J. K. Rowling didn't make enough money on Harry Potter, so she had to make sure that the 'Harry Potter Lexicon' was shut down.
Since when does the amount of money made on any work have even the least bit to do with whether or not someone can plagiarize such work? Infringement is infringement no matter how much the creator has made. This judgment was just, fair and well deserved.
As a web developer and UI/UX designer I am shocked at the lack of thought put into this particular function. The reasons for security are one thing, but who the hell designed this crap? The percentage of people who don't read error messages thoroughly are huge. The design of this specific error page leads one to believe from first glance that the site is not reachable at all. Even a better designed page, that has an original look that leads a user to read the message and follow the steps would be massive improvement. Whoever at Mozilla thought this error design, displayed for this function, was a good thing is an idiot and has no business making these kinds of decisions.
With all due respect to your view point, I find you to be a flip flopper. Your original post is an appeasement to China's actions while simultaneously blaming the west (for reasons beyond me - this has nothing to do with western nations) for doing nothing to end human rights abuses in their country (which has nothing to do with this topic). It doesn't need to be debated, the/. community has obviously spoken with their mod points and child posts.
I suggest you rethink your perspective and separate two very different subjects.
1) You are absolutely correct that China's human rights record is abysmal; unfortunately it's off-topic and has nothing to do with this specific issue.
2) You're incorrect by implying they should be rewarded by not being called out for cheating. A rule is a rule.
If you want to call attention to their abuses on an international level what would be better than to embarrass them at their own 'coming out party' by calling attention to governmentaly-condoned cheating? International press is needed to show the Chinese they must work harder on their treatment of their citizens. The only way to do this is to show them their policies, in general, will only embarrass them in the global community. Publicly yanking this metal for cheating would be a great start.
The way I see it, it is possible that China is acting within an ethical framework - albeit one that most Western societies don't agree with. From their point of view, they're putting their best athlete forward - and doing so seems natural. The age restriction is something that is there to satisfy Western mores; that children should not be competing at that level. Actually, I think our objection there is rather poorly defined.
Irrelevant. Cheating is cheating. They are aware of the rules and have made a conscious effort to hide their actions - which makes them guilty. They may believe that the rule is bogus but I don't buy for a second that Chinese culture sees deception on the world stage as moral or honorable. If they believe the rule should be changed the only responsible course is to present their case to the IOC. It's been done before (1997).
They could very easily say "Yes, the girl is 14, but she won - the rule is bad." The IOC could take away the gold at that point (would possibly have to), but that is all the more reason that China could give as to why the rest of the world is not as awesome as they are; that they have to take away gold medals from true winners and hide behind some sort of age discrimination.
There are reasons for the rules. In past Olympics, elite competitors consisted almost exclusively of "pixies" -- underweight, prepubertal teenagers -- and concerns were raised about athlete welfare. There must be standards; without them we would see the athlete-health become secondary to winning allowing for further human-rights abuse. Any reasonably insightful individual can see why allowing countries to abuse their citizens for any gain is bad for humanity on all levels. Your perspective obviously condones doping as well - should we allow our athletes to artificially enhance themselves? Should gold-metal winners who cop to doping later not be stripped of their metal? What about when technology becomes advanced enough that we could use robotic implants - should we allow a cyborg to compete in weight lifting if their implants enhance their abilities 1000-fold? Where does it end? Standards.
What is the correct western action? I actually think it's to embrace the idea that not sending children to the Olympics is a value we find important, and a rule we will adopt for ourselves - in our regional or country Olympic Committees - and not attempt to enforce on other contestants. It speaks much louder to say, "We could put forth an underage contestant but we find that unpalatable. Therefore we will act in accordance with our beliefs and put in only older athletes." Of course, the consequence to both ethical actions is fewer gold medals.
I couldn't disagree more. Again, there must be standards. The rules are in place to protect children from the physical abuses of the gymnastic sport - just because the west objected to the age for these reasons doesn't make it less valid. If we were to do away with international standards such as these, what stands in the way of a government abusing its children to find the best? Or doping athlete's? Blah, blah, blah... The objective is to bring the world together under a common standard - not to win at all costs.
The worst part about that is it follows our general trend of failing to get at the root issues that are of true concern; people suffering under an authoritarian regime is of real concern. That regime lying is, well, almost to be expected. Yet, of these two issues, the lie is the thing we will argue endlessly about - and throw our hands up at the actual suffering.
If we allow countries to lie in international games such as this - which is the same as cheating - then we allow and enable them to continue behaving in an objectionable manner. True, in this case, it is the west that is objecting but it goes both ways. We are not saints (See Marion Jones).
I can't wait until somebody finally gets around to making a full EV car that seats two with ABS and Airbags, PS, Heat and AC, even if it only goes 100 miles.
If they can do it under $25k I'm there with cash in hand.
Ditto. Patience is a virtue as it is already on it's way: Tesla Sedan Press Release (7/30/2008). My guess is the sedan will be priced in the $40-$50K range. However, I understand Tesla is actively negotiating with established manufactures to license their engine technology; which will help to drive down costs over time. Unless something happens to kill the electric car (again) I would buy into the belief a $25K- 500-mile EV could be a reality within 10 years.
I find Chevy's Volt a pathetic attempt. Tesla has already come to market and shat all over the Volt's range. Even with alternative range-extending on-board sources (e.g. E85) they're WAY behind the curve. If Tesla's technology already gives them 200+ mile range in cars that are on the road today, just imagine how much more efficient they'll have made things in 3-4 years.
I agree. Seems blatantly obvious considering his choice of actions. Someone willing to go to the extent he has, knowing full-well he was going to get legally reamed, likely was dismissed for very good reasons.
Curious. Did you ever consider he doesn't believe he's wrong?
We're in agreement with the belief his actions were the wrong course but that doesn't mean he thinks so. Why do so many people think so linearly? If he doesn't turn around on the issue it might be because he actually thinks he's correct in his opinion given the information. He may decide in the future (which is entirely open-ended) that it indeed was the wrong decision but that it was the right one at the time given the information at hand. That doesn't make him corrupt or stubborn; just a man with a different perspective and someone whose been entrusted with the authority to make a decision on behalf of his constituents (which currently are the people of the state of Illinois).
IMHO you are flat wrong in your perspective of this reality. Because you didn't site any specific cases in which a post-9/11 company broke current law and was then given immunity I must assume you have none to share; and that is the point.
FACT: telecoms broke constitutional law when complying with NSA warrant-less wiretapping. The law requires law enforcement agencies to get a warrant before tapping - that is, they must show cause to a judge that there is reasonable evidence for a wire tap. They had no warrant, the telecoms had no right to allow the NSA access to spy on Americans.
What congress has done, by allowing retroactive immunity to a crime for political gain, is a treasonous act. If flys in the face of the American constitution and the freedom's our forefathers and military personal, past and present, have died to protect.
Your are incorrect sir, this is not a matter of policy (and no, you're not a traitor for disagreeing - the logic bringing you to that conclusion is equally as flawed as your perspective in this matter), it is a matter of changing the law to suit political objectives after it has been broken. Policy is created before, not after the fact.
Using the alternative logic, it doesn't matter what the law is as long as there are enough politician in agreement at any given time. That's not democracy, that's dictatorship. Wake up.
Style sheets and JavaScript are better solutions for most applications.
Again, usability is 100% relative to individual users and situations. It is impossible to satisfy everyone. Web dev's must choose the appropriate tool for the desired outcome - forcing use of a tool or method because it fits a general standard might limit the ability to achieve the end result.
It is up to the company who is developing the product to determine what the best tool for the job is. And it is the performance of the product relative to the desired result that says whether or not the method is/was appropriate.
It is an irrelevant argument to claim that one method is "better" than another in a web dev's line of work. A method is only better than another when weighed against the desired result. A sweeping statement is ridiculous and akin to claiming something tastes better - it is either true or not depending upon your perspective, culture, desires, needs, tastes, history, blah, blah, blah.
Just my humble opinion but one made as a direct result of years of experience in the field. Whatever... it's worked for me so I guess that's all that matters.
Seriously. My Aunt is one of them. She is they type of person that is petrified the heathens are going to murder us all. They are out there.
Without the intention of passing sweeping judgment against all religious folk, my experience so far has been the more religious (specifically I'm exposed to some Born-Again-Christians)("more religious" meaning the more the good book is taken literally) a person is or the more uneducated (or both - ugg) the more likely they are to buy into the fear-mongering. That's just an observation however and it seems to be linked directly to the consumption of mainstream and religious-based media broadcasts.
The point is, they are out there... that's what scares me most of all. However, I must admit the number of these individuals I have direct contact with is limited. If I was a betting man, I'd say the reason for that is that most of us here on/. are not going to be subject to the type of individuals I base my observations on because most of us are science-driven, which, is generally just a different culture. I think those who are less capable of critical-thinking beyond the 700-Club are probably not within our social groups which is why we are not as aware of their presence in mass.
Again, I'm not intending to insult anyone's belief's, just noting that the fearful do exist and my observations show them generally on that end of the spectrum.
As a web developer I must say your perspective of blaming the plug-in for usability issues is downright ignorant. Usability, for web dev's, should be the very first thought. The web must be usable in order to function properly. Usability however is completely relative to individual users (it is impossible for us to satisfy everyone -especially considering the vast number of platforms in use) and the simple fact of the matter is that web dev's must choose the appropriate tool for the desired outcome.
It may be the company doesn't give a damn if you can use a browser's search function to find text on a page. It's a downside, but not necessarily one that wasn't considered and the tossed out the window. Marketing goals don't necessarily have to jive with your personal needs and it may simply be that a company designed a site in Flash because the overall target market is better reached with that medium - you may very well not be that target market; get over it.
Blaming a plug-in because you can't use a site the way you want to is irrational and on par with getting irritated with a website for being offline when your ISP is to blame for bad connectivity - at fault is supreme ignorance of the basics. What happened to critical thinking?
Email is text messaging...it wasn't originally meant to be marked up, it was to be read as simple plain text.
I seem to recall a similar argument taking place 20 years ago when people wanted to put photos on their web pages. Perhaps distinctly different protocols but the same situation HTML was in. The market is demanding more from email just like it demanded more from HTML. Tech morphs to what the market demands. The more people use Email for mainstream communication the more the medium will be forced to adapt to how people want to use it. I find is strange how resistant people are to that obvious fact.
Not only that, but one of the big reasons I enjoy PC games over console is the vast number of mods and independents who take games and make them better - often long after the original developers have given up.
I fully agree that TFA is narrow-minded in it's view of what makes a game attractive - graphics are great but it can be pretty and pretty-lame at the same time. Gameplay will always remain the key to decent gaming (in fact the success of the Wii against Xbox/PS3 is probably a perfect example of this in action).
Seems to me that if younger workers are MORE security aware then I'm not sure how it's fair to summarize them as posing "increasing risk" simply because they use peripheral devices. Those who are mentally unable to wrap their minds around the basic 'safe practices' of network use would seem to pose a higher security risk then those who simply plug-in a peripheral device - especially so if the user of the device is well aware of security and how it relates to that device (assuming, of course, that this individual actively cares about security to begin with).
Non-savvy users are more likely to engage in risky behavior and have no clue. In other words, it would seem to me that ignorance in how to be safe a far more risky.
Our society has become self-complacent. We, as a society, will do nothing to fight against injustice unless we feel it in our homes. It makes no difference if the media says we are being spied upon or if some guys on TV go and die for a war that doesn't affect me directly (I personally don't know anyone in the military, sure I'm not the only one where the war exists only on TV). It matters only if we feel it. Society, as a whole, must feel violated in order to force a drastic change within itself.
The kicker, of course, is that because we have to feel it we are wholly susceptible to manipulation of our feelings. There simply aren't enough insightful, intelligent people in our national community to counter the massive manipulation the Bush administration has mastered through the media and political double-speak (e.g. It's not torture, it's enhanced interrogation methods!); they just give us each $600 bucks and say everything's groovy.
It's really pathetic how materialism and self-riotous we have become (as a whole, mind you). Fortunately we are starting to get a taste of why Barak Obama has done so well in our current democratic primary - he helps people remember what it feels like to have national pride; why it feels good to be an American. The media vultures may pick it apart but his wife spoke truth when she said, "this is the first time in my adult life I am proud to be an American;" perhaps not the first time, but certainly one of the very few for me (I'm 30 so most of my adult-life has been spent watching Bush destroy many great things I learned about this country in school as a kid).
Not an Obama fanboi, but I do hope we have more people like him start to speak about unity, hope and peace cause it just makes me sad to think I'm nationally-related to men like G. W. Bush.
People date whomever they choose to date and the rest of us are jackasses in questioning whether-or-not they have any business doing so. Who the hell are we to even ask if they have a justification to explore their personalities together? Just because someone has a belief that the other does not doesn't make them less interesting. I feel slightly dumber for having ever run across such crap.
The problem is the money and power. The bigger they get the less it matters. What are corporations gonna do, turn to Linux desktop or OS X? Not gonna happen on a broad scale anytime soon (although I'm sure Vista is helping IT make Linux arguments more viable).
It is apparent one cannot have an intellectual discussion with an unarmed man. I pity those who have to speak with you in person. Perhaps you would do better if you revisited grade-school to learn the proper way to play with others.
Privilege means private law - Incorrect. Definition of privilege: a special advantage, immunity or benefit not enjoyed by all. We are indeed entitled freedom - Incorrect. Definition of entitled: qualified for by right according to law; "we are all entitled to equal protection under the law"
Fact: The freedoms enjoyed by those in the 'free world' are of the privileged few; of which American's are a part.
Privileged are those who have. Unprivileged are those who have-not. Entitlement is what government grants. And a large majority of world governments do not entitle their citizens to freedom.
My wife and I have a couple of friends who, about a year ago, sold all of their worldly possessions and, relying on the income of a small email management company, started traveling the world. Needless to say their treks have made an impression and the change in their views of everything have become quite profound.
We received an email from them today and I found the content of the message fitting for this forum. Please read on...
Molly and I saw the second showing in the world of "Lions for Lambs" while we were in England. We missed the premier (and Tom Cruise) by one day. That movie made a pretty big impact on me, one of those movies that you keep thinking about long after you left the theater. The main thing I kept thinking about was "When did I stop showing up?"
You may not know this but I was very involved in student government during high school, including becoming the ASB President my senior year. I used to be involved, committed to change, and ready to defend against injustice and tyranny (like our school policy against wearing shorts) to the nth degree. Then something happened.
It didn't happen with a big bang, and really I didn't even realized that it happened until Robert Redford poked his finger in my chest with that movie. "When did you stop showing up..." it kept ringing in my head. I got carried away with my own life. I thought that all the problems were bigger than me. I got fat, lazy, greedy and self centered.
As we travel around the globe the number one bonding question that vendors ask you is "Where you from?" When we reply "America", there is usually just dead silence. It's as if you can hear their mother's instructions in their conscious saying if you can't say something nice about somebody, don't say anything at all..." When bars post flags out front as if to welcome their different international clientele, our flag is usually missing.
Like many Americans, I am near tears about the state of my country. Our leaders, if you can call them that, are ignorant, arrogant and self serving. I keep telling myself, only 346 more days, only 346 more days. And although that will be a great day in American history, it's not really the problem. I am the problem.
Despite my gifts for action and persuasion, I sit idly by while my country's resources are squandered on war, and pork, and to line the pockets of the already rich via their squadron of lobbyists plying the halls of congress. I allowed us to have a leader that is mocked by the rest of the world by not doing more last election. I allowed our country to lose all of it's moral authority by condoning a government now committed to torture, suspending the privacy rights and the spying of it's citizens without a warrant (for a worthy cause!) and other atrocities.
Well, I'm here to say - I'm done. I'm angry at myself and this email is my first step to correct things.
The Problems are numerous
Energy Policy
My country is deeply committed to funding our enemies by continuing our addiction to foreign oil.
Did you know that you and I subsidize the oil industry (please read this article) to the tune of 14 Billion dollars, while just today Exxon announced the highest yearly profit by any US company ever - over 40.65 Billion Dollars!
40 Billion. And I can promise you that my accounting friends will agree, that Exxon did everything in it's creative bookkeeping grab bag to take ever deferment and write-down even remotely possible before releasing that embarrassing number.
Could you imaging being the CEO of Exxon's neighbor, walking over and taking $40 bucks out of your pocket and saying here Bill, the government thought you should have this. Yet that is exactly what you and I are doing. By the way, have you noticed that gas prices spike an hour after bad oil industry news, yet take weeks to drop after good news? Where do you think that spread goes? It adds up to 40 Billion at Exxon. It adds up to 25 Billion at Shel
Idealism is not a reality and those that argue as though it is live in a fairy tale.
The majority of th world is not free be it a human right or not thus making it a privilege for the few. This fact should give lead to humility and gratitude and not entitlement. Reality doesn't exist in ideology for us any more than for those who would seek to destroy us.
Slashdot Mirror
J. K. Rowling didn't make enough money on Harry Potter, so she had to make sure that the 'Harry Potter Lexicon' was shut down.
Since when does the amount of money made on any work have even the least bit to do with whether or not someone can plagiarize such work? Infringement is infringement no matter how much the creator has made. This judgment was just, fair and well deserved.
As a web developer and UI/UX designer I am shocked at the lack of thought put into this particular function. The reasons for security are one thing, but who the hell designed this crap? The percentage of people who don't read error messages thoroughly are huge. The design of this specific error page leads one to believe from first glance that the site is not reachable at all. Even a better designed page, that has an original look that leads a user to read the message and follow the steps would be massive improvement. Whoever at Mozilla thought this error design, displayed for this function, was a good thing is an idiot and has no business making these kinds of decisions.
IMHO of course.
With all due respect to your view point, I find you to be a flip flopper. Your original post is an appeasement to China's actions while simultaneously blaming the west (for reasons beyond me - this has nothing to do with western nations) for doing nothing to end human rights abuses in their country (which has nothing to do with this topic). It doesn't need to be debated, the /. community has obviously spoken with their mod points and child posts.
I suggest you rethink your perspective and separate two very different subjects.
1) You are absolutely correct that China's human rights record is abysmal; unfortunately it's off-topic and has nothing to do with this specific issue.
2) You're incorrect by implying they should be rewarded by not being called out for cheating. A rule is a rule.
If you want to call attention to their abuses on an international level what would be better than to embarrass them at their own 'coming out party' by calling attention to governmentaly-condoned cheating? International press is needed to show the Chinese they must work harder on their treatment of their citizens. The only way to do this is to show them their policies, in general, will only embarrass them in the global community. Publicly yanking this metal for cheating would be a great start.
The way I see it, it is possible that China is acting within an ethical framework - albeit one that most Western societies don't agree with. From their point of view, they're putting their best athlete forward - and doing so seems natural. The age restriction is something that is there to satisfy Western mores; that children should not be competing at that level. Actually, I think our objection there is rather poorly defined.
Irrelevant. Cheating is cheating. They are aware of the rules and have made a conscious effort to hide their actions - which makes them guilty. They may believe that the rule is bogus but I don't buy for a second that Chinese culture sees deception on the world stage as moral or honorable. If they believe the rule should be changed the only responsible course is to present their case to the IOC. It's been done before (1997).
They could very easily say "Yes, the girl is 14, but she won - the rule is bad." The IOC could take away the gold at that point (would possibly have to), but that is all the more reason that China could give as to why the rest of the world is not as awesome as they are; that they have to take away gold medals from true winners and hide behind some sort of age discrimination.
There are reasons for the rules. In past Olympics, elite competitors consisted almost exclusively of "pixies" -- underweight, prepubertal teenagers -- and concerns were raised about athlete welfare. There must be standards; without them we would see the athlete-health become secondary to winning allowing for further human-rights abuse. Any reasonably insightful individual can see why allowing countries to abuse their citizens for any gain is bad for humanity on all levels. Your perspective obviously condones doping as well - should we allow our athletes to artificially enhance themselves? Should gold-metal winners who cop to doping later not be stripped of their metal? What about when technology becomes advanced enough that we could use robotic implants - should we allow a cyborg to compete in weight lifting if their implants enhance their abilities 1000-fold? Where does it end? Standards.
What is the correct western action? I actually think it's to embrace the idea that not sending children to the Olympics is a value we find important, and a rule we will adopt for ourselves - in our regional or country Olympic Committees - and not attempt to enforce on other contestants. It speaks much louder to say, "We could put forth an underage contestant but we find that unpalatable. Therefore we will act in accordance with our beliefs and put in only older athletes." Of course, the consequence to both ethical actions is fewer gold medals.
I couldn't disagree more. Again, there must be standards. The rules are in place to protect children from the physical abuses of the gymnastic sport - just because the west objected to the age for these reasons doesn't make it less valid. If we were to do away with international standards such as these, what stands in the way of a government abusing its children to find the best? Or doping athlete's? Blah, blah, blah... The objective is to bring the world together under a common standard - not to win at all costs.
The worst part about that is it follows our general trend of failing to get at the root issues that are of true concern; people suffering under an authoritarian regime is of real concern. That regime lying is, well, almost to be expected. Yet, of these two issues, the lie is the thing we will argue endlessly about - and throw our hands up at the actual suffering.
If we allow countries to lie in international games such as this - which is the same as cheating - then we allow and enable them to continue behaving in an objectionable manner. True, in this case, it is the west that is objecting but it goes both ways. We are not saints (See Marion Jones).
Not anymore... *1/2 billion fingers point in your direction*
I can't wait until somebody finally gets around to making a full EV car that seats two with ABS and Airbags, PS, Heat and AC, even if it only goes 100 miles.
Done: Tesla; and 2.5x more range too. Next.
If they can do it under $25k I'm there with cash in hand.
Ditto. Patience is a virtue as it is already on it's way: Tesla Sedan Press Release (7/30/2008). My guess is the sedan will be priced in the $40-$50K range. However, I understand Tesla is actively negotiating with established manufactures to license their engine technology; which will help to drive down costs over time. Unless something happens to kill the electric car (again) I would buy into the belief a $25K- 500-mile EV could be a reality within 10 years.
I find Chevy's Volt a pathetic attempt. Tesla has already come to market and shat all over the Volt's range. Even with alternative range-extending on-board sources (e.g. E85) they're WAY behind the curve. If Tesla's technology already gives them 200+ mile range in cars that are on the road today, just imagine how much more efficient they'll have made things in 3-4 years.
Mod-up! Friggin' DUH. Why did it take so long in this thread to find someone with common-sense? Oh, nm, it's /. *rolls eyes*
I agree. Seems blatantly obvious considering his choice of actions. Someone willing to go to the extent he has, knowing full-well he was going to get legally reamed, likely was dismissed for very good reasons.
If he can admit he is wrong...
Curious. Did you ever consider he doesn't believe he's wrong?
We're in agreement with the belief his actions were the wrong course but that doesn't mean he thinks so. Why do so many people think so linearly? If he doesn't turn around on the issue it might be because he actually thinks he's correct in his opinion given the information. He may decide in the future (which is entirely open-ended) that it indeed was the wrong decision but that it was the right one at the time given the information at hand. That doesn't make him corrupt or stubborn; just a man with a different perspective and someone whose been entrusted with the authority to make a decision on behalf of his constituents (which currently are the people of the state of Illinois).
IMHO you are flat wrong in your perspective of this reality. Because you didn't site any specific cases in which a post-9/11 company broke current law and was then given immunity I must assume you have none to share; and that is the point.
FACT: telecoms broke constitutional law when complying with NSA warrant-less wiretapping. The law requires law enforcement agencies to get a warrant before tapping - that is, they must show cause to a judge that there is reasonable evidence for a wire tap. They had no warrant, the telecoms had no right to allow the NSA access to spy on Americans.
What congress has done, by allowing retroactive immunity to a crime for political gain, is a treasonous act. If flys in the face of the American constitution and the freedom's our forefathers and military personal, past and present, have died to protect.
Your are incorrect sir, this is not a matter of policy (and no, you're not a traitor for disagreeing - the logic bringing you to that conclusion is equally as flawed as your perspective in this matter), it is a matter of changing the law to suit political objectives after it has been broken. Policy is created before, not after the fact.
Using the alternative logic, it doesn't matter what the law is as long as there are enough politician in agreement at any given time. That's not democracy, that's dictatorship. Wake up.
Style sheets and JavaScript are better solutions for most applications.
Again, usability is 100% relative to individual users and situations. It is impossible to satisfy everyone. Web dev's must choose the appropriate tool for the desired outcome - forcing use of a tool or method because it fits a general standard might limit the ability to achieve the end result.
It is up to the company who is developing the product to determine what the best tool for the job is. And it is the performance of the product relative to the desired result that says whether or not the method is/was appropriate.
It is an irrelevant argument to claim that one method is "better" than another in a web dev's line of work. A method is only better than another when weighed against the desired result. A sweeping statement is ridiculous and akin to claiming something tastes better - it is either true or not depending upon your perspective, culture, desires, needs, tastes, history, blah, blah, blah.
Just my humble opinion but one made as a direct result of years of experience in the field. Whatever... it's worked for me so I guess that's all that matters.
Seriously. My Aunt is one of them. She is they type of person that is petrified the heathens are going to murder us all. They are out there.
/. are not going to be subject to the type of individuals I base my observations on because most of us are science-driven, which, is generally just a different culture. I think those who are less capable of critical-thinking beyond the 700-Club are probably not within our social groups which is why we are not as aware of their presence in mass.
Without the intention of passing sweeping judgment against all religious folk, my experience so far has been the more religious (specifically I'm exposed to some Born-Again-Christians)("more religious" meaning the more the good book is taken literally) a person is or the more uneducated (or both - ugg) the more likely they are to buy into the fear-mongering. That's just an observation however and it seems to be linked directly to the consumption of mainstream and religious-based media broadcasts.
The point is, they are out there... that's what scares me most of all. However, I must admit the number of these individuals I have direct contact with is limited. If I was a betting man, I'd say the reason for that is that most of us here on
Again, I'm not intending to insult anyone's belief's, just noting that the fearful do exist and my observations show them generally on that end of the spectrum.
As a web developer I must say your perspective of blaming the plug-in for usability issues is downright ignorant. Usability, for web dev's, should be the very first thought. The web must be usable in order to function properly. Usability however is completely relative to individual users (it is impossible for us to satisfy everyone -especially considering the vast number of platforms in use) and the simple fact of the matter is that web dev's must choose the appropriate tool for the desired outcome.
It may be the company doesn't give a damn if you can use a browser's search function to find text on a page. It's a downside, but not necessarily one that wasn't considered and the tossed out the window. Marketing goals don't necessarily have to jive with your personal needs and it may simply be that a company designed a site in Flash because the overall target market is better reached with that medium - you may very well not be that target market; get over it.
Blaming a plug-in because you can't use a site the way you want to is irrational and on par with getting irritated with a website for being offline when your ISP is to blame for bad connectivity - at fault is supreme ignorance of the basics. What happened to critical thinking?
Email is text messaging...it wasn't originally meant to be marked up, it was to be read as simple plain text.
I seem to recall a similar argument taking place 20 years ago when people wanted to put photos on their web pages. Perhaps distinctly different protocols but the same situation HTML was in. The market is demanding more from email just like it demanded more from HTML. Tech morphs to what the market demands. The more people use Email for mainstream communication the more the medium will be forced to adapt to how people want to use it. I find is strange how resistant people are to that obvious fact.
Not only that, but one of the big reasons I enjoy PC games over console is the vast number of mods and independents who take games and make them better - often long after the original developers have given up.
I fully agree that TFA is narrow-minded in it's view of what makes a game attractive - graphics are great but it can be pretty and pretty-lame at the same time. Gameplay will always remain the key to decent gaming (in fact the success of the Wii against Xbox/PS3 is probably a perfect example of this in action).
Seems to me that if younger workers are MORE security aware then I'm not sure how it's fair to summarize them as posing "increasing risk" simply because they use peripheral devices. Those who are mentally unable to wrap their minds around the basic 'safe practices' of network use would seem to pose a higher security risk then those who simply plug-in a peripheral device - especially so if the user of the device is well aware of security and how it relates to that device (assuming, of course, that this individual actively cares about security to begin with).
Non-savvy users are more likely to engage in risky behavior and have no clue. In other words, it would seem to me that ignorance in how to be safe a far more risky.
Our society has become self-complacent. We, as a society, will do nothing to fight against injustice unless we feel it in our homes. It makes no difference if the media says we are being spied upon or if some guys on TV go and die for a war that doesn't affect me directly (I personally don't know anyone in the military, sure I'm not the only one where the war exists only on TV). It matters only if we feel it. Society, as a whole, must feel violated in order to force a drastic change within itself.
The kicker, of course, is that because we have to feel it we are wholly susceptible to manipulation of our feelings. There simply aren't enough insightful, intelligent people in our national community to counter the massive manipulation the Bush administration has mastered through the media and political double-speak (e.g. It's not torture, it's enhanced interrogation methods!); they just give us each $600 bucks and say everything's groovy.
It's really pathetic how materialism and self-riotous we have become (as a whole, mind you). Fortunately we are starting to get a taste of why Barak Obama has done so well in our current democratic primary - he helps people remember what it feels like to have national pride; why it feels good to be an American. The media vultures may pick it apart but his wife spoke truth when she said, "this is the first time in my adult life I am proud to be an American;" perhaps not the first time, but certainly one of the very few for me (I'm 30 so most of my adult-life has been spent watching Bush destroy many great things I learned about this country in school as a kid).
Not an Obama fanboi, but I do hope we have more people like him start to speak about unity, hope and peace cause it just makes me sad to think I'm nationally-related to men like G. W. Bush.
Just my 2-cents as a currently-free American
"...this is going to be the best prom ever..."
Apparently, the argument is quite complex.
Bullshit.
People date whomever they choose to date and the rest of us are jackasses in questioning whether-or-not they have any business doing so. Who the hell are we to even ask if they have a justification to explore their personalities together? Just because someone has a belief that the other does not doesn't make them less interesting. I feel slightly dumber for having ever run across such crap.
Horse Pucky.
...see's what they wanted to see.
I certainly hope you're not implying that police officer's ever want to see a gun so they can shoot people. Let's consider our words carefully here...
With all that money and power...
The problem is the money and power. The bigger they get the less it matters. What are corporations gonna do, turn to Linux desktop or OS X? Not gonna happen on a broad scale anytime soon (although I'm sure Vista is helping IT make Linux arguments more viable).
It is apparent one cannot have an intellectual discussion with an unarmed man. I pity those who have to speak with you in person. Perhaps you would do better if you revisited grade-school to learn the proper way to play with others.
Privilege means private law - Incorrect. Definition of privilege: a special advantage, immunity or benefit not enjoyed by all.
We are indeed entitled freedom - Incorrect. Definition of entitled: qualified for by right according to law; "we are all entitled to equal protection under the law"
Fact: The freedoms enjoyed by those in the 'free world' are of the privileged few; of which American's are a part.
Privileged are those who have. Unprivileged are those who have-not. Entitlement is what government grants. And a large majority of world governments do not entitle their citizens to freedom.
My wife and I have a couple of friends who, about a year ago, sold all of their worldly possessions and, relying on the income of a small email management company, started traveling the world. Needless to say their treks have made an impression and the change in their views of everything have become quite profound.
We received an email from them today and I found the content of the message fitting for this forum. Please read on...
Molly and I saw the second showing in the world of "Lions for Lambs" while we were in England. We missed the premier (and Tom Cruise) by one day. That movie made a pretty big impact on me, one of those movies that you keep thinking about long after you left the theater. The main thing I kept thinking about was "When did I stop showing up?"
You may not know this but I was very involved in student government during high school, including becoming the ASB President my senior year. I used to be involved, committed to change, and ready to defend against injustice and tyranny (like our school policy against wearing shorts) to the nth degree. Then something happened.
It didn't happen with a big bang, and really I didn't even realized that it happened until Robert Redford poked his finger in my chest with that movie. "When did you stop showing up..." it kept ringing in my head. I got carried away with my own life. I thought that all the problems were bigger than me. I got fat, lazy, greedy and self centered.
As we travel around the globe the number one bonding question that vendors ask you is "Where you from?" When we reply "America", there is usually just dead silence. It's as if you can hear their mother's instructions in their conscious saying if you can't say something nice about somebody, don't say anything at all..." When bars post flags out front as if to welcome their different international clientele, our flag is usually missing.
Like many Americans, I am near tears about the state of my country. Our leaders, if you can call them that, are ignorant, arrogant and self serving. I keep telling myself, only 346 more days, only 346 more days. And although that will be a great day in American history, it's not really the problem. I am the problem.
Despite my gifts for action and persuasion, I sit idly by while my country's resources are squandered on war, and pork, and to line the pockets of the already rich via their squadron of lobbyists plying the halls of congress. I allowed us to have a leader that is mocked by the rest of the world by not doing more last election. I allowed our country to lose all of it's moral authority by condoning a government now committed to torture, suspending the privacy rights and the spying of it's citizens without a warrant (for a worthy cause!) and other atrocities.
Well, I'm here to say - I'm done. I'm angry at myself and this email is my first step to correct things.
The Problems are numerous
Energy Policy
My country is deeply committed to funding our enemies by continuing our addiction to foreign oil.
Did you know that you and I subsidize the oil industry (please read this article) to the tune of 14 Billion dollars, while just today Exxon announced the highest yearly profit by any US company ever - over 40.65 Billion Dollars!
40 Billion. And I can promise you that my accounting friends will agree, that Exxon did everything in it's creative bookkeeping grab bag to take ever deferment and write-down even remotely possible before releasing that embarrassing number.
Could you imaging being the CEO of Exxon's neighbor, walking over and taking $40 bucks out of your pocket and saying here Bill, the government thought you should have this. Yet that is exactly what you and I are doing. By the way, have you noticed that gas prices spike an hour after bad oil industry news, yet take weeks to drop after good news? Where do you think that spread goes? It adds up to 40 Billion at Exxon. It adds up to 25 Billion at Shel
Freedom is not a privilege, it's a right.
Idealism is not a reality and those that argue as though it is live in a fairy tale.
The majority of th world is not free be it a human right or not thus making it a privilege for the few. This fact should give lead to humility and gratitude and not entitlement. Reality doesn't exist in ideology for us any more than for those who would seek to destroy us.