Operating Systems Are Irrelevant 811
zincks writes "David Gelernter (Yale Professor of Computer Science, and Unabomber target) has a
story in the NY Times which states, (1) Operating systems are relics of the past, (2) We should be able to access data anytime/anywhere, by (3) seeing a stream of 3D documents(?), so (4) he's written such
software, and (5) that's all you should care about so it doesn't matter that it runs under windows.
This is a fantastic (definition: based on fantasy : not real (?)) vision of the future by a premier technologist."
Like potato chips (Score:1, Funny)
What's next, 3D cheese? Oh wait....
Really irrelevant? (Score:4, Funny)
Even when the OS of the server is taken down by the Slashdot effect?
Censorware (Score:1, Funny)
What? I didn't expect that. I thought the page had something to do with exposing censorware. Oh well, it's the same as with whitehouse.com [whitehouse.com]... Damn squatters...
From the article (Score:5, Funny)
It's a joke, isn't it?
Hmmm (Score:4, Funny)
Typing with a Power Glove (Score:4, Funny)
Someone won't be happy (Score:2, Funny)
Why, thats simply splendid (Score:1, Funny)
Contradiction? (Score:5, Funny)
[snip]
(4) he's written such software, and (5) that's all you should care about so it doesn't matter that it runs under windows.
So every operating system but Windows is a relic of the past? I'll second the description of this as 'fantasy'.
(The NY Times site seems rather unresponsive at the moment...)
Operating Systems Are Irrelevant (Score:2, Funny)
Yes, because who in their right mind would need a system to operate their computer, I mean I read binary like Neo reads The Matrix. Don't you?
Sheesh, just because the guy has a degree he thinks he knows it all....though he must have something going for him if the UnaBomber had his sights on him. He had better hope his idea doesn't catch on or a few more people might have their sights on him too.
(6).... (Score:4, Funny)
(7) Profit!
Ka-ching!
The immorality of Open Source (Score:4, Funny)
Far-fetched? Think about it: With MySQL, the People's Army will now be able to do multiple queries on their tables of democratic activists in Olog(n) time instead of lengthy searches in card catalogs. The bureaucratic overhead previously allowed activists enough time to flee the country. How about building cheap firewalls so the people can't get the unbiased reporting that CNN provides? Or using Apache to publish lists of Falun Gong people to their police forces instantly? I doubt that never crossed your minds when you were coding away in your parents' basements. Consider putting that little thought in your mental resolv.conf file.
If that does not concern you ( which it probably doesn't, since the lashout.org paradigm is publishing articles about how not to pay for things ), consider something else. When China eventually goes to war with Taiwan, we want to be able turn their command and control facilities into the computing equivalent of a train-wreck. One of the advantages of Windows never mentioned in the article is the ability of Microsoft to remotely deactivate Windows XP in the case of a national emergency. Thanks to GNU/Lunix, Taiwan will be on a collision course with the mainland in the near future.
Which throws into question Mr. Stallman's motives. A known proponent of socialism, the Chinese government and RMS are natural allies. Could it be a back door to Stallman's dream of an über-Socialist United States? We may never know for sure. Next time you consider contributing to an open source project, ask yourself this question: don't you want to make sure your work isn't used for nefarious purposes? Will you risk having blood on your hands?
Its called... (Score:2, Funny)
The highest karma level is not, as is commonly thougt, 50. Some users have acheived karma scores upwards of 15,000. Once this level is acheived users are so well attuned to slashdot that they can predict the stories that will appear on the frontpage and begin slashdotting.
Its just like Linux (Score:5, Funny)
Linux has some far fetched idea about completely tossing Windows out of the desktop.
Funny, eh?
GNU/Linux (Score:3, Funny)
I, for one , can't wait.
"They should be called GNU/3d Documents, because if it wasn't for the GNU/Linux OS to become a relic, no one would have thought to make somehting else. It is obvious that this technology only exists because GNU caused the creator to come up with the idea."
Ok, maybe he won't shut up.
And also... (Score:5, Funny)
No, make that two ponies. No, eight. No, a pony should be available wherever he goes at any hour of the day.
Re:tech tv thinker? (Score:3, Funny)
His desk was not a disorganized mess. He had simply abandoned 1940's style office organizational technology in favor of a more 21st century style "3-d stream of data".
Irrelevant? (Score:3, Funny)
They are? Uh oh..
WIOj23 902*@+++
NO CARRIER
Re:Sounds kinda like X (Score:5, Funny)
Oh, wait. That was the World Wide Web. Never mind.
Re:From the article (Score:4, Funny)
Shadowrun anyone? (Score:2, Funny)
So Jurassic Park did have computers right. (Score:2, Funny)
It did have an operating system("Hey this is Unix, I know this.") however the OS was irrelavent, but it allowed anyone to access the system(just reboot the system and you had full access), it had this stream of 3D document, and they had the software.
Snakes and Ladders (Score:2, Funny)
"We need Microsoft itself to be the universal stepladder that lets us climb out of our hole and smell the roses"
So, what are they now ? Universal snake that eats all of us down to the basement ?
Re:Sounds kinda like X (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Good ideas (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Sounds kinda like X (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Sounds kinda like X (Score:2, Funny)
Oh wait, that was Java.
Oh... paper. (Score:5, Funny)
Plus, there's almost no smell as comforting to the soul as the smell of an old book.
There are some people with too much free time... (Score:2, Funny)
Cheers...
Sounds like a Miss America Pageant on crack (Score:5, Funny)
Contestant 1: I would make world peace, and we can all frolic like little bunnies and everyone will be happy!
Host:What a great a great answer! Contestant 2, what would you do?
Contestant 2, who looks surprisingly like David Gelernter:I would make an OS, except it's not an OS, it's a magical OS that runs the same everywhere, and can read all data, and somehow convinces asshole companies to do away with proprietary file formats. So it's like Java, and XML all together, and kind of like that browser OS based on Mozilla too. Oh, and it won't be slower than dookie. I promise.
Host:Christ, and I thought "World Peace" was a dipshit answer.
Re:Really irrelevant? (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Sounds kinda like X (Score:5, Funny)
Slashdot?
Re:Watch Out for Those Jerking Kness (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Really irrelevant? (Score:4, Funny)
Jouster
Re:Movie crap (Score:3, Funny)
So I can just seek ahead in time until I find my finished report? This guy's on to something.
Re:Sounds like a Miss America Pageant on crack (Score:4, Funny)
David(all spaced out): Let me tell you a story, a story about your life and the intangible web that connects you to every part of your life. But first, Sister Moonbeam, would you please serve the stuffed shrooms brother Bill gave to us? When you want to make a call, your soul will astral project into a substream of conciousness containing the number of everyone you've ever met, ever will, and some you won't ever meet. This is not a phone book, but a new pardigim for data recall.
If only the Times asked for full disclosure. Hmmmm.
Re:Maybe it is Re:Very Idealistic (Score:3, Funny)
I blame Leibniz.
Re:Oh... paper. (Score:1, Funny)
on fire.....