Interesting point, but I think the same idea that I stated before applies. At some point, someone has to put down money so the publisher won't think this sort of thing is an utter failure.
Even if this just serves to give lesser known authors exposure, the publishers won't be able to tell unless there is some kind of impact on their sales (hopefully positive). So if you like it, buy it and we can see more free books online.
(Also, there are people like me who reread books several times over and will buy books they really like...)
I expect to see a positive response to this story. Remember how everyone said it was so cool when King put some chapters of his book online?
But how many of you actually paid?
The next step is to put our money where our mouths are. If you read these books and think they're any good, go buy them.
Prove to the publisher that this sort of experiment is good for them, and we'll see more of it. Don't just post to/. and say you like it.
With more and more people owning cell phones and having multiple phone lines in their homes, this sort of thing is inevitable and necessary if we are to have enough phone numbers to assign to people.
Where I live (Maryland) we've had 10 digit dialing for years. It really is not that much of a hassle, and this way the phone company can overlap area codes so that there are enough telephone numbers to go around.
It's not just because of the intermittent inaccuracy of GPS that you'd want to keep radar as a backup- what if a solar flare comes along and knocks out several satellites over a busy flight route? Having a ground based backup system handy for such an event is a good idea. I would hope that someone would realize that before scrapping radar entirely.
but I think that if they directly state that they will release it at such and such a date, and then don't they are probably in breach of something or other...there are some laws about companies using false advirtising
It's only a breach of contract or false advertising if you already paid for the player and are now not getting it. From what I can see, Intervideo didn't take anyone's money for this- there were no "order now and be the first on your block to have one" type deals. All they did was send out a press release.
Now I think it sucks that they didn't actually release a player, but they didn't do anything illegal. It's just dissapointing.
But an understanding of "current events" at least indicates that you care enough about the issues to keep track of them, which is about the only objective yet meaningful qualification for suffrage I can think of.
However, there is a problem with this sort of test: there is no way for it to be really objective. There is such a wide spectrum of issues that what is a relavent current issue for the writer of the quiz may not be a meaningful issue for the voter.
Would the quiz cover local current events like polluted water in the local reservoir? Or would it instead focus on world events? Then which kind of events? Economic? Social? Political? How would you measure the quality of information they have recieved on the issue?
The pool of questions and the range of options are too broad; there would wind up being a bias in the test, even though it would not be deliberate. It's somewhat unreasonable to expect people to be informed on enough issues that they could reasonably pass this sort of test (which would have to be somewhat long if it were to cover all types of issues fairly).
I agree that an informed voter is better- if I don't know what canidates stand for I don't vote for or againt them. However, I don't think a quiz can be used to filter out uninformed people. The whole concept reminds me of the Jim Crow- type tests...
That windows bug reminds me of the time I went to the airport to pick up my mother... the monitors that display the arrivals/departures information all had the dread BSOD.
She no longer flies out of that airport.
By the way, does anyone else think the guy pictured in the other bilboard looks kinda creepy?
So, I'm wondering where a verbal interface _is_ practical.
The first thing offhand that I can think of is computer use for the visually impaired. People who are blind can more easily use computers with this sort of technology.
If this can make computers and technology more accessible to all, I think it's a good thing.
...is that it tries to educate the user/admin as it goes through and makes changes.
I gave bastille to a friend that wanted to learn about security, and he was able to secure his box, get answers for some of his questions, and overall have a better understanding of how security on Linux boxes should work.
What people should remember here is that this is not intended to hurt the overclocking community as such. It is intended to protect Average Joe consumers who don't know squat about overclocking, but still want a fast machine.
AMD doesn't want its vendors to overclock a chip and sell that product to the consumer as something it isn't. Basically, protecting the consumers from fraud.
Not very nice for the more technically advanced user, but good for Average Joe.
How many kids are there that don't care what other people think of them?...The social pressures start early and don't let up.
I agree with you that social pressures start early, and that they don't let up. However, not every kid attaches so much value to what other people think as to give up an interest they may have. Children can be brought up to be independant rather than groupthink oriented.
By the way, I want to applaud your response to your daughter's concerns that she is stereotyped as a geek. That was good parenting in action. -- brave little toaster
...according to Scherr (her mother), about her 10-year old. Gee, she's 10! If she's screwed up, it's her mother's fault! Any bets on whether she accepts the blame?
I agree that she should accept the lion's share of the blame. But don't forget that a 10 year old has spent at least 4 years in school (more if she went through kindergarten and preschool) and is influenced by people there as well. The mother will have little control over what her children's classmates or teachers say to her daughter, and sometimes events at school will leave a lasting impression. -- brave little toaster
'Girls have the ability to learn and use computers, but they are turned off by technical careers that they view as full of geeky guys'.
This really does depend on which girls you talk to. If it's teeny-boppers who love Britteny Spears and who care lots about what other people think, then yes, they will be concerned about working with 'geeky guys.'
If, however, you talk to a more independently minded young woman, she is more likely to give real reasons besides cooties for not wanting to persue a tech-related field.
The study blames the general sentiment on a gender imbalance in access to computers, and on social pressures that steer girls away from technology.
Now, this I buy. Generally speaking, schools do not do a good job of encouraging our girls to get into science and technology. This has improved in recent times, but there is still a long way to go. Parents also don't always do a good job of encouraging girls to try out computers. In fact, some unwittingly discourage them. (I continually thank my mother for giving me legos instead of an easy bake oven when I was a kid.)
And never underestimate the social pressures women face in the workplace. Not every person can deal with sexist attitudes that many women encounter in tech-related jobs, and so some women choose not to deal with it and persue other careers. While I think this is sad, I personally know two women who left the computer science field because of sexism and other social pressures they continually faced from their peers. It does happen.
Nevertheless, there are many women such as myself who love computers, technology and science, and who thrive on working with geeky people. In fact, for me it's a requirement...
What's interesting is that Cygnus has more employees then Red Hat, and actually generates more revenue.
If this is true, and Cygnus is a financially healthy company, then why on earth are they being bought out by the smaller, less profitable(as of right now), RedHat?
It seems to me that the purchase should go the other way around if it were to happen at all. Something is up with Cygnus that we don't know about (why would they sell if everything was all ok?). Possibly internal troubles, or the like. Maybe RedHat will be getting a worse deal than they thought they were getting.
Although my predition is that M$ will attempt to settle by providing discounts on future M$ products
I agree that Microsoft will try to settle now. It is the only sensible option, unless they really want to spend more in legal fees and then wind up paying out to the consumer anyways. The whole point of a settlement is to avoid greater cost in the long run.
Having said that, why would the Government accept a settlement offer? The judge clearly favors the prosecution's case, and the government would probably do better letting the judge decide the penalty than if MS tries to strike a comprimise.
The government won't settle, it has nothing to lose.
Slashdot Mirror
Even if this just serves to give lesser known authors exposure, the publishers won't be able to tell unless there is some kind of impact on their sales (hopefully positive). So if you like it, buy it and we can see more free books online.
(Also, there are people like me who reread books several times over and will buy books they really like...)
--
The next step is to put our money where our mouths are. If you read these books and think they're any good, go buy them.
Prove to the publisher that this sort of experiment is good for them, and we'll see more of it. Don't just post to /. and say you like it.
Just my $.02
--
Where I live (Maryland) we've had 10 digit dialing for years. It really is not that much of a hassle, and this way the phone company can overlap area codes so that there are enough telephone numbers to go around.
--
It's not just because of the intermittent inaccuracy of GPS that you'd want to keep radar as a backup- what if a solar flare comes along and knocks out several satellites over a busy flight route? Having a ground based backup system handy for such an event is a good idea. I would hope that someone would realize that before scrapping radar entirely.
--
It's only a breach of contract or false advertising if you already paid for the player and are now not getting it. From what I can see, Intervideo didn't take anyone's money for this- there were no "order now and be the first on your block to have one" type deals. All they did was send out a press release.
Now I think it sucks that they didn't actually release a player, but they didn't do anything illegal. It's just dissapointing.
--
However, there is a problem with this sort of test: there is no way for it to be really objective. There is such a wide spectrum of issues that what is a relavent current issue for the writer of the quiz may not be a meaningful issue for the voter.
Would the quiz cover local current events like polluted water in the local reservoir? Or would it instead focus on world events? Then which kind of events? Economic? Social? Political? How would you measure the quality of information they have recieved on the issue?
The pool of questions and the range of options are too broad; there would wind up being a bias in the test, even though it would not be deliberate. It's somewhat unreasonable to expect people to be informed on enough issues that they could reasonably pass this sort of test (which would have to be somewhat long if it were to cover all types of issues fairly).
I agree that an informed voter is better- if I don't know what canidates stand for I don't vote for or againt them. However, I don't think a quiz can be used to filter out uninformed people. The whole concept reminds me of the Jim Crow- type tests...
--
She no longer flies out of that airport.
By the way, does anyone else think the guy pictured in the other bilboard looks kinda creepy?
--
The first thing offhand that I can think of is computer use for the visually impaired. People who are blind can more easily use computers with this sort of technology.
If this can make computers and technology more accessible to all, I think it's a good thing.
--
I gave bastille to a friend that wanted to learn about security, and he was able to secure his box, get answers for some of his questions, and overall have a better understanding of how security on Linux boxes should work.
Now if they would only port it to slackware...
Jay, keep up the good work!
--
AMD doesn't want its vendors to overclock a chip and sell that product to the consumer as something it isn't. Basically, protecting the consumers from fraud.
Not very nice for the more technically advanced user, but good for Average Joe.
--
I agree with you that social pressures start early, and that they don't let up. However, not every kid attaches so much value to what other people think as to give up an interest they may have. Children can be brought up to be independant rather than groupthink oriented.
By the way, I want to applaud your response to your daughter's concerns that she is stereotyped as a geek. That was good parenting in action.
--
brave little toaster
--
I agree that she should accept the lion's share of the blame. But don't forget that a 10 year old has spent at least 4 years in school (more if she went through kindergarten and preschool) and is influenced by people there as well. The mother will have little control over what her children's classmates or teachers say to her daughter, and sometimes events at school will leave a lasting impression.
--
brave little toaster
--
This really does depend on which girls you talk to. If it's teeny-boppers who love Britteny Spears and who care lots about what other people think, then yes, they will be concerned about working with 'geeky guys.'
If, however, you talk to a more independently minded young woman, she is more likely to give real reasons besides cooties for not wanting to persue a tech-related field.
The study blames the general sentiment on a gender imbalance in access to computers, and on social pressures that steer girls away from technology.
Now, this I buy. Generally speaking, schools do not do a good job of encouraging our girls to get into science and technology. This has improved in recent times, but there is still a long way to go. Parents also don't always do a good job of encouraging girls to try out computers. In fact, some unwittingly discourage them. (I continually thank my mother for giving me legos instead of an easy bake oven when I was a kid.)
And never underestimate the social pressures women face in the workplace. Not every person can deal with sexist attitudes that many women encounter in tech-related jobs, and so some women choose not to deal with it and persue other careers. While I think this is sad, I personally know two women who left the computer science field because of sexism and other social pressures they continually faced from their peers. It does happen.
Nevertheless, there are many women such as myself who love computers, technology and science, and who thrive on working with geeky people. In fact, for me it's a requirement...
--
brave little toaster
--
If this is true, and Cygnus is a financially healthy company, then why on earth are they being bought out by the smaller, less profitable(as of right now), RedHat?
It seems to me that the purchase should go the other way around if it were to happen at all. Something is up with Cygnus that we don't know about (why would they sell if everything was all ok?). Possibly internal troubles, or the like. Maybe RedHat will be getting a worse deal than they thought they were getting.
I hope not, but that's how it looks to me.
-Toaster
I agree that Microsoft will try to settle now. It is the only sensible option, unless they really want to spend more in legal fees and then wind up paying out to the consumer anyways. The whole point of a settlement is to avoid greater cost in the long run.
Having said that, why would the Government accept a settlement offer? The judge clearly favors the prosecution's case, and the government would probably do better letting the judge decide the penalty than if MS tries to strike a comprimise.
The government won't settle, it has nothing to lose.
-Toaster