Slashdot Mirror
Google Throws /. Under Bus To Snag Patent
theodp writes "Before Danny Hillis and Bran Ferren invented Google's newly-patented system for 'Delegating Authority to Evaluate Content', Google says users looking for content evaluation websites were condemned to the likes of Amazon.com and Slashdot. From the patent: 'Many sites found on the World Wide Web allow users to evaluate content found within the site. The Slashdot Web site (www.slashdot.org) allows users to "mod" comments recently posted by other users. Based on this information obtained from the users, the system determines a numerical score for each comment ranging from 1 to 5.' The problem with sites like Slashdot, Google told the USPTO, is that 'because there is no restriction on the users that may participate, the reliability of the ratings is correspondingly diminished.' Commissioning a small number of trusted evaluators or editors would increase the reliability of the evaluations, Google notes, but wouldn't allow nearly as much content to be evaluated. Google's solution? Allow trusted evaluators to transfer a 'quantity of authority' to like-minded 'contributing authorities', who in turn designate and delegate authority to additional like-minded contributing authorities. Think Microsoft Outlook 97 Delegate Access meets Slashdot Karma Points, and you've got the general idea!"
As a developer, however, I must say that your Visual Studio statement is completely without merit and will always be modded down.
As a VIM user, I find Eclipse to be only slightly more annoying than it is useful. I have similar sentiments about Netbeans, Monodevelop, Kdevelop, and all the other FOSS IDEs. Visual Studio, on the other hand, is an absolute gem (if bloated). I would love to know what IDE you use that Visual Studio does not (in the GP's words) kick it's ass. Seriously, I need a new IDE. I code mostly in Java, C#, and PHP but I'd like to know about good IDEs for any language.
It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong.
Damn, my math really sucks to day. Did I think that my numbers added up to 30, or did I just type 20 wrong? Fek me . . .
"Windows is like the faint smell of piss in a subway: it's there, and there's nothing you can do about it." - Charlie Br