2006年3月21日

閱讀,閱讀,閱讀!

這篇東西大抵主要是寫給自己看的。近來重拾 Java,感覺彷彿回到過去求學的美好年代。那時寫程式注重的是思考累積,不重造輪子,每次開發出來的東西都是新的,累加上去使得軟體越變越好。著重的是思考,而不僅是 know-how。

怎料到一畢業進入的就是 embedded linux 這樣一個黑手領域,在這裡,很多東西都得自己動手,種種資源都受限制,現有的 solution 或許很好,但卻太過龐然,常常得手工打造,與應用層面的開發完全不同。做了兩年多下來,除了深深愛上 open source 以外,竟也慢慢體會到,深入系統面之後,對於上層如何運作,又有了另一層的看法。

我深信 Linux 加上 Java 會是很好的組合。他們的技術開放,而非大軟體公司鞏斷的黑箱,使用者不用擔心被軟體綁架。價格低廉、品質優良,這樣的組合正可以滿足我對軟體的看法:它應該造福人群,而人們不需為它付出高昂的價格。它應該是以全人類共有的公共財來發展,得之於人群,亦回饋至人群。

在科技方面的確這可以是非常專精的領域,而這領域的專家以知識來獲得財富,是理所當然的。軟體本身開放,然而對於軟體內部的知識,卻是經由努力才能獲得,因此是有價的。開放軟體並不反商,它反而該是一個機會無窮的領域。

對於將來想做的東西,心中已經有個大概的藍圖。然而困難的是,目前的知識卻還不足以建構夢想的根基。於是我所能做的就是繼續學習了。

2006年3月10日

國務院聲明原文

以往老是有人喜歡粉飾太平,說老美並沒有對我們語氣如何如何不好,總之英語新解很多,大家都在翻字典。

語氣到底好不好,強不強烈,看了便知。

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/dpb/2006/62487.htm

Daily Press Briefing
Adam Ereli, Deputy Spokesman
Washington, DC
March 2, 2006

<snipped>

QUESTION: Sorry. I have one question about Taiwan. After the U.S. expressed a certain level of relief or a satisfaction about Taiwan's authority, not abolishing the Unification Council. Some officials in Taiwan stated that there's no difference between abolish and cease to function. The reality is the Council is terminated and President Chen hardly made any compromise. He still did what he said he would do. So is there any gap between the U.S. understanding and Taiwanese understanding about the wording in the final outcome?

MR. ERELI: No. There's no -- there shouldn't be any gap or difference of opinion here. President Chen's assurances were quite clear that the NUC had not been abolished. We've seen the reports of comments attributed to other party officials. We've been informed by the Taiwanese that these officials have been misquoted and the reports are not accurate. And it is our understanding from the authorities in Taiwan that the action they took on February 27th was deliberately designed not to change the status quo, and that was made clear in a statement by President Chen and that -- We have every confidence and assurance that President Chen -- the statements made by President Chen are reflective of his policy and his party's policy.

QUESTION: And have you reached out then to express your displeasure about his cabinet members or officials to have a statement like that?

MR. ERELI: We think that the statements and assurances of the president are -- as I said, reflect the policy and position of the government and those in the president's party.

<snipped>

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2006/62488.htm

Press Statement
Adam Ereli, Deputy Spokesman
Washington, DC
March 2, 2006


Taiwan – Senior Taiwan Officials’ Comments on National Unification Council

We have seen reports that senior Taiwan officials have said, with respect to the National Unification Council, that there is no distinction between "abolish" and "ceasing activity" and that the effect of Taiwan’s action earlier this week was to abolish the Council.

We have been informed, however, that the reports misquoted Taiwan officials. We expect the Taiwan authorities publicly to correct the record and unambiguously affirm that the February 27 announcement did not abolish the National Unification Council, did not change the status quo, and that the assurances remain in effect.

Our understanding from the authorities in Taiwan was that the action Taiwan took on February 27 was deliberately designed not to change the status quo, as Chen Shui-bian made clear in his 7-point statement.

Abrogating an assurance would be changing the status quo, and that would be contrary to that understanding.

We believe the maintenance of Taiwan’s assurances is critical to preservation of the status quo. Our firm policy is that there should be no unilateral change in the status quo, as we have said many times.

2006/241

在不確定中鼓勇前行

上週五,是我在趨勢科技公司工作的最後一天。如果可能的話,希望也是我當上班族的最後一天。趨勢雖然不是在台上市,但由台灣人創立、台灣人為主要研發團隊,算是國內最上得了台面的軟體公司。為什麼我卻選擇離開?

除了我對刻薄寡恩的上司毫不掩飾的不爽以外,其實還有更深層的原因。一路走來,都是工程師路線,依照公司的指示生產出程式碼。這是標準的新勞工階級:我們生產程式,但卻看不見整個建築藍圖,不知為何而寫。見樹不見林。

自己出來接案,為的是更貼近程式碼的使用者。依照用家的需求做出最好的程式,這才是比較有意義的行為:尖端技術的開發自有人負責,但總要有人創造高度技術與一般用家的橋樑。以軟體公司為例,Google 就是很好的例子,技術能力已經是世界最強,然而出品的服務卻易於被普羅大眾接受,改善了人們的生活。

就我而言,做軟體的目的就是希望寫出來的東西有人使用,並且使他們的生活變得更好。如果做到了,某種方面,就是對世界做出了一些小小改善。達成這件事,人生就具有某些意義,對世界就有某些貢獻,而不僅僅是消耗糧食。聽起來很噁心,但我的確是這麼想的。

回想起來這週是在模糊中度過的。主要時間花在找生意,以及自我宣傳。草擬廣告、寫經歷、作品介紹,想辦法把自己推銷出去。在 104 以及 jcase 登記並且付款,開始瀏覽一大堆的發案資料,寄出提案信函。另外從頭到尾整理一次自己的通訊錄,寄信騷擾大家,請大家幫我介紹案子等等。

柴米油鹽之中,一週就過去了。幾天內數次想到,若是在公司任職,這週已經賺了多少錢,但現在創造的價值卻仍然是零。不確定感很重,加上身上仍然有些貸款要負擔,心情更加不同。然而這是自己選擇的道路,就要盡全力去試過一次。成不成,就讓命運決定吧。