Napster indexes music, it lists it, it allows you to search it's indexes, it provides forums to talk about music, and it gets blamed for pirating software, then taken to court, and now pays an undisclosed amount to distribute music -- something it doesn't do anyways!
Taco's just having a bad day. Of course, he's not the only one. I'm sure that out there somewhere are overzealous geek evangelists shouting from the rooftops about how the entire US government now uses kernel 2.5
While I agree with your basic message, I am a bit surprised at the $6 billion figure as well as how this stacks up in relation to the rest of MS's revenue. Have you got any links that can confirm that?
CmdrTaco indicated that they were 25k linux machines. The article clearly shows that there is a smattering of various OS's, and talks more about "open source" than about linux.
I don't see how anyone could have thought that they were going to start something from scratch. As for their choice of what to package, I believe it's excellent for all those involved, including those who will never use the redhad database system. Redhat will have more of a financial interest in postgresql, creating an environment where redhat will encourage the development of the product through widespread exposure and of course financial support as well as tech support for customers. Those who don't use the Red hat database system will still benefit from an improved and more thoroughly tested postgresql with a new infusion of money/developer power/user base.
Devastating as in thousands of new drugs and medical procedures that save countless lives every year? Exactly how would these things come about if there were no profit in them?
Actually, they don't come about -- For too many people, the reality is that because the production of drugs is money oriented, they will die a painful and disgraceful death after having lived their decrepit lives without the benefits of modern science simply because we care more about money.
Having said that, there are markets that could be improved using more of an open source approach, it's just that we have to be careful to ensure that we design solutions for specific problems and don't become so ideological that we insist on applying the wrong solution to a problem just because it's "our" favorite solution.
FreeIPX: I disagree, especially when I hear that millions are suffering from AIDS/HIV in Africa because they can't afford proprietary drugs, or that companies are patenting South American beans that indigenous people have been growing for centuries.
These are very different issues with different causes and solutions. We have to be careful about bundling these together too much.
(bold font mine)
I think that looking up at the world around us every now and then is a good idea. To actually notice that basic sound principles in one field, if they are indeed sound principles, can most definately be applicable elsewhere. Consider the "do unto others" concept as an example. Software patents and patents on drugs come from the same problematic sources and, in their respective realms, they cause the same devastating results. Similarly the solutions we have found in the world of free software can be applied to the field of medicine.
...The government!
The government has found a way to provide corporate welfare with the corporations taking the brunt of the bad press involved. Also, with this extra boost in funding for universities, the government saves itself from having to invest in more research/education.
The article has no details about what type of rollout this is expected to be. Given the amount of work that goes into creating a new database, there would have been some noise about it by now. Likely, what we're looking at is yet another Mysql/postgres in a new box, with a nifty configuration/control panel and a manual.
I don't know about how you differentiate between the "methodology" and the word "system" when used in their respective contexts, but if you care enough to nitpick about it, your point may have some merit.
As for my "sweeping generalization", it is only further confirmed by your concisely worded correction, save for the omitted statements about showing the RIAA what they are missing in their assumptions and plans. The foregone conclusion is that we (will) know better than the RIAA.
If I where a core programmer working on the linux kernel in my spare time, I would consider companies which make linux
distributions as parasits, taking an unfair advantage from my work (not giving me any refundings).
If you were a core programmer working on the linux kernel, you'd already have an appreciation for the fact that no one needs to prove their right to redistribute code that you wrote and they either did or did not modify. No one has to ask your permission, because you already gave it openly. If you feel that they are parasites, don't license it under the GPL.
If you don't want to give stuff away, then don't. Just remember that the rest of the world gives to us far more than we can ever give back.
Even if this does produce "favorable" results, it will not be credible because it's founding precept is that the RIAA is missing the boat and that this system will show them up.
It would be really trivial to implement this plugin for other browsers and web servers. I think that universal plugins is the wave of the fugure, if any company would ever pick it up and run with it. A taskbar icon with a flag indicating protected privacy would be handy even for non-internet users, when using word processors, databases and spreadsheets, to ensure that there are no keyloggers running, for instance. For those browsers without the plugin, a simple checkbox in the "preferences" tab could be added to send back demographic info on the number of users interested in P3P support for their browser.
The BSD license gets referred to as a flaw in the opensource system. I really hate to use this as a reference but the movie Antitrust spoke about code that could well have been under a BSD type license.
The problem is not that there is a lack of understanding about technology or the internet, but rather a lack of a system that is effective in consulting experts in whatever field is necessary. If you bring in experts for internet-related matters, you leave out experts in chemistry, physics, engineers, the medical field, biology, etc. As science advances, we need to have a system in place that embraces these new developments as they come out, not after they have wreaked complete havoc on our processes with their archaic way of dealing with the relics of the past.
... even the computers that had classified information on their harddrives should be allowed to be re-used. Considering the fact that you can still get at second and third generation overwritten data, just overwrite 10 or 20 times with random junk (not a predictable pattern of 1's and 0's) and you've most certainly buried the classified stuff.
If you REALLY are paranoid, just get a script to plant misinformation throughout the system before deleting it all.
Slashdot Mirror
Napster indexes music, it lists it, it allows you to search it's indexes, it provides forums to talk about music, and it gets blamed for pirating software, then taken to court, and now pays an undisclosed amount to distribute music -- something it doesn't do anyways!
Taco's just having a bad day. Of course, he's not the only one. I'm sure that out there somewhere are overzealous geek evangelists shouting from the rooftops about how the entire US government now uses kernel 2.5
While I agree with your basic message, I am a bit surprised at the $6 billion figure as well as how this stacks up in relation to the rest of MS's revenue. Have you got any links that can confirm that?
CmdrTaco indicated that they were 25k linux machines. The article clearly shows that there is a smattering of various OS's, and talks more about "open source" than about linux.
Damnitall... Just toss the router and hook up a 12 volt battery to your upstream connection.
I don't see how anyone could have thought that they were going to start something from scratch. As for their choice of what to package, I believe it's excellent for all those involved, including those who will never use the redhad database system. Redhat will have more of a financial interest in postgresql, creating an environment where redhat will encourage the development of the product through widespread exposure and of course financial support as well as tech support for customers. Those who don't use the Red hat database system will still benefit from an improved and more thoroughly tested postgresql with a new infusion of money/developer power/user base.
Actually, they don't come about -- For too many people, the reality is that because the production of drugs is money oriented, they will die a painful and disgraceful death after having lived their decrepit lives without the benefits of modern science simply because we care more about money.
If you spent $1000 on a piece of crap not worth 50 cents, you'd have a hard time accepting it too!
The most common query to hit my site is "fuck the skull of jesus".
...The government! The government has found a way to provide corporate welfare with the corporations taking the brunt of the bad press involved. Also, with this extra boost in funding for universities, the government saves itself from having to invest in more research/education.
The article has no details about what type of rollout this is expected to be. Given the amount of work that goes into creating a new database, there would have been some noise about it by now. Likely, what we're looking at is yet another Mysql/postgres in a new box, with a nifty configuration/control panel and a manual.
As for my "sweeping generalization", it is only further confirmed by your concisely worded correction, save for the omitted statements about showing the RIAA what they are missing in their assumptions and plans. The foregone conclusion is that we (will) know better than the RIAA.
If you were a core programmer working on the linux kernel, you'd already have an appreciation for the fact that no one needs to prove their right to redistribute code that you wrote and they either did or did not modify. No one has to ask your permission, because you already gave it openly. If you feel that they are parasites, don't license it under the GPL.
If you don't want to give stuff away, then don't. Just remember that the rest of the world gives to us far more than we can ever give back.
Even if this does produce "favorable" results, it will not be credible because it's founding precept is that the RIAA is missing the boat and that this system will show them up.
It was meant as a troll
"What people have been reduced to are mere 3-D representations of their own data." -- Arthur Miller
One day mozilla will even cook your breakfast for you.
It would be really trivial to implement this plugin for other browsers and web servers. I think that universal plugins is the wave of the fugure, if any company would ever pick it up and run with it. A taskbar icon with a flag indicating protected privacy would be handy even for non-internet users, when using word processors, databases and spreadsheets, to ensure that there are no keyloggers running, for instance. For those browsers without the plugin, a simple checkbox in the "preferences" tab could be added to send back demographic info on the number of users interested in P3P support for their browser.
The BSD license gets referred to as a flaw in the opensource system. I really hate to use this as a reference but the movie Antitrust spoke about code that could well have been under a BSD type license.
The problem is not that there is a lack of understanding about technology or the internet, but rather a lack of a system that is effective in consulting experts in whatever field is necessary. If you bring in experts for internet-related matters, you leave out experts in chemistry, physics, engineers, the medical field, biology, etc. As science advances, we need to have a system in place that embraces these new developments as they come out, not after they have wreaked complete havoc on our processes with their archaic way of dealing with the relics of the past.
Be that good, bad, or indifferent -- It's infotainment -- After all, if you really want scientific information, you'd read a scientific journal.
.... Product placement for $20!
If you REALLY are paranoid, just get a script to plant misinformation throughout the system before deleting it all.