Gibsons books also tend to "suffer" from something I vastly enjoy: He doesn't explain jack. He expects you to know what an Ono-Sendai is, or to puzzle it together from the context, you're expected to know the world and if you don't, well, sucks to be you.
This is awesome when done properly, and incredibly annoying when done poorly. I recently read a novel called Quantum Thief where the first 100+ pages of the book, he's throwing a few new terms a page into the mix and it's only really clear what they mean much later in the novel (if ever). I'm glad I struggled past that point because the rest of the novel is pretty awesome. Compare and contrast The Windup Girl which I'm in the middle of now, which leaves just enough for the reader to figure out while still making it possible to read fluently as a story, rather than as some kind of crazy cryptic crossword.
Boring?! The cheek! Our movies weren't even zero-dimensional, they were imaginary, and we only had one and we had to share it! And even then, most of the time it was broken, and we had to stand in the rain, not even imagining that we had a zero-dimensional movie!
Hey I'm as big a LotR fanboy as you are but seriously... watch the movies, then read the books, then think critically about how much the bits they cut out of the books actually meant to the story. LotR was an epic and a formative work... but there was a LOT of excess fat that it could stand to lose.
Firstly, you're assuming that "database call" means the same as $sql->exec("select blah from fuckoff_massive_table where player = $player");
Secondly, what if something a ship does affects another ship? They all need to exchange information at some point. They should definitely be caching based on locality, but they'll have to store everything somewhere.
I think he covered that with 'aside of meetings' - if you're working collaboratively then your whole day is a meeting, right?
My current workplace has core hours within which we're meant to be here, but we have around an hour of slack around that. If I'm up early I can get to work at 8 and leave at 5, if I sleep in I can rock up at 9 and stay til 6. Even then, they treat us like reasonable adults - if we can't make it in before 9 for whatever reason, send a courtesy text and make up the hours and it's not a problem.
I've always countered the "you should aim for perfect Victorian posture" line with "when did you ever see a monkey sit up straight?"
I agree that keeping generally fit and typing in the manner you find most comfortable (ie. the way in which you feel least strain) is the way to go. I've only ever had RSI problems when I was (a) stressed out and not exercising, and (b) unconsciously tensing up my mousing hand. When I addressed those two factors I went back to being able to use a computer for 12+ hours a day with no issues.
I dunno, that phrase "while determining 'more information about the nature of computing use in the workplace.'" seems pretty indicative that they plan on doing some higher-level processing. Even if the actual words you type aren't logged, I bet this will eventually end up being used to detect people slacking off, web browsing or IM'ing.
If a petrol car runs out of petrol, it is OUT. It stops. If an electric car is getting low you can usually still limp a few kilometers, if you keep the current low enough that the voltage doesn't drop too low.
I wonder how many laps it got in before it had to be charged.
Probably not many, if it's optimised for the best single lap it can do. As per your title of 'charge time', though, remember that charge rate and discharge rate are linked, so if it can flatten itself in 15 minutes then it can probably be charged back to full in less than 30.
Where the amplification comes in is economies of scale. You can build enough cars to fill 0.1% of the market but they'll be custom builds which cost a lot. When you've expanded to 2-3% of the market, you're in mass production and costs drop dramatically, by 30-50%. Once prices have dropped, people who would be in that 2-3% if it were only 30% cheaper will suddenly decide it's worth buying, and that 2-3% becomes 5-8%, and prices drop further... et voila.
I'm intrigued. I've heard of exactly one 'gruesome incident' at Scaled (which is the one four years ago, where there was an explosion involving the N20-based oxidising agent). Has there been another one?
What? Unusual does not equal unique, no matter which dodgy dictionary you quoted. The word 'unique' comes from the latin 'unicus', meaning 'only one o' those exists'.
And if anyone's worried that trucks will be driven into the ground because of inordinate gas prices, you could even have a tiered system at the pump, where someone who purchases 100 gallons in one block pays a different tax than someone who purchases 5 gallons.
Actually you don't even need to do that. As I'm sure you already know from what you were saying, a gas tax (assuming it's used for road maintenance) is the single simplest way to fairly balance out the cost of road maintenance. It scales linearly with mileage, and roughly linearly with damage inflicted on the road.
Exactly. This is exactly the same as the current gas tax... unless you don't use gas. Much as I hate to say it (because I love electric cars and I hate the idea of them losing an advantage) - this will be required at some point as we slowly move over to battery-electric power. Enough relies on fuel taxes that we need to replace them with a more universal solution.
No, because you'll have spent 10x as long coding something in a language designed for building 1980s operating systems than you would have spent building it in some decent modern language designed for coding GUI apps. If you did it for fun and it was fun then mission accomplished. If you were doing it to achieve some goal other than personal satisfaction, you've wasted a decent-sized chunk of your valuable time.
No, of course it's not baked into the cost of the panels. It's baked into the cost per kW metric, though, because the costs of the panels, heliostats, land etc. are all part of that cost. Efficiency is certainly relevant, but it's only part of the equation. That's why some of this research into 5% - 10% efficiency technologies is so exciting - because even though it's far less efficient than current state-of-the-art, if you can pump it out at $5/sqm it's the most cost-effective way to generate electricity.
An interesting game. It sounds like the only way to lose is not to play.
You're completely missing the point of that movie, which was that the nerdy guy was there on the internet and there was a hot chick with him.
Other than that though, I can see why you'd say that, but looking at the numbers...
2010: I'm going to write a runaway hit $0.99 app
2005: I'm going to be very very Web2.0
2000: I'm going to be a pro skateboarder
1997: I'm going to be a pro web developer
1995: I'm going to be a pro surfer
1990: I'm going to be a pro basketball player
1985: I'm going to rollerblade and have crazy hair
Slashdot Mirror
Gibsons books also tend to "suffer" from something I vastly enjoy: He doesn't explain jack. He expects you to know what an Ono-Sendai is, or to puzzle it together from the context, you're expected to know the world and if you don't, well, sucks to be you.
This is awesome when done properly, and incredibly annoying when done poorly. I recently read a novel called Quantum Thief where the first 100+ pages of the book, he's throwing a few new terms a page into the mix and it's only really clear what they mean much later in the novel (if ever). I'm glad I struggled past that point because the rest of the novel is pretty awesome. Compare and contrast The Windup Girl which I'm in the middle of now, which leaves just enough for the reader to figure out while still making it possible to read fluently as a story, rather than as some kind of crazy cryptic crossword.
This just in: Movie studios attempt to make their movies appeal to the people who make up the vast majority of the paying movie goers. Film at 11.
Alternately, "I downloaded a movie and I was disappointed that they did not cater to my demographic." :P
Boring?! The cheek! Our movies weren't even zero-dimensional, they were imaginary, and we only had one and we had to share it! And even then, most of the time it was broken, and we had to stand in the rain, not even imagining that we had a zero-dimensional movie!
That's like r/c helicopter manufacturers calling them "3.5 channel" when they're 3 channel plus a gyro. Grr.
Hey I'm as big a LotR fanboy as you are but seriously... watch the movies, then read the books, then think critically about how much the bits they cut out of the books actually meant to the story. LotR was an epic and a formative work... but there was a LOT of excess fat that it could stand to lose.
Firstly, you're assuming that "database call" means the same as $sql->exec("select blah from fuckoff_massive_table where player = $player");
Secondly, what if something a ship does affects another ship? They all need to exchange information at some point. They should definitely be caching based on locality, but they'll have to store everything somewhere.
I think he covered that with 'aside of meetings' - if you're working collaboratively then your whole day is a meeting, right?
My current workplace has core hours within which we're meant to be here, but we have around an hour of slack around that. If I'm up early I can get to work at 8 and leave at 5, if I sleep in I can rock up at 9 and stay til 6. Even then, they treat us like reasonable adults - if we can't make it in before 9 for whatever reason, send a courtesy text and make up the hours and it's not a problem.
I've always countered the "you should aim for perfect Victorian posture" line with "when did you ever see a monkey sit up straight?"
I agree that keeping generally fit and typing in the manner you find most comfortable (ie. the way in which you feel least strain) is the way to go. I've only ever had RSI problems when I was (a) stressed out and not exercising, and (b) unconsciously tensing up my mousing hand. When I addressed those two factors I went back to being able to use a computer for 12+ hours a day with no issues.
I dunno, that phrase "while determining 'more information about the nature of computing use in the workplace.'" seems pretty indicative that they plan on doing some higher-level processing. Even if the actual words you type aren't logged, I bet this will eventually end up being used to detect people slacking off, web browsing or IM'ing.
If a petrol car runs out of petrol, it is OUT. It stops. If an electric car is getting low you can usually still limp a few kilometers, if you keep the current low enough that the voltage doesn't drop too low.
So do gas tanks.
I wonder how many laps it got in before it had to be charged.
Probably not many, if it's optimised for the best single lap it can do. As per your title of 'charge time', though, remember that charge rate and discharge rate are linked, so if it can flatten itself in 15 minutes then it can probably be charged back to full in less than 30.
You're expecting some amplification?
Where the amplification comes in is economies of scale. You can build enough cars to fill 0.1% of the market but they'll be custom builds which cost a lot. When you've expanded to 2-3% of the market, you're in mass production and costs drop dramatically, by 30-50%. Once prices have dropped, people who would be in that 2-3% if it were only 30% cheaper will suddenly decide it's worth buying, and that 2-3% becomes 5-8%, and prices drop further... et voila.
I think you meant "misuse". ;)
I'm intrigued. I've heard of exactly one 'gruesome incident' at Scaled (which is the one four years ago, where there was an explosion involving the N20-based oxidising agent). Has there been another one?
Compare 'unicus' - a single distribution of Unix. Also, 'unicus', 'one with no testicles.'
What? Unusual does not equal unique, no matter which dodgy dictionary you quoted. The word 'unique' comes from the latin 'unicus', meaning 'only one o' those exists'.
An inappropriate metaphor is like your mum's vah-jay-jay. Irrelevant but fun to mention just to annoy people. xD
I don't think it's a punitive tax to deter people, I think it's a revenue tax to get moneys.
And if anyone's worried that trucks will be driven into the ground because of inordinate gas prices, you could even have a tiered system at the pump, where someone who purchases 100 gallons in one block pays a different tax than someone who purchases 5 gallons.
Actually you don't even need to do that. As I'm sure you already know from what you were saying, a gas tax (assuming it's used for road maintenance) is the single simplest way to fairly balance out the cost of road maintenance. It scales linearly with mileage, and roughly linearly with damage inflicted on the road.
Exactly. This is exactly the same as the current gas tax... unless you don't use gas. Much as I hate to say it (because I love electric cars and I hate the idea of them losing an advantage) - this will be required at some point as we slowly move over to battery-electric power. Enough relies on fuel taxes that we need to replace them with a more universal solution.
No, because you'll have spent 10x as long coding something in a language designed for building 1980s operating systems than you would have spent building it in some decent modern language designed for coding GUI apps. If you did it for fun and it was fun then mission accomplished. If you were doing it to achieve some goal other than personal satisfaction, you've wasted a decent-sized chunk of your valuable time.
No, of course it's not baked into the cost of the panels. It's baked into the cost per kW metric, though, because the costs of the panels, heliostats, land etc. are all part of that cost. Efficiency is certainly relevant, but it's only part of the equation. That's why some of this research into 5% - 10% efficiency technologies is so exciting - because even though it's far less efficient than current state-of-the-art, if you can pump it out at $5/sqm it's the most cost-effective way to generate electricity.
The per-panel or per-square-meter overhead is not irrelevant, and thus efficiency is not irrelevant.
This is true, but the cost per square meter for a collector is baked into the cost per kW, so kW/$ is still the most pertinent metric. :)
An interesting game. It sounds like the only way to lose is not to play.
You're completely missing the point of that movie, which was that the nerdy guy was there on the internet and there was a hot chick with him.
Other than that though, I can see why you'd say that, but looking at the numbers...
2010: I'm going to write a runaway hit $0.99 app
2005: I'm going to be very very Web2.0
2000: I'm going to be a pro skateboarder
1997: I'm going to be a pro web developer
1995: I'm going to be a pro surfer
1990: I'm going to be a pro basketball player
1985: I'm going to rollerblade and have crazy hair