I wonder if olivesmarch4th meant owned as in ‘pwned’
Thanks for the clarification. I had been misinformed by a well-meaning Mr. Olives.
No, I switched in August 2006, pretty much within days of learning such a thing existed. I had just purchased a new laptop, and I thought, “Why not? Now or never.”
Everyone has a soft spot. Mine’s free software. It is a political ideal for me. It’s about people creating their own product because they believe that users should have a stake in how their software operates. I think computer technology is a beautiful thing that offers amazing possibilities… and I think people should always have this freedom to make that experience whatever they want it to be.
What was that quote in that other BBQ Article: Worst People of 2006"? Something along the lines of, “Bill Gates’ foundation works to fight global warming and poverty by investing in the companies that cause global warming and poverty…” something alone those lines. I’m not going to bow down and worship this guy until I know why anyone would level that accusation at him, and whether or not it’s true. Frankly I think it’s quite easy to throw money at a problem rather than trying to enact systemic changes that render the problem obsolete. I’m not saying donating money is a bad thing, but it’s lazier than actually going out there and doing the trenchwork. I know rich people who donate money but could give a flying fuck about the people they donate to. Color me not impressed.
I don’t think “it employs people” is any excuse for unfair business practices. It’s possible to create jobs and be a reputable business that respects its customer base.
As I said before, I understand why people use Windows-- it is undoubtedly the most user friendly and compatible thing out there. I just like my system better. I like knowing what’s on my computer. I like not having to wrestle with it every day. I like how clean it is. I know very little about computer programming and computers in general. I just know what I prefer.
Yeah, if I really knew what I was doing. Which I don’t, generally. Don’t take that to mean I never try. I just mean I’m not about to claim I have any knowledge on the subject beyond the average user. I think I’m uncommon for a Linux user, in that I’m not obsessed with programming or coding. I find it interesting, I’m trying to learn more as I go… but really I just use Linux because of the sense of control I have over what’s going on. In a weird way, Linux is easier for me than Windows. I was constantly stressed out using Windows, because I was overwhelmed by everything going on at once. Now I don’t have that daily stress.
Yes, my initial wireless problems with Ubuntu made me want to tear my hair out.
I’ve never been happy with Apple software on Windows. Slow, clunky interface, and hogging memory like there’s no tomorrow. It’s like they felt they needed to port half of OSX for a freaking Windows music player.
It’s all due to their sick obsession with Objective C, says I.
Just thought I’d point out that Ubuntu would not exist unless Mark Shuttleworth, an obscenely wealthy person, made huge donations to keep Canonical Ltd. afloat. (When he’s not busy bribing Russian officials to let him hang out at the International Space Station.) The company that makes Ubuntu possible, simply by borrowing somebody else’s codebase (Debian’s) and modifying it, would not exist without a playboy billionaire’s generousity.
When is it merely giving donations, and when does it become “doing trenchwork”?
My point is, it’s not as black and white as you’re portraying things. Shuttleworth undoubtably has skeletons in his closet.
Sorry if I’m a bit ranty now. I have this discussion all the time with my huge open source fanatic, billionaires are evil unless they promote open source, commerce should be replaced with socialism, blah blah blah brother, who has yet to find a job that will pay him enough to move out of our parents’ home.
Yeah, it’s not as if Debian’s released under the GPL, or anything.
What, exactly is it that annoys you so much about this? That he has lots of money? That he’s giving some of it away? That he’s doing exactly what the Open Source licensing scheme is all about? What?
That’s not a point, it’s an allegation; at the moment, a pointless, unsupported one.
Nothing bothers me about this. For the record, I love Ubuntu. I’d be running it at home if they ever fixed the ongoing wireless drivers problem.
I was merely pointing out that Microsoft isn’t the only software company buoyed by a flagrant billionaire. It’s a response to olivesmarch4th’s selective complaint against philanthropists.
Point is: things are not so black and white. This is supported by enough events that I’m not going to pursue it.
Allegation is: Shuttleworth has skeletons in his closet. This is not supported nearly as well as my point (above), but given that his net worth is near that of some nations, and given that it’s impossible to make that kind of money without being an ass to at least one person, I’ll stand by my unfounded assertion.
In balance, I still prefer Ubuntu. They’ve pretty much rescued Debian from their own quagmire. But it still has some significant roadblocks, including some profound technical and usability issues. Ranting against Windows because of these very problems, then praising Linux (in virtually any form) is a little hypocritical.
Point by point, because this is almost entirely false:
- You weren’t forced to install it. You unchecked the “install” box, and when it asked you whether you wanted to be prompted about it again, answered “no”.
- It doesn’t lock down your computer.
- It doesn’t send any personal information to Microsoft, let alone “all” of it. It does send information about your computer, which irritates me, but then of course there’s point 1).
- It can, in fact, be removed, albeit not in an obvious manner.
- What’s wrong with making sure people have paid?
- Were all these people’s computers actually perfectly legal, or did they in fact have stolen keys?
- If you were sold a computer with a dodgy copy, Microsoft would give you a legal version if you let them know where you got it from. My friend did this and had a fully legal copy the next day, free of charge. Two, in fact, due to a shipping error.
I think a lot of Microsoft’s practices in the past have been reprehensible, but I completely fail to see the problem with them trying to make sure that they are paid for the software they write. You’re quite right; there were indeed howls of protest about WGA, but the fact of the matter is that the absolutely vast majority of those inconvenienced by the WGA tool were running illegal copies. If this was inadvertent, Microsoft provided an easy method of rectifying things. If not, then I don’t see the need for much sympathy.
According to one of the MSDN bloggers, something like 20% of the 300 million PCs that had run WGA as of last July had failed. That’s an awful lot of piracy, and it’s undeniable that almost all of those really were illegal copies. Why is it so bad that Microsoft try and get paid for their work?
They’ve just released Flash Player 9 for Linux - I haven’t really tested it yet, but it might be worth a try if you haven’t got it already. Linux Flash was pretty much abandoned for years before Adobe bought out Macromedia.
Of course, Adobe are DRM-totin’, copy-protection wieldin’ capitalists of the highest order, too, so maybe sound is one of those idealistic problems that come along every so often. 
As to the OP, I can only echo those who say WMP 11 is a bit shit (it’s really quite slow on my machine, where WMP 10 wasn’t), and certainly not worth the hassle of rejigging your machine. Personally for ripping MP3s I use CDex, which is simple, quick, links in to the CDDB to get all your tags, and has decent control over output filenames. Never quite got on with EAC’s interface, which is kind of important if you’ve got a lot of CDs to get through. 
Games? I’m lucky if I can use a knife and fork under Wine.
Cite?
Heh. Nice. 
Are you fucking serious? Of course its easier to throw money at the problem. Do you perform your own heart surgery? Hell no, you pay somebody that actually knows what they’re doing. What trenchwork should Bill Gates be doing in this regard? He already has a skill, and has built an empire off it. So he should be required to do the trenchwork of fixing global warming? No. He’s donates his money to those who know the “trenchwork” of such a thing.
Stupidest fucking thing I’ve ever heard.
Why do you hate philanthropy? That kind of capital from rich people make things happen you putz.
Hey, goddamnit, we’re talking about ME, here!
So I burned two discs, but the sound quality leaves something to be desired. Lots of skips and other problems with the sound. What’s the fix?
Did you demo the MP3s first to make sure that they were okay?
If so, it could be that you were burning the discs too fast. The higher the speed, the greater the possibility of errors being introduced into the bitstream.
It’s also possible that your player doesn’t like that particular brand of CDR. Try another brand, preferably with a different coloured ink.
When the person actually cares. Then they will ensure their money is going to do the most good and stretch the furthest and enact the greatest systemic change.
'S okay, my post was pretty inflammatory… though, it should be noted, not intended as an attack on any person in this forum. I do not believe billionaires are evil unless they promote open source. I do not believe commerce should be replaced with socialism. I have been financially independent since the age of 17. Are these reasons enough to distinguish me from your crazy brother?
I feel there might be a misunderstanding brewing… I’m not coming down on philanthropy. My statement is in the context of your argument, which, best as I could tell, was that Microsoft is not so bad because Bill Gates donates money. I don’t think a person donating money is like some magic ticket into being a good person. I know plenty of people who donate money who are not pleasant to be around. I also know people who donate money that are a joy to be around. All I am doing is allowing for the possibility that one can be a philanthropist and not necessarily admirable in every other respect. I expressed this with snarkiness. My apologies.
I was in no way attempting to portray things in a black-and-white manner. I was attempting to, in fact, draw out the very same possibility you have. Shutteworth may indeed have skeletons in his closet, and depending on what those skeletons are, I might not necessarily respect him just because of all the good he’s done for Ubuntu. It’s possible to donate money to a very worthy cause and be an asshole at the same time.
Thank you for pointing out the specifics. In my anger I didn’t portray the situation correctly. I still feel the WGA thing was incredibly shady–they took great pains to avoid disclosing what it actually does–I suppose the inherent shadiness is a matter of subjective opinion. You might not see it as sketchy, but I do. I have no problem with them trying to prevent illegal dissemination of their product. The problem lies in using deceit to get it on there in the first place and that many, many people ran into problems with software that was perfectly authentic (something I basically figured out from a cursory look at Slashdot.) The fact that customer service is so rigid and largely unhelpful made it impossible for these perfectly valid people to manage software they had bought and paid for. I am almost completely certain that at the time this scandal hit, a spokesperson for Microsoft had openly admitted their plan was to lock down computers who were not authenticated following a certain date–a plan which they withdrew in the face of much opposition. Am I remembering incorrectly?
It sounds like you know much more about computers than I do. That’s good, I can learn from you. It doesn’t make me like Microsoft more, though.
I finally got it. Fortunately I have an uncle who is a grad student at Cornell for computer programming. Whenever I get to the “tear my hair out” point I usually give him a call, and he fixes the problem in two seconds. There’s no telling how long I would have been able to stick with it if it weren’t for his help.
Ok… nice. Did the rest of this post resolve this issue for you, or do you still think I’m a communist loving, philanthropist-hating dirty hippie? I feel there is a difference between throwing money at a problem and being a true philanthropist. Rich people throw money at problems when they don’t give a shit and only want to assuage their guilt/look good. Philanthropists want to change an unjust system, and spend their money in the way most likely to do so. I’m not claiming Bill Gates belongs to either of these categories… just, as I stated before, that donating money is not equal to instant respect from my POV. Furthermore, a person may in fact donate money with the best of intentions and STILL run a shitty company. The two things, in my opinion, can exist at the same time. The fact that you’re comparing donating billions of dollars to global warming to paying for open-heart surgery is a little strange. One is paying for a service… the other is charity.
From earlier…
Your post made it sound as if rich people should be in the “trenches” to earn your respect. My analogy was to point out that it’s kinda hard to implement systemic changes if you’re not skilled in the subject. That’s why you pay specialists to take care of it. So naturally, laziness would be a byproduct of cash donations. Rich people are already specialized in something that made them successful, so donating only makes sense.
No, I didn’t. Have no idea how to do that, but I’ll see if I can figure it out. My Plexor is capable of 52x and I’m burning to imation CD-Rs. What speed do you recommend?
My experience with Imation CD-Rs is about one in five is bad. I’d say try another one at max speed (assuming you bought a pack of 25 or so and have a few spares). If it also fails try again at about half the speed the media/burner is capable of. You can bump it up a little for the next one and then a little more until the errors start returning then just drop back a speed and leave it there.
As for everyone recommending Media Monkey I downloaded it and started it up. Only to find it takes the same if not more processor/Page file usage as WMP. Why is it so highly recommended here?
Okay, but for the rest of us, we’d just like to use our computers and be productive, not make a political statement via our choice of operating system.
Frankly, when I hear the stories of a number of intelligent, technically-capable people admitting to being bested by simply installing programs on Linux, I can’t imagine how useful the damn thing is.
I need my computer to work today, right now, because I’ve got stuff to do. If Linux isn’t useable by someone with an IQ of 100, what use is it?
That’s all part of the sacred mysteries of the anti-Microsoft cult, I suppose.