Submission + - Question to Larry Wall
plasmasurfer writes: I've been seeing a lot that Javascript and Python are, respectively, the Assembler and 'duct tape' of the Internet. Where does that leave Perl?
Submission + - Ask Slashdot: Arguments for source control and config management.
plasmasurfer writes: For a number of reasons, I left the world of big tech to join a small company in my hometown. It's a small 8-guy, Linux-based operation that develops web services for financial transactions. All of our source control is done via RCS, code reviews and bug-tracking are non-existent, and testing is done by ourselves. I would like to submit a proposal to my boss to set up a serious software development platform with Subversion, JIRA, et. al. as well as good development practices. Given that it can be done with OSS tools, what does the Slashdot community think are the strongest arguments I can present to my boss?
Comment Re:Innocent until blogged about (Score 1) 666
The fact that he's Argentinian should be reason enough to convict him. It's well known in Latin America that Argentinians are all assholes who think they are God's gift to women. Gont's blog is the typical porteño logorrhea that you get to endure every time you meet one of these morons. Nobody in LA likes them.
Comment They spend gigabucks and several chairs through wi (Score 1) 693
MS has a 27-story tower in the middle of tony Bellevue, WA stuffed with Bing programmers, and all they can come up with is this?
Excuse me, but this is the zenith of lame, and Die Gotterdamerung for Ballmer and minions. MS should stick to what they do best: games and t-shirts.
I still have a black polo one with the BackOrifice logo and it's my favorite one because it's sturdy and comfortable.
Comment A truly great man. The world is a little poorer.. (Score 2, Interesting) 131
He was a great man in every sense of the word. Despite his enormous accomplishments and being a historical figure, he still took time to address his emails personally and answered every reasonable request. I was his assistant of sorts during a period in Cambridge, MA, and one time he got this request from a person asking him to write to his HS math teacher because this teacher had inspired him to go into math. Well Prof Mandelbrot wrote him a beautiful letter that still chokes me up when I remember it. After he dictated it to me, I told him that at that moment and from then on, that I would be glad to take a bullet for him. He chuckled, thanked me in a very modest tone and proceeded to the next topic. He was always polite and pleasant and full of energy. May he rest in peace.
Girl Seeks Help On Facebook During Assault 417
A 12-year-old girl who was being assaulted by her mother's ex-boyfriend used some quick thinking by sending a message on her iPod to a friend's Facebook account for help. The friend was able to contact the girl's mother who then contacted the police. 42-year-old Raymond Ernest Cesmat was arrested and charged with two counts of criminal sexual conduct in the first degree. He is being held at the Dakota County Jail on $175,000 bail.
Comment Will miss Bill Bixby, though... (Score 0) 922
My Favorite Martian! I loved Uncle Martin's flying saucer.
What SciFi Should Get the Reboot Treatment Next? 922
Not long ago Wired ran their own list of which SciFi (not SyFy!) shows were in need of another go 'round in this era of the reboot. Well, it looks like many fans had their own opinions resulting in another list of reboots including everything from Firefly (please?) to The Outer Limits. Which SciFi stories could use the breath of life, and which ones might actually succeed it getting it?
Comment Take trips out of the tech world (Score 0) 1354
I'm a scientist (male, divorced, 2 spawned processes) at a government lab, and though at least 40-50% of my coworkers are female, I still have a hard time meeting more of them. My suggestions: get your behind to the nearest community center and take and non-tech-related class such as cooking or dancing. Just get out of your comfort zone and get into any situation that will involve meeting people.
Blu-ray Adoption Soft, More Still Own HD DVD 685
MojoKid writes "A new study by Harris Interactive notes that currently,
one in ten Americans (10%) own an HD DVD player, while just 7% own a Blu-ray player. Crazy, right?
More Americans own HD DVD right now than the 'winning' format, Blu-ray. If you think about it, that statistic isn't that shocking. When HD DVD was around, it was far and away the 'budget' format for high-def. The players were cheaper, the films were cheaper. In other words, it was a format more ready to thrive in a down economy. Blu-ray was always viewed as a niche format for those absorbed in A/V, not the common man's format. The survey also found that on average, consumers purchased approximately six standard format DVDs in the last six months, compared with one in HD DVD format."
Comment Re:yum, stereotypes! (Score 0) 188
I'm completely with you on the Steve Reich part (Different Trains, followed by Tehillim) but with a cigar (Montecristo No. 3) and a mug of Earl Grey.
More "Miles Per Acre" From Bioelectricity Than Ethanol 223
CarnegieScience writes "Scientist calculate that, compared to ethanol used for internal combustion engines, bioelectricity used for battery-powered vehicles would deliver an average of 80% more miles of transportation per acre of crops, while also providing double the greenhouse gas offsets to mitigate climate change."
Repairman Steals Hard Drive And Charges To Reinstall It 181
Phase 1: Break into a realty office, and steal a computer hard drive.
Phase 2: Ask if they will pay you $50 to fix the computer.
Phase 3: Get charged with theft and receiving stolen property!
Phase 2: Ask if they will pay you $50 to fix the computer.
Phase 3: Get charged with theft and receiving stolen property!
Court Sets Rules For RIAA Hard Drive Inspection 470
NewYorkCountryLawyer writes "In a Boston RIAA case, SONY BMG Music Entertainment v. Tenenbaum, the Court has issued a detailed protective order establishing strict protocols for the RIAA's requested inspection of the defendant's hard drive, in order to protect the defendant's privacy. The order (PDF) provides that the hard drive will be turned over to a computer forensics expert of the RIAA's choosing, for mirror imaging, but that only the forensics expert — and not the plaintiffs or their attorneys — will be able to examine the mirror image. The forensics expert will then issue a report which will describe (a) any music files found on the drive, (b) any file-sharing information associated with each file, and any other records of file-sharing activity, and (c) any evidence that the hard-drive has been 'wiped' or erased since the initiation of the litigation. The expert will be precluded from examining 'any non-relevant files or data, including ... emails, word-processing documents, PDF documents, spreadsheet documents, image files, video files, or stored web-pages.'"
Lexus To Start Spamming Car Buyers In Their Cars 317
techmuse writes "Lexus has announced plans to send targeted messages to buyers of its cars based on the buyer's zip code and vehicle type. Unlike regular spam, these messages will be delivered directly to the buyer's vehicle, and will play to the vehicle's occupants as audio. Lexus has promised to make the messages relevant to the car buyers." Imagine the fun that some targeted malware could do — not that such a thing could happen to a Lexus.
