According to Nancy Pelosi, you need to download it to know what's in it.
Then it follows that it is illegal to download anything off of Internet because anything could be a forbidden material. Even PGP signed files are not sufficient.
What are the chances that a group of people bring a very suspicious looking electronic device onto a plane and then they all simultaneously forget it there?
It is very likely if 10 kids carry 7 science projects. It takes discipline to check against the list what is and what isn't taken out of those bins and who carries what.
Today if you have access to the hash then you are already in control of the system. It's not like a typical cube slave can just cat/etc/passwd on a Windows server.
The main threat comes from simple passwords and (in an office environment) from passwords that are written on sticky notes.
It is true that a dictionary word does not contain as many bits of entropy as a random collection of all its characters would. However there are still plenty, and if you are given only three attempts before the system locks you out, it's not that bad. If you need more then use multiple factor authentication. Human mind can produce only so many secure bits before it starts making mistakes.
The problem with cameras alone is that you can only document the theft. This is trivially defeated by thieves wearing face masks, bandannas or just hoodies (which they love to do anyway.) The police will not be able to use your images unless they are clear enough.
Other people already advised you to get a service from ADT or others. This will be better because this service is on duty 24/7. Once the thieves enter they will be greeted with a loud beep, and a siren within 30-45 seconds. Yes, they can say "whatever, we still have three minutes" - but that's not much and is fraught with danger. This can be also connected with your insurance; if known items are taken from a house that is protected with a security system the insurance company won't have too many options besides paying up.
If you don't want to pay ADT you still should buy a security kit and install it. You can use a wireless one for simpler installation. My house is wired for that and I'm using a DSC control panel (I am the installer and have all the codes.) The system can actually be programmed to dial your cell phone - there are many configuration options. This will specifically tell you what happened, what zones are triggered, and so on.
You still can have video cameras - I have a few - but they can't be your sole source of intrusion events. They are actually pretty bad at that. Cameras can be defeated, but more often than not they don't deliver all on their own. Outdoor motion detection is mechanistic; a slow motion will be missed, but a swaying branch will cause false alarms. Opening of a door, or an indoor motion detected with a PIR sensor, will be far more reliable.
To summarize, I recommend installing a proper security system at your home and augmenting it with cameras. This will both deter the intruders and capture their faces for possible complaints to the police. If your house allows, install a perimeter monitoring - there are many relatively inexpensive modules that will plug into your security system, into an early warning zone. Put an external PTZ camera (maybe a dummy one) on a scanning pattern so that the thieves can see it.
If you make the house look like it is well protected then most thieves will simply look elsewhere. This is the best you can do, short of hiring armed guards. Your own guns will only serve to protect you; and if you ever have to shoot an intruder you may find that not all DAs approve culling of the herd of criminals.
Few criminals have use of a long gun. They want handguns. But those can be effectively hidden in the house, or simply you can carry one all day long (unless you are in CA.)
why not just buy a cheap time-lapse camera, set it to record every half hour or so, and check the solar coverage on the images of some representative days?
My advice is based on the fact that I have a PV system at my house; I had it ordered and installed.
There are many reasons why your own measurements are pointless:
Installers have instruments, specialized software, and the knowledge how to use it.
Installers have access to local insolation levels - not from the US department of statistics but from the house next door.
Installers are up to date on many laws, from local to federal, that you must be aware of. I got a huge tax credit, for example, that took two years to draw out. It considerably dropped the cost of the system.
Installers know of all the typical problems. The trees in the way are probably the most common issue. They know how to deal with that and they can arrange for the permit for you if necessary.
Installers also know the size of the system that is optimal for your house. Too small and you won't realize all the benefit. Too large and you will be selling the energy for peanuts (if you can get any money for it at all.)
The PV system must be inspected by a building inspector; to pass, it must be done by the code. The cost of doing it right can vary from low to high depending on your specific circumstances. It's part of the equation, and your measurements won't help to estimate it. But the installer will give you a decent estimate.
All of the above is free and you get your personal proposal, with spreadsheets, drawings and financials, within a few days.
If you don't trust one installer, bring another one in and compare the numbers. If the numbers match then perhaps they know what they are doing.
It would be a waste of time to do the analysis yourself. You won't be even aware of many potential problems that installers know by the heart. Why would anyone want to risk a large amount of money ($20-30K at least?)
You don't need to do it yourself. Call a solar installer, and they will come for free and measure everything. They don't need to wait for the whole year because there is only one Sun for all on Earth.
I don't understand why the retailers would be worried about having EU approval for the lots destined for the US, unless I'm missing something.
You may be missing this. Can't sell to general public without FCC compliance of some sort. It's not CE, the rules are slightly different, but you have to test for that. There are many resources on the Internet about that, all confusing to uninitiated.
If R-Pi was never tested for CE then it's virtually guaranteed that the board never saw the inside of an anechoic chamber for any reason. Usually tests for both FCC and CE are cheaper than one test at a time.
I thought it had been harmonized so everyone just uses EN55022.
The last official testing that I was part of (about 8 months ago) involved different methods for FCC and CE marks. I don't have the folder with results with me, though, can't say much more. The last time I worked at the large company, they had special people who were responsible for tracking all these legislative changes.
The most problematic ranges I've seen for small devices like this are still in the 30-300MHz range.
I have seen harmonics up to 3 GHz. It all depends on what your product is, what oscillators it has, etc. I have a 250 MHz LVDS oscillator in the schematic on my screen right now; where would you expect its harmonics to be?
It is also much easier to radiate at high frequencies because the traces become matched, efficient, full height antennas, and general purpose (not $1/1 from ATC) decoupling capacitors nicely resonate there, only further tuning your undesired radiators. Never forget to stagger your decoupling - 100 pF, 10nF, 10uF. Was it done on R-Pi?
That's why I don't suggest looking at emissions testing as a formality. You never know what you got until you measure it. An experienced engineer can build a product that passes on the first try; the question then is, was the R-Pi board laid out for EMI compliance? Like, you know, multiple ground layers, well decoupled power planes, no ground loops, traces with dirty signals buried into the stackup - that kind of thing?
The OEM's just add a $3-$10 dollar I/O board with connectors with a simple 32bit ARM Cortex-M3 for $1 micro as an EC (embedded controller) such as an ST STM32.
I'm an OEM. If Rhombus thinks that OEMs will jump onto this product, they are quite optimistic. OEMs will be extremely careful with their product unless the card is uniquely suitable for some quick demo. Reasons being:
It is cheaper to buy an MCU from an established manufacturer and solder it to the board than to bother with PCMCIA connectors and I/O boards. Note that the connector requires its own length of free space on the carrier PCB for card insertion. This is a huge space requirement.
I don't think there is anything on the card that is worth paying royalties for. If you manufacture in volume you don't want royalties. Atmel has a whole eval board that runs Linux, if Linux is what you want. Often you want nothing, or maybe you want RTOS. A complex OS like Linux - that is not real-time - is not often needed.
New architecture. Most OEMs already have an MCU design that they are using. Here I have AVR8 and AVR32, with an option for Atmel's ARM. This is important because you reuse the knowledge, the code, the compiler, the programming tools, etc.
Connectors are trouble, always. If you can solder it, do so.
Dependability of supplies. I have issues sometimes with giants like IDT or Micron who are behind on shipping something. Rhombus can go mammaries up at any time; should I then cancel the product line and design a new one? Major manufacturers have a specific, well defined product life policy.
Reliability of the design. I cannot use a module if I don't trust the team that designed it. This particular team may have issues, that is evident from what they have on the Web page.
Where are the specs of their product? What is the temperature range (-40C to +85C please,) where are vibration requirements, humidity, etc.? You can't enter the industrial market without that, and if Rhombus has any hope of selling then that's their best bet. Industrial OEMs often design unique products in small volume.
There is a fierce competition in this market. On the high end $300 will buy you an Atom COM module that can run Windows 7 Embedded out of the box. And that board will be made by an established player. Conformal coating? Yes, they offer that; they know what it's for.
Low price is not necessarily a good thing.
As I already mentioned, there are philosophical issues that may be relevant. For example, why do you want a Linux computer in your product? How many products require it? (Look around.) This is not something that's wrong with this board, but it is a factor in the whole business plan.
In other words, OEMs will be very careful with this product. Rhombus will have sales since their product has interesting advantages; however their competitors are numerous, and this is a race to the bottom. As an OEM, I made a few products with a Linux board inside. I know exactly what my requirements for that board were.
At this point Rhombus's market consists of only hobbyists. But no hobbyist can use their card due to the complexity of installing the PCMCIA connector. If I were in Rhombus shoes I'd sell the carrier card too. Maybe that's what they are already planning to do, I just don't know.
The Raspberry Pi Foundation expects the sticker to be a formality
CE tests are more strict than FCC. If they have a leaky oscillator on the board - which is extremely likely if the board has poor ground or no shielding - then they are finished. I usually test prototypes on the bench, using a spectrum analyzer and a field probe. If that looks reasonable then the board goes into the chamber for measurements of real values.
It is not easy to meet those requirements. They are not liberal. The field will be measured up to several GHz, and the passing criteria is hard to meet if you have any sort of fast switching logic in your design. R-Pi has that.
They will be even testing for the noise that the switching power supply feeds back into the AC power. They better pick a good power supply. But wires are always a problem - they radiate as hell. That's why you often see ferrite beads on power cords - they are there not because the OEM decided to splurge on unnecessary stuff.
If the government is going to spend hard earned tax dollars, they might as well buy from American companies who operate factories in America.
Most of gate-level logic and other silicon is made in Asia on their fabs, even if nominally the design is owned by TI or Fairchild or IDT.
Another problem is that the government is legally required to announce when it wants to buy something, and then it has to pick the vendor who offers a compliant part for the lowest price. In this "compliant" means "they say it's compliant." Reliability of many silicon devices is not measured directly (try to measure MTBF of a 2NAND gate) - it is either calculated, or estimated, or measured in accelerated aging conditions.
A good deal of products (electronic or not) are not even made by US companies, in the US or outside. Many electronic components that I use every day are made by Japanese owned companies, for example. Some big names always were Japanese - Seiko, MuRata, Citizen, TDK, Panasonic, Rohm.
Require a capital letter? 95% will make it the first one. Require a digit? 95% will just append "0". Increase in difficulty for someone trying to guess passwords? Zero.
Obama believes he is a great genius of a businessman, why is he not using his own money to sponsor all these 'alternative energy' companies but insists on spending other people's money on this?
This is exactly how great geniuses of business operate: socialize costs, privatize profits. As they say, "you don't get rich by writing checks."
PV panels are wired in a more complex way in order to reach the nominal voltage (300-400V.) The uninsulated rails will also short through the rainwater, and they will corrode at lightning speed because of the voltage on them.
As soon as I get my own roof, I will definitely be buying.
Just be sure to calculate all the pros and cons. One issue is that you can't take the PV system with you when you move; and, unless you are old, this is very likely.
You of course may use this PV as a way to boost the sale price of the home... but in this market you will lose 10x more than you gain. I have PV in CA (SV) and I don't pay anything for electric power - but I am still unsure if it was a good idea. As other posters said, the most obvious use of PV is to drop your tier if you are already overpaying for energy. But if you are looking to buy your first home it probably won't come with a 24/7/365 heated spa and olympic size pool and five A/C zones. PV is not an obvious decision, especially when energy prices are set by politicians. Your investment into PV will be immediate large, whereas utility fees are distributed in time and small. On the other hand, inflation destroys your savings.
So you prefer pretend anonymity with no control whatsoever over the data on you which FB are about 99% certain to have already?
First of all, I know for a fact that none of my friends have FB accounts. But even if they had them, they only could write about me - such as "well, my boss was so and so, and he was kind of demanding."
So what? I can't control what other people write or say about me. The important fact is that written or oral records about me are not easily aggregated. However if they have my FB account (which I don't have) then they'd link to it - and then the account itself becomes a key in the database. It will be the common foreign key for all my friends that have FB accounts and want to talk about me. By not having an account I pretty much eliminate this possibility: people don't like to write.
So you prefer pretend anonymity with no control whatsoever over the data on you which FB are about 99% certain to have already?
Yes. I haven't put that information there, and it wouldn't be in my power to change that even if I had an account with FB. I could ask, perhaps, but policing the FB would be a forever job. Better to not fuel the fire. I am not that popular so that people would be writing tons of material about me.
Because all robbers are left handed, and therefore have an advantage over a mounted rider with a sword?
Many robbers in middle ages had no swords. Whatever trophies there were, they were precious. Robbers used makeshift weapons - such as clubs and farm tools. Those are two-handed, and as such they are not very dependent on the strong hand.
A robber also can turn much faster than you can turn your horse to use your right hand. So yes, it's a reaction time issue - which just happens to include your need to assume defensive stance when an attacker did so already, before attacking you. There was obviously a need. Dr. Watson carried a revolver in late 19th century. Prior to that no gentleman (or an arisocrat) would go anywhere unarmed. City streets were even more dangerous than countryside, given that a single robber was a sufficient fighting force against a single passerby.
It is also common sense. There is no point in riding in such a way that your most capable weapon is least effective in the most likely direction of attack. There is nothing to gain and everything to lose.
Bonus: if anything in your account reveals you are in a (civil rights) protected class, you can claim that is why you weren't hired and have grounds to sue.
Which means you should indicate in that account that you are a gay muslim republican, one of your ancestors was a black slave from Africa and another was an American Indian. A perfect lawsuit bait.
So let me get this straight, if you eschew nameless, faceless, random contacts on the internet, and instead choose to have deep, meaningful relationships with your friends and family, now all of a sudden you "don't play well with others"?
HR: Yes, because I said so. Next question?
Personally, I haven't dealt with HR since 1995, I think. All the jobs since then were taken bypassing the front door, by employers actively seeking to hire me, for one reason or another. As I'm getting older the chance of getting through the front door is probably at zero already - but the chance is getting better and better that my thick Rolodex has a few cards of Important People who are in need of my skills and who know me personally.
"If you are a so called IT person who is applying for something better than flipping burgers, then why are you not keeping up with modern day technology? Why should we hire a fossil, when any middle school kid can understand the concept of a social network, which you have demonstrated that you have failed to do so?"
I would answer like this:
As a highly experienced IT person, I know far more about this technology than any middle school kid does. The sandbox called "Facebook" is not good enough for my needs. If you have a few hours I can tell you in detail why this is so. Top notch professionals, like myself, have no use of a social network that caters to everyone and their dog. We fly much higher. If you'd like an analogy, I don't eat at Burger King. I dine at Atelier Crenn.
I'm sure the HR person wouldn't dare to continue down this road; but if she does, I'd tell her a few gory details than she can't possibly comprehend.
But this is all pure theory; I'm doing some consulting, but my area of expertise is in such a great demand that no HR would even dare to put up a roadblock. If the company contacts me it means that they tried to build the thing already and they failed miserably - and the deadline is approaching fast. (Even considering that I know people who are far more knowledgeable than I am in some of these designs.)
If I were to be in such a position I'd create an account (under an alias) and then I'd post a few pictures of kittehs, puppies and other nice things. Ideally I'd customize the account to match expectations of the employer.
Employers are taking advantage of people in a bad situation and it is disgusting.
Yes. And I'd take advantage of the employer right back. Ask a stupid question, get a stupid answer. GIGO.
My name was given as a reference a few times, and I received a few calls. However I worked for a Big Company at that time, and their HR clearly told me to say nothing at all.
There is simply no upside. The Big Company does not benefit from providing references. However there is a possibility, however minute and unlikely, that someone will file a lawsuit. The applicant may do so because I told the hiring manager that the applicant is not so good; or the hiring manager may do so because I said that the applicant is pretty good (and he wasn't, for them.)
Since people change, there is no way for me to know how accurate my reference would be. The best I can hope for is no harm. Given that, HR took Pascal's Wager and issued a company-wide edict forbidding giving any references. Instead we should forward the call to HR, and HR in turn would only confirm that Mr. X worked for company Y from this date to that date.
You'd still need multiple accounts to thwart "intentional" security breaches.
Any security breaches, actually. If somewhere, in some database, there is a relation between Test123 and NotTest456 then posts of both accounts can be joined, resulting in a breach.
However the only (non-(IP tracking) way) is that someone who knows your both nicknames chooses to publish this information. If you never let it be known then it's very hard to suspect a link. For example, my login on/. is used only here and nowhere else; same applies to every blog or a web site that I ever register. Perhaps TLA could analyze my writing style, but there are too many posts on the Internet. IP tracking and a rubber hose would be an easier way if they are that desperate.
But however you put it, an aggressor can always ride by you and then turn 90 degrees and slash you with his right hand sword whereas your right hand is useless until you turn likewise as he attacks. Which is not a good timing. The key is that the attacker can draw the sword and strike whenever he chooses, arranging his position to his liking, whereas you cannot do the same and parry.
You should also consider that (according to all the Fantasy books that I read) roads in middle ages were infested with robbers. If you ride on the left side you can use your right arm to clear the path for your horse. If you ride on the right side you only can swing at tree branches (shoulder was really unimproved back then.) But the robbers are free to stick sharp metal into you and your horse while comfortably standing in the road.
Of course a knight who is a lefty could ride on the right, and no police would be able to read him his rights.
Slashdot Mirror
You don't realize until it is too late I guess.
According to Nancy Pelosi, you need to download it to know what's in it.
Then it follows that it is illegal to download anything off of Internet because anything could be a forbidden material. Even PGP signed files are not sufficient.
What are the chances that a group of people bring a very suspicious looking electronic device onto a plane and then they all simultaneously forget it there?
It is very likely if 10 kids carry 7 science projects. It takes discipline to check against the list what is and what isn't taken out of those bins and who carries what.
Today if you have access to the hash then you are already in control of the system. It's not like a typical cube slave can just cat /etc/passwd on a Windows server.
The main threat comes from simple passwords and (in an office environment) from passwords that are written on sticky notes.
It is true that a dictionary word does not contain as many bits of entropy as a random collection of all its characters would. However there are still plenty, and if you are given only three attempts before the system locks you out, it's not that bad. If you need more then use multiple factor authentication. Human mind can produce only so many secure bits before it starts making mistakes.
The problem with cameras alone is that you can only document the theft. This is trivially defeated by thieves wearing face masks, bandannas or just hoodies (which they love to do anyway.) The police will not be able to use your images unless they are clear enough.
Other people already advised you to get a service from ADT or others. This will be better because this service is on duty 24/7. Once the thieves enter they will be greeted with a loud beep, and a siren within 30-45 seconds. Yes, they can say "whatever, we still have three minutes" - but that's not much and is fraught with danger. This can be also connected with your insurance; if known items are taken from a house that is protected with a security system the insurance company won't have too many options besides paying up.
If you don't want to pay ADT you still should buy a security kit and install it. You can use a wireless one for simpler installation. My house is wired for that and I'm using a DSC control panel (I am the installer and have all the codes.) The system can actually be programmed to dial your cell phone - there are many configuration options. This will specifically tell you what happened, what zones are triggered, and so on.
You still can have video cameras - I have a few - but they can't be your sole source of intrusion events. They are actually pretty bad at that. Cameras can be defeated, but more often than not they don't deliver all on their own. Outdoor motion detection is mechanistic; a slow motion will be missed, but a swaying branch will cause false alarms. Opening of a door, or an indoor motion detected with a PIR sensor, will be far more reliable.
To summarize, I recommend installing a proper security system at your home and augmenting it with cameras. This will both deter the intruders and capture their faces for possible complaints to the police. If your house allows, install a perimeter monitoring - there are many relatively inexpensive modules that will plug into your security system, into an early warning zone. Put an external PTZ camera (maybe a dummy one) on a scanning pattern so that the thieves can see it.
If you make the house look like it is well protected then most thieves will simply look elsewhere. This is the best you can do, short of hiring armed guards. Your own guns will only serve to protect you; and if you ever have to shoot an intruder you may find that not all DAs approve culling of the herd of criminals.
Few criminals have use of a long gun. They want handguns. But those can be effectively hidden in the house, or simply you can carry one all day long (unless you are in CA.)
why not just buy a cheap time-lapse camera, set it to record every half hour or so, and check the solar coverage on the images of some representative days?
My advice is based on the fact that I have a PV system at my house; I had it ordered and installed.
There are many reasons why your own measurements are pointless:
If you don't trust one installer, bring another one in and compare the numbers. If the numbers match then perhaps they know what they are doing.
It would be a waste of time to do the analysis yourself. You won't be even aware of many potential problems that installers know by the heart. Why would anyone want to risk a large amount of money ($20-30K at least?)
You don't need to do it yourself. Call a solar installer, and they will come for free and measure everything. They don't need to wait for the whole year because there is only one Sun for all on Earth.
I don't understand why the retailers would be worried about having EU approval for the lots destined for the US, unless I'm missing something.
You may be missing this. Can't sell to general public without FCC compliance of some sort. It's not CE, the rules are slightly different, but you have to test for that. There are many resources on the Internet about that, all confusing to uninitiated.
If R-Pi was never tested for CE then it's virtually guaranteed that the board never saw the inside of an anechoic chamber for any reason. Usually tests for both FCC and CE are cheaper than one test at a time.
I thought it had been harmonized so everyone just uses EN55022.
The last official testing that I was part of (about 8 months ago) involved different methods for FCC and CE marks. I don't have the folder with results with me, though, can't say much more. The last time I worked at the large company, they had special people who were responsible for tracking all these legislative changes.
The most problematic ranges I've seen for small devices like this are still in the 30-300MHz range.
I have seen harmonics up to 3 GHz. It all depends on what your product is, what oscillators it has, etc. I have a 250 MHz LVDS oscillator in the schematic on my screen right now; where would you expect its harmonics to be?
It is also much easier to radiate at high frequencies because the traces become matched, efficient, full height antennas, and general purpose (not $1/1 from ATC) decoupling capacitors nicely resonate there, only further tuning your undesired radiators. Never forget to stagger your decoupling - 100 pF, 10nF, 10uF. Was it done on R-Pi?
That's why I don't suggest looking at emissions testing as a formality. You never know what you got until you measure it. An experienced engineer can build a product that passes on the first try; the question then is, was the R-Pi board laid out for EMI compliance? Like, you know, multiple ground layers, well decoupled power planes, no ground loops, traces with dirty signals buried into the stackup - that kind of thing?
The OEM's just add a $3-$10 dollar I/O board with connectors with a simple 32bit ARM Cortex-M3 for $1 micro as an EC (embedded controller) such as an ST STM32.
I'm an OEM. If Rhombus thinks that OEMs will jump onto this product, they are quite optimistic. OEMs will be extremely careful with their product unless the card is uniquely suitable for some quick demo. Reasons being:
As I already mentioned, there are philosophical issues that may be relevant. For example, why do you want a Linux computer in your product? How many products require it? (Look around.) This is not something that's wrong with this board, but it is a factor in the whole business plan.
In other words, OEMs will be very careful with this product. Rhombus will have sales since their product has interesting advantages; however their competitors are numerous, and this is a race to the bottom. As an OEM, I made a few products with a Linux board inside. I know exactly what my requirements for that board were.
At this point Rhombus's market consists of only hobbyists. But no hobbyist can use their card due to the complexity of installing the PCMCIA connector. If I were in Rhombus shoes I'd sell the carrier card too. Maybe that's what they are already planning to do, I just don't know.
The Raspberry Pi Foundation expects the sticker to be a formality
CE tests are more strict than FCC. If they have a leaky oscillator on the board - which is extremely likely if the board has poor ground or no shielding - then they are finished. I usually test prototypes on the bench, using a spectrum analyzer and a field probe. If that looks reasonable then the board goes into the chamber for measurements of real values.
It is not easy to meet those requirements. They are not liberal. The field will be measured up to several GHz, and the passing criteria is hard to meet if you have any sort of fast switching logic in your design. R-Pi has that.
They will be even testing for the noise that the switching power supply feeds back into the AC power. They better pick a good power supply. But wires are always a problem - they radiate as hell. That's why you often see ferrite beads on power cords - they are there not because the OEM decided to splurge on unnecessary stuff.
If the government is going to spend hard earned tax dollars, they might as well buy from American companies who operate factories in America.
Most of gate-level logic and other silicon is made in Asia on their fabs, even if nominally the design is owned by TI or Fairchild or IDT.
Another problem is that the government is legally required to announce when it wants to buy something, and then it has to pick the vendor who offers a compliant part for the lowest price. In this "compliant" means "they say it's compliant." Reliability of many silicon devices is not measured directly (try to measure MTBF of a 2NAND gate) - it is either calculated, or estimated, or measured in accelerated aging conditions.
A good deal of products (electronic or not) are not even made by US companies, in the US or outside. Many electronic components that I use every day are made by Japanese owned companies, for example. Some big names always were Japanese - Seiko, MuRata, Citizen, TDK, Panasonic, Rohm.
Require a capital letter? 95% will make it the first one. Require a digit? 95% will just append "0". Increase in difficulty for someone trying to guess passwords? Zero.
correct horse battery staple
Obama believes he is a great genius of a businessman, why is he not using his own money to sponsor all these 'alternative energy' companies but insists on spending other people's money on this?
This is exactly how great geniuses of business operate: socialize costs, privatize profits. As they say, "you don't get rich by writing checks."
A rail at the eve and a rail at the peak.
PV panels are wired in a more complex way in order to reach the nominal voltage (300-400V.) The uninsulated rails will also short through the rainwater, and they will corrode at lightning speed because of the voltage on them.
As soon as I get my own roof, I will definitely be buying.
Just be sure to calculate all the pros and cons. One issue is that you can't take the PV system with you when you move; and, unless you are old, this is very likely.
You of course may use this PV as a way to boost the sale price of the home... but in this market you will lose 10x more than you gain. I have PV in CA (SV) and I don't pay anything for electric power - but I am still unsure if it was a good idea. As other posters said, the most obvious use of PV is to drop your tier if you are already overpaying for energy. But if you are looking to buy your first home it probably won't come with a 24/7/365 heated spa and olympic size pool and five A/C zones. PV is not an obvious decision, especially when energy prices are set by politicians. Your investment into PV will be immediate large, whereas utility fees are distributed in time and small. On the other hand, inflation destroys your savings.
So you prefer pretend anonymity with no control whatsoever over the data on you which FB are about 99% certain to have already?
First of all, I know for a fact that none of my friends have FB accounts. But even if they had them, they only could write about me - such as "well, my boss was so and so, and he was kind of demanding."
So what? I can't control what other people write or say about me. The important fact is that written or oral records about me are not easily aggregated. However if they have my FB account (which I don't have) then they'd link to it - and then the account itself becomes a key in the database. It will be the common foreign key for all my friends that have FB accounts and want to talk about me. By not having an account I pretty much eliminate this possibility: people don't like to write.
So you prefer pretend anonymity with no control whatsoever over the data on you which FB are about 99% certain to have already?
Yes. I haven't put that information there, and it wouldn't be in my power to change that even if I had an account with FB. I could ask, perhaps, but policing the FB would be a forever job. Better to not fuel the fire. I am not that popular so that people would be writing tons of material about me.
Because all robbers are left handed, and therefore have an advantage over a mounted rider with a sword?
Many robbers in middle ages had no swords. Whatever trophies there were, they were precious. Robbers used makeshift weapons - such as clubs and farm tools. Those are two-handed, and as such they are not very dependent on the strong hand.
A robber also can turn much faster than you can turn your horse to use your right hand. So yes, it's a reaction time issue - which just happens to include your need to assume defensive stance when an attacker did so already, before attacking you. There was obviously a need. Dr. Watson carried a revolver in late 19th century. Prior to that no gentleman (or an arisocrat) would go anywhere unarmed. City streets were even more dangerous than countryside, given that a single robber was a sufficient fighting force against a single passerby.
It is also common sense. There is no point in riding in such a way that your most capable weapon is least effective in the most likely direction of attack. There is nothing to gain and everything to lose.
Bonus: if anything in your account reveals you are in a (civil rights) protected class, you can claim that is why you weren't hired and have grounds to sue.
Which means you should indicate in that account that you are a gay muslim republican, one of your ancestors was a black slave from Africa and another was an American Indian. A perfect lawsuit bait.
So let me get this straight, if you eschew nameless, faceless, random contacts on the internet, and instead choose to have deep, meaningful relationships with your friends and family, now all of a sudden you "don't play well with others"?
HR: Yes, because I said so. Next question?
Personally, I haven't dealt with HR since 1995, I think. All the jobs since then were taken bypassing the front door, by employers actively seeking to hire me, for one reason or another. As I'm getting older the chance of getting through the front door is probably at zero already - but the chance is getting better and better that my thick Rolodex has a few cards of Important People who are in need of my skills and who know me personally.
"If you are a so called IT person who is applying for something better than flipping burgers, then why are you not keeping up with modern day technology? Why should we hire a fossil, when any middle school kid can understand the concept of a social network, which you have demonstrated that you have failed to do so?"
I would answer like this:
As a highly experienced IT person, I know far more about this technology than any middle school kid does. The sandbox called "Facebook" is not good enough for my needs. If you have a few hours I can tell you in detail why this is so. Top notch professionals, like myself, have no use of a social network that caters to everyone and their dog. We fly much higher. If you'd like an analogy, I don't eat at Burger King. I dine at Atelier Crenn.
I'm sure the HR person wouldn't dare to continue down this road; but if she does, I'd tell her a few gory details than she can't possibly comprehend.
But this is all pure theory; I'm doing some consulting, but my area of expertise is in such a great demand that no HR would even dare to put up a roadblock. If the company contacts me it means that they tried to build the thing already and they failed miserably - and the deadline is approaching fast. (Even considering that I know people who are far more knowledgeable than I am in some of these designs.)
What are you going to do?
If I were to be in such a position I'd create an account (under an alias) and then I'd post a few pictures of kittehs, puppies and other nice things. Ideally I'd customize the account to match expectations of the employer.
Employers are taking advantage of people in a bad situation and it is disgusting.
Yes. And I'd take advantage of the employer right back. Ask a stupid question, get a stupid answer. GIGO.
My name was given as a reference a few times, and I received a few calls. However I worked for a Big Company at that time, and their HR clearly told me to say nothing at all.
There is simply no upside. The Big Company does not benefit from providing references. However there is a possibility, however minute and unlikely, that someone will file a lawsuit. The applicant may do so because I told the hiring manager that the applicant is not so good; or the hiring manager may do so because I said that the applicant is pretty good (and he wasn't, for them.)
Since people change, there is no way for me to know how accurate my reference would be. The best I can hope for is no harm. Given that, HR took Pascal's Wager and issued a company-wide edict forbidding giving any references. Instead we should forward the call to HR, and HR in turn would only confirm that Mr. X worked for company Y from this date to that date.
You'd still need multiple accounts to thwart "intentional" security breaches.
Any security breaches, actually. If somewhere, in some database, there is a relation between Test123 and NotTest456 then posts of both accounts can be joined, resulting in a breach.
However the only (non-(IP tracking) way) is that someone who knows your both nicknames chooses to publish this information. If you never let it be known then it's very hard to suspect a link. For example, my login on /. is used only here and nowhere else; same applies to every blog or a web site that I ever register. Perhaps TLA could analyze my writing style, but there are too many posts on the Internet. IP tracking and a rubber hose would be an easier way if they are that desperate.
Offense is the best defense.
But however you put it, an aggressor can always ride by you and then turn 90 degrees and slash you with his right hand sword whereas your right hand is useless until you turn likewise as he attacks. Which is not a good timing. The key is that the attacker can draw the sword and strike whenever he chooses, arranging his position to his liking, whereas you cannot do the same and parry.
You should also consider that (according to all the Fantasy books that I read) roads in middle ages were infested with robbers. If you ride on the left side you can use your right arm to clear the path for your horse. If you ride on the right side you only can swing at tree branches (shoulder was really unimproved back then.) But the robbers are free to stick sharp metal into you and your horse while comfortably standing in the road.
Of course a knight who is a lefty could ride on the right, and no police would be able to read him his rights.