shortterm, no in the long term... Linux will probably fade away like o/s2 has. Do you think windows apps will be more stable than native linux apps, and as fast - probably not. Only native applications will run and full speed and be as reliable (Ie, if it crashes, linux won't go down). As for Internet explorer for linux, by the sounds of it, many linux users like IE, and would use IE in preference to netscape. This could do harm to mozilla.. if there is a small amount of potential users, and people get fed up because its late (i'm not fed up, i'm looking forward to it), Mozilla will be seen as a faillier, when its got a small user base - also woulldn't look good for open source. By i'm getting a bit off topic here. Windows can only get stronger if people use this application, linux will get weaker. You can see it through history... if you look.
OK, Loki may have paid for food, but food is a minor expense. What are loki getting from the people involved in the contest? How much money are they going to make from this - improved game now? Lots.
Therefore, there was no reason why loki should not have paid for more expenses such as hotel bills. Providing a single room, thats a bit tight fisted. Paying for travel, would have been really generous.
The total costs of expenses would be minimal compared to the amount they are going to make out of this game.
its only a book! its not a film is it? maybe in 100 years time when the virtual image of george lucas makes this star wars film, then my virtual image of myself will think - what a shame!
I've just tried M10, and have to say, i'm impressed.
I've now tried M7,8,9 and now 10, and each version just gets better and better. Its not release quality yet, but, the differences between each milestone is a leap forward.
I hope AOL doesn't stop mozilla, because it would be an absolute shame. This has got the potential to be the best browser around, certinely better than the 90megs+ of the full internet explorer download.
I'll look forward to using it regularly - I couldn't use it yet, too many bugs in it - remember, its not even a beta release yet. But, they will be fixed.
Finally, I was reading a previous post, where it said it was 6meg. I'd forgotten about that: the point is 6megs for everything that netscape currently does.. and more. It will be the most compatible browser around for html, javascript and xml standards...
Compare Mozilla size to IE5... ah! makes you laugh - microsoft, big and bloated.
Mozzilla is shaping up very nicely.
If your one of the ones moaning about how long its taken, its only 6meg, doesn't take long to download, bare in mind its not even beta release, and think about its potential.
Humans program computers. Computers want perfection. Humans are not perfect. Within a software project, there is so many uncertain elements - skill of projects, dead lines, learning curves of new technologies. Unfortunately, software is not like building a house - you know the design of the house, you know now to put up a house - because you've done it before - what can happen, it falls down, or cracks in walls or other defects. UNFORTUNATELY, every software project is different, and is more complex than building a house, or other engineering industries. there are always different problems, different complexities involved with each project. If a dead line is approaching, more often than not corners will be cut, ie, a part of a project not tested properly, software cut down in complexity, which can lead to bugs in code. Until machines program computers, (which will be possible, sooner rather than later), software will be bugged. However, there are ways that code can be made less buggier, ie, automatic testing tools - so humans don't have to do the same boring process of testing functionality which can lead to cut corners, or functionality not tested correctly, or because the tester doesn't understand the application. Of course, such tools are only as good as they are implemented by the tester - poor automatic testing - poor application testing - probablility of more bugs. However, testing tools cannot test for "odd behaviour" of users, so manuyal testing will still need to be done. Setting up of auto testing tools take lots of time. There are programming languages of course, that make coding easier. But, in the end, its the human that has to program, test, and debug, and the problem is, we are not perfect, but computers want perfection. You can't compare software to other industries, its very much more complex.
by the sounds of it, not much work will be done. Why? 1. First you've got to understand the source code. this takes time - you dont' have to understand all of it, but enough to be productive.
2. by the time you've understood a piece of source code, you've got to find the bugs, and fix them.
3. after 1 and 2 are done, there isn't go to be a lot of time for many bug fixes, and other non bug fix improvements to the game.
48 hours is way too short.. even for a seasoned C hacker...
Hopefully now that one hardware manufacturer has released drivers, the others will stop and look at 3Com, and start to think about their potential market share slipping away unless they start to act now, as software houses have done. the more linux becomes popular, the more hardware manufacturers will see a new market for their products - and the end of the winModem.
it only takes a couple of companies to start taking an interest in linux and the others start to follow suite..
As a result of this, there should be more hardware support coming our way very very soon:-)
When the first "possible" Sun was found out side out solar System (sol), there was all this excitment about "at last, planets exist". We are just living in a normal planet, in a normal solar system. sometimes i wonder, "why is it so hard for people to think there could be life out there, or other planets". People make a big joke about aliens - why? do they think we are so special? Why do they think we are so special that we are the only living things? Totally closed minded. You get these "sciencists" saying, "water doesn't exist" or "life on earth is unique because the odds against are so great". The odds may be small, but the universe is a damned big place.. These people are just soo closed minded its unreal... Its like they don't have the comprenshion of "other life, other planets". We may not have had the technology to find planets, to find life, but doesn't mean they don't exist does it!!! Throughout history humans have been incorrect, because we seem to be so self centred, for example: the Sun goes around the earth! There are no other planets but our own There is only one God for humans We are living on the only inhabited planet Earth is the only planet with water Humans are some how special, since we are the only intelligent living animals animals don't have feeling / intelligence, only humans do etc etc etc and it goes on.. Erm, humans have always been self centred, so this isn't a very suprising view. Also you get these people saying "but any aliens wouldn't have had the time to develop such technology", basing their views on our time on this planet. Remember, before us there were the dinosaurs. IF humans had been around instead of the dinosaurs, and survived the big bang, just image how intelligent we would be now? This could be the case for any alien life.. Also, Alien life could have formed on planet millions of years before life existed on this Earth. These people will be proved wrong, and it will be like billy boy saying "never need more than 640K", or "the world is flat"!! There are lots of solar systems with lots of Suns, and around them exist lots of planets, with water, with life - some will have "intelligent" life others not. You shouldn't be surprised when other suns, planets, water, and eventually life are found. Its obvious that these exist - its just we don't have the technology...
When the first "possible" Sun was found out side out solar System (sol), there was all this excitment about "at last, planets exist". We are just living in a normal planet, in a normal solar system. sometimes i wonder, "why is it so hard for people to think there could be life out there, or other planets". People make a big joke about aliens - why? do they think we are so special? Why do they think we are so special that we are the only living things? Totally closed minded. You get these "sciencists" saying, "water doesn't exist" or "life on earth is unique because the odds against are so great". The odds may be small, but the universe is a damned big place.. These people are just soo closed minded its unreal... Its like they don't have the comprenshion of "other life, other planets". We may not have had the technology to find planets, to find life, but doesn't mean they don't exist does it!!! Throughout history humans have been incorrect, because we seem to be so self centred, for example: the Sun goes around the earth! There are no other planets but our own There is only one God for humans We are living on the only inhabited planet Earth is the only planet with water Humans are some how special, since we are the only intelligent living animals animals don't have feeling / intelligence, only humans do etc etc etc and it goes on.. Erm, humans have always been self centred, so this isn't a very suprising view. Also you get these people saying "but any aliens wouldn't have had the time to develop such technology", basing their views on our time on this planet. Remember, before us there were the dinosaurs. IF humans had been around instead of the dinosaurs, and survived the big bang, just image how intelligent we would be now? This could be the case for any alien life.. Also, Alien life could have formed on planet millions of years before life existed on this Earth. These people will be proved wrong, and it will be like billy boy saying "never need more than 640K", or "the world is flat"!! There are lots of solar systems with lots of Suns, and around them exist lots of planets, with water, with life - some will have "intelligent" life others not. You shouldn't be surprised when other suns, planets, water, and eventually life are found. Its obvious that these exist - its just we don't have the technology...
SlashDot gets a lot of comments per article. Imagine if there were no moderation, then you'd probably get even more, and also more "waste of time" comments that have nothing to do with the topic at all. I've been to several other news pages that I found through www.linuxstart.com (linuxtoday wasn't one of them - another good news site!), I looked at the comments, and thought, crap. The comments were totally off topic, and just made the sites in to a farce. SlashDot could also become that way IF IT WASN'T for the moderation.
If linux wasn't around, microsoft will find some other operating system or product that they would try and pass of as competition. It is clear that microsoft have now got their backs to the wall when the issue of "competition" crops up. For example, microsoft would say that AOL is competition... despite they don't have an operating system. What I could never understand is how microsoft and others could say "but there is competition" pointing at the take over of netscape by AOL. Neither of the two companies made operating systems, office applications etc. At the moment, on the desktop, linux is no competition, there's not enough people using it... there is something like 0.2% of people using linux to browse the internet.. not much competition is it... yet.
All throughout our lives, we are told - "don't put all your eggs in one basket"! At college - "if you make backups, it is safer not to put you backups in one location - whether it be a hard disc, same safe etc". Well, i'm suprised its taken people (in this case american government)*so* long to realise that its not a good idea to keep to the same software company - ie, microsoft - ie, keeping all your eggs in one basket. Hopefully, other companies will follow the us governments example and think the same - "well, perhaps its not a good idea to rely on microsoft for EVERYTHING" - and suddenly opening their eyes to reports such as the HotMail, bugs in Windows, windows not being a good secure, stable operating system and that there are other software companies around... Secondly, its very convient, for when the us government makes this statement about looking towards open source - that microsoft suddenly say "ah, yes, we've been looking into open source for several years"... like bloody hell have they... and pink pigs fly.
If your going to ask that, then you could ask why should any company make a C compiler for linux, or any other compiler than Linux already provides - why should borland release C++ Builder for linux, since there's a C compiler out already, and there is KDevelop and a couple GUI builders for GCC as well. The answer is surely simple: These compilers are not the most efficient - Borland's linux C++ compiler already out performs GCC. The sooner companies release their products for linux, the better chance of getting themselves established, unlike the late comers.
Slashdot Mirror
You can do all of what you want in ASCII
- Bullet 1
- Bullet 2
* Bullet 3
and jack said,"example of quoted text"
*emphasis* _another emphasis_
but not hypertext links of course...
Remember, not every one uses HTML email, therefore, they will just get a load of unreadable crap - unless ASCII and HTML versions are sent, but, that is incrediable annoying, you get unnoying unwanted unreadable text - just as annoying as MS Mail put that mime stuff at the bottom of the mail...
Really, you should only use HTML email if you *know* the receiptenant is using HTML mail.
You can do all of what you want in ASCII
- Bullet 1
- Bullet 2
* Bullet 3
and jack said,"example of quoted text"
*emphasis* _another emphasis_
but not hypertext links of course...
Remember, not every one uses HTML email, therefore, they will just get a load of unreadable crap - unless ASCII and HTML versions are sent, but, that is incrediable annoying, you get unnoying unwanted unreadable text - just as annoying as MS Mail put that mime stuff at the bottom of the mail...
Really, you should only use HTML email if you *know* the receiptenant is using HTML mail.
are misguided. The internet is not for microsoft, microsoft did not invent it, it is not an extention for microsoft platforms. The internet is for ALL platforms, ie, platorm independent. Clueless companies / people who think the world uses microsoft and the world uses IE. Well, *they do not* - 100% of people do not use microsoft. They don't live in reality.
This just shows another example of microsoft power - it can use its power, indirectly to make people and companies alike to force other people to use windows - when they create IE only sites and when there is a demand for that site for non microsoft audience. As for the person who says "he is disappointed with mozilla"... pardon? its not even released yet, its alpha. How can you form a judgement on an incomplete piece of software? Atleast wait for its completion and then make up your mind.
i really didn't think the judge would rule against microsoft. But now, this time, hopefully sufficient penalties will be given to MS. Remember the last time the US government had the chance to do this - back in 95, when Windows 95 was relesed, MS were just let off.
hopefully this time round the lessons have been learnt. If this is handled correctly the computer market can be opened up to more competition for the benefit of us customers and hopefully innoviation will return - not MS's version of innoviation. Companies will no longer but swallowed and put out of business because of MS's dodgy trading practices.
Hopefully companies will have more of a chance to compete, like companies of other industries have always enjoyed. Computer industry should be no different...
Of course there is a long way to go... this is just an initial ruling... this could change. I wouldn't start celebrating properly until MS get the penatlies they richly deserve.
big sigh of relief!
microsoft will get a slap on the risk and told not to do this again... otherwise, they'll get off totally...
any version of delphi that is... or am i hoping for too much!
on any news topics.. apart from read this comment...
some people just have no sense of humour :-)
it works on your windows 95 machine because it had IE 4 installed on it. As standard (win 95 release1 and osr2), with no IE the scroller on the MS mouse does not work. so, get your facts straight, and get a life....
DAMN DAMN!! its meant to say: microsoft mice, keyboard, joysticks, etc etc, just don't compare to LOGITECH!
microsoft mice, keyboard, joysticks, etc etc, just don't compare to microsoft. Microsoft Scroll wheel is a joke:
Remember the Microsoft mouse with the wheel - Intelli-Mouse? What a con! It would only work with applications that had been made to support the mouse wheel, such as Microsoft Office etc. You had to wait until Windows 98 to use it with other applications, unless you found a third party application.
Logitech got it right from the start with their scroll wheel mice. Their mice could work with all (32 bit) applications, whether or not the applications supported it. With all the other features that MouseMan range has, they are far more suprior than the Microsoft Mouse.
5 Mouse Button logitech mice is what logitech give us, so flexible and well, easier to use. When logitech bring out a version of this microsoft mice, it will offer soo much more than MS version... just wait.
As for the MS natural keyboard, there are far cheaper keyboards than are just the same.
Again, most people only use mice etc is because its microsoft and NOT because its the best... hmm, same as software.
You will see few linux applications. borland will probably cancel their linux projects, and corel the same. Companies would not want to develop 2 apps for 2 operating systems if one will run on both. You can see this now, corel are using WINE, so the same source code will work under linux and windows.
You have to just look at history.. look at OS/2, that could run win16 apps, and because of this, companies just released the native windows version because it ran on os/2 as well.
Also, if customers run both linux and windows, and run the app on both operating systems, do you really think for one minute they are going to buy the linux and windows version? Nope, too expensive.
Yes, it may bring more apps to linux, but linux doesn't really need this. You need patience. It looks good at first, but if you look further, linux will be another windows platform. First quarter of 2000 is going to be good for linux with alot of applications released for it. thinking the MainWin will be good for linux, yes in the shortterm, no in the long term... Linux will probably fade away like o/s2 has.
Do you think windows apps will be more stable than native linux apps, and as fast - probably not. Only native applications will run and full speed and be as reliable (Ie, if it crashes, linux won't go down).
As for Internet explorer for linux, by the sounds of it, many linux users like IE, and would use IE in preference to netscape. This could do harm to mozilla.. if there is a small amount of potential users, and people get fed up because its late (i'm not fed up, i'm looking forward to it), Mozilla will be seen as a faillier, when its got a small user base - also woulldn't look good for open source. By i'm getting a bit off topic here.
Windows can only get stronger if people use this application, linux will get weaker. You can see it through history... if you look.
because people like me who haven't got the game, are going to see its not so big ridden and will buy it!
Therefore, there was no reason why loki should not have paid for more expenses such as hotel bills. Providing a single room, thats a bit tight fisted. Paying for travel, would have been really generous.
The total costs of expenses would be minimal compared to the amount they are going to make out of this game.
its only a book! its not a film is it? maybe in 100 years time when the virtual image of george lucas makes this star wars film, then my virtual image of myself will think - what a shame!
I've now tried M7,8,9 and now 10, and each version just gets better and better. Its not release quality yet, but, the differences between each milestone is a leap forward.
I hope AOL doesn't stop mozilla, because it would be an absolute shame. This has got the potential to be the best browser around, certinely better than the 90megs+ of the full internet explorer download.
I'll look forward to using it regularly - I couldn't use it yet, too many bugs in it - remember, its not even a beta release yet. But, they will be fixed.
Finally, I was reading a previous post, where it said it was 6meg. I'd forgotten about that: the point is 6megs for everything that netscape currently does.. and more. It will be the most compatible browser around for html, javascript and xml standards...
Compare Mozilla size to IE5... ah! makes you laugh - microsoft, big and bloated.
Mozzilla is shaping up very nicely.
If your one of the ones moaning about how long its taken, its only 6meg, doesn't take long to download, bare in mind its not even beta release, and think about its potential.
Humans program computers. Computers want perfection. Humans are not perfect. Within a software project, there is so many uncertain elements - skill of projects, dead lines, learning curves of new technologies. Unfortunately, software is not like building a house - you know the design of the house, you know now to put up a house - because you've done it before - what can happen, it falls down, or cracks in walls or other defects. UNFORTUNATELY, every software project is different, and is more complex than building a house, or other engineering industries. there are always different problems, different complexities involved with each project. If a dead line is approaching, more often than not corners will be cut, ie, a part of a project not tested properly, software cut down in complexity, which can lead to bugs in code. Until machines program computers, (which will be possible, sooner rather than later), software will be bugged. However, there are ways that code can be made less buggier, ie, automatic testing tools - so humans don't have to do the same boring process of testing functionality which can lead to cut corners, or functionality not tested correctly, or because the tester doesn't understand the application. Of course, such tools are only as good as they are implemented by the tester - poor automatic testing - poor application testing - probablility of more bugs. However, testing tools cannot test for "odd behaviour" of users, so manuyal testing will still need to be done. Setting up of auto testing tools take lots of time. There are programming languages of course, that make coding easier. But, in the end, its the human that has to program, test, and debug, and the problem is, we are not perfect, but computers want perfection. You can't compare software to other industries, its very much more complex.
2. by the time you've understood a piece of source code, you've got to find the bugs, and fix them.
3. after 1 and 2 are done, there isn't go to be a lot of time for many bug fixes, and other non bug fix improvements to the game.
48 hours is way too short.. even for a seasoned C hacker...
it only takes a couple of companies to start taking an interest in linux and the others start to follow suite..
As a result of this, there should be more hardware support coming our way very very soon :-)
When the first "possible" Sun was found out side out solar System (sol), there was all this excitment about "at last, planets exist". We are just living in a normal planet, in a normal solar system. sometimes i wonder, "why is it so hard for people to think there could be life out there, or other planets". People make a big joke about aliens - why? do they think we are so special? Why do they think we are so special that we are the only living things? Totally closed minded. You get these "sciencists" saying, "water doesn't exist" or "life on earth is unique because the odds against are so great". The odds may be small, but the universe is a damned big place.. These people are just soo closed minded its unreal... Its like they don't have the comprenshion of "other life, other planets". We may not have had the technology to find planets, to find life, but doesn't mean they don't exist does it!!! Throughout history humans have been incorrect, because we seem to be so self centred, for example: the Sun goes around the earth! There are no other planets but our own There is only one God for humans We are living on the only inhabited planet Earth is the only planet with water Humans are some how special, since we are the only intelligent living animals animals don't have feeling / intelligence, only humans do etc etc etc and it goes on.. Erm, humans have always been self centred, so this isn't a very suprising view. Also you get these people saying "but any aliens wouldn't have had the time to develop such technology", basing their views on our time on this planet. Remember, before us there were the dinosaurs. IF humans had been around instead of the dinosaurs, and survived the big bang, just image how intelligent we would be now? This could be the case for any alien life.. Also, Alien life could have formed on planet millions of years before life existed on this Earth. These people will be proved wrong, and it will be like billy boy saying "never need more than 640K", or "the world is flat"!! There are lots of solar systems with lots of Suns, and around them exist lots of planets, with water, with life - some will have "intelligent" life others not. You shouldn't be surprised when other suns, planets, water, and eventually life are found. Its obvious that these exist - its just we don't have the technology...
When the first "possible" Sun was found out side out solar System (sol), there was all this excitment about "at last, planets exist". We are just living in a normal planet, in a normal solar system. sometimes i wonder, "why is it so hard for people to think there could be life out there, or other planets". People make a big joke about aliens - why? do they think we are so special? Why do they think we are so special that we are the only living things? Totally closed minded. You get these "sciencists" saying, "water doesn't exist" or "life on earth is unique because the odds against are so great". The odds may be small, but the universe is a damned big place.. These people are just soo closed minded its unreal... Its like they don't have the comprenshion of "other life, other planets". We may not have had the technology to find planets, to find life, but doesn't mean they don't exist does it!!! Throughout history humans have been incorrect, because we seem to be so self centred, for example: the Sun goes around the earth! There are no other planets but our own There is only one God for humans We are living on the only inhabited planet Earth is the only planet with water Humans are some how special, since we are the only intelligent living animals animals don't have feeling / intelligence, only humans do etc etc etc and it goes on.. Erm, humans have always been self centred, so this isn't a very suprising view. Also you get these people saying "but any aliens wouldn't have had the time to develop such technology", basing their views on our time on this planet. Remember, before us there were the dinosaurs. IF humans had been around instead of the dinosaurs, and survived the big bang, just image how intelligent we would be now? This could be the case for any alien life.. Also, Alien life could have formed on planet millions of years before life existed on this Earth. These people will be proved wrong, and it will be like billy boy saying "never need more than 640K", or "the world is flat"!! There are lots of solar systems with lots of Suns, and around them exist lots of planets, with water, with life - some will have "intelligent" life others not. You shouldn't be surprised when other suns, planets, water, and eventually life are found. Its obvious that these exist - its just we don't have the technology...
SlashDot gets a lot of comments per article. Imagine if there were no moderation, then you'd probably get even more, and also more "waste of time" comments that have nothing to do with the topic at all. I've been to several other news pages that I found through www.linuxstart.com (linuxtoday wasn't one of them - another good news site!), I looked at the comments, and thought, crap. The comments were totally off topic, and just made the sites in to a farce. SlashDot could also become that way IF IT WASN'T for the moderation.
If linux wasn't around, microsoft will find some other operating system or product that they would try and pass of as competition. It is clear that microsoft have now got their backs to the wall when the issue of "competition" crops up. For example, microsoft would say that AOL is competition... despite they don't have an operating system. What I could never understand is how microsoft and others could say "but there is competition" pointing at the take over of netscape by AOL. Neither of the two companies made operating systems, office applications etc. At the moment, on the desktop, linux is no competition, there's not enough people using it... there is something like 0.2% of people using linux to browse the internet.. not much competition is it... yet.
All throughout our lives, we are told - "don't put all your eggs in one basket"! At college - "if you make backups, it is safer not to put you backups in one location - whether it be a hard disc, same safe etc". Well, i'm suprised its taken people (in this case american government)*so* long to realise that its not a good idea to keep to the same software company - ie, microsoft - ie, keeping all your eggs in one basket. Hopefully, other companies will follow the us governments example and think the same - "well, perhaps its not a good idea to rely on microsoft for EVERYTHING" - and suddenly opening their eyes to reports such as the HotMail, bugs in Windows, windows not being a good secure, stable operating system and that there are other software companies around... Secondly, its very convient, for when the us government makes this statement about looking towards open source - that microsoft suddenly say "ah, yes, we've been looking into open source for several years"... like bloody hell have they... and pink pigs fly.
If your going to ask that, then you could ask why should any company make a C compiler for linux, or any other compiler than Linux already provides - why should borland release C++ Builder for linux, since there's a C compiler out already, and there is KDevelop and a couple GUI builders for GCC as well. The answer is surely simple: These compilers are not the most efficient - Borland's linux C++ compiler already out performs GCC. The sooner companies release their products for linux, the better chance of getting themselves established, unlike the late comers.