Quote Response for In the Beginning . . . Was the Command Line, pp. 115-139
New Idea:
“It actually generates complexity, which is Smolin's criterion for interestingness.” (pp. 135-136)
This idea helped me realize that . . .
There is probably a more high-tech operating system that no one has created yet, and will in fact wipe out Microsoft. Or, there is already a better operating system but someone is holding the OS until the right time. Stephenson explains about how Lee Smolin explains in his book about how he believes the universe came about. He pretty much believes in the Big Bang Theory, that if this theory wasn’t created this exact way, then life would totally be different. Smolin also believes that since there are galaxy’s super far away, and things that we have no idea about, then there has to be a more complex OS out there that has yet to be discovered. There is something that is so crazy, and will blow our mind that is stirring in the future. He makes the analogy about the whole, God is just hesitating to press that enter key so this OS would begin. It’s a crazy thought that one day there is going to be something bigger and better than Apple and Microsoft. Hackers I’m sure are just on the edge of their seats waiting for that day to come.
Interpretation:
“The people who brought us this operating system would have to provide templates and wizards, giving us a few default lives that we could use as starting places for designing our own.” (p. 138)
In writing this statement, the author seems to imply that . . .
People are either entirely influenced by others, influenced by their own life experiences (self) or both. The default life that he mentions in the reading, In the beginning was the Command Line, describes how people are just entirely influenced by others. Some people don’t have their own qualities about them; they feed off of other peoples’ qualities and make it theirs. This is not a good way to live your life because it’s being structured by others. People should have their own voice in anything and should have their own opinion instead of basing their opinion on others. This also explains when he mentions templates and wizards. For those who base their life off of people, the people would be their template and or wizard. So before having their own opinions on things, they go to others to get theirs. Now, Stephenson has mentioned the command line quit a few times, and in this metaphor the command line would be someone who starts out from scratch and has their beliefs, qualities and actions on their own. They don’t go searching for others opinions to create their own. The command line in general is smarter, whether dealing with operating systems or life. For those who feed off of others are probably not knowledgeable of their surroundings. But for those who are the “command line” and starting from scratch, are pretty in tact with the everyday life in the technology world. People normally are influenced by others instead of starting from nothing, like the command line.
Tie-In:
“And in the OS business, mindshare is more than just a PR issue; it has direct effects on the technology itself.” (p. 130)
Tell a detailed story from your personal experience to explain the TIE-IN:
When Stephenson discusses mindshare, he’s not just talking about operating systems he wants us to think about how people are allowing technology to take over. When speaking of the topic of “mindshare dominance,” I think of something that has taken over our minds entirely. What do we allow to take over our mind? Immediately I think of my Iphone which in fact has taken over my mind. This device hasn’t taken over my life but definitely my mind. I was on the way to my step mothers place in North Carolina and I don’t own a GPS but my Iphone is close enough. So I whipped out my Iphone and plugged in all the information and boom! The phone located my current location and then mapped out my trip and all. This was so convenient. While on the way there, I needed to know where the closest Wal-Mart was. So, I typed in Wal-Mart in my IPhones map feature and boom, he located the closest Wal-Mart and mapped out my directions immediately! I have definitely become intellectually attached to this piece of technology. On a regular basis I comment how I believe my Iphone is smarter than me; it’s sad, but definitely true. It has many smart features that just help me get through my every day life.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Thursday, March 24, 2011
“Mirror, Mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?” “Why of course Linux is!”
Quote Response for In the Beginning . . . Was the Command Line, pp. 95-115
New Idea:
“Most system administrators I know who work with Windows NT all the time agree that when it hits a snag, it has to be re-booted, and when it gets seriously messed up, the only way to fix it is to re-install the operating system from scratch.” (p.98)
This idea helped me realize that . . .
Microsoft really isn’t that great of an operating system because people have so much trouble if anything goes wrong with it. And if anything does go wrong then it’s difficult to fix the issue because of the long process you would have to take to fix it. Stephenson explains how Linux tells you immediately about the bug that you have received and it’s not even a big deal because it’s able to be fixed. But the thing about Linux is you have to know exactly how to use it and install it by yourself. The idea that came across is, if you are willing to be patient and learn how to operate Linux, then getting Linux is definitely the better way to go instead of using Microsoft NT. There will always be problems when dealing with computers, it’s your choice to make if you want to take time and get the answers quickly. Or you can take the easy way out and get Microsoft NT and it’ll be touch to fix the bugs that are wrecking your computer.
Interpretation:
“Just like Disney, they're making money from selling an interface, a magic mirror. It has to be polished and seamless or else the whole illusion is ruined and the business plan vanishes like a mirage.” (p. 106)
In writing this statement, the author seems to imply that . . .
Microsoft and Apple are this operating system that has many difficulties but on the outside they look nice and seem like easy to use operating systems. He implies that it’s a little like the magic mirror at Disney World, where they make this mirror say things and look all nice but really it’s not the real deal. It’s a fraud and it’s fake. He never actually says these things about Apple or Microsoft, he puts the terms nicely but really he’s thinking about how ridiculous Apple and Microsoft are. He even tried to use Microsoft and once he got a bug he went on the hotlines and the internet to try and figure out how to fix his problem. And in the end it would have cost him a good about of money, and definitely a lot of time. Where as, Linux tells you the problem right away when it catches a bug, and the bugs that Linux even gets aren’t a huge deal. He does mention that there are few bugs that are super bad but they’re very uncommon. But this reference to how Apple and Microsoft are alike to the magic mirror is a very good comparison because he shows that it’s nice and loves the things it says, but really it’s a fraud and it’s going to come crashing down in the end.
Tie-In:
“…If you would like to purchase a support incident, click OK you will then be able to prepay for an incident… The cost per incident was $95.” (p.102)
Tell a detailed story from your personal experience to explain the TIE-IN:
I was going through my first year in college when my computer became unsafe because my anti-virus was finished with its session and I hadn’t applied for the next session. I had totally forgotten and I ended up getting a really bad bug. I called my dad and he said to call the hotline and see if they will be able to figure the situation out. So, I called and it took forever to even talk to someone, and then they mentioned a fee, which was a minute fee. For ever how long I was on the phone with them, it would be charging. This aggravated me because they can just take their own time and even lie about figuring this issue out. So I ended up stating my problem and it took awhile for them to figure out how to get the virus off my computer. I wouldn’t mind dealing with a Linux once in my life even though I know it’s time consuming and really hard to figure out. I feel like in the end using Linux would be worth the time and focus rather then putting my trust in Microsoft or Apple when something messes up on the computer.
New Idea:
“Most system administrators I know who work with Windows NT all the time agree that when it hits a snag, it has to be re-booted, and when it gets seriously messed up, the only way to fix it is to re-install the operating system from scratch.” (p.98)
This idea helped me realize that . . .
Microsoft really isn’t that great of an operating system because people have so much trouble if anything goes wrong with it. And if anything does go wrong then it’s difficult to fix the issue because of the long process you would have to take to fix it. Stephenson explains how Linux tells you immediately about the bug that you have received and it’s not even a big deal because it’s able to be fixed. But the thing about Linux is you have to know exactly how to use it and install it by yourself. The idea that came across is, if you are willing to be patient and learn how to operate Linux, then getting Linux is definitely the better way to go instead of using Microsoft NT. There will always be problems when dealing with computers, it’s your choice to make if you want to take time and get the answers quickly. Or you can take the easy way out and get Microsoft NT and it’ll be touch to fix the bugs that are wrecking your computer.
Interpretation:
“Just like Disney, they're making money from selling an interface, a magic mirror. It has to be polished and seamless or else the whole illusion is ruined and the business plan vanishes like a mirage.” (p. 106)
In writing this statement, the author seems to imply that . . .
Microsoft and Apple are this operating system that has many difficulties but on the outside they look nice and seem like easy to use operating systems. He implies that it’s a little like the magic mirror at Disney World, where they make this mirror say things and look all nice but really it’s not the real deal. It’s a fraud and it’s fake. He never actually says these things about Apple or Microsoft, he puts the terms nicely but really he’s thinking about how ridiculous Apple and Microsoft are. He even tried to use Microsoft and once he got a bug he went on the hotlines and the internet to try and figure out how to fix his problem. And in the end it would have cost him a good about of money, and definitely a lot of time. Where as, Linux tells you the problem right away when it catches a bug, and the bugs that Linux even gets aren’t a huge deal. He does mention that there are few bugs that are super bad but they’re very uncommon. But this reference to how Apple and Microsoft are alike to the magic mirror is a very good comparison because he shows that it’s nice and loves the things it says, but really it’s a fraud and it’s going to come crashing down in the end.
Tie-In:
“…If you would like to purchase a support incident, click OK you will then be able to prepay for an incident… The cost per incident was $95.” (p.102)
Tell a detailed story from your personal experience to explain the TIE-IN:
I was going through my first year in college when my computer became unsafe because my anti-virus was finished with its session and I hadn’t applied for the next session. I had totally forgotten and I ended up getting a really bad bug. I called my dad and he said to call the hotline and see if they will be able to figure the situation out. So, I called and it took forever to even talk to someone, and then they mentioned a fee, which was a minute fee. For ever how long I was on the phone with them, it would be charging. This aggravated me because they can just take their own time and even lie about figuring this issue out. So I ended up stating my problem and it took awhile for them to figure out how to get the virus off my computer. I wouldn’t mind dealing with a Linux once in my life even though I know it’s time consuming and really hard to figure out. I feel like in the end using Linux would be worth the time and focus rather then putting my trust in Microsoft or Apple when something messes up on the computer.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
And Linus Torvalds said, "Let there be Linux," and there was Linux.
Quote Response for In the Beginning . . . Was the Command Line, pp. 69-95
New Idea:
“In trying to understand the Linux phenomenon, then, we have to look not to a single innovator but to a sort of bizarre Trinity: Linus Torvalds, Richard Stallman, and Bill Gates.” (p. 85)
This idea helped me realize that . . .
Not only is there the Trinity that consists of the Father, Son and the Holy Ghost but there is a Trinity when on the lines of software and hardware. The Trinity of the creation of Linux makes up Linus Torvalds, Richard Stallman, and Bill Gates. Linus Torvalds is the main man that created Linux, so of course he would be part of the Trinity. He was able to receive certain tools to create a special Unix-kernel that works well on hardware. Now, Linus would not have been able to create this special Unix-kernal if these certain tools were not in the picture. He was able to put his hands on hardware was because of Richard Stallman. This is why Richard is part of the Trinity of Linux. Richard is able to create cheap software, which is told to be simple, but it’s a little more difficult to create a cheap hardware, and this is what Linus needed for the creation of Linux. The hardware that Linus needed required a lot of money and time. Ironically, Richard had cheap hardware, Microsoft. Now, Bill Gates is tied into the Trinity of Linux is because of Microsoft. He was not too thrilled about being a part of this, but he did get credit for Linux because he created Microsoft. If these three men hadn't crossed paths, then Linux may have never been created, so it's smart to say, everything happens for a reason.
Interpretation:
“Young Americans who leave their great big homogeneous country and visit some other part of the world typically go through several stages of culture shock: first, dumb wide-eyed astonishment.” (p. 86)
In writing this statement, the author seems to imply that . . .
Linux is a difficult system to deal with if you don’t have any experience. When Stephenson stated this statement he was trying to get a point across. He wants people to at least try Linux even if you don’t think you will understand Linux. He explains if someone goes to another country they will be unfamiliar with the place, but once they’re there the place won’t be so unfamiliar. As Americans we are used to the simple installations of operating systems by just putting in a disk and letting the computer take over. Where as Linux is an operating system that requires some work that people may not want to partake in. Stephenson just wants us to at least try the system out. For instance, most people don’t take interest in visiting a third world country, but visiting, for example, Honduras, may be smart for an American to visit. This is because people should be culturally knowledgeable, and to visit this place, they would need to research and learn about Honduras before visiting. Just as with Linux, one should research and dissect the software and possibly even try Linux out because trying new things may not be so bad.
Tie-In:
"The danger lies not in the machine itself but in the user's failure to envision the full consequences of the instructions he gives to it." (p.79)
Tell a detailed story from your personal experience to explain the TIE-IN:
When I was a young child, I was taught how to ride a bicycle from my sister. I was pretty young and I knew how to ride a tricycle, but she wanted to teach me how to ride a bicycle. She had explained to me all the rules and directions to riding a bicycle. She explained that riding a bicycle was all about balance and guidance. She explained that I needed to keep my eyes on straight ahead and make sure that I keep pedaling. Towards the end of her explaining she told me how I was supposed to stop, which didn’t seem that bad. I was about 4 or 5 years old and I had always been rushed to learning things early because my siblings were about 10-12 years older than me. So she put me on the bicycle and she held on while I pedaled and of course I could pedal with someone holding onto the bicycle. We practiced for a couple days with her holding onto the bike, and then the day came when she told me that she would let go while I’m still pedaling. So, finally, she let go of the bike and I was smooth sailing until I lost total balance and fell. I got cut up pretty bad because I was on the concrete ground. This is an example of how a machine can be bigger than the user because I was told the directions but the “machine”, my bicycle, was too big for me to ride. I didn’t follow my sister’s instructions so, I ended up failing in the attempt of riding my bicycle.
New Idea:
“In trying to understand the Linux phenomenon, then, we have to look not to a single innovator but to a sort of bizarre Trinity: Linus Torvalds, Richard Stallman, and Bill Gates.” (p. 85)
This idea helped me realize that . . .
Not only is there the Trinity that consists of the Father, Son and the Holy Ghost but there is a Trinity when on the lines of software and hardware. The Trinity of the creation of Linux makes up Linus Torvalds, Richard Stallman, and Bill Gates. Linus Torvalds is the main man that created Linux, so of course he would be part of the Trinity. He was able to receive certain tools to create a special Unix-kernel that works well on hardware. Now, Linus would not have been able to create this special Unix-kernal if these certain tools were not in the picture. He was able to put his hands on hardware was because of Richard Stallman. This is why Richard is part of the Trinity of Linux. Richard is able to create cheap software, which is told to be simple, but it’s a little more difficult to create a cheap hardware, and this is what Linus needed for the creation of Linux. The hardware that Linus needed required a lot of money and time. Ironically, Richard had cheap hardware, Microsoft. Now, Bill Gates is tied into the Trinity of Linux is because of Microsoft. He was not too thrilled about being a part of this, but he did get credit for Linux because he created Microsoft. If these three men hadn't crossed paths, then Linux may have never been created, so it's smart to say, everything happens for a reason.
Interpretation:
“Young Americans who leave their great big homogeneous country and visit some other part of the world typically go through several stages of culture shock: first, dumb wide-eyed astonishment.” (p. 86)
In writing this statement, the author seems to imply that . . .
Linux is a difficult system to deal with if you don’t have any experience. When Stephenson stated this statement he was trying to get a point across. He wants people to at least try Linux even if you don’t think you will understand Linux. He explains if someone goes to another country they will be unfamiliar with the place, but once they’re there the place won’t be so unfamiliar. As Americans we are used to the simple installations of operating systems by just putting in a disk and letting the computer take over. Where as Linux is an operating system that requires some work that people may not want to partake in. Stephenson just wants us to at least try the system out. For instance, most people don’t take interest in visiting a third world country, but visiting, for example, Honduras, may be smart for an American to visit. This is because people should be culturally knowledgeable, and to visit this place, they would need to research and learn about Honduras before visiting. Just as with Linux, one should research and dissect the software and possibly even try Linux out because trying new things may not be so bad.
Tie-In:
"The danger lies not in the machine itself but in the user's failure to envision the full consequences of the instructions he gives to it." (p.79)
Tell a detailed story from your personal experience to explain the TIE-IN:
When I was a young child, I was taught how to ride a bicycle from my sister. I was pretty young and I knew how to ride a tricycle, but she wanted to teach me how to ride a bicycle. She had explained to me all the rules and directions to riding a bicycle. She explained that riding a bicycle was all about balance and guidance. She explained that I needed to keep my eyes on straight ahead and make sure that I keep pedaling. Towards the end of her explaining she told me how I was supposed to stop, which didn’t seem that bad. I was about 4 or 5 years old and I had always been rushed to learning things early because my siblings were about 10-12 years older than me. So she put me on the bicycle and she held on while I pedaled and of course I could pedal with someone holding onto the bicycle. We practiced for a couple days with her holding onto the bike, and then the day came when she told me that she would let go while I’m still pedaling. So, finally, she let go of the bike and I was smooth sailing until I lost total balance and fell. I got cut up pretty bad because I was on the concrete ground. This is an example of how a machine can be bigger than the user because I was told the directions but the “machine”, my bicycle, was too big for me to ride. I didn’t follow my sister’s instructions so, I ended up failing in the attempt of riding my bicycle.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)