Consider the 'cold war'. Relative to the number of people who could have died, the number of actual deaths (including associated wars like Vietnam), is actually relatively low. As the computer in the movie "Wargames" said (to the cheers of the audience):
It seems that the only way to win is not to play at all.
A sentiment echoed in the 'Art of War' quote posted earlier. --
I type the command:
find . -print > file ; grep string file
Note: If you are using network filesystems ( NFS, RFS, AFS, etc.), then this could classify as a 'distributed database'. This is especially true if the Filesystem allowes remote mounted filesystems to be re-exported (I'm pretty sure it was allowed with RFS. I believe that it was possible (though not the default) with NFS on some operating systems, as far back as the early '90s).
QED --
To this evidence, add the point that most of the basic research is done with heavy government subsidization (usually at universities). Much drug company 'research' is really development of an idea that was actually researched elsewhere at public expense. `ø,,ø!
The African tribal leaders had been selling slaves (prisioners of tribal
warfare) among themselves for centuries before the white man came. We simply acted as a market for
the slave trade. Now it seems reprehensible, yes, but it was not our idea.
Tribes may have taken slaves, but not on the scale, or in the form, that white slave traders called for. Also: The treatment of 'slaves' within the tribal system was probably quite different than the treatment that they were afforded -- either on the trip to the Americas, or upon their arrival.
Something to note here is that the western concept of 'ownership' is the right to destroy, and anything lesser. There is almost no responsibility associated with ownership (other than responsibility for the destruction of somebody else's property). This is at odds with most non-western ownership protocols which often include responsibility -- either towards the 'owned' object/land or to future owners/generations.
When a slave came into western 'ownership' they essentially became entirely disposable. Any rights they had ceased to exist and their treatment was entirely at the whim of the combined drive for profits and any personal morals (or lack thereof) of their new owner.
Also: those Africans who engaged in the slave trade were often the worst of their societies. What the white 'market' provided them was a legitimacy and resources that they would not have otherwise had access to. The western slave trade turned what was otherwise a background activity into a mass-market process. The people who suffered as a result of the slave trade are not people who whould have otherwise certainly died, or recieved similar treatment. `ø,,ø!
It generally takes two hands to strangle someone. If you are one hand, and blame the other, then the stranglation continues.
The blame syndrome is part of how the Nazi's managed to keep their killing machine running. Each person was responsible for only one stage of the process. Someone would open the door. Another person would run the ventilation machine. The guards simply escorted people from place to place. Someone else, entirely, was responsible for clearing the bodies out afterwards. Various other people did the paperwork, but weren't physically involved in the actuall killing.
Who among them was responsible for the deaths? Any one of them could say that if somebody else had refused to do their part that the killing would have stopped. A call to take responsibility is a call to say this part is mine to control. You may want to call on others to do their part, as well, but your actions are what you control directly.
Drug companies are oriented to maximize their profits. They lobby various governments to change the laws to allow even greater profits, and then blame the government when the changed laws lead to excesses. We need to hold the people to account -- each for their own stage. It's fine to say that there are cultural problems in various nations (not like there were none here in North America!). Just don't use it as an excuse to take anybody else off the hook.
`ø,,ø!
Re:Prerecording statements
on
The Challenger
·
· Score: 3
The big flap over Challenger wasn't that it exploded despite all of the safety work meant to take into account that (as one person mentioned) you're putting a bunch of people on top of a huge bomb and exploding it in a controlled manner.
What happened is that the launch went ahead in spite of warnings from knowledgable engineers that things could very probably go wrong if they went ahead with the launch at that time.
Speculation abounded that there was pressure to launch on time so that Regan's speech (scheduled that evening) could go ahead, as planned.
As I remember it, the astronauts, themselves were absolutely furious at the callous regard for the lives of the crew during that launch, and insisted on some of the safety measures that caused delays in future launches.
It's one thing to risk your life. It's another thing to risk your life needlesly to prevent an idiot president from having to change his speech. `ø,,ø!
Re:A moment of silence. . .
on
The Challenger
·
· Score: 1
Actually, it looks like someone moderated it back down to 1 (as overrated) after it was moderated to 2. This may be a job for meta moderation! `ø,,ø!
I was thinking much the same thing-- Nice idea, but it's a veritable viral breeding ground. (well -- trojan/worm, anyways). Before it's publicly useful/safe, I think that some real work is going to be needed in the area of security/sandboxing.
(secure Linux, here we come!) `ø,,ø!
The whole point of the patent system is to encourage scientific discovery. The patent system exists "to
promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors
the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries."
The patent system needs to run a rather thin line. If it patents for too narrow a use, then the patent is useless. If it patents for too wide a use, then the patent may discourage investigation within a whole area of research by giving one company an effective monopoly in that area. I think that part of the complaint in the GM arena is that patents are being awarded both too easily and too broadly.
Companies are in gold-rush mode, right now, rushing to be the first to reach (and patent) various benchmarks in the research process. The long-term fear, however, is that -- once that is done, the more specific (and useful) research in those areas is going to be effectively choked off as only one company has any incentive to do any research in that area.
For us consumers, the apparent result is feared to be slower practical research with the results being far more expensive than they need to be because nobody else is likely to be doing any research in that same general field, and university researchers have to pay royalties/sign non-disclosure agreements to even do basic research. `ø,,ø!
Re:GNU for Biology? (counter-example)
on
Rice Genome Mapped
·
· Score: 3
The fight over genetic ownership has already started. Monsanto "owns" the genetic mods for a version of Canola that is resistant to their "roundup" plant-killer. The seeds of a 'monsanto' crop apparently blew into a farmer's field, and he used them. Now Monsanto is suing him for using seeds that he found on his field.
The apparent purpose of the lawsuit is to create a chilling atmosphere for other people so that they'll be afraid of using a seed if they even think that it could be one they claim ownership of. (up to this point, they've been relying on contracts with farmers that restrict them from using monsanto seeds without paying a fee. Unfortunately seeds don't know anything about contracts (the farmer in this case has not signed any sort of contract with the company.
The extreme case for this sort of lawsuit would be where a company claims 'ownership' of a human genetic mod. Can you imagine the idea of a company claiming royalties for your children?
Honestly, your honor, I did not know that my girlfriend was Monsanto modified. If I had, I would have probably chosen a different partner.
Judge: Ignorance is no defence. O fine you $30,000 and order the child destroyed.
The fight over GM crops isn't entirely (or even mostly) a religious one (although, I can see religious groups getting edgy about messing with god's creations). The fight tends to center more around the 'frankenstein effect' -- how creating a GM product can have unexpected side-effects.
It's rather like the case of drug side-effects, except for the fact that, once you let a GM plant 'into the wild' it's almost impossible to recall it. By the time you find out that a plant is really bad to have in existence in the wild, the seeds and pollen could be far beyond the fields they're planted in.
The CBC has an in-depth report about a lawsuit stemming from the problem of rogue seeds. (These plants, thankfully, don't seem to be malignant.)
`ø,,ø!
If this thing holds up, there may be a real value in open-source blocking software. As unpleasant as it may seem to support censorship, it could, at least, offer the following:
You can actually find out what is being blocked, and why.
You can choose and modify your list (especially if you disagree with it).
You could, possibly, define your own criteria for automated blocking.
There would be no NDA to deal with.
kids could have realistic input into what is considered 'harmful' to them.
Either the URL was originally typed in wrong (extraneous space) or they've decided to move it. In any case, the proposed rule-making is now here (pdf) `ø,,ø!
Almost everything HD sold to date is analog only. The ability to turn off analog output means the ability to shut down everybody who has bought HDTV so far.
So you thought you'd get special treatment for the early investment in HD equipment didn't you??? Well it's a special shaft through your least-preferred orifice! (more specifically, it's requiring an orifice that you don't currently have -- on yourself or your TV). You paid the extra money early on to find out that the really good content isn't going to be available to you unless you buy an entirely new box (that isn't
available yet). `ø,,ø!
Bah. 'Bye Hollywood, it was fun while you were sane.
They never were sane. They've been trying to get control of our enterainment habits since the inception of the phonograph & radio "threatened the whole industry". It's just that, until now, the courts have held their control complex at bay.
Now, however, they've got control of congress, and the courts are going to be hard pressed to stop this 500Kg gorilla. `ø,,ø!
... but my impression is that in a lot of
cases the amount of money lost to piracy is significant relative to legitimate sales.
There are three kinds of untruths: Lies, damned lies and statistics.
Statistics like what the MPAA put out are probably based on worst/best case assumptions. e.g. that the MP3 that I downloaded to figure out if I wanted to buy the album would have been paid for at full retail album price on top of my physical purchase. -- and even if It turns out to be a dud song/album, I would have bought the whole thing anyways. `ø,,ø!
Principal: Hello Neil. The reason I've called you into my office is that it's come to my attention that some of the alpha-males in the schools have been beating and harassing you for the last two years. I understand that it's gotten so bad that you've become depressed and suicidal.
Neil: I didn't think it was that obvious, sir.
Principal: Well, it's not that obvious, but you've definitely been showing some of the signs. In any case a couple of the school alpha-males reported it because they're concerned.
Neil: Concerned about me?
Principal: Oh no. Of course not. They're concerned that you might get desperate and do something nasty to them. To allay their fears, I've decided to suspend you for two weeks and publicly berate you.
Guido the security guard will escort you to clear out your locker. For security reasons, I can't let you leave anything in the locker.
Do you have anything to say?
Neil: This is a bit of a surprise sir, and the timing is really bad. My science fair project is due in a week.
Principal: One other thing Neil.
Neil: Yes sir?
Get some professional help. I'll see you in two weeks.
I think that I actually managed to do that with my ISP. Every once in a while I'll call them when there's a problem, and give them pointers to fix things. One time, I called them and the Tier 1 person I was talking to was quite vague about the answers he was giving me. Then he asked for my ID and looked it up in the database.
I must have some sort of flag, because about 5 seconds after I heard him hit the enter key, his tone completely changed. Needless to say, I'm happy with the service I'm getting. `ø,,ø!
Administrative Contact, Technical Contact:
Kiewlich, Daniel (DKF336) abuse@HOME.COM
@Home Network
425 Broadway St
Redwood City, CA 94063 US
650-556-5399 650-556-6666
I doubt that you'll get much value from the abuse@home.com address, but you may be able to find a useful path at the phone numbers.
Billing Contact:
Du, Trung (TD2157) trung@CORP.HOME.NET
@Home Network
425 Broadway Street
Redwood City, CA 94063-3126
650-569-5437 (FAX) 650-569-5100
Going through the accounting department may not be as bad an idea as it looks like on first glance. Everybody talks to accounting. They should be able to point you to someone in Networking with purchasing authority. That's also someone who can pull strings to get things done.
If you're not a good people person, you may want to find a techie who is. This path is probably going to take a little bit of schmoosing.
Just because the front door's the only obvious way in, doesn't mean it's the only way in. `ø,,ø!
Another example of a bad contract is an open-ended one. A friend once worked for a company that had a contract which said that the customer had to sign off before they got paid off. Surprise, Surprise: The customer came up with item after item that had to be "fixed" before they'd sign off. I don't know if they ever signed off (this was 20 years ago). `ø,,ø!
8 bits is addressable by 3 bits in the instruction. It's a "clean" binary number. Same with 16 32 and 64. It makes engineering opcodes just a little bit easier.
Think about it: if you can encode a 34 bit shift, you have the bits to encode a 63 bit shift. With only 36 bits to shift, you end up with a huge hole in your instruction space. If you use those spare encodings for 'special functions' then you end up with a messy opcode map (not too nice for the microcode).
All in all, it's just nicer if your bit count is a power of two. `ø,,ø!
Slashdot Mirror
--
The ad that I got for this article was for "Alta Vista Search Engine 3.0"
--
QED
--
To this evidence, add the point that most of the basic research is done with heavy government subsidization (usually at universities). Much drug company 'research' is really development of an idea that was actually researched elsewhere at public expense.
`ø,,ø!
Something to note here is that the western concept of 'ownership' is the right to destroy, and anything lesser. There is almost no responsibility associated with ownership (other than responsibility for the destruction of somebody else's property). This is at odds with most non-western ownership protocols which often include responsibility -- either towards the 'owned' object/land or to future owners/generations.
When a slave came into western 'ownership' they essentially became entirely disposable. Any rights they had ceased to exist and their treatment was entirely at the whim of the combined drive for profits and any personal morals (or lack thereof) of their new owner.
Also: those Africans who engaged in the slave trade were often the worst of their societies. What the white 'market' provided them was a legitimacy and resources that they would not have otherwise had access to. The western slave trade turned what was otherwise a background activity into a mass-market process. The people who suffered as a result of the slave trade are not people who whould have otherwise certainly died, or recieved similar treatment.
`ø,,ø!
The blame syndrome is part of how the Nazi's managed to keep their killing machine running. Each person was responsible for only one stage of the process. Someone would open the door. Another person would run the ventilation machine. The guards simply escorted people from place to place. Someone else, entirely, was responsible for clearing the bodies out afterwards. Various other people did the paperwork, but weren't physically involved in the actuall killing.
Who among them was responsible for the deaths? Any one of them could say that if somebody else had refused to do their part that the killing would have stopped. A call to take responsibility is a call to say this part is mine to control. You may want to call on others to do their part, as well, but your actions are what you control directly.
Drug companies are oriented to maximize their profits. They lobby various governments to change the laws to allow even greater profits, and then blame the government when the changed laws lead to excesses. We need to hold the people to account -- each for their own stage. It's fine to say that there are cultural problems in various nations (not like there were none here in North America!). Just don't use it as an excuse to take anybody else off the hook.
`ø,,ø!
What happened is that the launch went ahead in spite of warnings from knowledgable engineers that things could very probably go wrong if they went ahead with the launch at that time. Speculation abounded that there was pressure to launch on time so that Regan's speech (scheduled that evening) could go ahead, as planned.
As I remember it, the astronauts, themselves were absolutely furious at the callous regard for the lives of the crew during that launch, and insisted on some of the safety measures that caused delays in future launches.
It's one thing to risk your life. It's another thing to risk your life needlesly to prevent an idiot president from having to change his speech.
`ø,,ø!
Actually, it looks like someone moderated it back down to 1 (as overrated) after it was moderated to 2.
This may be a job for meta moderation!
`ø,,ø!
I was thinking much the same thing-- Nice idea, but it's a veritable viral breeding ground. (well -- trojan/worm, anyways). Before it's publicly useful/safe, I think that some real work is going to be needed in the area of security/sandboxing.
(secure Linux, here we come!)
`ø,,ø!
Companies are in gold-rush mode, right now, rushing to be the first to reach (and patent) various benchmarks in the research process. The long-term fear, however, is that -- once that is done, the more specific (and useful) research in those areas is going to be effectively choked off as only one company has any incentive to do any research in that area.
For us consumers, the apparent result is feared to be slower practical research with the results being far more expensive than they need to be because nobody else is likely to be doing any research in that same general field, and university researchers have to pay royalties/sign non-disclosure agreements to even do basic research.
`ø,,ø!
The apparent purpose of the lawsuit is to create a chilling atmosphere for other people so that they'll be afraid of using a seed if they even think that it could be one they claim ownership of. (up to this point, they've been relying on contracts with farmers that restrict them from using monsanto seeds without paying a fee. Unfortunately seeds don't know anything about contracts (the farmer in this case has not signed any sort of contract with the company.
The extreme case for this sort of lawsuit would be where a company claims 'ownership' of a human genetic mod. Can you imagine the idea of a company claiming royalties for your children?
`ø,,ø!
It's rather like the case of drug side-effects, except for the fact that, once you let a GM plant 'into the wild' it's almost impossible to recall it. By the time you find out that a plant is really bad to have in existence in the wild, the seeds and pollen could be far beyond the fields they're planted in.
The CBC has an in-depth report about a lawsuit stemming from the problem of rogue seeds. (These plants, thankfully, don't seem to be malignant.)
`ø,,ø!
- You can actually find out what is being blocked, and why.
- You can choose and modify your list (especially if you disagree with it).
- You could, possibly, define your own criteria for automated blocking.
- There would be no NDA to deal with.
- kids could have realistic input into what is considered 'harmful' to them.
Self-censorship -- Isn't it wonderful?`ø,,ø!
Either the URL was originally typed in wrong (extraneous space) or they've decided to move it. In any case, the proposed rule-making is now here (pdf)
`ø,,ø!
I guess that the other question is: Is the city-state of Hollywood going to ask for them to be extradited?
`ø,,ø!
So you thought you'd get special treatment for the early investment in HD equipment didn't you??? Well it's a special shaft through your least-preferred orifice! (more specifically, it's requiring an orifice that you don't currently have -- on yourself or your TV). You paid the extra money early on to find out that the really good content isn't going to be available to you unless you buy an entirely new box (that isn't available yet).
`ø,,ø!
They never were sane. They've been trying to get control of our enterainment habits since the inception of the phonograph & radio "threatened the whole industry". It's just that, until now, the courts have held their control complex at bay.
Now, however, they've got control of congress, and the courts are going to be hard pressed to stop this 500Kg gorilla.
`ø,,ø!
Statistics like what the MPAA put out are probably based on worst/best case assumptions. e.g. that the MP3 that I downloaded to figure out if I wanted to buy the album would have been paid for at full retail album price on top of my physical purchase. -- and even if It turns out to be a dud song/album, I would have bought the whole thing anyways.
`ø,,ø!
Guido the security guard will escort you to clear out your locker. For security reasons, I can't let you leave anything in the locker.
Do you have anything to say?
`ø,,ø!
I must have some sort of flag, because about 5 seconds after I heard him hit the enter key, his tone completely changed. Needless to say, I'm happy with the service I'm getting.
`ø,,ø!
Kiewlich, Daniel (DKF336) abuse@HOME.COM
@Home Network
425 Broadway St
Redwood City, CA 94063 US
650-556-5399 650-556-6666
I doubt that you'll get much value from the abuse@home.com address, but you may be able to find a useful path at the phone numbers.
Billing Contact:
Du, Trung (TD2157) trung@CORP.HOME.NET
@Home Network
425 Broadway Street
Redwood City, CA 94063-3126
650-569-5437 (FAX) 650-569-5100
Going through the accounting department may not be as bad an idea as it looks like on first glance. Everybody talks to accounting. They should be able to point you to someone in Networking with purchasing authority. That's also someone who can pull strings to get things done.
If you're not a good people person, you may want to find a techie who is. This path is probably going to take a little bit of schmoosing.
Just because the front door's the only obvious way in, doesn't mean it's the only way in.
`ø,,ø!
Another example of a bad contract is an open-ended one. A friend once worked for a company that had a contract which said that the customer had to sign off before they got paid off. Surprise, Surprise: The customer came up with item after item that had to be "fixed" before they'd sign off. I don't know if they ever signed off (this was 20 years ago).
`ø,,ø!
Kinda like a root kit, but it's intended to give your box full functionality.
What a hoot!
`ø,,ø!
Think about it: if you can encode a 34 bit shift, you have the bits to encode a 63 bit shift. With only 36 bits to shift, you end up with a huge hole in your instruction space. If you use those spare encodings for 'special functions' then you end up with a messy opcode map (not too nice for the microcode).
All in all, it's just nicer if your bit count is a power of two.
`ø,,ø!
4 bits in a nibble
2 nibbles in a byte
The size of word depends on how big your buss is.
`ø,,ø!