...actual distinct voices speaking in my mind? Or is it just the weblog of James Lindenschmidt? Here you can see me wrestle with this and other questions, while spewing forth my writings, opinions, and hallucinations.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

 

Guitar strings, and Linux for business

There is an interview with Sterling Ball, who is the head of the Ernie Ball guitar string manufacturer. After getting audited by Microsoft and having to pay up $60,000, they switched to Linux and Free software. According to Ball, "One of the analysts said it costs $1,250 per person to change over to open source. It wasn't anywhere near that for us. I'm reluctant to give actual numbers. I can give any number I want to support my position, and so can the other guy. But I'll tell you, I'm not paying any per-seat license. I'm not buying any new computers. When we need something, we have white box systems we put together ourselves." It seems to me that this is the way IT should be.

A little background on the raid and the subsequent switch, from the article:

In 2000, the Business Software Alliance conducted a raid and subsequent audit at the San Luis Obispo, Calif.-based company that turned up a few dozen unlicensed copies of programs. Ball settled for $65,000, plus $35,000 in legal fees. But by then, the BSA, a trade group that helps enforce copyrights and licensing provisions for major business software makers, had put the company on the evening news and featured it in regional ads warning other businesses to monitor their software licenses.

Humiliated by the experience, Ball told his IT department he wanted Microsoft products out of his business within six months. "I said, 'I don't care if we have to buy 10,000 abacuses,'" recalled Ball, who recently addressed the LinuxWorld trade show. "We won't do business with someone who treats us poorly."

But my favorite part of the article is this passage, that reflects a wonderfully pragmatic view of the function of computers in a business. Computers are a tool, and either they do their job or they don't. The question is, how much hassle is their attached to using the tool? Look at what Ball says, in regard to Free software, and the fact that he's gotten so much press simply by switching to Free software:

I think it's great for me to be a technology influence. It shows how ridiculous it is that I can get press because I switched to OpenOffice. And the reason why is because the myth has been built so big that you can't survive without Microsoft, so that somebody who does get by without Microsoft is a story.

It's just software. You have to figure out what you need to do within your organization and then get the right stuff for that. And we're not a backwards organization. We're progressive; we've won communications and design awards...The fact that I'm not sending my e-mail through Outlook doesn't hinder us. It's just kind of funny. I'm speaking to a standing-room-only audience at a major technology show because I use a different piece of software--that's hysterical.

Good stuff...

^ posted at 12:48 PM

 

Kucinich vs. Dean

Needless to say, I've been very interested in upcoming primaries and the election of 2004. The two candidates who have commanded my attention in the Democratic party are Dennis Kucinich and Howard Dean. I haven't really begun to do much research on the differences between these two candidates. I knew that Kucinich was probably closer to my progressive political ideals, but I had heard that Dean probably had a better chance of winning. So I wasn't really sure.

Until now.

Bob Harris has compiled a side-by-side comparison of the two candidates, Why I'm voting for Kucinich over Dean. It's very interesting. After giving it a read, I have to agree. As of now, I am a Kucinich supporter. I may even have to register as a Democrat so I can vote in the primary.

^ posted at 7:48 PM

 

It's a power thing, as in, who has the power?

The recent power outages in the northeast, combined with the power/energy issues in California over the past few years, have gotten me thinking about effective ways to distribute electricity.

Far and away the best model I know of is by R. Buckminster Fuller. I've written about him before. Go read this article.

^ posted at 5:37 PM

 

Iraqis' top 10 tips for enduring blackout in the heat

It's true. This story is from cnn.com. Unbelievable.

^ posted at 5:52 PM

 

contagious yawns and empathy

According to this story, Kind people catch yawns: Self-awareness makes some yawn-susceptible, those who are susceptible to contagious yawns are more likely to be empaths. Interesting....yawn

^ posted at 8:55 PM

 

I may also retire this blog

JWL: random head noise or...? may actually be retired soon. That way I can archive it here, and point people to the new blog.

^ posted at 12:47 AM

 

this blog may be moving soon

The title says it all. I have new webspace now available at jwl.freakwitch.net. I'll probably put this blog there soon, when I get some time. Busy now, though, working on Freakwitch.net.

^ posted at 4:06 PM

 

warning: new title format on page

As the title suggests, this is a new title format for my blog. The new Blogger software allows it. So I'll use it.

Been busy working on Freakwitch.net. Had a gig. Life is good.

^ posted at 2:10 AM

 

and now, a word about optical illusions

Go check out Akiyoshi's illusion pages. Fun stuff.

^ posted at 1:04 AM