So, you've supported what, 5 or 6 real actual non-technical users in your entire career?
Give me a break. There's a huge segment of users that have their brains do somersaults when you sit them down in front of something that "is just like Word" but isn't Word itself (which, even more aggravatingly, gives them more opportunity to say things like "well, Word could do it!"). The hara-kiri that the IT staff will committ because of having to support that alone will throw your TCO measurements all out of whack.
As for your bit about compatibility: Yes, many users only do the most basic things with Word. Once you get into tables, complex spreadsheets, etc... if you haven't noticed, most of these are done in Excel and frequently convert inaccurately into OOo. Sure, most of the time it's okay, but if you're gonna move your userbase over to OOo entirely... it's gotta work *every* time (and yes, I realize that it doesn't work every time with MS Office products either, but people already accept that... you put in OOo you're expecting people to learn a new system that may or may not work with their old stuff AND which their contacts in other companies may or may not use, which in turn may or may not open the documents they send and present them the same way that they were intended... leaving everyone to wonder "why did we change from MS Office again?").
Talk all you want about problems between versions of MS Word, Outlook, etc. (the way v-cal requests work between some versions of Outlook is annoying, but managable, for example). The fact of the matter is that for the majority of computer users, moving to OOo right now just isn't worth it (and its not worth it for IT people to support that change in the majority of cases, either).
Remember *non-technical* users. These are people that call you and tell you that the internet is broken when they forgot to plug the ethernet cable into their laptop on Monday morning.
"The name among Elves of Eru, the One, from whom the Ainur had their being. Through the Music of the Ainur, Ilúvatar created the World and the beings who inhabit it, and only he fully knows its fate."
Then the Ainur:
The primordial spirits, who existed with Ilúvatar, and with Him created the world through the Music of the Ainur. After the creation of Arda, many of the Ainur descended into it to guide and order its growth; of these there were fifteen more powerful than the rest. Fourteen of these great Ainur became the Valar, or Powers of Arda. The fifteenth, Melkor, turned aside from that path and became the first Dark Lord. The many lesser Ainur that accompanied the Valar into Arda are known as Maiar.
"'Valar' is the name given to the fourteen powerful spirits who took physical form and entered Arda after its creation to give order to the world and combat the evils of Melkor. They dwelt originally on the Isle of Almaren, but after its destruction long ages before the Awakening of the Elves they removed to Aman and there founded the realm of Valinor."
On the Maiar:
"Of the many spirits that descended into Arda at its beginning, those of lesser stature than the Valar, though they were still powerful, were known as Maiar. Each of the Maiar was attached to the 'people' of a particular Vala. So, for example, the Maia Ossë, as a spirit of the sea, belonged to the people of Ulmo, while Curumo, the Maia who came to Middle-earth as Saruman, belonged to the people of Aulë the Smith.
In the Third Age, there were still Maiar in physical form to be found in Middle-earth. The most important of these were Saruman, Sauron (originally also of Aulë's people), and Olórin, known as Gandalf, who belonged to the people of Manwë and Varda. " (Manwë and Varda are, in essense, the King and Queen of Arda; Arda being Elder Speech for the world and all taht is in it)
Notably speaking of Gandalf:
"In origin a Maia of Manwë and Varda, Gandalf came to the northwest of Middle-earth after a thousand years of the Third Age had passed, with four others of his order. At the Grey Havens, Círdan entrusted him with the Red Ring, Narya, to aid him in contesting the will of Sauron.
Gandalf wandered widely in Middle-earth, and learned much of its races and peoples. Unlike his fellow Wizards Saruman and Radagast, he never settled in a single place. He was instrumental in the victory of the War of the Ring, but during that conflict he battled with a Balrog, and though he was ultimately victorious, his spirit left his body, but was sent back to Middle-earth to complete his task.
Gandalf finally left Middle-earth in 3021 (Third Age), when he departed over the sea with the Ring-bearers."
And no, I didn't memorize all this, but everyone who is curious about the twisty, turny, more-involved than any sane fiction should be world of Middle Earth should check out The Encyclopedia of Arda
This comment or something of the sort appears every time a seti@home article appears on slashdot.
I'm of the mind that we may eventually need to auto-slap "Redundant" or "Flamebait" on it, just so people realize the debate has been done to death. Some will do seti@home. Others will do folding. Others will download Usenet pr0n. Just shut up about it already.
they killed Tasha, they brought her back and sent her to an alternate universe, where her daughter grew up to hate the Federation.
Actually she got sent back in time in an alternate timeline that intersected with the "real" timeline and ended up with her daughter being raised by Romulans and hating the Federation.
"What, you just almost blew up the station again? Weeeeelllllll, that's alright. How about I tell you a little story about when I was with the Jesuits..."
As far as mainstream is concerned, there are huge differences. Compare the Metallica music we used to listen back in the day with the mainstream equivalent today, something like Korn.
I think this perception varies a lot depending on how active and knowledgable the listener is. Take for example your comparison between old Metallica and Korn. To the "average" listener, there isn't a great deal of difference between the two bands, as they're both "metal". To someone who is familiar with the genre, they're very different stylistically.
It's my firm belief that the "average" pop music listener distinguishes between genres that have very wide differences (say between idol singers and metal, for example), but within the genres themselves, it seems that people in general don't make a lot of differentiation. The difference being, as I said before, if you're very familiar with (a) particular genre(s) you can say, "Oh well, Morbid Angel and Deicide are very different types of death metal."
Anyone other than me noticed a huge swarming of googlebots in the last 2 months or so? I think I've got upwards of 100 unique visits from googlebots on a site that doesn't really get a whole lot of traffic (comparatively). It's kinda annoying actually. How often does google have to survey the site per month?
Not a lot of dairy in the Chinese diet traditionally, but I've encountered folks that both like and dislike(greatly!) the smell of cheese in any variety that doesn't come on a pizza (yeah, never figured out that last part either).
Anyone with the foresight to not sign a multi-year contract (which isn't necessary, and people would know this if they did their homework) can move any time they please. I've been with SprintPCS for 2 years, and the only reason I haven't left them is cuz I'm lazy. But I could.
Sorry, your own shortsightedness when it comes to chosing a provider did you in, not the Evil Phone Company
I investigated this:
1) "Matrix" is not a terribly uncommon word, and works well for the movie
2) NONE of the "evidence" that Sofia/Sophia whats-her-name even REMOTELY looks like the Matrix script. What's really funny is that some of the "conceptual" imagery people have posted is FROM MATRIX COMICS that have been published recently. Her "script" is actually an extended conceptual essay that reads more like she wanted to make some sort of "Book of Relevation" type movie, vs. a sci-fi/fantasy/action movie. Even when she EXPLICITLY POINTS OUT WHAT SHE SAYS IS DIRECT THEFT, there's no similarity, even between characters.
So yeah, Moss was in an ill-fated TV series called "Matrix". Years later she was in a movie series by the same name that wasn't the same plotline. I guess that's enough for some people to see a conspiracy.
The problem, as far as I'm concerned, is that players are forced to rely too much on developers to create questos.
I say, give the players a hugely comprehensive world with a set of rules for that world that discourage treadmilling. Then let them loose to create their own quests and their own virtual environment.
Easier said than done, but I think when this is put in place, we'll have the real sort of MMORPG that people are looking for.
I believe he said Christianity not "Christians".
I know a rather good number of people who claim to be Christians, but seem to be quite oblivious to what saying such a thing would entail.
Slashdot Mirror
So, you've supported what, 5 or 6 real actual non-technical users in your entire career?
Give me a break. There's a huge segment of users that have their brains do somersaults when you sit them down in front of something that "is just like Word" but isn't Word itself (which, even more aggravatingly, gives them more opportunity to say things like "well, Word could do it!"). The hara-kiri that the IT staff will committ because of having to support that alone will throw your TCO measurements all out of whack.
As for your bit about compatibility: Yes, many users only do the most basic things with Word. Once you get into tables, complex spreadsheets, etc... if you haven't noticed, most of these are done in Excel and frequently convert inaccurately into OOo. Sure, most of the time it's okay, but if you're gonna move your userbase over to OOo entirely... it's gotta work *every* time (and yes, I realize that it doesn't work every time with MS Office products either, but people already accept that... you put in OOo you're expecting people to learn a new system that may or may not work with their old stuff AND which their contacts in other companies may or may not use, which in turn may or may not open the documents they send and present them the same way that they were intended... leaving everyone to wonder "why did we change from MS Office again?").
Talk all you want about problems between versions of MS Word, Outlook, etc. (the way v-cal requests work between some versions of Outlook is annoying, but managable, for example). The fact of the matter is that for the majority of computer users, moving to OOo right now just isn't worth it (and its not worth it for IT people to support that change in the majority of cases, either).
Remember *non-technical* users. These are people that call you and tell you that the internet is broken when they forgot to plug the ethernet cable into their laptop on Monday morning.
To extrapolite a little more geekily:
First there was Ilúvatar:
"The name among Elves of Eru, the One, from whom the Ainur had their being. Through the Music of the Ainur, Ilúvatar created the World and the beings who inhabit it, and only he fully knows its fate."
Then the Ainur:
The primordial spirits, who existed with Ilúvatar, and with Him created the world through the Music of the Ainur. After the creation of Arda, many of the Ainur descended into it to guide and order its growth; of these there were fifteen more powerful than the rest. Fourteen of these great Ainur became the Valar, or Powers of Arda. The fifteenth, Melkor, turned aside from that path and became the first Dark Lord. The many lesser Ainur that accompanied the Valar into Arda are known as Maiar.
"'Valar' is the name given to the fourteen powerful spirits who took physical form and entered Arda after its creation to give order to the world and combat the evils of Melkor. They dwelt originally on the Isle of Almaren, but after its destruction long ages before the Awakening of the Elves they removed to Aman and there founded the realm of Valinor."
On the Maiar:
"Of the many spirits that descended into Arda at its beginning, those of lesser stature than the Valar, though they were still powerful, were known as Maiar. Each of the Maiar was attached to the 'people' of a particular Vala. So, for example, the Maia Ossë, as a spirit of the sea, belonged to the people of Ulmo, while Curumo, the Maia who came to Middle-earth as Saruman, belonged to the people of Aulë the Smith.
In the Third Age, there were still Maiar in physical form to be found in Middle-earth. The most important of these were Saruman, Sauron (originally also of Aulë's people), and Olórin, known as Gandalf, who belonged to the people of Manwë and Varda. " (Manwë and Varda are, in essense, the King and Queen of Arda; Arda being Elder Speech for the world and all taht is in it)
Notably speaking of Gandalf:
"In origin a Maia of Manwë and Varda, Gandalf came to the northwest of Middle-earth after a thousand years of the Third Age had passed, with four others of his order. At the Grey Havens, Círdan entrusted him with the Red Ring, Narya, to aid him in contesting the will of Sauron.
Gandalf wandered widely in Middle-earth, and learned much of its races and peoples. Unlike his fellow Wizards Saruman and Radagast, he never settled in a single place. He was instrumental in the victory of the War of the Ring, but during that conflict he battled with a Balrog, and though he was ultimately victorious, his spirit left his body, but was sent back to Middle-earth to complete his task.
Gandalf finally left Middle-earth in 3021 (Third Age), when he departed over the sea with the Ring-bearers."
And no, I didn't memorize all this, but everyone who is curious about the twisty, turny, more-involved than any sane fiction should be world of Middle Earth should check out The Encyclopedia of Arda
yeah, I know. I guess my reply didn't work quite right, as I was trying to build on your lead. Ah well, I'll try harder next time.
Oh if only I had mod points for you.
Or does it simply mean that SETI@Home needs an infernally themed mascot?
I'm of the mind that we may eventually need to auto-slap "Redundant" or "Flamebait" on it, just so people realize the debate has been done to death. Some will do seti@home. Others will do folding. Others will download Usenet pr0n. Just shut up about it already.
Actually she got sent back in time in an alternate timeline that intersected with the "real" timeline and ended up with her daughter being raised by Romulans and hating the Federation.
But yeah.
"What, you just almost blew up the station again? Weeeeelllllll, that's alright. How about I tell you a little story about when I was with the Jesuits..."
Actually, it was TNT, not TBS (though I suppose they could be owned by the same people, I don't keep tabs on such things).
Such is life.
Yes. It's too bad there's no way to make a CD with Zone Alarm on it and then install the program while the new machine isn't on the wire. Oh wait...
As far as mainstream is concerned, there are huge differences. Compare the Metallica music we used to listen back in the day with the mainstream equivalent today, something like Korn.
I think this perception varies a lot depending on how active and knowledgable the listener is. Take for example your comparison between old Metallica and Korn. To the "average" listener, there isn't a great deal of difference between the two bands, as they're both "metal". To someone who is familiar with the genre, they're very different stylistically.
It's my firm belief that the "average" pop music listener distinguishes between genres that have very wide differences (say between idol singers and metal, for example), but within the genres themselves, it seems that people in general don't make a lot of differentiation. The difference being, as I said before, if you're very familiar with (a) particular genre(s) you can say, "Oh well, Morbid Angel and Deicide are very different types of death metal."
Anyone other than me noticed a huge swarming of googlebots in the last 2 months or so? I think I've got upwards of 100 unique visits from googlebots on a site that doesn't really get a whole lot of traffic (comparatively). It's kinda annoying actually. How often does google have to survey the site per month?
Prarie Home Companion. Look it up.
Anyone else besides me wonder if Yahoo! labs is run by Dr Honeydew and Beaker?
Not a lot of dairy in the Chinese diet traditionally, but I've encountered folks that both like and dislike(greatly!) the smell of cheese in any variety that doesn't come on a pizza (yeah, never figured out that last part either).
Well, all depends on when your fiscal year ends. Lots of places have weird fiscal-year ends, like in July or what not.
*shrug* Is a choice you make. Not a necessity, still not the fault of the Evil Phone Company
Anyone with the foresight to not sign a multi-year contract (which isn't necessary, and people would know this if they did their homework) can move any time they please. I've been with SprintPCS for 2 years, and the only reason I haven't left them is cuz I'm lazy. But I could. Sorry, your own shortsightedness when it comes to chosing a provider did you in, not the Evil Phone Company
I investigated this: 1) "Matrix" is not a terribly uncommon word, and works well for the movie 2) NONE of the "evidence" that Sofia/Sophia whats-her-name even REMOTELY looks like the Matrix script. What's really funny is that some of the "conceptual" imagery people have posted is FROM MATRIX COMICS that have been published recently. Her "script" is actually an extended conceptual essay that reads more like she wanted to make some sort of "Book of Relevation" type movie, vs. a sci-fi/fantasy/action movie. Even when she EXPLICITLY POINTS OUT WHAT SHE SAYS IS DIRECT THEFT, there's no similarity, even between characters. So yeah, Moss was in an ill-fated TV series called "Matrix". Years later she was in a movie series by the same name that wasn't the same plotline. I guess that's enough for some people to see a conspiracy.
The problem, as far as I'm concerned, is that players are forced to rely too much on developers to create questos. I say, give the players a hugely comprehensive world with a set of rules for that world that discourage treadmilling. Then let them loose to create their own quests and their own virtual environment. Easier said than done, but I think when this is put in place, we'll have the real sort of MMORPG that people are looking for.
Sequels are generally bad, yes (Terminator 2 aside) Don't forget "Aliens"
Spam (the food not the digital slang) is apparently really popular in Hawaii. I have no idea why.
Ahh, if only your Darwinian dream were able to come true. *wistful sigh*
I believe he said Christianity not "Christians". I know a rather good number of people who claim to be Christians, but seem to be quite oblivious to what saying such a thing would entail.