[Beowulf] SGI to offer Windows on clusters

[Jim Lux]

At 09:10 AM 1/18/2007, Robert G. Brown wrote:
... while plotting their nefarious plan to perpetuate their World
>Domination.

Is there a higher calling than that?


>Geeks do not live in the Universe to which I was referring -- the one
>where corporate shirts are doing CBA and risk assessments...

Sure they do.. they're kept in carpeted cages where the damage they 
can do is minimized.

>No, we geeks live in a parallel universe, one where people make rational
>decisions based (paradoxically enough) on ideals such as "better
>performance", "cheaper", "more scalable", "better design", "more stable"

Of course, that corporate CBA folk might say they are doing exactly 
the same thing, just that their metric for performance or cheaper 
isn't defined in the same way as yours, for environmental reasons. If 
I want to keep my office at a comfortable temperature, the equation 
relating actual temperature in objective terms to "comfort factor" 
depends a lot on what my attire is.


>There are of course, a few humans that actually manage to do the "Tavern
>Between the Worlds" thing and pass freely between the geek Universe and
>the corporate Universe, scarfing a beer

is that beer free?

>  as they pass through.  You can
>usually tell them by their odd costumery when they've recently passed
>through the Gate -- those coats and ties clash with all the tee shirts
>with penguins on them -- but you can also tell that they truly belong if
>you try to hold an intelligent conversation with them.
>
>And finally there are the Borgs, who pass between the Universes but do
>so in their Master's Keep, entering through one gate dressed like the
>soulless automata that they truly are and emerging from another wearing
>double-knit polos with Borg logos and knife-edged khaki pants and
>loafers,

But, now, through the miracle of online ordering and automated 
manufacturing, YOU too can order such things from Land's end and have 
them delivered to your doorstep in days.  Then, you could enter their 
world (should you consider it useful) in a form of disguise.  You can 
even have your favorite logo embroidered in the appropriate 
place.  (it's called "business outfitter")  (e.g. Slackware shirts 
are done by Lands End)

( I note that Lands End has hired unix sysadmins and Java folk in the 
past, so procuring the concealing attire might even be supporting a 
geek) (Of course, if you search for Linux at the Lands End site,you 
get a page with 6 women's swimsuits.. odd, but who knows what 
peculiarities lurk within the search engine)


>  so they can pretend that they are just "one of the geeks" at
>some Geek Faire being held in Geekworld.  If you fall into their
>clutches at one of these events they will simply grab at your collar
>(they're searching for your non-existent tie or lapels) and intone
>"resistance is futile" until somebody comes along and makes fun of them,
>
>So to clarify, nobody in the Universe under discussion -- the one that
>isn't already using linux clusters because of its vast performance and
>cost advantages in their mileau -- could care less about performance per
>se as long as it is "good enough" and the risk/ROI/CYA equations work
>out right.  Places where The Borg already Owns Their Soul, in other
>words.
>
>"Resistance is Futile..."
>
>(Gawds, there's bound to be a video game in here somewhere, isn't
>there?:-)



No, but there is a "uniform look with variety and consistency"...

Jim