On Tue, 2007-01-02 at 08:31 -0600, Mike McCarty wrote: > Ric Moore wrote: > > > > Well here's one of huge magnitude that needs Linux users to reclaim Open > > Source ground that Windows and Mac users have grabbed a hold of. > > > > http://www.croquetcollaborative.org > > > > Yeah, I'm gonna pang on this one until we get some interest started. > > After reading the opening page, I still don't know what it is. Check out "Second Life", the online community that builds and sells and interacts in a 3D virtual environment. Croquet and Squeak (the child of smalltalk) are the builders tools for creating virtual environments. There is a free beta for the linux client at SecondLife. Free limited access too. It's a mindblower. > > People like Alan Kay are directing this project and if we snooze we > > lose. The project is completely Open Source, but from the people I am in > > I suppose this is intended to be a clumny both against the project > and the man. I know nothing about Alan Kay, except that you think > he is doing a good thing in a bad way. No, I did not state that at all. I did state that the Windows community has been supporting the project more than the Linux community has, so they have more influence towards design and development. Alan Kay cannot do everything himself, no more than Linus Torvald can. The community that forms around the project will guide the development. I used to read articles from him in the old Byte Magazines back in the latter 70's and 80's. Smalltalk was mostly his intellectual baby. He's even in the Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Kay I guess I should have written "People of the stature of Alan Kay", so as to be perfectly clear, "and if we miss the opportunity to mingle with him and his project we lose out." Better? > [snip] > > > This is bigger than spreadsheets and databases ever thought of being. > > IMHO, it's the next Big Thing that can issue in the New Era. The dnload > > Oh, no. Not another "New Era". I've got enough of them, already. Progress happens and one can jump on board or watch it go by. ;) > > I'd REALLY like to see the Fedora Foundation and RH take this one under > > their wing as Alan Kay is also part of the $100 one-laptop-per-child > > project, as is RH and MIT. I'm using it for my OAR project to reduce the > > Ah. This I'm familiar with. > > > recidivism rate among the 2.7 million incarcerated in the US. As much as > > Poor victims of society, I suppose. Yes, it's the victims of a society that does little to no real rehab that become -created- when someone released reverts back to crime, by a combination of making poor decisions combined with the need to survive in a society not willing to give them a second chance. Then, the innocent taxpaying bystanders (the primary victims) get hurt, while the Offender is wasting his own life, hurting himself and costing society a small fortune each X 2.7 million times. I'll call it what it is, trafficking in human misery, as money is being made at both the victim's, offender's and society's expense. You do the math. Then raise hell with your representatives once you understand that this is not good for anyone and costs millions if not billions a year. Somewhere the cycle has to be broken. Please keep this in mind, no one has been born pre-destined to hurt people and to go to prison. We arrive in this world a blank slate, and yes, society and family does do the writing to it. Just like loading an OS on a computer... that is what it will run... nothing else, as in a state of inertia, unless acted upon by an outside force. So, the old programming has to be craftily unloaded with some care and a new set of instructions loaded. It's simple. Just like a computer, although you just can't strap a person down and force it ala "Clockwork Orange". It has to be covert to the point that the individual will make good decisions on their own, for their own enlightened self interests. This ain't rocket science, by any stretch. It's merely a decision to do or attempt -something- rather than nothing. "Poor Victims of society, I suppose." Well, Hell yes, they are... and in this day and age there is no reason for it to continue. Come on down to Raleigh on the 30th of this month and I'll personally introduce you to some of them. You'll see some things that will change perceptions and I guarantee it's better than church! I work part time for this non-profit and the people that show up are nothing short of amazing. We have community leaders, politicians, activists, street ministers, halfway houses, drug rehab folks, AA coordinators, the VA looking for "lost" vets, people looking to reach out to hire Ex Cons, families showing up looking to deal with their grief when a loved one is locked up, DOC officials, we got 'em all. Each is about fixing that which became broken... a human being. I bet there isn't one person on this list that hasn't committed at least one misdemeanor, a felony or committed some form of abuse and just didn't get caught. Driving while a little too tipsy, smoking a "little" weed, writing a hot check that will hopefully not arrive at the bank until the paycheck clears. Fudging on taxes, kicking the family dog... no, there are none not guilty, no not one. Ever get REALLY angry in the presence of family? Did you love them enough to study why?? Feelings lead to emotions which lead to thoughts which lead to actions. If you felt sweating hands or butterflies stomach and later acted out in Anger, a short study of what makes your hand sweat and why will short out the process leading to the Anger Reaction. I had to study that one myself... intensely. I would explode in Anger and had to actually 'debug' my own programming. Like I said, it ain't rocket science, it's merely acknowledging to myself that I could and did explode and then doing something about it, which is the responsibility part. So, I just kept on studying and it all fits together in a manner that I feel could become a computer program that uses VR and streaming audio/video. Doing it within Linux is not an easy task. But, I believe it can be done... while getting Linux into more dot-EDU or dot-GOV type of environments. Which comes full circle to what this thread is about. Like everyone on this list, I'm just another poor schmo looking to get a handle on what can make this cheese ball called Earth into a better place. I sure as hell can't do it by myself, I don't think anyone can. Ric -- ================================================ My father, Victor Moore (Vic) used to say: "There are two Great Sins in the world... ..the Sin of Ignorance, and the Sin of Stupidity. Only the former may be overcome." R.I.P. Dad. Linux user# 44256 Sign up at: http://counter.li.org/ http://www.sourceforge.net/projects/oar http://www.wayward4now.net ================================================
