Universal Rule

Book Reviews

Monday, August 18, 2003

-- Comment()
RMS on free programs: "A non-free program is a predatory social system that keeps people in a state of domination and division, and uses the spoils to dominate more. It may seem like a profitable option to become one of the emperor's lieutenants, but ultimately the ethical thing to do is to resist the system and put an end to it."

Writing other things instead of blogging -- Comment()
I have become a bit worried about blogging. I don't want to be just a "blog jockey", who mixes and matches bits and pieces from other blogs with some personal commentary in between. On the other hand, I don't have the time to write extensively about my views, at least daily.

I hardly have time to fulfil my other writing tasks and assignments. For example, I'm currently preparing the third edition of my textbook Solving optimization problems (in Finnish, Optimointitehtävien ratkaiseminen). The second edition has been sold out, so I should finish the third edition as soon as possible.

Thus, there is not much time for other writing. Also, I have found a natural forum for my writing in the columns and book reviews I write for various magazines in Finland. Thus, this blog will be short of original ideas for some time.

-- Comment()
Linux will have 20% desktop market share by 2008? Siemens Business Systems, after conducting an extensive survey on non technical workers ("secretaries and managers, not IT people") is predicting that the Linux desktop will capture 20% of the market for desktop computers in large enterprises within the next 5 years." [Slashdot]

-- Comment()
Power Up: The World on One Grid: "Thirty years ago, Buckminster Fuller came up with a plan to plug all the world's continents into the same electrical grid. Once it's fully functional, the only excuse for power shortages will be greed. By Patrick Di Justo for Wired magazine." [Wired News]