Subj : Re: Trust? To : comp.programming,comp.lang.java.programmer,comp.lang.lisp From : Russell Shaw Date : Thu Aug 25 2005 08:49 pm Robert Maas, see http://tinyurl.com/uh3t wrote: >>From: "jonathon" >>If this guy doesn't have the resources and/or ingenuity to put >>together or access a decent machine, who would trust him to write >>their software?? > > Do you have any idea how stupid and arrogant that sounds? Basically > you're saying that only people who already have lots of money to buy > the latest equipment out of their own magic funds, should ever be > allowed to work. Nobody, in your view, should ever be allowed to work > to earn the money to buy the stuff you think we should already have. > > I don't currently ave financial resources because all the employers in > recent years have been more concerned with the latest buzz words than > with solid ability to design algorithms to solve problems, and > implement those algorithms in working software. > > It's not possible to put together a machine without money to buy the > components, and nowadays it's stupid to buy raw components and assemble > your own machine and then write your own operating system when > already-assembled machines with an already-installed operating system > cost less. But regardless of component or pre-built system, without any > money it's impossible to obtain either. .... Around melbourne, the council has hard garbage pickups where everyone dumps whitegoods on the nature strip. I've collected enough hardware to make dozens of fully loaded pentium class PCs that work fine for web browsing. Debian runs great on them;) Even if you had to buy 2nd-hand components from a pc market, you can make a web capable pentium pc for easily less than US$50. .