[Lvlug] Session 1 Presentation

[Daniel S. Washko]

>> IMG4:  Bullet one can be very dangerous.  I read a lot how corporate
>> America does not want to hear about technical changes, but just wants
>> useable systems.  
> 
> Yes, but you are aware of the meaning of the phrase "disruptive
> technology", yes?  

I am now

>It has a special meaning.  A "disruptive technology"
> is the technological equivalent of a "paradigm shift" (to use a
> buzzword from a previous generation).  A disruptive technology come
> sfrom out of nowhere, is pooh-poohed by The Big Boys, doesn't do
> everything that the Big Boys can do and it *still* manages to topple
> the Big Boys.  The 8080 was a disruptive technology.  Hydraulics in
> construction equipment was a disruptive technology.  There are several
> other examples cited in the book "The Innovator's Dilemma" which is the
> book that defined the term "disruptive technology".
> 

And now it makes sense to me.  
>  It didn't say "pee-poles", it said "pepole" (pron.
> pee-POL-ee). It's Bajorran for "hard-working, reliable, intelligent
> persons".  It's derived from the name of a race of people that used to
> inhabit the northern  continent.
>

Again, I have learned something new.  I appologize for beating my chest and
ruffling my fur.  

 
>> IMG14:  Maybe "and/or" cdwriter.  Usually if you buy a copy of Linux
>> you get distro support for a small fragment of time.  There is always
>> the option to purchase support contracts.  So saying "Only support
>> comes from the community" may not be the message you want to convey. 
>> Unless you mean that the Linux community will generally only provide
>> support, not actual configurations, hand-holding, etc.  Perhaps you
>> would want to say something like "Various avenues of free, community
>> support."  But, you have to becareful about this too since in a
>> business setting free equates to "no one responsible."
> 
> But doesn't the last phrase "Paid support is available from the
> distribution makers and third party companies" allay what you say?  OR
> do I need to rewrite the page?  
> 

I think what I am getting at is how does this differ from any other
operating system?  I can get support from the community for Windows, but in
my opinion the support is as available.  Now, if I want non-community based
support I have to pay for it.  So in a sense, how does what you say differ
from any other platform support?  Am I being clear on this?


> I beleive that there is still some "roll your own"-ing that need to be
> done with any Linux distro.  The same is true of Windows, IM!HO, but
> it's not perceived as such. 

And this is why worms like nimda flourish and wreck havoc across the world.


>> IMG20:  "text interface most powerful and flexible"  Are you referring
>> to the command line here?  I believe you are, but I do not recall
>> anyone calling it a text interface before.
> 
> No, I'm talking about piping text from one program to another.
> 
>> What do you mean by computer-to-computer usage?  Enlighten me
> 
> I think I need a better way to say this, so let me throw out my idea
> and see if we can come up with a better way:
> 
> I state that Windows assumes that there is a human interacting with the
> computer or to put it another way, that every computer action (okay,
> not *EVERY* action, work with me here) is initiated by a human action.
> Hence, things are geared for that;  How does one add a new virtual
> server to IIS?  Click on Start -> Program -> Microsoft Option Pack  ->
> MS Internet Information Server -> etc., etc., etc.
> 
> Linux/Unix doesn't make this assumption; the initiator of an action can
> be a human, another program, or another computer. Because of that,
> Linux/unix needs a mechanism that is similar across all three
> initiators.  That's where text files and piping come into play; every
> human and computer can read ASCII text (how many computers can read MS
> Word format?  My Palm Pilot can't) and every human can learn the
> concept of piping (just as they learn the concept of clicking) but not
> every computer can't be taught to click on a menu option.  How does one
> add a virtual to server to Apache?  Let me count the ways: 
>     1. Through Webmin (there's the clicking interface), 
>     2. type everything into a text file and append it to httpd.conf 
> 	(who types it into a text file?  either a human or a program)
>     3. Have a small program pull relevant information from a database
>         (yes, I know you can right a VB.NET application to do this, but
>         there is a major difference between writing a VB application
>         and  doing a "mysql | awk >> httpd.conf" at the commandline)
> 
> Have I gotten my idea across?

How about automation?  I've been trying to find a way to do simple
automation  on Windows and novell like I can with Unix.  It just is not there.



-- 
Daniel S. Washko
www.thelinuxlink.net/lvlinux
Lehigh Valley Linux Users Group
Get Slack (www.slackware.com) and get happy!