Slashdot Mirror
Microsoft Research Turns 10
Alec Muzzy writes: "Did you know that Microsoft Research, the first research laboratory started by a software company, just turned 10 years old? Their website is currently featuring some highlights of their research in the past 10 years and how it is applying to the new products Microsoft is making today - for instance their work in Real-Time Fur will be used in some XBox games, and Speech Recognition may be in future Pocket PC's. Reading these pages gives you a real insight into what new technologies Microsoft is working on."
Q: What is this all about?
Despite the fact that the Slashdot FAQ claims the editors "never" delete comments, proof exists that they have deleted comments on occasion:
Notice the first comment in the cached version of the story is an ASCII graphic, which had been modded up to +1 at the last minute before the story was archived. That comment is now gone. As you can see, the comment was posted by this user. Notice the user info page now says the account has posted zero comments. All comments posted by that account, regardless of moderation score, have been wiped.
Q: Didn't the comment just get modded down?
No, the comment is gone. It is nowhere to be found in the current version of the story. One must go to the Google cache to view it.
Q: Maybe it got modded down just before the story was archived, and is now gone because comments at 0 and below don't get archived?
No, the story had already been frozen into Slashdot's static HTML archive. Look at that Google cached copy again. It clearly says:
That also means no more moderation could take place. The comment did not get modded down, it was deleted.
Q: So? It's their site, they can delete comments if they want to!
True. But it's also true that I can criticize them for being liars. Here is what the Slashdot FAQ says about the deletion of comments:
As you can see from the Google cache, the comment displayed just fine in a standard browser. It was not deleted because it contained malformed HTML. It was deleted for no reason, save that they didn't like it. That is in direct conflict with the statements in the FAQ.
Q: Yeah well, that comment was an ASCII representation of goatse.cx, which is disgusting. I'm glad it's gone.
Odd that you find the human body "disgusting". Do you take showers with your eyes closed so you won't have to look at it?
Q: Look, that comment was posted by a troll; it was modded up by trolls, and therefore it was invalid!
I once again redirect your attention to the Slashdot FAQ. Slashdot brags about being user-moderated. The comment was posted and moderated up by users. How is that invalid?
Q: Because! I said it's a troll! Didn't you hear me?!
Whatever.
Q: Well, why are you posting this? What do you want them to do about it? What are you trying to prove?
The point of all this is that Slashdot's model of anonymous posting, never deleting comments, and purely user-based moderation doesn't work. They are, in fact, aware of this -- hence the deletion of comments (not to mention the vast number of comments modded down by editors rather than users).
There is nothing wrong with the administrator of a message board taking steps, even ruthless ones, to eliminate crap. In fact, most successful message boards on the web are run in this manner. However, since the Slashdot editors refuse to acknowledge this, and still publicly maintain their fantasy of a working user-regulated system, I think it's pretty funny to go around pointing out their hypocrisy and dishonesty.
Q: Don't you have better things to do?
Yeah, but I'm not doing them right now, am I?
Note: This FAQ is public domain. Copy-and-paste it to your heart's content. It is not released under the GPL.
From Slashdot?
Wow! The sky really is falling!
five fingers make a fist amalgamate and resist
No, I mean it. Write it down. Then burn it. Then, invent a machine to burn things that have already been burned, then burn it again. Then we'll burn the machine.
Idiot.
To get rid of you for long time, you come back when you GET A LIFE
Christ, I've seen better English spit out by Babelfish after 12 conversions between English and Hindustani.
And yeah, I'm afraid of your 1337 CAPS skillz.
Idiot.
... and they might innovate something original
Jesus fucking Christ, does it hurt to be as stupid as you?
Every insult that you have said involves the second-grade humor level of "your mom!".
Now, please, get off Daddy's computer and go back to playing with your Playstation, and don't get angry when you can't complete Oddworld, ok?
That Microsoft had their own research group. No wonder they have such innovtative products.
Good night. Don't let your dad rape you tonight, despite the fact he says he loves you, ok?
Or are you concerned with Karma? Get a life, ass raper.
gatse.ms link!!!
thank you taco for the great boon of the postercomment compression filter, you nimrod.