Thanks to the US
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| Author | Content |
|---|---|
| skelband Oct 29, 2010 3:05 PM EDT |
I agree with much of what the guy says, but I was a bit disappointed that the article wound up being a US-back pat article. I agree that some of the technological advance did come from the US, but I think other countries had some input along the way.... |
| eracc Oct 29, 2010 4:08 PM EDT |
I am the author and I am from the USA. The USA's contributions to today's technology is what I know about. The article is not intended to be an "attaboy" for the USA. Feel free to post a comment on the article pointing out other country's contributions to humankind's technological advances. I will approve any comment that is not negative and follows our comment guidelines that are posted on the front page: http://blog.eracc.com/. |
| tracyanne Oct 29, 2010 6:07 PM EDT |
The bloke was sitting there running Mandriva Linux, both of which Mandriv and the Linux (the Kernel) are examples of Technology that was developed outside the US, the only "bad" technology mentioned was in fact Developed in the US. |
| HoTMetaL Oct 29, 2010 6:17 PM EDT |
It's par for the course coming from a blog with embedded RSS feeds from politically-influenced and -funded artificial news sources like "CNS" and "Newsbusters." And the giant American flag on the banner with full country name in its title should be a tipoff to anyone that the author is likely a tea-partier nationalist who is fanatical about his country and likes to believe he is more "patriotic" than those free-thinking "liberals." I like the praise of Linux and open source bits on the blog, but the mixing of U.S. politics with technology on an opinion blog creates an environment where half the people think you're right and the other half think you're frickin' nuts. Not to mention it's just plain distracting. I prefer to read FLOSS articles without the flag-waving and 'atta-boys' as displayed on eracc's blog. Linux and much of open source is global, after all. So, +1 to skelband and tracyanne. You were both spot-on. |
| tuxchick Oct 29, 2010 6:39 PM EDT |
dang, wish we could delete posts. Never mind! |
| hkwint Oct 29, 2010 7:24 PM EDT |
The only thing claimed in the article is, the US were the first ones on the moon thanks to the 'pioneering efforts of US research', and such a thing is a fact, I'd say. Of course, the accomplishment should be attributed to some healthy Russian competition as well. The article also refers to 'how far humans have come', which refers to people from any nation. So actually it's not that bad, I suggest. Apart from the things TA mentions, I'm pretty sure Lucky Goldstar - the ones who made the watch (with HP?) are Korean BTW. Would have been nice if it was mentioned the wristwatch runs a Linux kernel as well maybe? The only thing I wonder, is why the FreeBSD daemon is replaced by the US flag when the page loads? Looks kinda funny. |
| jdixon Oct 29, 2010 7:44 PM EDT |
> Of course, the accomplishment should be attributed to some healthy Russian competition as well. Since the US space program would never even have gotten started without Sputnik, I'd say even that's a slight understatement. |
| azerthoth Oct 29, 2010 7:55 PM EDT |
Wonder how many read the article or jumped bandwagon without reading. There is no fundamental or glaring flaw in the statements made, each of them is factual and verifiable. You have to do a lot of reading between the lines to call the article or even the scrolling adds at the top a political statement. I think we can live without the rather vitriolic political commentary, as a matter of fact, the terms of service pretty much demand it of us. |
| azerthoth Oct 29, 2010 7:58 PM EDT |
hmm, lets see, that came from WWII german scientists, and the general plans for both the V-1 and V-2 came from the U.S. patent office initially. History is an interesting thing to study. |
| hkwint Oct 29, 2010 8:51 PM EDT |
Already wanted to add it were the Chinese who invented rockets, but refrained; what does it matter anyway. The only inventions which matter to humankind are sliced bread (thanks Missouri) and the iPhone. |
| HoTMetaL Oct 29, 2010 9:21 PM EDT |
And Facebook. |
| jdixon Oct 29, 2010 9:39 PM EDT |
> You have to do a lot of reading between the lines to call the article or even the scrolling adds at the top a political statement. Agreed. |
| bigg Oct 29, 2010 9:55 PM EDT |
I agree that it is hard to find anything political in this article. I certainly don't see the US flag at the top as a political statement, just that the author likes the US flag. |
| caitlyn Oct 30, 2010 1:00 AM EDT |
Back when there were some rampant political discussions on LXer (which have thankfully been reigned it) I was often on the opposite side from jdixon, azerthoth and bigg. Here I find myself agreeing with them 100%. I don't see anything wrong with the article and I don't see it as jingoistic or flag waving or over the top in any way. I don't see it as Tea Party or right wing in any way, either and don't see how HoTMetaL can assume that from a flag. From the links? OK, perhaps, but what does that have to do with the article itself? Have lots of countries made technological advances? Sure! Why does that mean an American writer can't write about American contributions, which are considerable? Would the same comments be made if tracyanne wrote about Australian contributions or if I wrote about Israeli advances or if hkwint wrote about some brilliant invention that happened to come from the Netherlands? Is there anything wrong with feeling some pride in one's nations accomplishments? Did other countries have "some input along the way"? I don't think any fair minded person would argue otherwise. Has the U.S. been a leader in technological advances since World War II? I think that is a factual statement. |
| tracyanne Oct 30, 2010 4:50 AM EDT |
Quoting:tracyanne wrote about Australian contributions That would never happen... we're too self effacing... the great Aussie cringe and all. |
| cabreh Oct 30, 2010 6:07 AM EDT |
@tracyanne Ha! Australians self effacing. You've got nothing on us Canadians. :) |
| HoTMetaL Oct 30, 2010 6:26 AM EDT |
Caitlyn, there's nothing exactly wrong with the article, nor did I find it over the top. It was actually a bit interesting, although I can't agree with funding space programs when the U.S. economy and its infrastructure is crumbling. Look, I live 63 miles from ERA Computers in West Tennessee, and I know the political climate here very well. It's all about flag-waving & "takin' my country back" & "Obama is Hitler!" and other assorted craziness. I guess you'd just have to live around here to understand. It isn't such a stretch to put the pieces together from the displays of flag, national pride, assorted religious-themed comments elsewhere on the blog, and - above all - links to right-wing political organizations, for one to get an idea of where this author and business stand politically. My broader point was that including such links on a blog about computers and technology can be distracting to a reader who doesn't share the blogger's political beliefs - even if he/she does share the same tastes in technology. I've mastered the practice of not patronizing businesses who mix politics with their business, because doing so inevitably alienates half your clientèle. And ERA is coming very close to doing that, whether they realize it or not. |
| caitlyn Oct 30, 2010 10:03 AM EDT |
@HoTMetaL: I live in North Carolina and I have seen everything you describe, thought it isn't dominant in this area, thankfully! I agree with not mixing politics and business unless, of course, your business is politics. I just don't see that article the way skelband did and you said he was "spot on", hence my disagreement with you. I didn't see it as an "atta boy" article and the author's comments here make it clear that was not what he intended. |
| eracc Oct 30, 2010 11:32 AM EDT |
http://blog.eracc.com/2010/10/29/incredible-times-incredible... |
| eracc Nov 01, 2010 12:30 PM EDT |
Egad! Our comment settings were messed up - http://blog.eracc.com/2010/10/29/incredible-times-incredible... If any of you wanted to comment on the article to add other country contributions you should be able to now. Comments about the side-bar content, or my personal beliefs are off-topic. :) |
| vainrveenr Nov 01, 2010 2:59 PM EDT |
Besides this blog of Gene & associates, a.k.a. "eracc", as well as other fine pro-Linux blogs arising within or outside of the U.S., there is also Penguin Pete's home page and blog --- this latter site found through a simple Google search for "Penguin Pete".
Pete subtitles his site 'Digital Wizardry With Free And Open Source Software' and even as this comment is written, several of PP's blog pieces have received more non-PP comments to date than non-Gene comments at the eracc piece. PP's site may be equally worth visiting and contributing comments to for those either living within or outside of the U.S. who might somehow not wish to "comment on the [eracc] article to add other country contributions". A possible reason to favor PP's blog over eracc's is any perceived dissuasion arising from the current eracc-blog moderators' Comments policy mentioned near the top of this thread and found at http://blog.eracc.com/ . |
| bigg Nov 01, 2010 3:05 PM EDT |
@vainrveenr What in the world does that site have to do with this post? Given history and the lack of relevance, your post is worse than spam, it's troll spam. |
| vainrveenr Nov 01, 2010 3:25 PM EDT |
Quoting:Given history and the lack of relevance, your post is worse than spam, it's troll spam.Can this very statement be possibly construed as "offensive, indecent, abusive, hateful, harassing, or libelous" ?? (See the LXer Terms of Service and Code of Conduct, Article 6, found at http://lxer.com/module/pages/v/12/ ) Needless to say, absolutely nothing found at the ERACC blog violates Article 8 of the LXer Terms of Service and Code of Conduct ! |
| bigg Nov 01, 2010 3:37 PM EDT |
> Can this very statement be possibly construed as "offensive, indecent, abusive, hateful, harassing, or libelous" ?? Provide an answer to the first question - what is the relevance to this thread. Interesting that you would omit that small detail in your attempt to start yet another round of nonsense with that guy. And you've been around here long enough to know the history. |
| azerthoth Nov 01, 2010 3:46 PM EDT |
vain where is that much different from here? you can forward an objection and disagree, just be polite. I have to agree with bigg on this. |
| jdixon Nov 01, 2010 4:11 PM EDT |
> Penguin Pete's site may be equally worth visiting and commenting in... You do know that Pete blocks links from LXer, don't you? |
| TxtEdMacs Nov 01, 2010 10:06 PM EDT |
vainrveenr, Next time put [humor] tags on your post or build a reputation that does not leave regulars confused at your real intentions. Right now I will suppress my desire for a riposte, because remembering PP last visit your sense of irony surpasses mine. YBT |
| hkwint Nov 01, 2010 11:23 PM EDT |
Txt: Second that, though I'd say sarcasm tags, not humor tags. |
| skelband Nov 03, 2010 2:18 AM EDT |
Holy cow, I come back to find all this madness :D In actual fact, I think my original comments were a bit misconstrued. My point was that the only reference to national contributions were US. I wasn't trying to imply that the author was jingoistic, merely a little biased. I appreciate the US worldview is generally quite small on the whole so I guess I'm not too surprised, but I think the US references were a bit unnecessary to the point of the article which on the whole I found quite factual and interesting. @tuxchick > dang, wish we could delete posts. Never mind! Not quite sure what you mean there? Delete the article reference or my original comment? |
| Sander_Marechal Nov 03, 2010 4:28 AM EDT |
@skelband. She probably meant deleting her own comment. She edited out the text and replaced it with that instead. |
| jdixon Nov 03, 2010 6:59 AM EDT |
> I wasn't trying to imply that the author was jingoistic, merely a little biased. We're all a little biased, skelband. At least he openly admits his. |
| skelband Nov 03, 2010 12:19 PM EDT |
@jdixon
> We're all a little biased, skelband. At least he openly admits his. Yes you are right, and I applaud his honesty. |
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