I have never seen a total solar eclipse in my 35 years of life here in So Cal. Anyone know when we will see a total solar eclipse in North America (particularly here in So Cal)?
I know it's not for a while, but I can't remember how long.
"Brooks will be cited for his landmark contributions to computer architecture, operating systems and software engineering -- contributions that have stood the test of time and shaped the way people think about computing, the association said in announcing Brooks' selection."
I remember when I first read MMM about 8 years ago. I was totally blown away. Finally, here was a guy who truly understood and put into words all the problems I had experience while developing software.
Why is it so hard? Why is there no silver bullet? Why can't you predict how long software will take to develop? Why does adding manpower to a late software project make it later? (yes, he coined that phrase). The book answers these questions and more.
Probably the biggest insight I took from the book is that the what kills timelines software projects more than anything else is communication overhead. Reducing the communication requirements between groups working on software is the single most important thing you can do during software development.
If you haven't read this book, get it now (particularly the new 20th anniversary edition, released several years ago). It's not perfect; some of his examples are dated (it's from 20+ years ago) and even he admits some of the ideas have not panned out. But anyone who has developed large software projects with large groups of people will find themselves nodding "Yes! Yes!" more often then not.
Not that most nerds mind, but I think I would rather have something a little less intrusive. Reminds me of the first Casio altimeter watch that came out. Ultra cool, but it kept slamming into doorways.
Still, I'm tempted... I was hoping I had outgrown my nerd lack of fashion, but my love of gadgets is threatening to overwhelm my good sense.:)
I find it curious why he would want to tweak the IP stack. I'm sure you might be able to squeeze a bit more efficiency out of it, but I can't imagine shaving off more than a 0.5ms (much less?) versus the 100-150ms the modem introduces.
I have to admit I bought a WinModem for my in-laws over Christmas (a replacement for a "real" modem) as an experiment since performance is foremost in her mind. It actually works surprisingly well. I haven't noticed any real performance problems, although browsing tends to be modem limited rather than CPU limited (well, if your using IE it is. If your using Netscape, the latest Cray isn't enough.)
The problem with check cards is that if someone steals it and makes fraudulant charges, that money comes straight out of your account. Sure, you can call the bank the credit your account, but how long does that take? Meanwhile, all your checks bounce.
Credit cards are far superior, because it puts the bank at risk, not you.
And for many nerds who grew up on Mad Magazine, Don Martin is an instantly recognizable name. Obviously the name means nothing to you, but clearly it meant something to someone otherwise it wouldn't have been posted.
While I'm not against a separate category for obits, I find it ludicrous that you think the world revolves around only what you think is important. Have a little perspective. If the story means nothing to you, then move on.
I don't think he was arguing against an "hour" or whatever, I think he was more afraid of education moving toward replacement of books with computers with interactive lessons (i.e., a lot more than an hour). On the face of it, that doesn't sound all that bad (wouldn't interative be better than just reading? Heck--save a lot of money on books) but his point was that there may be other unintended consequences that should be taken into account.
I was listening to the radio one day, and this guy came on who was very against using computers in the early grades. Being a computer geek, I was generally for it, but I have to admit this guy made some sense.
His argument was that if computers are used too much in the early grades, there is a risk of the child not developing proper spacial senses, since they are only looking at a 2D screen. We don't really think about it, but there is a huge amount of coordination developed between 5 and 10 years old and just the act of holding pencils, holding books, turning pages, etc is what helps develop them.
I thought it was a really thought-provoking argument for not going overboard with computers in the early grades.
[Look at wavelet or fractal image compression. I would hardly call those "obvious."]... Yes it is not obvious. But it was discovered. You can not grant patents for SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY.
Er, that's exactly what patents are. You could use exactly the same argument for the Cotton Gin. It was "discovered" by Eli Whitney, and thus can't be patented because it's "scientific discovery".
An even better one is the guy who "discovered" Velcro by noticing a certain plant stuck to his clothes.
Some of the idiotic software patents are giving patents overall a bad name. The point of patents is protect the little guy, not the mega corporation that everyone seems to think.
Let's say Joe invents the Great Widget in his garage. He begins to start trying to manufacture it (with micro money), but Big Corp sees it, ramps up production and marketing, and takes it over. However, if he gets a patent, he is protected.
Now, the cynical person might be tempted to say, "oh yeah, sure, like Joe can compete with the Big Corp's lawyers." Well, it happens every day, folks. If Joe has a clear patent, and it's a clear violation, Joe makes a lot of money licensing the patent. This means he can get attorneys on contingency.
Now, as for software patents, my thought is that since software engineering is such a new science, the "wheels" so to speak are still being invented. I say we should set an arbitrary date, say 2029, where we say "OK! All the obvious software algorithms have been invented. After that point, clearly it was not obvious and someone deserves to own it." Note that after that date any undiscovered algorithm is going to be extremely complicated (like the recipe for intelligence or something).
Some might argue that software is a mathematical formula, and thus shouldn't be patented. I reject that argument. A hardware machine is a pattern of matter that is organizied in a novel way to do useful work. A software machine is a pattern of electrons that is organized in a novel way to do useful work. What's the difference? Both are patterns; one happens to organize atoms, the other organizes electrons.
we get some apps, notably a compatible competitor to office. Let's face it: The current office app offerings are next to useless for businesses, because 1) they are not 100% compatible with the standard document interchange format (aka Word/Excel format), and 2) the printing subsystem under Linux is atrocious. I don't mean the spooling, I mean a renderering subsystem similar to Windows.
I don't know why #1 is not a priority with the current Office app offerings (KOffice has gone on record saying it's not a priority to them); this just seems ludicrous to me.
As for #2, this is where the Achilles Heel of Open Source shows up. Printing is a notoriously boring subject, which means it's difficult to find quality talent that cares enough to work on it.
Bottom line, the most stable, cheap operating system in the world is completely worthless without applications that people want and can use effectively.
Actually, most Windows programs in my experience are pretty consistent. The only ones I can think of off-hand, ironically, are Mac-derived programs like Photoshop. Every "native" Windows app uses Alt-F,S for save, but Photoshop for some bizarre reason uses Alt-F,E. Illustrator, on the other hand, uses ^S. You would think Adobe would know better.
However, all this notwithstanding, one thing Windows did right (which they borrowed from Motif, incidently) was to implement keyboard traversal at the GUI level using standard keys (tab, alt, etc). That way you are guaranteed keyboard capability no matter what the application does.
Provably false, since every function in Windows can be operated from the keyboard (some you have to tab to, of course). That is not true of the Mac; in fact, I believe all keyboard shortcuts have to be programmed in at the application level.
If Aqua is the new Mac interface, I haven't seen nor used it. To be honest, I'm making an assumption that Apple will improve things for the better, which is not necessarily valid [THIS IS NOT FLAMEBAIT]. Things like keyboard shortcuts (one of my pet peeves) or, god forbid, a CLI have never been a high priority at Apple, and they may not be now.
The reason is that Apple's priority has always been catering to the lowest common denominator of computer users [TINF]. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but sometimes those goals are incompatible with making an efficient interface, which is important to me.
It was intended to point out that the Mac interface was being replaced. This excited me, because I detest the Mac interface. Unfortunately, on Slashdot, you're only allowed to dislike Microsoft. I admit I could have left out the jab at Mac people, but considering the notorious level of insanity they demonstrate at any criticism of the Mac, I think my comment was pretty mild.
Slashdot Mirror
Oh good; I wouldn't want to risk getting a tan or anything. :)
---
Must be cold where you are.
P.S. And I'm turning off my bonus for this comment, just for you.
---
Didn't the mexicans attack the Alamo during a full lunar eclipse?
---
I have never seen a total solar eclipse in my 35 years of life here in So Cal. Anyone know when we will see a total solar eclipse in North America (particularly here in So Cal)?
I know it's not for a while, but I can't remember how long.
---
From the article:
"Brooks will be cited for his landmark contributions to computer architecture, operating systems and software engineering -- contributions that have stood the test of time and shaped the way people think about computing, the association said in announcing Brooks' selection."
Was there an actual point you wanted to make?
---
Sorry for the grammatical mistakes. Typing too fast; skipped the preview ("ahh, it's probably OK"). :)
---
I remember when I first read MMM about 8 years ago. I was totally blown away. Finally, here was a guy who truly understood and put into words all the problems I had experience while developing software.
Why is it so hard? Why is there no silver bullet? Why can't you predict how long software will take to develop? Why does adding manpower to a late software project make it later? (yes, he coined that phrase). The book answers these questions and more.
Probably the biggest insight I took from the book is that the what kills timelines software projects more than anything else is communication overhead. Reducing the communication requirements between groups working on software is the single most important thing you can do during software development.
If you haven't read this book, get it now (particularly the new 20th anniversary edition, released several years ago). It's not perfect; some of his examples are dated (it's from 20+ years ago) and even he admits some of the ideas have not panned out. But anyone who has developed large software projects with large groups of people will find themselves nodding "Yes! Yes!" more often then not.
---
Not that most nerds mind, but I think I would rather have something a little less intrusive. Reminds me of the first Casio altimeter watch that came out. Ultra cool, but it kept slamming into doorways.
Still, I'm tempted... I was hoping I had outgrown my nerd lack of fashion, but my love of gadgets is threatening to overwhelm my good sense. :)
---
I find it curious why he would want to tweak the IP stack. I'm sure you might be able to squeeze a bit more efficiency out of it, but I can't imagine shaving off more than a 0.5ms (much less?) versus the 100-150ms the modem introduces.
---
oops... I should have said "not foremost in her mind".
---
I have to admit I bought a WinModem for my in-laws over Christmas (a replacement for a "real" modem) as an experiment since performance is foremost in her mind. It actually works surprisingly well. I haven't noticed any real performance problems, although browsing tends to be modem limited rather than CPU limited (well, if your using IE it is. If your using Netscape, the latest Cray isn't enough.)
---
You're final liability might be only $50, but how long will it take for the bank to reimburse you? Meanwhile, your checks bounce.
Debit cards are bad, bad, bad. They are a scam to make you take the liability rather than the bank.
---
The problem with check cards is that if someone steals it and makes fraudulant charges, that money comes straight out of your account. Sure, you can call the bank the credit your account, but how long does that take? Meanwhile, all your checks bounce.
Credit cards are far superior, because it puts the bank at risk, not you.
---
Just asking...
---
And for many nerds who grew up on Mad Magazine, Don Martin is an instantly recognizable name. Obviously the name means nothing to you, but clearly it meant something to someone otherwise it wouldn't have been posted.
While I'm not against a separate category for obits, I find it ludicrous that you think the world revolves around only what you think is important. Have a little perspective. If the story means nothing to you, then move on.
---
I don't think he was arguing against an "hour" or whatever, I think he was more afraid of education moving toward replacement of books with computers with interactive lessons (i.e., a lot more than an hour). On the face of it, that doesn't sound all that bad (wouldn't interative be better than just reading? Heck--save a lot of money on books) but his point was that there may be other unintended consequences that should be taken into account.
---
I was listening to the radio one day, and this guy came on who was very against using computers in the early grades. Being a computer geek, I was generally for it, but I have to admit this guy made some sense.
His argument was that if computers are used too much in the early grades, there is a risk of the child not developing proper spacial senses, since they are only looking at a 2D screen. We don't really think about it, but there is a huge amount of coordination developed between 5 and 10 years old and just the act of holding pencils, holding books, turning pages, etc is what helps develop them.
I thought it was a really thought-provoking argument for not going overboard with computers in the early grades.
---
[Look at wavelet or fractal image compression. I would hardly call those "obvious."] ... Yes it is not obvious. But it was discovered. You can not grant patents for SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY.
Er, that's exactly what patents are. You could use exactly the same argument for the Cotton Gin. It was "discovered" by Eli Whitney, and thus can't be patented because it's "scientific discovery".
An even better one is the guy who "discovered" Velcro by noticing a certain plant stuck to his clothes.
---
Some of the idiotic software patents are giving patents overall a bad name. The point of patents is protect the little guy, not the mega corporation that everyone seems to think.
Let's say Joe invents the Great Widget in his garage. He begins to start trying to manufacture it (with micro money), but Big Corp sees it, ramps up production and marketing, and takes it over. However, if he gets a patent, he is protected.
Now, the cynical person might be tempted to say, "oh yeah, sure, like Joe can compete with the Big Corp's lawyers." Well, it happens every day, folks. If Joe has a clear patent, and it's a clear violation, Joe makes a lot of money licensing the patent. This means he can get attorneys on contingency.
Now, as for software patents, my thought is that since software engineering is such a new science, the "wheels" so to speak are still being invented. I say we should set an arbitrary date, say 2029, where we say "OK! All the obvious software algorithms have been invented. After that point, clearly it was not obvious and someone deserves to own it." Note that after that date any undiscovered algorithm is going to be extremely complicated (like the recipe for intelligence or something).
Some might argue that software is a mathematical formula, and thus shouldn't be patented. I reject that argument. A hardware machine is a pattern of matter that is organizied in a novel way to do useful work. A software machine is a pattern of electrons that is organized in a novel way to do useful work. What's the difference? Both are patterns; one happens to organize atoms, the other organizes electrons.
---
we get some apps, notably a compatible competitor to office. Let's face it: The current office app offerings are next to useless for businesses, because 1) they are not 100% compatible with the standard document interchange format (aka Word/Excel format), and 2) the printing subsystem under Linux is atrocious. I don't mean the spooling, I mean a renderering subsystem similar to Windows.
I don't know why #1 is not a priority with the current Office app offerings (KOffice has gone on record saying it's not a priority to them); this just seems ludicrous to me.
As for #2, this is where the Achilles Heel of Open Source shows up. Printing is a notoriously boring subject, which means it's difficult to find quality talent that cares enough to work on it.
Bottom line, the most stable, cheap operating system in the world is completely worthless without applications that people want and can use effectively.
---
Actually, most Windows programs in my experience are pretty consistent. The only ones I can think of off-hand, ironically, are Mac-derived programs like Photoshop. Every "native" Windows app uses Alt-F,S for save, but Photoshop for some bizarre reason uses Alt-F,E. Illustrator, on the other hand, uses ^S. You would think Adobe would know better.
However, all this notwithstanding, one thing Windows did right (which they borrowed from Motif, incidently) was to implement keyboard traversal at the GUI level using standard keys (tab, alt, etc). That way you are guaranteed keyboard capability no matter what the application does.
---
Provably false, since every function in Windows can be operated from the keyboard (some you have to tab to, of course). That is not true of the Mac; in fact, I believe all keyboard shortcuts have to be programmed in at the application level.
---
If Aqua is the new Mac interface, I haven't seen nor used it. To be honest, I'm making an assumption that Apple will improve things for the better, which is not necessarily valid [THIS IS NOT FLAMEBAIT]. Things like keyboard shortcuts (one of my pet peeves) or, god forbid, a CLI have never been a high priority at Apple, and they may not be now.
The reason is that Apple's priority has always been catering to the lowest common denominator of computer users [TINF]. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but sometimes those goals are incompatible with making an efficient interface, which is important to me.
---
LOL - OK, touche. I still hate MacOS, though. :)
---
It was intended to point out that the Mac interface was being replaced. This excited me, because I detest the Mac interface. Unfortunately, on Slashdot, you're only allowed to dislike Microsoft. I admit I could have left out the jab at Mac people, but considering the notorious level of insanity they demonstrate at any criticism of the Mac, I think my comment was pretty mild.
---