While I can't agree with this being a problem due to Sun's having influence over the development, I could perhaps understand it to be potentially a problem due to the indirect nature, in that there is no central guidance. Whereas with MS software there is, potentially, a focused development path (I'm not trying to be modded funny, honest).
"MS Office is cheaper than OpenOffice.org,"
Ummm...no. I...no. The costs involved in OO.o are only, I think, due to the training issues for staff familiarised with MS Office. And I don't think that the cost of training each user, with group seminars, would be more expensive than the per-user license for using MS Office in a corporate environment.
Well, you could always just RTFA rather than speculating, but I suppose that's just naive of me.
Hey, there's social rules and peer-pressure to consider. This is Slashdot, man; and here you're suggesting I could RTFA..? I'd be a laughing stock...;)
I can't help but suspect that the whole low morale issue is created by those in the office feeling that they're not being treated so well as those who get to work from home in their pyjamas, and, as a result, resenting that they have to be in the office.
Generally with this sort of study (along the lines of 'ZOMG! Office workers costing billions by surfing Facebook!') the sponsors of the study are, coincidentally I'm sure, selling a 'solution' to the problem. So I'm kinda curious as to the intent of the study, the hypothesis that was examined and the assumptions/biases made as a result.
Kabz found the 10 Worst PC Keyboards of all time which leads off with the Commadore 64 and take a trip through PCjr country. Might trigger some nostalgia, or some sort of flashback wrist strain.
I don't know about the Commadore, but I loved the Commodore 64 despite its own keyboard; though on that computer the keyboard took quite the back-seat, in terms of irritation, to the tape deck...
Though he may be on to something, since, as I sit here typing this, I'm consciously flexing my wrists ever few seconds...
Given the results of the class action law suit against Sony, due to the unlawful/undisclosed root-kitting of consumers' computers, I can imagine that the free game, already offered by Microsoft, is probably going to exceed any class action payout. Unless, of course, you happen to be a lawyer.
In which case it's probably a worth-while pursuit.
I aren't a member of X-Box Live though, so your level of frustration may make it worth the time, though if you were frustrated by poor service over the holidays I can't imagine that a law suit will be any less frustrating...
Everyone able to vote who didn't would automatically be considered of a member of the Apathetic Party, therefore I'd get their vote.
It's a nice idea; and while I don't know where you come from, over here in the UK those who don't vote are considered to be, rather than lazy/disinterested/unimpressed, content with the currently-elected party. So unfortunately if we don't explicitly vote contrary to the current party we're presumed to have voted for it.
I'm not sure this is entirely fair, but I guess you can see why the (I want to say 'ruling party,' but I'm not sure that's entirely correct) party-in-power doesn't want to change it.
If everything is going to be open source, why exactly does this project need funding? Are the developers going to be working on this full-time?
I don't know; it'd be easy to say that open source != free, but that'd be both glib, redundant and not answering the question I guess. Perhaps there's the wages/salary/remuneration for the developers or maybe there's some resources need paying for? Whether a CVS repository server or some licensing fees to access...something or other?
I don't know what the trouble is with the 'myminicity' thing, so I'll just comment on the synopsis.
It has to be noted that since much data these days appears to be stored unencrypted, or removed from the premises by 'interns,' that much of the populace is 'one step ahead.' The advantage the bad guys have, beyond institutional stupidity and negligence, is that there's so many of them willing to exchange the data once acquired.
Personally, while I read Google News several times a day, I find the feature completely worthless. I honestly don't give a flying rats ass what the people quoted in the article have to say.
So...you skip the quotes in the articles? You wouldn't be interested if the person quoted posted a rebuttal to their own quote? Whether to say they were misquoted, misattributed or misinterpreted? How about if they wanted to add a more thorough analysis to expand upon the soundbite that the journalist used?
I don't use Google as a news source that often, preferring instead the BBC but if they were to adopt this idea then I'd be more than happy to see, and read, an extended analysis of the reported stories. But...you wouldn't?
If people want their wishes as content creators to be respected (whether that is to allow some forms of redistribution, like CC-NC, or not, like "All rights reserved"), they need to respect copyright law and not subvert it.
You say 'subvert,' I suggest 'revise.' If a large portion of a community disregards the copyright laws as currently written, does that imply that a large portion of a community needs to be punished/made to pay, or that the copyright laws need to be re-written?
...that now we have a material to help reduce casualties from explosive force, bullets and shrapnel, how long will it be 'til our own agencies devise means to negate its defensive potential in order to increase the potential damage inflicted on the opposing force.
So...wouldn't that also lead to the removal, or at least qualification, of the '...recommends Windows $model'?
While I accept that there are situations and needs better addressed by Vista as opposed to XP (accept but can't think of one, but that's more my lack of familiarity with Vista than any objection to it for its own sake), but if that's the case why not simply go with '...recommends Windows'?
At least then they can support the claim by showing their list of installed-OS options.
So the news is that a company selling computers is selling something that the consumer's been asking for? Who'd've thought it? While I'm glad that another company, following Dell and some others, has bucked the Microsoft line, I'm not sure that it's particularly astounding.
On the other hand though, kudos to them for doing so. Now if only they'd lose the '$Company recommends Windows Vista $model' branding I'd be even more impressed. Why claim to recommend something that you fairly obviously don't? I'm aware that there are provisos from Microsoft for supplying lower-cost OEM software to these companies but, surely, at some point the marketing/PR departments are going to realise that trying to play on both sides of a particular game isn't going to look too good for them?
Switzerland is a direct democracy and if 50,000 citizens sign a referendum, the whole country will have a chance to vote...
how can america get one of these?
I'm not a citizen of the U.S. so I'm not sure, but I think that was one of the reasons you guys (and gals) collectively retain/fight to retain the right to bear arms, that you can effect a change of government or its policies.
Obviously I'd have to suggest that you first petition your senators and representatives (using letters, email or money; whichever you think best)but, ultimately, and this seems true of Britain too, it seems that the Government stopped listening quite some time ago.
Now, if only I had the cojones to stage a revolution...
Hmm, that sounds great in theory. The problem comes when the better-represented party, rather than the party in the right, wins. Not that I disagree that an organisation pursuing frivolous lawsuits should foot the cost of those lawsuits when they're found wanting for whatever reason, but neither system is perfect.
On the other hand the only trial of multinational-vs-regular folks I could think of, outside the RIAA/MPAA/IFPI etc sphere, was the 'McLibel' case. In which the defendants won. Despite the litigious might of McDonalds. So I might've shot myself in the foot...oops.
Why? I can't see a point of contention; yes, Google's videotaping/photographing documentary footage for inclusion on its website, in order to show that "this is what 'here' looks like," but what's the problem with that? Presumably anything occurring in the public setting has no reasonable expectation of privacy. On the (presumably) rare occasions that a Google-Cam documents something through a window that should have an expectation of privacy I seem to recall reading that they obscure or block said footage. Though I have no real knowledge as to the truth of that, nor can I find the original article, or I'd link to it.
Slashdot Mirror
While I can't agree with this being a problem due to Sun's having influence over the development, I could perhaps understand it to be potentially a problem due to the indirect nature, in that there is no central guidance. Whereas with MS software there is, potentially, a focused development path (I'm not trying to be modded funny, honest).
Ummm...no. I...no. The costs involved in OO.o are only, I think, due to the training issues for staff familiarised with MS Office. And I don't think that the cost of training each user, with group seminars, would be more expensive than the per-user license for using MS Office in a corporate environment.
Ah, corporate shills. They're funny guys...
Hey, there's social rules and peer-pressure to consider. This is Slashdot, man; and here you're suggesting I could RTFA..? I'd be a laughing stock... ;)
I can't help but suspect that the whole low morale issue is created by those in the office feeling that they're not being treated so well as those who get to work from home in their pyjamas, and, as a result, resenting that they have to be in the office.
Generally with this sort of study (along the lines of 'ZOMG! Office workers costing billions by surfing Facebook!') the sponsors of the study are, coincidentally I'm sure, selling a 'solution' to the problem. So I'm kinda curious as to the intent of the study, the hypothesis that was examined and the assumptions/biases made as a result.
I don't know about the Commadore, but I loved the Commodore 64 despite its own keyboard; though on that computer the keyboard took quite the back-seat, in terms of irritation, to the tape deck...
Though he may be on to something, since, as I sit here typing this, I'm consciously flexing my wrists ever few seconds...
I don't know about "awesome," my first thoughts were along the lines of "oh...for fuck's sake..." and "how do I check?"
While I share your appreciation of feats, I'd prefer the feat achieved to be a positive application of the knowledge rather than a mass-hack.
But hey; that's just me being a grumpy old folk I guess.
Given the results of the class action law suit against Sony, due to the unlawful/undisclosed root-kitting of consumers' computers, I can imagine that the free game, already offered by Microsoft, is probably going to exceed any class action payout. Unless, of course, you happen to be a lawyer.
In which case it's probably a worth-while pursuit.
I aren't a member of X-Box Live though, so your level of frustration may make it worth the time, though if you were frustrated by poor service over the holidays I can't imagine that a law suit will be any less frustrating...
It's a nice idea; and while I don't know where you come from, over here in the UK those who don't vote are considered to be, rather than lazy/disinterested/unimpressed, content with the currently-elected party. So unfortunately if we don't explicitly vote contrary to the current party we're presumed to have voted for it.
I'm not sure this is entirely fair, but I guess you can see why the (I want to say 'ruling party,' but I'm not sure that's entirely correct) party-in-power doesn't want to change it.
You must be new here...
Yeah, I saw your user-id...it's just I've been wanting to use that meme myself for so long...Since I was a little boy...
Somebody hacked a trucker? Holy hell...I hope never to see that one documented Hackaday.
I don't know; it'd be easy to say that open source != free, but that'd be both glib, redundant and not answering the question I guess. Perhaps there's the wages/salary/remuneration for the developers or maybe there's some resources need paying for? Whether a CVS repository server or some licensing fees to access...something or other?
I don't know what the trouble is with the 'myminicity' thing, so I'll just comment on the synopsis.
It has to be noted that since much data these days appears to be stored unencrypted, or removed from the premises by 'interns,' that much of the populace is 'one step ahead.' The advantage the bad guys have, beyond institutional stupidity and negligence, is that there's so many of them willing to exchange the data once acquired.
yeah that's happened. This is only the most recent example I could think of: Will Smith angry over Hitler comment....
So...you skip the quotes in the articles? You wouldn't be interested if the person quoted posted a rebuttal to their own quote? Whether to say they were misquoted, misattributed or misinterpreted? How about if they wanted to add a more thorough analysis to expand upon the soundbite that the journalist used?
I don't use Google as a news source that often, preferring instead the BBC but if they were to adopt this idea then I'd be more than happy to see, and read, an extended analysis of the reported stories. But...you wouldn't?
Why?
Yes.
You know, I've thought that for the longest time...
You say 'subvert,' I suggest 'revise.' If a large portion of a community disregards the copyright laws as currently written, does that imply that a large portion of a community needs to be punished/made to pay, or that the copyright laws need to be re-written?
...that now we have a material to help reduce casualties from explosive force, bullets and shrapnel, how long will it be 'til our own agencies devise means to negate its defensive potential in order to increase the potential damage inflicted on the opposing force.
So...wouldn't that also lead to the removal, or at least qualification, of the '...recommends Windows $model'?
While I accept that there are situations and needs better addressed by Vista as opposed to XP (accept but can't think of one, but that's more my lack of familiarity with Vista than any objection to it for its own sake), but if that's the case why not simply go with '...recommends Windows'?
At least then they can support the claim by showing their list of installed-OS options.
I hadn't thought about that; me and my amnesia...incidentally if I was able to mod you '+1, insightful' I so would.
So the news is that a company selling computers is selling something that the consumer's been asking for? Who'd've thought it? While I'm glad that another company, following Dell and some others, has bucked the Microsoft line, I'm not sure that it's particularly astounding.
On the other hand though, kudos to them for doing so. Now if only they'd lose the '$Company recommends Windows Vista $model' branding I'd be even more impressed. Why claim to recommend something that you fairly obviously don't? I'm aware that there are provisos from Microsoft for supplying lower-cost OEM software to these companies but, surely, at some point the marketing/PR departments are going to realise that trying to play on both sides of a particular game isn't going to look too good for them?
Ah, me and my optimism...
I'm not a citizen of the U.S. so I'm not sure, but I think that was one of the reasons you guys (and gals) collectively retain/fight to retain the right to bear arms, that you can effect a change of government or its policies.
Obviously I'd have to suggest that you first petition your senators and representatives (using letters, email or money; whichever you think best)but, ultimately, and this seems true of Britain too, it seems that the Government stopped listening quite some time ago.
Now, if only I had the cojones to stage a revolution...
Hmm, that sounds great in theory. The problem comes when the better-represented party, rather than the party in the right, wins. Not that I disagree that an organisation pursuing frivolous lawsuits should foot the cost of those lawsuits when they're found wanting for whatever reason, but neither system is perfect.
On the other hand the only trial of multinational-vs-regular folks I could think of, outside the RIAA/MPAA/IFPI etc sphere, was the 'McLibel' case. In which the defendants won. Despite the litigious might of McDonalds. So I might've shot myself in the foot...oops.
Why? I can't see a point of contention; yes, Google's videotaping/photographing documentary footage for inclusion on its website, in order to show that "this is what 'here' looks like," but what's the problem with that? Presumably anything occurring in the public setting has no reasonable expectation of privacy. On the (presumably) rare occasions that a Google-Cam documents something through a window that should have an expectation of privacy I seem to recall reading that they obscure or block said footage. Though I have no real knowledge as to the truth of that, nor can I find the original article, or I'd link to it.
Yeah, but this is Slashdot, and it's a Microsoft OS. You can't just focus on the stuff it gets right; we want to hear about the cons too...
I think you meant to say 'gnifty.'