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Stories and comments across the archive that link to blogspot.com.

Comments · 20,258

  1. step to enhance privacy on Facebook by Benjamin_Wright · · Score: 1 · on Canadian Group Files Facebook Privacy Complaint

    Facebook users do not have to be passive about privacy. To deter employers from viewing social networking pages, employees might post terms of service under which employers agree to scram. This idea should not be taken as legal advice, just something to think about. --Ben http://hack-igations.blogspot.com/2007/11/privacy-advocates-such-as-nyu-professor.html

  2. step to enhance privacy on Facebook by Benjamin_Wright · · Score: 1 · on Canadian Group Files Facebook Privacy Complaint

    Facebook users do not have to be passive about privacy. To deter employers from viewing social networking pages, employees might post terms of service under which employers agree to scram. This idea should not be taken as legal advice, just something to think about. --Ben http://hack-igations.blogspot.com/2007/11/privacy-advocates-such-as-nyu-professor.html

  3. Re:The Price of Flash by afidel · · Score: 1 · on Intel & Micron Show 34-nm, 32-Gbit Flash Memory Chip

    Uh, the 120K IOPS is great (about what I can get per shelf from my SAN vendor with their current offering) but the estimated cost of $30/GB is insane! Not to mention I don't see any management software for running large numbers of them so they are in no way a replacement for a real SAN.

  4. Re:Simpler solution by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting · on Why BitTorrent Causes Latency and How To Fix It

    See if your router is also Tomato capable - specifically the SpeedMod variant. This firmware should remain responsive while handling some 6000 connections with QoS enabled, so long as you go easy on the Layer7 filters (port, IP, and MAC matches are much faster for the CPU).

    Low-end SonicWall boxes top out at around the same amount of connections - pretty awesome that a $50 box can keep up.

  5. The Steamfoot by Corky+Devereaux · · Score: -1, Redundant · on Seven Failed Foot-Based Game Controllers

    ...was a steampunk game controller from the 1880s. I blog extensively about steampunk here.

  6. Lego Mindstorms NXT by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting · on A Home Lab/Shop For Kids?

    Check out the NXT Step blog. Definitely the best tinkering toy ever created, all kinds of crazy stuff you can do. Full disclosure, my mom is one of the contributors there. She went from reading the blog to help her husband help their son, as she had time on her hands, to designing robots and even writing her own book. (It is very surreal to see your mother with no engineering education or experience get published by O'Reilly for a book on building robots...awesome, but surreal, I'd be proud of her if I had anything to do with it!)

    Robots and mechanical engineering aren't really my thing, but my best friend's kid is going to to be getting a lot of Lego this Christmas.

  7. But is it Steampunk? by Corky+Devereaux · · Score: 1 · on Huge Leap Forward In Robotic Limb Replacement

    Disclaimer: Dean Kamen is a personal friend of mine. I'll be cyber-casting about this very soon.

  8. Re:Photos or informaton on building? by xaxa · · Score: 2, Interesting · on Explosion At ThePlanet Datacenter Drops 9,000 Servers

    I was very impressed that a new bridge that was being extended over a busy railway line didn't cause any damage when they dropped it (they were lucky no trains were going under the bridge at the time, it's a very busy railway line -- about 40 trains in the next hour on a Sunday night, so you can imagine what it's like on a weekday. It did cause massive disruption, as they closed the line. And I don't know why they didn't have backup jacks if the failure of one left it unsupported.)

    I know it's not really relevant, but I didn't realise I was so interested in construction/engineering before reading about the past year's worth of posts on that blog (well, the construction ones. Not the "I was first on the new train!" ones. Though I admire the guy's dedication, to be awake at 4.00 to get the first ever train from the new Heathrow Airport station or whatever).

  9. Re:Photos or informaton on building? by xaxa · · Score: 2, Interesting · on Explosion At ThePlanet Datacenter Drops 9,000 Servers

    I was very impressed that a new bridge that was being extended over a busy railway line didn't cause any damage when they dropped it (they were lucky no trains were going under the bridge at the time, it's a very busy railway line -- about 40 trains in the next hour on a Sunday night, so you can imagine what it's like on a weekday. It did cause massive disruption, as they closed the line. And I don't know why they didn't have backup jacks if the failure of one left it unsupported.)

    I know it's not really relevant, but I didn't realise I was so interested in construction/engineering before reading about the past year's worth of posts on that blog (well, the construction ones. Not the "I was first on the new train!" ones. Though I admire the guy's dedication, to be awake at 4.00 to get the first ever train from the new Heathrow Airport station or whatever).

  10. Re:Photos or informaton on building? by xaxa · · Score: 2, Interesting · on Explosion At ThePlanet Datacenter Drops 9,000 Servers

    I was very impressed that a new bridge that was being extended over a busy railway line didn't cause any damage when they dropped it (they were lucky no trains were going under the bridge at the time, it's a very busy railway line -- about 40 trains in the next hour on a Sunday night, so you can imagine what it's like on a weekday. It did cause massive disruption, as they closed the line. And I don't know why they didn't have backup jacks if the failure of one left it unsupported.)

    I know it's not really relevant, but I didn't realise I was so interested in construction/engineering before reading about the past year's worth of posts on that blog (well, the construction ones. Not the "I was first on the new train!" ones. Though I admire the guy's dedication, to be awake at 4.00 to get the first ever train from the new Heathrow Airport station or whatever).

  11. Re:You cannot copyright anything that can't be cop by NormalVisual · · Score: 1 · on Prince DMCAs YouTube To Block Radiohead Song

    Ok, then how do MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL, etc. get away with the "any recording, rebroadcast, written or other accounts of this game..."?

    They don't. That's why a FTC complaint was filed against those organizations and a few others last year for overstating their rights and misleading consumers regarding their own.

    As far as the Flatiron Building goes, I guess they're not familiar with 17 USC 120(a):

    "Pictorial representations permitted. The copyright in an architectural work that has been constructed does not include the right to prevent the making, distributing, or public display of pictures, paintings, photographs, or other pictorial representations of the work, if the building in which the work is embodied is located in or ordinarily visible from a public place."

  12. Re:These guys... by NewYorkCountryLawyer · · Score: 1 · on Judge Refuses To Sign RIAA 'Ex Parte' Order

    It's true, but very slowly. Think about how many thousands (dare I speculate, millions?) of these suits RIAA files each year before 268 United States District Judges in 94 different United States District Courts and 3 territorial courts. In comparison to the onslaught of filings, the "judge says no to RIAA" stories are still just a trickle. Of course, it's also possible that there's some selection bias in what gets reported. It would be interesting to see numbers on exactly how often these things get shot down, and how that has changed over time. You are probably right, but not necessarily right, that in most instances the ex parte applications and default judgments get rubber stamped, and that the growing resistance among judges. although growing, is still a "trickle".

    But the reality is... we have no way of knowing, because when a judge refuses to sign something in one of those procedural contexts where there is no defendant or defendant's lawyer who even knows about it, the only one who does know about it is the RIAA. And they're not telling. They only tell when they win something, never when they lose something. (In fact in one instance, Atlantic v. Howell, they won something against a pro se litigant who couldn't afford to hire a lawyer. And then they went around telling every judge they could find about their great victory. Then the pro se litigant got the decision vacated, but the RIAA never bothered to tell all those judges to whom they'd sent the first decision. In fact, in the Capitol v. Thomas case, where a jury trial went far awry, in part because of the judge's reliance on Atlantic v. Howell, the court's decision indicating that that the judge believes a "manifest error of law" was committed mentions the fact that Atlantic v. Howell had "since" been vacated; i.e. he believes it was vacated after the Capitol v. Thomas trial. Wait 'til he finds out that it had actually been vacated a week BEFORE the trial, and the RIAA just never bothered to tell him, instead continuing to rely on the decision it knew had already been vacated.)

    When I happen to find out about a judge refusing to sign an ex parte order, or refusing to enter a default judgment, it's total luck. It's a miracle. Each one I've learned about has been a total fluke.

    Take a look at the facts of this case in Maine. It was totally "ex parte" -- i.e. the RIAA gave no notice to anyone.

    Ask yourself, how in heck did Ray ever even find out about it?
  13. Re:These guys... by NewYorkCountryLawyer · · Score: 1 · on Judge Refuses To Sign RIAA 'Ex Parte' Order

    It's true, but very slowly. Think about how many thousands (dare I speculate, millions?) of these suits RIAA files each year before 268 United States District Judges in 94 different United States District Courts and 3 territorial courts. In comparison to the onslaught of filings, the "judge says no to RIAA" stories are still just a trickle. Of course, it's also possible that there's some selection bias in what gets reported. It would be interesting to see numbers on exactly how often these things get shot down, and how that has changed over time. You are probably right, but not necessarily right, that in most instances the ex parte applications and default judgments get rubber stamped, and that the growing resistance among judges. although growing, is still a "trickle".

    But the reality is... we have no way of knowing, because when a judge refuses to sign something in one of those procedural contexts where there is no defendant or defendant's lawyer who even knows about it, the only one who does know about it is the RIAA. And they're not telling. They only tell when they win something, never when they lose something. (In fact in one instance, Atlantic v. Howell, they won something against a pro se litigant who couldn't afford to hire a lawyer. And then they went around telling every judge they could find about their great victory. Then the pro se litigant got the decision vacated, but the RIAA never bothered to tell all those judges to whom they'd sent the first decision. In fact, in the Capitol v. Thomas case, where a jury trial went far awry, in part because of the judge's reliance on Atlantic v. Howell, the court's decision indicating that that the judge believes a "manifest error of law" was committed mentions the fact that Atlantic v. Howell had "since" been vacated; i.e. he believes it was vacated after the Capitol v. Thomas trial. Wait 'til he finds out that it had actually been vacated a week BEFORE the trial, and the RIAA just never bothered to tell him, instead continuing to rely on the decision it knew had already been vacated.)

    When I happen to find out about a judge refusing to sign an ex parte order, or refusing to enter a default judgment, it's total luck. It's a miracle. Each one I've learned about has been a total fluke.

    Take a look at the facts of this case in Maine. It was totally "ex parte" -- i.e. the RIAA gave no notice to anyone.

    Ask yourself, how in heck did Ray ever even find out about it?
  14. Re:These guys... by NewYorkCountryLawyer · · Score: 1 · on Judge Refuses To Sign RIAA 'Ex Parte' Order

    It's true, but very slowly. Think about how many thousands (dare I speculate, millions?) of these suits RIAA files each year before 268 United States District Judges in 94 different United States District Courts and 3 territorial courts. In comparison to the onslaught of filings, the "judge says no to RIAA" stories are still just a trickle. Of course, it's also possible that there's some selection bias in what gets reported. It would be interesting to see numbers on exactly how often these things get shot down, and how that has changed over time. You are probably right, but not necessarily right, that in most instances the ex parte applications and default judgments get rubber stamped, and that the growing resistance among judges. although growing, is still a "trickle".

    But the reality is... we have no way of knowing, because when a judge refuses to sign something in one of those procedural contexts where there is no defendant or defendant's lawyer who even knows about it, the only one who does know about it is the RIAA. And they're not telling. They only tell when they win something, never when they lose something. (In fact in one instance, Atlantic v. Howell, they won something against a pro se litigant who couldn't afford to hire a lawyer. And then they went around telling every judge they could find about their great victory. Then the pro se litigant got the decision vacated, but the RIAA never bothered to tell all those judges to whom they'd sent the first decision. In fact, in the Capitol v. Thomas case, where a jury trial went far awry, in part because of the judge's reliance on Atlantic v. Howell, the court's decision indicating that that the judge believes a "manifest error of law" was committed mentions the fact that Atlantic v. Howell had "since" been vacated; i.e. he believes it was vacated after the Capitol v. Thomas trial. Wait 'til he finds out that it had actually been vacated a week BEFORE the trial, and the RIAA just never bothered to tell him, instead continuing to rely on the decision it knew had already been vacated.)

    When I happen to find out about a judge refusing to sign an ex parte order, or refusing to enter a default judgment, it's total luck. It's a miracle. Each one I've learned about has been a total fluke.

    Take a look at the facts of this case in Maine. It was totally "ex parte" -- i.e. the RIAA gave no notice to anyone.

    Ask yourself, how in heck did Ray ever even find out about it?
  15. Re:same move 3 months ago by harves · · Score: 1 · on Moving Between Countries?

    When I moved from Australia to Vancouver two years ago I started a blog to record my (personal) experience. A lot of my choices were exactly the same as the parent poster, but I've taken the time to detail some more of the US visa process and Canadian financial quirks:

      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/03/mobile-worker.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/03/us-visa-process.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/02/canadian-coinage.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/03/fun-bank.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/03/even-minor-purchases.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/04/odd-sights_06.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/04/tipping-and-taxes.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/05/deeper-insight-in-banking.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/05/crossing-road.html

  16. Re:same move 3 months ago by harves · · Score: 1 · on Moving Between Countries?

    When I moved from Australia to Vancouver two years ago I started a blog to record my (personal) experience. A lot of my choices were exactly the same as the parent poster, but I've taken the time to detail some more of the US visa process and Canadian financial quirks:

      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/03/mobile-worker.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/03/us-visa-process.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/02/canadian-coinage.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/03/fun-bank.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/03/even-minor-purchases.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/04/odd-sights_06.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/04/tipping-and-taxes.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/05/deeper-insight-in-banking.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/05/crossing-road.html

  17. Re:same move 3 months ago by harves · · Score: 1 · on Moving Between Countries?

    When I moved from Australia to Vancouver two years ago I started a blog to record my (personal) experience. A lot of my choices were exactly the same as the parent poster, but I've taken the time to detail some more of the US visa process and Canadian financial quirks:

      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/03/mobile-worker.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/03/us-visa-process.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/02/canadian-coinage.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/03/fun-bank.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/03/even-minor-purchases.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/04/odd-sights_06.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/04/tipping-and-taxes.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/05/deeper-insight-in-banking.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/05/crossing-road.html

  18. Re:same move 3 months ago by harves · · Score: 1 · on Moving Between Countries?

    When I moved from Australia to Vancouver two years ago I started a blog to record my (personal) experience. A lot of my choices were exactly the same as the parent poster, but I've taken the time to detail some more of the US visa process and Canadian financial quirks:

      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/03/mobile-worker.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/03/us-visa-process.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/02/canadian-coinage.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/03/fun-bank.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/03/even-minor-purchases.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/04/odd-sights_06.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/04/tipping-and-taxes.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/05/deeper-insight-in-banking.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/05/crossing-road.html

  19. Re:same move 3 months ago by harves · · Score: 1 · on Moving Between Countries?

    When I moved from Australia to Vancouver two years ago I started a blog to record my (personal) experience. A lot of my choices were exactly the same as the parent poster, but I've taken the time to detail some more of the US visa process and Canadian financial quirks:

      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/03/mobile-worker.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/03/us-visa-process.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/02/canadian-coinage.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/03/fun-bank.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/03/even-minor-purchases.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/04/odd-sights_06.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/04/tipping-and-taxes.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/05/deeper-insight-in-banking.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/05/crossing-road.html

  20. Re:same move 3 months ago by harves · · Score: 1 · on Moving Between Countries?

    When I moved from Australia to Vancouver two years ago I started a blog to record my (personal) experience. A lot of my choices were exactly the same as the parent poster, but I've taken the time to detail some more of the US visa process and Canadian financial quirks:

      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/03/mobile-worker.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/03/us-visa-process.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/02/canadian-coinage.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/03/fun-bank.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/03/even-minor-purchases.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/04/odd-sights_06.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/04/tipping-and-taxes.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/05/deeper-insight-in-banking.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/05/crossing-road.html

  21. Re:same move 3 months ago by harves · · Score: 1 · on Moving Between Countries?

    When I moved from Australia to Vancouver two years ago I started a blog to record my (personal) experience. A lot of my choices were exactly the same as the parent poster, but I've taken the time to detail some more of the US visa process and Canadian financial quirks:

      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/03/mobile-worker.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/03/us-visa-process.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/02/canadian-coinage.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/03/fun-bank.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/03/even-minor-purchases.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/04/odd-sights_06.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/04/tipping-and-taxes.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/05/deeper-insight-in-banking.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/05/crossing-road.html

  22. Re:same move 3 months ago by harves · · Score: 1 · on Moving Between Countries?

    When I moved from Australia to Vancouver two years ago I started a blog to record my (personal) experience. A lot of my choices were exactly the same as the parent poster, but I've taken the time to detail some more of the US visa process and Canadian financial quirks:

      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/03/mobile-worker.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/03/us-visa-process.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/02/canadian-coinage.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/03/fun-bank.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/03/even-minor-purchases.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/04/odd-sights_06.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/04/tipping-and-taxes.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/05/deeper-insight-in-banking.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/05/crossing-road.html

  23. Re:same move 3 months ago by harves · · Score: 1 · on Moving Between Countries?

    When I moved from Australia to Vancouver two years ago I started a blog to record my (personal) experience. A lot of my choices were exactly the same as the parent poster, but I've taken the time to detail some more of the US visa process and Canadian financial quirks:

      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/03/mobile-worker.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/03/us-visa-process.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/02/canadian-coinage.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/03/fun-bank.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/03/even-minor-purchases.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/04/odd-sights_06.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/04/tipping-and-taxes.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/05/deeper-insight-in-banking.html
      * http://harves.blogspot.com/2006/05/crossing-road.html

  24. Elonex ONE by lobiusmoop · · Score: 5, Informative · on Elonex ONE Subnotebook Shows Right Path For Linux

    Apparently the Elonex ONE is just a rebranded version of this system, i.e. a digital photoframe with a keyboard/mouse and wifi grafted on (which is how they manage to keep the cost down).

  25. We Need a Universal Multicore Processor by MOBE2001 · · Score: 3, Interesting · on Supercomputer Built With 8 GPUs

    The point of this is that if your application suits it, this is a very cheap way to get supercomputer performance without paying for your own supercomputer (cluster) or time on an existing one.

    No doubt about it. In spite of my admittedly negative criticism, I applaud these guys because I think this shows the amazing potential of multicore parallel computing to bringing supercomputing power to the desktop and even to the laptop and the cellphone. However, this potential will not arrive unless we can find a way to design a universal multicore processor architecture that is at home in all possible parallel environments, not just vector parallel systems. IOW, we need a parallel processor that can handle anything we can throw at it with equal ease. Unfortunately, both the industry and academia are pushing the field toward so-called heterogeneous processors, hideous monsters that will be a nightmare to write code for. Check out Nightmare on Core Street for good explanation of the multicore crisis and how it can be solved.

  26. What does this have to do with cyber-technology? by Corky+Devereaux · · Score: 1 · on Stonehenge As a Royal Family's Burial Site

    Not much... but it's jaw-dropping nonetheless. You can bet I'll be memecasting it here. -Corky

  27. Re:Missing Some Info by ttfkam · · Score: 1 · on What Makes a Programming Language Successful?

    I stand corrected. I guess the "developer hours" argument doesn't work either.

    Then again, this argument has been far too acrimonious on both sides. Can't we all just get along?

  28. Multithreading and hybrid processors? Not! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0 · on Gartner Reveals Top 10 Technologies For Next 4 Years

    The future will be neither multithreaded nor heterogeneous. Multithreading is the work of the devil and everybody in the business should know this by now. Logic dictates that universality should be the primary objective of multicore research. So what do we have? We have incompatible multicore technologies: coarse grain, thread-based MIMD on the one hand and fine grain, data parallel SIMD on the other. Worse, the industry wants us to move to a hybrid processor, a truly hideous monster that mixes both SIMD and MIMD on a single die. Talk about a programming nightmare! No wonder there is a parallel programming crisis. The industry is clueless and so is the computer science community since they're the ones who got us into this fine mess in the first place. For a good explanation of what is wrong with parallel programming and what the solution is, read Nightmare on Core Street. Funny thing is, the solution has been around ever since programmers begin to emulate deterministic parallelism in neural networks and cellular automata. And without threads, mind you.

  29. Re:One RIAA lawyer became a judge by NewYorkCountryLawyer · · Score: 2, Informative · on Judge Refuses To Sign RIAA 'Ex Parte' Order

    I've heard that one RIAA lawyer became a judge in Colorado... That is correct. All I can tell you is that whoever was vetting this judicial candidate didn't contact me for a reference.
  30. Sure, here's one by default+luser · · Score: 1 · on VIA Introduces the Nano Processor

    Have a look.

    The Nano and Atom have similar FPU performance, as you would expect from their architecture. But the Nano has the edge on integer performance, with a very efficient out-of-order setup.

    Still, the Nano at that clock speed has a TDP of 25w, and the Atom has a TDP of 2.5w. And yes, you can match them up purely on integer performance (1.3 GHz U-series Nano [8W] should equal a 1.8 Ghz Atom [2.5w]), but even then Intel has the TDP edge by a multiple of 3. This does not look good for Via.

  31. Wine by tepples · · Score: 4, Informative · on Google Earth, Now With Browser Goodness

    When will Google finally release a Linux SketchUp, or at least include its main modeling features into the Web version?

    Have you tried SketchUp in Wine? If you did, and it didn't work, have you submitted problem reports to the Wine team and to Google?

  32. Re:Losers should pay by NewYorkCountryLawyer · · Score: 2, Informative · on Judge Refuses To Sign RIAA 'Ex Parte' Order

    I'm sure it's horribly flawed in some way. But it's also beautifully poetic. Any system where you have to have money in order to sue or defend yourself in court is horribly flawed, because it exchanges the rule of law for plutocracy. I'm not sure how to fix it, thought; if you simply have the state pay all legal fees, it makes rising nuisance suits even easier than they are now, and might even make making them for hire a new profession. Well I know a couple of judges who've started down the road of fixing it for the RIAA cases.
  33. Re:Losers should pay by NewYorkCountryLawyer · · Score: 2, Informative · on Judge Refuses To Sign RIAA 'Ex Parte' Order

    I'm sure it's horribly flawed in some way. But it's also beautifully poetic. Any system where you have to have money in order to sue or defend yourself in court is horribly flawed, because it exchanges the rule of law for plutocracy. I'm not sure how to fix it, thought; if you simply have the state pay all legal fees, it makes rising nuisance suits even easier than they are now, and might even make making them for hire a new profession. Well I know a couple of judges who've started down the road of fixing it for the RIAA cases.
  34. Re:Ex parte by NewYorkCountryLawyer · · Score: 5, Informative · on Judge Refuses To Sign RIAA 'Ex Parte' Order

    What are the rules about when ex parte orders can be issued? The rule is, what they are doing is totally illegal. In federal practice ex parte relief is only granted as a last resort. In these cases the RIAA lies through its teeth to get the order, falsely saying that the ISP or University will destroy the records if they are given notice of the application. It amazes me that there is any judge in the U.S. who would sign such an order. I think you'll be seeing more and more judges refusing, as news of the RIAA's lies spreads.

    In the University of Oregon, the RIAA conveniently "forgot" to tell the judge that the University had told the RIAA that it had gathered and was preserving the records.

    In the University of New Mexico case, the judge had this to say about the RIAA's "ex parte" request:

    Plaintiffs contend that unless the Court allows ex parte immediate discovery, they will be irreparably harmed. While the Court does not dispute that infringement of a copyright results in harm, it requires a Coleridgian "suspension of disbelief" to accept that the harm is irreparable, especially when monetary damages can cure any alleged violation. On the other hand, the harm related to disclosure of confidential information in a student or faculty member's Internet files can be equally harmful.....Moreover, ex parte proceedings should be the exception, not the rule.


    In the College of William & Mary case the judge just rejected the application outright.
  35. Re:Ex parte by NewYorkCountryLawyer · · Score: 5, Informative · on Judge Refuses To Sign RIAA 'Ex Parte' Order

    What are the rules about when ex parte orders can be issued? The rule is, what they are doing is totally illegal. In federal practice ex parte relief is only granted as a last resort. In these cases the RIAA lies through its teeth to get the order, falsely saying that the ISP or University will destroy the records if they are given notice of the application. It amazes me that there is any judge in the U.S. who would sign such an order. I think you'll be seeing more and more judges refusing, as news of the RIAA's lies spreads.

    In the University of Oregon, the RIAA conveniently "forgot" to tell the judge that the University had told the RIAA that it had gathered and was preserving the records.

    In the University of New Mexico case, the judge had this to say about the RIAA's "ex parte" request:

    Plaintiffs contend that unless the Court allows ex parte immediate discovery, they will be irreparably harmed. While the Court does not dispute that infringement of a copyright results in harm, it requires a Coleridgian "suspension of disbelief" to accept that the harm is irreparable, especially when monetary damages can cure any alleged violation. On the other hand, the harm related to disclosure of confidential information in a student or faculty member's Internet files can be equally harmful.....Moreover, ex parte proceedings should be the exception, not the rule.


    In the College of William & Mary case the judge just rejected the application outright.
  36. Re:Ex parte by NewYorkCountryLawyer · · Score: 5, Informative · on Judge Refuses To Sign RIAA 'Ex Parte' Order

    What are the rules about when ex parte orders can be issued? The rule is, what they are doing is totally illegal. In federal practice ex parte relief is only granted as a last resort. In these cases the RIAA lies through its teeth to get the order, falsely saying that the ISP or University will destroy the records if they are given notice of the application. It amazes me that there is any judge in the U.S. who would sign such an order. I think you'll be seeing more and more judges refusing, as news of the RIAA's lies spreads.

    In the University of Oregon, the RIAA conveniently "forgot" to tell the judge that the University had told the RIAA that it had gathered and was preserving the records.

    In the University of New Mexico case, the judge had this to say about the RIAA's "ex parte" request:

    Plaintiffs contend that unless the Court allows ex parte immediate discovery, they will be irreparably harmed. While the Court does not dispute that infringement of a copyright results in harm, it requires a Coleridgian "suspension of disbelief" to accept that the harm is irreparable, especially when monetary damages can cure any alleged violation. On the other hand, the harm related to disclosure of confidential information in a student or faculty member's Internet files can be equally harmful.....Moreover, ex parte proceedings should be the exception, not the rule.


    In the College of William & Mary case the judge just rejected the application outright.
  37. Re:From the Trenches by Copid · · Score: 1 · on Internet-Based Realtors Win Monster Settlement

    You are obviously under age 40. ;) There is a bit of history involved here, as true buyer agency is a relatively modern concept.
    No, I know the history. I just don't think that pointing out which party remits the money is really any more helpful to the conversation than saying that half of your social security tax is picked up by your employer. It's a much more complicated story than that.

    Perhaps. But good agents put in a lot of work for their clients and deserve to be compensated. No one is forcing you to use one, but if you don't, you'll have to do all that work yourself.
    Oh, I'm certainly not arguing that having a real estate agent in the loop is without value. A house transaction is about as complicated a transaction as the average person will enter into, so having an expert who has your back is quite valuable given the money involved. As I said in another post, I think that competition from third parties who do nothing more than provide listings will probably help good Realtors over the long run. It will compete the do-nothings right out of business and improve the signal to noise ratio for those who actually provide significant value beyond doing a quick database search.

    Of course, prices for Realtors have been on the decline. In many markets, paying 6-7% was the norm 10 years ago. Now, you can easily find an agent who will work for something more reasonable.
    There are a few ways of looking at this, and I don't know the overall answer, but this piece goes into it a bit. Commissions are down as a percentage of the sale price, but have they changed in real dollars? There are a few variables at work here, and I'm trying to figure out which ones would dominate which markets. An agent could afford a lower percentage fee with either a higher priced houses or by moving more houses with the same effort.

    Think about it. If financing that fee is the difference between being able to put 20% down or not, the buyer is going to get much better loan terms by putting 20% down and financing the cost of the Realtor.
    I have no reason to doubt that this is true, but I can't really get my head around why a bank would do a loan that way. It wouldn't make sense to give me a good rate if I put 20% down on a $300K loan for a home worth $100K home and then used the additional $200K to pay for other transactions. Why would they let me do it on a smaller scale? They're essentially loaning me an additional unsecured $200K at the same terms they used for the secured $100K portion. It's a surprising behavior for the types of financial organizations that charge you a fee for using the ink in their printers.

    A few years ago, I would have simply assumed that there was some clever reason based on accounting or economic fundamentals that sophisticated bankers were aware of that I wasn't. These days, I'm more inclined to think that it's just another policy that's not especially clever. That being said, if you can pull it off as a borrower, why not?
  38. Re:I don't really get the Java hate around here by Lars512 · · Score: 1 · on What Makes a Programming Language Successful?

    Back in my undergrad degree we had a subject on Java. Now we also took Haskell, Prolog, C beforehand. At the time, I really didn't get Java, and resented having to learn it.

    It's cleaned up a lot since then, but I think what I didn't like was having OO design shoved down my throat. Some things just work well as functions, some things as objects. I've always liked mixing and matching. Without functions as first class objects, you end up having to build BlahFactoryFactories for things. I remember a good post on how Java limits your language here: http://steve-yegge.blogspot.com/2006/03/execution-in-kingdom-of-nouns.html.

    That said, I've since programmed in Java again for work, and have found it a pleasure. I now really appreciate strong unicode support, and the excellent refactoring tools for it in Eclipse.

  39. Re:Opinions Are Like @ssholes by MOBE2001 · · Score: 1 · on What Makes a Programming Language Successful?

    Labview and schematic hardware diagrams already exist. Cosa is nothing new or innovative.

    Labview is data flow visual programming language that uses threads and a script language, AFAIK. COSA is a thread-less, control flow software construction and OS model in the tradition of synchronous reactive languages. Nobody is claiming that COSA is new although several aspects of it are. In fact, the COSA site/blog repeatedly emphasizes that the parallelism of COSA is not rocket science and has been around ever since programmers began to use 2 buffers and a loop to simulate parallelism in such applications as neural networks, cellular automata, video games and VHDL. Notice that threads are not needed and thus none of the problems associated with multithreading exists in COSA. What is new is the claim that this form of parallelism is what computing should have been from the start and that it is the answer to every problem that plagues the computer industry from unreliability and low productivity to parallel programming and multicore processor design. Read the COSA Saga for more.

  40. Re:I don't really get the Java hate around here by soliptic · · Score: 1 · on What Makes a Programming Language Successful?

    OK, I couldn't meaningfully say I "hate" Java, because I've never coded in it.


    However, this article / blog post does a great job of explaining why I sincerely hope it stays that way.


    To (VERY POORLY) summarise the article (long, but well worth a full read) - both the actual necessary syntax, and more broadly, the "cultural conventions" of how you write real-world systems with it, strike me as verbose, ugly, inexpressive, unhuman even, and unnecessarily dogmatic in terms of sticking to OOP / patterns...


    Now, I can already here the counter-arguments brewing. "But... all that OOP dogma stuff makes it more consistent, so better to maintain, debug, split a project across a large team of multiple coders, scale or extend, etc, etc".


    Yup. Well, I dare say that's fair enough. But I'm not writing large Enterprisey systems. I'm not coding in even a small team of people, let alone a large one. Really, none of that applies to me. If you're a big business and Java makes sense for you then fair enough - I'm not arguing - I'm not a guy who pops up on Slashdot and disses it for the sake it. I'm just saying I'm personally glad I don't have to code in it, nor would I chose to for fun, mostly for the reasons well described in the above article.


  41. Re:All Programming Languages Suck by Applekid · · Score: 1 · on What Makes a Programming Language Successful?

    They suck primarily because the computer itself is fundamentally flawed [blogspot.com]. Not that pseudo-mathematical blog again. How come every discussion of programming langauges manages to dredge up Louis Savain and rebelscience.blogspot.com? Home of rediculous claims such as "COSA will usher in the age of programming for the masses and the era of the custom operating system: drag'm and drop'm.", "The fact remains that . . . time cannot change by definition and, as a result, nothing can move in spacetime.", and my personal favorite, "Functional Programming Is an Abomination".

    You did well to post as AC, but not well enough to not remind me of those crackpot sites that are absolutely sure there's a huge conspiracy against the science behind making free energy out of nothing and all the old men are holding it back.
  42. Re:All Programming Languages Suck by Applekid · · Score: 1 · on What Makes a Programming Language Successful?

    They suck primarily because the computer itself is fundamentally flawed [blogspot.com]. Not that pseudo-mathematical blog again. How come every discussion of programming langauges manages to dredge up Louis Savain and rebelscience.blogspot.com? Home of rediculous claims such as "COSA will usher in the age of programming for the masses and the era of the custom operating system: drag'm and drop'm.", "The fact remains that . . . time cannot change by definition and, as a result, nothing can move in spacetime.", and my personal favorite, "Functional Programming Is an Abomination".

    You did well to post as AC, but not well enough to not remind me of those crackpot sites that are absolutely sure there's a huge conspiracy against the science behind making free energy out of nothing and all the old men are holding it back.
  43. Re:All Programming Languages Suck by Applekid · · Score: 1 · on What Makes a Programming Language Successful?

    They suck primarily because the computer itself is fundamentally flawed [blogspot.com]. Not that pseudo-mathematical blog again. How come every discussion of programming langauges manages to dredge up Louis Savain and rebelscience.blogspot.com? Home of rediculous claims such as "COSA will usher in the age of programming for the masses and the era of the custom operating system: drag'm and drop'm.", "The fact remains that . . . time cannot change by definition and, as a result, nothing can move in spacetime.", and my personal favorite, "Functional Programming Is an Abomination".

    You did well to post as AC, but not well enough to not remind me of those crackpot sites that are absolutely sure there's a huge conspiracy against the science behind making free energy out of nothing and all the old men are holding it back.
  44. Re:The sad thing... by istewart · · Score: 1 · on Private Donor Saves Fermilab

    The writings of Kevin Carson may appeal to you, if you haven't discovered them already.

  45. Re:Fanbois, have you actually tried one? by ThousandStars · · Score: 1 · on Review of the Model M-Inspired Unicomp Customizer Keyboard

    For more on the issue of what science exists WRT keyboard design, check out this post.

  46. All Programming Languages Suck by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Troll · on What Makes a Programming Language Successful?

    No exception. If any of them were any good, there wouldn't be so many. They suck primarily because the computer itself is fundamentally flawed [blogspot.com]. Computer science has shot itself in the foot and now that parallel programming is all the rage, the computer industry is paying the consequences. It's time for all of you old computer geeks to retire. You messed up big time. There is a better way to design and program computers. Now is the time for the industry to wake up and stop listening to failed ideas.

  47. All Programming Languages Suck by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0 · on What Makes a Programming Language Successful?

    No exception. If any of them were any good, there wouldn't be so many. They suck primarily because the computer itself is fundamentally flawed. Computer science has shot itself in the foot and now that parallel programming is all the rage, the computer industry is paying the consequences. It's time for all of you old computer geeks to retire. You messed up big time. There is better way to design and program computers.

  48. Re:Mod Parent Waaay Down by ThousandStars · · Score: 1 · on Review of the Model M-Inspired Unicomp Customizer Keyboard
    Mod Parent Waaay Down

    I don't think one necessarily has to mod down someone just because the person disagrees with you (and he clearly disagrees with me, since I'm the original submitter!), and it's at least somewhat useful to have a second opinion, even one not backed up by much evidence. But since keyboards seem a fairly subjective issue anyway -- the only thing approaching research I've seen about them comes from here -- it's worth noting that not everyone will necessarily love the Customizer, although I'm obviously a fan.

  49. Re:Fanbois, have you actually tried one? by ThousandStars · · Score: 1 · on Review of the Model M-Inspired Unicomp Customizer Keyboard
    As a peer post says, "Interesting comment, however I completely and utterly disagree. " I'm not sure what typing on an "old beast" will do, but I'm the original submitter and obviously like the new Model Ms quite a bit. From my experience, I type faster and more accurately (he says as he scans this post for the typos someone is going to find and get an easy +5 Funny). Granted, this might be in part a placebo effect (oooo, I must type faster with a badass expensive keyboard!) or from familiarity, but in reality mine seems quite nice.

    The only real attempt I've seen to quantify keyboard design and speed is here, and although the study is somewhat old, it seems to support the Model M fanbois.

  50. big deal. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative · on Firefox Goes for World Download Record

    ... these are the same idiots that thought that a beta of windows vista was the single largest software download: http://labnol.blogspot.com/2006/06/windows-vista-for-guinness-world.html

    show of hands: who downloaded a linux dvd iso larger than 3.5 gigabytes before vista beta was released? ... and apparently there is no "world record" to break anyway: http://blog.internetnews.com/skerner/2008/05/mozillas-latest-firefox-launch.html

    and, are they not going to consider the millions of copies of, say, internet explorer 7, downloaded the first day it was forced through as an automatic update? or how many downloads of itunes are there in a day when apple _requires_ an update?