Scientists are more likely to design a warp drive before they do a truly effective translation program. Anyone who is bilingual would be happy to tell you just how difficult translation is. Human languages are not just sets of words and phrases that can be converted 1 for 1 back and forth. They are extremely complex with shades of meaning and varying context which must be inferred based on associations that only humans are able to make. It seems that monolingual Anglophones are the most difficult people to convince just how terrible computer translators are. In my office in Germany we usually get two or three pieces of correspondence a week where some Anglophone, ignorant of foreign languages, tries to translate their English to German and send it to us thinkiong they are doing us a "favour". It's always good for a laugh....

I used columnar data as a mere example of an operation an advanced text editor is capable of doing at an advanced users behest without any built-in special-purpose/knowledge of the specific task at hand.

Yes, but you're still missing my point.

A text editor should be really really fucking good at editing text. If you're writing a computer program (and don't delude yourself, writing a RegEx as complex as that one is writing a computer program), then you should be using another tool.

I don't want my text editor to be able to do crazy insane things that have absolutely nothing to do with editing text. I just want it to be really really fucking good at editing text.

Those advanced features in Photoshop are all there to make it really really fucking good at manipulating bitmap images. That's what Photoshop does, so there's no issue with those features being there.

It's not a hard point to understand, is it? Cripes.

In my example, I accomplish my task in under 15 seconds on a remote system somewhere. If I had to download the data, import it into a spreadsheet app (btw, having to describe to the spreadsheet how the data is delimited), manipulate it, save it (btw, it is nearly guaranteed to screw up the delimiting on writeback), and write it back, that would make me tons less productive.

Not if you're any good at using a spreadsheet program. Also, what decade are you from where you can't run a spreadsheet app remotely?

The entire problem with a lot of the 'shitty' Sun, Oracle, IBM software is they subscribe to the concept of special-purpose formats that are awkward to generically manipulate in the name of putting them into the 'right' application.

Then demand better. You're paying for the software, demand great software. Don't just roll over and put up with their bullshit because you happen to have spent years learning RegEx... demand fucking better.

Look, you're using a 1975 tool on a 1975 problem in the year 2010. You're preventing software from evolving, from getting better, because you have this hammer you learned back in the 80s, and you're buying software made by people just like you who are using tools just as bad and you're using it to fucking hammer in screws and you're never stopping to ask yourself, "wait a second, why the fuck isn't there a better tool for putting screws in wood?" It pisses me off.

Why do people like you look at the bullshit that Sun and Oracle and IBM are feeding them and say "yes sir, may I have another?" The tools suck ass, the files (as you imply) are convoluted and the tools for editing the files are even worse. But you're totally ignoring the problem because you found a workaround! It's possible to build good software, but why should they? People like you *buy the shitty software already*.

And what happens when a company decides to attempt to join the 21st century? Microsoft comes along and says "hey Bash sucks we can do better", and come up with something like PowerShell, and how do you react? Derision, insults, and for fuck's sake of course you never bothered to TRY to use it.

It makes my head hurt.

My point is that ultimate capability comes at a price of requiring learning to occur, and I am happy to see projects come along that aren't afraid of features simply because they would require a learning curve to be effective.

That's fine, but if it's a app to edit text, the feature needs to be relevant to the task of editing text. Not editing some other completely different type of file that just happens to look like text if you kind of squint. That's a waste of the developers' time and a waste of your time, because you're using the fucking hammer to put in the goddamned screws.

Sorry for the rant. I just feel like the industry is at a complete standstill because the old guard isn't bothering to tell the young guys, "hey, our tools suck shit... make something better."

Semi-OT, but a handy way to use different versions of Office on the same PC, and portably on a USB key, is to modify their installation via VMWare ThinApp:

http://www.vmware.com/products/thinapp/

I found out about Thinstals/Thinapps/"portable" versions when I accidentally browsed a torrent site where they are popular for various reasons, but the concept works well and it's easier to copy/paste a folder than do a conventional install.

I think your irony is a bit rusty.

Yes. Despite the theatrics, our current security is fairly good at preventing physical metallic objects that could be used as weapons. This is a good thing, but doesn't prevent people from using other dangerous materials like ceramics are high density plastics which are equally dangerous as clubs or knives.

Beyond that, there aren't a lot of other security measures that will have mass appeal.

The music industry is morally bankrupt. Perhaps from the phoenix of a music apocalypse we can move on to something better: artists who are respected and supported, new talent nurtured and the people allowed to enjoy music without hassle.

I managed to buy my mp3 player before an "iPod tax" was introduced. Every single mp3 I have is ripped from my very own paid for CDs. I prefer CDs as they are better quality and have no compression artefacts; mp3 players are for music on the go. Why the hell should I pay a tax to compensate for something I haven't stolen ?

The fact is that 90% of the world's iPods are owned by 12-16 year olds with no disposable income to use to buy mp3s, but they can afford $150 of mp3 player and $400 smart phones. Something doesn't add up. Oh wait, perhaps it has something to with how the music industry has stifled talent, spent all the budget on manufactured boy/girl bands to up their profits, and now they're scared they've raided the cookie jar too many times and there is nothing left.

Let me put it this way: fscking Pop Idol and X Factor - no one is downloading mp3s of those "artists" to put on their iPod. Someone should tell the record companies straight: the days of mega sales are over, they were over 20 years ago. If you move to $0.99 an album and actually support your artists (real ones) then perhaps there is a chance of saving your industry.

While we're at it, someone should go over and explain it to Peter Mandelson and Lily Allen. Making ISPs cops and going after people who love music isn't going to help your cause.

I do not condone copying music, IMHO downloading something to preview it is not stealing, as long as you delete it or buy it within a reasonably short time frame; also mp3s (inferior quality and downloaded at users' expense) should not cost as much as a CD album (superior quality on a physical medium).

Wow, couldn't pass up the opportunity to contribute nothing before someone else did? Be proud!

Simulating combat realistically makes for a short playing experience. Catch one bullet in the leg and then what happens? Do you have to start over? Do you bleed out if you don't immediately get medical attention? If you get medical attention then do you "play" recovering in the hospital and dealing with the police reports? Let's have a physical therapy "mini-game" as well; spend a few months doing some exercises and walking around with a crutch.

Having the screen go red and having to find cover until I recover so I continue mowing down the opposition with joyful glee sounds much more appealing to me.

1 - it's sole Rule should be impartiality.
2 - is should held accountable for that .
now if someone feels like discriminated against .. there should be arbitration to see if (1) wasn't met to enforce 2

There is a world of difference between Law which affects every person in a country, or potentially in the world, without choice and an operating system that a customer chooses to use. On top of that, there are systems designers who do have a fairly complete upper level understanding of an entire operating system. In addition, there are software quality control measures in place to fend off garbage. Legislation has only those voting on it as quality control. If those voting are not given sufficient time to at least mostly comprehend the entire bill, then there is no quality control.

I'd look into Orange --- from what I understand they don't care for non-residents registering ( though they used to, and may still do, allow an hotel as a valid address ) --- but here is their Camel Pay-As-You-Go sim, if you hit show details you can see the rates for each country which average 15p a minute ( but 6p for the USA ). http://shop.orange.co.uk/mobile-phones/plans/paygSimPlanList.jsp?selectedTariffName=Camel You could prolly get someone in England to post you one, or buy one off Ebay.co.uk. If there was difficulty registering to a non-British credit card ( and that's not a given ), nearly every other damn shop in Britain sells top-ups for all the sim providers. Alternatively, starter packs of sims are sold in stores, but those would not have cheap roaming. Here are a couple of quite recent links discussing this problem: http://www.ricksteves.com/graffiti/graffiti134.html http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-10251727-94.html The latter affirms: 'Buying a SIM card when you get to London from a local operator, such as Orange, can offer even better deals. Orange offers a variety of service options for prepaid customers. In general, domestic calls range from 30 cents to 40 cents a minute, depending on the exchange rate. (All calls are billed in local currency.) And texts are about 20 cents to send and receive. With a special international plan, customers can also make international calls for as low as 10 cents a minute. Orange also offers free text messaging for customers when they "top up" or add money to their phones. One plan offers 300 free text messages with a 10-pound top up. And you can get 600 free text messages with a 20-pound top up and a 30-pound top up gets you unlimited text messages until the card expires.'

I see, the old 'Windows is easy and Linux isn't' misconception again. How about a race? On one side you have a Linux box and you have to configure, build, and install an application from a source tarball and on the other side, you have to clean up an infected Windows box.

Guess which one will probably take up more of your time. hint: it does not begin with Win.

I've seen it over and over where developers will zing me for how much time it may take me to do some strange experiment on a Linux box when they may not even be able to do it on their Windows box or, they'd have to go out and purchase software( and fill all the paperwork for that ) and install all the software when they get it themselves. Or what's worst, they'll spend way more time fixing Windows Registry fiasco's and dealing with anti-virus issues. Every time, they don't see their own time spend dealing with maintaining Windows as an expense of using the system but they see me tracking down an added library package to get a task completed as unproductive. They will often use this as an excuse to say that Linux takes more time to use than Windows so they're sticking with Windows.

"ignorance is bliss" as they say or maybe it's "you can't teach an old dog new tricks". Whatever it is which keeps these people from seeing the costs of running on the Microsoft treadmill, I do see more and more younger people willing to try this Linux stuff.

LoB

When the robot wars come, then we'll see who's laughing...

I would think that the sarcasm is obvious given the signature as a whole has a number of common fuck-ups all nicely rolled into one nice signature package.
 
  Woosh I believe is appropriate at this time.

Another good read that addresses these sorts of things is the Hyperion/Endymion series by Dan Simmons. Since FTL travel requires specializede methods to use; the acceleration to FTL basically turns any occupants into goo. Only certain folks have the technology to rebuild the occupants after they've been turned to paste. So a lot of folks are using sub-FTL/or 1 C travel. When one side moves against the other in war, a lot of calculation goes into figuring out when a fleet of enemies will appear in X system after their 3 years of traveling, including the time dilation effects. It gets pretty crazy at times, but is interesting to read.

So every time you buy a car do you inspect every single part and serial number to make sure no parts were stolen?

By what fucked up logic should MSFT be held responsible when they themselves were ripped off?