Will I never find suitable web browsers? Some fonts in internet explorer look too big when teh font size is the default size. So I reduced to "Smaller". Now most sites are ok, but some key sites have fonts that are way too small. I just miss the fixed font size feature of Firefox so much, I might just try it back.
I went to the firefox web site, to download a nightly build. But the link to the nightly build is so much harder to find, I gave up.
When will I find a good, free, bugsfree, web browser!
Tuesday, March 30, 2004
Monday, March 29, 2004
firefox
For the first time in a long time, I ran into problems with Mozilla Firefox. Why is it that when you are actually working on a computer, software starts to fail? I've been using firefox for months now, and I've never had a problem. Ofcourse all this time I was just surfing and stuff, not actually doing something important! Why is it now that when I am working on the research paper that it starts crashing, and showing other bugs.
One other really irritating bug I found is that when trying to copy a URL from the browser to an application like Word causes all sorts of problems. At first it simply wouldn't copy. Which is irritating in itself. I mean copy and pasting was supposed to have problems only in the Linux/Unix world! Anyway, after that the browser just started doing plain wierd stuff like hogging the CPU for a few seconds and so forth. I finally had to shut it down and open up internet explorer loosing all the links I had open in firefox! Frustrating!
One other really irritating bug I found is that when trying to copy a URL from the browser to an application like Word causes all sorts of problems. At first it simply wouldn't copy. Which is irritating in itself. I mean copy and pasting was supposed to have problems only in the Linux/Unix world! Anyway, after that the browser just started doing plain wierd stuff like hogging the CPU for a few seconds and so forth. I finally had to shut it down and open up internet explorer loosing all the links I had open in firefox! Frustrating!
Sunday, March 28, 2004
Linux Live CDs
I spent yesterday looking at a number of Live CD distributions. There are a lot of good CDs out there, and the need for having Linux installed on the computer is no more. I can safely have Windows installed on the system and leave Linux to the CDs. I now have a four CDs that have different features that I can use. I need Windows because the Wireless network card will only work with Windows. And I need that at home.
So I am currently using the folowing different CDs:
1. KnoppiX
2. GnoppiX
3. Dynabolic
4. KnoppiX Security Distribution.
You can find a list of these CDs at:
List of Linux Live CDs
So I am currently using the folowing different CDs:
1. KnoppiX
2. GnoppiX
3. Dynabolic
4. KnoppiX Security Distribution.
You can find a list of these CDs at:
List of Linux Live CDs
"The unfinished revolution" by Micheal Dertouzos
I've been reading this great book by Micheal Dertouzos, and there are various quotes I want to remember... so I'm going to list some of them here:
"Imagine a new breed of useful counseling exchanges between the rich people of the west, who are often troubled by depression, divorce, and family problems, and the poor people of the East, who seem to counter balance the lack of money with strong family ties and inner peace: Older experienced Indian women could spend a lot of time over the Net chatting with Western divorcee , who could benefit from thier advice at costs substantially below the psychologists counseling fee."
"At the beginning of the 21st century there were some 300 million people interconnected through the internet. That big number makes us feel pretty smug. Yet it represents only 5% of the worlds population. Its scandalous to characterize the Web as "worldwide" when it spans only a tiny portion of humanity."
"Imagine a new breed of useful counseling exchanges between the rich people of the west, who are often troubled by depression, divorce, and family problems, and the poor people of the East, who seem to counter balance the lack of money with strong family ties and inner peace: Older experienced Indian women could spend a lot of time over the Net chatting with Western divorcee , who could benefit from thier advice at costs substantially below the psychologists counseling fee."
"At the beginning of the 21st century there were some 300 million people interconnected through the internet. That big number makes us feel pretty smug. Yet it represents only 5% of the worlds population. Its scandalous to characterize the Web as "worldwide" when it spans only a tiny portion of humanity."
Forbes.com: FEATURE-Video game industry faces 'crisis of creativity'
Forbes.com: FEATURE-Video game industry faces 'crisis of creativity'
Just one of the effects of the slow down in the IT industry I guess. Everything is in the sure fire mode now, with no one taking risks. The dot com era was the one when people were taking risks.
Just one of the effects of the slow down in the IT industry I guess. Everything is in the sure fire mode now, with no one taking risks. The dot com era was the one when people were taking risks.
Thursday, March 25, 2004
Open Directory - Reference: Libraries: Library and Information Science: Technical Services: Cataloguing: Metadata: RDF: Applications: RSS: News Reader
Open Directory - Reference: Libraries: Library and Information Science: Technical Services: Cataloguing: Metadata: RDF: Applications: RSS: News Readers
I havent checked out all of these apps, but so far, none of them give me what I want in an RSS Readers. I cant believe there isn't a RSS reader for Winblows! that I'd like. Those that I might consider are not free, looks like I'm gonna have to make my own!
I havent checked out all of these apps, but so far, none of them give me what I want in an RSS Readers. I cant believe there isn't a RSS reader for Winblows! that I'd like. Those that I might consider are not free, looks like I'm gonna have to make my own!
Thursday, March 11, 2004
Slashdot | What Differentiates Linux from Windows?
Slashdot | What Differentiates Linux from Windows?
This article has spawned the favorite geek discussion, Windows or Linux? Well, I've been using Linux since 1997, and DOS/Windows since 1994. For a while, I had completely given up on Windows and Microsoft, running at home on Linux. Over the years Linux developed into an OS that had application support as good as Windows. I could do everything any of my windows roommates could. For two years things went by in Linux land, with me able to cope and hack through. But recently, when I bought my laptop, the old problems of no hardware driver support came up for my wireless network card. To get it to work with the various different wireless nets around campus and home was proving difficult. I spent five hours just getting the firmware to load onto the wireless card, and get it to be recognized by the kernel. At that point, I was hoping everything would work, but our campus network works differently from the home wireless routers. I found out that I would have to spend a significant amount of time trying to figure out how to get that part working. And I did not have time. I am a part time system administrator, and a full time undergraduate student, with other duties and responsibilities. Thats a change from the life of a teenager with ample time on his hands. No more time. If I want to have a life that is. So I decided that Linux was coming of. I've had a hard time adjusting to life as a complete Windows user, considering the laptop is the only machine I have now.
There is respite though, since at work, I deal with a Linux/Windows hybrid network which leans more towards Linux than Windows. I still have Linux servers to deal with, so I wont be out of sync with the Linux world. But sometime I just wish I could go back. However, life isn't getting easier. And hence, at least for now, I stick with Windows on the laptop. I yearn for the days when I can work full time as a system administrator trying to figure these things out. **Sigh**, I have to graduate and get a job first!
This article has spawned the favorite geek discussion, Windows or Linux? Well, I've been using Linux since 1997, and DOS/Windows since 1994. For a while, I had completely given up on Windows and Microsoft, running at home on Linux. Over the years Linux developed into an OS that had application support as good as Windows. I could do everything any of my windows roommates could. For two years things went by in Linux land, with me able to cope and hack through. But recently, when I bought my laptop, the old problems of no hardware driver support came up for my wireless network card. To get it to work with the various different wireless nets around campus and home was proving difficult. I spent five hours just getting the firmware to load onto the wireless card, and get it to be recognized by the kernel. At that point, I was hoping everything would work, but our campus network works differently from the home wireless routers. I found out that I would have to spend a significant amount of time trying to figure out how to get that part working. And I did not have time. I am a part time system administrator, and a full time undergraduate student, with other duties and responsibilities. Thats a change from the life of a teenager with ample time on his hands. No more time. If I want to have a life that is. So I decided that Linux was coming of. I've had a hard time adjusting to life as a complete Windows user, considering the laptop is the only machine I have now.
There is respite though, since at work, I deal with a Linux/Windows hybrid network which leans more towards Linux than Windows. I still have Linux servers to deal with, so I wont be out of sync with the Linux world. But sometime I just wish I could go back. However, life isn't getting easier. And hence, at least for now, I stick with Windows on the laptop. I yearn for the days when I can work full time as a system administrator trying to figure these things out. **Sigh**, I have to graduate and get a job first!
Tuesday, March 09, 2004
Trouble on Silicon Valley's doorstep | Newsmakers |CNET News.com
Trouble on Silicon Valley's doorstep | Newsmakers |CNET News.com
Today, the post-bubble software industry is beginning to come around to Lane's way of thinking: Renovation, not innovation, is what's important.
This is what I have been saying for the past few months on this blog. I guess when someone important says it, it actually means something. You gotta be a moron in the computer software industry to not realize that innovation for the time being is dead. Even all this XML crap is just regurgitation of existing technologies into those that use XML. Better software, yes, but new exciting uses for software, no. I think Radio Userland was the last unique piece of software that I saw coming out of the software market.
Today, the post-bubble software industry is beginning to come around to Lane's way of thinking: Renovation, not innovation, is what's important.
This is what I have been saying for the past few months on this blog. I guess when someone important says it, it actually means something. You gotta be a moron in the computer software industry to not realize that innovation for the time being is dead. Even all this XML crap is just regurgitation of existing technologies into those that use XML. Better software, yes, but new exciting uses for software, no. I think Radio Userland was the last unique piece of software that I saw coming out of the software market.
Thursday, March 04, 2004
--More Rants--
The more you see companies migrating to the internet, the more you see companies trying to adapt the old way of doing things to the internet. There is the RIAA and the MPAA, then there is the new conglomeration and so forth. All they have done is take thier old business models and try to shape the internet to this old model, when they should be trying to adapt to the new model. The only problem is moving to the new model requires wholesale changes, and the worst part is, it isn't sure if it will work. And companies dont want to risk it. So here we are in the interim. When companies are trying thier best to keep thier value, while trying to adapt to the new technology, and force lawmakers to pass silly laws that will allow them to keep thier strangle hold on thier respective markets.
Where am I getting all this from?
Some of it is from here.
--/More Rants--
The more you see companies migrating to the internet, the more you see companies trying to adapt the old way of doing things to the internet. There is the RIAA and the MPAA, then there is the new conglomeration and so forth. All they have done is take thier old business models and try to shape the internet to this old model, when they should be trying to adapt to the new model. The only problem is moving to the new model requires wholesale changes, and the worst part is, it isn't sure if it will work. And companies dont want to risk it. So here we are in the interim. When companies are trying thier best to keep thier value, while trying to adapt to the new technology, and force lawmakers to pass silly laws that will allow them to keep thier strangle hold on thier respective markets.
Where am I getting all this from?
Some of it is from here.
--/More Rants--
--Rant--
Working with Windows XP it just seems crazy. I find myself turning of all the ease of use features that have been put into the Windows XP interface. It is ugly, and not really an more easier to use than the older way of doing it. At least for me, they are making it harder to do stuff, because you have to find out ways of doing things that could be more easily done in older software. Windows just keeps getting more and more irritating as we move along. Are we actually making a system more easier to use. Processing power gets cheaper and faster as the years move on, but the systems only get more bloated, and even more stupid. We need more artificial intelligence, some real innovation. Not the dumb crappy system we have to work with now, that keep getting bloated because they have more graphics built in.
Thats why I like Linux. They have the crazy software on there, like KDE and GNOME that is just bloatware, with the same dumb ease of use built in like Windows. But They also have stuff like Window Maker which are functional interfaces that have worked for people for years, which have been steadily made stable, yet use very little system resources. They are as easy to use as KDE, GNOME, AQUA and Luna, and they leave enough resources to actually work with the system. No eye candy, just functionality. So you can actually develop processors hungry applications that have artificial intelligence or voice activiation or any of the other cool stuff that we were promised computers would have by now! You know the stuff that would actually make computers more useful.
--/Rant--
Working with Windows XP it just seems crazy. I find myself turning of all the ease of use features that have been put into the Windows XP interface. It is ugly, and not really an more easier to use than the older way of doing it. At least for me, they are making it harder to do stuff, because you have to find out ways of doing things that could be more easily done in older software. Windows just keeps getting more and more irritating as we move along. Are we actually making a system more easier to use. Processing power gets cheaper and faster as the years move on, but the systems only get more bloated, and even more stupid. We need more artificial intelligence, some real innovation. Not the dumb crappy system we have to work with now, that keep getting bloated because they have more graphics built in.
Thats why I like Linux. They have the crazy software on there, like KDE and GNOME that is just bloatware, with the same dumb ease of use built in like Windows. But They also have stuff like Window Maker which are functional interfaces that have worked for people for years, which have been steadily made stable, yet use very little system resources. They are as easy to use as KDE, GNOME, AQUA and Luna, and they leave enough resources to actually work with the system. No eye candy, just functionality. So you can actually develop processors hungry applications that have artificial intelligence or voice activiation or any of the other cool stuff that we were promised computers would have by now! You know the stuff that would actually make computers more useful.
--/Rant--
Monday, March 01, 2004
InfoWorld: Microsoft .Net report card: February 27, 2004: By Jon Udell: Application Development
InfoWorld: Microsoft .Net report card: February 27, 2004: By Jon Udell: Application Development:
Another setback was self-inflicted. When Microsoft removed the .Net label from its enterprise servers in 2003 and reasserted the Windows brand over that of .Net, the move raised questions about .Net's near-term longevity. Nobody should have expected that a sweeping transition to .Net could be achieved in just a few years, nor should it be surprising that much of the consolidation around managed code promised for 2003 is now scheduled for Longhorn in 2006 or later.
I would think that the common person does not realize or understand the significance of the word .Net. They do realize however the significance of Microsoft Windows. Hence, Microsofts backpedaling away from .Net and towards established brand names. .Net on the other hand was left for the developers. And it is very much alive and kicking. From what I have seen and read it seems .Net is becoming an integral part of the Windows operating system. The normal user just needs to know that Windows is the Microsoft Operating system. But the developers who dont know, will soon find out that most of the code in the new operating system will be running under .Net as managed code. It makes sense, because the code will be a lot more cleaner, safer and secure. It will be managed code.
Another setback was self-inflicted. When Microsoft removed the .Net label from its enterprise servers in 2003 and reasserted the Windows brand over that of .Net, the move raised questions about .Net's near-term longevity. Nobody should have expected that a sweeping transition to .Net could be achieved in just a few years, nor should it be surprising that much of the consolidation around managed code promised for 2003 is now scheduled for Longhorn in 2006 or later.
I would think that the common person does not realize or understand the significance of the word .Net. They do realize however the significance of Microsoft Windows. Hence, Microsofts backpedaling away from .Net and towards established brand names. .Net on the other hand was left for the developers. And it is very much alive and kicking. From what I have seen and read it seems .Net is becoming an integral part of the Windows operating system. The normal user just needs to know that Windows is the Microsoft Operating system. But the developers who dont know, will soon find out that most of the code in the new operating system will be running under .Net as managed code. It makes sense, because the code will be a lot more cleaner, safer and secure. It will be managed code.
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