I hate the idea of having a seating arrangement dictated to me. Each person has their own way of efficiently working. I happen to have ADD and get distracted fairly easily although I've learned to cope to a certain degree. I need an environment as random noise free as possible. Sometimes, I can just put my headset on and listen to music to drown out the other office sensory. I think the best approach is to survey your team members and try to come to a consensus.
I wish I could mod this guy up. I did the same thing. I turned what was essentially a hobby into a profession. But, I always enjoyed working with open source more and finding creative, alternative solutions to proprietary and closed ones.
By and large I hate computers when I have to work on them for a living. I am stuck having to use M$ software which has all of the joy of scrubbing a toilet. Being responsible for a Microsoft Windows Server can be akin to slashing my wrists. When I am home I love computing because I get to work on my open source operating systems which return the joy of computing back to the user. Instead of being forced to do things Microsoft's way, I am free to use my computer as I see fit with creative tools that let me see what goes on behind the scenes. I am free to do imaginative things with my computer which brings real joy. My intention is not to bash M$ but to show how openness can make something more fun and imaginative to use.
Yes, there are all these treaties and laws that make jailbreaking technically illegal. These treaties were all done to protect the profits of the corporation and to be anti-competitive. Everyone seems to forget that the consumer really holds all the power. You can vote with your wallet and avoid the "unreasonableness" of the jailbreaking policies. Consumer disgust with Apple's locked-down phone has lead to the Android, a fully-open platform. My guess is that sooner or later, Apple and Sony will be unable to continue their present policies. I am sure that an Android-based e-reader is in the works, if not already commercially available. Buy this one instead of the iPad, Amazon Kindle, or whatever. The only reason Apple et al. got away with this is because they banked on the "must have" factor of their products. Demand for their products gave certain corporations the leeway to dictate their use and lockdown their products so that consumers must purchase from their stores thereby guarrantying a revenue stream.
It is kind of amazing how more Americans don't speak out against this kind of lockdown. GM, in the 70s, tried to do something similar by requiring that its customers use only GM parts and even GM fluids or risk nullifying the warranty. Amazing how everyone raised the hue and cry and this thing got struck down. Remember, the consumers hold all of the power.
The biggest coup would be to make this thing freely available for home use. I still would like to see Big Blue open source Lotus Notes and Domino. Then, IBM can leverage the sheer number of community developers to make the products even better. Open Source allows a company to tap far more developers than they could afford to keep on a payroll. They get the advantage of additional testing to make a solid, stable platform. Software suffers from so many bugs because of the push to get return on investment. By tapping the community, less money is spent in development thereby increasing return on investment.
I would Google for information on setting up Linux and Squid on a PC that you designate as a router. I've found the following tutorial to be helpful: Linux Home Networking
No, IT needs to unionize in large shops. It won't happen because there are far more IT professionals than there are jobs. Fear of retribution and job loss will prevent people from organizing into a labor union. Certification works ONLY so long as it is something officially and legally recognized. The certification programs put on by Sun, Cisco, Red Hat, Microsoft, etc. are just money-making schemes for the mentioned companies. If you require certification a la Doctors, Lawyers, etc., then it helps some.
I think a much better investigation would deal with the well-publicized claims of IBM laying off senior US techs, replacing them with Indians or Brazillians, and forcing the laid off person to train the n00b to get their severance package. I'd also like to see the H-1B program users under some scrutiny for things like not paying prevailing wages, or employers intentionally not pursuing the hiring of US workers so they can get their work cheaper.
Finally I read an idea that makes a lot of sense. When there is plenty of talent in the states, why are companies offshoring jobs or importing labor via the H-1B programs. Companies get tax breaks for this kind of non-sense. Companies actually get tax breaks for eliminating American jobs! If that isn't an example of just how bad things have gotten in America, I don't know what is. And supposedly the economy is recovering - I just don't see how. It is time for a change and more laws to protect the American Worker. I might even go so far as to advocate that IT needs to unionize!
How can a company "remain loyal to open source" if it is dropping support for Linux? Sounds like more coporate "non-speak." Well, there are other good choices out there.
Funny how Ubisoft went in the exact opposite direction as the online music industry. Both iTunes and Amazon removed DRM from their music as a result of consumer outcry. Should be very easy to do with Ubisoft.
I agree. The solution to the DRM problem lies with the consumer. If the consumer refuses to buy games that include DRM, companies that use it will need to make the change due to "market forces" in action.
In theory it is a fantastic idea to promote security and virtually prevent problems. In reality, here is what you face:
1. User inertia to do this because it removes some of the convenience of online banking. Maybe Joe and Jane Smith who would be using this would be less savvy than your average computer user and still find a way to bungle things up despite this being totally sandboxed.
2. The fact that this is openly downloadable - Criminal networks can now simply obtain CNL's distro and systematically look for a weakness. A weakness with Linux is generally in order of magnitudes harder to find than Windows.
It might work if, you have a system where you must be a customer of the bank and the distro you download comes with a unique certificate tied to your identity. But the reality of online banking is that it is an inherrent security risk. But even then, it is not quite perfect.
This is a shame that people have become so stupid as to purchase virtual pets and virtual things to get ahead in a role playing game. I have to say it, people need to get out more often. The fact that this has become a 1.6bn business is really, really sad. What ever happened to buying old cars and restoring them or going on bike rides or outdoor activites?
You have to admire Daniel Balsam for his tenacity. It sure sent a message to would-be spammers that it is neither lucrative nor desireable to engage in such practices.
If you RTFM and look at the comments, a blogger notes that Bell Canada has a significant ownership stake in The Globe & Mail which immediately takes any shred of impartiality out of the article.
There are still areas of the US where you cannot get telephone service and eve some where you cannot get electricity so the article stating that internet speeds are not that slow is just plain - insert sneeze here - bullshit. Japan has 1GB to the home and I'll wager that the Japanese are far more "connected" a society than we are. I am also willing to bet that we pay substantially more for our service. I am more apt to believe a Harvard study that is done with significantly less bias than the Globe & Mail. The Globe & Mail certainly doesn't want to potentially piss off its advertising base whereas Harvard is more apt to get at the turth.
In the present age when resources are becoming scarce and we have to conserve more, I see the value of the electronic reader. I prefer reading in print to reading on a screen because I have the freedom to highlight and make notes in margins. But, seeing as trees are very important, it may be time to make the adjustment. I am sure the cost to operate say, a kindle, is far less than the cost to the environment to produce the paper, the ink to print, and the energy to run the presses. The trick to making the e-reader environmentally friendly is to slow down the pace at which they are being rendered obsolete. Whereas a book lasts centuries, we may be adding to a silicon garbage pile at the rate of our present innovation. I will adopt the e-reader when there is no DRM and there is a standard so I can freely move what I rightfully purchased between devices.
Why not tax Microsoft for writing such a poor, security-hole ridden operating system such as Windows? The vast majority of botnets and their like are Microsoft. Got Microsoft, get pwned.
Seems like this law could be easily rendered null and void through mass civil disobedience on the part of the small business owners. If one person or a small few break the law, it is a crime whereas if many break the law and do it as part of an organized group, it is a call for change. It will take some bravery for people to thumb their noses at government. Free WiFi is almost everywhere in the states and there is no definitive research to suggest that an open WiFi access point is responsible for more cyber attacks. This is just a UK politco's jump to conclusion in the attempt to gain political influence for himself. The enforceability of the law is virtually impossible and would require people to invariably report on their neighbors.
Set up your devices with static addresses and set a dhcp scope above the addresses that you need. Then you transparently redirect any http request originating from the dhcp scope to say, www.google.com (or something nastier to be left to your imagination), using the power of iptables. Now, no matter what website the piggy backer tries to visit, he will be greeted with the ubiquitous google.com home page. Watch how quickly the neighbors will learn to leave your network alone.
This a positive step in the right direction. I always felt that by George W. Bush touting bio fuels through corn was exceedingly stupid and shortsighted - even for him. This drove the price of cereal up as we should all recall in and around 2007 when cereal suddenly sky rocketed. A cellulose process makes far more sense, from an economic and an environmental standpoint because waste products can be used. After all, who eats the corn cob? This is a step towards energy independence but still does not fully address the environmental concerns. We need to move away from internal combustion, carbon emissions and look towards fuel cells.
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I hate the idea of having a seating arrangement dictated to me. Each person has their own way of efficiently working. I happen to have ADD and get distracted fairly easily although I've learned to cope to a certain degree. I need an environment as random noise free as possible. Sometimes, I can just put my headset on and listen to music to drown out the other office sensory. I think the best approach is to survey your team members and try to come to a consensus.
Let's tack on to this: the closed source, crappy programs that we must put up with or be unemployed.
I wish I could mod this guy up. I did the same thing. I turned what was essentially a hobby into a profession. But, I always enjoyed working with open source more and finding creative, alternative solutions to proprietary and closed ones.
HA! Well said. And I work for a company where the users are exceptionally brilliant.
By and large I hate computers when I have to work on them for a living. I am stuck having to use M$ software which has all of the joy of scrubbing a toilet. Being responsible for a Microsoft Windows Server can be akin to slashing my wrists. When I am home I love computing because I get to work on my open source operating systems which return the joy of computing back to the user. Instead of being forced to do things Microsoft's way, I am free to use my computer as I see fit with creative tools that let me see what goes on behind the scenes. I am free to do imaginative things with my computer which brings real joy. My intention is not to bash M$ but to show how openness can make something more fun and imaginative to use.
It is kind of amazing how more Americans don't speak out against this kind of lockdown. GM, in the 70s, tried to do something similar by requiring that its customers use only GM parts and even GM fluids or risk nullifying the warranty. Amazing how everyone raised the hue and cry and this thing got struck down. Remember, the consumers hold all of the power.
The biggest coup would be to make this thing freely available for home use. I still would like to see Big Blue open source Lotus Notes and Domino. Then, IBM can leverage the sheer number of community developers to make the products even better. Open Source allows a company to tap far more developers than they could afford to keep on a payroll. They get the advantage of additional testing to make a solid, stable platform. Software suffers from so many bugs because of the push to get return on investment. By tapping the community, less money is spent in development thereby increasing return on investment.
I would Google for information on setting up Linux and Squid on a PC that you designate as a router. I've found the following tutorial to be helpful: Linux Home Networking
No, IT needs to unionize in large shops. It won't happen because there are far more IT professionals than there are jobs. Fear of retribution and job loss will prevent people from organizing into a labor union. Certification works ONLY so long as it is something officially and legally recognized. The certification programs put on by Sun, Cisco, Red Hat, Microsoft, etc. are just money-making schemes for the mentioned companies. If you require certification a la Doctors, Lawyers, etc., then it helps some.
I think a much better investigation would deal with the well-publicized claims of IBM laying off senior US techs, replacing them with Indians or Brazillians, and forcing the laid off person to train the n00b to get their severance package. I'd also like to see the H-1B program users under some scrutiny for things like not paying prevailing wages, or employers intentionally not pursuing the hiring of US workers so they can get their work cheaper.
Finally I read an idea that makes a lot of sense. When there is plenty of talent in the states, why are companies offshoring jobs or importing labor via the H-1B programs. Companies get tax breaks for this kind of non-sense. Companies actually get tax breaks for eliminating American jobs! If that isn't an example of just how bad things have gotten in America, I don't know what is. And supposedly the economy is recovering - I just don't see how. It is time for a change and more laws to protect the American Worker. I might even go so far as to advocate that IT needs to unionize!
How can a company "remain loyal to open source" if it is dropping support for Linux? Sounds like more coporate "non-speak." Well, there are other good choices out there.
Funny how Ubisoft went in the exact opposite direction as the online music industry. Both iTunes and Amazon removed DRM from their music as a result of consumer outcry. Should be very easy to do with Ubisoft.
I agree. The solution to the DRM problem lies with the consumer. If the consumer refuses to buy games that include DRM, companies that use it will need to make the change due to "market forces" in action.
In theory it is a fantastic idea to promote security and virtually prevent problems. In reality, here is what you face: 1. User inertia to do this because it removes some of the convenience of online banking. Maybe Joe and Jane Smith who would be using this would be less savvy than your average computer user and still find a way to bungle things up despite this being totally sandboxed. 2. The fact that this is openly downloadable - Criminal networks can now simply obtain CNL's distro and systematically look for a weakness. A weakness with Linux is generally in order of magnitudes harder to find than Windows. It might work if, you have a system where you must be a customer of the bank and the distro you download comes with a unique certificate tied to your identity. But the reality of online banking is that it is an inherrent security risk. But even then, it is not quite perfect.
This is a shame that people have become so stupid as to purchase virtual pets and virtual things to get ahead in a role playing game. I have to say it, people need to get out more often. The fact that this has become a 1.6bn business is really, really sad. What ever happened to buying old cars and restoring them or going on bike rides or outdoor activites?
You have to admire Daniel Balsam for his tenacity. It sure sent a message to would-be spammers that it is neither lucrative nor desireable to engage in such practices.
If you RTFM and look at the comments, a blogger notes that Bell Canada has a significant ownership stake in The Globe & Mail which immediately takes any shred of impartiality out of the article.
There are still areas of the US where you cannot get telephone service and eve some where you cannot get electricity so the article stating that internet speeds are not that slow is just plain - insert sneeze here - bullshit. Japan has 1GB to the home and I'll wager that the Japanese are far more "connected" a society than we are. I am also willing to bet that we pay substantially more for our service. I am more apt to believe a Harvard study that is done with significantly less bias than the Globe & Mail. The Globe & Mail certainly doesn't want to potentially piss off its advertising base whereas Harvard is more apt to get at the turth.
In the present age when resources are becoming scarce and we have to conserve more, I see the value of the electronic reader. I prefer reading in print to reading on a screen because I have the freedom to highlight and make notes in margins. But, seeing as trees are very important, it may be time to make the adjustment. I am sure the cost to operate say, a kindle, is far less than the cost to the environment to produce the paper, the ink to print, and the energy to run the presses. The trick to making the e-reader environmentally friendly is to slow down the pace at which they are being rendered obsolete. Whereas a book lasts centuries, we may be adding to a silicon garbage pile at the rate of our present innovation. I will adopt the e-reader when there is no DRM and there is a standard so I can freely move what I rightfully purchased between devices.
Why not tax Microsoft for writing such a poor, security-hole ridden operating system such as Windows? The vast majority of botnets and their like are Microsoft. Got Microsoft, get pwned.
So you advocate the nazist approach. Wonderful!
Seems like this law could be easily rendered null and void through mass civil disobedience on the part of the small business owners. If one person or a small few break the law, it is a crime whereas if many break the law and do it as part of an organized group, it is a call for change. It will take some bravery for people to thumb their noses at government. Free WiFi is almost everywhere in the states and there is no definitive research to suggest that an open WiFi access point is responsible for more cyber attacks. This is just a UK politco's jump to conclusion in the attempt to gain political influence for himself. The enforceability of the law is virtually impossible and would require people to invariably report on their neighbors.
Set up your devices with static addresses and set a dhcp scope above the addresses that you need. Then you transparently redirect any http request originating from the dhcp scope to say, www.google.com (or something nastier to be left to your imagination), using the power of iptables. Now, no matter what website the piggy backer tries to visit, he will be greeted with the ubiquitous google.com home page. Watch how quickly the neighbors will learn to leave your network alone.
Also, E85 is known to wreck havoc on engines. This is most likely why it is blended.
This a positive step in the right direction. I always felt that by George W. Bush touting bio fuels through corn was exceedingly stupid and shortsighted - even for him. This drove the price of cereal up as we should all recall in and around 2007 when cereal suddenly sky rocketed. A cellulose process makes far more sense, from an economic and an environmental standpoint because waste products can be used. After all, who eats the corn cob? This is a step towards energy independence but still does not fully address the environmental concerns. We need to move away from internal combustion, carbon emissions and look towards fuel cells.