Something worth a read....

Recently I read an essay on hackers & open sourcing....which are i must admit my current passions.....it was titled "In the Beginning of The Command Line"--By Neal Stephenson.
Though it was written over a decade ago & in this ever dynamic in world of software this essay might just sound a little out-of-date....it is still worth a read....especially if u are really into hacking....
Here is a catchy abstract out of it....a typical conversation between a layman blindly going for MS Windows (reffered to as a wagon) & a guy who wants to give away an open source OS (like linux-reffered to as Batmobile or a tank) to those opting for Win....

The group giving away the free tanks only stays alive because it is staffed by volunteers,
who are lined up at the edge of the street with bullhorns, trying to draw customers'
attention to this incredible situation. A typical conversation goes something like this:

Hacker with bullhorn: "Save your money! Accept one of our free tanks! It is
invulnerable, and can drive across rocks and swamps at ninety miles an hour while
getting a hundred miles to the gallon!"

Prospective station wagon buyer: "I know what you say is true...but...er...I don't know
how to maintain a tank!"

Bullhorn: "You don't know how to maintain a station wagon either!"

Buyer: "But this dealership has mechanics on staff. If something goes wrong with my
station wagon, I can take a day off work, bring it here, and pay them to work on it while I
sit in the waiting room for hours, listening to elevator music."

Bullhorn: "But if you accept one of our free tanks we will send volunteers to your house
to fix it for free while you sleep!"

Buyer: "Stay away from my house, you freak!"

Bullhorn: "But..."

Buyer: "Can't you see that everyone is buying station wagons?"

Isnt that interesting??....n i assure there is more to it....
if u want the full essay...just leave ur mail id as a comment to this article....i'll make it a point to send it to u as soon as possible......have a god read....!!

The Baltimore Bullet.......Whizzes By...

The 'Baltimore Bullet' in action....
So the euphoria was on.....at the starting of the game Phelps.....nicknamed the Baltimore Bullet....said that he was aiming for a perfect score at the '08 Olympics.....8 golds on 8 events.
Its not very often that you get to hear such proclamations....but this guy was different....he was Phelps!!
Right from day one at the Water Cube, this aqua boy started his juggernaut....and no one in the world was able to stop him....he just went on....& took a breath only when he had 8 Gs at Beijing....on the way he also became the most decorated olympian of all time & also broke Spitz's 36 year old record of having 7 Gs in one olympics....with 16 olypmic medals in his sack...omigosh!!....16!!
I dont have any words do aptly explain this feat....
al I can say is....Kudos...dear Mike!

China didnt walk....it just SOARED!!

60...50...40...30...20...10...9..8..7..6..5..4..3..2..1....BOOM!!

The biggest sports extravaganza on the planet began & with that China which hitherto had been reserved in a cocoon of communism walked onto the world's stage...but it didn't walk in...as was expected...it just flew onto the stage in a luxurious craft!
With an opening ceremony this of this grandeur China has kept its promise of hosting the biggest,the most scintillating & the most expensive Olympics ever.
Right from the very beginning of the countdown the ceremony was gripping.China not only demonstrated its cultural heritage but also displayed its technological leverage, the gritty approach of the Chinese & also boasted a tremendous money power.This was,no doubt, the best Olympic ceremony i have ever seen (though I remember only two,I was too small in '96 to remember an Olympic ceremony).

After watching the whole ceremony I was awestruck.....even the thought of organizing such a huge ceremony gave me goosebumps.The next day I saw the statics in the newspaper,about the funds they spent,the volunteers that were involved & the duration of rehearsals they did....n I was convinced that this Olympics are really going to be one of the biggest of all time...
Suddenly a wild thought crossed my mind.....Can India do It too??
I was trying to desperately convince myself that the aswer was affirmative.....but i was'nt able to. India still has a long way to go until it has the capacity to host the Olympics.....n given our indifferent approach towards sports...I doubt how much more time we'll need to do it.....
Whatever the case China won't be the same in the world's eye anymore.....it has commanded respect...& i'm quite sure that it will get it......after all it's all about soft power!!
We can just hope that India too, some fine day, host this mega event n reserve a place of respect for itself in the world of sports.....