True - Sun _owns_ StarOffice, but why did they buy it? If a program is free, even though it is not freely distributable, and a company buys it with the sole purpose of getting people to rely on it so they can drop support and force people to convert to their for-pay product, that is a Wrong Thing (TM) reminicent of M$.
I believe programmers _should_ get paid for their work, but those who freely contribute to the development of a product are generous - period. They can bit*h and whine about who took what, but they put in the hours and I for one am grateful.
I completely agree that Redhat needs to share the wealth by making some donations, particularly in light of M$'s current and historical attempts to make institutions 100% Micro$coff by giving away their product.
I can't respond any more for a couple days since I won't be around a computer (can you saw withdrawl?) so go ahead and last-word the topic if you like.
OK, the idea that open source is being pushed down people's throats has some basis--people scream about not getting the source even though the software is given away, like Corel's WP.
However, Sun *is* a potential threat to the open source ideal since it owns StarOffice and (albeit possibly paranoid) fears exist that Sun may just use StarOffice to convert users to StarPortal. Linus is right to push Sun toward open source. If you want to effect change, you have to push past the point you actually wish to achieve.
Oh, and call me a Linux evangelist all you like (Hallelueja -sp?- brother!) I fail to see how doors will be shut to idealistic, talented people with a penchant for generosity.
Yeah, you would think so, huh? Actually I was thinking mostly of the non-English classes. Classes in literature and writing tend to rely on papers and essay tests. Every other damn class used multiple-choice; particularly those for my psych minor.
Even my CS classes (I had a LOT of college you understand) used multiple choice some of the time. The most annoying aspect of such tests is the limit they place on the student's ability to respond intelligently.
Have you taken the MCSE courses? (Evil, but potentially lucrative.) The questions are blindingly restrictive and tricky for the same reason - you have to "select" the right answer rather than explain it.
Since I can't read it I don't know if it's the same article, but Eric Schmidt (head of Novell) was interviewed about this subject many months ago and had great ideas.
Stuff like: keep focus groups small and use peer review since geeks are best qualified and are prone to correct other geeks.
I submitted that article to COO of a software development company and he found it really helpful toward understanding how to best motivate techies. That is something most managers are clueless about. The more we see about this topic the better management and engineering will coexist.
Sounds like both your sisters are in school to get their MRS.
Remember that challenge advertised right here on/. about writing a paper better than a machine? I wonder how people expect to think for themselves when machines are doing it already.
Dr. James Haskins (noteable for his book The Cotton Club, and many, many others) once said in class that we would tell our grandchildren about when we had books in school, since it will become a thing of the past.
Now it looks as though we are not only going to be without books, but the people in school won't have to read from a computer screen either. Just get someone who knows the web to d/l something that looks original and pass it off as their own.
It's their future, but it's our present - let's fix this now.
I was an English major in college and my biggest gripe with exams was the lack of flexibility in multiple-choice answers. If you are given the option of explaining your answers it becomes clear how much you really understand (or don't understand) the material.
Like a prior post said - break out the pens and pencils...
You have a good point, and it is one that ESR's critique makes -
"How much of the vitality of OSS stems from negative attitudes towards "M$"? What will happen if or when there is no common enemy?"
M$ is not likely to bow to any competitor, but what would be nice is if they could learn to coexist (via Samba, for now) and tolerate *any* other OS to a substantial degree. Again, not likely, but it would be a big step forward.
Linux is fighting the good fight since M$ is on top of the hill and ruthlessly guards its position. Hopefully this will gradually change into an effort to improve the interworking of both OS's and let informed consumers decide; then we will really have the advantage.
This paper is FUD at its worst. Bezroukov first numbs the reader with several statements that rely on links for support rather than explaining the points made in those links: e.g. "(see Jamie Zawinski's letter)"
Bezroukov's point is often unclear, which may be why he just throws in quotes from others. He even contradicts himself about the payback for OSS developers:
"Who will be rewarded financially for the enormous open source effort? Burnout of OSS leaders like Linus Torvalds is all too common to ignore."
followed later by:
"In both science and programming,those involved aren't in it for the money. Most of the OSS developers are doing it to chase a dream, not to build up their bank balances."
More pap:
"A casual trip through cyberspace will turn up evidence of hostility, selfishness, and simple nonsense."
Welcome to the world of free speech - this is why we have moderators.
"Linux isn't secure and it isn't stable," my informant writes,... "its [sic] a moving target that never really gets out of beta."
WHAT???? Linux is much more like a constantly improving work toward the goals recognized by the majority of its developers. No, wait - it's exaclty like that.;-)
"Although people are physically separated, they all are working toward a common and important goal. That fuels the Linux movement."
Yes, it does. If Bezroukov understands this, why spend so much time crying about the "problems" of the open source movement? Why try to shoot down Linus with the anticipation of burnout or authoritarian rule? Oh, yeah - it's FUD.
I have watched all of the features, including a second audio track that plays along with most of the movie. Carrie-Anne Moss (Trinity) and the editor and someone else comment scene-by-scene about making the movie. It's OK.
There is a much cooler "Making of the Matrix" feature that shows their martial arts training and all kinds of interviews.
What makes it so extraordinary that Finland is so advanced is that it is also so remote and isolationist (not to mention freaking cold) and has had serious economic problems for several years.
Tokyo, New York, Caracas all have amazing technology, but Finland is literally backwoods and is majorly independent of most interaction with global markets except maybe for vodka and glassware.
It is awesome that such a small, remote country can be as wired as it is, and may indicate the direction other leading cities will take. Look what the Finns have done with what they have had to work with... so far.
I like Sun - for one thing they have the best online support I've ever seen. If you can afford their products, they're great.
However, I am disturbed by the idea that StarOffice might be dropped. In Micro$oft fashion, it would be a pretty smart way to force people to convert to StarPortal.
The Linux community is so vocal, however, that I doubt Sun will make such a move. If they have any concern for how the professional IT community regards their business practices, which Micro$oft obviously doesn't, Sun will anticipate how much bad publicity that would cause.
Do your part to spread linux by offering copies, insight, and support. I recently met a CIS student who said his prof. thought NT was everything. After I scoffed, the student asked about linux and we discussed how they differ. I encouraged him to pursue linux, burned him a copy of RH6 and wrote urls for/. and deja. As long as we all share what we know and learn what we don't, new users will appreciate it and will be more likely to help others in turn.
Slashdot Mirror
True - Sun _owns_ StarOffice, but why did they buy it? If a program is free, even though it is not freely distributable, and a company buys it with the sole purpose of getting people to rely on it so they can drop support and force people to convert to their for-pay product, that is a Wrong Thing (TM) reminicent of M$.
I believe programmers _should_ get paid for their work, but those who freely contribute to the development of a product are generous - period. They can bit*h and whine about who took what, but they put in the hours and I for one am grateful.
I completely agree that Redhat needs to share the wealth by making some donations, particularly in light of M$'s current and historical attempts to make institutions 100% Micro$coff by giving away their product.
I can't respond any more for a couple days since I won't be around a computer (can you saw withdrawl?) so go ahead and last-word the topic if you like.
OK, the idea that open source is being pushed down people's throats has some basis--people scream about not getting the source even though the software is given away, like Corel's WP.
However, Sun *is* a potential threat to the open source ideal since it owns StarOffice and (albeit possibly paranoid) fears exist that Sun may just use StarOffice to convert users to StarPortal. Linus is right to push Sun toward open source. If you want to effect change, you have to push past the point you actually wish to achieve.
Oh, and call me a Linux evangelist all you like (Hallelueja -sp?- brother!) I fail to see how doors will be shut to idealistic, talented people with a penchant for generosity.
Enlighten me?
Yeah, you would think so, huh? Actually I was thinking mostly of the non-English classes. Classes in literature and writing tend to rely on papers and essay tests. Every other damn class used multiple-choice; particularly those for my psych minor.
Even my CS classes (I had a LOT of college you understand) used multiple choice some of the time. The most annoying aspect of such tests is the limit they place on the student's ability to respond intelligently.
Have you taken the MCSE courses? (Evil, but potentially lucrative.) The questions are blindingly restrictive and tricky for the same reason - you have to "select" the right answer rather than explain it.
Since I can't read it I don't know if it's the same article, but Eric Schmidt (head of Novell) was interviewed about this subject many months ago and had great ideas.
Stuff like: keep focus groups small and use peer review since geeks are best qualified and are prone to correct other geeks.
I submitted that article to COO of a software development company and he found it really helpful toward understanding how to best motivate techies. That is something most managers are clueless about. The more we see about this topic the better management and engineering will coexist.
Very likely the NSA handles recruiting for military as well as domestic purposes.
AFAIK the NSA will put you through college, set you up with equipment and give you a job when you graduate -- maybe sooner.
Sounds like both your sisters are in school to get their MRS.
/. about writing a paper better than a machine? I wonder how people expect to think for themselves when machines are doing it already.
Remember that challenge advertised right here on
Dr. James Haskins (noteable for his book The Cotton Club, and many, many others) once said in class that we would tell our grandchildren about when we had books in school, since it will become a thing of the past.
Now it looks as though we are not only going to be without books, but the people in school won't have to read from a computer screen either. Just get someone who knows the web to d/l something that looks original and pass it off as their own.
It's their future, but it's our present - let's fix this now.
I was an English major in college and my biggest gripe with exams was the lack of flexibility in multiple-choice answers. If you are given the option of explaining your answers it becomes clear how much you really understand (or don't understand) the material.
...
Like a prior post said - break out the pens and pencils
You have a good point, and it is one that ESR's critique makes -
"How much of the vitality of OSS stems from negative attitudes towards "M$"? What will happen if or when there is no common enemy?"
M$ is not likely to bow to any competitor, but what would be nice is if they could learn to coexist (via Samba, for now) and tolerate *any* other OS to a substantial degree. Again, not likely, but it would be a big step forward.
Linux is fighting the good fight since M$ is on top of the hill and ruthlessly guards its position. Hopefully this will gradually change into an effort to improve the interworking of both OS's and let informed consumers decide; then we will really have the advantage.
I totally agree with you and thanks for making clear so many points that were begging to be made.
How could anyone not agree that M$ strong-armed competitors and used unfair trade practices that *finally* were brought under governmental scrutiny?
At least the author of the prior comment agrees Linux is a better product. I really didn't expect to see that bit of reason.
This paper is FUD at its worst. Bezroukov first numbs the reader with several statements that rely on links for support rather than explaining the points made in those links: e.g. "(see Jamie Zawinski's letter)"
... "its [sic] a moving target that never really gets out of beta."
;-)
Bezroukov's point is often unclear, which may be why he just throws in quotes from others. He even contradicts himself about the payback for OSS developers:
"Who will be rewarded financially for the enormous open source effort? Burnout of OSS leaders like Linus Torvalds is all too common to ignore."
followed later by:
"In both science and programming,those involved aren't in it for the money. Most of the OSS developers are doing it to chase a dream, not to build up their bank balances."
More pap:
"A casual trip through cyberspace will turn up evidence of hostility, selfishness, and simple nonsense."
Welcome to the world of free speech - this is why we have moderators.
"Linux isn't secure and it isn't stable," my informant writes,
WHAT???? Linux is much more like a constantly improving work toward the goals recognized by the majority of its developers. No, wait - it's
exaclty like that.
"Although people are physically separated, they all are working toward a common and important goal. That fuels the Linux movement."
Yes, it does. If Bezroukov understands this, why spend so much time crying about the "problems" of the open source movement? Why try to shoot down Linus with the anticipation of burnout or authoritarian rule? Oh, yeah - it's FUD.
I have watched all of the features, including a second audio track that plays along with most of the movie. Carrie-Anne Moss (Trinity) and the editor and someone else comment scene-by-scene about making the movie. It's OK.
There is a much cooler "Making of the Matrix" feature that shows their martial arts training and all kinds of interviews.
If you have to emulate an OS at least do it the right way around and run 98 and/or NT on vmware for linux?
Stable, powerful base OS and protection from virii too.
Bah. /'s statements are on-point - what didn't you get? / acknowledges that base 10 is suitable for math.
btw, / is a very hard sig. to pronounce
I don't want AOL getting any more market share than they have already and that is alot.
I also choose ASDL over cable anyday - the cost is comparable, the bandwidth doesn't decrease with an increase in users, and it is more secure.
What makes it so extraordinary that Finland is so advanced is that it is also so remote and isolationist (not to mention freaking cold) and has had serious economic problems for several years.
... so far.
Tokyo, New York, Caracas all have amazing technology, but Finland is literally backwoods and is majorly independent of most interaction with global markets except maybe for vodka and glassware.
It is awesome that such a small, remote country can be as wired as it is, and may indicate the direction other leading cities will take. Look what the Finns have done with what they have had to work with
I like Sun - for one thing they have the best online support I've ever seen. If you can afford their products, they're great.
However, I am disturbed by the idea that StarOffice might be dropped. In Micro$oft fashion, it would be a pretty smart way to force people to convert to StarPortal.
The Linux community is so vocal, however, that I doubt Sun will make such a move. If they have any concern for how the professional IT community regards their business practices, which Micro$oft obviously doesn't, Sun will anticipate how much bad publicity that would cause.
Do your part to spread linux by offering copies, insight, and support. I recently met a CIS student who said his prof. thought NT was everything. After I scoffed, the student asked about linux and we discussed how they differ. I encouraged him to pursue linux, burned him a copy of RH6 and wrote urls for /. and deja. As long as we all share what we know and learn what we don't, new users will appreciate it and will be more likely to help others in turn.