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User: maz2331

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Comments · 785

  1. Math is a LANGUAGE on Scientist Suggests We Explore 'Universe is a VR Simulation' Theory · · Score: 1

    Mathematics is, at its core, nothing more or less than a very precice language for indicating the relationship between quantities.

    So, just because you can write math that explains and simulates the universe does not mean that the universe itself is math. It only means that it can be described with math.

    Correlation != Causal.

  2. Limited Times on Copyright Cutback Proposed As RIAA Solution · · Score: 1

    Patents and copyrights are constitutionally defined as...

    "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"

    Securing for LIMITED times is the key. Not "unlimited," which a 120-year copyright effectivly is. Where's the motivation to keep up progress if you can make one work and milk it for 120 years while blocking anyone else from building on it? It's too long by an order of magnitude.

    Cut the length of the term to 5 - 12 years or so, and we will see a major burst of creativity on the scene.

    The whole point of the system is to give authors and inventors a chance to make money for a while but to still have things go into the public domain for others to use later, and to keep the protection period short enough that they keep working and putting out new stuff constantly.

    Right now, the motivation is to come up with a huge "blockbuster hit" that can be milked forever, instead of lots of "good" works. So, the net result is that progress is now retarded, not promoted.

    Seriously, who is even going to remember who Britney Spears was in 120 years?

  3. Re:Corporate Copyrights - Not Just Entertainment on Copyright Cutback Proposed As RIAA Solution · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The lifespan of software is pretty short anyway. A 5-year protection cycle is a huge motivator to get a new product out the door on a regular basis and keep the programmers employed.

  4. Re:awww jeez, not this $#!^ again on TSA Limits Lithium Batteries on Airplanes · · Score: 1

    So... if my .458 Magnum elephant gun is the closest thing available, and I grab that instead of the .22 that is three rooms away I can be sued?

  5. Re:Apple care on No Right to Privacy When Your Computer Is Repaired · · Score: 1

    A similar case happened in PA a few months ago. A man was getting FIOS installed, and the Verizon tech came upon some CDs on top of the duct work. So, he popped a disk in, saw the illegal porn, and called the cops.

    The owner got something like 8 years.

  6. More Talk Radio on Radio May Have To Pay To Play · · Score: 1

    This could be the type of thing that causes a bunch of stations to forgo music programming and just switch to a "talk radio" format of some sort. Maybe have a whole boatload of talk stations each focused on some narrow interest of some sort.

    Or maybe it will piss off ClearChannel enough to just buy the RIAA member companies and vertically integrate. Especially after they tank the RIAA member companies by boycotting their product for a year or two and then buy them "for a song" as the saying goes.

  7. Dvor-who? on Dvorak Slams OLPC As 'Naive Fiasco' · · Score: 1

    Does anybody read what this guy writes anymore?

  8. Wasted Time? on Are You Proud of Your Code? · · Score: 1

    Uh... no it isn't. I don't give that time away for free, it's billed at a nice hourly rate. The more design time, the better.

  9. Nice Rant... BUT on Will ISP Web Content Filtering Continue To Grow? · · Score: 1

    Seriously, how does this apply to the subject at hand?

  10. Google on Will ISP Web Content Filtering Continue To Grow? · · Score: 0

    Google will go absolutely ape if an ISP filters THEIR ads. Expect lawsuit city if that one happens... or Google just throwing some cash out there and building out their open ISP network.

  11. Re:Wind Turbines are the Easy Way on Former Anti-Nuclear Activist Does A 180 · · Score: 1

    Your solution advocates a

    (*) technical ( ) legislative ( ) market-based ( ) vigilante

    approach to solving a looming energy problem. Your idea will not work as the current situation stands. Here is why it won't work. (One or more of the following may apply to your particular idea, and it may have other flaws which used to vary from state to state or country to country before a bad federal or international law was passed.)

    (*) It cited the Daily Kos as a reference.

    No need for the rest of the form, as it would be redundant.

    Application denied. Resubmit in 30 days for further denial.

  12. Heard THAT one before.... on Former Anti-Nuclear Activist Does A 180 · · Score: 1

    I think the guy who said it was named...

    POL POT!

  13. Re:Global calamity on New Wave Power Research Rising Off Oregon Coast · · Score: 1

    Uh, do you realize just how MUCH energy would need to be extracted from such a system to have any actual effects on the moon? You could probably run our entire world electrical use for a billion years before anything happened there.

  14. Re:My Lotus Notes Padawans on What If Yoda Ran IBM? · · Score: 1

    Notes I will not, for a saber light in guts is less painful.

  15. Re:What if.. on What If Yoda Ran IBM? · · Score: 1

    Vote Paul.

  16. Svalbard? on The Arctic Doomsday Seed Vault · · Score: 1

    Isn't that where the Soviets detonated the 50 MT nuke?

  17. Total Waste Of Bandwidth on Did SCO Get Linux-mob Justice? · · Score: 1

    The article requires that we chuck the whole idea of "rule of law" and replace it with "rule of lawYER" instead. In other words, let's just ignore the parts of copyright law that are inconvenient, along with the relevant sections of the actual contract, and pay attention to bogus spin and so-called "novel theories" instead.

    The whole Novell case should have taken less than a week if it hadn't been for SCO trying to spin the truth, hide the agreements, dispute everything, re-dispute everything, and generally try to obfuscate their way through the whole affair.

  18. Or just start over on Is It Time for a 'Kinder, Gentler HTML'? · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Maybe the whole thing needs to be rethought from the ground up. What do we use web browsers for nowadays anyhow? I see the following...

    1. Displaying mixed text/image documents. HTML sucks for laying these out.
    2. Filling in forms and database interaction.
    3. "Online" applications.

    It seems to me that using a "markup" language doesn't meet any of these goals well. The onscreen (and printable) views would be much better in something similar to Postsrcipt, forms would be better as something akin to an MS Access, and online apps require a way to either remotely display the app on the client and interact, or download an applet of some sort that synchronizes with the server.

    I'd say creating a standardized VM that displays Postscript and uses a Java or .NET-type language (maybe even compiled to bytecode) is a better way to go. The key is to integrate this together at all levels, not the current patchwork of embedded client-side or server-side scripts. Make the development process simulate the same steps one goes through to create a native application instead.

    Right now, when making a web app, I have to create PHP scripts that generate SQL queries, crunch the data, and then output HTML and possibly client-side Javascript. What a pain in the ass - there's at least 3 languages involved and really the whole thing is a mother to debug.

  19. It's the lawyers, stupid. on The Biggest Roadblocks To Information Technology Development · · Score: 1

    The whole development landscape has turned into a minefield due to the constant threat of lawsuits over copyright and patents. These have been interpreted, bent, folded, spindled, and mutilated by a legal system that encourages incredibly expensive litigation over the most trivial issue. It's been taken to such extremes that frivolous cases (think SCO vs. everybody) cost tens of millions of dollars to defend, tens of millions to settle, or tens of millions to lose.

    This has resulted in technology actually becoming a feudal system, where different players own their own "turf" and can either claim a tribute or prevent use of nearly anything now. Taking this analogy a little further, it's as if every road has been mined by "Lord GUI-Click".

  20. Mod The Bacteria... on Methane-Eating Bacteria Could Combat Global Warming · · Score: 1

    To eat these annoying vegans!

  21. Re:My data in a box on Intel Considering Portable Data Centers · · Score: 2, Funny

    Come on... how many slashdotters have actually accessed her box recently?

  22. Wow on Terabit-Per-Second Class Connections over FTTH · · Score: 1

    OMFG that is a lot of p0rn.

  23. Never Been Comfortable on Mixed News on Wiretapping from 9th Circuit US Court · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I've never really been comfortable with the claim of "State Secrets" being used as it is in courts. I totally agree with not releasing information that should be kept under wraps for whatever reason, but don't like that it can be used as a way to cover up malfeasence either.

    In any decently-run system, a claim of secrecy should be honored, but only as a stipulation that the opposing side's claims are true and accurate. In other words, a default judgement against the government in that case.

    Justice should be blind, but not deaf nor dumb.

  24. Put Up or Shut Up on Warner Music CEO Says War With Consumers Was Wrong · · Score: 1

    Okay, if he is serious then he needs to take action:

    1. Repudiate all the lawsuits immediately.
    2. Pay every defendant's legal fees and Warner's share of any money recieved in settlements or judgements.

    Money talks, and bullshit walks.

  25. Re:license on Qmail At 10 Years — Reflections On Security · · Score: 1

    QMail isn't a program or a "product" it is a modular toolkit for creating kick-ass mail servers. I have pretty well standardized on it for whatever I roll out, and it just works beautifully.

    I do swap out the SMTP module and use the LinuxMagic "magicsmtpd" instead to gain some features. The nice thing is that a flaw THERE won't affect other parts of the system since qmail modules don't even trust each other.

    IF you just want something you pop a CD in and install with a few clicks, then stay away from qmail. On the other hand, if you want to build a really kick-ass mail server it is the heart of your toolkit.

    And... if you want an easy way to roll out a base system look up "qvcs" on SourceForge. It will take you from a base OS load to a working decent qmail, VMailMgr, and SquirellMail box in one shot. You can then adjust it to your heart's content.