The authorities don't really want to "solve" this problem. There are many solutions for managing bots, such as CAPTCHAs and order limits.
One real solution is to auction off every ticket. The auction would begin as early as possible, and continue until the event begins. As soon as a ticket is bid for (requiring an escrow) the auction for that ticket would continue for another hour. If, at the end of that hour, no one else has bid, it goes to the last bidder. If someone else has bid, then it goes to them. They wouldn't have to wait for the entire hour to be up - they could place another bid immediately after the previous bid was placed. If the payment were not received / the escrow failed, then auction the ticket again.
I think you would see how tickets are actually valued by people that plan ahead if such a system were implemented. Scalpers aren't a problem in this system - they seem like a you-failed-to-plan-accordingly surcharge.
The problem is a timing disconnect between how the tickets are valued. This presents an opportunity for arbitrage, which scalpers capitalize on. The difference in timing, and relative values, presents opportunities, not a reason to throw someone in jail. It also presents an opportunity by which the ticket venues could actually try and understand these differences in timing, and increase their profits.
However, it's much easier to sell all your tickets, at like MAYBE 5 different prices, to one scalper than to actually think about novel distribution channels.
ServiceWorker - May 9, 2016, 5:04:48 AM - This is an experimental technology. Because this technology's specification has not stabilized, check the compatibility table for usage in various browsers.
Yes, if you want/need to use experimental, new, HTML5 specifications that are not supported across different browsers, then I am going to agree that an app is not your best choice... However, I wouldn't say that that makes it an older version since it does not implement the standard. My above statement was not meant to be an if, and only if definition. I would say that for this case, it is an experimental standard which has not been implemented yet.
Again, my point is that is makes sense to actually look at these different requirements, your budget, and make an intelligent determination based on the requirements and the resources you have to bear. It does not make sense to say "let's do an app, since an app can do everything" unless you have an unlimited budget and you have the goal of writing an app, for the purpose of writing an app.
If you need to support something, on an older version of a phone which does not implement the HTML5 standard, and you have a budget to do so, then yes, an app makes sense. Just like if you need to access arbitrary hardware, an app makes sense.
My point is that as the HTML5 standards become more widely adopted, and feature-rich, the need for the cases you described becomes smaller and smaller. That is the entire point behind putting this functionality into the browser in the first place.
There's something called a media query, which allows you to style your site differently based on the screen resolution. This concept is how sites are (easily) responsive to different size screens. Additionally, developers SHOULD check to see if the browser + hardware supports the call being made, before calling it. For GPS, that would be to use the GPS coordinates, only if GPS exists. Otherwise, make them fill out a form.
That would be a well designed, responsive, website. There is no technical reason that would be impossible. It would be cheaper to build that than to build a website, and an Android app, and an iOS app.
Yeah, like the other dude said, that is bad design. There is no reason that the webpage would have to function differently than the app now - webpages can get GPS coordinates from a GPS chip, just as an app can get GPS coordinates from a GPS chip.
That is a good example, up to a certain point. Eventually, you'll get clogged up with tons of apps you want to install for convenience, exactly the same way that browser shortcuts eventually need to be organized.
Will that mobile page not pull GPS? GPS is supported in HTML5. If it does, you could pin that to your home screen (using Chrome, with a shortcut) to accomplish the same thing. If you don't want to have their app installed...
I still see your point though. Pinning a URL might be more complicated than installing an app.
Your point makes a lot of sense for gigantic businesses. The vast majority of my customers are not gigantic businesses, and thus need to accomplish something useful with my software. However, I think you are right, in a super cynical way.
I own a software company. Every week someone talks with me about the app they want built. Almost always, they do not actually need any functionality that is missing from HTML5. Very occasionally they do (such as these guys.)
Why would anyone install an app which does not offer anything above the web site? They wouldn't. Clients pay tremendous amounts of money to build apps, which have not been designed, tested, or thought about in any kind of a meaningful way. Even when those clients have money, most of the time I stay away, since being a part of something dumb isn't that great (even if you're getting paid.) Or I try and help them think about it, and then build them a webpage, if they have money.
I'm not sure you'd actually have to fake this at the GPS device level. Waze is reporting data via API calls, so as long as you could put a bump in the wire, and record the data that comes out, and deduce/reverse engineer their API protocol, you could write a bogus Waze client that submits whatever data you want. You wouldn't even have to run this as a mobile app if you didn't want to. Likely, you'd need an IP address that is somewhat geographically related to the area you're reporting on (I'd check that if I were Waze) but a Waze spoofing website, where the client is AJAXing up the data would likely work. You could even have a cool little draw the fake route tool!
This would be a super fun project. I think you'd have to look into adding a certain amount of randomness to your GPS data to make it look realistic. Sort of like Bayesian poisoning...?
I own a custom software development company, with a MS in CS, and a great deal of familiarity with graph theory. If anyone wants to build a Waze faker, send me a message. Faking GPS coordinates to look like motion won't be rough. I'd recommend starting on Android, and then moving to iOS.
I have zero problem with drugs or corrupt government.
My rental property business, and my software business, have never been negatively impacted by drugs, or corruption. New Mexico Tax and Rev came after me when I screwed up my 2012 gross receipts tax, since I legitimately made an honest mistake while starting my business, and then I paid them what I (legitimately) owed, and moved forward. Specifically, how did a corrupt government impact you? I am not disagreeing with you, simply stating that the problems you are describing never impacted me, and wondering how they impacted you..?
Yes, there are seriously jacked up crackheads here (don't ride the Central bus!) but other than having my bicycle stolen WHILE I WAS RIDING THE BUS, I have not had any other problems. The same with drugs, and crackheads, how were you impacted? I did have someone mess up a wooden fence to steal a bike, once. I 100% agree on this one (I'm not sure if I agree on corruption) but I have no idea how you were impacted.
I'll likely go to Denver for some business I need to attend to (a previous iOS developer on a project I want to meet with lives there, and I have a current customer based out of Denver) and to visit my cousin, but I have no idea what you actually mean when you say I need to get out more. I visit my friend in Seattle about once a year (he lives at Linden Lab, the builder of Second Life) and my other programmer friend in New York City once a year. I was dating a beautiful woman that liked to travel, so we went to San Diego (beautiful to visit, I'd NEVER want to live there.) So, what do you mean when you say I need to get out more?
What's your name? I think opinions are more valuable when backed with a name. I try not to pay too much attention to anonymous comments, but I am interested in your opinion.
Why? Seriously? My MORTGAGE here in Albuquerque is $1,400 and I have four one-bedroom apartments I rent out to other people for $700 / month.
As a decent software developer, if you're looking for a normal W2 job, you can expect to pull in 60k-90k depending on experience. What are you pulling in in Portland? I think you are more poor for the privilege of living in Portland...
I think the "low cost of living" is relative to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles. The author of this article specifically left San Francisco, which seems to me to be the absolute worst in terms of cost of living.
My cousin lives in Denver. He's been trying to buy a condo. He's been noticing that things go for asking price, or above. He walked away from a condo deal, at asking, because of a totally messed up Home Owner's Association. He'll have to keep looking, but he's feeling a lot of pressure to move quickly due to increasing prices.
I live in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I bought some apartments while in graduate school, working as an intern. Granted, the bank that gave me a loan was shut down for giving too many irresponsible people loans, but I haven't had any problems. My point is, that in a place like Albuquerque, with a very good university and national labs close by, the cost of living is insanely low compared to basically anyplace except rural America, or post-apocalyptic wastelands like Detroit. People that work relatively low-skilled jobs (waiters, waitresses) can buy houses and start families. The lack of existing infrastructure is a HUGE opportunity for people building companies.
The last time I worked a 9-5, my coworkers used the think I discriminated against older applicants. I said I didn't like when people stopped learning. I was lightly involved in hiring decisions from a technical perspective, mostly "what's your opinion?" kind of stuff. My coworker's opinion was partially because I never recommended hiring someone over 50. Then, I did. I HIGHLY recommended one applicant that appeared to be very old, and his college dates showed that he had to be old, or have started college before he was 10. Everyone questioned me. They said "What's up Brian? I thought you didn't like old people?" and I responded:
This applicant never stopped learning. I can look through his resume - the list of technologies, projects, and jobs he's had, and he never stopped learning. I told you my problem was with ossified people that stop learning. It's impossible to be that way when you're young, but a lot of older people have had the change to chill out, relax, and do a job for 10 years without learning anything new. That is what I discriminate against, people that stop learning*.
Then they believed me and stopped worrying about getting sued because of my obnoxious opinions.
* May not be exactly what I said, i.e. not for use in a court of (employment) law.
Doesn't it violate the DMCA, section 1201 which bans reverse engineering? I wonder if anyone could bring suit for the (potentially criminal) DMCA violations?
There are costs associated with deciding which information should be fully available and then providing it. Would you like to know the person's name that picked your food, processed, drove it to the store, and then put it on the shelf? Perhaps each item should be fully labeled, and all steps of production attributed to the individuals responsible? This may seem extreme, but it helps illustrate a point.
How about if 72% of the time the corn used in my delicious CHEETOS is genetically modified, 16% is not, and the other 12% is uncertain? Is the consumer going to have to pay the costs associated with determining that extra 12%, while the producer is going to have to go to the work? Would there be two labels for CHEETOS, three? Basically, this is saying that a food producer company:
1.) Has to be aware of when genetically modified ingredients are used
2.) Has to label food appropriately when genetically modified ingredients are used
3.) Cannot use the same labelling when switching between genetically modified, and not.
Why should a food manufacturer have to clearly differentiate when genetically modified foods are used? Are genetically modified foods less safe? I don't believe so, and I don't believe there is a "right" to know anything, unless you pay for it. I don't want to pay for this additional cost in food production, and I don't believe other people should force me to pay for it through laws they pass.
I believe that the reason manufacturers are interested in hiding this is because they don't have a good idea of exactly when they are using genetically modified ingredients, and they freely switch between modified, and non-modified ingredients depending on market conditions.
Well, I guess it's time to write a jitter plugin for Chrome. It's going to make using the browser with jitter enabled sort of like trying to perform a delicate operation after five or six beers, but without the false confidence, or everything's-funny, added benefits of beer...
The one guy using Tor with Parkinson's is going to have a lot of problems pretty soon.
Unless this has some ridiculous hack-back-attack capabilities, complete with a nerdy looking airman typing as fast as humanly possible to "execute" the hack back attack, Congress may have to start looking a bit closer at these "weapons systems."
We need more toilet paper for the bathroom. Here you go. WTF? Why does this toilet paper have pictures of guns on it? This is weaponized toilet paper. It helps with allocating funding...
Why do you think ultra-cheap laptop goodness is a good thing? Whenever I've dealt with cheap laptops, they are usually slow, not very durable (random crap breaks on the case in 2 years) and generally annoying to use (keys stick, the screen resolution is tiny, the built in mouse/trackpad sucks.) As a developer, I tent to buy a high end laptop (or two) and then use it every day, carrying it around in my backpack, for three years, or more, before I have problems.
Unless you are poor, I don't really see why point #5 is a good thing. If you are poor, and you're a software developer, then maybe the thing to focus on is not being poor.
A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws
To me, the interesting ramifications of these laws in many stories, and one movie involving Will Smith, are more than enough to answer all questions regarding autonomous technology and responsible use. I have no idea how, as a programmer, these would actually manifest themselves in code...
The article brings into light a problem without actually naming it: law. I think that this problem is that different societies will choose different approaches to regulating, controlling, and outlawing technologies, and the same society can make different decisions depending on it's point in time. The society now in the United States makes the most sense as a place to try and sell new technologies to, since it's the richest and has historically been permissive towards the rights of the creators'. Without being able to answer financial liability questions in a meaningful way, this may not continue to be the best place to develop new, and risky, technologies, in the future.
I don't believe the problem of who owns the code is actually a problem. We have many, many different models of code ownership in effect, and the entity which creates the code can choose how they want to "own" it. The actual problem to me seems to be who do I sue when I don't like an outcome?
Slashdot Mirror
The authorities don't really want to "solve" this problem. There are many solutions for managing bots, such as CAPTCHAs and order limits.
One real solution is to auction off every ticket. The auction would begin as early as possible, and continue until the event begins. As soon as a ticket is bid for (requiring an escrow) the auction for that ticket would continue for another hour. If, at the end of that hour, no one else has bid, it goes to the last bidder. If someone else has bid, then it goes to them. They wouldn't have to wait for the entire hour to be up - they could place another bid immediately after the previous bid was placed. If the payment were not received / the escrow failed, then auction the ticket again.
I think you would see how tickets are actually valued by people that plan ahead if such a system were implemented. Scalpers aren't a problem in this system - they seem like a you-failed-to-plan-accordingly surcharge.
The problem is a timing disconnect between how the tickets are valued. This presents an opportunity for arbitrage, which scalpers capitalize on. The difference in timing, and relative values, presents opportunities, not a reason to throw someone in jail. It also presents an opportunity by which the ticket venues could actually try and understand these differences in timing, and increase their profits.
However, it's much easier to sell all your tickets, at like MAYBE 5 different prices, to one scalper than to actually think about novel distribution channels.
This is extremely cool. Thanks for sharing this, I did not know about this before.
Sorry, what I meant was "then I am going to agree that a webpage is not your best choice..."
ServiceWorker - May 9, 2016, 5:04:48 AM - This is an experimental technology. Because this technology's specification has not stabilized, check the compatibility table for usage in various browsers.
Yes, if you want/need to use experimental, new, HTML5 specifications that are not supported across different browsers, then I am going to agree that an app is not your best choice... However, I wouldn't say that that makes it an older version since it does not implement the standard. My above statement was not meant to be an if, and only if definition. I would say that for this case, it is an experimental standard which has not been implemented yet.
Again, my point is that is makes sense to actually look at these different requirements, your budget, and make an intelligent determination based on the requirements and the resources you have to bear. It does not make sense to say "let's do an app, since an app can do everything" unless you have an unlimited budget and you have the goal of writing an app, for the purpose of writing an app.
If you need to support something, on an older version of a phone which does not implement the HTML5 standard, and you have a budget to do so, then yes, an app makes sense. Just like if you need to access arbitrary hardware, an app makes sense.
My point is that as the HTML5 standards become more widely adopted, and feature-rich, the need for the cases you described becomes smaller and smaller. That is the entire point behind putting this functionality into the browser in the first place.
There's something called a media query, which allows you to style your site differently based on the screen resolution. This concept is how sites are (easily) responsive to different size screens. Additionally, developers SHOULD check to see if the browser + hardware supports the call being made, before calling it. For GPS, that would be to use the GPS coordinates, only if GPS exists. Otherwise, make them fill out a form.
That would be a well designed, responsive, website. There is no technical reason that would be impossible. It would be cheaper to build that than to build a website, and an Android app, and an iOS app.
Yeah, like the other dude said, that is bad design. There is no reason that the webpage would have to function differently than the app now - webpages can get GPS coordinates from a GPS chip, just as an app can get GPS coordinates from a GPS chip.
That is a good example, up to a certain point. Eventually, you'll get clogged up with tons of apps you want to install for convenience, exactly the same way that browser shortcuts eventually need to be organized.
Will that mobile page not pull GPS? GPS is supported in HTML5. If it does, you could pin that to your home screen (using Chrome, with a shortcut) to accomplish the same thing. If you don't want to have their app installed...
I still see your point though. Pinning a URL might be more complicated than installing an app.
Your point makes a lot of sense for gigantic businesses. The vast majority of my customers are not gigantic businesses, and thus need to accomplish something useful with my software. However, I think you are right, in a super cynical way.
This xkcd states it pretty well.
I own a software company. Every week someone talks with me about the app they want built. Almost always, they do not actually need any functionality that is missing from HTML5. Very occasionally they do (such as these guys.)
Why would anyone install an app which does not offer anything above the web site? They wouldn't. Clients pay tremendous amounts of money to build apps, which have not been designed, tested, or thought about in any kind of a meaningful way. Even when those clients have money, most of the time I stay away, since being a part of something dumb isn't that great (even if you're getting paid.) Or I try and help them think about it, and then build them a webpage, if they have money.
I'm not sure you'd actually have to fake this at the GPS device level. Waze is reporting data via API calls, so as long as you could put a bump in the wire, and record the data that comes out, and deduce/reverse engineer their API protocol, you could write a bogus Waze client that submits whatever data you want. You wouldn't even have to run this as a mobile app if you didn't want to. Likely, you'd need an IP address that is somewhat geographically related to the area you're reporting on (I'd check that if I were Waze) but a Waze spoofing website, where the client is AJAXing up the data would likely work. You could even have a cool little draw the fake route tool!
This would be a super fun project. I think you'd have to look into adding a certain amount of randomness to your GPS data to make it look realistic. Sort of like Bayesian poisoning...?
I own a custom software development company, with a MS in CS, and a great deal of familiarity with graph theory. If anyone wants to build a Waze faker, send me a message. Faking GPS coordinates to look like motion won't be rough. I'd recommend starting on Android, and then moving to iOS.
I have zero problem with drugs or corrupt government.
My rental property business, and my software business, have never been negatively impacted by drugs, or corruption. New Mexico Tax and Rev came after me when I screwed up my 2012 gross receipts tax, since I legitimately made an honest mistake while starting my business, and then I paid them what I (legitimately) owed, and moved forward. Specifically, how did a corrupt government impact you? I am not disagreeing with you, simply stating that the problems you are describing never impacted me, and wondering how they impacted you..?
Yes, there are seriously jacked up crackheads here (don't ride the Central bus!) but other than having my bicycle stolen WHILE I WAS RIDING THE BUS, I have not had any other problems. The same with drugs, and crackheads, how were you impacted? I did have someone mess up a wooden fence to steal a bike, once. I 100% agree on this one (I'm not sure if I agree on corruption) but I have no idea how you were impacted.
I'll likely go to Denver for some business I need to attend to (a previous iOS developer on a project I want to meet with lives there, and I have a current customer based out of Denver) and to visit my cousin, but I have no idea what you actually mean when you say I need to get out more. I visit my friend in Seattle about once a year (he lives at Linden Lab, the builder of Second Life) and my other programmer friend in New York City once a year. I was dating a beautiful woman that liked to travel, so we went to San Diego (beautiful to visit, I'd NEVER want to live there.) So, what do you mean when you say I need to get out more?
What's your name? I think opinions are more valuable when backed with a name. I try not to pay too much attention to anonymous comments, but I am interested in your opinion.
Why? Seriously? My MORTGAGE here in Albuquerque is $1,400 and I have four one-bedroom apartments I rent out to other people for $700 / month.
As a decent software developer, if you're looking for a normal W2 job, you can expect to pull in 60k-90k depending on experience. What are you pulling in in Portland? I think you are more poor for the privilege of living in Portland...
I think the "low cost of living" is relative to San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles. The author of this article specifically left San Francisco, which seems to me to be the absolute worst in terms of cost of living.
My cousin lives in Denver. He's been trying to buy a condo. He's been noticing that things go for asking price, or above. He walked away from a condo deal, at asking, because of a totally messed up Home Owner's Association. He'll have to keep looking, but he's feeling a lot of pressure to move quickly due to increasing prices.
I live in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I bought some apartments while in graduate school, working as an intern. Granted, the bank that gave me a loan was shut down for giving too many irresponsible people loans, but I haven't had any problems. My point is, that in a place like Albuquerque, with a very good university and national labs close by, the cost of living is insanely low compared to basically anyplace except rural America, or post-apocalyptic wastelands like Detroit. People that work relatively low-skilled jobs (waiters, waitresses) can buy houses and start families. The lack of existing infrastructure is a HUGE opportunity for people building companies.
The last time I worked a 9-5, my coworkers used the think I discriminated against older applicants. I said I didn't like when people stopped learning. I was lightly involved in hiring decisions from a technical perspective, mostly "what's your opinion?" kind of stuff. My coworker's opinion was partially because I never recommended hiring someone over 50. Then, I did. I HIGHLY recommended one applicant that appeared to be very old, and his college dates showed that he had to be old, or have started college before he was 10. Everyone questioned me. They said "What's up Brian? I thought you didn't like old people?" and I responded:
This applicant never stopped learning. I can look through his resume - the list of technologies, projects, and jobs he's had, and he never stopped learning. I told you my problem was with ossified people that stop learning. It's impossible to be that way when you're young, but a lot of older people have had the change to chill out, relax, and do a job for 10 years without learning anything new. That is what I discriminate against, people that stop learning*.
Then they believed me and stopped worrying about getting sued because of my obnoxious opinions.
* May not be exactly what I said, i.e. not for use in a court of (employment) law.
Oh thank you, I missed that section.
Doesn't it violate the DMCA, section 1201 which bans reverse engineering? I wonder if anyone could bring suit for the (potentially criminal) DMCA violations?
Man, the preview totally screwed up my order list HTML formatting and made me think I needed to add numbers... Thanks slashdot.
There are costs associated with deciding which information should be fully available and then providing it. Would you like to know the person's name that picked your food, processed, drove it to the store, and then put it on the shelf? Perhaps each item should be fully labeled, and all steps of production attributed to the individuals responsible? This may seem extreme, but it helps illustrate a point.
How about if 72% of the time the corn used in my delicious CHEETOS is genetically modified, 16% is not, and the other 12% is uncertain? Is the consumer going to have to pay the costs associated with determining that extra 12%, while the producer is going to have to go to the work? Would there be two labels for CHEETOS, three? Basically, this is saying that a food producer company:
Why should a food manufacturer have to clearly differentiate when genetically modified foods are used? Are genetically modified foods less safe? I don't believe so, and I don't believe there is a "right" to know anything, unless you pay for it. I don't want to pay for this additional cost in food production, and I don't believe other people should force me to pay for it through laws they pass.
I believe that the reason manufacturers are interested in hiding this is because they don't have a good idea of exactly when they are using genetically modified ingredients, and they freely switch between modified, and non-modified ingredients depending on market conditions.
Well, I guess it's time to write a jitter plugin for Chrome. It's going to make using the browser with jitter enabled sort of like trying to perform a delicate operation after five or six beers, but without the false confidence, or everything's-funny, added benefits of beer...
The one guy using Tor with Parkinson's is going to have a lot of problems pretty soon.
Then you must live in the great capital city of my state, Santa Fe.
Unless this has some ridiculous hack-back-attack capabilities, complete with a nerdy looking airman typing as fast as humanly possible to "execute" the hack back attack, Congress may have to start looking a bit closer at these "weapons systems."
We need more toilet paper for the bathroom.
Here you go.
WTF? Why does this toilet paper have pictures of guns on it?
This is weaponized toilet paper. It helps with allocating funding...
Why do you think ultra-cheap laptop goodness is a good thing? Whenever I've dealt with cheap laptops, they are usually slow, not very durable (random crap breaks on the case in 2 years) and generally annoying to use (keys stick, the screen resolution is tiny, the built in mouse/trackpad sucks.) As a developer, I tent to buy a high end laptop (or two) and then use it every day, carrying it around in my backpack, for three years, or more, before I have problems.
Unless you are poor, I don't really see why point #5 is a good thing. If you are poor, and you're a software developer, then maybe the thing to focus on is not being poor.
The three laws of robotics state:
To me, the interesting ramifications of these laws in many stories, and one movie involving Will Smith, are more than enough to answer all questions regarding autonomous technology and responsible use. I have no idea how, as a programmer, these would actually manifest themselves in code...
The article brings into light a problem without actually naming it: law. I think that this problem is that different societies will choose different approaches to regulating, controlling, and outlawing technologies, and the same society can make different decisions depending on it's point in time. The society now in the United States makes the most sense as a place to try and sell new technologies to, since it's the richest and has historically been permissive towards the rights of the creators'. Without being able to answer financial liability questions in a meaningful way, this may not continue to be the best place to develop new, and risky, technologies, in the future.
I don't believe the problem of who owns the code is actually a problem. We have many, many different models of code ownership in effect, and the entity which creates the code can choose how they want to "own" it. The actual problem to me seems to be who do I sue when I don't like an outcome?
I pray the 0th law never comes into effect.