"I see Microsoft (and Apple, and a few others) as wanting to get us locked into their way of doing things, completely ignoring the possibility of 'change' that doesn't come from them."
I currently work at a startup and most use Macbooks. We aren't locked into anything. We can operate just fine with the few guys who use Linux (I was once one of them). The code is all on F/OSS platforms, and we use google docs.
I look at Mac stuff as really well built linux boxes with a pretty UI. That's how we use em. You can use tools, or you can use the command line and vi. Most use vi and the CLI. That's portable. Using the laughable Windows CLI however and Visual Studio, not so much.
"I, like many others, simple didn't have the TALENT to create some kind of musical, artistic or $FOO masterpiece"
There. Fixed that for you. Loser.
I can't believe I spent the time to type up that well-reasoned response to your clearly adversarial post. I had forgotten why online discussions are a waste of time; thanks for reminding me.
" Where did I say that I want to create a great work? " Yeah, agreed. That Bach guy, such a hack. I coulda done that too. I just don't want to.
" And what makes you think I haven't already created things of value to others? and that I haven't shared those things with others freely? " Nothing, but there is evidence that you have created things of value *without* sharing them freely. You are posting this from a computer hooked to an internet connection and have reasonable intelligence. Therefore, unless you are a hobo in a public library, you have possessions which in turn suggests you are employed.
Most musicians are not greedy. Save for a few bands who are stooges to the record companies of course (i.e. Metallica). As a musicians who knows scores (pun!) of other musicians I can say this with some authority. Musicians simply want to be paid for their work. If everyone wants to hear a song I wrote and performed, why shouldn't I be entitled to some money? The more a song is in demand, the more I should be paid. It's the same reason why a VB developer will make less money than someone writing software using something more advanced. And actually, what separates a good amateur musician (myself) from a professional musician is time. Time, as in practice time. To get to the level where you need to be to play professionally (I guess unless you are in a punk band), you need to invest a LOT of time every day. In other words, it's the difference between viewing music as a job and a hobby. *You* get paid for doing your job, right?
Notice I mention musicians. The record companies are just hangers-on who often abuse musicians and IMO do not deserve to be paid. The internet has made them less important, because it is possible to promote oneself using independent channels. The other useful function once served by record companies, laying out startup cash for musicians to record, is also diminished by the quality of home studios. This copyright war has always been about the record companies trying to hold onto an outmoded business model. But in your original post, you take aim at musicians rather than record labels. You used the truism "We all stand on the shoulders of giants" to implicitly devalue creative works of musicians, software developers, etc. It's really easy for you to do that, but you really just parade your own ignorance.
Agreed, the problem is the music industry. As a musician and a geek, I am quite torn about this story. On one hand, we have a musician who deserves his pay for a composition. On the other hand, a young person who has always had the internet and thus tons of free stuff a click away.
The problem is the record companies. They are the massive middleman. They don't 'get' the internet and are scared of tech and do a lot of evil crap to shake people down. They also pay musicians and composers as little as possible.
Copyright law could be better. But if you want to solve this, eschew corporate music. Support independent artists. You get better music, the artist gets paid, and the RIAA gets the shaft.
" hell, you could probably learn enough about music theory, computer science and a number of other subjects to create your own magnum opus "
Good. Go create your 'magnum opus'. I agree with you, all artists, software developers, etc, stand on the shoulders of giants. But don't minimize the creativity of said artists. If creativity is just a commodity; a product of regurgitating input...then where is your ground-breaking application? Your musical 'magnum opus'?
yes! After years of pecking at seeds in the park, I have gained their trust. As a member of their inner circle, I am privy to their secret agenda. They took me to their secret lair, and I saw all of their evil plans. There in it with the squirrels, I'll tell you. Just watch your back!
" And they would have been correct - they will sell more from looks and the Apple fans will not only hold it different or purchase the rubber pads but will sing the praises of having to do so. "
I use a Macbook Pro as my development machine. I love that computer. It runs like a champ, is fast, battery life is great, and the trackpad is just about my favorite piece of computer hardware ever. It's great...except for the PERFECT right angle along the perimeter of the thing. A perfect right angle + solid aluminum construction = sore wrists for me.
I googled it to find out if I am alone in disliking the sharp edge along the perimeter of the thing. There were not just a few people touting this as A Good Thing, because after all everyone uses a computer in the same way and you are NOT supposed to rest your wrists on the mighty macbook after all, so Apple was just helping me to learn how to properly use a computer. An obvious design flaw justified away by so many people. I like my iPhone, I like my macbook, so I guess that makes me an Apple fan. But to justify design flaws, as though Apple were incapable of such a thing is inexcusable.
"It is simply unprofessional to use Windows in 2010" I have watched the dev shop where I work transform from a Windows/OSX/Linux shop to mostly OSX or linux running on macbooks. Having the good hardware + the powerful CLI makes using Windows running on some janky hardware seem like a joke.
Now, there are no more fusses when someone has to go into a conference room and demonstrate something on a projector. Plug the projector into the mac and it works. We can remotely pair program via Coda/Bonjour. We can all have full control over our PC without having to worry about always running as admin like you have to in Windows (because on a real OS you can use sudo for sensitive things). The things run forever (I am at about 40 days uptime) with no need to constantly futz around with the OS like you do with windows.
Working there is my first experience with a Mac, and it's nice. I get the power and flexibility I loved about Linux, but I get some of the niceties of a commercial OS (like playing media out of the box, polished UI). My next computer will be a Mac. Having to develop on Windows again would seem, well, as you put it: unprofessional.
"Remember, the system that was compromised at Google was an XP system running IE6 and logged in as administrator. IOW, they made no serious attempt to secure it."
As a developer, the only way to use is XP is as a full admin. Otherwise you cannot do anything. This is due to the primitive security model of the OS.
You can run as a normal user on *nix and mac and use sudo to perform "dangerous" operations. Windows XP has no such thing, and UAC on Vista is worthless.
Liquidate the corporation's resources and its stock. If that proves insufficient to cover the costs, then you go after those who own the corporation. All shareholders lose this way, but who cares? Don't invest in this type of company. If you choose to, then you have to absorb the losses. That would also cut down on some of the types of abuses on Wall Street, since people would DEMAND transparency before investing in, say, a mutual fund.
If you have legal guardianship of a person (such as a child) then you are legally responsible for its actions. If a corporation is viewed as and gets the same rights as an individual, then the individuals who own the corporation should be held financially responsible. That's called accountability, and it's what is missing.
Presentation betrays the care that was taken in preparing your food.
I think presentation is very important, but then again, I really enjoy going to more upscale restaurants. I'd rather go somewhere nice once a month (or every other month even) than go to places like Applebee's every week. If you don't care about presentation then you might fall into the latter category.
Slashdot Mirror
J++ anyone?
"I see Microsoft (and Apple, and a few others) as wanting to get us locked into their way of doing things, completely ignoring the possibility of 'change' that doesn't come from them."
I currently work at a startup and most use Macbooks. We aren't locked into anything. We can operate just fine with the few guys who use Linux (I was once one of them). The code is all on F/OSS platforms, and we use google docs.
I look at Mac stuff as really well built linux boxes with a pretty UI. That's how we use em. You can use tools, or you can use the command line and vi. Most use vi and the CLI. That's portable. Using the laughable Windows CLI however and Visual Studio, not so much.
one can make money while sliding down the slippery slope into the valley of irrelevance
"I, like many others, simple didn't have the TALENT to create some kind of musical, artistic or $FOO masterpiece"
There. Fixed that for you. Loser.
I can't believe I spent the time to type up that well-reasoned response to your clearly adversarial post. I had forgotten why online discussions are a waste of time; thanks for reminding me.
"
Where did I say that I want to create a great work?
"
Yeah, agreed. That Bach guy, such a hack. I coulda done that too. I just don't want to.
"
And what makes you think I haven't already created things of value to others? and that I haven't shared those things with others freely?
"
Nothing, but there is evidence that you have created things of value *without* sharing them freely. You are posting this from a computer hooked to an internet connection and have reasonable intelligence. Therefore, unless you are a hobo in a public library, you have possessions which in turn suggests you are employed.
Most musicians are not greedy. Save for a few bands who are stooges to the record companies of course (i.e. Metallica). As a musicians who knows scores (pun!) of other musicians I can say this with some authority. Musicians simply want to be paid for their work. If everyone wants to hear a song I wrote and performed, why shouldn't I be entitled to some money? The more a song is in demand, the more I should be paid. It's the same reason why a VB developer will make less money than someone writing software using something more advanced. And actually, what separates a good amateur musician (myself) from a professional musician is time. Time, as in practice time. To get to the level where you need to be to play professionally (I guess unless you are in a punk band), you need to invest a LOT of time every day. In other words, it's the difference between viewing music as a job and a hobby. *You* get paid for doing your job, right?
Notice I mention musicians. The record companies are just hangers-on who often abuse musicians and IMO do not deserve to be paid. The internet has made them less important, because it is possible to promote oneself using independent channels. The other useful function once served by record companies, laying out startup cash for musicians to record, is also diminished by the quality of home studios. This copyright war has always been about the record companies trying to hold onto an outmoded business model. But in your original post, you take aim at musicians rather than record labels. You used the truism "We all stand on the shoulders of giants" to implicitly devalue creative works of musicians, software developers, etc. It's really easy for you to do that, but you really just parade your own ignorance.
yes, agreed, I think that is the fix.
nice, you got the ever popular Offtopic-because-I-disagree-with-you-and-cannot-offer-a-cogent-argument downmod. Wear it with pride.
Agreed, the problem is the music industry. As a musician and a geek, I am quite torn about this story. On one hand, we have a musician who deserves his pay for a composition. On the other hand, a young person who has always had the internet and thus tons of free stuff a click away.
The problem is the record companies. They are the massive middleman. They don't 'get' the internet and are scared of tech and do a lot of evil crap to shake people down. They also pay musicians and composers as little as possible.
Copyright law could be better. But if you want to solve this, eschew corporate music. Support independent artists. You get better music, the artist gets paid, and the RIAA gets the shaft.
"
hell, you could probably learn enough about music theory, computer science and a number of other subjects to create your own magnum opus
"
Good. Go create your 'magnum opus'. I agree with you, all artists, software developers, etc, stand on the shoulders of giants. But don't minimize the creativity of said artists. If creativity is just a commodity; a product of regurgitating input...then where is your ground-breaking application? Your musical 'magnum opus'?
yes! After years of pecking at seeds in the park, I have gained their trust. As a member of their inner circle, I am privy to their secret agenda. They took me to their secret lair, and I saw all of their evil plans. There in it with the squirrels, I'll tell you. Just watch your back!
I canary believe that. Ostrich my imagination and I cannot see how ravens are intelligent, but then again I am just crowing on and on about nothing.
What is the kin? I have never heard of it.
Oh, wait. maybe that's the point.
That's not phone. Thats P H O N E, as in Please Hold On Narrow End.
"
And they would have been correct - they will sell more from looks and the Apple fans will not only hold it different or purchase the rubber pads but will sing the praises of having to do so.
"
I use a Macbook Pro as my development machine. I love that computer. It runs like a champ, is fast, battery life is great, and the trackpad is just about my favorite piece of computer hardware ever. It's great...except for the PERFECT right angle along the perimeter of the thing. A perfect right angle + solid aluminum construction = sore wrists for me.
I googled it to find out if I am alone in disliking the sharp edge along the perimeter of the thing. There were not just a few people touting this as A Good Thing, because after all everyone uses a computer in the same way and you are NOT supposed to rest your wrists on the mighty macbook after all, so Apple was just helping me to learn how to properly use a computer. An obvious design flaw justified away by so many people. I like my iPhone, I like my macbook, so I guess that makes me an Apple fan. But to justify design flaws, as though Apple were incapable of such a thing is inexcusable.
I see what you did there.
They did this last count *after* the oil spill. gee thanks, BP!
how do you do that from the command line? Oh wait, that's right. What command line?
citation needed.
"It is simply unprofessional to use Windows in 2010"
I have watched the dev shop where I work transform from a Windows/OSX/Linux shop to mostly OSX or linux running on macbooks. Having the good hardware + the powerful CLI makes using Windows running on some janky hardware seem like a joke.
Now, there are no more fusses when someone has to go into a conference room and demonstrate something on a projector. Plug the projector into the mac and it works. We can remotely pair program via Coda/Bonjour. We can all have full control over our PC without having to worry about always running as admin like you have to in Windows (because on a real OS you can use sudo for sensitive things). The things run forever (I am at about 40 days uptime) with no need to constantly futz around with the OS like you do with windows.
Working there is my first experience with a Mac, and it's nice. I get the power and flexibility I loved about Linux, but I get some of the niceties of a commercial OS (like playing media out of the box, polished UI). My next computer will be a Mac. Having to develop on Windows again would seem, well, as you put it: unprofessional.
"Remember, the system that was compromised at Google was an XP system running IE6 and logged in as administrator. IOW, they made no serious attempt to secure it."
As a developer, the only way to use is XP is as a full admin. Otherwise you cannot do anything. This is due to the primitive security model of the OS.
You can run as a normal user on *nix and mac and use sudo to perform "dangerous" operations. Windows XP has no such thing, and UAC on Vista is worthless.
Liquidate the corporation's resources and its stock. If that proves insufficient to cover the costs, then you go after those who own the corporation. All shareholders lose this way, but who cares? Don't invest in this type of company. If you choose to, then you have to absorb the losses. That would also cut down on some of the types of abuses on Wall Street, since people would DEMAND transparency before investing in, say, a mutual fund.
If you have legal guardianship of a person (such as a child) then you are legally responsible for its actions. If a corporation is viewed as and gets the same rights as an individual, then the individuals who own the corporation should be held financially responsible. That's called accountability, and it's what is missing.
"I have 4 places in my own list of sheep places that rank higher then 3 of those expensive places."
I prefer goat places, myself.
No, McDonalds has been salad. As in, it has been salad. What it is now is anybody's guess.
Presentation betrays the care that was taken in preparing your food.
I think presentation is very important, but then again, I really enjoy going to more upscale restaurants. I'd rather go somewhere nice once a month (or every other month even) than go to places like Applebee's every week. If you don't care about presentation then you might fall into the latter category.
Sure, it was a joke. You merely provided the setup ;)