/dev/random: Buying Snake Oil

;login: Enters a New Phase of Its Evolution

For over 20 years, ;login: has been a print magazine with a digital version; in the two decades previous, it was USENIX’s newsletter, UNIX News. Since its inception 45 years ago, it has served as a medium through which the USENIX community learns about useful tools, research, and events from one another. Beginning in 2021, ;login: will no longer be the formally published print magazine as we’ve known it most recently, but rather reimagined as a digital publication with increased opportunities for interactivity among authors and readers.

Since USENIX became an open access publisher of papers in 2008, ;login: has remained our only content behind a membership paywall. In keeping with our commitment to open access, all ;login: content will be open to everyone when we make this change. However, only USENIX members at the sustainer level or higher, as well as student members, will have exclusive access to the interactivity options. Rik Farrow, the current editor of the magazine, will continue to provide leadership for the overall content offered in ;login:, which will be released via our website on a regular basis throughout the year.

As we plan to launch this new format, we are forming an editorial committee of volunteers from throughout the USENIX community to curate content, meaning that this will be a formally peer-reviewed publication. This new model will increase opportunities for the community to contribute to ;login: and engage with its content. In addition to written articles, we are open to other ideas of what you might want to experience.

While I only stood in line for about 45 minutes in order to accomplish it—as opposed to camping for a day or two in a butt-grabber nylon chair on the sidewalk—I got my iPhone 6 today. (Today being September 22, no matter what your calendar says; we’ve talked about publishing relativity before.) I only got the 16 GB version and not the Plus model, either, but announcing this cherry acquisition is not my raison d’être here.

As I was biding my time in the store I wandered over and started playing with a Surface Pro 3. Completely contrary to my expectations, I really liked the feel and functionality of the thing. I may just have to get one if my novels ever start to sell the way my publisher assures me will happen (seconds before the mile-wide asteroid that got by NASA impacts). Of course, if the Surface ran, say, Ubuntu it would be even better (yes, I’ve seen the Geek article on accomplishing this). I fondled it for a while and then in order to express my profound amazement at having enjoyed the experience bought Minecraft for the Xbox 360. I’m sure the logic in this is obvious to you all.

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