The summary should have posted the raw number instead. Increasing by 361% doesn't really mean much. 100 to 461 isn't impressive, compared to, say, 100000 to 461000.
Considering we're talking about the number of people using email (or worse, the number of emails being sent all together!), I'd say that a multiplier of 3.6 will produce a rather significant number.
Oh, and as a sidebar.... I was born here in the Bay Area (specifically San Francisco) and in my opinion, San Jose/"Silicon Valley" is so much like Los Angeles in it's "feel" that you couldn't pay me to live there!...even with a 6-figure salary job! (yuck!)
The basic answer is culture...be that arts, entertainment, or what-have-you...which the suburbs are more limited in. If you're lucky, there's some stuff to do in your (suburbia) town (Marin to the north is very artsy-fartsy, and Berkeley has a lot being a college town), but others (Hayward in the East Bay, or San Bruno on the Penninsula south of S.F.) don't have much more than the traditional malls. So "going out for a night on the town" usually means hopping in your car (or if it's convenient, hopping on BART) and heading to The City.
The suburbs aren't "bad"....just less stuff to do there versus the city....and I think that's true for a lot of cities.
Heck, I know of some people who lived out in the Central Valley (to the east of the Bay Area and it's suburbs) but moved to the Bay Area, even though it's WAY more expensive, simply because "there's more there"...
Excuse me, greed is non-partisan, so Republicans can blame the Democrats, and vice versa....but the result is the same: people in positions of power look out for themselves only.
...and if you're agnostic?...or atheist? Your statement...
I guess the concern is that they can instantly identify your religion.
...either shows your ignorance, your bigotry, both...or is simply a perfect example of the closed-minded attitude of the populous in general. Either way, I weep for the future of the human race.
Uh...I will agree to an extent that the rest of the world is pretty much on board with the evolution theory.....but here in the heartland of the good ol' United States of America, there is a rather large group of these "wacky" people who have taken their beliefs to an extreme. Have you missed the Creation Museum?
The thing for me is that G+ and FB are just different.
I totally agree with that statement, and I would like to add my own take on it: Using both FB and G+, I am starting to feel like I felt about FB versus MySpace...the newer one (back then FB, now G+) seems much more "mature" than the older one (MySpace then, FB now). Over the past year, more and more, I look at the content on FB and feel like I'm back in high school...immature, drama-driven drivel that I get little from, in the way of information or even entertainment. However, the more I peruse G+, the more I see engaging content and offerings....and at the very least, when I read the posts, I'm not constantly thinking to myself, "How old are you?"
I also disagree with another poster's assessment about the security/privacy. I feel like I've got a much better handle on who sees what on G+ than FB. And from what I hear about friends blocking other users, or just "un-friending" someone, and yet still having stuff seen or shared amongst those same users, I'm shying away from what I post on FB more and more.
You know, I've watched all the things you listed happening over the last few years, and I wonder to myself if Britain is like a test-bed for all the things that the United States would like to do to it's citizens (and is trying at every turn). I can just see the (US) government's response to outraged citizens going something like, "We are inacting these measures for your protection, and they have been proven and accepted in the United Kingdom, so get with the program...otherwise we'll be left behind by those darn Europeans!" (...right, as if we aren't already at the bottom of the barrel in innovation, education, and on and on....)
Or it's the best/cheapest alternate when (1) you're too far out of a rural town for DSL service to reach you, (2) the (only) cable company will charge you $500 to just *get* it to your property and put a telephone pole in the middle of your front yard in the process, and (3) you're so deep in the forest, you'd have to clear-cut half of your property to get a line-of-sight for satellite service (and that's at a rate of $120/month for 60% of typical broadband speeds)
BTW I'm talking about a Northern California coastal town with a population of over 6,000, not some shack in the middle of the Canadian Rockies.
seems to me that "legion of idiots" was just a gratuitous insult
It probably was just that...a sound bite for the mass media to be able to report on Anonymous as a bunch of idiots, rather than the slowly growing collective of like-minded individuals hell bent on keeping the power & freedom of the Internet/world in the hands of the people, not those in power. This way, the sheeple think of them as criminals, but revere the government as their protector (from what, only those idiots can tell you).
People are surprised because they only expect the government to invade their privacy
I tend to disagree. Most people I run across look at you funny when you present the idea that the government is invading their privacy. In fact, most will deny it outright and argue that "the people" would never let anything like that happen (even though, it's already happening, and worse!)
You have a nation of consumers, which means they all think in terms of "who can I go to when [whatever] doesn't work, is broken, is causing me inconvenience, etc. and when they find the company they're dealing with is doing questionable things, they think the government will be the one to correct the situation.
Isn't that a great way to divert attention and control the sheeple?
Then, how would they get the federal money they need each year to avoid going broke?
There is this multi-million dollar industry based on the growing, selling, and refinement of a certain kind of weed that grows profusely in the North-western United states.
On a side note, I'd love to see the movement for the State of Jefferson actually turn into a movement for a "Country of Jefferson"!
(although, I'd personally choose a different name, I think).
Where did you acquire this lunatic idea that the purpose of government was to watch over every citizen every hour of the day?
I personally don't believe it's the "purpose" of government, but when you see some of the public things the FBI, CIA, ICE are doing in airports, on border patrols, and then look at the things Congress has been instituting since 9/11, it's really not hard to come to the conclusion that surveillance of citizens is on the government's agenda. (...and when you take it to the obvious further conclusion, that's just the stuff that we know about!)
I also believe that anyone who arbitrarily decides that coming to this conclusion is a "lunatic idea" is 1) completely narcissistic and out of touch with current events, and/or 2) drinking the mass media cool-aide.
...and to be prejudiced for a moment...probably Republican.
Oh wait, I forgot, Microsoft is all buddy-buddy with congressmen.
Right. If you can't get a bill passed that allows you (the gov't) to suppress the web at will (read: SOPA), then you start a campaign to take down one of the largest, most powerful and vocal proponents of a free Internet.
Works for foreign governments, too... Can't control the leadership so you have control of the country's resources? No problem, send in the military (under the excuse of national security) and remove the old government and replace with trained leaders loyal to you. (read: Iraq)
Congress keeps trying to wipe their asses in the constitution and the courts will keep knocking them down.
With the government, including the judicial branch, taking away our rights left and right, what makes you think the courts will continue to uphold the constitution? After all, those judges are people, and ones that are appointed by the politically driven idiots in the administrative branch.
Short version: trust nothing when it comes to the government.
what's the big deal about the 1 remaining percent? What's so special about it?
It keeps them in control of the dollar as U.S. currency. This way, when all hell breaks loose, they can present the Amero [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amero] as the new money, valued to get everyone on the same level, but still control the exchange rate (from USD to Amero).
Those who maketh the money, control the money.
The point is, religions, even really stupid ones, thrive on the kind of treatment that would make normal folk think twice about carrying on.
That's only the half of it... You also have the clergy subtly teaching the congregation to trust the authority figures and what they say (preach), thus ingraining a sheeple mentality, not only into the congregation, but into society at large too. This is why the majority of the normal folk in the USA thinks:
[terrorist threats are everywhere*] = [gov't can be excluded from law to "protect us"]
( * Interestingly, this also comes from the gov't...)
So when the gov't starts to erode laws that protect the people's freedom(s), the sheeple look the other way, (heck, they'll support the gov't in doing it!) rather than carrying on.
(IMO) Religion is one of the top reasons critical thinking is less evident in the general population... (another being television, specifically news media)
Slashdot Mirror
The summary should have posted the raw number instead. Increasing by 361% doesn't really mean much. 100 to 461 isn't impressive, compared to, say, 100000 to 461000.
Considering we're talking about the number of people using email (or worse, the number of emails being sent all together!), I'd say that a multiplier of 3.6 will produce a rather significant number.
Oh, and as a sidebar.... I was born here in the Bay Area (specifically San Francisco) and in my opinion, San Jose/"Silicon Valley" is so much like Los Angeles in it's "feel" that you couldn't pay me to live there! ...even with a 6-figure salary job! (yuck!)
The basic answer is culture...be that arts, entertainment, or what-have-you...which the suburbs are more limited in. If you're lucky, there's some stuff to do in your (suburbia) town (Marin to the north is very artsy-fartsy, and Berkeley has a lot being a college town), but others (Hayward in the East Bay, or San Bruno on the Penninsula south of S.F.) don't have much more than the traditional malls. So "going out for a night on the town" usually means hopping in your car (or if it's convenient, hopping on BART) and heading to The City.
The suburbs aren't "bad"....just less stuff to do there versus the city....and I think that's true for a lot of cities.
Heck, I know of some people who lived out in the Central Valley (to the east of the Bay Area and it's suburbs) but moved to the Bay Area, even though it's WAY more expensive, simply because "there's more there"...
Only if you work with Republicans
Excuse me, greed is non-partisan, so Republicans can blame the Democrats, and vice versa....but the result is the same: people in positions of power look out for themselves only.
I guess the concern is that they can instantly identify your religion.
he already has. the black drones are in the air.
FTFY
At $91,700 per pupil from kindergarten through twelfth grade, the U.S. is outspent only by Switzerland in the education arena. Cash is not a problem.
Uh...I will agree to an extent that the rest of the world is pretty much on board with the evolution theory.....but here in the heartland of the good ol' United States of America, there is a rather large group of these "wacky" people who have taken their beliefs to an extreme. Have you missed the Creation Museum?
Wow....thank you for two things:
...and...
1) bringing forth such a blatant example of why this country (and the majority of the "developed" world) can be described as "under-developed"
2) reminding me to never, ever give up my imagination...nor day dreaming....because I'd hate to live in this world with an attitude like yours.
The thing for me is that G+ and FB are just different.
I totally agree with that statement, and I would like to add my own take on it: Using both FB and G+, I am starting to feel like I felt about FB versus MySpace...the newer one (back then FB, now G+) seems much more "mature" than the older one (MySpace then, FB now). Over the past year, more and more, I look at the content on FB and feel like I'm back in high school...immature, drama-driven drivel that I get little from, in the way of information or even entertainment. However, the more I peruse G+, the more I see engaging content and offerings....and at the very least, when I read the posts, I'm not constantly thinking to myself, "How old are you?"
I also disagree with another poster's assessment about the security/privacy. I feel like I've got a much better handle on who sees what on G+ than FB. And from what I hear about friends blocking other users, or just "un-friending" someone, and yet still having stuff seen or shared amongst those same users, I'm shying away from what I post on FB more and more.
You know, I've watched all the things you listed happening over the last few years, and I wonder to myself if Britain is like a test-bed for all the things that the United States would like to do to it's citizens (and is trying at every turn). I can just see the (US) government's response to outraged citizens going something like, "We are inacting these measures for your protection, and they have been proven and accepted in the United Kingdom, so get with the program...otherwise we'll be left behind by those darn Europeans!" (...right, as if we aren't already at the bottom of the barrel in innovation, education, and on and on....)
Or it's the best/cheapest alternate when (1) you're too far out of a rural town for DSL service to reach you, (2) the (only) cable company will charge you $500 to just *get* it to your property and put a telephone pole in the middle of your front yard in the process, and (3) you're so deep in the forest, you'd have to clear-cut half of your property to get a line-of-sight for satellite service (and that's at a rate of $120/month for 60% of typical broadband speeds)
BTW I'm talking about a Northern California coastal town with a population of over 6,000, not some shack in the middle of the Canadian Rockies.
...and ALL of them (still living...not sure about heirs) get their in-office salary as a pension! Isn't that great?
I wonder what I'm going to do with the $2000 (TOTAL) I have saved up in my Social Security account...?
seems to me that "legion of idiots" was just a gratuitous insult
It probably was just that...a sound bite for the mass media to be able to report on Anonymous as a bunch of idiots, rather than the slowly growing collective of like-minded individuals hell bent on keeping the power & freedom of the Internet/world in the hands of the people, not those in power. This way, the sheeple think of them as criminals, but revere the government as their protector (from what, only those idiots can tell you).
It's all spin, baby!
People are surprised because they only expect the government to invade their privacy
I tend to disagree. Most people I run across look at you funny when you present the idea that the government is invading their privacy. In fact, most will deny it outright and argue that "the people" would never let anything like that happen (even though, it's already happening, and worse!)
You have a nation of consumers, which means they all think in terms of "who can I go to when [whatever] doesn't work, is broken, is causing me inconvenience, etc. and when they find the company they're dealing with is doing questionable things, they think the government will be the one to correct the situation.
Isn't that a great way to divert attention and control the sheeple?
That's political speak for "re-evaluating the impact on future popularity/votes" and "assessing lobbyist monetary income levels"
Then, how would they get the federal money they need each year to avoid going broke?
There is this multi-million dollar industry based on the growing, selling, and refinement of a certain kind of weed that grows profusely in the North-western United states.
On a side note, I'd love to see the movement for the State of Jefferson actually turn into a movement for a "Country of Jefferson"!
(although, I'd personally choose a different name, I think).
Where did you acquire this lunatic idea that the purpose of government was to watch over every citizen every hour of the day?
I personally don't believe it's the "purpose" of government, but when you see some of the public things the FBI, CIA, ICE are doing in airports, on border patrols, and then look at the things Congress has been instituting since 9/11, it's really not hard to come to the conclusion that surveillance of citizens is on the government's agenda. (...and when you take it to the obvious further conclusion, that's just the stuff that we know about!)
...and to be prejudiced for a moment...probably Republican.
I also believe that anyone who arbitrarily decides that coming to this conclusion is a "lunatic idea" is 1) completely narcissistic and out of touch with current events, and/or 2) drinking the mass media cool-aide.
Viva La Revolution!
It's already happened. Look at the planes that hit the WTC towers back in 2001. It wasn't the supposed terrorists that they released to the public (specially since 1/3 of them were/are still alive. On a more recent note: http://articles.latimes.com/2011/dec/10/nation/la-na-drone-arrest-20111211
Oh wait, I forgot, Microsoft is all buddy-buddy with congressmen.
Right. If you can't get a bill passed that allows you (the gov't) to suppress the web at will (read: SOPA), then you start a campaign to take down one of the largest, most powerful and vocal proponents of a free Internet. Works for foreign governments, too... Can't control the leadership so you have control of the country's resources? No problem, send in the military (under the excuse of national security) and remove the old government and replace with trained leaders loyal to you. (read: Iraq)
Slashdotted
Put your data on a U.S.-based cloud, they warn, and you may just put it in the hands of the U.S. government.
Try "Put your data on a U.S.-based cloud, they warn, and you WILL put it in the hands of the U.S. government."
Congress keeps trying to wipe their asses in the constitution and the courts will keep knocking them down.
With the government, including the judicial branch, taking away our rights left and right, what makes you think the courts will continue to uphold the constitution? After all, those judges are people, and ones that are appointed by the politically driven idiots in the administrative branch. Short version: trust nothing when it comes to the government.
what's the big deal about the 1 remaining percent? What's so special about it?
It keeps them in control of the dollar as U.S. currency. This way, when all hell breaks loose, they can present the Amero [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amero] as the new money, valued to get everyone on the same level, but still control the exchange rate (from USD to Amero). Those who maketh the money, control the money.
That's only the half of it... You also have the clergy subtly teaching the congregation to trust the authority figures and what they say (preach), thus ingraining a sheeple mentality, not only into the congregation, but into society at large too. This is why the majority of the normal folk in the USA thinks:
[terrorist threats are everywhere*] = [gov't can be excluded from law to "protect us"]
( * Interestingly, this also comes from the gov't...)
So when the gov't starts to erode laws that protect the people's freedom(s), the sheeple look the other way, (heck, they'll support the gov't in doing it!) rather than carrying on.
(IMO) Religion is one of the top reasons critical thinking is less evident in the general population... (another being television, specifically news media)