Updated my comments preferences, so everyone can now comment but people not on my friends list will be screened until I unscreen them. [This is just to stop the "Buy viagra heeree!!" type spam thats about]

Zn... Zinc You scored 32 Mass, 34 Electronegativity, 55 Metal, and 0 Radioactivity!

You have a strong sense of the communal good and you aren't too demanding. You know better than to mess with the powers that be. You value being surronded by the right people, but don't care too much about what people beyond your group think of you. You are also the last element to be mentioned in every vitamin commercial, and have gained recognition throughout the 50+ community as the very symbol of "completeness." Hmm, you might be good at taking care of sick people, but that might be hogwash too.

On a seperate but related note, I HATE BELKIN ROUTERS.

GNU/Linux is not ready for the desktop.

BS. Pure BS.

GNU/Linux is ready for most desktops. For people who browse the Internet and read emails and listen to their CD's, GNU/Linux is more than ready for their desktop. For small businesses who talk with other partners, GNU/Linux is ready for the desktop with OpenOffice. For people who require 3D rendering [with blender3d] and Photoshop abilities [gimp], GNU/Linux is ready for the desktop. People who require a firewall/file server/web server/gateway/proxy, GNU/Linux is ready for their desktop. Hell, even games like quake are covered [search for OpenQuartz, Cube, UT2004/5, Wine with HL2 etc] are ready for the desktop.

The real question is, are most desktop users ready for GNU/Linux ? The answer is no.

But with the arrival of Vista [with its pseudo GNU/Linux system security] MS will realise how far behind it is; GNU/Linux is at least 5 years ahead of MS in terms of security. Yes there are security flaws for GNU/Linux and MacOSX, but they are few and far between. The Linux kernel developers realise there is a bugginess problem, so they propose stabilising 2.6.18.
Does MS do this? No. They *need* to "add value" so they can charge what they need to keep their monopoly running. The more people who say "I'm not willing to pay MS £150 for Office when I can download a better version compatble with last years version for free [via OpenOffice]" will MS start to change for the better. If MS starts to change at all, they will adopt the Linux kernel and build around and with it.
That is what *all* computer companies need to do to stay current and keep up with competitors. There will be more of a movement around a company who *gives* away their software for people to modify than who doesn't. Companies who decide that its not in *their* best interests to release source code will find it difficult to compete as more turn to alternate OS with free drivers.

The more people who turn to GNU/Linux, the more who will pressure the suppliers to actually supply drivers/programs for their customers. If they supply binary only drivers/programs, please presurize them to change their attitude to FOSS as they will become obsolete in the next year or two.

People should move to FOSS *NOW* else they'll be stuck in conversion nightmare.

I have to say I sorta enjoy my job. Even clearing up the sick, piss and sewage. Its not a bad job.

We spent most of this evening fighting back water coming out of the drains from the restaurant upstairs, as they throw their grease down the drain it clogs and water comes out all over our floor. Brush outside, mop sorta dry then watch as it pours back out again ... a nice distraction.

Walking round I get general enquiries like wheres the loo/fag machine/exit/bar. I get the odd person talking about how glass collectors hate people cuz we nick their drinks [we don't really. Honest] or when we get bumped into and offered a drink.

It's always fun when people at the end of the night try to dance with you. I just carry on collecting glasses and walk off.
Or when walking past/in front of a large group of women I always get my bum pinched [I'm surprised they manage to find it]. This doesn't bother me [the trick is not to look who pinched your bum ] but women for some unknown reason love to go for my hair. I dunno why. They must think they'll get away with it

I'm not complaining, just thought people would like to know what happens in snobbs ...

The Yanks are attacking free speech again.

This time it's net neutrality. This is where the Internet Service Providers provide any content indiscriminately for their fixed price.
Now the US telcos want the law changed so they can charge different prices for differing content. Bandwidth heavy sites or services (Napster, Skype, etc) would be charged extra if they want to enjoy the current speeds; in a similar vein, if the ISP had their own VoIP service, Skype would be charged extra cuz they would compete.

On a more sinister note, it would be entirely possible that rival factions could buy bandwidth off other users; say a political party paid an ISP to limit the amount of bandwidth to a rival parties site, or a big monopolistic OS producing company paid to limit bandwidth to certain rival OS download sites.

DRM, the DMCA and now attacking the net. yay for the "defenders of freedom".