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6801

General Software Discussion / Re: Fairware: an interesting experiment in getting paid for Open Source

« Last post by 40hz on October 12, 2011, 10:22 PM »

. Lastly, I am saddened to see that the concept behind this site, which both WORKED, and has GENERATED GREAT REVENUE, is now being relegated to the 'gray areas' as boundaries are pushed back and ethical tolerances lowered.

-db90h (October 12, 2011, 07:29 PM)

?????

I'm afraid you've lost me there. Could you maybe elaborate a bit more on that point? Because I'm confused about exactky what's being said. 

6802

Living Room / Re: Steve Jobs is dead.

« Last post by 40hz on October 12, 2011, 06:11 PM »

6803

General Software Discussion / Re: SoftMaker Office 2012 BETA testing

« Last post by 40hz on October 12, 2011, 06:08 PM »

@Curt - Since I've recently begun making a concerted effort to walk away from as much of Microsoft as I possibly can, I'm gonna give it a shot. Thx for the heads up!

6804

General Software Discussion / Re: Fairware: an interesting experiment in getting paid for Open Source

« Last post by 40hz on October 12, 2011, 01:03 PM »

It might be worth watching this presentation by Bryan Lunduke. Bryan is a FOSS/Linux advocate and a software developer (Radical Breeze Software) who addresses several of the issues surrounding Linux and offers some suggestions about how to fix them based on reality rather than wishful thinking or philosophizing. (Hint: we need to seriously start thinking about paying for things we use if we want them to continue being developed.)

The presentation is entitled: Why Linux Sucks (Less Than Before):

We all love Linux but, let's be honest, sometimes Linux just plain sucks. We'll take a look at the current crop of issues that drive us crazy, along with the recent changes (from new Desktop Environments to Software Stores) that are making Linux both suck less... and more. And, of course, we'll dive in to exactly what we can do to make Desktop Linux better over the next year. Presented by: Bryan Lunduke

A lot of what's in this presentation touches on the much broader topic of independent software development so it's well worth a watch even if you have no interest in Linux.

Note: the presentation is best viewed in its entirety, but you can move forward to the 22 minute mark if you want to get to where software development takes center stage . Bryan makes a hard case for why the current open source development model fails when it comes to some important categories of software. He then suggests ways to start looking outside one box FOSS seems to have put itself into.

But enough from me. Listen to it from someone who knows because he does.

Check it out below:

WARNING: Some of what Bryan suggests will be heresy to many die-hard RMS types. As a longtime FOSS/GNU/Linux advocate myself, I can only say: So be it!

6805

General Software Discussion / Re: Dart Programming Language

« Last post by 40hz on October 12, 2011, 07:53 AM »

@Ren: FWIW when two people do that it's usually called "pillow talk." And a very high-level high-bandwidth language it is too! The user interface is pretty interesting too.

6806

General Software Discussion / Re: Dart Programming Language

« Last post by 40hz on October 12, 2011, 07:32 AM »

^True. But we're really not looking to learn anything new if possible. We're really trying to make up for shortcomings in what we already use.

What we really want is for someone to design a language whose internal logic and structure maps exactly to our own - and operates exactly the way we think a language should. And we continue to believe such a language is waiting out there... somewhere... somewhere... if only we can remain pure and strong in our belief. (Very often with a conviction bordering on mania if Ruby language forums are anything to go by!)

After that, who cares about everybody else or what "stupid language" those fools use? We have OUR language!
 

6807

General Software Discussion / Re: Dart Programming Language

« Last post by 40hz on October 12, 2011, 06:38 AM »

^hear ya! I've been saying the same thing for more years than some coders have been alive. 

Because that's exactly right. If they all compile down to that which actually gets run on a CPU, it shouldn't matter at all. Any functionally complete language should, by definition, be capable of doing what any other computer language does. 

Unfortunately, I think we've forgotten the primary reason why high and mid-level computer languages were created to begin with - which is for the convenience of the programmer.

Otherwise we'd do everything in assembler or machine code like some of the purists slowly sinking in the tar pits continue to argue for. 

6808

General Software Discussion / Re: What makes Neflix streaming tick?

« Last post by 40hz on October 11, 2011, 09:28 PM »

But it may be time to upgrade to the latest browser.

-techidave (October 11, 2011, 08:41 PM)

I just checked on this box I'm currently on. It's a  2.4Ghz P4 with 1.5Gb RAM running a fully updated copy of Win7Pro 32-bit. This is strictly an 'office productivity' machine. It only has a Gateway no-name video card. And this card gets a measly 1 from Win7's performance test. Not exactly a home media system with specs like that...

But....

The movie popped right open in FF 6.0.2 (w/most current Silverlight plug-in) and ran smoothly despite coming in on a "fair" connection through an 802.11G USB wireless NIC.

From this I get the feeling that whatever problem your friend is experiencing is definitely not hardware related since the above proves it doesn't take much in the way of hardware to get it to work.

I'd definitely go with app103's recommendation to verify that the Silverlight plugin (v4.0.60531.0/ May 30,2011) is installed. Then follow her other suggestions regarding security blockers and the firewall.

If it's still stalling after that I'd be very inclined to suspect the ISP is doing something to it.

Luck!

6809

General Software Discussion / Re: What makes Neflix streaming tick?

« Last post by 40hz on October 11, 2011, 08:31 PM »

Is his ISP blocking Netflix streams?

I don't think it's 100% dependent on MS Silverlight since I can watch Netflix streams on my iPhone. Yes, there's an app for that.

Oh yeah...real dumb question. He does have a stream subscription right? (I'm assuming he does since he already spoke to Netflix's support who would have told him if he didn't, correct?) A few months back Netflix unbundled streaming services from the standard DVD subscriptions. If you didn't switch over (or add it on to your old subscription for $8.99/mo.) you can no longer watch Netflix live.
 

6810

General Software Discussion / Re: EmEditor Core: Paid upgrades for licenses purchased on or after November 1, 2011

« Last post by 40hz on October 11, 2011, 04:01 PM »

The developers deserve a huge amount of praise for grandfathering in the previously registered owners prior to their change in upgrade policy.

Would that every developer acted as ethically towards their existing customer base. 

6811

Living Room / Re: App vendors discover a new way to abuse Windows

« Last post by 40hz on October 11, 2011, 01:10 PM »

@fenix -There was an issue with Google Desktop Search and the security issues it introduced. And some hassles with the wording of the GoogleDocs EULA which Google subsequently changed. ANd then there was the fracas over Omnibox retaining the IP addresses of searchers along with some information in their queries. (Turning off the autosuggest feature supposedly stopped it.)

But the only additional incident of outrage I'm aware of came up over some of the terms in the original EULA for Chrome back in 2008. Ars Technica did a writeup on it - read here.

Google on Chrome EULA controversy: our bad, we'll change it
By Nate Anderson | Published September 3, 2008 3:56 PM

Google's new web browser Chrome is fast, shiny, and requires users to sign their very lives over to Google before they can use it. Today's Internet outrage du jour has been Chrome's EULA, which appears to give Google a nonexclusive right to display and distribute every bit of content transmitted through the browser. Now, Google tells Ars that it's a mistake, the EULA will be corrected, and the correction will be retroactive.

As noted by an attorney at Tap the Hive and various and sundry other sites, the Chrome EULA reads like a lot of Google's other EULAs. It requires users to "give Google a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free, and nonexclusive license to reproduce, adapt, modify, translate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute any Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services."

"Services" seems like an odd way to describe a web browser, but the EULA makes clear that "Services" refers to "Google’s products, software, services and web sites." The EULA's indication that Google could republish anything even "displayed" in the browser sounded a tiny bit evil, even if Google might just be looking to stave off lawsuits.

Was that what you were thinking about?

6812

General Software Discussion / Re: Dart Programming Language

« Last post by 40hz on October 11, 2011, 12:11 PM »

This really has no productive value.

The days of "1 language" should be behind us. Microsoft is 1000% correct with the framework concept where languages become irrelevant. VB, C#, F#, C++, Python, Ruby, JS, whatever...

This just pisses me off because it's only one more show of idiocy when the problem has already been solved. MS solved it.

-Renegade (October 11, 2011, 11:47 AM)

Actually, it was "solved" by JPI back in the mid-80s.

The entire TopSpeed language line used a unified IDE and underlying set of libraries for all the languages it offered. It also allowed you to mix & match languages in a single project in order to leverage code you had already written or were more comfortable coding in. I was very partial to developing in Modula-2 (and later Clarion after their acquisition of JPI) back in my code-burner days.

from the The (very unofficial) History of JPI, Clarion and SoftVelocity...

Jensen & Partners International

JPI was created in 1986 by Niels Jensen.  Jensen had originally created Borland, and was the man responsible for Turbo Pascal. In the mid-1980's Jensen had an argument with Borland management, who wanted to buy in a C compiler from outside for their line of development tools.  Jensen wanted to write one of their own, and it was eventually this disagreement that resulted in him and his entire development team leaving Borland to set up their own company.  They based themselves in an attic office at 63 Clerkenwell Road in London, not far from Farringdon station.  A sales office was established in Bedford, then later in Harpenden.

Jensen and his team produced a new range of compilers, trademarked TopSpeed.  The TopSpeed compilers were available in 4 languages - Modula-2, Pascal, C and C++.  The Pascal compiler was the worst in the product line, and never really competed with Borland's Turbo Pascal.  The Modula-2 compiler was the best, but faced the problem that Modula-2 was really only used in academic institutions and never had as much commercial success as other languages.  (JPI did announce that they intended to produce an Ada compiler, but it never happened).

All through the 80's JPI fought a losing battle against the other vendors.  In compiler comparisons they received good reviews, but never seemed to break through to the big time. Although the products were technically competent and produced fast, small code it didn't help.  Their Windows and OS/2 development tools were always slightly behind the times and not as intuitive to use as other tools of the era.

Credit where credit is due even if JPI has since faded into memory. 

6813

General Software Discussion / Re: Dart Programming Language

« Last post by 40hz on October 11, 2011, 09:49 AM »

All Google would need to do is build Dart support into Chrome and it would get immediate traction. If Dart lives up to expectations I'm guessing they probably will assuming they don't have it in beta already.
 

6814

General Software Discussion / Re: Dart Programming Language

« Last post by 40hz on October 11, 2011, 09:27 AM »

I'm still looking for a nice meaty paper talking about the why of Dart and how it compares to js.  The language spec doesn't help much and the online "articles" are not quite substantial enough.

-mouser (October 11, 2011, 09:13 AM)

+1. It's hard to justify the investment in time coming up to speed on a new language without some compelling technical reason to do so. Especially when there's enough "good enough" languages out there that offer better employment opportunities.

One thing Steve Jobs instinctively understood: It's not enough to be better. It has to be "insanely great" if your idea is bucking established products and standards. On this particular point I think he was 100% correct.

Right now JS, Python, and all the other web tools are good enough that I don't see anything in Dart that's promising enough return that I'd want to commit a large or production-level project to it.

I'm going to do a 'wait & see' on this one.  

6815

Living Room / Re: Cute jokes' thread

« Last post by 40hz on October 11, 2011, 08:46 AM »

6816

General Software Discussion / Re: Dart Programming Language

« Last post by 40hz on October 11, 2011, 08:38 AM »

There's a small intro to Dart available for download here if anyone's interested.  

The 78-page language spec in PDF format can be found here.



Q: Does anybody know what license Dart is being released under?

6817

Living Room / Re: OK - lets get to know each other... who are you, what do you do, where from?

« Last post by 40hz on October 11, 2011, 01:32 AM »

Hi, My name is Rosa Taylor

-taylorR (October 11, 2011, 12:34 AM)

Hello Rosa. Welcome to Donation Coder!

6818

Developer's Corner / Re: Windows 8 from a Developer's Perspective Post-BUILD

« Last post by 40hz on October 11, 2011, 01:17 AM »

^ Ummm... what does this have to do with the thread?  I was hoping to keep this separate from the other more general Windows 8 thread, and get more to what it means from a developer's perspective...?

-wraith808 (October 10, 2011, 07:10 PM)

I don't think it's possible (or advisable) to completely divorce any technology - especially computing technology - from the social context it will be working in. I say that because most technologies we're using (or developing for) are not being driven by technical merit or engineering considerations, but rather by politics and legal maneuvering. And this is a harsh reality that won't go away any time soon.

Windows is NOT just an operating system. It's a factor in human society that dictates much of how things get done. And to a certain extent, much like like Tron's Master Control Program it also defines the scope of what it is possible to do.

That's why as significant a change as Metro (and the way Microsoft intends to license and control it) has to be taken into consideration in any technical discussion. As does the actions of governments in response to these technologies.

Think of it like firearms. If you're a manufacturer, a seller, or an owner of guns, you'll soon discover that your involvement with  something as simple (from an engineering perspective) as a gun has ramifications which go far beyond what is necessary for a device that shoots bullets. These ramifications can take the form of regulations (i.e. registration or licensing requirements; restrictions on sales, ownership, or concealment; etc.) or actual physical modifications (i.e. mandatory inclusion of trigger guards and safeties; maximum magazine capacity; minimum barrel length, etc.) of the product itself.

Nor is this a farfetched analogy. There are categories of software that have been classified as munitions and restricted for export under US law.

So while I agree that we shouldn't get overly bogged down in all the the "social" stuff and nonsense surrounding Windows 8, I still don't think we should completely ignore it or gloss it over.

Especially since we are discussion this from a developer's perspective.

6819

General Software Discussion / Re: cloud processing for end users - when? already?

« Last post by 40hz on October 11, 2011, 12:49 AM »

What you're describing sounds very much like something David Gerlernter discussed in his book Mirror Worlds.

Gerlernter proposed a mechanism whereby all the computing power on a given network could be harnessed as a sort of distributed supercomputer. This anticipated the now common notion of clustering.



This was taken beyond a theoretical proposal when Gerlernter developed a "coordination" language that was called Linda to accomplish exactly that. There's a NYT article entitled David Gelernter's Romance With Linda that discusses what Linda brings to the table:

<<Edit: items quoted from NYT removed by 40hz. Use above link to read article.>>

What made Linda different from basic clustering (and far more interesting) was that each member of the Linda assemblage could 'negotiate' processing availability or demand with other devices on the network rather than have it statically assigned by a human scheduler. As Gerlernter characterized it, you just toss your problem to Linda, and Linda figures out how best to run it based on what else she currently has on her plate resource-wise.

Does this sound something like what you're talking about?  

6820

Developer's Corner / Re: Windows 8 from a Developer's Perspective Post-BUILD

« Last post by 40hz on October 10, 2011, 04:24 PM »

^I fervently hope so.  I just wonder if governments can resist the siren song of all the opportunities this new vision offers for control and survelliance of the general population. Especially now that so many legislators are beginning to wonder if this technology is a little too powerful to continue to be allowed into the hands of it's citizens without some overarching technology in place to monitor and, if necessary, intervene.  

6821

Living Room / Re: Steve Jobs is dead.

« Last post by 40hz on October 10, 2011, 04:22 PM »

Those advanced features have not been implemented in the current version of 40hz.

-40hz (October 10, 2011, 03:32 PM)

Oh, it's not a feature you need to be upgraded with... it's a feature you temporarily install in your subject

-f0dder (October 10, 2011, 03:55 PM)

Scop? No way.... This is America! Why take all the fun out of waterboarding?

-40hz (October 10, 2011, 04:01 PM)

One doesn't rule out the other - it IS America, after all, isn't it?

-f0dder (October 10, 2011, 04:08 PM)

Dismally true I'm afraid.

(well played!)

6822

Living Room / Re: Steve Jobs is dead.

« Last post by 40hz on October 10, 2011, 04:01 PM »

Those advanced features have not been implemented in the current version of 40hz.

-40hz (October 10, 2011, 03:32 PM)

Oh, it's not a feature you need to be upgraded with... it's a feature you temporarily install in your subject

-f0dder (October 10, 2011, 03:55 PM)

Scop? No way.... This is America! Why take all the fun out of waterboarding?

6823

General Software Discussion / Re: cloud processing for end users - when? already?

« Last post by 40hz on October 10, 2011, 03:45 PM »

And a system could perhaps be built so that the local computer only uploads obfuscated calculation tasks to the cloud. Then the cloud processing service can sincerely say that they can't know or control what the processing is for.

-Nod5 (October 10, 2011, 02:18 PM)

Don't know where you are, but where I sit the law is pretty definite that you won't automatically be held (criminally) liable for something if you were innocently unaware of it. (Intent is a major factor in criminal proceedings after all.) But that's not an absolute rule.  And you are also not allowed to create a deliberate blind spot and then use that as your defense against being charged as an accessory to a criminal act.

The simple fact you were deliberately obfuscating data streams would be enough to convince the average judge you were attempting to evade responsibility and culpability by use of a technical dodge. That alone could make you open to prosecution for a variety of "conspiracy to commit" charges - even in the absence of a real violation.

In short: No dice!  

6824

Living Room / Re: Steve Jobs is dead.

« Last post by 40hz on October 10, 2011, 03:32 PM »

Maybe it's ironic, or maybe it was purposeful malicious deception from day one.

-Eóin (October 10, 2011, 02:21 PM)

The only way to come up with a definite answer to that would be to read someone's mind or see into their soul.

Those advanced features have not been implemented in the current version of 40hz.

6825

Developer's Corner / Re: Windows 8 from a Developer's Perspective Post-BUILD

« Last post by 40hz on October 10, 2011, 03:26 PM »

I was under the impression that the current Win8 preview only really previews the Metro bit and that the desktop environment hasn't really been modified to reflect cplans YET?

-Carol Haynes (October 10, 2011, 03:07 PM)

Hard to tell at this point. A lot of chaff is mixed in with what wheat there is.

As it stands so  far however, it looks like there will be two entirely different user spaces on Win 8. And AFAICT there doesn't seem to be any way to communicate or share between them without going to the cloud or some other intermediary networked staging space.  The problem is that most sysadmins, power users, and devs realize this isn't a situation that can be allowed to continue indefinitely. So once something has to be let go, which will it be: Metro or desktop?

Most people are betting it's the desktop that Microsoft ultimately plans on kicking to the curb.  Add on the potential for locking down hardware to a specific computing platform and it gets even more alarming. It will be Apple all over - except this time it will affect a far large user base than Apple's little game preserve.

And I wouldn't count on government intervention or oversight to prevent or even moderate this trend in desktop computing.