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Microsoft

+ - Microsoft (probably) didn't just buy Unix->

Submitted by jfruhlinger
jfruhlinger writes "Word came down this morning that, when Attachmate bought Novell, certain intellectual property rights were sold to a Microsoft-led consortium as part of the deal. Since Unix is the most valuable piece of IP Novell owns, there was a certain amount of panic that suddenly Redmond is in charge of this foundational technology for Linux and a number of other open source projects. But, while MS is being cagey, Brian Proffitt doubts that Unix was part of the IP package that was sold — and believes that Linux would be safe even if it were."
Link to Original Source

Comment: Inflammatory summary (Score 5, Insightful) 393

by chance2105 (#31876156) Attached to: Oracle Wants Proof That Open Source Is Profitable
From earlier in the conversation: http://mail.opensolaris.org/pipermail/ogb-discuss/2010-April/007700.html

"(The following message is wholly my own, and doesn't represent anything from Oracle. While I'm an Oracle employee, I have no special privileged information or insight beyond what is already common knowledge.)"

This could be a random guy stirring the pot. What do we have to actually think management might ditch opensolaris?

Games

The Murky Origins of Zork's Name 70

Posted by Soulskill
from the murky-enough-for-a-grue dept.
mjn writes "Computational media researcher Nick Montfort traces the murky origins of Zork's name. It's well known that the word was used in MIT hacker jargon around that time, but how did it get there? Candidates are the term 'zorch' from late 1950s DIY electronics slang, the use of the term as a placeholder in some early 1970s textbooks, the typo a QWERTY user would get if he typed 'work' on an AZERTY keyboard, and several uses in obscure sci-fi. No solid answers so far, though, as there are problems with many of the possible explanations that would have made MIT hackers unlikely to have run across them at the right time."

Comment: Re:WTF? (Score 2, Funny) 518

by chance2105 (#29882987) Attached to: Lost Northwest Pilots Were Trying Out New Software
Modded troll! In defense of myself..

These guys flew for 78 minutes without speaking to ground controllers. The lives of the pilots themselves could have been in jeopardy as well as the lives of the passengers. I giggled when the thought first crossed my mind, but considering the pilots' shifting explanations, it is the reasoning to beat. What kind of passion would have caused that level of incompetence at your job? Detailing the aspects of how scheduling software works? I doubt it. Having sex? Absolutely.

Communications

+ - Blocking Phone calls with Linux?

Submitted by Seiphas
Seiphas writes "As someone who has a server available, I'd like to know if it's possible to prevent calls from reaching a destination by using a whitelist based method. Often, while I find myself coding or studying, I get a telemarketer on the phone, or someone else I don't want to talk to. Is it possible to, using only Linux, modems, and no money, set restrictions on a specific phone, if one knows which wires to touch? Also, are there advanced options to use? I'd like the phone not to ring during certain times, or to disregard certain groups of callers (1-800, 1-866)?"

We'll be recording at the Paradise Friday night. Live, on the Death label. -- Swan, "Phantom of the Paradise"

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