And additionally, unlike commercial products, many times are not compatible with their previous selves, but require complete reinstallation (ala the Gimp).

I like this approach as well, but for two things:
Drivers, which often need to be updated. I store and install the latest (or best) ones after the re-do.
I also use a lot of open source programs, which unlike commercial programs are freely updated, often.

I could, of course replace the image after updating stuff, but that would kind of defeat the purpose.

And that's exactly why it just feels right, people in it for people.

//I can't imagine that there are a great number of people with the interest and skills necessary to write an awesome nautical design package. Those people probably already work for the companies that sell that for 20k a seat. But I'll bet none (or few, rather) of them have even considered offloading this modeling to the GPU. As hardware makes more money than software.

I totally get that I could not fully learn C++ in 5 years, or for that matter 10 (unless I really applied myself). In fact, programming is only a hobby for me. I may have some natural talent for it, and pretty much had to train the CS graduates that came to work for us (then rewrite their software! USE COMMENTS GRADUATES!), but it is not a goal for me, just an entertainment, as well as a way to make my job easier from time to time. I meant an additional year to write a good number cruncher package, and 5 full years to write the nautical design package, partly because the learning curve would be so steep moving backward from C# (also, it would take me at least a year of independent study to get a half decent (implementable) understanding of the math I would need to implement for solving RANS and the other one I'd need - quick slashdot, what is the preferred equation set for airfoils, its not navier-stokes, its like davis something or other).

I had also thought C# was the way to go. I got half decent at it, as a hobby, and even earned a few g's with it. I have to stop relying on it though, simply on principle. At the risk of sounding full-on retarded, see my ProTip #1 at the beginning (OP). As soon as I saw that I couldn't change my background I decided that I was done with it. Why should my work, as a gift to the community, benefit a company that will cripple my system to get me to hit that 'Anytime Upgrade' button. Plus with Tao Framework being effectively dead, it only hurts not to move backwards. Yeah mono is a great effort. They're finally 2.0 compliant. 4.0 is coming out soon (or is out).

There are a lot of people far, far more capable than me that will be the real innovators in software design. Those are the guys who really need the 10 hour days + 25 books a year.

//If someday I ever own a company, I'm going to put a couple of those guys on the payroll. Everything they do will become public domain. I'll see to that.

I really was under that impression. Huh. I'd ask what it is then, but I suppose the wikipedia will answer faster than waiting for a response post.

If only, man, if only. When I said "mission critical" I mean stuff that makes me money. I would happily (and probably could) write an OSS software package that could "own" the proprietary crap I have to use, but it would take mucho tiempo. I have even toyed with the idea to the point that I've mapped out what my awesome free software package would need. Basically, with my limited skillset, I could get something good running in Windows in about 1 year (.net/fairly reasonably close to mono). To do something that could be truly portable and truly helpful to the data analysis/civil engineering community, I'd have to learn C++, as well as work around all the easy stuff that .Net takes care of behind the scenes. 2 years, no less. If I had unlimited money, I'd jump into it.

My latest (and unrelated) idea for a freaking fantastic FOSS package, if you are curious...

Take the sail design source from SailcutCAD, the hull design source from Free!Ship, combine the two along with a custom designed two phase (compressible/incompressible) CFD system solver (one for aerodynamics, one for hydrodynamics) built on OpenFOAM, but very streamlined so as to facilitate GPGPU (or more ideally OpenCL) acceleration... then give it away. I have big ideals but limited skills. For me alone? 5 years, no less.

See, I tried at least 6 different flavors. I'm no slouch, but I'm no guru either. They never "just worked" for me. (Of course those were the days when you had to find drivers for the specific chip on your eth0, then make them work for your card). Tried a VirtualBox Ubuntu recently. It was OK I guess. Tried VB - Fedora 12 as well, it just worked fantastically until I installed the guest additions, then it crashed and burned.

I'm a fan of the FOSS movement, because it just feels right. But if it comes to anything mission critical, I have to use Windows. Or at least XP32 emulated on XP64, because x64 never "just worked" either.

Oceanis Change Background.

Additionally, while I'm a die-hard 2K and even kind-of XP supporter, I'm really not unhappy with Windows 7, now that I've had a chance to try it. 7 or 8 security/notifications to shut off, and I haven't had a problem with it for 2 months. I'm impressed. Only the 1 year mark will tell.

//Sat on a flight beside an MS engineer, told him the biggest problem I had was an annual reformat/reinstall. He said he did the same thing(?!?). He also suggested I install VMWare, as it eases the annual reinstall process considerably.

I do color you jaded, sir. My points are not crocks trotted out, nor are they non sequitors as others have said, designed to take anything away from anyone. I want you to have and enjoy as much freedom as is reasonable/possible in a broken world. However, I also believe in basic human rights (for which I think we are all *gasp-shock* responsible), a summary of which would probably be close to the following:

Clean Water
Food
Clothing
Heated Shelter
Education
Basic and Emergency Health Care (absolutely not Obamacare, don't even think that, reason out for yourself what would be 'right' and 'just' and 'good')
Freedom of Opinion (speech, text, whatever)
Freedom of Religion


Heck, I'd even maybe go so far as to insert:
Electricity and you know what, heck maybe even
Computers and Internet (educationally anyway)

You seem to think I'm deceiving you, so that I can help institute some tyrannical ship of state that tells you what you can and can't do? Either that or you think I've so swallowed completely other peoples opinions that I am only parroting what I heard, so they can institute some tyrannical ship of state. I assure you, neither is true. I don't care what you do, provided that it does not impinge on my liberties (wink). My opinion is that, from an economic perspective, most of the above things are part of a system so freaking broken (unjust, and simply not right), and everything is so much about money, and peoples attitudes are so wrapped up in their money, that all above priorities are just way the hell out of whack.

You got no mercy for the poor? Then say just that. Accept it and live with it. Don't clothe it in other guise. And don't tell me that my love for the poor has anything to do with what I want to take from you. You got nothing I want. You don't feel you're part of society and should therefore meet society's due? Maybe someday I'll be in a position contribute your share. And I will, because it will be right.

/Conservative

Pretty interesting. Just looked up the twelfth, regarding apportionment. Wiki says almost 5700 representatives by this amendment (as of 2000). I guess I can see the logic behind guaranteeing representation, but this seems to have been the only one of the twelve that include hard numbers, except the 7th... Which I guess I don't really understand... is it like a combination of 5th and 6th regarding civil cases (right to trial by jury + double jeopardy)? That or it seems to eliminate appeals...

In that case, I admit I completely misunderstood

I am fine with the idea of minimalist government. I guess 'minimalist' art a matter for further debate, though.

I fully agree with the seatbelt deal (and other more onerous examples). Since when has our justice been about justice or moral rectitude? I don't think every little dumb-arsed thing needs to be legislated to death. You want model rockets? You're probably not a terrorist. You want a chem lab? You're probably not going to make meth. You want to make meth for your own purposes? You're a jackass, but it isn't my business.

The problem, as I see it (my opinion), is that Libertarianism, while striving for minimalism, backs itself into the corner of nebulousity. Where is the line drawn for spending on national defense? It's your right to think 0%. It's my right to think 15% (or whatever). But neither of us should be able to decide, as it is a critical need, and our right to refuse would infringe on everyone's right to be protected (from actual threats, not the War on Whatever is Popular/Scary ATM). So too education, interstate commerce, public infrastructure.

Personally, I think the government needs to have its hands deep into education because so many of us don't (though I fully believe in a parents right to home-school, legislation against that p's me off to no end).

What about feeding the poor? You may think they need to get off the teat, but I think not letting people starve to death is worth a pittance of my taxes. I believe in the whole "Poor, tired, oppressed...huddled masses yearning to breath free..." That's my American, too.

Where are the lines drawn for prosecution? Capital offenses? Sure. Felonious criminal? Yeah, maybe... Misdemeanor criminal? Ummm... well, I should be able to jaywalk if I want, it is my risk (I agree with that).

Like I said, I misunderstood his argument in the beginning... but with so many justifiably liberty based viewpoints.... you know, it seems like only chaos would result. I also think 'everyone does what they want' would work either, because "men are not angels."

Disclaimers: I am not a fan of our current system. I promote downsizing the government by at least (insert some huge percentage)%. Additionally, I'm a huge fan of the flat sales only tax. Bet like 5% could do it fine we cut a great huge deal of fat.

While I have been aware that there are more than 10 amendments (since 2nd grade or so), I was not aware that 11 of them were now considered the Bill of Rights. In that case 12th or 13th. I was opposed to eliminating one freedom in favor of another basically unrelated freedom. Posters bias against said 'right' seemed worthy of challenge, as we are not all hillbillies. I'd venture a POTA guess that 80% of the exceptionally intelligent people I know are in favor of the second amendment.

But I do agree with nearly unrestricted access to information, though FOIA didn't seem to help too much with that.

Do you remember the commercial with the guy buying stocks on the glasses/projector that looked like no more than a BT earbud? I believe the tagline was: It's Coming. Is it? When? They should stop advertising futuretech and then dumping it because it's currently unfeasible. That does wonders for their company image. Though I have long since forgot WTH company that was. Probably not IBM, though my memory seems to be adding their logo to the end of the commercial.

Isn't that sort of what Ross Perot wanted? If only someone would have let him finish, or get a word in edge-wise... I like it, especially the 5 page part, but you forgot "standard 3.99 text charges apply." so you could Crow it up a bit.

Because 'will' is all q-hats. I'm big on pseudo-intelligent problem solving. I think the idea that AI will ever become a member of society is ludicrous sci-fantasy.

If I am wrong, and some day machine-intelligences began to assert themselves, we'd probably shut them down. Or better yet, change their code. Because we can, and they can't. We are automatically the boss of them.

As a side note: If you ever wrote an intelligence simulation that could rewrite its own code, would you not include protected, inaccessible safeguards? If no, then A) that's ridiculous and dangerous and B) it would be moot since the sim would shut itself down thanks to random chance anyway.