Though you make some valid points, your post is technically offtopic, and easily flamebait. Even so, this sort of scenario is how people come to conclusions like "Slashdot is teh anti-MS or should I say M$".
But anyway, how can MySQL's association with SCO put you off, if MS SQL's rather closer association with Microsoft doesn't? Beyond that, I concede your points: I know little beyond the four basic functions and phpMyAdmin, and I'm content in my ignorance.
I agree 100% that Gnu is a completely shit name. I think Stallman & Friends would have had much more success in their little name campaign with a better name.
But it wasn't invented, it's a wildebeest. What they did tack on, unbelievably, is the crappy pronunciation.
That's right, they found the worst word in the world, took a dump on its pronunciation, and then demanded that we prefix Linux with it. Ha! "Let me know how that works out for you".
Man, if only someone would come up with a viable way to improve IT education in those regions.... I'm sure that an idea like that would be really wellreceived by us concerned Slashdotters.
Meh, you're quite obviously an astrotufer on the payroll of 4front Technologies. I'm going to notify the Australian Law Students' Association of this illicit activity.
My grandfather's monitor (at work) of resolution > 1024x720 is set at 800x600, because the magnifying effect makes it easier for him to read. This added detail would benefit him.
Don't take what I said too literally. I'm talking about the effect itself, not Ken Burns' work. For example, news producers pan or zoom sloooooooowly around/into things like CCTV cameras, and the only extra information it provides is that your picture hasn't frozen.
You avoid it as a developer. I avoid it as an end user. I can barely spectate from a distance on AJAX sites, thanks to my slightly-below-average connection. I'm fairly sure Blogspot's main page uses AJAX for the scrolling list of recent posts, and it maxes out my Celeron D. Digg comment pages take over a minute to load on my computer.
The Ken Burns effect? I'd always just thought of it as the cheap way of dealing with a lack of material to work with. I wonder if he's proud that his name has become synonymous with a method of padding out content?
Games are getting easier to make thanks to inexpensive tools
This doens't take into account the ever-increasing cost of game production. How can it be getting both easier and more expensive to produce games?
Surely if this were the case, we'd be seeing an exponential increase in quality? If we are, it's going right over my head (with a beautifully rendered motion blur, I might add).
It's nice to finally see someone in the corporate IT world step up and protect the customers! I've been waiting for years for someone to come up with a decent method of managing my digital rights, and this looks like just the ticket!
Anyone know how long it'll take before this is ready for retail? I want to get in early on the pre-orders - this is going to sell out pretty fast.
It's such a nice change to see a criticism of Linux on Slashdot from an actual Linux user! Honestly, most of the anti-Linux comments here come from the Windows and Mac users, which is a bit lame, really.
And you're right. DHCP should work, and I shouldn't have to resort to hacks like this to control it. There is ifplugd, but as far as I can tell, it's not usually included in the default boot process of any major distributions. I may be wrong on that, but I'm talking from the outside looking in - unplugging my network cable during boot time gives me that 60 second wait even in the likes of OpenSUSE.
Boom. Another nail has just had its very soul destroyed by how perfectly it was struck by the hammer of being-really-correct.
No matter what my opinion on DRM may vary to, one thing always remains secure in my mind, and it's this: my computer has no business wondering whether it can trust me.
Come to think of it, I will now spout that phrase at least once whenever someone asks me what DRM is. It's a damn good point.
It's just anecdotal. The odd comment calling for people to install Alexa. The relentless posting of Alexa graphs. The comments yearning for "a little more", and "not long now".
It's not just pure and simple racism. There is a huge cultural backlash against call centres being outsourced to places like India. It's actually not because of India itself, but because of the companies doing the outsourcing. So when people laugh at call centre workers having their time wasted or whatever, they're not laughing at Indian call centre workers specifically, but at employees of a company doing a job they disagree with. What I mean by this is that precisely by failing to observe the racial distinction, they are coming off as racist to you.
Where I would agree with you about the xenophobia and racism is in more general terms. The general view here seems to be to think of the "rest of the world" as this big homogeneous entity which can be referred to as a collective. The same goes for the developing world. People here will happily talk about "them", oblivious to the huge differences between countries. And worse, it's usually something to do with "them" not having "water to drink or food to eat" or some similarly bigoted bullshit. It annoys the hell out of me, but it's like shouting down the tide.
Moderation is a different issue again. From my experience, it's basically a lottery. If you're lucky, someone with mod points will read your post, get your point, and think "hey, people need to see this". Other times, you'll get the kind who think "this isn't slashdottesque enough for me". The other possibility is for you to come off as a troll, which is something you need to watch out for in my opinion. You've got a good point, but unfortunately, it'll take a bit of sugarcoating before people will listen to it.
Way to contribute positively to the discussion: loosely tie the subject at hand to an unrelated concern which is in fact a thinly veiled bash at the very people you are talking with?
I can't believe that you're surprised that there could be racism or xenophobia on these sites. Diversity doesn't just mean "lots of different opinions that I agree with", you know.
Slashdot Mirror
But anyway, how can MySQL's association with SCO put you off, if MS SQL's rather closer association with Microsoft doesn't? Beyond that, I concede your points: I know little beyond the four basic functions and phpMyAdmin, and I'm content in my ignorance.
But it wasn't invented, it's a wildebeest. What they did tack on, unbelievably, is the crappy pronunciation.
That's right, they found the worst word in the world, took a dump on its pronunciation, and then demanded that we prefix Linux with it. Ha! "Let me know how that works out for you".
Man, if only someone would come up with a viable way to improve IT education in those regions.... I'm sure that an idea like that would be really well received by us concerned Slashdotters.
Meh, you're quite obviously an astrotufer on the payroll of 4front Technologies. I'm going to notify the Australian Law Students' Association of this illicit activity.
My grandfather's monitor (at work) of resolution > 1024x720 is set at 800x600, because the magnifying effect makes it easier for him to read. This added detail would benefit him.
What a shit reply. How can you take a joke about hating furries as a freedom issue?
Don't take what I said too literally. I'm talking about the effect itself, not Ken Burns' work. For example, news producers pan or zoom sloooooooowly around/into things like CCTV cameras, and the only extra information it provides is that your picture hasn't frozen.
You avoid it as a developer. I avoid it as an end user. I can barely spectate from a distance on AJAX sites, thanks to my slightly-below-average connection. I'm fairly sure Blogspot's main page uses AJAX for the scrolling list of recent posts, and it maxes out my Celeron D. Digg comment pages take over a minute to load on my computer.
It's probably worth the extra effort and wasted resources just to be able to call the finished product AJAX.
The Ken Burns effect? I'd always just thought of it as the cheap way of dealing with a lack of material to work with. I wonder if he's proud that his name has become synonymous with a method of padding out content?
As much as I agree with you, we get this answer in every single Ask Slashdot that's open ended enough to allow for it.
This doens't take into account the ever-increasing cost of game production. How can it be getting both easier and more expensive to produce games?
Surely if this were the case, we'd be seeing an exponential increase in quality? If we are, it's going right over my head (with a beautifully rendered motion blur, I might add).
Anyone know how long it'll take before this is ready for retail? I want to get in early on the pre-orders - this is going to sell out pretty fast.
Who are you apologising to? Yourself?
Meh, I always ignore that kind of specific speculation of what people think life is like around the galaxy. Way too many assumptions.
Meh, perhaps if she wasn't a porn star... (I'm dead serious)
And you're right. DHCP should work, and I shouldn't have to resort to hacks like this to control it. There is ifplugd, but as far as I can tell, it's not usually included in the default boot process of any major distributions. I may be wrong on that, but I'm talking from the outside looking in - unplugging my network cable during boot time gives me that 60 second wait even in the likes of OpenSUSE.
No matter what my opinion on DRM may vary to, one thing always remains secure in my mind, and it's this: my computer has no business wondering whether it can trust me.
Come to think of it, I will now spout that phrase at least once whenever someone asks me what DRM is. It's a damn good point.
It's just anecdotal. The odd comment calling for people to install Alexa. The relentless posting of Alexa graphs. The comments yearning for "a little more", and "not long now".
Where I would agree with you about the xenophobia and racism is in more general terms. The general view here seems to be to think of the "rest of the world" as this big homogeneous entity which can be referred to as a collective. The same goes for the developing world. People here will happily talk about "them", oblivious to the huge differences between countries. And worse, it's usually something to do with "them" not having "water to drink or food to eat" or some similarly bigoted bullshit. It annoys the hell out of me, but it's like shouting down the tide.
Moderation is a different issue again. From my experience, it's basically a lottery. If you're lucky, someone with mod points will read your post, get your point, and think "hey, people need to see this". Other times, you'll get the kind who think "this isn't slashdottesque enough for me". The other possibility is for you to come off as a troll, which is something you need to watch out for in my opinion. You've got a good point, but unfortunately, it'll take a bit of sugarcoating before people will listen to it.
Nope!
Ha! It's been buried! Probably for having "Slashdot" in the title without being a link to an Alexa graph.
Are any of your blog posts technology news?
I think that all that what you've just said proves is that the politics analogy breaks down if you compare it too closely with websites.
I can't believe that you're surprised that there could be racism or xenophobia on these sites. Diversity doesn't just mean "lots of different opinions that I agree with", you know.