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Check definition 1, realize language changes over time, and get mildly embarrassed like you nerds tend to do when you're wrong.

Eau de. It means "Water of" in French.

An ode is something very different. Although I'm sure there are lots of odes to cocaine.

"Broadband" isn't a data transmission speed, not anymore than "cable", "modem" or "DSL" are transmission speeds.

Here's a real definition of broadband:

broadÂband adjective

1. of, pertaining to, or responsive to a continuous, wide range of frequencies.

2. pertaining to or denoting a type of high-speed data transmission in which the bandwidth is shared by more than one simultaneous signal.

[definition]

Hence: "the broadband of 0-25kHz" mentioned in the article.

irony1 -noun, plural -nies
1. the use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning: the irony of her reply, "How nice!" when I said I had to work all weekend.
2. Literature. a. a technique of indicating, as through character or plot development, an intention or attitude opposite to that which is actually or ostensibly stated.
b. (esp. in contemporary writing) a manner of organizing a work so as to give full expression to contradictory or complementary impulses, attitudes, etc., esp. as a means of indicating detachment from a subject, theme, or emotion.

3. Socratic irony.
4. dramatic irony.
5. an outcome of events contrary to what was, or might have been, expected.
6. the incongruity of this.
7. an objectively sardonic style of speech or writing.
8. an objectively or humorously sardonic utterance, disposition, quality, etc.

[slow down cowboy, it's been three minutes since you posted the only comment you've posted so far today. Slashdot is for lysdexic nerds who don't read very fast. Go to some web site where everyone has gone past the sixth grade. Good luck answering all 31 of the "messages" that were left in the "slashdot message system" because of the highly rated comments you made yesterday. Now go away and leave us illiterates alone.

Ok, lets see if this stupid web site will let me post this yet...]

1. a particular system of religious worship, esp. with reference to its rites and ceremonies.
2. an instance of great veneration of a person, ideal, or thing, esp. as manifested by a body of admirers: the physical fitness cult.
3. the object of such devotion.
4. a group or sect bound together by veneration of the same thing, person, ideal, etc.
5. Sociology. a group having a sacred ideology and a set of rites centering around their sacred symbols.
6. a religion or sect considered to be false, unorthodox, or extremist, with members often living outside of conventional society under the direction of a charismatic leader.
7. the members of such a religion or sect.
8. any system for treating human sickness that originated by a person usually claiming to have sole insight into the nature of disease, and that employs methods regarded as unorthodox or unscientific.

-adjective
9. of or pertaining to a cult.
10. of, for, or attracting a small group of devotees: a cult movie.

But our own freedom to speak carries such heavy limitations that to think we are better than the Chinese is laughable. You can be arrested for "hate speech." If you badmouth the wrong corporation (and face it, the corporations are the government here, the politicians only being figureheads who do the corporations' bidding) you will be slapped down with a S.L.A.P.P. suit. You won't go to jail, but you will be financially ruined.

2600.org wasn't allowed to link to an algorithm (DeCSS). The courts have held that you have no freedom of speech when writing in a computer language.

Our freedom of speech is illusory.

Religion? Again there's China, and Cuba. However, I don't think that Christianity or Hinduism are illegal in Saudia Arabia.

On the other hand, children have been suspended and even expelled from school for evangelizing. They're being punished both for their speech and their religion.

As to freedom of assembly, that's been gone for quite some time. You want to "petition the government for a redress of grievances" by protesting en masse in front of the statehouse? You're going to go to jail for not having a permit- in short, you must have permission to petition the government by peaceful assembly. Having to ask permission doesn't seem too free to me.

Antecdotally

Anecdotally

Not to be a spelling Nazi, but I think you need to hand in your Nazi armband.

Antecdotally

Anecdotally

Not to be a spelling Nazi, but I think you need to hand in your Nazi armband.

Nice way to contradict yourself in back-to-back sentences.

Cult -noun
1. a particular system of religious worship, esp. with reference to its rites and ceremonies.

Cults (religions) aren't bad. Bad and harmful cults are bad (for example, mass suicides, etc).
Cults (religions) that promote good are, of course, good (for example, thou shalt not kill, etc.).
Simple enough.

If you go to a church that worships a God and has rites or ceremonies (baptism? communion?) then you are a member of a cult (Religion!).

All religions would seem to fit most of the definitions of a cult, some more than others. Unfortunately for your argument, the beginning days of Christianity don't fit the example that you gave. And even a formerly-accepted or tolerated religion can become unacceptable over time, such as when the Israelites were in Egypt during the rise of a new Pharoah who did not know the acts of Joseph and how he saved Egypt.

-M

I couldn't help notice that the linked article doesn't use the word "spying" at all, but slashdot doesn't seem to mind upping the rhetorical ante in that regard. I'm not saying it ISN'T spying; I'm just saying the language is argumentative on purpose.

Here, I'll help you with the understanding of that...

Spying -

• 3. a person who seeks to obtain confidential information about the activities, plans, methods, etc., of an organization or person, esp. one who is employed for this purpose by a competitor: an industrial spy.Most Internet Users expect their traffic to be unmolested and not intercepted in typical usage.
• 8. to search for or examine something closely or carefully.
• 10. to discover or find out by observation or scrutiny (often fol. by out).
• 12. to inspect or examine or to search or look for closely or carefully.

InnerWeb

By my count you have misused the word allot seven times in comments to this story alone. Could you please switch to the two-word expression "a lot"? It would make your posts much more pleasant to read.

Consider a reasonable definition of "tyranny":
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?r=2&q=Tyranny
China, though I haven't researched the matter thoroughly, might qualify.
If you think the US a tyranny, then I wish you could go live in an actual tyranny, briefly, for comparison.

nope.

Diablo - now we know where Blizzard got the name for that game.

And what it cost them to get it. Poor fools.

Did you even read TFA?

The core of the assault is that the Chinese are constantly scanning and mapping Indiaâ(TM)s official networks. This gives them a very good idea of not only the content but also of how to disable the networks or distract them during a conflict.

This, officials say, is Chinaâ(TM)s way of gaining "an asymmetrical advantage" over a potential adversary. ...

Other government networks, said sources, are routinely targeted though they havenâ(TM)t been disabled.

To paraphrase: The Chinese are trying to size us up.

Dedicated teams of officials â" all underpaid, of course â" are involved in a daily deflection of attacks. But the real gap is that a retaliatory offensive system is yet to be created.

To paraphrase: We should fight back.

The journalist is writing a sensationalist piece, in the same way that /. headlines are sensationalized to garner readers. When facts are misrepresentated or overexaggerated to create an intended response, it's called yellow journalism.

Just because the machines that control the attacks are in China, does not mean it has anything to do with the Chinese government, or, for that matter, with someone in China. Anyone could be behind the actual attack, from an organized crime syndicate to a script kiddie.

Yet, this journalist, who's writing for the masses, implies throughout the article that the Chinese government is somehow involved.

You don't rally against, you rail against. You rally a fleeing regiment or rally people to a cause

And "spec'd" is just retarded[1]. If you can't be bothered to write "specified" or at least "specced", why not just go the whole OMG-i@m-t3h-733t route and write "spcd"? It saves two more characters, w00t!

[1] or rt'd, as the scl'd author would probably put it.

You don't rally against, you rail against. You rally a fleeing regiment or rally people to a cause

And "spec'd" is just retarded[1]. If you can't be bothered to write "specified" or at least "specced", why not just go the whole OMG-i@m-t3h-733t route and write "spcd"? It saves two more characters, w00t!

[1] or rt'd, as the scl'd author would probably put it.

I don't consider myself an expert and will never claim to be (on Slashdot or on my resumes). Claiming to be "knowledgeable and intelligent" is (to me) arrogance. As I've stated, it is a matter of degree and perspective.

Claiming to be knowledgeable and intelligent is arrogant? What are you talking about?

Here are some definitions for you:
Knowledge
Knowledgable
Intelligent

which has nothing to do with

Arrogance

Reading your entire post, it is clear you are insecure and trying to project your own inadequacies onto others.

Your current +4 Insightful rating is highly inaccurate.

I don't consider myself an expert and will never claim to be (on Slashdot or on my resumes). Claiming to be "knowledgeable and intelligent" is (to me) arrogance. As I've stated, it is a matter of degree and perspective.

Claiming to be knowledgeable and intelligent is arrogant? What are you talking about?

Here are some definitions for you:
Knowledge
Knowledgable
Intelligent

which has nothing to do with

Arrogance

Reading your entire post, it is clear you are insecure and trying to project your own inadequacies onto others.

Your current +4 Insightful rating is highly inaccurate.

I don't consider myself an expert and will never claim to be (on Slashdot or on my resumes). Claiming to be "knowledgeable and intelligent" is (to me) arrogance. As I've stated, it is a matter of degree and perspective.

Claiming to be knowledgeable and intelligent is arrogant? What are you talking about?

Here are some definitions for you:
Knowledge
Knowledgable
Intelligent

which has nothing to do with

Arrogance

Reading your entire post, it is clear you are insecure and trying to project your own inadequacies onto others.

Your current +4 Insightful rating is highly inaccurate.

I don't consider myself an expert and will never claim to be (on Slashdot or on my resumes). Claiming to be "knowledgeable and intelligent" is (to me) arrogance. As I've stated, it is a matter of degree and perspective.

Claiming to be knowledgeable and intelligent is arrogant? What are you talking about?

Here are some definitions for you:
Knowledge
Knowledgable
Intelligent

which has nothing to do with

Arrogance

Reading your entire post, it is clear you are insecure and trying to project your own inadequacies onto others.

Your current +4 Insightful rating is highly inaccurate.

Oh, I see. And british people won't see american movies or series, nor read american books, so they can't grasp the concept of auto being a shortening of automobile, which doesn't seem to be an americanism. It is surprising only the americans managed to shorten the term... well, so did the french (both terms are french in origin). I give british people more credit than that.

Auto is a longstanding (maybe even old-fashioned) American synonym for car. The context is a British magazine.

twitter Audio Help /twtr/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[twit-er] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
-verb (used without object)
1. to utter a succession of small, tremulous sounds, as a bird.
2. to talk lightly and rapidly, esp. of trivial matters; chatter.
3. to titter; giggle.
4. to tremble with excitement or the like; be in a flutter.
-verb (used with object)
5. to express or utter by twittering.
-noun
6. an act of twittering.
7. a twittering sound.
8. a state of tremulous excitement.

Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that allows users to send "updates" (or "tweets"; text-based posts, up to 140 characters long) to the Twitter website, via short message service (e.g. on a cell phone), instant messaging, or a third-party application such as Twitterrific or Facebook.

Updates are displayed on the user's profile page and instantly delivered to other users who have signed up to receive them. The sender can restrict delivery to those in his or her circle of friends (delivery to everyone is the default). Users can receive updates via the Twitter website, instant messaging, SMS, RSS, email or through an application. For SMS, four gateway numbers are currently available: short codes for the United States, Canada, and India, as well as a United Kingdom number for international use. Several third parties offer posting and receiving updates via email.

coÂinÂciÂdenÂtal
  Audio Help /koÊSËOEÉnsÉËdÉntl/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[koh-in-si-den-tl] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
â"adjective
1. happening by or resulting from coincidence; by chance: a coincidental meeting.
2. existing or occurring at the same time.
[Origin: 1790â"1800; coincident + -al1]

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/coincidentally

No results found for ipsoaurigaeophobic. Would you like to search the encyclopedias, or search the Web for ipsoaurigaeophobic? For better results, try our search tips.

Screw that, I'm driving back to the bar for another beer. And a couple of shots.

Did you make up that word?

If so, my hat's off to you:

Dipso
dipso /dpso/
-noun, plural -sos. Slang. a dipsomaniac; habitual drunk.

Aurigal
Au*ri"gal\, a. [L. aurigalis.] Of or pertaining to a chariot. [R.]

Did you make up that word?

If so, my hat's off to you:

Dipso
dipso /dpso/
-noun, plural -sos. Slang. a dipsomaniac; habitual drunk.

Aurigal
Au*ri"gal\, a. [L. aurigalis.] Of or pertaining to a chariot. [R.]

pornography Audio Help /prngrfi/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[pawr-nog-ruh-fee] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
-noun

obscene writings, drawings, photographs, or the like, esp. those having little or no artistic merit.

[Origin: 1840-50; Gk pornográph(os) writing about harlots (porno-, comb. form of pórné harlot + -graphos -graph) + -y3]

obscene Audio Help /bsin/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[uhb-seen] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
-adjective
1. offensive to morality or decency; indecent; depraved: obscene language.
2. causing uncontrolled sexual desire.
3. abominable; disgusting; repulsive.

[Origin: 1585-95; L obscénus, obscaenus]

pornography Audio Help /prngrfi/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[pawr-nog-ruh-fee] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
-noun

obscene writings, drawings, photographs, or the like, esp. those having little or no artistic merit.

[Origin: 1840-50; Gk pornográph(os) writing about harlots (porno-, comb. form of pórné harlot + -graphos -graph) + -y3]

obscene Audio Help /bsin/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[uhb-seen] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
-adjective
1. offensive to morality or decency; indecent; depraved: obscene language.
2. causing uncontrolled sexual desire.
3. abominable; disgusting; repulsive.

[Origin: 1585-95; L obscénus, obscaenus]

I fail to see why sequence matters. Let's generalize:

For any X, 0 <= X <= 5: Let (5-X) guilty men go free, then put one innocent man in jail, then let X guilty men go free.

There. Perhaps the original poster meant than ? Nah.

From American Heritage: evidence or argument helping to establish a fact or truth of a statement.

Ok, this may be barely on topic (and I've had more on-topic posts than this one modded "offtopic") but the summary describes David Litchfield as a "super-genius". Neither the dictionary nor Wikipedia has entries on "super-genius". Well actually wikipedia does have it listed (linked) but it describes "a flash cartoon flash game flash animation web portal channel and studio" and a rock and roll band.

The wikipedia entry on IQ does not contain the word "genius", let alone "super-genius".

So if someone (preferably the super-genius who wrote the summary) can tell me what a "super-genius" is, I'd appreciate it. Actually I'd appreciate it more if submitters and editors wouldn't use jargon that I'm unfamiliar with and can find neither in the dictionary nor wikipedia.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/adhere

Someone mod parent up. Cassius Corodes really does need to check a dictionary before painting the rest of his peers as idiots and realize his sermon is precisely that, lacking any truth to it.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/fundamentalism

Use your dict of choice, you'll see that religious fundamentalism is just a small set of _anything_ you could have a fundamental interpretation.

-- the language nazi :P (not really, not even a native english speaker...)

I detest it when people use the words "towards" and "anyways"... they don't exist.

The Random House Unabridged Dictionary gives a definition of "fundamentalist" as:

Tell us; precisely why can one not adhere strictly to the basic ideas or principles of the open source movement?

no internments within five meters

There's a difference between a typo (dropping a ltter when one is TYPING) and not knowing how a word is spelled. Semiliterate. Like when "I road on the rode"".

A misplaced apostrophe may or may not change the meaning of a word. "The engine has leak's" would flag itself as an error and cause no confusion, but when "leak's" is at the beginning of a sentence you would think that the rest of the sentence is about something the leak has caused.

If you want a truly horrifying experience, try watching a teen chatting with other teens on myspaceIM.

No thanks. I'd rather try and decipher Russian using babelfish. Why aren't those kids' teachers flunking them? It isn't the kids' fault, it's their teachers'.

Call it sub-literate, call it semi-literate, call it the dumbing-down of our youth, call it whatever you would like. It's a trend that is only increasing as the technology curve grows.

I don't think that's accurate. I don't think people are dumber these days, I think it's just that you never saw semiliterates' writing very much before the internet.

William Shakespeare couldn't spell his own name

I always said he was a talentless hack!

and Albert Einstein flunked out of school

His teachers were the morons, not him. I once failed a paper in high school because the teacher thought I made up the word hierarchy.

Erm, maybe you should use a dictionary before you make comments like this: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/eclectic%20

Specifically:

2. made up of what is selected from different sources.
3. not following any one system, as of philosophy, medicine, etc., but selecting and using what are considered the best elements of all systems.

Karem

Lets be clear here, I own firearms, not weapons.

I can tell you right now that the events in Tibet are a direct result of the Dali Lama's inceased visibility abroad. Why? Let's look at all of the events:

1) Dali Lama goes around giving speeches.
2) China protests.
3) Tibetians get all riled up.
4) Tibetians find their protests do not go beyond the great firewall.
5) Tibetians see the olympics as an opportunity to be heard.
6) Tibetians riot before the Olympics.

And it is a riot. If members of an ethnic minority in the US (or France for that matter) took to the streets in protest, we call that a mob. If they started burning things down and killing random passerbys, we call that a riot.

Oh, and people who attack or threaten to attack civilians for political purposes? We call them terrorists.

But I digress. Now, we can go further back and say that China's annexation of Tibet is the reason why the Dali Lama is going around making speeches. However, China isn't the one talking about peace and non-violence. We all know the tactics China will use to stamp out dissent, and they're not pretty. The Dali Lama, on the other hand, is going on about non-violence at the same time he is inciting it, albeit indirectly, though he is probably well aware of what his actions are causing.

So the question is, would you prefer to graze in a field with a wolf, or with a wolf in sheep's clothing?

... oy. Why choose a word that means both "being at rest; quiet; still; inactive or motionless" and "Having the power or quality of acting; causing change; communicating action or motion; acting" for the news headline? (Dictionary.com Definitions)