Slashdot Mirror

"America, having designed all its infrastructure for automobiles for the past 50 years, is screwed. India isn't... yet."

I agree. They should definitely design things around jet packs and teleportation. Here is the word of the day for you.

And since this directly went behind the backs of the people, treason is the proper definition here

Article III, Section 3 of the US Constitution:

Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying war against them, or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort.

I trust you can demonstrate how this action fits, since you have declared that "treason is the proper definition"?

The constitution is not a dictionary. The constitution does not define treason, it defines what can be prosecuted as treason in the US.

A real dictionary says:
1 : the betrayal of a trust : TREACHERY
2 : the offense of attempting by overt acts to overthrow the government of the state to which the offender owes allegiance or to kill or personally injure the sovereign or the sovereign's family

Sorry, how can you possibly link an aborted fetus to pornography?

It seems you don't know the meaning of the word pornographic.

I quote the third meaning of the word:

3 : the depiction of acts in a sensational manner so as to arouse a quick intense emotional reaction <the pornography of violence>

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/science+fiction

Main Entry: science fiction
Function: noun
Date: 1851
: well-written fiction dealing principally with the impact of actual or imagined science on society or individuals or having a scientific factor as an essential orienting component
-- science-fictional \s-n(t)s-fik-shnl, -sh-nl\ adjective

    also known as the mongrel tool.

Yours In Socialism,
Kilgore Trout

Good point.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/be

Invent:
1 archaic : find, discover
2: to devise by thinking : fabricate
3: to produce (as something useful) for the first time through the use of the imagination or of ingenious thinking and experiment

Or from Wiktionary:
1. To design a new process or mechanism.
2. To create something fictional for a particular purpose.

Regardless of the definition you use, to me (and to others it would seem), it came across as more of a snide remark than an extension of the joke.

What exactly do you think convict means?

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/convict%5B2%5D

transitive verb
1: to find or prove to be guilty
2: to convince of error or sinfulness
intransitive verb
: to find a defendant guilty

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/convicting

Just check the dictionary for bunnies sakes,

You can be convicted in both criminal and civil courts.

Your logic is astounding. You wish I was right because then I wouldn't be right?

It's called "sarcasm."

If it's in their best interest, then why are they suing innocent people, and why when shown that their victims couldn't possibly be the ones they're after do they drag the suits out?

The funny thing is, your links actually support the idea of having the RIAA request disconnects from ISPs. If they were sending disconnect notices to ISPs about specific IPs it would be impossible for them to bother the innocent people in your articles because those people didn't have internet access and thus no IP to disconnect.

And if it is a businesses right to delete comments they want deleted, as they stated in the terms that all posters agree to, it isn't censorship either. If I go onto a Disney children's forum and post nothing but swear words, and Disney deletes it, is that censorship too?

Yes, it's censorship. Please regard the dicntionary:

To Censor :: to examine in order to suppress or delete anything considered objectionable [censor the news] ; also : to suppress or delete as objectionable [censor out indecent passages]

It has nothing to do with morals or laws. It's a term with a definition. Societies determine if it's a "good" or a "bad" thing based on the situation.

Since my signature is merely a statement of fact, not an argument or proposition, YOU have committed a "strawman" my friend

The argument is implicit in your 'mere statement of fact'.

"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means." -- Inigo Montoya, The Princess Bride

Paramilitary
of, relating to, being, or characteristic of a force formed on a military pattern especially as a potential auxiliary military force

The fire department has a rank structure that is based on military ranks (to some degree) with lieutenants and captains etc...

So there fore could be considered paramilitary even though they don't act in a military role (eg. warfighter).

Sorry, but you don't get to decide what is or isn't a homonym. Who the fuck are you to say what's "used in the wrong context"? All that matters is that the same word has multiple meanings which piracy does today.

You want another source? Here's Merriam-Webster's definition of piracy.

You lose, I win. Game over. Get over it.

Information:
1. knowledge communicated or received concerning a particular fact or circumstance; news: information concerning a crime.
2. knowledge gained through study, communication, research, instruction, etc.; factual data: His wealth of general information is amazing.
3. the act or fact of informing.

You need to get a real dictionary. Seriously. Making up simplistic definitions in order to pin your argument on bad semantics is no way to convince any reasonable adult of the validity of your argument.

Here's a real definition of "information" from a real dictionary. You'll note that your half-assed argument that creative works are not encompassed by the definition of information doesn't fly.

information
1: the communication or reception of knowledge or intelligence
2 a (1): knowledge obtained from investigation, study, or instruction (2): INTELLIGENCE, NEWS (3): FACTS, DATA b: the attribute inherent in and communicated by one of two or more alternative sequences or arrangements of something (as nucleotides in DNA or binary digits in a computer program) that produce specific effects c (1): a signal or character (as in a communication system or computer) representing data (2): something (as a message, experimental data, or a picture) which justifies change in a construct (as a plan or theory) that represents physical or mental experience or another construct d: a quantitative measure of the content of information ; specifically : a numerical quantity that measures the uncertainty in the outcome of an experiment to be performed
3: the act of informing against a person
4: a formal accusation of a crime made by a prosecuting officer as distinguished from an indictment presented by a grand jury

If the gaming industry was like Hollywood, you would have to sleep with some producer, just to get your foot in the door.

It almost is that way with the console makers. They have historically cared more about the trappings of a business than about the product. Nintendo in particular states on warioworld.com that it still requires the Wii and DS devkits to be kept in leased office space, not a home office. If your team isn't rich enough to relocate to one location and set up an office, you're restricted to PCs running Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X. The big drawback of PCs is that the screens hooked up to those usually aren't big enough for four people to fit around; unlike consoles, most people don't have a PC next to the TV.

Hogs-head.

I really don't mean this in a nasty way, but I'm not sure you understand what "semantics" means.

"Having everyone agree on which particles are in which groups make[ing] these discussions less prone to misunderstandings" is precisely what semantics does.

-Peter

I can't believe I'm posting this, but I believe you mean willy-nilly rather than higgledy-piggledy.

The former means "by compulsion, without choice, in a haphazard or spontaneous manner " while the latter refers to that which is "In utter disorder or confusion, topsy-turvy, jumbled."

but where are people seeing actual results here?

I think this might yet another fine example of truthiness.

Just because Colbert said it was true, doesn't make it so!

theological studies of specific scriptures are myths?

Yes, quite literally.

Main Entry: myth
Pronunciation: \Ëmith\
Function: noun
Etymology: Greek mythos
Date: 1830

1 a: a usually traditional story of ostensibly historical events that serves to unfold part of the world view of a people or explain a practice, belief, or natural phenomenon

I take great care with my language, which is why I'm bothering to respond, troll though you are (as I correctly categorized you :-).

From Mirriam-webster online:

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diatribe

1 archaic : a prolonged discourse
2: a bitter and abusive speech or writing
3: ironic or satirical criticism

Note, your usage is flagged "archaic", much like your anti-GPL tirades :-)

More information (if such were needed).

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/diatribe

  A bitter, abusive denunciation.
[Latin diatriba, learned discourse, from Greek diatrib, pastime, lecture, from diatrbein, to consume, wear away : dia-, intensive pref.; see dia- + trbein, to rub; see ter-1 in Indo-European roots.]
Word History: Listening to a lengthy diatribe may seem like a waste of time, an attitude for which there is some etymological justification. The Greek word diatrib, the ultimate source of our word, is derived from the verb diatrbein, made up of the prefix dia-, "completely," and trbein, "to rub," "to wear away, spend, or waste time," "to be busy." The verb diatrbein meant "to rub hard," "to spend or waste time," and the noun diatrib meant "wearing away of time, amusement, serious occupation, study," as well as "discourse, short ethical treatise or lecture, debate, argument." It is the serious occupation of time in discourse, lecture, and debate that gave us the first use of diatribe recorded in English (1581), in the now archaic sense "discourse, critical dissertation." The critical element of this kind of diatribe must often have been uppermost, explaining the origin of the current sense of diatribe, "a bitter criticism."

Again, your usage of the word is "now archaic".

Please learn the current use of the language before engaging in discourse with your betters, else learn to tug your forelock appropriately :-).

Jeremy.

Considering both are correct, you might not be alone...but you're still probably lonely.

It gets used in various ways in various contexts. I don't tend to use it for things that can't possibly win (barring incompetent counsel, etc., etc.).

Fair enough. Although my point was, originally, that a defamation suit for a true statement can win, if you can't prove it. A true statement is actionable under that definition.

Actually, it styles itself a commonwealth :)

Hah! You are a lawyer. Definition of commonwealth:

4: a state of the United States --used officially of Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia

Yeesh.

A state can do what it wants with its own law. But *never* suggest anything from Massachusetts, California, or New York as being representative of typical state law. For the most part, they are, but those are the three most likely to do something entirely on their own.

Never did; I wrote "some states", then when challenged dug up Massachusettes as an example.

Anyway, my "sure you're a lawyer?" comment was meant t'be a flip response t'your very broad and off-the-cuff comment; I do apologize if y'took offense. We agree, in any case, that the defense has t'prove truth when used, which I felt was important t'point out.

How do you distinguish between what you describe and eugenics?

I do it by using the definition of eugenics . For instance, eugenics: "a science that deals with the improvement (as by control of human mating) of hereditary qualities of a race or breed". No where in there does it say force or laws are used. What it does say is "control of human mating" and that's what the potential parents who go to this clinic are doing, they are picking which fertilized eggs they will use.

Ok, uh: If the child doesn't end up looking like the parent wanted, presumably they'll face a greater than average chance of rejection.

That already happens. Not only do parents reject children but they also beat and abuse them.

What if I really want a kid with no immune system? Or if the 4-arms option requires no immune system also? I wouldn't be the one killing the kid with an infection, but my action would be indirectly responsible, regardless.

Ah, you've got to make shit up to justify making something illegal.

As you will make up whatever you want to justify your position, whether it's basesd on facts or not, I see no reason to continue.

Falcon

It is nice to be able to say that that's all eugenics means but it isn't accurate.

No. It is accurate. I am working with the accepted definitions from various online dictionaries. I cannot find a single one that does not have the limitation of selective breeding.

And the parents that use this clinic are selecting which fertilized eggs will be used. No government is dictating which eggs they can and can not use.

• MSN Encarta: "selective breeding as proposed human improvement: the proposed improvement of the human species by encouraging or permitting reproduction of only those people with genetic characteristics judged desirable. It has been regarded with disfavor since the Nazi period."
• Merriam-Webster: "a science that deals with the improvement (as by control of human mating) of hereditary qualities of a race or breed"
• Cambridge: "the study of methods of improving humans by allowing only carefully chosen people to reproduce"
• Websters: "the movement devoted to improving the human species through the control of hereditary factors in mating"

Only the first one says parents may not be self selecting, though it does say eugenics is looked on unfavorably since the NAZIs.

Falcon

Regardless of what Wikipedia want's to claim, In the US, Liberals and liberalism is little more then socialist pushing government controls under the guise of freedom and enlightenment.

That is only because people like you refuse to correct people when they use a word incorrectly. And it's not just wiki that uses that definition. Merriam Webster has "liberal" as meaning "of, favoring, or based upon the principles of liberalism" and "liberalism" as "b: a theory in economics emphasizing individual freedom from restraint and usually based on free competition, the self-regulating market, and the gold standard". OneLook has more definitions along this line. Fact is is the first liberals used "liberal" to mean liberty and laissez-faire economics and self-regulating markets. Thomas Jefferson was one of those liberals as was Thomas Paine.

Falcon

Regardless of what Wikipedia want's to claim, In the US, Liberals and liberalism is little more then socialist pushing government controls under the guise of freedom and enlightenment.

That is only because people like you refuse to correct people when they use a word incorrectly. And it's not just wiki that uses that definition. Merriam Webster has "liberal" as meaning "of, favoring, or based upon the principles of liberalism" and "liberalism" as "b: a theory in economics emphasizing individual freedom from restraint and usually based on free competition, the self-regulating market, and the gold standard". OneLook has more definitions along this line. Fact is is the first liberals used "liberal" to mean liberty and laissez-faire economics and self-regulating markets. Thomas Jefferson was one of those liberals as was Thomas Paine.

Falcon

The word is restaurateur, not restauranteur.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/restaurateur

Bizarre, but quite common.

I don't think that word means what you think it means: From Webster:

bizarre : "strikingly out of the ordinary"

common: . "implies usual everyday quality or frequency of occurrence"

See Plutocracy. See also Oligarchy.

See Plutocracy. See also Oligarchy.

No, wrong.

By definition, a company very much can censor.

It is just legal if it is the context of forums under that companies control, or using copyright/trademark laws.

I would encourage you (and the mods presumably) to look this up in a reputable English dictionary

From Merriam-Webster:

Recent criticism of the use of myriad as a noun, both in the plural form myriads and in the phrase a myriad of, seems to reflect a mistaken belief that the word was originally and is still properly only an adjective. As the entries here show, however, the noun is in fact the older form, dating to the 16th century. The noun myriad has appeared in the works of such writers as Milton (plural myriads) and Thoreau (a myriad of), and it continues to occur frequently in reputable English. There is no reason to avoid it.

Some more: Cambridge

Oxford

dictionary.reference.com says:

Usage Note: Throughout most of its history in English myriad was used as a noun, as in a myriad of men. In the 19th century it began to be used in poetry as an adjective, as in myriad men. Both usages in English are acceptable, as in Samuel Taylor Coleridge's "Myriad myriads of lives." This poetic, adjectival use became so well entrenched generally that many people came to consider it as the only correct use. In fact, both uses in English are parallel with those of the original ancient Greek. The Greek word mÅrias, from which myriad derives, could be used as either a noun or an adjective, but the noun mÅrias was used in general prose and in mathematics while the adjective mÅrias was used only in poetry.

Ahh, the stupidity or nativity of some people.

Naitivity is not a word in the English language

Oo, sorry, *double* fail there. Properly spelled (as it is in the OP), nativity is indeed a word in the English language, as evidenced by entries in dictionaries such as, say, Wiktionary, or Merriam-Webster. However, given that it means "birth" (and usually Jesus' birth at that, c.f. Christmas dioramas), you're probably right that the OP meant naïveté instead. :)

Cheers,

Actually, it is spelled "Web site". Don't believe me? Would you, perhaps, believe Merriam-Webster?
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/website
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Web%20site
Both links will bring you to the same definition and spelling. While "Website" and "website" are accepted grammar, "Web site" is proper grammar. Next time, before you decide to correct someone on his or her spelling or grammar, bear in mind that you wrote "As...." when it, clearly, should have been "At...."

Actually, it is spelled "Web site". Don't believe me? Would you, perhaps, believe Merriam-Webster?
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/website
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Web%20site
Both links will bring you to the same definition and spelling. While "Website" and "website" are accepted grammar, "Web site" is proper grammar. Next time, before you decide to correct someone on his or her spelling or grammar, bear in mind that you wrote "As...." when it, clearly, should have been "At...."

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abridge Websters says to deprive or reduce in scope. To punish someone for certain types of speech is to reduce the scope of their available legal speech. As by fining them or otherwise levying against them you have said that their action was illegal or at the very least in the wrong. There is no but he said bad things about me clause. But in return you too have an adequate defense against mud slingers. Sling some mud.

Well then, here's time number three for you.

one of the tenants of security

The word you were looking for there is "tenets", Sparky.

Please don't use words that you don't know: It makes you look more stupid than you already are.

It's not a typo. I refrain from bitching you out only because English may not be your first language. In any case, you have learned a new word.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/best%5B4%5D

Actually root is a concept, it is the concept of a superuser. root is just the most common username given to UID 0.

Oh dear. If you want to step to that level, then root is a word. It even has several meanings. Thought we'd not be nitpicking here. :-)

You may have heard of sudo. The concept is the same. There are numerous GUI implementations of same.

Errr, no? sudo is absolutely not the same as UAC. I've yet to see sudo jump up and down, telling me that some other program wants to do something on my system, asking me for permission.

That's the core point. UAC is a disruptive excuse for security, sudo is a program that allows user-triggered priviledge escalation. Pretty much the only thing they have in common is that they both ask for a superuser password.
The fact that UAC is not triggered by the user is not a minor difference, but very important.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mulling "Utah mulling backing down from bar customers database"

I don't think leader means what you think it does:
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leader

If you want to convince environmentalists, you just need to show it's cost/benefit (where cost includes environmental damage) is significantly better than fossil fuel combustion.

But you do yourself a disservice if you claim it is sustainable. If we harvest the fuel faster than nature makes it, it's a finite resource.

From

          http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Russia

Lower birth rates and higher death rates reduced Russia's population at a 0.5% annual rate, or about 750,000 to 800,000 people per year during the late 1990s and most of the 2000s. The UN warned that Russia's 2005 population of about 143 million could fall by a third by 2050.

From

        http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/state

State: 5 a: a politically organized body of people usually occupying a definite territory

If you need a body of people to be a state,
the I'd say that Russia is on its way to failure.

Russia - Where Russians go to die
-- The Onion

So far, that's correct.

The plural of 'virus' is 'viruses', its Greek not Latin.

No no no. "virus" is clearly a word with origins in Latin (-us is an ending for Latin words, not Greek ones), and the correct plural, in Latin, would be "viri". However, since the word is used in an English text, the correct plural is "viruses".

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/virus

For something arcane like Vorbis (or the video codecs they'd like pursued) you can spend money on hundreds or thousands of programmer man-years and not get anything better.

Arcane? As in

arcane: known or knowable only to the initiate : secret <arcane rites> ; broadly : mysterious , obscure <arcane explanations>

Are you sure you are thinking of vorbis?

That probably sounds weird to you because it is wrong. Cease is generally only used transitively with gerunds or nouns derived from verbs (e.g. production, payment). Also, cease is also only used reflexively: it is unlikely that the IRS will cease payment of someone's wages, because the IRS is not paying said wages in the first place. A better choice would probably have been the verb stop [see def. 5a]. /end pedantry

No, a monopoly means market dominance, to a level decided by a court. 90% market share, for example, could be considered a monopoly (for legal reasons). It doesn't mean there's no one else in the market, just extreme dominance.

Really? The magic 8 ball says that Merriam doesn't give that answer http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/monopoly

And as I said, just because a judge makes a ruling doesn't make it correct - it just makes it enforceable.

According to this article, http://www.tgdaily.com/html_tmp/content-view-40381-113.html, As of Dec 1, 2008 IE is below 70%