As a rule, for ever Linux based desktop that I've run (work, home, over 15 years.. maybe 50 unique installs/upgrades that lasted), the most most consistently flaky glue has been Java working in any browser.

Historically, I stumble across, and need, Java applets pretty infrequently. As a result, nearly 100% of the time I do stumble across, and want to run, a Java applet, it involves somewhere between 5 and 30 minutes of fucking around to make it work. Netscape, Mozilla, now Firefox automatic plugin find/install has worked exactly 0 times for a JVM. And, except for the last year or so, it was always a regular fight at java.sun.com to figure out exactly WTF I needed. I consider myself an educated person, but my paths usually led me to download a 200MB blob that included a IDE, but not a plugin for my always up to date browser. And does installing the JRE actually install the pulgin, when I do manage to get the right thing? No. Creating symlinks is apparently beyond Suns ability. Or maybe its a Java security thing; its quite willing to take up 2GB of memory, but creating a symlink is a violation of security. Fuckers.

In the last 18 months, I spent 9 of them as a Java developer, on a team of 13. I've yet to hear an adequate explanation as to what the difference between JSE, JEE, Java FX, J2ME, JDK, in less then 500 words. Sure, I know it now. Well, maybe not. WTF is JavaFX, and why, just now, when I click on "download JEE", it asks me to download "Glassfish"? THAT ISN'T WHAT I FUCKING ASKED FOR.

It amazes me that people are willing to put up with this shit at all. For a language that isn't even that good.

Anyway. If Sun has finally managed to ship something that actually manages to install a plugin without me digging around on the command line, I'm amazed. That it installs an extension as well is a small price to play.

I've been saying this basically for ever.

Another specific example was the goal of ARPANET.. To allow remote access to centralized (scarce, and expertly managed) computer resources.

On an unrelated matter, (this was pre-GPLv3 discussion) I remember reading a mailing list thread where RMS seemed suppressed at the existence of gaming consoles (paraphrasing: why would anyone want a computer they cant program?)

A major debate these days is firmware blobs, if they count as source, if there existence in the kernel, in distros, etc. Personally, I don't see this as being any "worse" then actual firmware... But firmware has been around for... For ever. At a speech RMS gave locally a month ago, I kinda called him on this, and he more or less dismissed the issue as saying that firmware wasn't software, but loading a blob from disk clearly was.

From a purely pragmatic point of view, 10 years ago things like SCSI HBAs were not upgradeable in the field (if at all); users could not change the code running on the board at all. Today, I can load bug-fixed firmware from the driver; I still can't make local changes to the code. Pragmatically I'm better off today. Freedom wise, I'm no worse off.

I guess my point is that these things: SaaS, Tivos or Playstations, loadable firmware seem to be issues that the community is struggling with currently. But they are all pretty predictable.

Also, how is Hurd going? "Zero know bugs" release policy for Emacs. GCC being basically forked (and un-forked).

I'll take RMS over a "series of tubes" politician, but I think it is pretty clear that the leadership is out of touch with modern technology.

Yes there was SaaS when the GPL was written. Significantly before it. Or at least attempts at it.

The Multics project has the very specific purpose of making computing resources a service, just like phones and electricity. CompuServe was one specific example, setup in 1969, to provide time-sharing services to external companies.

Arguably, pre-1975, SaaS was the default, not the exception. Computers were rented, perhaps on your premises, and tended to by vendor techs.

Anyway, this mantra of "we didn't know about it" really makes [GPL supporters] look stupid. I mean really, are you trying to tell me that RMS had never heard of Multics?

Reviewed by a board, and then maybe, they get a prize after their name is drawn? I see that as total bullshit, treating your employees as children. And thinking you are not, which makes it worse.

Why do I suspect that when you say "prize" you don't mean a million dollars in 20 $50k installments over 20 years? Maybe something like a $10 gift card to Starbucks? Am I close?

How about this: give cash - or stock, not options, stock - to people who's ideas are implemented? Straight up: you have a good idea not within your direct job responsibility, and we implement it, you get cash.

I'm sorry if the connection wasn't clear enough for you.

Having a large prison population is evidence of problem with the big picture. Having a large prison population is evidence that ones government is attacking symptoms, not causes, of crime.

If someone breaks the law, they should be punished for it. Send criminals to jail.

Some crimes fall into a category where, I think, pretty much whatever government does, they will still happen. Serial killers, for example.

Other crimes are different. Street level drug dealing is a prime example. There are people addicted to drugs, there a new people wanting to try drugs. There is a demand for drugs. Arresting a drug dealer today, and putting him in jail does nothing to reduce the demand for his product. Someone else will quickly take his spot on the corner, as it were.

Street level dealers, at least, are generally from a poor, uneducated background. They deal drugs because (apparently) it looks like a better gig then anything else.

If _all_ that government does is arrest drug dealers, then nothing has been accomplished - except making lots of jobs for prison guards. There are still drug dealers on the street.

1 drug dealer is a criminal problem. 100 drug dealers is a social problem.

In this specific case, an alternative approach would focus on reducing demand for drugs. Treat drug addiction as a health care problem. (well, in the US that would mean having good health care, in general, but I digress). Further, make drug dealing a less appealing source of income, by encouraging better alternatives. Better schools means people getting jobs, and having better options for jobs - which means fewer people willing to be dealers.

I agree, shit head laptops are not an option.

I, for one, care very little about battery life. I mean, I just don't care, as long as its more then 5 minutes. I'm either just moving to a place where there is also power (a meeting room, say), where a shutdown would just suck, or changing buildings, where a shutdown is acceptable. (of course, if I trusted suspend or hibernate, or whatever, I could use those).

Yes, yes, there are scenarios where some people actually care about battery life beyond a few minutes... But I think that a huge chunk of people just don't care.

4 hours.. That is a lot? A scenario where I might want to use a battery is if I'm dragging my laptop on course, or over to a friends house, and want to leave the power adapter behind. Courses last longer then 4 hours, and hanging out with friends could as well. So I still need to plug in. Your 4 hours is, oh, 3:55 more minutes then I need.

Unless battery life gets to the point where the "default" mode would be to go without power (as with a cell phone, or PDA), then fuck it. It doesn't matter. I will need to plug in the laptop, so I will need to bring the power supply. And if I have the power supply with me, its trivial to use.

In short, if it cant do 10+ hours, then it might as well not be able to do more then 5 minutes.

"Built" means what, exactly? Components are built both in Italy and the UK; the airframe is assembled in Yeovil. Maybe the electronics suit is bolted on somewhere in the USA, but the bulk of it is European.

All the more reason to write your software in a portable way. Even if you only care about one platform today, that platform will change over time.