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9076

General Software Discussion / Re: Apple, you win: we're pulling out of the App Store (Appsfire)

« Last post by 40hz on June 10, 2010, 12:57 PM »

^If they're Apple Developers, they know very well that Apple rarely responds to criticism -and does not respond to threats at all. Especially from their 'partners.'

Besides, how can you possibly shame something ad shameless as Apple and Steve Jobs? Their only response to criticism (when they respond at all) has been to play the victim and accuse their critics of "not getting it." Translated into English, that means "you're stupid."

But most times they don't even do that much. Apple's usual responses are character assasination, sarcasm, and snide remarks intended to amuse their fanboys.  

I think the posting was just a statement of genuine frustration and an attempt to keep their customers updated on why the new version has been stalled.  

9077

General Software Discussion / Re: Want to build a new OS today? It's going to cost you $1.4bn (or more)

« Last post by 40hz on June 10, 2010, 12:07 AM »

I also think it would depend on what you would want the OS to do. But it does seem that so much of the innovation in the last ten years -- mobile, embedded, server, appliance -- starts with the kernel and peels off whatever is not needed. No need to reinvent the wheel, so to speak. Especially if it scales.

-zridling (June 09, 2010, 08:45 PM)

Thanks for pointing that out.

I try to be open minded about a lot of the criticism directed at Linux. But it's getting increasingly harder to remain civil while hearing people bashing a working system when they don't provide anything concrete to show how it could be done better. All I usually hear is how it "sucks" based on some pet theory or a design paradigm that's  found in an academic paper - and never anywhere else.

Real world software design and implementation is a very different beast than some pie-in-the-sky whitepaper or PhD thesis.

Look no further than Cobb's relational database model for one example. Most (and possibly every) relational database that has ever been coded deviates to a greater or lesser degree from Cobb's rules. But while these products may not have the mathematical "purity" of relational theory, they do work. And even Cobb has reluctantly admitted, in his more candid moments, that the additional complexity of implementing a fully "correct" relational database product would likely outweigh any benefits to be gained by doing so.

The general rule I was taught about software development budgets ran something like this:

For any non-trivial software development effort:

• The first 90% of the project will consume 90% of the available time and budget.
• The final 10% of the project will consume an additional 90% of the original allocated time and budget.

And while it's probably not a good idea to generalize, I have rarely seen major software projects where that wasn't the case. Especially if they were system-level development projects.

So what I would politely like to ask all the Linux trolls out there is this:

Next time you feel the need to bash the work of others, could you at least have the decency to show us some code you've written (and are willing to contribute) that does anything better than what's currently being used?

Because until you do, it's a little hard for those of us in the Linux world to see such comments as being anything other than "brag and bounce."

And we can scoop that substance off a stable floor anytime we have a craving.

Submitting a correction or a replacement piece of code garners more credibility, and yields more benefit to everyone than sniping ever will.

Remember: De nihilo nihil... as one wise Roman so aptly observed.

9078

Living Room / Re: Is a college education worth the money?

« Last post by 40hz on June 09, 2010, 06:26 PM »

^Too true. I didn't apply to Harvard because I just assumed I couldn't afford it. Then in my junior year I ran into people I knew who had less money than me or my family that were going there. That's when I found out that most of the student body was receiving some kind of financial assistance. The school had a policy of not letting lack of money prevent a student from completing a degree. The trick was to get a year in and then claim hardship.

It's also important to know (I didn't BTW) that the better and more expensive the school, the greater the number of scholarships and other assistance available. Everybody loves a name and a winner, so when Joe Millions makes a major endowment, he makes it to one if the schools everybody's heard of rather than that small, struggling, but very good college you're thinking of settling on.

SB speaks a major truth. You may not get everything you ask for. But you're certainly not going to get more than you ask for either. What you ask for sets the maximum limit for what you'll be offered. Since you'll usually receive less than you request, don't make the mistake of setting the upper limit too low. That's a lesson I learned far too late to benefit from when I needed it most.    

So dream big - and ask for it all. The worst thing that can happen is they'll say "no."

9079

General Software Discussion / Re: Audio editor better than Audacity?

« Last post by 40hz on June 09, 2010, 05:05 PM »

^Still is. But at $500, it damn well better be. Especially with so many capable and lower priced (or free) alternatives available from everyone including SONY.

Let us know how you make out and what you ultimately select?

Ciao!
 

9080

Living Room / Re: U.S. Intelligence Analyst Arrested in Wikileaks Video Probe

« Last post by 40hz on June 09, 2010, 02:30 PM »

@Josh - hear ya!

Part of the problem with this discussion is that it's branched into four separate but interwoven topics. First, we have the incident of several unfortunate civilian deaths due to actions by US military personnel. Next is the case of a US serviceman who probably pulled one of the more boneheaded and irresponsible acts of the last 6 months. Third is the issue of what constitutes necessary and justifiable government regulations regarding secrecy and security. And last is the whole whistle-blower issue.

I think it's safe to say that most of us would agree:

• Governments have a genuine need to keep certain things secret.
• Most responsible people can understand and accept that necessity.
• Laws have been passed that allow the government to protect information that should be kept secret.
• Such laws should generally be respected and obeyed.
• Governmental secrecy is invoked, on occasion, for less than noble or legal purposes.
• Because of this potential for abuse, oversight and regulation of clandestine activities is essential in order to safeguard the rule of law.
• In reality, the oversight and regulation of clandestine activities is only as real as those who are being regulated will allow it to be.
• Courts usually defer to the Executive on matters of security.
• Some people feel compelled to come forward when they become cognizant of abuse of powers or other illegal activity on the part of government agencies and personnel.
• Whistle-blower laws have been enacted to encourage them to do so - and to protect them from retaliation when they do.
• The protection clauses of such laws are generally ineffective in preventing or punishing retaliation against whistle-blowers.

Which brings us back to SPC Bradley Manning...

On the topic of him, I think it's safe to say:

• He is most definitely not what anyone would consider a whistle-blower.
• He acted in an extremely reckless manner.
• He broke the law and violated his oath as a serviceman.
• He will likely get his head handed to him following his court martial.

Did I miss anything?

9081

General Software Discussion / Re: Audio editor better than Audacity?

« Last post by 40hz on June 09, 2010, 01:36 PM »

I've been generally happy with Wavosaur

It supports VST plugins and has ASIO support - both of which are major pluses for me.

There's a pretty comprehensive list of free audio editors that can be found here courtesy of Hongkiat.com  

Take a peek. There's bound to be something that you'll like.

Another good choice is Sound Forge Audio Studio by SONY. Info and full details here.

You can get it for about $65 USD - or as part of the Imagination Studio Suite 2 for about $150. The Creative Suite offers a huge amount of bang for the buck. Of especial interest for musicians is Acid, which is SONY's loop-based composition tool. Check out the details on that here.

Luck!

9082

Living Room / Re: U.S. Intelligence Analyst Arrested in Wikileaks Video Probe

« Last post by 40hz on June 09, 2010, 01:12 PM »

Security through obscurity...

-wraith808 (June 09, 2010, 12:53 PM)

And the natural human tendency not to want to walk around with a sign that reads: This Joker Knows Something They Don't Want You to Know - Grab Him!

 

9083

Living Room / Re: U.S. Intelligence Analyst Arrested in Wikileaks Video Probe

« Last post by 40hz on June 09, 2010, 12:33 PM »

^Probably not.

It's generally understood you don't publically talk about having (or having had) security clearance. And most access to classfied information is also subject to non-disclosure agreements that remain in effect permanently. The stricter NDAs often forbid you to even admit you have any knowledge of what the NDA covers.

Edit: corrected and shortened a really convoluted sentence. Sorry..

9084

Living Room / Re: U.S. Intelligence Analyst Arrested in Wikileaks Video Probe

« Last post by 40hz on June 09, 2010, 10:51 AM »

There should be some process (which I think there is) for shedding light on classified documents.  Someone with the classification to see them that these things can be reported to.  And I think that does exist (especially in this age of senate oversight).

-wraith808 (June 09, 2010, 10:33 AM)

It does exist. And I've been told by people I know (who work for members of Congress) that "oversight" is pretty a much a joke, along with FOI in general. Some oversight committees aren't even allowed to see some of the things they're supposed to be keeping an eye on due to concerns about "security."

For the most part openness only exists to the extent the current Executive Branch is willing to let it exist. And the courts have been very lenient in granting the Executive very broad and subjective authority to decide what should be considered classified. So don't expect much sympathy from them.

The other point that needs to b remembered is that most whistle-blowers (rather than this Army guy) reporteded their discoveries to the "appropriate authorities" first. The actual whistle-blowing only occurred after repeated attempts to bring the problem to their superiors and the authorities attention either resulted in no action - or far more often, blatant retaliation from the parties being accused.

Many a whistle-blower has stated they only "went public" in order to protect themselves when it became obvious that nothing was going to be done other than to get rid of them for speaking up.

As I previously said, there's a big difference between what the law says and what the law allows.

 

9085

General Software Discussion / Re: Detecting potential security risks in your installed software - Secunia PSI

« Last post by 40hz on June 09, 2010, 10:26 AM »

@IainB - Terrific recommendation!

+1. Excellent utility. Big fav of mine. It's been around for a while now. And each update has only made it better. I'm surprised more people don't know about or use Secunia PSI.

The only thing you may want to do is turn off the autostart feature and run it as an on-demand application. If you scan your PC regularly with PSI, there's really no need to keep it constantly active in the background. On some older or underpowered machines it can cause minor stability/performance issues.

9086

Living Room / Re: More anti-apple fodder

« Last post by 40hz on June 09, 2010, 10:11 AM »

Has the world passed the office suite by? Office 2010 is coming soon and Microsoft can't buy a story on it.

-zridling (June 08, 2010, 03:13 PM)

Maybe they can't buy press coverage. But they will give you this 202 page e-book for free.



Info and download here.

 

9087

Living Room / Re: Is a college education worth the money?

« Last post by 40hz on June 09, 2010, 09:17 AM »

The name means a lot, I hate to admit.

-superboyac (June 09, 2010, 08:56 AM)

School name means about 20-25% more in your starting salary offer last I heard.

When I graduated, having one got me hired (in a tight job market) by a Fortune 500 company after a twenty minute token interview. The interviewer even said "Oh, you went to ____? Well, we can skip the academic questions then. ______ graduates know their stuff. We hire a lot of them."

So much for "It doesn't matter where you go to college." right?

 

9088

General Software Discussion / Re: Want to build a new OS today? It's going to cost you $1.4bn (or more)

« Last post by 40hz on June 09, 2010, 08:28 AM »

I want a copy of that poster! 

-40hz (June 09, 2010, 07:45 AM)

-then read the next lines from your link...

If the DIY approach is too daunting, Linuxcare will be printing a run of posters at 120cmx168cm (about 4' x 5'8") for sale. If you are interested, send us mail.

A preview version was also sent to Everything Linux in Australia, so they may have them available for sale soon, too.

-Curt (June 09, 2010, 08:25 AM)

I did.

I was sharing.

9089

General Software Discussion / Re: Want to build a new OS today? It's going to cost you $1.4bn (or more)

« Last post by 40hz on June 09, 2010, 08:24 AM »

^Better something workable today than something perfect never.

Gerry Weinberg said it best: Things are the way they are because they got to be that way.

Torvalds didn't set out to change the world, or prove anything, when he wrote his first minix-based kernal. He wrote the system he could write. And everything followed from that.

Anybody could have changed the roadmap of Linux at any time by just going back and rewriting that kernal "properly."

But they didn't. They took what they were given and built upon it.

Linux isn't really a designed system. You can't design in a group because a true design is the result of one person's vision and thinking. GNU/Linux is an evolving and emergent OS. It uses a Darwinian model of successive refinement and improvement. Those parts of it which work the best (or are hardest to replace) are what survives.

Not terribly efficient or pretty. There's always bloodshed where Darwin's "survival of the fittest" holds sway.

But it does work.

And, like life, it often produces some truly beautiful offspring.

 

9090

Living Room / Re: U.S. Intelligence Analyst Arrested in Wikileaks Video Probe

« Last post by 40hz on June 09, 2010, 08:06 AM »

Unfortunately you are right, 40hz.

-bgd77 (June 09, 2010, 07:52 AM)

I hate it when that happens.

9091

General Software Discussion / Re: PikyBasket replaced by Copywhiz

« Last post by 40hz on June 09, 2010, 08:02 AM »

NoteZilla. NoteZilla is a true, bonafide killer of a program; the best sticky notes program on the market IMO.

-J-Mac (June 09, 2010, 01:48 AM)

I tried Notezilla. While it was a very nice app, I couldn't see enough benefit in its feature list to justify spending $29 when there were so many good alternatives available.

Maybe I'd feel differently if it contained a feature I absolutely had to have. But from my perspective, Notezilla was just one more nicely executed sticky-note app.

Just my 2¢

9092

General Software Discussion / Re: Want to build a new OS today? It's going to cost you $1.4bn (or more)

« Last post by 40hz on June 09, 2010, 07:45 AM »

I want a copy of that poster!  

9093

Living Room / Re: Reasons to be Afraid of Driving in China

« Last post by 40hz on June 09, 2010, 07:41 AM »

The other scary thing about driving in China is that you're in China. 

9094

Living Room / Re: U.S. Intelligence Analyst Arrested in Wikileaks Video Probe

« Last post by 40hz on June 09, 2010, 07:38 AM »

^ It is the law in the USA.

However, there's a big difference between what the law says and what the law allows. Most whistle-blowers lose their jobs. Getting blackballed in industry or government is also very common.

If you take a look at cases involving the federal government or major corporations, in almost every instance the whistle-blower suffered retaliation in direct defiance of laws prohibiting such actions. And in almost every instance, that retaliation went unpunished.

Despite what general public may say, it would appear the old adage remains true: Nobody likes a snitch.

9095

Living Room / Re: U.S. Intelligence Analyst Arrested in Wikileaks Video Probe

« Last post by 40hz on June 08, 2010, 04:34 PM »

^No argument there.

I've read that little pamphlet they used to give you when you got your security 'clearance.'. It was called something like "Your Duty" It had the relevant parts of the U.S. Code along with the penalties for violating it spelled out pretty clearly. Scary book.

Like the song says:

"Moonlight and bars, my friends. Moonlight and bars."    

9096

General Software Discussion / Re: Specs for new pc?

« Last post by 40hz on June 08, 2010, 03:33 PM »

I started making unattended install disks with HSLIP out of a desire to have one of those recovery disks the box store people had that would install my core list of apps instead of a bunch of things I don't need.

-daddydave (June 08, 2010, 08:25 AM)

Unless I'm configuring multiples, I just do a clean install with all current updates. After that I tweak the appearance, settings, and menus just the way I like them. I've done it so many times I can almost do it in my sleep. It takes about ten minutes on a bad day.

Then I just take an image of the drive, label it GENESIS{DATE} and call it a day.

As long as I have that DVD, I can get back to right where I was when I first set it up.

I don't bother with apps since my list of favs is subject to change and updated constantly. Ninite takes care of installing the usual suspects quite easily. I also use Ketarin to keep my current preferred app installers folder up to date.

For post-GENESIS Windows 7 updates, I find AutoPatcher to be a major time saver. Info and link to download here.

 

9097

Living Room / Re: Death and the net: How to log off gracefully for the very last time

« Last post by 40hz on June 08, 2010, 03:02 PM »

I'm neither that organized nor important.

When I die, I think I'll just stop posting.

------------
P.S. Good set of links. Seriously.

One anomaly however. When I tried LastMail's website I got this:

9098

Living Room / Re: U.S. Intelligence Analyst Arrested in Wikileaks Video Probe

« Last post by 40hz on June 08, 2010, 02:42 PM »

Unfortunately, starting with Richard Nixon, there has been an ever increasing tendency to equate "issues of national security" with what can more accurately and honestly be described as "incidents embarassing to the current administration."

But even as a whistle-blower, his overall behavior was way over the top. Leaking that video might have been one thing. But releasing classified diplomatic communications is another.

Either way, this kid made several very stupid moves regardless of what his motivations or intentions might have been. And every serviceperson knows the UCMJ doesn't make too many allowances for intention.    

Hope he enjoys looking at moonlight through steel bars...

(Assuming they even have windows where he's heading.)  


 

9099

General Software Discussion / Re: Specs for new pc?

« Last post by 40hz on June 08, 2010, 06:51 AM »

Actually I don't. Surely the easiest way to get rid of crapware is not to install it in the first place, is it not?

-daddydave (June 08, 2010, 04:59 AM)

True. But there's always free tools like PC Decrapifier for situations where a machine is loaded with as much junk as you can shake a stick at. This utility has made getting rid of junk so easy that even a relative neophyte could handle it.

So yes, while it's better not to have it on your box in the first place, it's still no big deal to get rid of.

I haven't had an issue with drivers having to be installed in the correct sequence since Windows 98 at the latest.

-daddydave (June 08, 2010, 04:59 AM)

Depends on what you're building. Today it's more about hassles with BIOS updates rather than driver issues. So yes, you won't encounter driver installation sequence issues too much any more. But it still does rear it's ugly head from time to time.

What recovery software are you referring to?

-daddydave (June 08, 2010, 04:59 AM)

Anything that allows you to make your own disk image recovery set. Macrium Reflect is an excellent choice for Windows machines.

I really like Macrium. They even use the word "whilst" on their website.

Clonezilla will do the same (plus a whole lot more) for for any OS, including Windows.

There's a DC thread running on this topic over here.

Also I don't have a lot of experience with choosing a vendor that bundles the fewest unwanted apps, but I do have a lot of experience installing and tweaking Windows from a bare install. A lot of it is about leveraging existing skill sets.

But I agree with a lot of what you say, nowadays it is not so much saving money or time as having control.

-daddydave (June 08, 2010, 04:59 AM)

Agree. Mostly. But as I get older, I'm finding (for me) it is more about saving time. More about getting it done correctly with the least amount of unnecessary effort.

But I do this for a living. And I've been doing it for a loooong time! My first PC (not my first computer) was an IBM PC-XT with dual 5-1/4" floppy drives. So maybe I'm just getting a tad bit lazy about Windows machines now that I'm in my dotage. After you build better than a hundred and configure/tweak more than a few thousand machines, anything is likely to stop being as much fun as it used to.

Fortunately for me, the thrill is not completely gone. Thank heavens for Linux and BSD!  

Luck with your build.

9100

Living Room / Re: The Ever-Evolving Question of Privacy

« Last post by 40hz on June 07, 2010, 06:41 PM »

In 1911, Ambrose Bierce published his classic book: The Devil's Dictionary.

LIBERTY, n.
    
One of Imagination's most precious possessions.

FREEDOM, n.

1. Exemption from the stress of authority in a beggarly half dozen of restraint's infinite multitude of methods.

2. A political condition that every nation supposes itself to enjoy in virtual monopoly.

see Liberty. The distinction between freedom and liberty is not accurately known; naturalists have never been able to find a living specimen of either.

I think Bierce might have been on to something.