Comment Re:I dissent (Score 1) 411
I disagree...when we start writing scripts for non-human users, skynet will be able to find Sarah Conner that much more easily. Screw those non-human users! ;)
Comment Re:None, I have given up bash scripting (Score 1) 411
If spaces are a problem, use tr to translate them to underscores during the script to deal with them. Is the spacebar really worth three hours of flame?
Seriously:
man tr
Comment I'm not a developer but... (Score 1) 1
I'm not a developer, but...I have often wondered what process developers in the OSS community use to choose which bugs they want to tackle first. I know that any developer's goal is to squish as many bugs that affect as many users as possible so that the project is more useful to the greater number of people, but I've often wondered how they decide to tackle 'important' bugs first.
Thinking on it I suppose your contribution to the community is a step in the direction that many others are taking, do what you know how to do, let others know what they know how to do and get a better functioning system out of the bargain. Open source works! I suppose that it's as easy to focus on what you can't do and get discouraged in the field of software development as it is in any other field, but I don't think I had considered that before. Good question, and I look forward to seeing what other folks avoid working on.
Submission + - Microsoft, employees embarassed about iPhone use (wsj.com) 2
portscan writes: There is an entertaining and telling article in the Wall Street Journal about iPhone use by Microsoft employees. Apparently, despite it being frowned upon by senior management, iPhone use is rampant among the Redmond rank an file. The head of Microsoft's mobile division tried to explain it away as employees wanting "to better understand the competition," although few believe this. Nowhere does the article mention attempts by the company to understand why the iPhone is more attractive to much of Microsoft's tech-savvy workforce than the company's own products.
Submission + - What in open source are you avoiding working on? (openhatch.org) 1
paulproteus writes: I'm a Debian developer and a part-time contributor to a few smaller projects. I do a lot of free software-y and open source-y things. Sometimes, though, I don't do them. I figure some other Slashdotters might have similar hang-ups — we contribute to a project, but there are parts that we really dread thinking about.
So I wrote a post about having these hang-ups, and I made a place on the web to share how others can help your project. What are the parts that, in your projects, you would be relieved if someone else looked at for you?
So I wrote a post about having these hang-ups, and I made a place on the web to share how others can help your project. What are the parts that, in your projects, you would be relieved if someone else looked at for you?
Submission + - Good language choice for school programming test (amt.edu.au) 3
An anonymous reader writes: The Australian Informatics Olympiad programming test is being run in a couple of months. I'm an experienced programmer and I'm thinking of volunteering to tutor interested kids at my children's school to get them ready. There will be children of all levels in the group, from those that can't write 'hello world' in any language, to somewhat experienced programmers. For those starting from scratch, I'm wondering what language to teach them to code in. Accepted languages are C, C++, Pascal, Java, PHP, Python and Visual Basic.
I'm leaning towards Python, because it is a powerful language with a simple syntax. However, the test has a run-time CPU seconds limit, so using an interpreted language like Python could put the students at a disadvantage compared to using C. Is it better to teach them something in 2 months that they're likely to be able to code in but possibly run foul of the CPU time limit, or struggle to teach them to code in a more complicated syntax like C/C++ which would however give them the best chance of having a fast solution?
I'm leaning towards Python, because it is a powerful language with a simple syntax. However, the test has a run-time CPU seconds limit, so using an interpreted language like Python could put the students at a disadvantage compared to using C. Is it better to teach them something in 2 months that they're likely to be able to code in but possibly run foul of the CPU time limit, or struggle to teach them to code in a more complicated syntax like C/C++ which would however give them the best chance of having a fast solution?
Submission + - Venezuela's Chavez to Limit Internet Freedom (reuters.com) 2
terets1 writes: Reuters reports that Venezuela's leader Hugo Chavez issued a call on Saturday for "internet controls" to prevent rumors and inaccurate reporting from spreading. He specifically stated a case in which a website incorrectly reported that a senior minister had been assasinated and kept the story up for two days. Many of Venezuela's opposition movements use social networking sites to communicate. It is not apparent at this time exactly what kind of controls Chavez has in mind or whether those controls will be similar to the controls in Iran that have been used to silence opposition movements.
Submission + - Serious Apache exploit discovered (zdnet.com.au) 2
bennyboy64 writes: An IT security company has discovered a serious exploit in Apache's HTTP web server, which could allow a remote attacker to gain complete control of a database. ZDNet reports the vulnerability exists in Apache's core mod_isapi module. By exploiting the module, an attacker could remotely gain system privileges that would compromise data security. Users of Apache 2.2.14 and earlier are advised to upgrade to Apache 2.2.15, which fixes the exploit.
Brain-Control Gaming Headset Launching Dec. 21 112
An anonymous reader writes "Controlling computers with our minds may sound like science fiction, but one Australian company claims to be able to let you do just that. The Emotiv device has been garnering attention at trade shows and conferences for several years, and now the company says it is set to launch the Emotiv EPOC headset on December 21. PC Authority spoke to co-founder Nam Do about the Emotiv technology and its potential as a mainstream gaming interface."
One wonders what kind of adoption they expect with a $299 price tag.
Comment Who Watches the Watchmen? (Score 1) 730
I work IT for a small company that provides outsourced IT services to other business/individuals. While your worries are understandable, there are a myriad of reasons (already given) as to how founded your fears are. I can tell you from personal experience though that you should likely consider a few things - 1 - remote management is cheaper than having to roll someone onsite every time someone needs a printer added or an email issue resolved. If you're paying the same amount for onsite support as remote support, there's something wrong there & you should renegotiate your contract. 2 - I don't know your skill level but most people in management could be standing behind the sysadmin watching everything he's doing on screen and still not understand what they're seeing. A talented thief could steal data while you watch him /and/ he's 'explaining' what it is he's doing. That's just the way it is unfortunately and it gives all IT people a bad name when it happens. 3 - Something my dad told me a long time ago is that a lock only serves to keep an honest man honest. If someone truly wants to get into your building and get your sensitive data out of there, then they will...The minute you build an idiotproof system, the world produces a better idiot. 4 - While I know this doesn't apply to all people working in IT everywhere, I can tell you from my own experience and talking with others in the field - most IT folks in an outsourcing business don't really care /what/ data you have - as long as it's not illegal...most of us are just too busy to care what your data is, we only worry that the job we do helps protect your investment so that you'll keep paying us. The better service we do for you, the more likely you are to continue to pay us. Hell you might even refer us to other business associates. Which means more work for us. There's always going to be some asshat out there that wants to profit illegally...IT people are no more likely to be that person than someone in Accounting...or Management. It's just that there's a certain mysticism to what we do that people don't understand. If you don't trust the people you've hired, get rid of them and find someone you do trust, but eventually you have to stop watching the watchmen.
Comment Re:Big deal... (Score 1) 399
Yes I know reviving is the author's word. Sorry I wasn't clear enough on that. That's why I said '...these grabasses'. Sorry if I offended you or anyone else with the comment, but it was intended/aimed at the people doing the 'reporting' such as it is, not the people of the /. community ;)
As for 'idiotic attitude', I'm not sure I grok what you mean. Reading back over my post, I see perhaps passive aggressiveness, again aimed at the 'reporter(s)' but idiotic? I don't hesitate to admit when I'm being stupid, but this time, I think I was just being factual...if a little under-enthusiastic about it.
And 'IF community'? Not sure what you're referencing.
Tal
Slashdot Top Deals
grep me no patterns and I'll tell you no lines.
