If that happens, open-source will route around it - it does that. Something else will come out on the other side that discontent people will like and gravitate towards. Or, Linux will wither away and die. Which outcome do you think is more likely?
Why is Wayland a 'threat'? Open source is evolution. Let Wayland come - if users go for it, they go for it and it becomes the new thing. If not, it was a try and I'm sure some good ideas can be harvested from it still.
Where's the love, brah?
nostrodecus writes: I have a nephew who is very young, but who has the techie gene — he found the Gruffalo on youtube before anyone knew he could spell. Now he's almost 4, and I was thinking of giving him my netbook (Acer running XP), which i hardly use any more. So of course I will be deleting all the porn, but what should I load up on it? Are there tools/apps that I can load up on it to protect it and him from things he shouldn't see until college? Also, what apps or games could I load on it that a 4 year old will get some use out of?
An anonymous reader writes: During these long breaks from work, it's refreshing to not have to worry about your job. Unless you work in IT, in which case you're salaried and constantly on the clock. To all the server room monkeys and desktop admins, do you suffer from anxiety? How do you deal with it? Does the crushing worry of a businesses IT infrastructure (and the rest of the business) coming to a screeching halt make IT occupations prone to anxiety?
An anonymous reader writes: Societal norms and my sibling's procreative endeavors have put me in the position of having to buy gifts twice a year for young children. What makes them happy are unremarkable bits of plastic. They already have innumerable unremarkable bits of plastic (from their parents and grandparents). My preference would be to get them gifts that challenge them to think creatively (or at least to think), which they'll be able to pick up and enjoy even after they outgrow their train/truck/homemaking fetishes. Beyond the Rubick's Cube, what thinky toys from your childhood are still in production? What new thinky toys have you discovered that work for the 5 — 10 age range?
You're right, it's not the language. But it's also a matter of comfort. Coding in Ruby or Python allows for more goodies out of the box. Your assembly macros are a tack-on - some languages have powerful mechanisms built right in. I'm not saying the goodies come without a price, but they're there.
Sludge writes: "A good friend of mine who is a digital artist was recently involved in a house fire in which he suffered third degree burns to his "art hand" which have made him unable to handle a mouse or a stylus for the coming months. If you or anyone near you has lost the ability to do something you love due to a physical injury, you know how painful and frustrating it can be. I need help discovering alternative software and input devices he can use while he recovers the ability to use his hand. The programs he uses most are 3dsmax, Z-Brush and Photoshop and he is used to working with a Wacom stylus. What expressive art tools are available that deemphasize precision work with your coordinated hand?"
I call BS. He may be a douche, but he still created something that is seen as useful by 300 MILLION people (I have no problem in believing the numbers).
Does it have to be written in Objective-C or Erlang or assembly to be seen as "worthy"?
SNES (and all cartridge-based) games were MUCH more expensive to make than current gen ones. So, even IF games are cheaper now, publishers' profit margins are definitely higher.
Do you really think that after all Linux has gone through to get more users, it'll be the number of bits on Flash to persuade them away from other OSs? Really?:)