On Tue, 2015-01-06 at 16:07 -0700, Warren Young wrote:> "There is nothing new to be discovered in physics now. All that > remains is more and more precise measurement.? > > ? William Thomson, Lord Kelvin, 1900Now means the current time. Now is not, and never will be, The (unknown) Future. In the real world of using computers productively for repetitive tasks, people want stability and perhaps faster running programmes. No one ever wants a major upset of being forced to use a different method to perform the same tasks. Young men are enthusiastic about implementing new ideas. Old men with substantially more experience wisely want to avoid disrupting well-running systems. Time is money. Disruptions waste money and cause errors. -- Regards, Paul. England, EU.
On Jan 6, 2015, at 5:06 PM, Always Learning <centos at u62.u22.net> wrote:> On Tue, 2015-01-06 at 16:07 -0700, Warren Young wrote: > > >> "There is nothing new to be discovered in physics now. All that >> remains is more and more precise measurement.? >> >> ? William Thomson, Lord Kelvin, 1900 > > Now means the current time. Now is not, and never will be, The (unknown) > Future.Yyyyeah. Let?s rewrite the quote with that interpretation: ?We have already discovered everything we are going to discover up to and including February 18, 1900.? ? William Thomson, Lord Kelvin, 1900 Not exactly the sparkling sort of statement we expect from one of the most brilliant scientists ever to walk the planet, is it? Rather on the vapid side, yes? Could it be that that is not actually what he meant? Don?t like Kelvin? ?Kay, how about this one: ?The advancement of the arts, from year to year, taxes our credulity and seems to presage the arrival of that period when human improvement must end.? ? Henry J. Ellsworth, Commissioner of the U.S. Patent Office, in the office's 1843 Annual Report I think we?ll figure out something new to do with computers tomorrow. Certainly by Friday at latest.
On Tue, 2015-01-06 at 18:51 -0700, Warren Young wrote:> I think we?ll figure out something new to do with computers tomorrow. Certainly by Friday at latest.You seem to forget. Computers were invented to perform repetitive tasks. Computer usage should be serving mankind - not making it more difficult for mankind. -- Regards, Paul. England, EU.
On 01/07/2015 01:06 PM, Always Learning wrote:> On Tue, 2015-01-06 at 16:07 -0700, Warren Young wrote: > > >> "There is nothing new to be discovered in physics now. All that >> remains is more and more precise measurement.? >> >> ? William Thomson, Lord Kelvin, 1900 > Now means the current time. Now is not, and never will be, The (unknown) > Future. > > In the real world of using computers productively for repetitive tasks, > people want stability and perhaps faster running programmes. No one ever > wants a major upset of being forced to use a different method to perform > the same tasks. > > Young men are enthusiastic about implementing new ideas. Old men with > substantially more experience wisely want to avoid disrupting > well-running systems. Time is money. Disruptions waste money and cause > errors.New disruption causing ideas are also the food for innovation and progress. Bring them on, we need them. I think RH / CentOS strike a reasonable / measured balance, more or less freeze a set of function / capability for each major release - only release security patches and changes that are necessary to maintain functioning across the www. Then with each major release do a jump - yes this is disruptive - yes it means learning new ways of doing old things, hopefully those making these decisions in RH have the knowledge and perspective to make the calls / evaluations necessary. If you think you can do better, go get a job at RH.>