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UCLA Shooter Accused Victim Of Stealing His Computer Code

The gunman who shot and killed a UCLA professor on Wednesday has been identified as Mainak Sarkar, said Los Angeles police. Sarkar, a former doctoral student accused the vicitim William Klug, 39, of stealing his computer code and giving it to someone else. According to reports, Sarkar used a 9mm semiautomatic pistol to shoot the professor, and then turned the gun on himself. A March 10 blog post by Sarkar, now archived reads: William Klug, UCLA professor is not the kind of person when you think of a professor. He is a very sick person. I urge every new student coming to UCLA to stay away from this guy. [...] My name is Mainak Sarkar. I was this guy's PhD student. We had personal differences. He cleverly stole all my code and gave it another student. He made me really sick. Your enemy is your enemy. But your friend can do a lot more harm. Be careful about whom you trust.

64 of 396 comments (clear)

  1. Stole his code? by TechyImmigrant · · Score: 5, Insightful

    They should teach software licensing to psychotic students.
    If he had GPLed it first then his professor couldn't steal it.

    --
    I should use this sig to advertise my book ISBN-13 : 978-1501515132.
    1. Re:Stole his code? by Darinbob · · Score: 2

      It depends upon how the software was created. If he was a student at the time working under the direction of his professor, then he probably can not just make it open source without permission. It's the essentiall the same as work for hire, though it is a gray area as are most things to do with being a grad student. Ie, it's possible that the original idea was the grad student's but there was payment from the school as well as input and reviews from faculty.

      Being a grad student comes with a huge amount of stress, stories of professors murdered in the past are well known.

    2. Re:Stole his code? by slew · · Score: 2

      Luckily I live in a country where that is explicitly forbidden and all code automatically belongs to the creator (unless in a work contract).

      I don't think the situation is different here than in your country. You can read the UCLA copyright policy...

      According to UCLA policy, the copyright on Student work is owned by the Author if it was produced by a registered student without the use of University funds (other than Student Financial Aid), that is produced outside any University employment. Includes all coursework, term papers, theses and other work, as long as the student is not employed as a participant in a sponsored project where research results may be obligated to a third party.

      Given that Professor Klug's research areas was Computational Biomechanics at UCLA, I would speculate that nobody forced him to sign rights to the professor, the lab nor the university. However, if there was sponsored research that was related to his thesis (apparently he was working on his thesis for 10 years someone was probably paying him something), perhaps there might have been some copyright ambiguity is some of his research was paid for by other companies (which is akin to a work contract). if this was the case, perhaps other researchers on the same research contract could presumably get access to the software that he wrote because it might have been allowed by the sponsor (even if the student didn't *like* it).

      In addition, in California, an employer cannot simply force an employee to assign copyrights to software that they develop on their own time independent of employment. The employment law as it is written is here... If there was such an agreement, it would be void as it is unenforceable under California law.

  2. This makes no sense. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    In my own experience as a grad student, the terms were not unlike those at a company. The work you do in a research group belongs to the university, and it's normal practice for research codes to be passed on to other grad students for continuity within a research group. If Sarkar's code was something personal, then he could have a legitimate complaint, but the whole thing sounds fishy.

  3. He inserted spaces for tabs by BenJeremy · · Score: 4, Funny

    Klug's real crime was that he changed all the tabs in the code to spaces before handing the code to another student.

    Some developers really do not like that sort of thing.

    1. Re:He inserted spaces for tabs by 140Mandak262Jamuna · · Score: 2

      You want to keep tabs on her. She wants her spaces. The relationship is doomed from the start.

      --
      sed -e 's/Chuck Norris/Rajnikant/g' joke > fact
    2. Re:He inserted spaces for tabs by Darinbob · · Score: 3, Insightful

      No, same amount of typing. Everyone uses auto-indentation anyway. Most editors have the tab do auto-indenting, only in really stupid editors (notepad) would someone type a tab to get a tab.

      Also, ignore your own personal preferences and use the coding standards that your team or company has agreed upon.

  4. Re:Mental illness by MightyMartian · · Score: 4, Insightful

    We're dealing with a lunatic here. It's possible the professor did nothing wrong at all. I knew someone who was convinced a teacher was stealing his work because the college he went to uses Google Drive. Once people have a psychotic break of some kind and start down the road to paranoia and persecution, reality simply takes a back seat, if it even exists for them at all.

    --
    The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
  5. Credit, by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    The important thing for researchers is getting credit, giving code to someone else to use is not stealing, *but claiming you made it is*. Having said that the case could have been either, we wont be able to tell for a while it is still to soon.

    1. Re:Credit, by tlhIngan · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The important thing for researchers is getting credit, giving code to someone else to use is not stealing, *but claiming you made it is*. Having said that the case could have been either, we wont be able to tell for a while it is still to soon.

      Even better, there could've been a good reason for the "code sharing" - perhaps he was asking the other student to verify the code, or verify the results, or something.

      You know, as part of the whole "reproducible results" thing - where people are asking that data and the software processing it be made open for inspection and for reproducing the results.

      Or maybe the professor was continuing the research by giving it to another student to extend the research - the data and code exists, so start from that rather than reinventing the wheel.

      The problem is, both the professor and the shooter are dead, which means finding out the whole truth is going to be a lot harder.

      There's lot of valid reasons for "sharing" the code, which may very well have happened. Then again, stress might've cracked the shooter (finals were starting next week, apparently). ;l

    2. Re:Credit, by m00sh · · Score: 2

      The important thing for researchers is getting credit, giving code to someone else to use is not stealing, *but claiming you made it is*. Having said that the case could have been either, we wont be able to tell for a while it is still to soon.

      Even better, there could've been a good reason for the "code sharing" - perhaps he was asking the other student to verify the code, or verify the results, or something.

      You know, as part of the whole "reproducible results" thing - where people are asking that data and the software processing it be made open for inspection and for reproducing the results.

      Or maybe the professor was continuing the research by giving it to another student to extend the research - the data and code exists, so start from that rather than reinventing the wheel.

      The problem is, both the professor and the shooter are dead, which means finding out the whole truth is going to be a lot harder.

      There's lot of valid reasons for "sharing" the code, which may very well have happened. Then again, stress might've cracked the shooter (finals were starting next week, apparently). ;l

      You have no idea how much some professors abuse their power. I have no idea if Klug did or not and not implying he did.

      Add to the fact that you have international students who are essentially chained to a university and advisor by immigration laws.

      Murder is another level. But, US graduate schools filled with Indian and Chinese students is quite a messed up place and some awful things going on.

    3. Re:Credit, by ghoul · · Score: 3, Informative

      I have been in Research groups which are full of Indians and Chinese on visas and a few locals and the professor gives the toughest thankless tasks to the Indians and Chinese and the visible conference visits to the locals. What are they gonna do? Go back home after spending thousands of dollars and giving up years of earning potential (note all of these folks are college graduates who could get 6 figure salaries but are working for less than minimum wage as grad students).
      Its not racial- I have seen professors of Indian and Chinese origin do it to Indian and Chinese students and not do it to Indian Origin students who happen to be US born and hence have the right to work off campus.
      The F1 system which prevent folks from working off campus needs to be reformed as it basically traps people into an apprentice system (something the unions fought long and hard against)
      Professors dont treat locals like shit as locals have a choice they can just take up waitressing or taxi driving for the period of time it takes them to find a new advisor(and yes driving taxis pays more than grad research assistantships) and still carry on with their classes whereas a F1 student who loses his/her funding may have to drop out of the program and go back home

      --
      **Life is too short to be serious**
  6. Oh boy! Look at the media again... by Mashiki · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Funny how all of the media yesterday came right out screaming that it was a white male who had committed the shooting...nope, no evidence of bias here guys. None at all...anyone else want to bet that since the shooter is no longer white in the news cycle, you won't hear about it anymore. It's kinda like those ~400 people and 21 dead shot in Chicago in the last month.

    What a fucking mess. You guys in the US really need to get your shit together over the media and their agenda carrying.

    --
    Om, nomnomnom...
    1. Re:Oh boy! Look at the media again... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      The problem here is you. Try changing the channel.

    2. Re:Oh boy! Look at the media again... by theArtificial · · Score: 3, Funny

      Maybe the Huffington post editorial staff can spin it?

      --
      Man blir trött av att gå och göra ingenting.
    3. Re:Oh boy! Look at the media again... by ADRA · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Everyone knows that black people kill each-other a lot. Most of them are gang/drug related. They don't report on it because YOU don't care. That's your for-pay media. News that is 'interesting'. Your 'liberal bias' is actually quite backwards. 'You' (the public) are interested in this story. A ""collage professor"" was gunned down? Why were they targetted? A ""White guy"" killed himself after the crime? Why did he do that? The intrigue is a lot more interesting than a 16 year old black boy killing another boy because their drug gang wanted 16th and pine as their drug territory. And yes, you could quite easily invert the races of the story and get the exact same result.

      --
      Bye!
    4. Re:Oh boy! Look at the media again... by GodelEscherBlecch · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Funny how you seem to think that the most important detail of a shooting story is the person's race, as if that means something in terms of condemning/exonerating persons of that/other races. Any apparent media agenda in this department is a direct result of the painfully obvious agendas carried by you and all the other people frothing at the mouth looking to spin every story of evil deeds in such a way as to excuse yourself from all responsibility, concern or need for reflection because one of the 'others' did it. This 'fucking mess' is one of your own making.

    5. Re:Oh boy! Look at the media again... by Mashiki · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Funny how you seem to think that the most important detail of a shooting story is the person's race, as if that means something in terms of condemning/exonerating persons of that/other races.

      Funny how you seem to have taken that as the most important thing out of the post I wrote. Boy oh boy, that's sure one mess I'm making. But it sure seems to me you're very focused on race though. So it's also my fault that the media was painting that picture yesterday? Damn, didn't know I had such power. Oh wait...I don't. Don't be a retard, or would you prefer I just say "don't be mentally slow" or maybe I can point you in the direction of a safe space instead?

      --
      Om, nomnomnom...
    6. Re:Oh boy! Look at the media again... by Crashmarik · · Score: 3, Insightful

      LOL it certainly was for the reporters. Isn't odd how they were willing to report on race and religion when they thought they were one thing but began erasing the details when it turned out it was otherwise ?

    7. Re:Oh boy! Look at the media again... by Archangel+Michael · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I don't care, because once upon a time I did care, and was called "Racist" for pointing out the obvious. Because the only real "Black" family is completely dysfunctional and nobody in the Black Community actually wants to solve that problem because the problem itself doesn't reflect well on the black community as a whole. Black men killing each other, going to prison for hard crimes, and so on, leaving single women unable to get better educated because they are pregnant and on welfare because the dads are dead, in prison or simply hooked up with another woman.

      The solution is simple, but labeled "racist". Fix the fucking family disintegration caused by all the "progressive programs" that are designed to "help" but instead lock people into a dysfunctional system, creating a feedback loop that looks impossible to solve otherwise. Yeah, I don't care anymore, because if THEY don't care about fixing the problem themselves, and resist my suggestions because I am "white" (and don't forget, racist), why should I actually care?

      The Black population votes nearly lockstep (70-90%) with the DNC, which keeps offering the same tired solutions. One popular definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results. Tell me, how is THIS any different? 50 years and three or four generations of Progressive "Help" and the black community is in as bad a shape as it was 60 years ago. Perhaps worse. Tell me, how is that working out for you?

      --
      Agent K: A *person* is smart. People are dumb, stupid, panicky animals, and you know it.
    8. Re:Oh boy! Look at the media again... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2

      I don't care, because once upon a time I did care, and was called "Racist" for pointing out the obvious. Because the only real "Black" family is completely dysfunctional and nobody in the Black Community actually wants to solve that problem because the problem itself doesn't reflect well on the black community as a whole.

      It'd probably help if you weren't so obviously disdainful towards them.

      Really, you say NOBODY in the Black Community actually wants to solve that problem. That's not a nuanced criticism, it's a widespread condemnation of all of them.

      But...that means either you are ignorant of the efforts that do exist, or you're calling the ones who do try that approach liars. Which is it?

      Of course, it also seems that you are blaming them, solely, and ignoring any of the comments or concerns that there are problems outside the black community itself. The CIA selling drugs in minority communities to fund their own operations? Pretty scary. Then there's situations like Flint, Michigan, where the water supply was contaminated, and communities like Ferguson where the fines and penalties are used pretty harshly. The LA RAMPARTS scandal. The Chicago PD found by a task force to be plague by systematic racism. The NYPD, it's been accused for years. Three of the biggest police forces in the nation, how sure are you about the rest?

      The solution is simple, but labeled "racist". Fix the fucking family disintegration caused by all the "progressive programs" that are designed to "help" but instead lock people into a dysfunctional system, creating a feedback loop that looks impossible to solve otherwise. Yeah, I don't care anymore, because if THEY don't care about fixing the problem themselves, and resist my suggestions because I am "white" (and don't forget, racist), why should I actually care?

      Maybe they reject your solutions because they think you're wrong, and your incessant playing of the "How dare you call me a racist" card makes you unable to realize that your own indignant approach is creating a feedback loop where you are more likely to be ignored?

      Really, your approach is pretty much geared towards failure, if you are actually concerned, you should change your methods.

      Or do you just prefer to be able to continue to blame the other side?

      The Black population votes nearly lockstep (70-90%) with the DNC, which keeps offering the same tired solutions. One popular definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results. Tell me, how is THIS any different? 50 years and three or four generations of Progressive "Help" and the black community is in as bad a shape as it was 60 years ago. Perhaps worse. Tell me, how is that working out for you?

      Well, actually, if you learned something, you'd realize that there has been a lot of welfare reform and modification over the years, from both sides of the table, and the effectiveness, well, you could read some information that gives you a different picture:

      http://time.com/3659383/war-on-poverty-1964/
      http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2015/04/02/war-poverty-was-it-lost/

      One other aspect of insanity is when you refuse to actually see what is really happening, or come up with explanations that fit your preferred beliefs.

    9. Re:Oh boy! Look at the media again... by AK+Marc · · Score: 2

      So you are a Canadian in Canada, watching the US media, and complaining about what you see. That sounds like a personal problem.

    10. Re:Oh boy! Look at the media again... by Archangel+Michael · · Score: 2

      Platitudes "We're the democrats, vote for us, we'll help you" ?

      Before you cast stones, make sure the house isn't made of glass. Tell me, in the last 50 years, are blacks better off, worse off, or the same? Because from the sound of the BLM, Black Community leaders, and so on, everything is worse now than ever (I happen to agree). The problem is that a symptom is being treated, and not the disease. The death of the Black Family has crippled that community. But since you can't or won't admit that the problem is right there, and the cause is the racist view of lower expectations "We can help you because America is racist" ...

      Yeah, I can't help you understand.

      --
      Agent K: A *person* is smart. People are dumb, stupid, panicky animals, and you know it.
  7. What was the code anyways? by medv4380 · · Score: 2

    I just want to know what level of crazy this person really was. Did he really have a novel piece of code, and just didn't know how to deal with the loss. Or are we dealing with a nutcase who saw a fellow student use a linked list the same way he did, and assumed that they must have gotten it from the teacher.

    1. Re:What was the code anyways? by axewolf · · Score: 2

      didn't know how to deal with the loss

      Actually it seems as though he knew exactly how to deal with the loss

    2. Re:What was the code anyways? by m00sh · · Score: 3, Informative

      I just want to know what level of crazy this person really was. Did he really have a novel piece of code, and just didn't know how to deal with the loss. Or are we dealing with a nutcase who saw a fellow student use a linked list the same way he did, and assumed that they must have gotten it from the teacher.

      He was a doctoral student. So, the code was probably few thousand hours of work over 2-3 years of research. Not a trivial homework code.

  8. the dark side of arduino by TheGratefulNet · · Score: 5, Interesting

    https://arduinohistory.github....

    worth a read. I had no idea massimo stole the idea from his student.

    I think a lot less of massimo now, sad to say. yeah, he messed up the top .1 spaced headers (a crime in itself) but taking a student's work and calling it your own, that's really something to be publicly shamed over.

    and yet, massimo does world tours claiming he's the arduino inventor guy.

    just read the student's post about how HE came up with the concepts and had it stolen from him. I feel for him and I can imagine that happening, too.

    --

    --
    "It is now safe to switch off your computer."
    1. Re:the dark side of arduino by quantaman · · Score: 4, Informative

      https://arduinohistory.github....

      worth a read. I had no idea massimo stole the idea from his student.

      I think a lot less of massimo now, sad to say. yeah, he messed up the top .1 spaced headers (a crime in itself) but taking a student's work and calling it your own, that's really something to be publicly shamed over.

      and yet, massimo does world tours claiming he's the arduino inventor guy.

      just read the student's post about how HE came up with the concepts and had it stolen from him. I feel for him and I can imagine that happening, too.

      The student may have gotten shafted in the history though I'm not sure it's right to say his work was stolen.

      The student master's project consisted of creating a platform called Wired, this platform was released as open source.

      The supervisor, who certainly had some significant input and guidance on the project, forked the Wired project and turned it into Arduino. This is a completely standard and proper thing to do with open source projects, heck I've done it. There are two different visions for the project, forking means that both have a chance to succeed, it would seems that Arduino was the more successful vision.

      It could be something similar happened here, though obviously with a bunch of other personal issues added on the part of the shooter. Sarkar was working on a project and had some conflicts with his supervisor. The supervisor decided to put another student on the project. Sarkar felt like his work was being stolen and had some sort of break down.

      It's tragic but I don't see any evidence that the supervisor did anything wrong other than not knowing how to help a student who was in a really bad state.

      --
      I stole this Sig
    2. Re:the dark side of arduino by tibit · · Score: 3

      The conclusion is rather simple: when talking about Aduino, the first thing from Banzi's, or anyone else involved in development of the project, should be "hey, it all started with the thesis of this Colombian guy, Hernando Barragán". That's all it'd take to be fair to Hernando. Nothing less. Nothing more. I happen to agree with Hernando. He doesn't wish fame nor prominence, nor a revenue stream from Arduino: just simple human acknowledgment.

      --
      A successful API design takes a mixture of software design and pedagogy.
  9. Re:Betrayal by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Why are you assuming what this obviously deranged person said actually represents the facts?

    --
    #DeleteChrome
  10. UC: students own the copyrights in their works by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    From the UCLA copyright information: "At UC, students generally own the copyrights in their creative works, including theses and dissertations. Any works produced by a registered student without the use of university funds (other than Student Financial Aid) is the intellectual property of the student."

    But we don't (yet?) know what really went down.

    1. Re:UC: students own the copyrights in their works by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 3, Informative

      "Any works produced by a registered student without the use of university funds (other than Student Financial Aid) is the intellectual property of the student."

      That's likely more aimed at undergrads. Grad students working with a faculty member are probably doing so while receiving funding as an RA.

      --
      #DeleteChrome
  11. Academic plagiarism by OccamsRazorTime · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Academic plagiarism is a huge issue and very common. I have even seen different academic departments (e.g. math vs physics) fight each other over these issues. When undergrad students and graduate students do work for a professor and are not named in the paper or the work is given to another student for use and publication, students have no recourse. It is important to understand that many grad students have no grant or employment contract which cedes IP rights to the university/professor. University in-house counsel and IP departments have no oversight of publication or assignment of credit. I would only perform work for a professor (for free without an employment contract) if I could demand a contract outlining ownership.

  12. Re:Mental illness by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    Well damn fool write some more code... your code is not like bodily fluids it is not that precious.

    In Engineering and Computer Science, code is quite valuable, particularly in PhD programs where the requirement is to demonstrate 5-10% new information as part of the program and do it within 6 years.

    Depending on the complexity of the work.. the code could potentially be worth a lot of money and taking quite a few years to perfect.

  13. Re:Never let a tragedy goes unexploited by cayenne8 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Cue flurry of handgun restriction bills in the near future.

    Well, obviously we need a terrorist computer science profession gun control list.

    We can't have all these unbalanced, introverted, jealous, code stealing folks out there running around able to buy guns in the US.

    I mean, I'm surprised it took THIS long to bring this subject up, considering all the many gun related killing comp sci folks commit annually.....ESPECIALLY in the University Systems where tenure is at stake!!

    --
    Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
  14. Re: Not the only one dead by DaHat · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Alas many posts from many people are rather crazy, yet very few of their authors go shoot people.

    How do you tell one from the other ahead of time?

  15. Re:Wow, a page from the Valery Fabrikant by lgw · · Score: 4, Informative

    The UCLA shooter, Mainak Sarkar, apparently had a list he was working his way down. His ex girlfriend has been found dead, and was on his list. He's a Muslim from India, BTW, though Islam seems to be a coincidence for once.

    Of course, it's still early, and more details always come to light in the week following a shooting, but this really looks like a guy settling all his grudges on his way out.

    --
    Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
  16. Re:Wow, a page from the Valery Fabrikant by U2xhc2hkb3QgU3Vja3M · · Score: 4, Funny

    Hey guys, look! An HTML Wizard is amongst us!

  17. Re:Mental illness by pesho · · Score: 2
    My understanding of the UCLA copyright policy is that the rights are divided by the university and the people who created the code (staff, students). The university has the largest share. I am not sure students are always entitled to a share. It will probably depend to a large degree on how involved the supervisor was in developing the code and how much the student contributed intellectually to the project. There is a quote in LA Times that suggests that the professor was more involved than usual with the work of the student:

    Klug, who was described by friends as a kind and caring man, worked diligently to help Sarkar finish his dissertation and graduate, even though the quality of Sarkar’s work was not stellar, one source said. “Bill was extremely generous to this student, who was a subpar student,” the person said.

    Passing code and data from one student to another is a normal and common practice that ensures continuity of the project, reproducibility of the research, etc. This guy is clearly nuts.

  18. Re:Mental illness by Archangel+Michael · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Someone steals your work (assuming that info is correct)
    The system doesn't care (assuming he reported it, and they all said "tough shit" or similar)
    You have two choices, take it in the ass like a bitch whore, or go on a rampage to bring attention to the cause.

    Now, before you go down the road of picking one side or another, the common theme these days, for wrongs committed but never addressed by the powers that be is to riot. Ferguson, Philly, Trevon, hell, even Trump. And while murder itself wasn't a direct result (that we know of) of these violent acts of protest, they were and are all violent acts of protest, and all fairly excused by implied consent among large parts of the population.

    No, I am not trolling here, the fact is, violent protests are more or less excused, and keep occurring because of that tacit approval that as long as the "wrong" is enough, violence is justifiable, at least to some degree.

    Now, my view is that VIOLENCE is the last resort of a free people, not the first course of action; Boxes: soap, ballot, jury, ammo ... in that order.

    --
    Agent K: A *person* is smart. People are dumb, stupid, panicky animals, and you know it.
  19. Re:Wow, a page from the Valery Fabrikant by lgw · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Not really a coincidence. Islam demands men seek retribution for their honor. It's one thing Muslim men take seriously.

    Over-generalization is always a bad idea. ;)

    Many recent shootings have been clearly tied to this sort of BS, no argument there, but those were accompanied by declarations of faith - the motivation wasn't at all unclear. This one is different (so far, anyway, it's still early days). Not everyone who lists a religion on a form actually cares about the tenets of their religion - heck, I'd bet most don't. I'm suspicious given the recent pattern, but let's go with facts as they emerge over assumption.

    --
    Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
  20. I wish people would recognize... by argStyopa · · Score: 4, Insightful

    ...that we have a serious culture-of-crazy-people-willing-to-kill-over-nothing problem; unfortunately, it's too politically useful to interpret it as a "gun problem".

    --
    -Styopa
    1. Re:I wish people would recognize... by KermodeBear · · Score: 4, Informative

      Of note: According to the FBI crime statistics, violent crime has been dropping steadily from 1993 through 2012. Crime, it seems, is not up at all - the media is just covering every single event with breathless desperation to make us think that there's some sort of massive, unheard-of epidemic going on. It's agenda driven, you can be sure.

      I think the USA should be lauded for this kind of progress. There's more work to be done, of course - one shooting is always one too many - but we're definitely on the right trajectory.

      --
      Love sees no species.
  21. Re:Under the circumstances? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    /* With thanks to the authors of hello_world.cpp /*

    In fairness to the shooter, I also go nuts when someone checks in sh*t that won't compile properly.

  22. Re:Wow, a page from the Valery Fabrikant by Flavianoep · · Score: 2, Informative

    There is more violence in Venezuela than in the US, even with guns banned. It's not so simple.

    --
    Linux is for people who don't mind RTFM.
  23. Re:Wow, a page from the Valery Fabrikant by LiENUS · · Score: 3, Interesting

    1% of the population in the us vs 5% of the population in the uk, that's a big difference. That said I don't think muslim is the problem here. It's just a shield to hide their own personal violence behind.

  24. Re:Wow, a page from the Valery Fabrikant by rand.srand() · · Score: 2

    There are a few religions with their own country that have seats in the UN, but Islam isn't one of them.

    And there are some people that will lie, cheat, steal, and hurt you, but hey don't exclusively belong to any group. They are mixed in among everyone and the most dangerous ones are the ones that wear the same clothes as you.

  25. Re:Unstable people are dangerous. by prisoner-of-enigma · · Score: 2

    They evidently can't read either. Didn't he know he was entering a "gun free zone"? If he'd seen the signs saying guns were not allowed he would've undoubtedly stopped and rethought his actions.

    Clearly we need more signs and enhanced reading programs so people can be sure to see them and be able to read them clearly. That will stop all gun crime for sure.

    --
    In the end they will lay their freedom at our feet and say to us, Make us your slaves, but feed us. - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
  26. Re:Wow, a page from the Valery Fabrikant by Flavianoep · · Score: 2

    Muslims don't look so violent if you consider the other causes, like political unrest, foreign forces occupation, wars, etc. Borders also are more relevant as cause of violence in Muslim countries than religion, just compare their violence rates with those of the countries with border disputes.

    --
    Linux is for people who don't mind RTFM.
  27. Re:Wow, a page from the Valery Fabrikant by quantaman · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Not really a coincidence. Islam demands men seek retribution for their honor. It's one thing Muslim men take seriously.

    So do Texans, you don't see calls to build a wall around Texas every time someone gets killed in a bar fight.

    Look at the number of girls killed by their own fathers because of perceived honor.

    And in those cases there is a clear religious/cultural motive.

    This is nothing new. We in America are only now really seeing what Islam really is. I was in and around the US military for 26 years. One thing I know for absolute certain that is not being discussed is that Islam is not really a religion--it's a political system with a religious element. Islam and its adherents base their actions on Sharia Law. Full stop. The media is very, very reluctant to point this out.

    Isn't the US having a big debate about gay marriage? There seems to be a lot of arguments popping up based on Christian law.

    Sure most Islamic nations take it a bit further, as do many Muslims. There's also a lot of Muslims trying to go the other way as well.

    Notice the difference between how Islam and Christianity are treated today in the US. Ask yourself this question: What do you think homosexual activists are not asking Muslim bakers to bake them a cake for their weddings? Do you honestly think that this line of action would even be considered? There answer is no.

    Those activists are trying to change laws and establish new norms. You do that by confronting the majority, not by picking fights with a small politically irrelevant minority.

    For those not believing what I said above about Islam being a political system with a religious element need to look at this for themselves. You will come to see I am correct. The military used to operate under this understanding, but the current administration has forbidden this. Why? We all know why. This administration does nothing but coddle Islam, refuses to use the term "Islamic terrorism", allows a known terrorist organization, the Muslim Brotherhood into the WH, the list goes on.

    They're trying to end fights, not start them.

    You're basing this whole idea on speculation around the shooter's specific beliefs and motives, truthfully we have no idea of his specific motives or beliefs aside from the fact he probably agreed that the label "Muslim" described some of them.

    Of course having that label "Muslim" I'm certain that a particular political candidate won't be able to keep their mouth shut.

    --
    I stole this Sig
  28. he also had a hit list and murdered a woman by publiclurker · · Score: 2

    given the evidence, I'd pretty much ignore anything he said without a heck of a lot of corroborating evidence.

  29. Re:Wow, a page from the Valery Fabrikant by roubles · · Score: 2

    Except that the shooter is most likely not muslim. *Sigh* Sarkar is a common bengali surname, and most likely hindu: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... Your unjustified rant sounds like a classic case of: http://imgur.com/t75V7oe

  30. Re:Wow, a page from the Valery Fabrikant by AK+Marc · · Score: 2

    Do they have a strong central government enforcing those laws, or are they "banned" in name only, and enforced only against.political enemies?

  31. Re:Wow, a page from the Valery Fabrikant by sir1963nz · · Score: 2

    As opposed to the 14,000 Americans shot and killed by Americans each year. Then there are the thousands shot and killed by law enforcement each year.

  32. Re:Wow, a page from the Valery Fabrikant by jeffmflanagan · · Score: 4, Insightful

    You do realize there are over 3 million Muslims in the United States, right?

    And too many radicalized Conservatives think these peaceful Muslims, many of whom escaped hellholes to live here, are all out to get us.

    We should ask where our Conservatives were radicalized in the same way we look into how some Muslims get radicalized. I'm pretty sure hate-radio, wingnut blogs, and Fox News are the cause.

  33. Re:Wow, a page from the Valery Fabrikant by NoImNotNineVolt · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Notice the difference between how Islam and Christianity are treated today in the US. Ask yourself this question: What do you think homosexual activists are not asking Muslim bakers to bake them a cake for their weddings?

    You know who else they're not asking? Jews. Hindus. Buddhists. Sikhs. Taoists. Jains. Zoroastrians. Satanists. Wiccans.

    Clearly it's not Muslims that are getting some special treatment here, it's Christians. But is it because of some hypothesized 'War on Christianity'?

    Or is it the fact that 70.6% of the US population is some form of Christian, and another 22.8% is unaffiliated with any religion. That leaves 6.6% of the US population split across all of the world's various other religions. Indeed, only 0.9% of the US population adheres to Islam. We should expect 1 in every 111 targets of homosexual-activists-asking-people-to-bake-them-gay-cakes to be Muslim. Are you suggesting that you're aware of this many such events, as well as the religious leanings of every baker targeted this way?

    Of course, these estimates assume uniform distribution of religious minorities, gay activists, and homophobic bakers. If you actually had the demographic data to not rely on such a simplistic assumption, I wouldn't be surprised if the odds of targeting a Muslim baker were even lower-still (as I suspect that religious minorities are more well-represented in areas that are more tolerant, and that gay activists would be attempting this baking schtick in areas that are less tolerant).

    But this is all conjecture. I fully grant that it's entirely possible that you're right and no gay rights activists are targeting Muslim bakers because Muslim bakers inspire such a profoundly deep fear in their enemies.

    --
    Chuuch. Preach. Tabernacle.
  34. Re:Wow, a page from the Valery Fabrikant by damn_registrars · · Score: 2

    Keypunch stations? As in a mechanical punch? Sheesh. Kid, in my day we punched them by hand and we liked it that way. How are you supposed to have pride in it if you don't punch it yourself?

    --
    Damn_registrars has no butt-hole. Damn_registrars has no use for a butt-hole.
  35. Re:Wow, a page from the Valery Fabrikant by neoritter · · Score: 2

    The US thankfully doesn't get the more unsavory Muslims from abroad in the numbers that Europe does. It's a lot harder to just walk to us. But this is one of the leading reasons they think the US hasn't seen the same or as many issues from Muslims here as they are seeing in Europe.

  36. Re:Wow, a page from the Valery Fabrikant by Anonymous+Cow+Ward · · Score: 2

    Islam is not a race. Being broadly anti-Muslim is bad, but not racism. Being critical of some parts of Islam (either how it's currently practiced in some areas, or some of its teachings) does not make you a racist either.

    --
    Examine even your most deeply held beliefs. Nobody is always right.
  37. Re:Wow, a page from the Valery Fabrikant by ghoul · · Score: 2

    Bullshit. Sarcar is a Hindu Surname

    --
    **Life is too short to be serious**
  38. Re:Wow, a page from the Valery Fabrikant by zcubed11 · · Score: 2

    Except he wasn't Muslim... https://www.everipedia.com/mai... His name is distinctly Hindu.

  39. Re:Wow, a page from the Valery Fabrikant by Beeftopia · · Score: 2

    I'll tell you the primary power difference between Christianity and Islam:

    1) Jesus said, "Render to Caesar what is Caesar and to God what is God's". This cleaves the core religion from government. Jesus was a single, poor itinerant preacher who was crucified between thieves. One can be a good Christian and accept a separation of church and state.

    2) Muhammad was a political and military leader who created a religion which also was a system of government. There can be no separation of church and state in Islam. One cannot be a good Muslim and accept a separation of mosque and state.

    Henry VIII was sick of being pushed around by the Catholic Church, a competing power center to his own. So he formed the Anglican church and set himself as the head of it.

    The Founders said, in the First Amendment, that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof". They too understood organized religion as a competing power center and knew not to allow one to spread its roots to take hold of the government. Such a dichotomy is nonsensical in Islam.

  40. Re:Mental illness by Archangel+Michael · · Score: 2

    IMHO, the age of University is quickly dying. While it will likely never completely disappear, the structure is likely to really be different in the next 40 years. The whole world's knowledge is at our fingertips, all we have to do is look. Do not let school get in the way of your education.

    Today, I've learned a little bit about AstroPhysics, Biology, Philosophy, and a tad about History. Yesterday, I learned something about cooking, gardening, and health/wellness.

    I've learned more in the last year, than I did in four years of college. Because I am not prescribed a schedule of study, I can study a much broader scope, and as deep of a level as I want, on topics that interests me, than the university I attended 30 years ago could provide. There is NO piece of paper that can show what I know, because all that represents is a stagnate single point of time.

    --
    Agent K: A *person* is smart. People are dumb, stupid, panicky animals, and you know it.
  41. Re: Wow, a page from the Valery Fabrikant by Aristos+Mazer · · Score: 2

    We (USA) did massive damage in the Mid-East long before 911. We sustained the Shah to get oil, we backed the creation ex nihilo of Israel, among other things. In more recent times, our cultural influence from Hollywood and music is easily viewed as an attack (we may not have intended it, but we were massively disruptive in many parts of the world with our mass media). We (USA) are largely seen as the successors to the British and the abuses of the colonial system. If a person believes that sons should answer for the sins of their fathers, it's easy to justify a 911 attack. And now we are a part of the mess that has been raging for centuries.