[plug] finding associated RPMs (was: Request)

[Leon Brooks]

skribe wrote:
> Since we seem to discussing acceptable list semantics, what are you
> trying to say with your sig? That Open Source projects are a myth or
> that if proprietary projects don't follow their own rules they'll
> fail? =)

The Ark is a pretty universal "myth" in that the story seems to have
jumped continents long before travel of such news (even Lars Thorstrup
style) was possible. In this regard, it's as hard to exterminate as OSS.

No, the basic point is that the Ark, with low entry barriers (any
willing to "find grace in the sight of God", says the King James Version
of the Bible), survived seemingly impossible conditions (waves probably
a kilometer or so high, storms of unbelievable fury, volcanic fallout,
who knows what else). Examination of the remains show that the builders
also used multiple redundancy, strong alloys and very heavy laminated
timber in the construction.

On the other side of the fence, the Titanic's builders were so confident
of their product that they (1) didn't test their steel in arctic
conditions (2) didn't check their rivets (3) sailed hammer-to-the-metal
through water known to be populated with large penguin habitats.
Survival of the vessel would have required a miracle on a scale not too
much smaller than that entailed in the survival of the Ark.

One is particularly put in mind of Microsoft, famous for loud and lavish
boasts followed by spectacular and hastily downplayed crashes and other
faux pas. And refrain.

The moral of the tagline is "pride comes before an iceberg" subtitle
"use the one that works better, not the one with the flashier
advertising".

-- 
Noah's Ark was an Open Source project (everyone was invited to help).
The Titanic was not. http://www.opensource.org/