2012 April 03 archive at Robert Pogson

Archive for April 3rd, 2012

Canadian Senate Will Pass Amendment to the Firearms Act Within a Few Days

Published by Robert Pogson April 3rd, 2012 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

The motion was made in the Canadian Senate yesterday to debate for the final time Bill C-19, a bill to do away with the unrestricted firearms registry. Notice was given that a motion to limit debate to six hours will be given today. Senator Lang opened the show with reflection that the first time such legislation had been passed it took only a year for Parliament to get the message that “There has been very general representation that the existing law operated too rigorously, lent itself to abuses and subjected citizens to unnecessary annoyance.” and kill it. This time, even with modern communication, it took 17 years.

Senator Lang went on to point out some of the flaws of the registry that should be considered by those giving “sober second thought”:
“Did honourable senators know that there is a glue gun registered now in the registry? Its entry is as follows: “Mastercraft” with a serial number.

Did honourable senators know there are thousands upon thousands of firearms all registered with the same number and the same serial number?

As well, honourable senators, it is common knowledge that there are millions of long guns that have never, ever been registered.”

He quoted shooter Linda Thom:
“I’m accorded fewer legal rights than a criminal. Measures enacted by Bill C-68 allow police to enter my home at any time without a search warrant because I own registered firearms, yet the same police must have a search warrant to enter the home of a criminal. I’m not arguing that criminals should not have this right — they should. I’m arguing that this right should be restored to me and all Canadian firearms owners.”

He called on senators to do the right thing and end the registry.

see Hansard

- Robert Pogson

No Growth in a Growing Market

Published by Robert Pogson April 3rd, 2012 in technology. 1 Comment

On LinuxInsider, one commentator observed that GNU/Linux share according to Wikimedia was flat. It’s true, but one has to understand that the traffic on Wikipedia has grown a lot. At the same time that GNU/Linux was holding share of Wikipedia, traffic was increasing and the mobile share of traffic was increasing. Despite all that, GNU/Linux held share. Examining only non-mobile traffic, GNU/Linux share rose 18% while that other OS declined several percent.

From my comment on LinuxInsider:
“that other OS has declined from 89.5% in 2009-04 to 73.8% in 2012-2. Those changes/non-changes are in installed base, not shipments. That means GNU/Linux has increased shipments/installations in a period when that other OS has been flat in shipments or decreasing. M$ has been touting numbers of about 50 million sales per quarter ever since “7″ came out. Meanwhile the Earth is shipping 90 million x86 PCs and tens of millions of ARMed devices. Wikipedia’s mobile share is about 18%. On the non-mobile part, GNU/Linux has increased 18% in 3 years to 1.8%. Not too shabby. That other OS has decreased to 85% of the non-mobile traffic from from 91% of the non-mobile traffic, a decline of 7%. Part of the “noise” is mobile traffic. Don’t let it fool you into thinking GNU/Linux is not doing well. “

- Robert Pogson

My Mission

My observations and opinions about IT are based on 40 years of use in science and technology and lately, in education. I like IT that is fast, cost-effective and reliable. I do not care whether my solution is the same as yours. I like to think for myself.

My first use of GNU/Linux in 2001 was so remarkably better than what I had been using, I feel it is important work to share GNU/Linux with the world. I have been blessed by working in schools where students and school systems have benefited by good, modular software easily installed in most systems.

I have shown GNU/Linux to thousands of students and hundreds of teachers over the years and will continue in some way doing that until I die in spite of the opposition.