TropicalCoder - Slashdot User

Submission + - Ray Ozzie says Google Wave 'anti-web' (theregister.co.uk) 1

Submitted by

TropicalCoder

on Tuesday June 09, 2009 @10:24AM

TropicalCoder writes: "Ray Ozzie says Google Wave 'anti-web'. In the the video he complains about its complexity in relation to Microsoft's Live Mesh. He says "If you have something, that by its very nature is very complex, with many goals ... then you need open source to have many instances of it because nobody will be able to do an independent implimentation of it." That's its weakness to Ozzie, apparently — that this complexity that can only be overcome by open source. While he heaps high praise on the Google team that came up with this, he feels that the advantage of Microsoft's approach is that "...by decomposing things to be simpler, you don't need open source." While I can see how it would be an advantage to Microsoft to maintain things as closed source, I would accept complexity to keep things open. What approach do you feel is better?"

Submission + - Space Elevator followup: Michael J. Laine rebuttal (tropicalcoder.com)

Submitted by

TropicalCoder

on Monday June 25, 2007 @07:57PM

TropicalCoder writes: "On June 3rd, I ran across an article about LiftPort, a group of companies dedicated to building the LiftPort Space Elevator, and shared it on Slashdot. This provoked over 200 comments, the vast majority of which were negative about the feasibility of such an undertaking. At one point during the discussion, LiftPort founder Michael J. Laine personally entered the discussion, but for the most part remained invisible since he hadn't logged in. I responded to his comment that if he would like a chance to rebut the criticisms, he should contact me and I would undertake to interview him and post the resulting story on Slashdot.

Michael called me long distance via cell phone that very day from his back yard near Seattle, and spoke with me for over an hour. It was a very interesting conversation. Michael came across as a rather sober, likeable fellow, not at all like the crackpot image one would conjure up from reading many of the Slashdot comments. He was clearly wounded by the stinging criticisms in the Slashdot discussion, and I couldn't help emphasizing with him. Here was man who had put his money where his mouth was, risking everything on his dream, perhaps suffering his darkest hour, and enduring ridicule on top of that.

At no point during the conversation did I get any impression of a huckster who would sell you the Brooklyn Bridge, something that I was on the lookout for. It was clear to me that he sincerely believes in what he is doing. Whether he succeeds in the end or not, I would prefer to call him a "visionary". After all, for every great visionary you can recall from history, there must have been a thousand others who tried and failed, but are no less visionary because of that. The jury is still out on LiftPort, and rumours of their death would be premature. They continue their research, and as I write are preparing for the "Tethered Towers" demo on Thursday, 28th of June.

At the end of the conversation it was agreed that I would summarize the Slashdot discussion for him and offer him an opportunity for point by point rebuttal. I completed this summary, (in which many Slashdot readers will recognize their own words), and sent it off to him the next day. He acknowledged receipt of this and promised an answer shortly. A few weeks passed, and I imagined that he must have decided in the end that the criticisms were so severe, perhaps it would be best just to try to forget it. It was such a surprise to me when a thoroughly detailed response arrived in my mail box today, demonstrating that the people at LiftPort at least are still convinced that building a space elevator is possible.

Space elevator themes have been celebrated in science fiction and many Slashdot readers have shared the dream, only to become disillusioned with the apparent pending demise of LiftPort. After reading LiftPort's rebuttal to Slashdot critics, do any of you now feel your pessimism somewhat dispelled?"

Submission + - Space Elevator Update: Going Down (spaceelevator.com)

Submitted by

TropicalCoder

on Sunday June 03, 2007 @08:34AM

TropicalCoder writes: "The LiftPort Space Elevator, founded four years ago with the lofty dream of building a stairway to heaven, has reached the end of its tether. The dream was to develop a ribbon of carbon nanotubes 100,000 km long, anchored to the Earth's surface at the LiftPort Station and with a counterweight in space, providing a permanent bridge between earth and space. Elevator cars would be robotic "lifters" which would climb the ribbon to deliver cargo and eventually people to orbit or beyond. Now Liftport has all but run out of funds, and the Securities Division entered a Statement of Charges and Notice of Intent to Enter an Order to Cease and Desist, Impose Fines and Charge Costs against Liftport Inc. dba Liftport Group and founder Michael Laine.

Will Michael Laine go down in history as visionary, ahead of his time, or as a scam artist who raised at least $117,000 from some 85 investors and did not market a single product in four years?"

Slashdot Top Deals