Author: Paul Holmes
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The Future of Distributed Computing
(Originally Published January 19, 2002) What is it? Can one computer program solve seemingly impossible mathematical problems, discover alien life in the universe, cure cancer, or crack the impossible encryption key? Yes, it can. But only when this one computer program runs on thousands of computers around the globe. This is the world of distributed…
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Freedom of Information: Napster and the Record Industry’s Accident
(Originally Published March 5, 2001) Every once in awhile a defining historical event occurs. Years later, philosophers argue about what would have happened if the direction was different. What if the South won the American Civil War? What if Hitler had won WWII? What if Communism had swept the world? Sure, we hear rumblings in…