Even if someone had 100% proof of alien encounters, the signal to noise ratio is assumed to be no signal and all noise.
That's a complete contradiction. If someone had "100% proof", it would be seen as such, by definition. That's what "proof" is - the ability to prove something, beyond any reasonable person's doubt. To say anything important, which can be completely, irrevocably proven will be ignored, is simply ridiculous in modern times.
> It proves that if you can give a corporation tax breaks and throw off the shackles of regulation, they will do better and want to hire more people. Oh...wait.
I was actually doing an Excel thingy the other day, simply looking at how company profits actually relate to employment. This information is freely available from companies' annual reports. For example:
For companies like Woolworths, whose operations are fairly labour-intensive, profits do relate to employment though, as you can see, profits rise far more quickly than employment does.
For Comm Bank, profits rise confidently, however the effect on employment is comparatively modest. Employment even drops for a period. Over the long term, the relationship between profit and employment is minor.
From the few I looked at, profits of major companies rise far more sharply than does employment, and sometimes there is little relation at all. I imagine there is a closer relationship between profit and employment in small to medium businesses. IMO, large companies should be more highly regulated (also so they can't off-shore their tax) while small-medium businesses are the ones who should be encouraged more.
True. I bought a HP 8510p, 5 years ago, and it's still my main work laptop. As a web developer, I use Visual Studio, Photoshop, etc. and have SQL Server, IIS and a bunch of dev tools running continually. It also plays Dishonored and Metro Last Light reasonably well. Amazing little machine, easy to open up and maintain. Not a single dead pixel, not single failed part. The only down-side is a limit of 4GB RAM, but even that's not too much of an issue.. on XP.:)
It was probably one of the first "good enough" laptops that didn't need to be discarded for something faster, but it also happened to never break down (crazily easy to open up and de-dust). My deep satisfaction, however, doesn't make a computer manufacturer any money. Which is another reason for pushing tablets and "laptop-replacements" like the Surface Pro - they're an emerging tech, which means the good-old, lucrative "upgrade cycle" starts all over again for these companies.
Then they change perfectly Gnome 2 with a half cell phone gnome 3/shell! Now office 365/office 2013 is all FREAKING WHITE IN ALL CAPS where I get a migraine looking at it. Then they change Hotmail.com to all blinding with blue.,.. now gmail is changing too.
You forgot to mention the ever sopopularUI changes to Visual Studio 2012/13. An utter UI train-wreck from MS, far worse in implication than Metro, as it is serious productivity s/ware used by Windows developers. And they haven't even backed down from using all-CAPS in the menus.
you're in *public*: everyone can see you, and what you are doing
But none of the people who see you in the pub are the same who see you in a shop and the same who see you walking down any other street every day. There's a BIG difference between being "in public" - where nobody knows you beyond the immediate space - and your life "being public knowledge", which is what it would be if everyone knew all your movements throughout the city.
Comparing public surveillance to "being in public" is a false equivalence. They're nothing like each other.
You're comparing scientists and engineers who publish in the open literature with spooks and security guards who keep secrets.
I thought his/her point was valid - they are all government. If someone says "I mistrust government", do you expect them to make an exception for certain departments? If so, then they wouldn't just say "I don't trust government". His/her point was that many people in the US distrust government. So whether it's NASA or the IRS, *they don't trust government*.
It's a fair enough statement, because, you know, it's true. There are lots of people out there like that.
I soon learned that it is a good idea to write the specs together with them if you want a project to succeed.
I turned into a freelance developer, as I really enjoy this part. Communicating ideas - the exchange between a client's broad scope ideas and my down-on-the-ground detail never fails to: a) enlighten us both about the other's domain of thought, b) give rise to new ideas - things they hadn't considered, and things I hadn't considered.
The I go away and code, but what keeps the satisfaction up on both sides is a constant level of communication. The more you update the client, even if it's little things, the more they appreciate the work you're doing. I feel that something is lost when the client and the developer are two separate silos, neither really understanding the other. In my experience, the client always gets something out of my technical approach, as I do from seeing my stuff help them do what they want to do.
Greetings friend, I'm from Australia. Please, tell me more about this distant land where people can buy a house - an actual house, you say? - for just $400k, and where electronic devices, digital media and movie tickets are available at reasonable prices.:(
If I ride my bike without a helmet I am the one who is at risk.
Looking at a slightly larger picture - if your head injury treatment and rehabilitation is covered by public health care, you also have a social responsibility to minimise the chance of being an unnecessary burden on the public system. Which means, among other things, wearing a helmet while cycling.
However strange it may feel to refer to Tolkien on this issue, this particular quote has something unusually profound and humane to it.
Agreed, however he didn't mean don't kill - he just suggested taking a moment first. Maybe a cup of tea and a quiet sit down somewhere nice, and smile when someone walks by, it's good for the soul.
"Crucifixion? Very good; one cross each, line on the left."
I'm sick of fighting to keep Firefox looking and working like Firefox if all they're going to do is take away the things that I actually use it for. It's just too much effort.
You're not alone. I'd recommend PaleMoon, it's based on Firefox but the devs seem more sane. It even has a 64-bit version. Better than SeaMonkey IMO. I've used FF since v1, this is the first time I'm seriously moving to something else, in this case PaleMoon, because they seem to be focussed on what users originally came to Firefox for in the first place.
As are many others, you're not alone. I'd recommend PaleMoon then, it's based on Firefox but the devs seem more sane. It even has a 64-bit version. Better than SeaMonkey IMO.
Now with the preverse incentives of the app market, the app store is saturated by apps trying to squeeze a maximum amount of money for a dwindling amount of useful application.
I think that describes the entirely of modern capitalism in a nutshell.
Here is where someone calls me a racist or a bigot. I am neither. [...] But if what you're doing isn't working and you're draining national resources to keep your subculture on life support... maybe that should stop.
The rest is still browseable (and easy to organize if I care to), and searchable
Searchable? Pretend you're not computer-savvy, search for "uninstall" or "remove" to get rid of a program, and try working out which link to click.
Then try searching for the screen-shot.. sorry, screen-grab.. I mean snapshot.. whatever tool, if you can't remember it's called "snipping tool".
Search only works if you already know exactly what you're looking for. On the other hand, having cascading menus, like XP's Start menu, made it very clear what your options were. Plus you could rearrange them as you please, and even launch things with simple keypresses - eg. Win+S+C for Control Panel. Win+P for Programs, Win+R for Run. Windows 7's menu makes that kind of quick navigation impossible.
This is interesting... as a programmer, I read every word of that smoothly, but stumbled on the word "rset", which my brain interpreted as "RESET". I had to go back and read it again, because the phrase "the reset can jumbled" didn't make sense. Interesting. Makes me wonder if there's something specifically about English which makes this work for us, or if it also works in other phonetic languages.
And does it work for everyone, or just with people who read by "sounding" the words in their mind as they read? Do some people read by visual mapping instead?
Slashdot Mirror
Even if someone had 100% proof of alien encounters, the signal to noise ratio is assumed to be no signal and all noise.
That's a complete contradiction. If someone had "100% proof", it would be seen as such, by definition. That's what "proof" is - the ability to prove something, beyond any reasonable person's doubt. To say anything important, which can be completely, irrevocably proven will be ignored, is simply ridiculous in modern times.
You don't really hear about this, but it's part of what started Fermi along the way towards his paradox.
Strange you should say that, as I just heard about it.
I always smile when people say, "no-one ever talks about this, but..."
Thanks for including me in the incredibly small cabal of individuals this has been mentioned to. I feel so special. :)
> It proves that if you can give a corporation tax breaks and throw off the shackles of regulation, they will do better and want to hire more people. Oh...wait.
I was actually doing an Excel thingy the other day, simply looking at how company profits actually relate to employment. This information is freely available from companies' annual reports. For example:
Woolworths Limited (annual reports) graph: http://i.imgur.com/iNagiLN.gif
For companies like Woolworths, whose operations are fairly labour-intensive, profits do relate to employment though, as you can see, profits rise far more quickly than employment does.
Then take Comm Bank (I'm Australian): (annual Reports) graph: http://i.imgur.com/w6orwfi.gif
For Comm Bank, profits rise confidently, however the effect on employment is comparatively modest. Employment even drops for a period. Over the long term, the relationship between profit and employment is minor.
From the few I looked at, profits of major companies rise far more sharply than does employment, and sometimes there is little relation at all. I imagine there is a closer relationship between profit and employment in small to medium businesses. IMO, large companies should be more highly regulated (also so they can't off-shore their tax) while small-medium businesses are the ones who should be encouraged more.
They used to make really cool, quality stuff
True. I bought a HP 8510p, 5 years ago, and it's still my main work laptop. As a web developer, I use Visual Studio, Photoshop, etc. and have SQL Server, IIS and a bunch of dev tools running continually. It also plays Dishonored and Metro Last Light reasonably well. Amazing little machine, easy to open up and maintain. Not a single dead pixel, not single failed part. The only down-side is a limit of 4GB RAM, but even that's not too much of an issue.. on XP. :)
It was probably one of the first "good enough" laptops that didn't need to be discarded for something faster, but it also happened to never break down (crazily easy to open up and de-dust). My deep satisfaction, however, doesn't make a computer manufacturer any money. Which is another reason for pushing tablets and "laptop-replacements" like the Surface Pro - they're an emerging tech, which means the good-old, lucrative "upgrade cycle" starts all over again for these companies.
Then they change perfectly Gnome 2 with a half cell phone gnome 3/shell! Now office 365/office 2013 is all FREAKING WHITE IN ALL CAPS where I get a migraine looking at it. Then they change Hotmail.com to all blinding with blue. ,.. now gmail is changing too.
You forgot to mention the ever so popular UI changes to Visual Studio 2012/13. An utter UI train-wreck from MS, far worse in implication than Metro, as it is serious productivity s/ware used by Windows developers. And they haven't even backed down from using all-CAPS in the menus.
you're in *public*: everyone can see you, and what you are doing
But none of the people who see you in the pub are the same who see you in a shop and the same who see you walking down any other street every day. There's a BIG difference between being "in public" - where nobody knows you beyond the immediate space - and your life "being public knowledge", which is what it would be if everyone knew all your movements throughout the city.
Comparing public surveillance to "being in public" is a false equivalence. They're nothing like each other.
You're comparing scientists and engineers who publish in the open literature with spooks and security guards who keep secrets.
I thought his/her point was valid - they are all government. If someone says "I mistrust government", do you expect them to make an exception for certain departments? If so, then they wouldn't just say "I don't trust government". His/her point was that many people in the US distrust government. So whether it's NASA or the IRS, *they don't trust government*.
It's a fair enough statement, because, you know, it's true. There are lots of people out there like that.
I soon learned that it is a good idea to write the specs together with them if you want a project to succeed.
I turned into a freelance developer, as I really enjoy this part. Communicating ideas - the exchange between a client's broad scope ideas and my down-on-the-ground detail never fails to: a) enlighten us both about the other's domain of thought, b) give rise to new ideas - things they hadn't considered, and things I hadn't considered.
The I go away and code, but what keeps the satisfaction up on both sides is a constant level of communication. The more you update the client, even if it's little things, the more they appreciate the work you're doing. I feel that something is lost when the client and the developer are two separate silos, neither really understanding the other. In my experience, the client always gets something out of my technical approach, as I do from seeing my stuff help them do what they want to do.
and live in a $400k house
Greetings friend, I'm from Australia. Please, tell me more about this distant land where people can buy a house - an actual house, you say? - for just $400k, and where electronic devices, digital media and movie tickets are available at reasonable prices. :(
If I ride my bike without a helmet I am the one who is at risk.
Looking at a slightly larger picture - if your head injury treatment and rehabilitation is covered by public health care, you also have a social responsibility to minimise the chance of being an unnecessary burden on the public system. Which means, among other things, wearing a helmet while cycling.
However strange it may feel to refer to Tolkien on this issue, this particular quote has something unusually profound and humane to it.
Agreed, however he didn't mean don't kill - he just suggested taking a moment first. Maybe a cup of tea and a quiet sit down somewhere nice, and smile when someone walks by, it's good for the soul.
"Crucifixion? Very good; one cross each, line on the left."
I'm sick of fighting to keep Firefox looking and working like Firefox if all they're going to do is take away the things that I actually use it for. It's just too much effort.
You're not alone. I'd recommend PaleMoon, it's based on Firefox but the devs seem more sane. It even has a 64-bit version. Better than SeaMonkey IMO. I've used FF since v1, this is the first time I'm seriously moving to something else, in this case PaleMoon, because they seem to be focussed on what users originally came to Firefox for in the first place.
I am seriously fed up with this shit.
As are many others, you're not alone. I'd recommend PaleMoon then, it's based on Firefox but the devs seem more sane. It even has a 64-bit version. Better than SeaMonkey IMO.
I think there is a real need for a fork of firefox and a sane team to maintain it
Give PaleMoon a try, it's based on Firefox but the devs seem more sane. It even has a 64-bit version. Better than SeaMonkey IMO.
Firefox has joined the growing list of applications that can never be updated because the new version sucks.
Yes it can.. update to PaleMoon. :) It's based on Firefox, but the devs seem more sane. It even has a 64-bit version.
Be glad it's solid commercial software developers were paid for.
As opposed to OpenSSL you mean?
Now with the preverse incentives of the app market, the app store is saturated by apps trying to squeeze a maximum amount of money for a dwindling amount of useful application.
I think that describes the entirely of modern capitalism in a nutshell.
If we hadn't given up on the space race, maybe we'd have most of those things.
You mean as opposed to world peace, enough food, housing and security for everyone on the planet?
Wait.. we don't have that either. What do we have? Oh yes, iPads.
Except for the predictable end it's quite a nice movie.
Thanks, asshat. Now I know that when I think I can predict the ending, I'm probably right. Just couldn't help yourself, could you.
Here is where someone calls me a racist or a bigot. I am neither. [...] But if what you're doing isn't working and you're draining national resources to keep your subculture on life support... maybe that should stop.
But then we wouldn't have any politicians!
Jedi mind-meld tricks
That's definitely a mix of incompatible technologies right there.
impotence => impedence for those who are not too impudent
Impedance actually. :)
How about "Just because it gives more vertical space for the webpage". Yes, that 7mm is appreciated on a 16:9 screen.
Whoa there, you're flat-out contradicting the $millions in user interface research that went into the Ribbon.
The rest is still browseable (and easy to organize if I care to), and searchable
Searchable? Pretend you're not computer-savvy, search for "uninstall" or "remove" to get rid of a program, and try working out which link to click.
Then try searching for the screen-shot.. sorry, screen-grab.. I mean snapshot.. whatever tool, if you can't remember it's called "snipping tool".
Search only works if you already know exactly what you're looking for. On the other hand, having cascading menus, like XP's Start menu, made it very clear what your options were. Plus you could rearrange them as you please, and even launch things with simple keypresses - eg. Win+S+C for Control Panel. Win+P for Programs, Win+R for Run. Windows 7's menu makes that kind of quick navigation impossible.
Acocdrnig to an elgnsih unviesitry sutdy
This is interesting... as a programmer, I read every word of that smoothly, but stumbled on the word "rset", which my brain interpreted as "RESET". I had to go back and read it again, because the phrase "the reset can jumbled" didn't make sense. Interesting. Makes me wonder if there's something specifically about English which makes this work for us, or if it also works in other phonetic languages.
And does it work for everyone, or just with people who read by "sounding" the words in their mind as they read? Do some people read by visual mapping instead?