I don't agree with it. We are creating a generation of over-sensitive and fragile people. Kids must be teached to know that the world doesn't spin around then, that his/her parents work is important and that hard work is just another facet of his/her parents love. I have a lot of older friends and when they refer to their deceased or old parents, the hard work they did to raise their children is always recognized by them as a proof of their love. It's not uncommon to see older people talking with pride that their dads worked 14 hours a day to support their families. Those older people were sensible enough to recognize that, and to see that their parents were sacrifying their lives to support their families.
Now, we are creating a generation of eghoistic and unsensible kids that are not even able to be grateful for the hard work their dads do. I surely do a lot of work at home, but in turn, I also have the ability to stay more time at home because of the technology. So, blaming technology is clearly unjust.
The world is not going to give attention and care to our kids 100% of the time when they grow. So, what a sensible parent can do is to make sure his kids understand that they can't have everything, everytime, that they need to deal with some occasional frustration, that they sometimes will have to be alone, because their loved ones will be away. The sooner they learn that, the better. I want my kids to be independent, self-reliant and strong, not a bunch of jealous people that will make their partners nut with jealousy.
My country is going to introduce RFID plates, starting with cargo trucks, next year. What really pisses me off is that nobody here seems to care about the huge privacy issues related to this.
Trafic is about cooperation and collaboration. It's not your business if people is breaking the law, because you still have to give them way if you're in the left lane and they want to pass you. If by passing you, they are breaking the law, they have a problem with the authorities, not with you. Faster vehicles have the right for the left lane, that's the spirit of law. If you are not passing someone, stick to a lane more to your right and let the trafic flow.
Maybe. maybe not. maybe other companies would enter in symbiotic relationship with IBM and the PC clone market would not florish as it did. Maybe the excess competition would mean that there would be a lot of different operating systems and the market would never have scale. What made computers feasible for the masses of small business out there was the clone market and the fact that there was a single platform. I am not telling that this is the ideal for today, but in the beggining of the PC market it helped a lot. Things simply went faster, if you were a compiler writer, you'd need to write your compiler only for MS-DOS. If you were a small business owner, it was easy to find employees that knew how to operate the operating system you were using, because pratically everyone that was able to use a computer, was able to use a DOS based computer. It helped make the PC a good value proposition for small business. Of course Microsoft was able to have a premium because of their monopolistic position, and when they became too abusive, Linux had it's chance. Now I work as Chief Software Architect for a major brazilian retail chain, and I am in the middle of a project to convert all POS in our stores (more than 100 stores, with an average of 15 POS per store) to Linux. It proves that Microsoft monopoly is not that damaging. Microsoft does good things indeed, C# 3.0 is a great language, and I am liking more the evolution of C# than I like the way Java evolves. They have some good work with the Software Factories projects and so on. Franly, it's time we recognize that Microsoft deserves some respect.
Most windows installs in third world countries are pirated anyway, and Third world countries sales are a rather tiny number in Microsoft's books. I am from a third world country, I was born poor, and let me tell you that while nowadays my programs are mostly for Unix systems or java based, I wouldn't be a middle-class guy today if it weren't for Microsoft. Compared to the alternatives, IBM PCs with MS-DOS were arguably the first systems affordable and useful enough for small business. Because of that, I had the chance to have access to a computer when I was a teenager working in a small electronics shop and because of that I had the chance of becoming a programmer that I would not have otherwise. I was poor enough to starve, but my mother could not pay me an expensive education, I had to learn english with books in a public library(so grammar nazis, take it easy with me!), and I would never be able to enter a college and become a computer professional (there are public universities in Brasil, but they are on the big cities, and I was from a small town that had only private colleges, that I could never afford to enter). MS-DOS PCs, on the other side, were the paradise for the self-taught man as they were popular and there was a lot of books about it that you could buy cheaply or borrow. As a matter of fact, I paid my higher education while making small programs and fixing PCs. I doubt I would have this chance in a world of VAXen or UNIX microcomputers that were way too expensive for small business. So, while Microsoft has done a lot of damage for his competitors, it's not true that they hadn't done some good also. Actually, I would say that Bill Gates gave me a profession, although it was Linus that made it fun;-)
I wish there was a way to mod a post both Funny and Insightful.
"... the ever-toiling breeder of anthrax who lives on pennies a day and buries his wealth in the backyard."
I am still laughing at this phrase
I think that Bill's desire is to avoid Gates foundation turning into a bureauchratic entity that spends more energy on its continuity than on its proposed goals. Bill has seen what almost unlimited money and power can do, for good, and for bad, and don't want to make his foundation a monster to haunt the future.
Look at Ford Foundation and Rockfeller Foundation: they mostly fund projects that have more to do with the political views of the administrators than with their original goals. Surelly, if Henry Ford was able to see some of the projects funded by Ford Foundation today, I am pretty sure he would get very, very upset. Not that those projects are wrong or not, but they surely aren't aligned with the original founder goals.
Hi Ivan,
I thought that in our last meeting it was very clear that you're not supposed to discuss our work in slashdot!
Now, stop reading those silly comments. I think that your someone must be ringing your bell in 3, 2, 1.....
All those ideas are common sense among military. And you can be pretty sure that every bunch of idiots would come with those ideas for themselves in a brainstorm session.
The whole idea of living in a democracy can be summarized like that: NEWS: Our water supply is vulnerable to a terrorist attack! BAD GUY [bored....]: Humm... ok, now tell me something that I don't know WE, THE PEOPLE: Hey, you government clowns! you'd better take care of that, or we will kick your asses in the next elections.
You can be pretty sure, that for a terrorist group with money and brains, figuring out things like this is not that difficult. But if you keep things hidden, how can our politicians be held accountable if something happens?
I, for one, prefer to have free press informing me if I am safe, instead of relying on politician that keep talking that everything is allright until it's too late for you to run.
Just as an example, did you know that people in Kiev heard about the Chernobyl accident before on foreign radios? Thing about all those people happilly marching on Kiev on a First of May parade while heavy radioative fallout was raining on them, and this just because they didn't have free press...
You assume a very authoritative tone here, but I would like to challenge you to show facts.
Indeed, as everyone who ever read Peopleware knows, studies have show that the ideal office setting is a room with no more than 3 people.
Open Space is a silly proposition for intellectual and/or creative workers, because you have to put a lot more effort just trying to acchieve the necessary concentration level.
I am not asking for the right to compete for those defense contracts, and I was wondering where did I said that. I am telling that this HPC contracts are a smart way to shove billions of dollar of subside for american computer companies. Basically, the US taxpayer is paying for private companies research under the cover of a very broad and vague "Defense Contract" for HPC computing. So, basically, I am claiming for the right to over-tax those products when I import them, because of that subside. It's just international trade, you don't need to get that upset, fat boy.
Where is the World Trade Organization? Those HPC contracts are clearly a way for the american government to subsidize american computer companies and stiffle other countries for competing with them.
Robbing a charitable organization that is doing an outstanding work for making the poor have access to technology is indeed newsworthy. It may be only 4500 for me and you, but for the poor mothers who can bring home a computer for his 12 years old son that they would not be able to afford, I bet it has a lot more value.
Even if only one of those children become a successful programmer because of that, instead of a crack junkie, it's far more than 4500 on my personal scale of value.
Re:Applying logic seen on Slashdot
on
Free Geek Robbed
·
· Score: 1
No. it's not the same thing.
If I had put my computer under FreeGeeks custody, after they made me believe that my computer would be safe with them, while I am travelling, and then my computer got stolen because of poor security, then yes, your point would make sense. But this is not the case here.
If I give my credit card number to an online shop, I do it because they promised me that they would make the most to keep my personal records safe, it's an implicit contract, they tell everywhere on their page that I can shop because their site is safe. So, if my data gets stolen because of their incompetence, it's only fair that I blame them AND the thieves for that.
The same things I've learned on Advanced Programming for The Unix Environment (Stevens, Rago) can be used on Solaris, Linux and BSD. So, for me, as a programmer, GNU/Linux IS an Unix. There are some variations of course, but also, there are lots of variations between commercial Unixen.
GNU acronym is better understood more as an statement that GNU is not tied to any COMMERCIAL Unix, and as a joke against the ownership of the Unix Trademark by some corporate entity
And by the way, I earn my living as J2EE and NET applications developer, not as a systems programmer. System programming is a hobby, and for me, and surely for the GP (if I can speak for him), we didn't learn Unix because we hate windows (Actually I couldn't care less about windows), but because Unix Systems Programming is far easier than its Windows counterpart, and a lot more enjoyable. In some ocasions I did tried to understand the insanely complex windows API, and let me tell you: I don't hate it, I am afraid of it.
You may not value simplicity as much as I do, but I am not alone:
We shall do a much better programming job, provided that we approach the task with a full appreciation of its tremendous difficulty, provided that we stick to modest and elegant programming languages, provided that we respect the intrinsic limitations of the human mind and approach the task as Very Humble Programmers
Edsger W. Dijkstra, The Humble Programmer EWD-340
I am christian man (although I rarely go to church), but I would tell that I see more of the love in God in you that in most of the so-called christians I know.
Personally I always thought that a lot of people are atheists because of the behavior of some of His sons.
Actually, problems in Africa are more due to artificially created countries with harsh internal divisions, than because of capitalism or socialism.
but the fact is, that every country in africa, that went to the route of a "popular" government, only managed to make his problems a lot worse. Take a look at ethiopia, angola, etc.... all of them ruined by stupid proto-socialistic revolutions.
Oh sure! Souza Cruz Tobacco is one of the biggest brazilian exporters to US, and at the same time they have a factory in Cuba for more than a dozen years by now. Looks like the US is somewhat slow noticing things.
Well.... You say that US sanctions make people in Cuba starve. Ok....
Well, the Sanction mean that US companies cannot make business with Cuban companies. But, it's not a blockage, Cuba can (or could) make business with companies from any country in the world except the US. So, there hotels run by the french, a cigar factory run by Brasilian' Souza Cruz Tobacco .
Usually Fidel says that the Third World is poor because they are exploited by american companies. So, following that logic, cuba should be filthy rich, as they are free of the dangerous fingers of american commerce.
If the system is not brutal, why don't we see people making rallies to protest against anything? why can't we see strikes in Cuba? why, in a country with a majority of blacks, we see so few blacks in power (have you ever seen a black cuba ambassador? I, for one, have never seen that). Why there were executions a few years ago, against "conspirators"?
I agree that most people fleeing cuba, is really fleeing from starvation, but that's because, if you were cuban today, probably you'd never had a chance to get in touch with any kind of opposing political organization.
And if you think people in Cuba live so well, why don't you go there to live like a cuban?
Hey man. People DO starve in Cuba. It's a fact. It's not all the time, but even when there's no widespread famine, cuban diet is usually low in proteins and carbo. People wait in lines for hours to get a small piece of meat. I am from Brasil, and had a lot of friends who studied in Cuba, and all of them never denied that. Of course, they blame the US embargo (strangely enough, they say that our problems in Brasil are because we DO trade with the US, go figure!)
Even if you were right, and you are not, you could at least try to discuss in a calm and moderated way.
And all drug companies and the venture capitalists financing them would keep so busy developing the new drugs, that they would no have time to see that they wouldn't get a single cent out of their investment.... Frankly, man, I am from Brazil, and I have a step son which is graduating on biology and plans to do it all through his PhD. But, unfortunatelly for him, he can't hope to get a good research job after all this effort, and will probably emigrate to the US, or resignate being a teacher. And why? because the people here who has the money is not going to invest it in risky new technologies, and so, we would never have, for example, a VirXSys like company here. Let me explain: 1. My government pays the highest interest rate of the whole planet on its bonds. This cost us roughly USD 70 bi a year. Then, why invest on something risky when you can make big bucks out of federal bonds? 2. We scare IP holders to save some USD 1 bi/year in AIDS meds (we cover 100% of our AIDS patients, for free, and I am proud of it). But at the same time, experts say that corruption alone, has a toll of more than 20% in our GDP (that is around USD 700 bi/year). So, for me, it would be wiser to tighten the grip on corruption, and pay the farmaceutical companies what they deserve. I understand and I aprove that poor countries in africa must be waived of royalties, but I don't think it's wise for my country to have the same privilege, mainly because we don't need it, and secondly, because we could benefit a lot from being a safer place for tech investors.
Sounds like you are a really narrow minded programmer, that believes in every crap or buzzword the industry throws at you.
Btw, calling someone "Gay" as a offense is a strong indication of your repressed desires.
Slashdot Mirror
I don't agree with it. We are creating a generation of over-sensitive and fragile people. Kids must be teached to know that the world doesn't spin around then, that his/her parents work is important and that hard work is just another facet of his/her parents love. I have a lot of older friends and when they refer to their deceased or old parents, the hard work they did to raise their children is always recognized by them as a proof of their love. It's not uncommon to see older people talking with pride that their dads worked 14 hours a day to support their families. Those older people were sensible enough to recognize that, and to see that their parents were sacrifying their lives to support their families. Now, we are creating a generation of eghoistic and unsensible kids that are not even able to be grateful for the hard work their dads do. I surely do a lot of work at home, but in turn, I also have the ability to stay more time at home because of the technology. So, blaming technology is clearly unjust. The world is not going to give attention and care to our kids 100% of the time when they grow. So, what a sensible parent can do is to make sure his kids understand that they can't have everything, everytime, that they need to deal with some occasional frustration, that they sometimes will have to be alone, because their loved ones will be away. The sooner they learn that, the better. I want my kids to be independent, self-reliant and strong, not a bunch of jealous people that will make their partners nut with jealousy.
My country is going to introduce RFID plates, starting with cargo trucks, next year. What really pisses me off is that nobody here seems to care about the huge privacy issues related to this.
Trafic is about cooperation and collaboration. It's not your business if people is breaking the law, because you still have to give them way if you're in the left lane and they want to pass you. If by passing you, they are breaking the law, they have a problem with the authorities, not with you. Faster vehicles have the right for the left lane, that's the spirit of law. If you are not passing someone, stick to a lane more to your right and let the trafic flow.
Maybe. maybe not. maybe other companies would enter in symbiotic relationship with IBM and the PC clone market would not florish as it did. Maybe the excess competition would mean that there would be a lot of different operating systems and the market would never have scale.
What made computers feasible for the masses of small business out there was the clone market and the fact that there was a single platform. I am not telling that this is the ideal for today, but in the beggining of the PC market it helped a lot. Things simply went faster, if you were a compiler writer, you'd need to write your compiler only for MS-DOS. If you were a small business owner, it was easy to find employees that knew how to operate the operating system you were using, because pratically everyone that was able to use a computer, was able to use a DOS based computer. It helped make the PC a good value proposition for small business. Of course Microsoft was able to have a premium because of their monopolistic position, and when they became too abusive, Linux had it's chance. Now I work as Chief Software Architect for a major brazilian retail chain, and I am in the middle of a project to convert all POS in our stores (more than 100 stores, with an average of 15 POS per store) to Linux. It proves that Microsoft monopoly is not that damaging.
Microsoft does good things indeed, C# 3.0 is a great language, and I am liking more the evolution of C# than I like the way Java evolves. They have some good work with the Software Factories projects and so on.
Franly, it's time we recognize that Microsoft deserves some respect.
Most windows installs in third world countries are pirated anyway, and Third world countries sales are a rather tiny number in Microsoft's books. I am from a third world country, I was born poor, and let me tell you that while nowadays my programs are mostly for Unix systems or java based, I wouldn't be a middle-class guy today if it weren't for Microsoft. ;-)
Compared to the alternatives, IBM PCs with MS-DOS were arguably the first systems affordable and useful enough for small business. Because of that, I had the chance to have access to a computer when I was a teenager working in a small electronics shop and because of that I had the chance of becoming a programmer that I would not have otherwise.
I was poor enough to starve, but my mother could not pay me an expensive education, I had to learn english with books in a public library(so grammar nazis, take it easy with me!), and I would never be able to enter a college and become a computer professional (there are public universities in Brasil, but they are on the big cities, and I was from a small town that had only private colleges, that I could never afford to enter). MS-DOS PCs, on the other side, were the paradise for the self-taught man as they were popular and there was a lot of books about it that you could buy cheaply or borrow.
As a matter of fact, I paid my higher education while making small programs and fixing PCs. I doubt I would have this chance in a world of VAXen or UNIX microcomputers that were way too expensive for small business. So, while Microsoft has done a lot of damage for his competitors, it's not true that they hadn't done some good also. Actually, I would say that Bill Gates gave me a profession, although it was Linus that made it fun
I wish there was a way to mod a post both Funny and Insightful. "... the ever-toiling breeder of anthrax who lives on pennies a day and buries his wealth in the backyard." I am still laughing at this phrase
I think that Bill's desire is to avoid Gates foundation turning into a bureauchratic entity that spends more energy on its continuity than on its proposed goals. Bill has seen what almost unlimited money and power can do, for good, and for bad, and don't want to make his foundation a monster to haunt the future. Look at Ford Foundation and Rockfeller Foundation: they mostly fund projects that have more to do with the political views of the administrators than with their original goals. Surelly, if Henry Ford was able to see some of the projects funded by Ford Foundation today, I am pretty sure he would get very, very upset. Not that those projects are wrong or not, but they surely aren't aligned with the original founder goals.
Hi Ivan, I thought that in our last meeting it was very clear that you're not supposed to discuss our work in slashdot! Now, stop reading those silly comments. I think that your someone must be ringing your bell in 3, 2, 1.....
All those ideas are common sense among military. And you can be pretty sure that every bunch of idiots would come with those ideas for themselves in a brainstorm session.
The whole idea of living in a democracy can be summarized like that:
NEWS: Our water supply is vulnerable to a terrorist attack!
BAD GUY [bored....]: Humm... ok, now tell me something that I don't know
WE, THE PEOPLE: Hey, you government clowns! you'd better take care of that, or we will kick your asses in the next elections.
You can be pretty sure, that for a terrorist group with money and brains, figuring out things like this is not that difficult. But if you keep things hidden, how can our politicians be held accountable if something happens? I, for one, prefer to have free press informing me if I am safe, instead of relying on politician that keep talking that everything is allright until it's too late for you to run.
Just as an example, did you know that people in Kiev heard about the Chernobyl accident before on foreign radios? Thing about all those people happilly marching on Kiev on a First of May parade while heavy radioative fallout was raining on them, and this just because they didn't have free press...
Look for photos of person sick with acute radioative poisoning. You'll agree that's pretty violent.
You assume a very authoritative tone here, but I would like to challenge you to show facts. Indeed, as everyone who ever read Peopleware knows, studies have show that the ideal office setting is a room with no more than 3 people. Open Space is a silly proposition for intellectual and/or creative workers, because you have to put a lot more effort just trying to acchieve the necessary concentration level.
I am not asking for the right to compete for those defense contracts, and I was wondering where did I said that. I am telling that this HPC contracts are a smart way to shove billions of dollar of subside for american computer companies. Basically, the US taxpayer is paying for private companies research under the cover of a very broad and vague "Defense Contract" for HPC computing. So, basically, I am claiming for the right to over-tax those products when I import them, because of that subside. It's just international trade, you don't need to get that upset, fat boy.
Where is the World Trade Organization? Those HPC contracts are clearly a way for the american government to subsidize american computer companies and stiffle other countries for competing with them.
Robbing a charitable organization that is doing an outstanding work for making the poor have access to technology is indeed newsworthy. It may be only 4500 for me and you, but for the poor mothers who can bring home a computer for his 12 years old son that they would not be able to afford, I bet it has a lot more value. Even if only one of those children become a successful programmer because of that, instead of a crack junkie, it's far more than 4500 on my personal scale of value.
No. it's not the same thing.
If I had put my computer under FreeGeeks custody, after they made me believe that my computer would be safe with them, while I am travelling, and then my computer got stolen because of poor security, then yes, your point would make sense. But this is not the case here. If I give my credit card number to an online shop, I do it because they promised me that they would make the most to keep my personal records safe, it's an implicit contract, they tell everywhere on their page that I can shop because their site is safe. So, if my data gets stolen because of their incompetence, it's only fair that I blame them AND the thieves for that.
GNU acronym is better understood more as an statement that GNU is not tied to any COMMERCIAL Unix, and as a joke against the ownership of the Unix Trademark by some corporate entity
And by the way, I earn my living as J2EE and NET applications developer, not as a systems programmer. System programming is a hobby, and for me, and surely for the GP (if I can speak for him), we didn't learn Unix because we hate windows (Actually I couldn't care less about windows), but because Unix Systems Programming is far easier than its Windows counterpart, and a lot more enjoyable. In some ocasions I did tried to understand the insanely complex windows API, and let me tell you: I don't hate it, I am afraid of it.
You may not value simplicity as much as I do, but I am not alone:
We shall do a much better programming job, provided that we approach the task with a full appreciation of its tremendous difficulty, provided that we stick to modest and elegant programming languages, provided that we respect the intrinsic limitations of the human mind and approach the task as Very Humble Programmers
Edsger W. Dijkstra, The Humble Programmer EWD-340
I am christian man (although I rarely go to church), but I would tell that I see more of the love in God in you that in most of the so-called christians I know. Personally I always thought that a lot of people are atheists because of the behavior of some of His sons.
Actually, problems in Africa are more due to artificially created countries with harsh internal divisions, than because of capitalism or socialism. but the fact is, that every country in africa, that went to the route of a "popular" government, only managed to make his problems a lot worse. Take a look at ethiopia, angola, etc.... all of them ruined by stupid proto-socialistic revolutions.
Oh sure! Souza Cruz Tobacco is one of the biggest brazilian exporters to US, and at the same time they have a factory in Cuba for more than a dozen years by now. Looks like the US is somewhat slow noticing things.
Well.... You say that US sanctions make people in Cuba starve. Ok.... Well, the Sanction mean that US companies cannot make business with Cuban companies. But, it's not a blockage, Cuba can (or could) make business with companies from any country in the world except the US. So, there hotels run by the french, a cigar factory run by Brasilian' Souza Cruz Tobacco . Usually Fidel says that the Third World is poor because they are exploited by american companies. So, following that logic, cuba should be filthy rich, as they are free of the dangerous fingers of american commerce. If the system is not brutal, why don't we see people making rallies to protest against anything? why can't we see strikes in Cuba? why, in a country with a majority of blacks, we see so few blacks in power (have you ever seen a black cuba ambassador? I, for one, have never seen that). Why there were executions a few years ago, against "conspirators"? I agree that most people fleeing cuba, is really fleeing from starvation, but that's because, if you were cuban today, probably you'd never had a chance to get in touch with any kind of opposing political organization. And if you think people in Cuba live so well, why don't you go there to live like a cuban?
Hey man. People DO starve in Cuba. It's a fact. It's not all the time, but even when there's no widespread famine, cuban diet is usually low in proteins and carbo. People wait in lines for hours to get a small piece of meat. I am from Brasil, and had a lot of friends who studied in Cuba, and all of them never denied that. Of course, they blame the US embargo (strangely enough, they say that our problems in Brasil are because we DO trade with the US, go figure!) Even if you were right, and you are not, you could at least try to discuss in a calm and moderated way.
And all drug companies and the venture capitalists financing them would keep so busy developing the new drugs, that they would no have time to see that they wouldn't get a single cent out of their investment.... /year in AIDS meds (we cover 100% of our AIDS patients, for free, and I am proud of it).
Frankly, man, I am from Brazil, and I have a step son which is graduating on biology and plans to do it all through his PhD. But, unfortunatelly for him, he can't hope to get a good research job after all this effort, and will probably emigrate to the US, or resignate being a teacher. And why? because the people here who has the money is not going to invest it in risky new technologies, and so, we would never have, for example, a VirXSys like company here. Let me explain:
1. My government pays the highest interest rate of the whole planet on its bonds. This cost us roughly USD 70 bi a year. Then, why invest on something risky when you can make big bucks out of federal bonds?
2. We scare IP holders to save some USD 1 bi
But at the same time, experts say that corruption alone, has a toll of more than 20% in our GDP (that is around USD 700 bi/year). So, for me, it would be wiser to tighten the grip on corruption, and pay the farmaceutical companies what they deserve.
I understand and I aprove that poor countries in africa must be waived of royalties, but I don't think it's wise for my country to have the same privilege, mainly because we don't need it, and secondly, because we could benefit a lot from being a safer place for tech investors.
Sounds like you are a really narrow minded programmer, that believes in every crap or buzzword the industry throws at you. Btw, calling someone "Gay" as a offense is a strong indication of your repressed desires.
It looks like it's a long time since you've writen your last line of code, probably Visual Basic code.
Oh Yes! we all now that companies with a CMMI level 5 certification make excelent code.