Topics

Much like the Answers page in the Religion section of the site, this is a place to respond to things that are going on in the world of Technology. My job requires me to stay on top of the shifting sands of technology, and so I feel qualified to talk about these topics. I would love to hear opposing points of view; just hit the link in the footer.

• Microsoft, Malevolent or Malign
  What’s the deal with Microsoft and the DOJ? Who’s in the right? Here’s my take.
• “Hackers”
  Right. Most people who call themselves hackers have no clue what it’s really about. If you thought the movie, “Hackers,” was in any way representative of reality, don’t bother reading this, just go away and play on your Nintendo. People who can’t write a device driver for Linux need not apply. (Don’t get me wrong; I can’t either. I’m a hack, not a hacker.)
• NSA, MS, OSS, (and the DOJ)
  What do all of these have in common? Some startling revelations are underscoring the fact that if you give someone enough rope, they’ll eventually hang themselves.
• NT vs. UNIX
  It’s now an “age-old” question: Which is “better?” That answer depends on the application, and I delve into one tiny market segment and discuss (somewhat datedly, I know) the relative strengths of each.
• The Lure of Chatting
  Every once in awhile, I’ll jump on IRC, the reasons for which I want to show by example here. But in addition to understanding the process of getting there, I also want to show the ludicrousness of the end result.
• The Matrix
  The movie, The Matrix, is an instant classic with timeless appeal. It easily ranks in my best-10 list. But have you really thought about it? There are a lot of spiritual implications in the movie. I’ve seen read some analyses on the net, but I think they miss the main point.
• Violence in Computer Games
  I wrote this as a submission to Blue’s News some time ago and it surfaced on a search of my name on AltaVista. I wanted to expand it with some more thoughts. There are some conflicting points in the broader discussion that can’t be resolved without some analysis. I don’t think there’s an easy answer.
• Censorship
  All the comments I’ve read about using filtering software on internet-connected computers at local libraries is wrong. This is NOT a FREE SPEECH issue. This is a personal-accountability-and-resposibility issue. Unfortunately, that’s a VERY unpopular notion these days.
• Getting Things Done
  I’ve read David Allen’s Getting Things Done, and it’s changed my life. It’s not life or death, but it represents a fairly significant — dare I say it — paradigm shift. For me, anyway.