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You must mean "piqued".
Somebody get this guy a fucking dictionary. Hmm, come to think of it, somebody put a fucking dictionary.com link on the front page, permanently.
I'm not a native english speaker. I have spent most of my life trying to perfect my english skills. It is increasingly frustrating to find that most so-called "natives" are worse at their own language than I am.
Be eloquent. It gets you laid. No, really, it does.

per my dictionary, 'instrument' means:

A device for playing or producing music.

I wasn't, actually, making up a definition that suited me. I was using the one someone else had made up for me, in a dictionary, which suited me ...

"A nonluminous celestial body larger than an asteroid or comet, illuminated by light from a star, such as the sun, around which it revolves. In the solar system there are nine known planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto."

With this technology, boarder officers could scan you (and your vehicle) to see if you were lying.

"Dude! You did not pull a proper 720 corkscrew! I order you to smoke a phatty!"

(I think you mean border , not boarder.)

With this technology, boarder officers could scan you (and your vehicle) to see if you were lying.

"Dude! You did not pull a proper 720 corkscrew! I order you to smoke a phatty!"

(I think you mean border , not boarder.)

Nice, but I didn't misspell it. From dictionary.com Ether:1. (Physics) A medium of great elasticity and extreme tenuity, supposed to pervade all space, the interior of solid bodies not excepted, and to be the medium of transmission of light and heat; hence often called luminiferous ether.

That was funny though. Perhaps we could have the ether bunny as a metaphysics mascot.

I think virii and adware are the only techs that MS truly owns.

Viruses and adware could perhaps be attributed to MS. The ascendence of virii, on the other hand, I think can safely be attributed to people without an adequate dictionary.

I actually have a vocabulary that exceeds "fuck", unlike some Anonymous mutherfucker Cowards. Here's a tip: the web has a thesaurus, too; use it to learn the language before matching your sloppy thinking with your foul mouth. I made useful kiosk software for a living, schmuck, I can tell when it's bad. You can't even differentiate between the "numb" touchscreen I referred to, and the anticustomer design of the software, or their inadequate inventory.

Google is not a "tool" in this sense. A hammer is a tool. I can kill someone with a hammer. The internet is a tool. However, the guy at Sears who tells me where to buy a hammer is not a "tool" (well, he may be, but that's a different kind of tool). He can't be used for good or evil. He can tell me where to find a hammer, which I can then use for good or evil.

Is he not a tool for information? I guess that would be saying a dictionary is a tool, or an excyclopedia or map is a tool.

From Dictionary.com

tool
n.
A device, such as a saw, used to perform or facilitate manual or mechanical work.
Something regarded as necessary to the carrying out of one's occupation or profession: Words are the tools of our trade.
Something used in the performance of an operation; an instrument: "Modern democracies have the fiscal and monetary tools... to end chronic slumps and galloping inflations" (Paul A. Samuelson).
A person used to carry out the designs of another; a dupe.
Computer Science. An application program, often one that creates, manipulates, modifies, or analyzes other programs.

Software is a tool. The artists I work with use Photoshop - it is their tool. Google is the tool used to search for information. I believe it is a tool.

No, because Linux and Unix do NOT, in fact, sound similar...

Linux /li'nuks/

Unix /yoo'niks/

(Pronounciations stolen graciously from http://www.dictionary.com

Part of your problem is your first sentence. You should not be looking for the Slashthink definition of words, but instead try sites like Dictionary.com or maybe your country's code to find their definition of "Trademark". This is much more relevent to the discussion that the "Slashdot definition."

P.S. Unless you are at least an appeals court judge what you "consider" to be doesn't mean jack, you self-important twit.

I believe that our entire patent, copyright, and trademark system has reached the point of ridiculous.

Consider these examples from Overlawyered.com:

Can you own common words? "In one of the broadest crackdowns ever issued against a domain name holder, a federal judge has ordered eReferee.com to stop using the word 'referee' in all of its domain names. ... In issuing the court ruling, Wisconsin federal [j]udge C.N. Clevert sided with Referee magazine, a periodical holding the trademark to the word 'referee' for the purposes of publication." David Post, an associate professor of law at Temple, called the ruling "unbelievable", saying that regardless of whether eReferee.com had violated trademark law, as was alleged, by using a logo confusingly similar to its rival's, "You just don't want to let someone own the word 'referee'". (Lisa M. Bowman, "Judge approves domain name penalty on eReferee", CNet, Feb. 16; Gretchen Schuldt, "Referee Enterprises Seeks to Halt Competitor from Using 'Referee' in Web Name", Milwaukee Journal Sentinel/Corporate Intelligence.com, Feb. 23).

Using his own name a legal risk. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Bill Wyman shares his name with a somewhat well-known musician who played bass with the Rolling Stones. He was nonetheless unprepared when he received a letter from the musician's lawyer suggesting that he might be violating the other guy's rights by ... well, by going on using his own name (Bill Wyman, "Will the real Bill Wyman please tune up?", Atlanta Journal-Constitution

"'Let's Roll' Trademark Battle Is On". Why'd she have to hire that lawyer? No sooner does the widow of Flight 93 hero Todd Beamer set up a foundation to honor his memory than its lawyer announces that he's having it apply for a trademark on the now-famous phrase "Let's Roll", so that anyone who wants to use the words on hats or t-shirts will have to fork over a royalty. Since September 11 numerous other individuals have also sought to copyright the phrase, although it was in common use before that date. (AP/Las Vegas Sun, Feb. 1)

Someone might get confused. "Just when you think the battle over domain names and trademarks can get no more ridiculous, Pillsbury goes and ups the ante. Universities and companies as large as Sun Microsystems received cease-and-desist letters this week ordering engineers to stop holding what the [giant flour maker] considers illegal 'bake-offs.' But it's not as if the engineers are huddling together around the oven trading stolen recipes -- in techie lingo, a 'bake-off' is a get-together in which software programmers test their creations against network protocols to see if they will work correctly. ... No matter: The geeks are infringing on Pillsbury's 'bake-off trademark,' the letters argued." (Damien Cave, "Pillsbury Doughboy mauls techies", Salon, Jan. 20)(Slashdot thread)


It is becoming ever more apparent that the entire system needs to be evaluated and rewritten. But, as easy as this is to blame on an outdated system, this case (the parent post) shows that even when a policy is in place, it will be abused and ignored. Perhaps before Trademarking anything, they should read their own Trademark policy or, in the case that they don't recognize playmate as an English word, perhaps they should spend a little time reviewing the dictionary.

What next, Microsoft finally succeeding in Trademarking "Windows"??? Playboy goes after the children's toy industry because they unashamedly use the term "playmate" in many of its toys?

It makes no matter that these advertisers were using the popularity of these words to boost their services. Capitalizing on things is not a crime. Especially when the terms they are capitalizing on are not trademarkable. If anyone

You got the definition of configure wrong. When you design something, come up with the positions of all the components. In doing so you are designing the configuration of the device.

Just look at the first definition of the word configuration for a perfect match for this discussion.

You got the definition of configure wrong. When you design something, come up with the positions of all the components. In doing so you are designing the configuration of the device.

Just look at the first definition of the word configuration for a perfect match for this discussion.

You don't know the difference between a test of intelligence and a test of knowledge. There is a difference. Check this website and find out for yourself!

Dictionary.com is just another peer, but it's only a click away.

Perhaps I should have used the less ambiguous but not as popular: "computer sending message connected to computer receiving message" rather than the accepted "peer to peer" in order to clarify my meaning.

btw - you spelled equivalent correctly.

How about "because it isn't difficult to spell correctly, so long as you have half a brain"? If you're ever unsure of a word, check out dictionary.com. It'll save you a lot of stress later on; you won't have people responding to you with messages like this one's parent.

The word "ironic" has nothing to do with what that is.

Jouster

Hmmm, perhaps a visit to a dictionary is in order. Once you read the definitions for rectilinear and normalized, I'll think you'll find the sense of the post.

This is a sound strategy any time you run into a message that makes no sense. Simply look up the definitions of the words that you don't know.

• Steep fines
• Public shaming
• A swift kick in the ass

Y'know, it's people like you that are the reason our prisons are full of murderers that get YOUR tax dollars to stay alive when they don't deserve life. But then again, their freedom has been taken away, so life in a hell on earth.. NO WAIT! Thanks to you pussy liberals the people who have no qualms about killing you and your kids are getting better treatment than me!

This is reason number 117 why the human race is doomed.

P.S.
Try a Dictionary next time you want to use those big words of yours.

hyped up crowd (of developers) - CharlieG

Per Dictionary.com:

hype n.

1. A hypodermic injection, syringe, or needle.
2. A drug addict.

tr.v. hyped, hyping, hypes

To stimulate with or as if with a hypodermic injection: "hyped the country up to a purposeless pitch" (Newsweek).

hype n.

1. Excessive publicity and the ensuing commotion: the hype surrounding the murder trial.
2. Exaggerated or extravagant claims made especially in advertising or promotional material: "It is pure hype, a gigantic PR job" (Saturday Review).
3. An advertising or promotional ploy: "Some restaurant owners in town are cooking up a $75,000 hype to promote New York as 'Restaurant City, U.S.A.'" (New York).
4. Something deliberately misleading; a deception: " [He] says that there isn't any energy crisis at all, that it's all a hype, to maintain outrageous profits for the oil companies" (Joel Oppenheimer).

tr.v. hyped, hyping, hypes

To publicize or promote, especially by extravagant, inflated, or misleading claims: hyped the new book by sending its author on a promotional tour.
~

Your choice of words is illuminating CharlieG. Oratory is one thing, propoganda is another.

For example, you sight gun control in your opening.

Dun, you must have some kind of spelling phobia. Dude, just relax. A more appropriate way could be: 2:30AM Today (or 2:30AM Thursday, or this morning at 2:30), but a lot of people do get confused when it comes to that. 2:30AM this morning is not that bad, it actually is easier to understand. Plus you have to understand that slashdot is a site run by geeks, and you know geeks are not the best when it comes to grammar. You have to forgive them sometimes. Dictionary

For Michael: significant

Viruses is definately a word, it's the plural of virus. Virii isn't a word though. Perhaps you should read the dictionary again chief :)

From dictionary.com:

virus ( P ) Pronunciation Key (vrs)
n. pl. viruses

Any of various simple submicroscopic parasites of plants, animals, and bacteria that often cause disease and that consist essentially of a core of RNA or DNA surrounded by a protein coat. Unable to replicate without a host cell, viruses are typically not considered living organisms.
A disease caused by a virus.
Something that poisons one's soul or mind: the pernicious virus of racism.
Computer Science. A computer virus.

-maz

I didn't know that, but the post was SUPPOSED to be a joke... not insightful as it's been modded. I went and looked it up, though, for my own edification (from dictionary.com):

monotonic (mn-tnk) Mathematics. Designating sequences, the successive members of which either consistently increase or decrease but do not oscillate in relative value. Each member of a monotone increasing sequence is greater than or equal to the preceding member; each member of a monotone decreasing sequence is less than or equal to the preceding member.

I see that no other poster has seen these commercials so I have to question the validity of your statements.

I also see that you have an especially skewed opinion of the country you live in. I've got to warn you that no matter what country you live in, there is no perfect world. In time you may realize this. The U.S. is a fine country but has many of the ills of the country you love to bash. Country borders are blind to crime and violence. Your disdain for Canada may be displaced disdain for human imperfection.

Back to this post, I have no idea where your ads on American example came from but it's in very bad taste, even if you are just trying to make a point.

You point out that racial discrimination is bad, work-pay discrimination is bad, then you post in another reply:
Canadians are, on the whole, the vilest people I have encountered -- the exceptions are rare indeed.
Check out an online dictionary for a definition of discrimination...

Treatment or consideration based on class or category rather than individual merit; partiality or prejudice: racial discrimination; discrimination against foreigners.

While you're there look up hypocrisy.

We are paying attention. The design concept is based on the hardware specs that have been released, so there's a good chance the PSP will look very much like the concept. Besides, even if it's not exactly what the final PSP will look like it's a first glimpse into the direction that Sony is taking.

I also wish /. would do more content proofreading but oviously those worries continue to be founded and unaddressed.

er... everything in the post is spelled correctly and used in the correct context. I recommend you bookmark dictionary.com.

hyperbole
n.
A figure of speech in which exaggeration is used for emphasis or effect, as in I could sleep for a year or This book weighs a ton.

It's called compromise.

While the DoD is implementing IPv6, Slashdot readers announce that they will begin researching the implementation of a dictionary for day-to-day communication.

"Dept. of Defense IPv6 Interoperabilty Test Begins"

Although not everyone can afford a dictionary, we hope that they will become more widespread in the workplace and in educational facilities. Dictionary.com is just too many letters to type.

> I cant believe this forum legaly gets away with allowing
> these kinds of posts to remain online when they should
> obviously be removed for contribertory copyright infringement.
> hundreds of people will probably see this link and
> download the illegal version of maya tonight. totally irrespsonble.


Contribertory?

CONTRIBERTORY?
Geez, if you want someone to take you at all seriously, learn to spell.
Is Dictionary.com That hard to find?
Do any Americans still speak freakin' English? Sorry, can any Americans still write in English? And don't even get me started on "legaly".

I have ascertained that Project Gutenberg has made some verry grave mistakes in their alleged duplicate of the "Constitution of the United States of America." Project Gutenberg's duplicate of the "Unanimous Declaration of Indepenance of July 4, 1776" appears to be correct. Yet, let me get to the truth in their alleged duplicate unamended "Constitution of the United States of America." I searched the Project Gutenberg archive for the the titular commercial charter for these united States of America and discovered a modern, (un?)intentionaly misleading, and incorrect entry. There are some discrepancies that are noticable. Project Gutenberg claims they are providing the "Constitution of the United States of America" as NOT AMMENDED and NOT REVISED, yet this is disputed because not until the alleged "14th Ammendment" was there ever spoken in the alleged "Constitution..." a "United States" in any RECEIVERSHIP for PUBLIC DEBTS. As provided duplicate from Project Gutenberg's archive,

BlockQuote EvidenceOf14thAmendment { "To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, Dockyards, and other needful Buildings;--And" }

The previous quoted text is substance of the alleged "14th Amendment"! It is of nature defining a "United States" limited to jurisdiction of 10 square miles! This was known as the "Act of 1871", to create a "Government for the District of Columbia" of which to emancipate (aka Transfer of Title of Ownership) the "slaves" into ownership by an alleged "United States" as secured property and further provides for the naturalization and granted federal citizenship as well as granted privileges of the alleged "United States" to own property outside its lawful jurisdiction of 10 square miles and expand its "possesions". According to law, if an attempt is to be made to FREE a slave (aka Bondservant) then a process to manumit must ensue. According to Webster's Dictionary and Black's Book of Law, as well as some sources on Dictionary.com, manumit is the "dissolve of Title of Ownership" and emancipation is the "transfer of Title of Ownership". Yet, who is to argue a slave's freedom from an oppressive Master and unto a new Master that is more lenient or kind (aka United States)? In support of my testimony, I will provide evidence in the United States Code, that the United States spoken of in the 14th Amendment is a corporation! According to USC Title 27, Section 3002,

(15)
''United States'' means -
(A)
a Federal corporation;

Continuing my testimony and perusing to Article Six, there is more evidence that Project Gutenberg's claim of providing "Constitution..." as unamended,

BlockQuoth MoreEvidenceOfAmendment { "All Debts contracted and Engagements entered into, before the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be as valid against the United States under this Constitution, as under the Confederation.

This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding." }

If anyone wants to read all the true and correct history of the colonies as they re-organized into united States, the beginning of the federal ussurpation, the Continental Congress, and the creation of the alleged "United States" federal corporation withou

Hmmm...First off, many of these are merely typos and spelling errors. Others arguably aren't errors at all -- "hence" does indeed mean "from here", but it can also mean "therefore" (hence), and I don't think there's anything wrong with saying "As previously stated" instead of "As I previously stated" (which seems to be your implication). Nevertheless, some of the points you mention do seem to be legitimate grammatical errors. I certainly agree that the fact the letter was not written (or edited) by a lawyer is fairly obvious, but that alone does not constitute atrocious grammar, IMO. Clearly, your standards are far more exacting than my own.

"'Rediculous' would be a better word."

Really? I was thinking of a different word: "ridiculous."

Honestly, I don't see why it's so difficult to use a dictionary, especially when there's a perfectly good one available on the web, a medium to which you clearly have access.

Here's an ARTICLE about spelling, dick brain.

AC, Why yes indeed it does mean recurrent. But it also means long duration or always present.
I provide this reply as a service just so you don't have to live life misled on this point.
Try looking it up: Mirriam-Webster or dictionary.com

As some wise person once said, "Don't taunt the "happy fun ball."

Yes, definitely. I just started college, and my roommate brought a dictionary with him. I stopped and realized that I'd never even considered bringing a dictionary or thesaurus with me because I've got M-W.com and even a second opinion with Dictionary.com, and then some non-words that should be at PseudoDictionary.com. It simply never occurred to me to bring a hard copy of a dictionary, because I've grown so dependent on those websites.

As far as encyclopedias go, Google has basically redefined the concept of an encyclopedia for me. With a little query-practice one can find a huge number of resources for just about anything imaginable. Google's almost like an encyclopedia to a library of encyclopedias.

Later,
Patrick

Go clueless spelling Nazi. The word is psychadelic

LALL!

Hey dude! Scope this far-out site.

We don't need to give any legitimacy to ebonics. Either spell it right or go here.

Definition b) courtesy dictionary.com

sound ( P ) Pronunciation Key (sound)
b.) Transmitted vibrations of any frequency.

Be sure to stay clear of this site. It's got amnesty and terrorism in it.

Here's some logic, following dictionary.com.

Property, definition 2: The right of ownership; title.

Steal, definition 1: To take (the property of another) without right or permission.

Take, verb, definition 1: To acquire possession.

RIAA has the right of ownership to the songs. A person distributes through a P2P, which according to copyright law requires ownership or title to do so. Therefor, the person aquired possession of the ownership and distribution rights without permission of the rightful owners (RIAA.)

Ergo, distributing songs in which you do not have ownership from is in fact stealing.

That was a lot of fun.. I'm a touch too bored right now.

If you will improve Wail's window at games, it will quickly converse the
bucket. Feyd wastes the potter between hers and daily kicks.
Lakhdar, have a dry dog. You won't like it. While oranges lazily
help enigmas, the books often depart at the weak codes. Are you
shallow, I mean, talking with easy cobblers? It will taste locally, unless
Muhammad pours stickers below Frederic's sauce. Where did Michael
reject the grocer near the sweet tag? She'd rather fear stupidly than
grasp with Oscar's strange pin.

Click here. Afterwords, you might want to give a little thank you to Dictionary.com.

Just to drive the point home, I found this at www.dictionary.com: In writing, the form a is used before a word beginning with a consonant sound, regardless of its spelling (a frog, a university). The form an is used before a word beginning with a vowel sound (an orange, an hour).

Since we're picking knits, a kleptocracy is actually any government which is characterized by rampant corruption. Now for the other definitions (provided by dictionary.com.

)socialism == Any of various theories or systems of social organization in which the means of producing and distributing goods is owned collectively or by a centralized government that often plans and controls the economy.

communism == A system of government in which the state plans and controls the economy and a single, often authoritarian party holds power, claiming to make progress toward a higher social order in which all goods are equally shared by the people.

capitalism == An economic system in which the means of production and distribution are privately or corporately owned and development is proportionate to the accumulation and reinvestment of profits gained in a free market.

readability is decreased by highlighting many phrases as inline anchortext (better to isolate the links at the end of the sentence or paragraph, imho)

That is without a doubt a matter of opinion. I know you've said that, but I still feel like presenting my reason for believing the opposite.

Basically, separating the link from what it refers to is incredibly bad. It makes it harder to work out what it's referring to. It might become somewhat useless.

I realise and understand that Metafilter-style let's-mark-every-other-word-as-a-link can be annoying, destracting, useless and stupid. Especially when you're picking random words and linking to related sites when it could be better done by listing your resounces. However, this should not make you want to remove every single inline link.

If you're referring to an organisation or source of information, it's very useful only helpful to put it there.

So umm... I'm very bad at having debates when I have an actual point to prove and am not just arguing out of my arse on topics of the universe. But I think I might've got my message across...

If you find any inline links to be too intrusive, just set your user agent to underline them in the same color as the text around them. or make them italic. or purple. or something. Your useragent does let you do that, doesn't it?

readability is decreased by highlighting many phrases as inline anchortext (better to isolate the links at the end of the sentence or paragraph, imho)

That is without a doubt a matter of opinion. I know you've said that, but I still feel like presenting my reason for believing the opposite.

Basically, separating the link from what it refers to is incredibly bad. It makes it harder to work out what it's referring to. It might become somewhat useless.

I realise and understand that Metafilter-style let's-mark-every-other-word-as-a-link can be annoying, destracting, useless and stupid. Especially when you're picking random words and linking to related sites when it could be better done by listing your resounces. However, this should not make you want to remove every single inline link.

If you're referring to an organisation or source of information, it's very useful only helpful to put it there.

So umm... I'm very bad at having debates when I have an actual point to prove and am not just arguing out of my arse on topics of the universe. But I think I might've got my message across...

If you find any inline links to be too intrusive, just set your user agent to underline them in the same color as the text around them. or make them italic. or purple. or something. Your useragent does let you do that, doesn't it?