Goodies for You Today!

Posted on 2007 October 18 by Dorian

Good morning! So I have two goodies (one of them is not really my work but I still want to share it with you) to give today.

First thing is the release of Ubuntu 7.10. And in extension also Kubuntu 7.10, which is what I use. As I mentioned before, this is another sweet release. So get yours while its still hot!

Ubuntu Release
Kubuntu Release

Second gift is this post. Thats right, this is post number 150! I wanted to do something special to celebrate this. But yes, I had nothing interesting to report. And this release, makes the post newsworthy. Yay!

Y’ all have a great day, yah hear?

A Free Society Needs a Free Market and Free Software

Posted on 2007 October 12 by Dorian

A few days ago I finished reading Richard Stallman’s “Free Software, Free Society”. The book consists of a number of interesting, well-written essays on the philosophy and history of the free software movement.

Most people heard of open source as a practical development paradigm and distribution method. Eric Raymond’s “The Cathedral and the Bazaar” describes that in more detail so I will not delve much into that topic. Besides I get the impression that many people understand the goals of open source. But not so many understand the reasoning behind free software, which made open source possible.

As Richard Stallman says, free software is “free as in speech not as free beer”. The goal of free software is to bring freedom to software. The freedom of letting users and developer do whatever they want with the software, within limits. The limits being not to take away the freedoms associated with a program and its source code. Richard Stallman explains the cultural heritage benefits and freedom benefits in his book very well.

Many critics of the free software movement voice their concerns over “ownership” of and “marketability” of free software. Some even go so far to call the entire movement “communist” utopia. Me thinks these critics don’t (or don’t want to) understand either how free software works or free markets for that matter.

I will not go into details why a free market is desirable. These ideas are well documented by theorists from Adam Smith to Ludwig von Mises to Milton Friedman. For sake of argument lets assume a free market is desirable. Free markets depend on people owning “capital”. These owners exchange their “capital” with a customer for greater material wealth, which becomes more “capital”.

Free software unlike proprietary closed source software, gives “ownership” to a user. You can only own a piece of software if you have its source code, be able to modify it for a task, and distribute it to whoever you please. The only restriction is that you must not take away those freedoms. The price of freedom is eternal vigilance, Abraham Lincoln once said. The free software with its “give back others freedom” clause, maintains the software’s freedom in perpetuity. Interestingly, this “give back” clause meets the most opposition.

In proprietary software, you get a license to run the program. Usually only one program on one computer by one person, and you are not allowed to give out copies of that program. And you can’t change the program because you don’t have the software. You don’t own the software.

Lets compare this to what happens in real life. You go to the store, and buy a drill. Now you own that drill. You can do whatever you want to with it. You can sell it. You can use it. You can disassemble it. You can use it to power your motorboat if you choose to. It might void your warranty. But you can be sure whatever you do with that drill, and you don’t break a law while using it; you will not have the police coming to your door.

If anything free software is far from being communistic. It gives you more ownership than the closed source software does. Free software encourages a free market, but also asks you to do so ethically. It asks for you to respect the freedoms of another person. Respecting the freedoms of another person is what a free society is about. Respecting the freedoms of a customer is what an ethical seller in a free market does. Furthermore free software with its “give back” clause promotes the idea of giving away “capital” in the form of ideas, work, code, documentation and the software itself; which gives the giver more capital. In fact it gives back more capital for everyone. Everyone wins, and everyone keeps their liberties.

Communism tramples on the freedoms of individual ownership. Free software promotes the freedoms of individual ownership.

Free software promotes ethical behaviour in programmers, cause your code is for all to see. Free software promotes ethical, sustainable entrepreneurs, who know they benefit if everyone benefits. Also often free software ability to be given away, increases a software’s exposure to potential client, better than any sale force can. Free software is also probably the only thing that lets the software market have any chance of become free of interference from corporations and governments. Only a few greedy monopolies and individuals will suffer from free software, but these people don’t care about hurting others to make a bit of cash.
A few days ago I finished reading Richard Stallman’s “Free Software, Free Society”. The book consists of a number of interesting, well-written essays on the philosophy and history of the free software movement.

Communism tramples on the freedoms of individual ownership. Free software promotes the freedoms of individual ownership.

Free software is good for society. Its good for business. Its good for customers. Its good for developers and the future of software.

You can download a copy of Richard Stallman’s “Free Software, Free Society” here:
http://www.gnu.org/doc/book13.html

The Spring of Eternal Winter

Posted on 2007 October 11 by Dorian

I lean my shovel, against the icy snow lining the bottom of my driveway. Exhaustion clouds my thoughts. At least I have defeated the mechanical monstrosity called the snowplough truck. This time maybe it will not come for a while.

I watch the dirty brown trickle of melt water, as it skirts the melting floes. The steady sound of the trickle falling down the rusty rainwater grate, calms my mind. The tired, muddy ice hides the silent arrival of long awaited friend. Only the trickle whispers in my ear, “Spring is coming.”

The world swirls around me. The mountain of ice shrinks before my eyes. The sound of bird fills the air. Spring. The icy citadels of Winter’s harsh rule shrink and dissipate into the warm air. Trees blossoms and grass grows and the sun melts the last of the snow. Spring. A time of a new beginning.

Only I stand shrouded in a icy sheath. My heart encased in my frozen body, shimmers slightly. The shimmer can not melt the icy sheath. Neither can the sun. Who will unable melt my being? When will my soul’s eternal winter end?

I turn away. The ice and snow returns. The slushy floes melt slowly. As I walk away, I hear the trickle of meltwater whisper in my ear, “Spring is coming.”

Originally posted: Saturday, March 3, 2007 @ 08:44

Author’s comments: Shoveling snow can really wind you. And then you get strange ideas… like this one I had. My deoxygenated brain seems to come with strange, colourful delusions. Now if only I could write properly when not under the influence of sleep deprivation, caffeine or excessive snow shoveling. This was the last post of the One-Time Trash Pad project.

PSA: Elections in Ontario & Referendum

Posted on 2007 October 10 by Dorian

Today, we Ontarians get to pick a new premier. Lets hope its someone who can actually deliver to help the majority of people, instead of just promising.

The more pressing issue is a referendum. The question is whether we stick with the current system. Or do we go the “mixed member proportional system”. The current one (first one past the post) we all understand. Our system is held up by experts as a model of an honest system. None of the strange, un-understandable mathematical formulas to figure what proportion of people get elected. Actually, the only people who benefit are the political parties who can form the equivalent of political cartels, deciding for us who gets power.

So I am asking all Ontario voters to against a mixed member proportional system. Our current electoral system is the most democratic and most free.

Episode 2: In Search of Coffee

Posted on 2007 October 9 by Dorian

*Yawn*

Olaf rubbed his eyes. He got out of bed, turned on the computer, and shuffled down the stairs to the kitchen. Must have coofffeeee… Olaf thought. Another late, late night kept awake by the thought of the end of the semester.

Coffee. He prepared the stove top espresso machine. His body went through the motions of the actions of opening up the machine. Dump the coffee grounds. Add some water in the bottom. Add new coffee. Olaf, eyes half-opened scanned the kitchen. Nothing on the countertop. Opening one cabinet, Olaf reached in to grab the coffe jar. His hand grabbed the air. He shuffled downstairs, into the basement. The same result. Olaf aggrivated and slightly more awake, walked back up to the kitchen. He then began a detailed cabinet to cabinet search.

Why, is the coffee always in the last place you look. Olaf sigh, and went back to his comatose state. Add new coffee. Set on stove. Wait. A few moments later, Olaf turned off the stove, steam whistling machine, and poured a bit of the thick, dark liquid into a small cup. He stirred in two teaspoons of sugar into the fresh espresso.

Nope. Drinking coffee not helping. He shuffled half-awake back upstairs. He sat down infront of the computer, and started his e-mail program. 12 Messages!!! Olaf snapped painfully into an awake state. 12 messages, and all about school work. Olaf started reading the litany of wishes and list of work in each of the e-mails.

Even Sunday feels like a Monday. Olaf sighed and braced for the onslaught of the day.

Originally posted: Sunday, December 3, 2006 @ 05:52

Author’s comment: Oh, those last days were hell for me. Nothing beats the hell out of me, like a stack of writing that needs to be done. And due dates… I like them. Especially, the sound of them whooshing by. And yes I am addicted to coffee. I later wrote about an interesting theory of the connection between the amount of caffeine in my body, and how smitten I would get. Interestingly, this story describes how I start my days. Oh, and before you ask. Yes, I did read your email… I just have not gotten around to answer it.

What I Am Thankful For

Posted on 2007 October 8 by Dorian

Today is Thanksgiving, at least in Canada. You Americans, will have to wait for few more days. This year I want to thank a number of people for this and past years.

Thank you to my classmates and writing friends in my Professional writing classes, for helping edit and improve my writing pieces. Thank you, Prof. Guy Allen for guiding my editing and shaping my philosophy about communication. Thank you Prof. Arnold Rosenbloom, for inspiring me and widening my horizons in computer science. Thank you Prof. Charles Rackoff for putting up with my ignorance of formal computational theory, and showing me the formal world of cryptography. Thank you Prof. Sherril Hook for helping me discover the importance of libraries, and cataloguing and accessing information. Thank you Prof. Jeremy Sills, your classes have been always some of the most fun, enjoyable and intellectually provocative ones. And thank you, my classmates and fellow sufferers in Computer Science. You inspired me to continue through CS, even when I got lost hope in ever finishing my degree.

Thanks Danny for working with me on a number of university and volunteer projects, and putting up with my shenanigans while I matured as both a programmer and a person. Thanks Rudy & Albert for all the comedy. Thanks Amanda for teaching me how to use verbs. Thanks Rosie for being my Christian voice in university. Thanks Kat & Megan for all the anime and good times together. Thanks Mr. Nick Nolfi for all the trouble you gave me in high school. Thanks Domenic for all the guidance and friendship through the years. Thanks Dmitri for helping survive high school with endless talks about gaming, god and hacking. Thanks Laura for giving me hope and love.Thanks Mom and Dad, for your endless support and love. Thanks Martin for being my crazy bro.

Thanks to may more, who helped shape and influence my life. You are too numerous to list, but your ideas and acts have made my life a better one.

And thanks you God. Without You, none of this would of been possible.

Episode 1: Quantum Computing for… Dummies?!?

Posted on 2007 October 7 by Dorian

Olaf squinted at the text document. He tilted his head. Scratched it twice, and yawned.

Crap. No matter which way he approached the problem, it seemed like a mountain. One of those mountains, that looks like a molehill at a close distance, but you walk into like you would into Mount Everest. The problem being an article about decoherence in quantum computers.

Olaf tilted the swivel head on his LCD monitor. Nope, no idea. The window with an open document typed in OpenOffice stared back at him. How embarrasing, thought Olaf. I have done this before. He glanced at the clock. 22:00. Six more days at most. Crap, why the hell did I pick quantum computers as a project for the science writing course? Olaf smiled. Earlier this semester, he read one of his earlier edits to the class. The blank point-blank stares. The yawns. There he was. Facing the class, stressed by the thought of a barrage of complaints, bothered by the zombified expression of his classmates, and struggling with the words. Olaf realized later, that he was one of the few students who had some sort of science background. Dude, do you expect a bunch of English and Writing majors to grasp the complex concepts behind quantum mechanics, networks, digital cryptography and quantum computation in a single article and keep awake?!?

In the end, they liked it. With a bit of editing, the class liked his other articles. Only one last hurdle remained. “Its too long and too much information.” said one of his peers. I bet they suffered mental overload with that one. Olaf chuckled.

Six more days to the end of the semester. And nine more assignments. Olaf sighed. He stared at the screen. OpenOffice stared back at him. Olaf stuck out his tongue at the window. The program stared back at him.

“Screw this!” Olaf exclaimed. He already wasted most of the day on this one edit. All he really need was an half decent intro. Maybe he could reguriate an intro. Olaf smiled. He did just that.

Originally posted: Saturday, December 2, 2006 @ 18:51

Author’s Comment: That is how I felt rushed at the end of the semester. But will never forget reading my first professionally written piece infront of my writing class. I was surprised by how well received it was. And the compliment from my classmates. They understood everything I wanted to explain. Its was like hitting them over the head with a textbook in terms of the amount of facts and my boring narration. The professor, Guy Allen, who read an earlier, crude edit was also amazed how much I progressed. For the rest of the semester, I just kept on raising the bar for myself. And stressing out about it. 😉

Oh to my fellow classmates, forgive the comment of “overloading”. You guys taught this stuck-up science student more about exciting scientific writing, then almost anyone else. Except Guy, who we all agree is like a god in writing. 😉 I love you guys.

A Requiem for a Blog

Posted on 2007 October 6 by Dorian

Introducing the One-Time Trash Pad

Greetings victim err… I mean reader.

You stumbled across this strange journal, about the life of a frustrated writer. It mildly resembles my own life. But only superficially. So if its not about me, then why does it exist?

The journal serves two purposes. Firstly, I get to throw around angst, frustration and stress, which is great when I get writer’s block. The second and inadvertent purpose is to assume you, with random humour.

Enough already with the introductions. I find formalities stuffy. Anyways, enjoy the ride. If that is ok… ok with you… that is… ok sir? Or is it ma’am? Kind of hard to make out your face, especially if I never actually see it.

Posted on: Saturday, December 2, 2006 @ 18:41

And thats how in my madness one December evening, I started a new blog. The idea of the blog, was to spend my irritation before editing my final pieces for my Science and Writing course. I picked quantum computers for my project of seven articles. In hindsight I should of picked something that would not have boiled my brains so often. So I wrote a number of crazy posts about me writing, as an antidote.

The One-Time Trash Pad was supposed to be a cooperative writing project. The name comes as a joke about digital cryptography. The blog resembles a one-time pad… but it is really just trash my brain threw together. Just it is nice readable trash.

Unfortunately, the project is dead, and I will close down the blog in a few days.
No one wanted to contribute, and I don’t have time to write two blogs. Before I close down that site, I want to post my work on this blog. So don’t be surprised by the apparent randomness. Its all part of the scheduled program.

That said… viva la blog! The one-time trash pad et morte!

Countdown to Ubuntu 7.10

Posted on 2007 October 5 by Dorian

To build up even more excitement to the release of Ubuntu 7.10, I am added this neat little countdown javascript app to the side of the blog.

Share and Enjoy!

Excuses