When you are making claims about your wares that under most people's definition are incorrect, that is fraud. Is the government not supposed to stop fraud? The industry wants permission to sell a product for which they know there is a demand. That's not fraud. Furthermore, it is not the government's responsibility to regulate language. Doing so is Orwellian and un-American.
No, actually it was reading about Samsung's buying into Microsoft's patent indemnity that made me think of indulgences. If you take a moment to consider it, the two are actually quite similar. They're both completely worthless assurances sold by groups of people who feign the authority to grant them, and both are purchased out of ungrounded and irrational fear.
Hear, hear! But fwiw WM5 has at least one merit: being so poorly-designed and undependable that it was straw that broke the camel's back, for me at least; it cemented my decision to completely cease using Microsoft products. Hopefully others have had / will have similar experiences.
Gah, simply turning on the screen to check what time it is would so frequently yield a blank white screen that lasted for seconds, minutes, or until a soft-reset depending on its whim. And then often the backlight would be mysteriously disabled, causing me to try to navigate to and through the control panel with no visual feedback. And sometimes I couldn't answer the phone, let alone hang it up. What a total piece of crap. I recommend it whole-heartedly to Microsoft fanboys.
It's the same reasons why countless Roman Catholics purchased indulgences: fear, a misguided belief system, and blind trust in a powerful group behaving as an authority.
Don't forget Microsoft's mantra: Embrace, Extend, Extinguish. Let's try not to underestimate their ability to succeed. They've got a pretty impressive track record, after all.
The Internet is becoming an increasingly social place, meaning its no longer all geeks downloading blueprints of the Enterprise. Gah, you could at least give us a link to them.
Let me guess, you use Windows. You probably wouldn't find such a thought to be so laughable if you'd ever invested the time to learn some basic *nix. Not only are text-mode apps (way) faster and (way) more secure, but they tend to excel in quite a few other places where web apps fail, to name a few:
configurablity
inter-application communication
extensibility
versioning
standardized documentation system
These essential features are lacking from web apps chiefly because http and html were designed for static hypertext. Yet the layout and design capabilities of css allows web apps to succeed in one way that is wholly inapplicable to text-mode apps: web apps can look good. And in our visually oriented wysiwyg culture, that means a lot. But while laughing at text-mode advocacy might build your karma, I urge you to bear in mind that you would likely prefer text-mode if you took the time to become accustomed to it, lest you mistake maturity for antiquation.
Hmm, my CPU usage is hovering around 1.5%. Sounds like you could use NoScript, Adblock, Adblock Filterset.G Updater, and Flashblock. If that sounds like bloat to you, you can lower your CPU usage to ~0 with Lynx, w3m, or Links. If that's still too much overhead for you, give LineMode a try.
I check the cable modem's IP, and it's 24.0.X.X. 24.0 ? what the hell is that ? Comcast IPs are always 68.X through 72.X. According to ARIN whois, 24.0.0.0 - 24.0.255.255 is allocated to Comcast of Pennsylvania.
> You wouldn't try to steer a car with buttons. So why have many product designers abandoned simple analog controls?
Hmm, well as long as those buttons have tactile feedback, I actually would love to steer a car with buttons. Like a Model-M keyboard plugged into an automobile management system that supports a fully customizable command set. I'm envisioning something like:
g 40 # go, and set cruise control to 40mph g 0 # slow to a stop ss # stop short g +10 # go 10mph faster g -10 # go 10mph slower b 35 # go backwards at 35mph a 1.5 # increase acceleration rate by 1.5 current or default a 0.5 # decrease acceleration rate to 0.5 current or default r 1 # turn right 1 degree ar 10 5 # arc to the right 10 degrees over the next 5 seconds sig r # signal to the right fl # flashers fol # follow the car in front of me at my current distance fol 5 # move 5 feet closer to the car in front of me fol -5 # move 5 feet back from the car in front of me tg # tailgate car in front of me ppl # parallel park to the left roll r # roll car to the right roll l # roll car to the left ww 1 3 # enable windshield wipers at speed setting 1 with a 3 second delay hl # headlights dfr 0 # disable rear defrost r s 91.3 # set radio to 91.3 (default fm) r v 10 # set radio volume to 10 r v +1 # increase radio volume by 1 r b -1 # decrease bass by 1 mpg | ws # print mpg (default is 5 min. avg) to the windshield display mpg | r # announce mpg over the speakers
Of course there's much I've left out, but you get the idea. Additionally my.amsrc defines other preferences like my desired units, my desired velocity:direction ratio curve (which slows the vehicle during turns), etc.
Is there anyone other than me who wants my browser to just be a browser?
Why do I have to browse the web on something that wants to be an applications platform, an office suite, a local filesystem browser, and a dessert topping?
Agreed, but the problem dates back to the c.1995 (I think) when the HTML form-element was tacked on to the (arguably) already mature notion of a hypertext document layout rendering engine. From that moment on, the notion of what a web browser is (and what it ought to be) has become increasingly jaded. What web applications need is their own protocol, and their own scripting / markup language. But in lieu of that they continue to make their awkward home in the ill-fitting web browser -- because there's no other option. As long as web browser developers continue along this path, it not only means a bloated interface for viewing hypertext documents, but it means a grossly suboptimal environment for application development. And by all accounts there's no turning back; it's couched as innovation. Hell, you can't even stay logged into Slashdot through Lynx anymore because it relies on Javascript for some reason.
From TFA:
"Our ultimate goal is to make it so that Web applications are not discernable from any other applications running on your desktop," Mike Schroepfer, vice president of engineering for Mozilla, explained to me during a recent interview.
So by this I gather I should someday be able to run, say, Google Maps with the same speed and efficiency as, say, sed -- on my 486. Now that's ambitious.
I think you may have missed the goal of this project (and others). The ultimate goal in a lot of people's minds right now is to get -everyone- using Linux. *Sigh* I haven't missed the goal; I object to it. There is no reason (of which I'm aware) for -everyone- to use Linux. If the ultimate goal is really to subvert Microsoft's monopoly of the home computing industry, then Apple stands a much better chance of doing so, if only thanks to Jonathan Ive. I the ultimate goal is really to subvert the corporate hegemony, then a new FLOSS operating system should be written from the ground up to be the simplest, least functional, most stable OS ever conceived. Who knows, there probably already is one languishing in the depths of sourceforge. Linux is simply an inappropriate choice.
'easy to use' doesn't mean the same thing as 'easy to use if you already know windows.' I don't think Linux today (with KDE/Gnome/whatever) is any harder to use than Windows 95 was, it's just different. Easy is whatever you're most familiar with. Linux is easy (and always has been) to those of us who have taken the time to become familiar with it. But marketing it as easy is another matter. And marketing it as easy with a screenshot that looks like a cheap Win95 clone is, as far as I can tell, reprehensible.
I find marketing Linux as "easy" to be nothing short of reprehensible. Hiding essential functionality behind a faux-Windows desktop not only makes Linux look like a cheap crappy Windows knock-off, but it de-emphasizes many of the reasons why Linux is better than Windows -- reasons why some people want to leave Windows in the first place. Nobody who really values easiness is going to install a new operating system. If anything they're going to buy a Mac. Linux is sophisticated and powerful, and IMHO the community would be best served by marketing it as such.
At the end of the day it's about file formats. People need to be able to read MS Word and Excel documents accurately; you argue against it as much as you like, but this is the requirement.
If that was the only issue at stake, he wouldn't be interested in OOo in the first place. He'd only need
antiword, and something like this method of reading xls files. The objective here, however, is probably to be able to author MS Word documents as well. Otherwise he'd probably be using LaTeX.
We'll see if these Mac ad sppofs can attract anything close to the hundreds of thousands of YouTubers who view TrueNuff's pro-Microsoft spoofs. Judging from the comments, few if any of these people recognize these "sketch comedies" as Microsoft advertisements.
How about calling it 'Version 7', and forgoing the use of a code-name for a publicly-developed project? My gut reaction is the same as yours; "Feisty Fawn" sounds like a children's product, and I'll stick with Slackware, thank you very much. But as far as most normal people are concerned, cutesy childish names (viz. Google and Yahoo!) are apparently attractive. Ubuntu has gained a lot of popularity over their competitors, and I'd wager that their approach of treating it as a children's product is an important factor.
Thankfully that paradigm is entirely optional. With a healthy mix of CLI and curses apps, and a keyboard-driven window manager like ratpoison, your mouse will be collecting dust and wasting your desk-space in no time. Games? Check: gnuchess. Graphic design? Check: Image Magick.
and I don't think there are enough Linux fans in india to staff their helpdesk. India actually has more interest in Linux than anywhere else in the world according to Google Trends.
Joe Average is not ready for a change in paradigm, just a change in OS.
Joe Average doesn't know or care what OS stands for. The only real barrier to the mass-adoption of Linux or any other OS is the fact that Windows comes pre-installed on every computer for sale at every store in every mall (with rare exception).
Each soundproof cabin will contain a sofa that converts into a double bed, a pull down desk, closet space, adjustable mood lighting, a shower, wireless Internet, an iPod connection and a flat-screen TV.
My sofa converts into a state-of-the-art pirate fortress.
Slashdot Mirror
Oh...
Your exclamation points looked like sarcasm to me. Were they actually passionate seriousness? Huh.
No, actually it was reading about Samsung's buying into Microsoft's patent indemnity that made me think of indulgences. If you take a moment to consider it, the two are actually quite similar. They're both completely worthless assurances sold by groups of people who feign the authority to grant them, and both are purchased out of ungrounded and irrational fear.
Hear, hear! But fwiw WM5 has at least one merit: being so poorly-designed and undependable that it was straw that broke the camel's back, for me at least; it cemented my decision to completely cease using Microsoft products. Hopefully others have had / will have similar experiences.
Gah, simply turning on the screen to check what time it is would so frequently yield a blank white screen that lasted for seconds, minutes, or until a soft-reset depending on its whim. And then often the backlight would be mysteriously disabled, causing me to try to navigate to and through the control panel with no visual feedback. And sometimes I couldn't answer the phone, let alone hang it up. What a total piece of crap. I recommend it whole-heartedly to Microsoft fanboys.
It's the same reasons why countless Roman Catholics purchased indulgences: fear, a misguided belief system, and blind trust in a powerful group behaving as an authority.
Don't forget Microsoft's mantra: Embrace, Extend, Extinguish. Let's try not to underestimate their ability to succeed. They've got a pretty impressive track record, after all.
Real Men code GREEN SCREEN!
It runs faster! It is more secure!
Let me guess, you use Windows. You probably wouldn't find such a thought to be so laughable if you'd ever invested the time to learn some basic *nix. Not only are text-mode apps (way) faster and (way) more secure, but they tend to excel in quite a few other places where web apps fail, to name a few:
- standardized documentation system
These essential features are lacking from web apps chiefly because http and html were designed for static hypertext. Yet the layout and design capabilities of css allows web apps to succeed in one way that is wholly inapplicable to text-mode apps: web apps can look good. And in our visually oriented wysiwyg culture, that means a lot. But while laughing at text-mode advocacy might build your karma, I urge you to bear in mind that you would likely prefer text-mode if you took the time to become accustomed to it, lest you mistake maturity for antiquation.Hmm, my CPU usage is hovering around 1.5%. Sounds like you could use NoScript, Adblock, Adblock Filterset.G Updater, and Flashblock. If that sounds like bloat to you, you can lower your CPU usage to ~0 with Lynx, w3m, or Links. If that's still too much overhead for you, give LineMode a try.
> You wouldn't try to steer a car with buttons. So why have many product designers abandoned simple analog controls?
.amsrc defines other preferences like my desired units, my desired velocity:direction ratio curve (which slows the vehicle during turns), etc.
Hmm, well as long as those buttons have tactile feedback, I actually would love to steer a car with buttons. Like a Model-M keyboard plugged into an automobile management system that supports a fully customizable command set. I'm envisioning something like:
g 40 # go, and set cruise control to 40mph
g 0 # slow to a stop
ss # stop short
g +10 # go 10mph faster
g -10 # go 10mph slower
b 35 # go backwards at 35mph
a 1.5 # increase acceleration rate by 1.5 current or default
a 0.5 # decrease acceleration rate to 0.5 current or default
r 1 # turn right 1 degree
ar 10 5 # arc to the right 10 degrees over the next 5 seconds
sig r # signal to the right
fl # flashers
fol # follow the car in front of me at my current distance
fol 5 # move 5 feet closer to the car in front of me
fol -5 # move 5 feet back from the car in front of me
tg # tailgate car in front of me
ppl # parallel park to the left
roll r # roll car to the right
roll l # roll car to the left
ww 1 3 # enable windshield wipers at speed setting 1 with a 3 second delay
hl # headlights
dfr 0 # disable rear defrost
r s 91.3 # set radio to 91.3 (default fm)
r v 10 # set radio volume to 10
r v +1 # increase radio volume by 1
r b -1 # decrease bass by 1
mpg | ws # print mpg (default is 5 min. avg) to the windshield display
mpg | r # announce mpg over the speakers
Of course there's much I've left out, but you get the idea. Additionally my
Is there anyone other than me who wants my browser to just be a browser?
Why do I have to browse the web on something that wants to be an applications platform, an office suite, a local filesystem browser, and a dessert topping?
Agreed, but the problem dates back to the c.1995 (I think) when the HTML form-element was tacked on to the (arguably) already mature notion of a hypertext document layout rendering engine. From that moment on, the notion of what a web browser is (and what it ought to be) has become increasingly jaded. What web applications need is their own protocol, and their own scripting / markup language. But in lieu of that they continue to make their awkward home in the ill-fitting web browser -- because there's no other option. As long as web browser developers continue along this path, it not only means a bloated interface for viewing hypertext documents, but it means a grossly suboptimal environment for application development. And by all accounts there's no turning back; it's couched as innovation. Hell, you can't even stay logged into Slashdot through Lynx anymore because it relies on Javascript for some reason.
From TFA: "Our ultimate goal is to make it so that Web applications are not discernable from any other applications running on your desktop," Mike Schroepfer, vice president of engineering for Mozilla, explained to me during a recent interview.So by this I gather I should someday be able to run, say, Google Maps with the same speed and efficiency as, say, sed -- on my 486. Now that's ambitious.
I find marketing Linux as "easy" to be nothing short of reprehensible. Hiding essential functionality behind a faux-Windows desktop not only makes Linux look like a cheap crappy Windows knock-off, but it de-emphasizes many of the reasons why Linux is better than Windows -- reasons why some people want to leave Windows in the first place. Nobody who really values easiness is going to install a new operating system. If anything they're going to buy a Mac. Linux is sophisticated and powerful, and IMHO the community would be best served by marketing it as such.
If that was the only issue at stake, he wouldn't be interested in OOo in the first place. He'd only need antiword, and something like this method of reading xls files. The objective here, however, is probably to be able to author MS Word documents as well. Otherwise he'd probably be using LaTeX.
We'll see if these Mac ad sppofs can attract anything close to the hundreds of thousands of YouTubers who view TrueNuff's pro-Microsoft spoofs. Judging from the comments, few if any of these people recognize these "sketch comedies" as Microsoft advertisements.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQECwm3erEs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFAJDbV9Vfs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuVjpZtXGME
Thankfully that paradigm is entirely optional. With a healthy mix of CLI and curses apps, and a keyboard-driven window manager like ratpoison, your mouse will be collecting dust and wasting your desk-space in no time. Games? Check: gnuchess. Graphic design? Check: Image Magick.
Each soundproof cabin will contain a sofa that converts into a double bed, a pull down desk, closet space, adjustable mood lighting, a shower, wireless Internet, an iPod connection and a flat-screen TV.
My sofa converts into a state-of-the-art pirate fortress.