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Well, there is this interesting tidbit on the Wikipedia mailing list, but then again, I seriously doubt that the sender is not a troll.

Is this what you're talking about?

A new visualization Bruce Herr and I recently completed is being featured in this weeks New Scientist Magazine (thearticleis free online, minus the viz). They did a good job jazzing up the language used to describe the vizpower struggle, bubbling mass, blitzed articlesbut they also dumbed down the technical accomplishments. I guess not everyone gets as excited about algorithms as I do.Before I talk anymore about the viz, though, let me mention its appearing at the NetSci 2007 Conferencethis week, and hopefully a varient will appear at Wikimania later this summer as well. The viz is a huge 5 feet by 5 feet when printed, and I only include a low res, smaller version here. At some point high qualityart prints of it will appear at SciMapsfor sale to fund further visualization research.

Now for the good stuff. Much like my visualization of the netflix prize competition data, we began this piece byrepresenting the dataas a network. In this case the nodes in the network are wikipedia articles and theedges are thelinks between articles. We then (with some help from our friends at Sandia) used an algorithm to lay out all 650,000nodes (wikipedia articles) that had at least one link in such a way that similar articles are near one another. These are the yellow dots,which when viewed at low res give a yellow tint tothe whole picture.

The sizes of the nodes (circles, dots, whatever you want to call them), are based on a model of revision activity. So large circles indicate that an article might be controversial, or the subject of lots of vandalism, or just a topic whose content frequently changes. We labeled only the largest nodes, to keep it readable. Thereis an interactive version of this in the works based on the google maps platform which will change the labels and pictures used as the user zooms in or out. Stay tuned for that.

The image used for each tilewas selected automatically, simply by using the first imagein the most linked to article among all the articles inthat tile.We were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the images that appeared.

Our hope for this visualization approach, which we continue to improve on,is that it could be updated in real time to give a macro sense of what is happeing in Wikipedia. I personally hope that some variation of it will end up in high schools as a teaching tool and for generating discussions.

This. Is. Tiny Town!

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/26/Mrf_ 1.JPG
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/de/3AJD 05Jetpack.jpg

This. Is. Tiny Town!

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/26/Mrf_ 1.JPG
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/de/3AJD 05Jetpack.jpg

fuck aliens.

Okay, I'll volunteer.

fuck aliens.

Okay, I'll volunteer.

How come when I read your post I heard it in this guy's voice?

Dude, neither of the apple screenshots you listed are those of modern apple apps running on Windows. The screenshot of iTunes was version 4.1. The latest release is 7.1.x. I couldn't identify the version of QuickTime in the screenshot, but I know that the present release resembles this (note: that screenshot is on OS X).

Modern Apple apps on XP/Vista still don't fit in, but they do fit better than the screenshots you provided. In addition, the point of iTunes and QuickTime is to stick out on windows. Apple wants easily identifiable products, in much the same way that nike wants their logo on shirts. (Think branding & style -- it helps customers identify what's popular, and many consumers just buy what's popular.)

Furthermore, you compared media playing applications (iTunes & Quicktime) to 'traditional' applications (Gnumeric, GIMP, GAIM, etc). Compare WinAmp, Windows Media Player, and Visual Studio. Just like sesame street: one of these doesn't belong (hint: it's Visual Studio). In other words, media players on windows are notorious for non-native UIs.

Your comparison is bunk.

You mean like him

Anyone seen him recently..? http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/63/Laug hing-man.gif

http://upload.wikimedia.org/math/1/4/b/14b2c1ffd40 2ee5d78f7104ab9bf28c1.png

No, I'm afraid to say you're completely wrong.

Wiki is meant to be authoritive - that means all the way from a beginner's entry to the subject to the accurate detailed facts about the topic. This thread is a false dichotomy. Wiki should not have to lean towards one extreme or the other - the only reason to do so is because of lack of space. Remember "wiki is not paper".

Wikimedia Foundation already has a project called WikiSpecies -- http://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page . Not sure how different that project will be.

You're drunk on cold war propaganda.

Why don't you take a look at this map of Europe in 1920, after WWI and tell me what nations they "invaded" by the time WWII came around. The answer, simply, is none

So, why don't you take a look at this map of Europe in 1940, you will see that the USSR did indeed invade all of these countries during WWII.

In other words, the world-domination plans you speak of were, well, non-existent.

That's the wrong link. The correct one is found here. Purchased from e-bay indeed...

Somehow I don't think this will ever be a fashion statement.

The situation you describe is much different than the one in the article. You acted intelligently. The school administrators in the article did not.

In your situation, you had kids that were downloading dangerous software that left vulnerable a large number of systems. You had proof of their wrongdoing. You could have gotten these kids arrested (I'm sure there's some provision for that sort of thing), and it would have been perfectly reasonable to suspend them for three months.

In the article, however, there's no mention of any actual wrongdoing beyond using a proxy. While this may have just been oversight on the part of the writer, suspending someone for three months solely for using a proxy is overkill.

In summary, I'm agreeing that they should have been punished, but I don't think that three months is appropriate for simply using a proxy, without any proof that they were doing anything wrong. I know I've used a proxy a couple of times at school because, for a time, they had blocked everything coming from http://upload.wikimedia.org/, which made many Wikipedia articles almost useless.

The hammer is a classic symbol of video game violence. This guy was clearly ready to take it to the next level.

The hammer is a classic symbol of video game violence. This guy was clearly ready to take it to the next level.

we should aim to reduce oxygen uptake, slow metabolism and adjust the blood chemistry for gradual and safe reperfusion.

we should aim to reduce oxygen uptake, slow metabolism and adjust the blood chemistry for gradual and safe reperfusion.

Not really, I was thinking in terms of something practical, that you can carry anywhere and use in practical situations. Of course, if you extend caliber to .50 disregarding portability, then why not go further still, to the ultimate limit in precision weapons?

Oh dear what lame final choices. Even Wikipe-tan http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikipe-tan/ would have been better. Death by consensus indeed.

Well, this requires a bit more work on your part, but you can always get the database or static html dumps.

Damn, I hope a whole bunch of people don't just start downloading wikipedia in its entirety just for the hell of it now...

Here is a picture of the multi-arm craft:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8d/Gana pati.jpg

I have not yet been able to discover the cause of these properties of gravity from phenomena and I feign no hypotheses... It is enough that gravity does really exist and acts according to the laws I have explained, and that it abundantly serves to account for all the motions of celestial bodies. That one body may act upon another at a distance through a vacuum without the mediation of anything else, by and through which their action and force may be conveyed from one another, is to me so great an absurdity that, I believe, no man who has in philosophic matters a competent faculty of thinking could ever fall into it.

Better yet:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8a /Plates_tect2_en.svg

The tunnel will be entirely within the north american plate. Someone below mentioned connecting vancouver island and the mainland. There's a reason why there isn't an existing physical connection between the island and the mainland, and neither money nor politics has anything to do with it. Vancouver Island, I believe, sits on the pacific plate, while as we all know, mainland is on the north american plate. Now that project would be quite infeasible, and dangerous to boot.

To answer you question, all that you need to do is to look at a map of the Pacific Ring of Fire.

Here's one, in case you had trouble finding one for yourself: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09 /Pacific_Ring_of_Fire.png

The Bering Strait is clearly well north of the Ring of Fire faultlines. Thus the tectonic impact will be minimal.

Furthermore, you don't throw together a $12 billion proposal and not take into account such things. Anything you can think of regarding this project has likely been thought of already by the planners. If crustal movement was to have a serious impact, we would not be hearing about this proposal, because it would have been scrapped long ago.

I already provided you the links. But in case you need a more graphical view, look at the great wikipedia,

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/81/Mone y-supply.png

Even looking at M3 vs. GDP, you can probably guess that M3 is now highest ever. Huge amount of money injected into economy to stimulate it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Us_proportionat e_m3.svg

The problem is that all this extra money is going to China (made in China!) hence their GDP growth. Inflation is deferred because of that, but how long? I guess until China and Japan start selling USD (ie. buying stuff with it)

Anyway, regarding the perceived value and real value, I know that everything is perceived value. I do not propose that fiat currencies be backed by gold or something like that (problems with that, like value of money reflecting supply of gold and not economy). The problem is that people do not understand that gov't can just print money on demand if they want to. There are consequences of doing so, but they can just print money as was done in Greenspan years. (again, see 2nd graph).

Sure, man being the foremost of these creatures. If done in a country with very low wages one can sometimes offer a very expensive exotic product. You see, vanilla is a plant that can be pollinated only by bees, and only one very special kind of bee, that's found only in its native Mexico. This is because its flower has a peculiar shape that only fits the body of that bee.

So, well, yes, natural evolution may take care of that. If bees disappear, then plants that depend exclusively on it will be replaced by some more flexible plants that aren't as picky regarding their sexual helpers. However, along with those plants all other species that depend on them may also disappear, most of mankind along them.

Sure, man being the foremost of these creatures. If done in a country with very low wages one can sometimes offer a very expensive exotic product. You see, vanilla is a plant that can be pollinated only by bees, and only one very special kind of bee, that's found only in its native Mexico. This is because its flower has a peculiar shape that only fits the body of that bee.

So, well, yes, natural evolution may take care of that. If bees disappear, then plants that depend exclusively on it will be replaced by some more flexible plants that aren't as picky regarding their sexual helpers. However, along with those plants all other species that depend on them may also disappear, most of mankind along them.

Actually, there is a secure connection, which, depending on the type of block, can be used to access Wikipedia; also with a poor connection. And there are always open proxies, if only for reading Wikipedia, not editing it (open proxies are blocked for various reasons). Draco would be proud.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/0b/STBo rgTacCube.jpg

Only on the PC. Maybe your version didn't have helicopters, but I *strongly* doubt it.
Here's some proof:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/be/GTA3 boxcover.jpg
There's a helicopter on the cover of the game.

Only on the PC. Maybe your version didn't have helicopters, but I *strongly* doubt it.

Here's some proof:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/be/GTA3 boxcover.jpg
There's a helicopter on the cover of the game.

http://www.gouranga.com/images/gta3/gta3_102.jpg
Helicopter in-game.

http://www.gouranga.com/images/gta3/gta3_199.jpg
Another shot of in-game helicopters.

http://www.gta3.com/index.php?zone=review1
"Ok then, now, the other ways to travel: boat, plane, train, subway, and on foot. It is scarce that you use other ways besides by foot or in car. Now, there are different aircraft you can fly. The helicopter you can fly and the non-winged dodo plane, but there is an exception on the dodo."

I don't remember whether or not they were *flyable* like the review here indicates, but I certainly remember blowing them out of the sky with the rocket launcher. There definitely were helicopters in the game.

But thanks for proving my point either way: GTA3 had aircraft the player could pilot, and was smaller than any of the other games.

What I'm saying is that the computer doesn't read and agree with a license when I fire it up. "Trusted" computing is an apparent attempt to change that, I suppose.

Since there is, he uses the GPL to turn copyright law upon its head as well as he can.

Yes, I actually DO agree with that. GPL derives its power from copyright law, which of course is a good thing. I am happy to see this happening for that reason. But a big problem, to me anyway, is multiple licenses in one program. Talk about bloat! The big companies work under a single copyright. Not very well, I might add, but they're rakin' it in. So, who am I to argue with success? Maybe I'm a bit too anxious and want to eliminate the middleman and cut straight to the chase. Ignore all licenses. It's a shame that too many people don't understand that we won't need GPL if their is no copyright law. They seem to be under some impression that they can't use the code if a big company "takes" it. If somebody wants my code for whatever purpose, it's not for me to say or do anything about it. He would gain no exclusivity over it without copyright law. I still have my copy to do with as I please. What I'm concerned about is that with all these people worrying about licensing, it leaves little time for un-distracted(?) coding. It's like a nag screen in the back of your head. And even worse is the number and variation of licenses. The whole FOSS thing is moving from a bazaar to a Tower of Babel. The licenses will bring the whole thing tumbling down. As a business, I would avoid it for these reasons. Because then I would have to be concerned about being held liable for some mysterious, obscure copyright violation that only a lawyer could see. Licenses take up disk space. It's like a ball and chain. Imagine if each of my Snap-on wrenches came with a foot long, ten pound "dongle" stipulating how I can use it. Well, all that weight just made the tool pretty useless. The same is happening to software. The licenses are getting that it will be prohibited to use the program for what I bought it for. Well, here's hoping that someday Stallman's trumpets will bring down the Walls of Jericho.

Your number is averaged over both day and night over a year and works for southern Canada, here is a map: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/78/Inso lation.png. As you can see from the map, much of what is going on is that the Earth is round so that surface is tilted with respect to the average direction to the Sun. Solar panels are tilted back towards the Sun so this compensates though there is still a larger airmass and so a larger likelihood of having a cloud in the way. A number closer to 300 w/m^2 is a better estimate because of the tilt. In a month of 30 days you get 32 kWh from a sqaure meter of 15% efficient silicon solar panel. So, you want about 31 square meters of panels to handle a 1000 kWh monthly power usage. That's about 5.5 meters on a side. You can get that much for the same that you are currently paying for grid power at http://mdsolar.blogspot.com/2007/01/slashdot-users -selling-solar.html and fix your rate for up to 25 years, so yes, it probably is worth it.

Unix Evolution Diagrams

Unix History

Development Tree of Unix Networking code

Unix timeline

Another timeline

Wow. Is it just me, or does that photo in the article make it look like he was the model for
The GNU Logo?

Let's see if I understand his logic right. Is he saying that using Tetris is ethical only if I use it to make LOCKJAW? So what about songs or movies? How would one make a free replacement for one of those?

What free hardware is designed to sit on top of a television, receive input from four USB or Bluetooth gamepads, and play interactive video games? Do enough Free games support this play method?

Another thing to ponder: Given the incompatibility between Creative Commons licenses and GNU licenses due to the credit removal clause of all Creative Commons licenses (see my Wikimedia Commons user page), what license should be used for a work that contains significant parts that are a computer program and significant parts that are not a computer program, such as a video game?

Bullshit. There could be this exact sort of high speed rail between Boston and New York, Chicago and Detroit, and L.A. to Seattle with say 120 MPH connector trains in the flatlands for literally 1/10th the cost of Bush disastrous pointless war in Iraq. Follow the Benjamins it's all about the O I L companies in the U.S:

See for example: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_high-speed _rail
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d3/High -Speed_Rail_Corridor_Designations_53kb.png

Upgrading U.S. train track is 8 times cheaper than building new freeways:
http://www.fra.dot.gov/us/content/201

Get some fact before just regurgitating what you hear on Rush (brought to you by the Hummer H5 now including it's own entrance ladder).

You see, Miyamoto's Mario 64 level 'Desert's Hill' pictures a pyramid that contains a spiral ramp which leads to the top of the pyramid revealing a small opening where the workers would place the top rocks of the pyramid precisely on top. Which proves my theory on the conspiracy of Video Game Giants trying to force their beliefs unto us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/fc/N64_ Super_Mario_64_shifting_sand_land.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/fc/N64_ Super_Mario_64_shifting_sand_land.jpg

http://youtube.com/watch?v=7dMHvZXegVU
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZsgMWdJQyi4
here's the actual story and image:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1501ap_fran ce_pyramid_theory.html?source=mypi
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/dayart/aponline/6047 .095FRANCE-GREAT-PYRAMID.sff.jpg

You see, Miyamoto's Mario 64 level 'Desert's Hill' pictures a pyramid that contains a spiral ramp which leads to the top of the pyramid revealing a small opening where the workers would place the top rocks of the pyramid precisely on top. Which proves my theory on the conspiracy of Video Game Giants trying to force their beliefs unto us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/fc/N64_ Super_Mario_64_shifting_sand_land.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/fc/N64_ Super_Mario_64_shifting_sand_land.jpg

http://youtube.com/watch?v=7dMHvZXegVU
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZsgMWdJQyi4
here's the actual story and image:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1501ap_fran ce_pyramid_theory.html?source=mypi
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/dayart/aponline/6047 .095FRANCE-GREAT-PYRAMID.sff.jpg

I think the accurate Google Earth Service will be the one you pay subscription for. Can anyone Confirm?
I spent some time looking thru online map services, including this comparative one Flash Earth All of them look pre-Katrina to my untrained eye.

I did find documentation on a lighthouse (mentioned in news articles) which had collapsed, but was visible in Google maps.
Google Map of West End Lighthouse
Image of Lighthouse Documenting its Collapse
Lighthouse Society Rebuilding Efforts

Open-source porn (NSFW)

NASA has an 18.4MB 18000 x 18000 jpeg of the Orion nebula. We use it to stress-test our CAD systems at work.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Orion_Nebu la_-_Hubble_2006_mosaic_18000.jpg

No way, it's a pylon that the Sleestack use to teleport.