Although I haven't used the tool myself, Amazon's description says that "KindleGen is a command line tool which enables publishers to work in an automated environment with a variety of source content including HTML, XHTML or EPUB." So unless there is something more to the licensing terms than you're suggesting, there shouldn't be any problem with creating your content in an open format, and then using KindleGen to generate the content for the Amazon store.

It's a common problem in the programming field to make a virtue out of overgeneralization, even when it conflicts with other virtues, such as ease of use or security. What actual benefit do you get from allowing the inclusion of control characters in filenames? How does that benefit compare with the amount of pain and extra effort involved in dealing with those filenames?

The other thing is that "fixing the tools" is a complete non-starter. You're talking about "fixing" a large subset -- possibly even a majority -- of programs on Unix systems, in a way that will be incompatible with existing tools. The elegance of putting some minor restrictions on filenames into the filesystem is that it works with virtually all existing user-level software, with no changes to that software required.

Roughly, not exactly. Pegging the price of a battery switch to the price of gas really wouldn't make any sense, although it might make sense to make it based on the cost of electricity in the area, assuming that that varies.

In other words, one group of "skeptics" has appointed themselves to be the gatekeepers of the definition of skepticism, and is now throwing a tantrum because there are other people using term that don't match the definition that this group came up with.

If this "Committee for Skeptical Inquiry" is worried that they'll be confused with the climate-change skeptics, then they need to come up with another term for themselves. Demanding that the English language change to suit their own preferences is stupid, and the only reason why it's getting any support here on Slashdot is because of the personal animosity that most of us have towards the climate-change skeptics.

And yes, I'm going to purposefully use the term "climate-change skeptics" from now on.

If you read the article, you'll find that writing shell scripts to handle filenames containing every possible character "properly" is so difficult that virtually everyone gets it wrong. When something's been around for close to 40 years and still nobody can get it right, maybe it's time to admit that it's the tool that's broken.

This article makes a pretty convincing case that we'd be better off with some restrictions on filenames. It's hard to argue the point that allowing certain characters in filenames causes more problems than it solves.

The context of this discussion is that TechyImmigrant claimed that someone who would support deporting an illegal immigrant "has something against immigrants." So TechyImmigrant was equating the two. I simply pointed out that doing that is dishonest.

I have several reasons for being against illegal immigration while not being against legal immigration. I did not expound on them in my post, as they were not relevant to the point I was making, but I still see no reason why you should immediately jump to the conclusion that those reasons do not exist.

I don't see how you could possibly make that assessment based on my statement, which was simply that you can be against illegal immigration without being against legal immigration.

Men and women from the same culture and class demonstrate very different behavior, as do young and old people. I have never seen any evidence to support the notion that there are significant behavioral differences associated with skin color. If you've got some evidence that shows that black people are more likely to commit crimes than white people that were raised the same way, I'd love to see it.

Right. The good old "the illegals just can't stop themselves from jumping the border!" argument.

I'd bet that they commit just as much crime as black people of similar social culture and class.

There's a difference between having something against immigrants, and having something against illegals. Pretending that the two are equivalent is a typical dishonest tactic of the supporters of illegal immigration.

Well, maybe, but as long as they stick to targeting muslin and don't attack wool or polyester, I think we'll be OK.

Hey, Bennett. Have you asked the /. editors if you can be made an editor so those of us who want to block your stories can? It would improve the S/N ratio on the comments for your stories.