Random things

[cosmolinguist]

The most annoying question on my CSci final was Explain open-source software and the hazards of using it. I can explain what open-source software is, but I didn't know it was hazardous ...

Something happened to our cable; we get more channels now. The only one that interests me at al is Sci-Fi; I can live without the Hallmark channel and ESPN2 and such. Why not something good, like TCM? Or Bravo? Noooo. If they still showed MacGyver on TVLand, comradexavier could watch it when he came to visit, since we get that now, too.

I saw a commercial for Subway that says their food "will make up for your recent deep-fried indiscretions." I think "deep-fried indiscretions" is a cool phrase. This time, it made me think of going to the bad Chinese restaurant with Jenn and boys a few days ago; Jenn went to the dessert part of the buffet and came back with a pile of bright-pink something and two little things that look like biscuits but had sugar on them. I don't know what they're called, but they seemed familiar to me. They're tasty. Jenn would agree with that sentiment; she stabbed one with her chopsticks and said these are one of her favorite desserts, along with baklava and Dippin' Dots. I think that must be the most interesting list of favorite desserts I've ever heard.

Comments

[iblis-kukl.livejournal.com]

[cosmolinguist]

I like Bravo mostly because they started showing The West Wing this summer. Though I've been a fan of Inside the Actor's Studio at times (it was singlehandedly responsible for me ceasing my hatred of Mike Myers, for one thing).

You're right; Sci-Fi isn't what it used to be, but at least they have movies I can heckle and such. That's always a good thing.

I almost never watch TV anyway, so it isn't a huge deal for me. For all I know, those channels could've been there for a while and I've just not noticed. :-)

[apotheon.livejournal.com]

I don't know what they're called in Chinese, but the biscuit-like things with sugar are often colloquially referred to as Chines doughnuts.

[apotheon.livejournal.com]

</typo>
Chinese, not Chines

[cosmolinguist]

Yeah ... you'd think with the wonders these LJ peopel can work, they'd get around to making comments editable. Of course, that would probably just cause problems. And people coudl render comments unrecognizable to irritate other people and make the conversation threads totally senseless ... but it bites that our mistakes are stuck there for all the world to see. :-)

[apotheon.livejournal.com]

Yeah. So there.

[karaksindru.livejournal.com]

you could delete and repost the comment ... then only the poster to wich you are replying would know ;)

[cosmolinguist]

Yeah, I've been known to do that. :-D

[5-rings.livejournal.com]

That's what the delete button is for ;-)

[cosmolinguist]

That makes sense. It seems an obvious answer, but I hadn't thought of it, so thanks for providing it for me. :-)

[apotheon.livejournal.com]

No problem.

[setharoo.livejournal.com]

I know I wear a radiation suit and hard hat every time I use open-source software. OSS is very hazardous. The government should force open-source providers to stick warning labels on their software. Some examples of such labels could include:

Do not use Open Office while operating heavy machinery.

People with heart problems and children under six should not use Gaim, unless prescribed by a doctor (of computer science.)

If you experience dizziness, nausea, low self-esteem, blood in your urine stream, or death, STOP using Linux!

[cosmolinguist]

::goes out to buy duct tape and plastic to protect herself::

They should also put warning labels on things to warn you of how addictive they are, I think, like the Surgeon General's warnings on cigarettes.

"Use of Mozilla has been known to spoil people so they can't handle crappy browsers like Internet Explorer anymore, and they've been known to grumble about it when they have to, much to the confusion of their unenlightened comrades."

[karaksindru.livejournal.com]

the argument could be made that by using open source software, you're using a product that many many people are familiar with, and know back doors to, etc. Though that falls apart when you realise that those people probably also use the software, and so would patch it to fix those holes ...

Did I mention that my professor is horribly biased towards Windows?

[cosmolinguist]

Yeah, I know the answer she wanted (since it was the only thing she mentioned about open-source software in class) must be that it has bugs. The only reason I didn't argue that proprietary software has bugs too, the companies just pretend it doesn't so they can get people to pay a lot of money for it anyway. There are going to be bugs and quirks in things no matter what; I'd rather use the stuff that admittedly has problems, that has people working to fix those problems. I can download a better, free, legal version in a few months or whatever if I want to.

[karaksindru.livejournal.com]

That's a huge benefit in my eyes. Sure, it has bugs, but if it's popular or useful it also has legions of developers who fix those bugs. And for the geeks who are also into coding, if they see a bug, or want the program to work slightly differently, they can change it. Microsoft can't even keep consistent standards across their office suite (mostly the horrible bastard that is Excel) and don't get me started on Exchange server...

[hyuri.livejournal.com]

Hazard: it now pisses me off when I can't just hack together a simple change to a program because I don't have the source. ^_^

[autumnsshadow.livejournal.com]

No more hazardous than using Windows...that's a stupid subtopic.