So, here's a story about an idiot who knows nothing about Linux. It's from digg.
Apparently the guy thinks that Linux can't run without Windows, and is apparently some kind of Microsoft Office replacement... yeah. Some say it's only a joke. I hope so. If not, it's hard to believe that there are people in this world so stupid and so unaware.
Well, it's more about MOO, actually, but it's all the same. It's called "My Tiny Life," about a man's experiences and the life lessons he learned on LambdaMOO. As a MUD fan myself, I had to pick up a copy. You can buy the paperback edition, or just download the PDF version for free.
Cool stuff. I've read a little bit already, though I have quite a few other books to read recently. Looks like an awesome book, though, for those of us who have experience in the Multi-User Dimension. I think it will also be good for those who know nothing of MUD to understand it better.
...in the form of Cinematic Titanic.
Instead of in space, they're underwater, but they still make fun of terrible movies in a terribly funny way. Best of all, the original cast of MST3K (including Joel) are all back for it. Awesome.
An interesting post in dmiessler's blog:
All about driving with cell phones. The laws are getting more stringent on them, so hands-free phones are getting more popular. Some say that they are just as much of a distraction. Mr. Miessler argues that it's no different than talking to someone sitting next to you in the car. Others argue that it really is different. Interesting stuff. Read the post, and make sure to read the comments.
(As an aside, one reason I enjoy dmiessler's blog is for the very intelligent and well thought-out comments, besides the well written posts by Mr. Miessler himself.)
I get really tired of reading things about the RIAA and MPAA and piracy and everything. I find both associations extremely annoying, and unnecessary. Unfortunately, I enjoy reading boingboing, and Cory Doctorow is one of the foremost anti-copyright bloggers, so I kind of have to read about it from time to time. I don't enjoy writing about this, either, but there was a quote that really irked me.
Cory posted a short quote from a fairly long article. I haven't read the whole thing, but I probably should. The last part of this quote, however, is what really irked me:
"This is not Napster," says Harvey Weinstein, the movie mogul who heads the Weinstein Co., a MediaDefender client. "Online piracy has got to be stopped. The biggest spear in the neck of the pirates will be (a) being vigilant, (b) prosecuting, and (c) in a way, making fun of them, finding a way to say, 'That's not cool -- that's anything but cool.' If you had people who the young people respect in this industry -- Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Shia LaBeouf -- these guys did public service announcements that said, 'Don't steal, stealing's not cool,' I think you can go a long way toward stopping this." Weinstein says that if Democrats maintain control of Congress and gain the White House, he'll flex whatever political muscle he has acquired by being a major donor to achieve one thing: "Tougher, more stringent piracy laws." Does he see any use for P2P systems? "No."
Anyone who uses computers knows that P2P systems are mainly used for music, movies, and software piracy. However, anyone who knows a bit about the systems knows that the technology behind it is quite amazing. My personal favorite, which may or may not technically be considered a P2P system, is Bittorrent. The technology behind is awesome, and it's extremely useful for sending large files. While it's often used for piracy, it has many other practical uses. I don't have to look far for one of them (Overclocked Remix).
Now, I can only assume that anyone who thinks P2P systems have no use at all obviously knows nothing about technology. That right there is what really irks me. Why are the people who know nothing about technology the people who are filing lawsuits and making laws about it? Why are the people who have all the political and economical power over these things the ones who have no knowledge of how any of it works? Either they need to learn, or the people who actually do know should be the ones in high positions.