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GeekNights 090824 - What If * Were Open Source?

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  • edited August 2009
    @ Gunter, those are tighter yoga pants than I usually see and those buns are also much nicer than one normally sees (even in a yoga class). I think reality and your fantasy don't quite match up. Le gasp... fantasy and reality are not equal?! The world is falling apart around me and all is lost!
    Post edited by Kate Monster on
  • See, he set that up far too obviously. -1 for taking the easy bait.
    I can't help it.
  • The world is falling apart around me and all is lost!
    Whenever I see that line, I think of Whispers of the Heart. Sekia ga kowarechatta!
  • @ Gunter, those are tighter yoga pants than I usually see and those buns are also much nicer than one normally sees (even in a yoga class). I think reality and your fantasy don't quite match up.Le gasp... fantasy and reality are not equal?! The world is falling apart around me and all is lost!
    There were some pretty damn good buns in the yoga class I used to go to, and some equally tight pants. I do realize that my experiences are not the normal state of affairs, but I do cherish them so. :P
  • There were some pretty damn good buns in the yoga class I used to go to, and some equally tight pants. I do realize that my experiences are not the normal state of affairs, but I do cherish them so. :P
    Yoga - Dispelling the idea that women don't fart since Bodhisattva.
  • I'm a web developer, have asthma and zero to none athletic ability. Two months ago I decided I needed to do something about it and since I always loved martial arts, I enlisted myself in a karate dojo, a full-contact one at that. It's still hard as hell and there are times when I barely walk from the exhaustion but there is a noticeable progress from what I was when I started.
    So my advice is just start exercising and don't give up. Changing the body takes time.
  • I got round to listening to the episode. Why did you stick to operating systems? I think the more interesting thing topics would be "What if air traffic control systems were open source?" and other big systems that the public never touch.
  • I got round to listening to the episode. Why did you stick to operating systems? I think the more interesting thing topics would be "What if air traffic control systems were open source?" and other big systems that the public never touch.
    A bunch of comapnies would go out of business. Also geeks in speific verticals would have a lot of fun. That's about it.
  • No cool applications that use real time flight data? Imagine pointing your camera phone at a plane in the sky, and it showing the flight number and destination. Then you could use that to look up the model of the plane, and how much fuel it has burnt so far on the trip, etc, etc.
  • Man, if Stuffit was open source, then maybe there would be a decent open source archive tool.
  • edited December 2009
    No cool applications that use real time flight data? Imagine pointing your camera phone at a plane in the sky, and it showing the flight number and destination. Then you could use that to look up the model of the plane, and how much fuel it has burnt so far on the trip, etc, etc.
    Open source != free access to information.

    I thought the episode was a slight let down since it basically boiled down to the predictable "You can make real money off open source and only a few geeks would really care enough to do more than just copy-paste the proprietary goodies". A more interesting discussion would have centered around what systems need to be open sourced / open standards in modern society, e.g. electronic voting systems, government document formats, emergency response systems etc.

    Another thing is the discussion of the fact that, in principle, open source makes for more robust software and how the public today still has no expectations with regards to the reliability of software. I believe there is a huge expansion of the current Lemon laws looming in the future to include software.
    Post edited by Dr. Timo on
  • e.g. electronic voting systems, government document formats, emergency response systems etc.
    This was more of the kind of thing I meant.

    As for free access to information, I do know that. But this is information we already know, right? Anyone watching a plane take off can look at a timetable and work out where it is going. My point was that an open source version of air traffic control could be linked to social media networks and associated widgets.
  • edited August 2009
    My point was that an open source version of air traffic control could be linked to social media networks and associated widgets.
    Yeah, but that can be done with a closed source system as well. Conversely open source will not implicitly lead to open data access.
    Post edited by Dr. Timo on
  • I believe there is a huge expansion of the currentLemon lawslooming in the future to include software.
    Do tell.
  • I believe there is a huge expansion of the current Lemon laws looming in the future to include software.
    Do tell.
    Every software license I have come across has the caveat "we don't guarantee that this software actually does what we say it does" or something to the same effect. Currently most people are either unaware of this or OK with it. Windows crashes -- fine, Word is buggy -- who cares, skype cuts out -- so what. If similar things would happen to, e.g., cars, your TV or the lock on your front door, you would be pissed of and have (rightly so) legal recourse.

    I believe, the reason why people are so blasé about buggy software is that, for most people, there are still little real life consequences to software failing, maybe a few hours of lost work at most. This is, however, rapidly changing. More and more people invest significant amounts of time and effort into digital mediums (photos, video, music, MMORPG's). Even if the real monetary value of those things is debatable, I can easily foresee a time when people will be mightily upset when software bugs result in lost data / time / effort.

    Once there is sufficient disgruntlement with bad software, it could be possible to pass laws governing the quality of softwares sold to consumers. Of course, bear in mind that this took until 1975 for real consumer goods in the US, so we're probably talking early 22nd century at best.
  • Scott, try holding a conversation while you exercise. If you can't, you need to step down your level of exertion.
  • Scott, try holding a conversation while you exercise. If you can't, you need to step down your level of exertion.
    That's really only for specific purposes. If you can hold a conversation while you sprint, you're doing it wrong.
  • Scott, try holding a conversation while you exercise. If you can't, you need to step down your level of exertion.
    That's really only for specific purposes. If you can hold a conversation while you sprint, you're doing it wrong.
    LOL
    If you can hold a conversation while you're bench pressing, you're not lifting enough.
    This applies to the majority of exercise activities, your energy should be focused on task otherwise your body isn't going to respond in a physiological manner that you wish.
  • What we need is some kind of multiple use pass..
    Dare I say...a Multi-Pass?
    I labeled my 4GB flashdrive "multipass". It's a multiboot toolkit for fixing and braking into computers. So nice. So fresh.
  • What we need is some kind of multiple use pass..
    Dare I say...a Multi-Pass?
    I labeled my 4GB flashdrive "multipass". It's a multiboot toolkit for fixing and braking into computers. So nice. So fresh.
    What apps and boots do you have on it?
    I've got a very meager collection but are damn helpful.
  • What we need is some kind of multiple use pass..
    Dare I say...a Multi-Pass?
    I labeled my 4GB flashdrive "multipass". It's a multiboot toolkit for fixing and braking into computers. So nice. So fresh.
    What apps and boots do you have on it?
    I've got a very meager collection but are damn helpful.
    TRK, Spinrite, memtest86, ubuntu live cd, and dban.
  • That's really only for specific purposes. If you can hold a conversation while you sprint, you're doing it wrong.
    LOL
    If you can hold a conversation while you're bench pressing, you're not lifting enough.
    This applies to the majority of exercise activities, your energy should be focused on task otherwise your body isn't going to respond in a physiological manner that you wish.
    Umm... if you can't do a pushup or jog because you hold your breath, then you shouldn't even be thinking about bench pressing or sprinting until you can teach yourself to breathe during a period of physical exertion. If you, say, go for an easy jog, and talk while you do it, you're forcing your body to have to breathe. Gotta crawl before you walk. Much less run. Much less bench press.
  • Gotta crawl before you walk. Much less run. Much less bench press.
    Fair enough. If you're talking strictly in the context of Scott, then I agree with you. I just hear that "slow enough to talk, fast enough that you can't sing, stay in the FAT BURNING ZOOOOOOONE" bs all the time, as if it's the only way to exercise.
  • Fair enough. If you're talking strictly in the context of Scott, then I agree with you. I just hear that "slow enough to talk, fast enough that you can't sing, stay in the FAT BURNING ZOOOOOOONE" bs all the time, as if it's the only way to exercise.
    Can't sing? I sing cadence to myself when I run, and I'm pretty fit, for someone who smokes.
  • I sing cadence to myself when I run, and I'm pretty fit,
    Then according to the mantra, you should be running faster. But I don't buy it. Different paces have different purposes.
  • edited August 2009
    Then according to the mantra, you should be running faster. But I don't buy it. Different paces have different purposes.
    The Mantra can go explore it's metaphorical fundamental orifice with a acetylene torch.
    After all, What's the point of running faster, when I'm not actually going anywhere?

    Especially considering that if I wanted to really work out, rather than jogging for the pleasure of it and the assist to my stamina and endurance, I'd go do a parkour run, not go for a regular run.
    Post edited by Churba on
  • After all, What's the point of running faster, when I'm not actually going anywhere?
    It's all about keeping your heart rate in the "fat burning zone". It's true that there is a specific heart rate range where your body burns fat rather than glycogen for fuel, but there's not really any reason to believe that that's better for your fitness.
  • It's all about keeping your heart rate in the "fat burning zone". It's true that there is a specific heart rate range where your body burns fat rather than glycogen for fuel, but there's not really any reason to believe that that's better for your fitness.
    Cripes, I better run slower then - If I lose any more fat, I'll bloody well vanish!
  • You know, now that I think about it, I might have it wrong. I think running very SLOW is for fat-burning. Because your body can't burn fat without a steady supply of oxygen. When you start running faster, you can't process oxygen fast enough to burn fat, so you have to burn the glycogen in your muscles. But you're burning calories, whether they come from fat or glycogen, which is going to translate into less body fat, unless you eat more.
  • I've heard that if one doesn't eat before exercising (not right before, but I mean less than 5 hours prior), then the body almost goes into "starvation-mode" when working out: It tries to burn the muscle first, as it burns faster. This might all be crazytalk, though. I barely remember high school gym class.
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