In particular he argues that the choice of desktop between KDE, Gnome, IceWM etc, is not one that a former windows user, even a fairly technically competent one, is going to able to make an informed choice on, and that they should not be forced to make that choice in order to get good use out of any applications they might want to use.
That's part of the problem with MS hegemony, isn't it? If you want a tool to be really useful, you have to decide. You have to decide what you want to do and what features your tool needs to help you get that task done. You might actually have to exert some effect to chose the right tool for the job.
I won't say MS Windows is never the right tool (I'm sure plenty of others will), but I will say if you think there is shortcut around making an informed choice, if you just throw MS Win/Office/.Net at any problem without consideration for the issues at hand and the real requirements, then...what's that phrase?
Oh yeah, garbage in, garbage out. You can't NOT force users to make a choice. The users has to pick the right tool for the right job "in order to get good use out of any applications".
Sub-3 minute times aren't too hard with a little practice. I have "The Simple Solution to Rubik's Cube" (not my auction, just the first link to the book I found).
As you can see from the picture, it's barely a book--more of a pamphlet. There aren't more than a couple dozen algorithms in the whole thing, and I don't think more than 8 or 10 possible positions you have to look for at any one stage.
The plan here is to get you solving the puzzle by minimizing the number of cubes you're positioning at once and so minimizing the number of possible combinations to memorize.
I've topped out at a little under 2 minutes, and I'd bet even with a good, well-oiled cube this method tops out at over a minute. The short-comings of this method really show when you get to the last 4 cubes to place. There's basically one configuration that leads to the solution. And you repeat a short series of moves until the last four cubes are in that configuration.
It wastes time, but you only need to memorize 1 configuration--the solvable one--and 2 series of moves--1 to solve and 1 to rearrange.
I thought sub-minute times were world-class, but I had no idea how much had been done sub-30 seconds. I think a question better than vi or emacs is top-down or bottom-up.
Lotteries and gambling devices like slot machines, on the other hand, are required by law to be completely random regardless of who's playing.
Then I guess every slot machine in Vegas is breaking the law. The only thing random about modern slot machines are who might be playing when a particular pay-out comes up.
How much the machine pays out is a fixed percentage of how much it takes in (casinos even advertise these numbers) and larger pay-outs may even be coordinated between machines.
Not sure why the parent is modded funny--I hope a question along these lines makes it to the finish line.
The winner of this election--whether it be Davis or someone else--is in a tough spot. Things are a little ugly politically in California state government. The fact that there is a recall election for governor will tell you that. Add to that the usual issues facing California--a diverse population over a large geographic area with wildly differing agendas and priorities, immigration, education, subsidies and entitlements.
Add to that the economic issues, over which the next governor will have as little control as the current. The economy goes in cycles, and the higher you go on the bubble, the further you fall on the correction. And California went pretty high. And as large as the state economy is, it is still dependant to a large extent on the national economy. Davis can't change it, Georgy Russell can't change it.
To make things even more fun, AFAIK the next election will go ahead as scheduled, so if Davis is replaced, the replacement will not have a full term in which to come to grips with these issues.
All together, I think it should be presumed whomever is governor after this recall election, that person will not be re-elected. So for someone looking to build a serious career in state politics or use the governor's office as a stepping stone to the national arena, this re-call election is pretty much a dead end. You won't have a full term to fix the many problems, and if things stay the same or get worse, you'll end up as popular as Gray Davis.
So, the question is, why? There is the short campaign and the fact that the democrats are essentially campaigning for 'no election', which favor underdogs and independents. There is the fact that if Davis is recalled, his replacement needs only a plurality of the votes, which won't be much given the low turnout (even by US standards) of this sort of mid-term election.
So, Georgy Russell, why run for governor? Why run now?
Because, of course, no one uses a computer for anything other than browsing the web. So the only consideration for the use of such a feature is webpage design.
And of course, garcia is the setter-of-standards, not only in regards to what hardware people should use and how much information they may consider at one time, but also what level of eye sight is required.
Yes! Death to those who may wish to have things on their screen a little larger than the great garcia decrees! Scrolling is an abomination!
sarcasm
Seriously, who mods this stuff 'insightful'? Yes, horizontal scrolling on web pages is a pita. However, it happens and is sometimes necessary.
And sometimes people view things other than web pages.
Your assistant?? Oh, those meager scraps. You poor thing. Want mommy to kiss the boo-boo and make it all better?
(BTW, if you have an assistant, someone you manage, then aren't you 'management'? Remember, when you have one finger pointing at someone, there are 4 four more pointing right back at you.)
So how do you know if what you are charging is enough to cover your expenses? How do you know what is your profit? How do you calculate return on capital?
Guessing at a price for your service or product or just 'whatever your customers will pay' is a good way to go out of business.
I don't think it is practical to "workout" while at work. And I could see your employer compaining, not to mention your co-workers.
No one seems to mind this person drinking beer and not doing much actual work during the day. I doubt exercise will be an issue.
Re:Yet another for the stack
on
Altered Carbon
·
· Score: 1
Certainly, Harry Potter is no Bilbo Baggins, and Rowling is no Tolkien. The point is, the Harry Potter books should be dismissed on their merits, not because they were written for children.
Tolkien, Carroll, Geisel all wrote for children. That fact does not detract from the value of their works.
Re:Yet another for the stack
on
Altered Carbon
·
· Score: 1
I tried to get past the first page I really did, but... well... it's a fvcking childrens book.
Because one has nothing to with the other. The number of references or the existence of prior art does not speak to the degree innovation or novelty. Any article in any modern scientific journal can easily have 20 or more references. Heck, a letter to the editor might have a dozen.
Itâ(TM)s called acknowledging your sources. Letâ(TM)s say I come up with some new, innovative way to clone mammals that is 100% successful. Letâ(TM)s say I want to patent my new, innovative process. Letâ(TM)s say the first step of my process involves cleaning and sterilizing the apparatus is a way that has been documented previously. Rather than 1) restating a procedure that has already been documented, and 2) taking credit for someone elseâ(TM)s work, I would reference the original publication of the sterilization procedure. In the jargon of patents, that is prior art. And it in no way affects the patent-worthiness of my innovation.
If someone devised a method of delivering food over the internet with TCP/IP, I bet that would be a good candidate for a patent. There doesnâ(TM)t seem to be any obvious way to transport physical food by TCP/IP. But part of the patent application would have to reference the prior existence of TCP/IP. Itâ(TM)s called prior art. Its existence does not automatically invalidate the patent.
Seriously dude, everything you read on/. about patents and intellectual property is wrong. Including this post.
That is WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY too sad. Dude, you took a class in "chatting" over IRC? Too bad this class completely glossed over common grammar rules, such as the use of quotes.
Slashdot Mirror
Hmmmmmmm.....bacon.....canadian bacon.....mexican bacon!
the only winning move
is not to play.
how about a nice game of chess?
It was the best of times, it was the burst of times?
You still have made a choice.
That's part of the problem with MS hegemony, isn't it? If you want a tool to be really useful, you have to decide. You have to decide what you want to do and what features your tool needs to help you get that task done. You might actually have to exert some effect to chose the right tool for the job.
I won't say MS Windows is never the right tool (I'm sure plenty of others will), but I will say if you think there is shortcut around making an informed choice, if you just throw MS Win/Office/.Net at any problem without consideration for the issues at hand and the real requirements, then...what's that phrase?
Oh yeah, garbage in, garbage out. You can't NOT force users to make a choice. The users has to pick the right tool for the right job "in order to get good use out of any applications".
I give this book my lowest rating ever...seven thumbs up!
I never apologize. I'm sorry, that's the way I am.
Sub-3 minute times aren't too hard with a little practice. I have "The Simple Solution to Rubik's Cube" (not my auction, just the first link to the book I found).
As you can see from the picture, it's barely a book--more of a pamphlet. There aren't more than a couple dozen algorithms in the whole thing, and I don't think more than 8 or 10 possible positions you have to look for at any one stage.
The plan here is to get you solving the puzzle by minimizing the number of cubes you're positioning at once and so minimizing the number of possible combinations to memorize.
I've topped out at a little under 2 minutes, and I'd bet even with a good, well-oiled cube this method tops out at over a minute. The short-comings of this method really show when you get to the last 4 cubes to place. There's basically one configuration that leads to the solution. And you repeat a short series of moves until the last four cubes are in that configuration.
It wastes time, but you only need to memorize 1 configuration--the solvable one--and 2 series of moves--1 to solve and 1 to rearrange.
I thought sub-minute times were world-class, but I had no idea how much had been done sub-30 seconds. I think a question better than vi or emacs is top-down or bottom-up.
effigy, huh?
Nothing burns like an effigy.
I, for one, welcome our new redmond overlords...
Oh wait! No, I don't!
More importantly,
Why CBN options in polls are amusing.
"No matter how much money Bruce [Springsteen] gives to charity, I still say he's one of the tightest men I've ever known." - David Sedaris.
Then I guess every slot machine in Vegas is breaking the law. The only thing random about modern slot machines are who might be playing when a particular pay-out comes up.
How much the machine pays out is a fixed percentage of how much it takes in (casinos even advertise these numbers) and larger pay-outs may even be coordinated between machines.
Slot machines are not random.
IAAHSWYPII!!
Not sure why the parent is modded funny--I hope a question along these lines makes it to the finish line.
The winner of this election--whether it be Davis or someone else--is in a tough spot. Things are a little ugly politically in California state government. The fact that there is a recall election for governor will tell you that. Add to that the usual issues facing California--a diverse population over a large geographic area with wildly differing agendas and priorities, immigration, education, subsidies and entitlements.
Add to that the economic issues, over which the next governor will have as little control as the current. The economy goes in cycles, and the higher you go on the bubble, the further you fall on the correction. And California went pretty high. And as large as the state economy is, it is still dependant to a large extent on the national economy. Davis can't change it, Georgy Russell can't change it.
To make things even more fun, AFAIK the next election will go ahead as scheduled, so if Davis is replaced, the replacement will not have a full term in which to come to grips with these issues.
All together, I think it should be presumed whomever is governor after this recall election, that person will not be re-elected. So for someone looking to build a serious career in state politics or use the governor's office as a stepping stone to the national arena, this re-call election is pretty much a dead end. You won't have a full term to fix the many problems, and if things stay the same or get worse, you'll end up as popular as Gray Davis.
So, the question is, why? There is the short campaign and the fact that the democrats are essentially campaigning for 'no election', which favor underdogs and independents. There is the fact that if Davis is recalled, his replacement needs only a plurality of the votes, which won't be much given the low turnout (even by US standards) of this sort of mid-term election.
So, Georgy Russell, why run for governor? Why run now?
(PS. If I was a CA resident, you'd have my vote!)
Because, of course, no one uses a computer for anything other than browsing the web. So the only consideration for the use of such a feature is webpage design.
And of course, garcia is the setter-of-standards, not only in regards to what hardware people should use and how much information they may consider at one time, but also what level of eye sight is required.
Yes! Death to those who may wish to have things on their screen a little larger than the great garcia decrees! Scrolling is an abomination!
sarcasm
Seriously, who mods this stuff 'insightful'? Yes, horizontal scrolling on web pages is a pita. However, it happens and is sometimes necessary.
And sometimes people view things other than web pages.
Your assistant?? Oh, those meager scraps. You poor thing. Want mommy to kiss the boo-boo and make it all better?
(BTW, if you have an assistant, someone you manage, then aren't you 'management'? Remember, when you have one finger pointing at someone, there are 4 four more pointing right back at you.)
How very 19th century.
So how do you know if what you are charging is enough to cover your expenses? How do you know what is your profit? How do you calculate return on capital?
Guessing at a price for your service or product or just 'whatever your customers will pay' is a good way to go out of business.
No one seems to mind this person drinking beer and not doing much actual work during the day. I doubt exercise will be an issue.
Certainly, Harry Potter is no Bilbo Baggins, and Rowling is no Tolkien. The point is, the Harry Potter books should be dismissed on their merits, not because they were written for children.
Tolkien, Carroll, Geisel all wrote for children. That fact does not detract from the value of their works.
So is The Hobbit.
Because one has nothing to with the other. The number of references or the existence of prior art does not speak to the degree innovation or novelty. Any article in any modern scientific journal can easily have 20 or more references. Heck, a letter to the editor might have a dozen.
/. about patents and intellectual property is wrong. Including this post.
Itâ(TM)s called acknowledging your sources. Letâ(TM)s say I come up with some new, innovative way to clone mammals that is 100% successful. Letâ(TM)s say I want to patent my new, innovative process. Letâ(TM)s say the first step of my process involves cleaning and sterilizing the apparatus is a way that has been documented previously. Rather than 1) restating a procedure that has already been documented, and 2) taking credit for someone elseâ(TM)s work, I would reference the original publication of the sterilization procedure. In the jargon of patents, that is prior art. And it in no way affects the patent-worthiness of my innovation.
If someone devised a method of delivering food over the internet with TCP/IP, I bet that would be a good candidate for a patent. There doesnâ(TM)t seem to be any obvious way to transport physical food by TCP/IP. But part of the patent application would have to reference the prior existence of TCP/IP. Itâ(TM)s called prior art. Its existence does not automatically invalidate the patent.
Seriously dude, everything you read on
That is WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY too sad. Dude, you took a class in "chatting" over IRC? Too bad this class completely glossed over common grammar rules, such as the use of quotes.
I vote for the $13 hummer
HUH?
1. If you moved to California to get away from the craziness, you were terribly misinformed.
2. Oregon passed a law allowing any California Highway Patrol officer to search your car? What are CHiPs doing in Oregon in the first place?
If that bothers you, you certainly don't want to read about the 2002 International Rock Paper Scissors Championships Official Results.
They even have rules and play-by-play box scores in case you missed any of the action.
There were no Walgreens during the civil war.