New Details Emerge About Debian Founder Ian Murdock's Death

[chrisb]

Also, somebody mentioned European Union. Yes, I can move freely, but I still can't pay for accommodation. I could simply move to Slovakia's capital and live there but I'm stuck where I am without money. Some people call money "freedom units". Money-wise, the best solution for me is move to the US. Literally, everything is cheaper there than in EU. Maybe not cheaper than in Slovakia, but hey, probably 1.5 times more expensive with 4 times higher salary than in Slovakia.

Yes the U.S. might seem like a better idea but the areas with good tech jobs and high salaries also have high cost of living there (eg. $5k month rent is not unusual in San Francisco). And without a degree you'll find it hard to get a company to sponsor your visa (marrying a U.S. citizen is the easier route). Moving within the EU has the advantage that you are already allowed to do it, and to pay the rent you can either work or claim jobseekers allowance and/or housing benefit.

I'd recommend you put together a portfolio of example work and start applying for jobs. You literally have nothing to lose. I know one company where half the web developers were self taught and have no background in CS (one was a labourer on a building site, one worked answering phones in a call centre, another had studied history at uni, etc.). These people were also stuck in their careers (the historian was long term unemployed) but taught themselves web development in their free time and kept applying for jobs. The building site labourer was actually living in a caravan and studying PHP books at night. It's possible to build a career from where you are now, but nothing is going to change unless you make it happen.

[energyman]

Just some facts:
almost no hanging results in broken necks. Even executioners get it wrong a lot of times.
even if done 'wrong' a hanging can be pretty quick, if the hangee succeeds in cutting off blood supply to the brain (time to blackout: 10s).
Ian Murdock tried to break down his neighbours door twice in the days before his suicide. Both times the police was called. Both time he struggled and attacked the police.
Which explains his bruises easily.
Ian Murdock was an alcoholic.
Ian Murdock suffered from Asperger's.
Ian Murdock was not 'successful' in the last couple of years.
He was violent.
He had an economic breakdown.

If your read his tweets and compare them with his actions:

Ian Murdock was delusional and suffered from paranoia.

So in the last couple of month/weeks before his death he spiraled completely out of control. And then he hanged himself. This happens all the time.

In fact, in my opinion, it is a good thing he hanged himself before he killed his neighbour.

[starshipeleven]

almost no hanging results in broken necks.

(citation needed)

[Passso]

This, I've had enough of idiots panicking and shooting at everything that moves. Although I know too many people that would start flaming HARD at you for your proposed ban on concealed guns. Mostly from southern parts of US.

I am always puzzled reading how USA citizens are deeeply attached to the "freedom" of having weapons. They are the last of civilized countries to do so since ages... and this even if facts prove that so many people are dying stupidly for that. If you ask other countries to legalize weapons you will get a 99% vote for "Hell no!"

When I log on root my bash tell me "With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility". The power to kill someone in a few seconds comes definitly with "too much" responsibility.

[starshipeleven]

I am always puzzled reading how USA citizens are deeeply attached to the "freedom" of having weapons. They are the last of civilized countries to do so since ages... and this even if facts prove that so many people are dying stupidly for that. If you ask other countries to legalize weapons you will get a 99% vote for "Hell no!"

There are many other places where weapons are legal, I don't understand what are you talking about. Ok, maybe not assault rifles and support weapons like light machineguns, but that is also limited to redneck-ridden US states.

But in most places to get a pistol or a rifle you only need to pass a background check, some tests about using/maintaining the gun and pay for the license.

When I log on root my bash tell me "With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility". The power to kill someone in a few seconds comes definitly with "too much" responsibility.

Killing people is very very VERY easy. You don't need guns to kill someone in a few seconds, really.

What I'm talking about in the part you quoted is that is just retarded handing over guns to people without any kind of military training.

To get a car you need a driver license after all and to get (and keep that) you have to pass tests.

For guns it's much more relaxed and the tests are not about how good you are at FAST target selection, which is the only thing that ensures he won't gun down dozens of innocents when panicking and pulling up the weapon in self-defence (or offence).

Because that's what happens in 99% of the cases where a civilian has a weapon. He goes Rambo and shoots at everything that moves.

[Passso]

To get a car you need a driver license after all and to get (and keep that) you have to pass tests.

For guns it's much more relaxed and the tests are not about how good you are at FAST target selection, which is the only thing that ensures he won't gun down dozens of innocents when panicking and pulling up the weapon in self-defence (or offence).

Because that's what happens in 99% of the cases where a civilian has a weapon. He goes Rambo and shoots at everything that moves.

Well this is where I have doubts. Whatever test you pass in normal condition, when under high stress/adrenalin reptilian brain is taking the control and shit happens.
(yes, I do not trust human beings that much in general )

> Killing people is very very VERY easy. You don't need guns to kill someone in a few seconds, really.

In melee attack and by surprise yes. But still way more diffcult that just aiming and boom. Statistics and news talk for that.

[starshipeleven]

Well this is where I have doubts. Whatever test you pass in normal condition, when under high stress/adrenalin reptilian brain is taking the control and shit happens.

It's just a training of reflexes, so no, a subset of what police and military do is enough.
Of course this rules out all that cannot stand the (more limited) regular training, elderly, young, PHAT, and so on.
This gives a more palatable reason than "the gov't does not want you to use weapons", if you cannot show you're man enough in the tests, you're not man enough, it's not "gov't"'s fault.
Then of course it will be applied like shit like most other things, but it would at least be better than now.

In melee attack and by surprise yes. But still way more diffcult that just aiming and boom. Statistics and news talk for that.

The main reason guns are better than most improvised weapon devices are that they allow you to kill people from a safe distance. A distance that allows you to get away in time before you get caught. That's why they are weapons of choice of military.

Most shootings happened in VERY close range, like in a room. Ranges you could have used simple chemical reactions to generate toxic fumes (just google), or improvised explosives (fireworks with metal stuff glued on), or simply took a car and used it run over people or whatever.
In that case guns were convenient, yes, but not the main factor. If you decide to kamikaze to kill some people, the availability of guns isn't going to matter much.

[duby229]

There are many other places where weapons are legal, I don't understand what are you talking about. Ok, maybe not assault rifles and support weapons like light machineguns, but that is also limited to redneck-ridden US states.

But in most places to get a pistol or a rifle you only need to pass a background check, some tests about using/maintaining the gun and pay for the license.

Killing people is very very VERY easy. You don't need guns to kill someone in a few seconds, really.

What I'm talking about in the part you quoted is that is just retarded handing over guns to people without any kind of military training.

To get a car you need a driver license after all and to get (and keep that) you have to pass tests.

For guns it's much more relaxed and the tests are not about how good you are at FAST target selection, which is the only thing that ensures he won't gun down dozens of innocents when panicking and pulling up the weapon in self-defence (or offence).

Because that's what happens in 99% of the cases where a civilian has a weapon. He goes Rambo and shoots at everything that moves.

Yes, I bolded the part I fully agree with. And that is the very reason why people should be allowed to carry legal guns. If you've ever seen another person die, you know what I'm talking about. It's shocking. It's unbelievable. Literally ragdolls.

EDIT: But really the biggest issue is stil illegal guns. At least in my hometown it's easier to get an illegal gun than it is to get a legal one. That's the problem. And the fact is in most cities, most guns are illegal.

[duby229]

Well this is where I have doubts. Whatever test you pass in normal condition, when under high stress/adrenalin reptilian brain is taking the control and shit happens.
(yes, I do not trust human beings that much in general )

> Killing people is very very VERY easy. You don't need guns to kill someone in a few seconds, really.

In melee attack and by surprise yes. But still way more diffcult that just aiming and boom. Statistics and news talk for that.

I bought a legal gun a few years ago. Long story short, I got robbed at gunpoint and the gun was probably illegal, the dude was probably a gangbanger. See and that is the problem. People have guns, there is nothing you can do to stop it. If you make all guns illegal, then all guns will be illegal.... You will not reduce the number of guns, just increase dramatically the number of illegal guns.

[unixfan2001]

I bought a legal gun a few years ago. Long story short, I got robbed at gunpoint and the gun was probably illegal, the dude was probably a gangbanger. See and that is the problem. People have guns, there is nothing you can do to stop it. If you make all guns illegal, then all guns will be illegal.... You will not reduce the number of guns, just increase dramatically the number of illegal guns.

Yea. That's BS!
In other civilised countries like Australia, illegal guns on the black market cost several thousand bucks (the average firearm sold on the Australian black market is 15k).
At that cost, people are less likely to rob you (because if you can afford a gun for 15k, you usually do have enough money without robbing people).

In the US of A, guns are cheap mass-products. Whether legal or illegal doesn't matter much.

Anyhow. Your (the NRA's) logic is inherently flawed. If gun control doesn't work, why are western citizens outside the US far less likely to be held at gunpoint?