That is a physical ability, and it seems genetic have a great deal to do about those.
Mental development is more elastic it seems, so even if there are predisposition, its not a fatality if you start to learn to think one way or the other. You can even start late, but it's a lot more difficult and most people won't bother. ( You need a good reason to do that. Curiosity might be one, if it's strong enough. )
Basically, your starting mental abilities may have some influence, but the way you were taught to think is IMHO far more influent on what you become ultimately.
When I was born, nobody ever heard of a computer, and the world's most powerful compter wasn't even as powerful as a musical Hallmark greeting card. Nobody taught me computing or programming, I just read lots of books and tried it out. Someone who hadn't the advantages of my genetics couldn't have done that.
Different factor leads to geekness. Of course you can became literate on your own. It's just harder, not impossible. But somehow I doubt that there is a "computer friendly" gene. Or even a "geek" gene. But I will admit some people are predisposed at birth for some types of activity. (if only because of not equally physically gifted. )
Anyway, computer literacy is important, but you don't have to know much really.
That's very true now. When I bought my first computer in 1982 (Sinclair TS-1000) I had to learn to program to use it, because there was almost no commercial software for it, let alone a FOSS movement. Nobody needs to know how to program to use a computer these days.
Programming is just what makes you able to truly work efficiently with your computer. It's not only about good old procedural programming in whatever language. It's as much about automated layout, task management... Or it could be writing scripts to get the work done by itself in some consistences.
You don't need to know all that of course, not now anyway. But those things (and certainly some other exemple I can think of right now) can really improve computer use.
Yes I have. I'm rather fond of science, physic and math, maybe like the average/.er (but that's just a guess). But I had some terrible lecture in physics one year and I never really recover from it. I had some boring teacher in automatics to, and it's quite a shame.
But that's one thing that makes me trust that genetics isn't really what determine what we are. The circumstances builds you too. (I forget that one on my previous post.)
Genetic predisposition are overrated. The social context is far more important in this case. A child raised in a family with no computer will take longer to adapt. No computer at home means their will be no one to explain how to work with them, part from school lessons. I can clearly see how it could turn frustrating.
There is also the interests of the child. A child into technology will take more attention and learn faster.
Anyway, computer literacy is important, but you don't have to know much really. What you have to know can be learned in a week, and then you use that knowledge, otherwise it's pointless. There will always be things you occasionally fumble on, meaning you have to search how to do what you want to do from times to times so maybe the most useful thing to know about computing is really how to use a search engine. Then you can learn to code.
The ability to put say... a nuclear warhead in orbit, interestingly, isn't considered lightly by governments, and I can't think of one who would give that kind of technology to public domain. (thought you might argue that it'll soon be irrelevant, if it's not yet the case, with private space programs and previously underdeveloped country developing their own space technology.)
Just to be clear, I'm not saying that NASA business is to put nuclear warhead in orbit, I'm just saying they build things that can do that. I'll just not speculate on that.
There are significant differences between language, but that doesn't mean in any way that you're starting from nothing each times.
When you learned your first programming language, you learn some programming practices that aren't language dependent. When you learned you're second one, you learned a bit about the difference between syntax and logic, and so on...
Also, most of the programming challenge isn't the language anyway. (well, can be... I'm looking at you, Perl!) It's true it does have an influence, but for exemple, you can think your programs pretty much the same way in all Object Oriented language.
What do you call children? 10yo? 12yo? 14? They're all children in regard of the law, but they don't have the same understanding. Even at a given age, you can't say they all understand or not. Even some adults are clueless. (And yes it's frightening).
The separation is arbitrary. True it can be difficult to say who is mature enough. The legal age make an easy way to sort people and protect one for some times, but that protection isn't always needed that long, and sometimes it's not enough. It works for most people, (but not without a little frustration I would guess) but it's certainly not a perfect system.
Technically true, but once the bullet is fired, it's generally to late to do anything... But yeah, you can do something about it before, but then you just have to be sure the loaded gun is on the good side of the bulletproof whatever.
It's understandable, based on the fact that most HR aren't techies and mostly look at popular trend... Iphone is still the trendiest smartphone, therefore Iphone devs are more researched. It really comes down to an advertising matter, not that it doesn't make sense from the employers point of view...
Re:Bad for the open source community and for softw
on
Qt 4.8.0 Released
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· Score: 1
Did you find out the sound of one hand clapping yet?
I think things really comes done to "who you are".
For a government or a company with sensible government contract, clouds are as bad as giving the information directly in the open...
For companies in general, you should be very careful going on "the clouds". Who does the cloud belong to? Is it related some way or an other to a competitor? Is it worth the price? The security issue is more or less pertinent given the situation. For small business, I don't really see a problem with clouds, unless your paranoid. ( Then again, it isn't because I'm paranoid that they aren't all after me...)
For individuals, I really don't see the possibility of government reading your stuff as an issue. I mean, I already have a facebook account... Anyway, if you have documents you don't want the government or anyone else to see, don't put them in the clouds... Don't mail them either. It's just common sens...
IA in games are ( except maybe a very few exceptions that I'm not aware of...) basically just automatons. They execute script given the situation and that is all. If the scripts are good enough, you have a good illusion of intelligence in the restricted set of situation of the game, but that's all. So, if in theory you could script enough situations to give a good enough illusion, you would have to do it for each NPC so that they don't seem the same... So basically, even if possible, I don't see it being done, because it's too much work for uncertain result. And even a perfect result wouldn't be paying enough to justify it.
But all that depends where you put the threshold : if a NPC crying after being shot is enough to make you consider NPCs rights, then you're 20 (30?) years late...
I don't mind unhelpful answers when it's my fault for not mentioning I already try that or that. (also I do mind being asked "Did you try to turn it off and on again?"... specially when it works...). It's absolute no reply that is frustrating, also it's not the fault of anyone, except maybe myself asking in the wrong place...
The problem is not being rude (also it's definitely not something I like). The problem is often the helpful guy will assume there is more to know that what you say, sometimes even assume your motives and answer to that instead of what I actually asked. They may have good reason to answer this way, but it annoys me. I stay polite, because I know they mean well and alienating them won't solve my problems anyway, but it nonetheless frustrating.
I'm not sure about that. All too often, when I ask a specific question I get solution to some problem I don't have, or when I explain what I'm trying to do, I'm asked why I would like to do that in the first place. Its annoying. Plus most of the time I don't get answers at all. (Cause, you know, before asking I actually do a google search first, so when I ask something it's often not trivial.)
Anyway, not getting the answer to your question is frustrating. I welcome advises of any kind, but I like to have my answers first. Then I can see for myself if my question was a good one.
Slashdot Mirror
That is a physical ability, and it seems genetic have a great deal to do about those.
Mental development is more elastic it seems, so even if there are predisposition, its not a fatality if you start to learn to think one way or the other. You can even start late, but it's a lot more difficult and most people won't bother. ( You need a good reason to do that. Curiosity might be one, if it's strong enough. )
Basically, your starting mental abilities may have some influence, but the way you were taught to think is IMHO far more influent on what you become ultimately.
When I was born, nobody ever heard of a computer, and the world's most powerful compter wasn't even as powerful as a musical Hallmark greeting card. Nobody taught me computing or programming, I just read lots of books and tried it out. Someone who hadn't the advantages of my genetics couldn't have done that.
Different factor leads to geekness. Of course you can became literate on your own. It's just harder, not impossible. But somehow I doubt that there is a "computer friendly" gene. Or even a "geek" gene. But I will admit some people are predisposed at birth for some types of activity. (if only because of not equally physically gifted. )
Anyway, computer literacy is important, but you don't have to know much really.
That's very true now. When I bought my first computer in 1982 (Sinclair TS-1000) I had to learn to program to use it, because there was almost no commercial software for it, let alone a FOSS movement. Nobody needs to know how to program to use a computer these days.
Programming is just what makes you able to truly work efficiently with your computer. It's not only about good old procedural programming in whatever language. It's as much about automated layout, task management... Or it could be writing scripts to get the work done by itself in some consistences.
You don't need to know all that of course, not now anyway. But those things (and certainly some other exemple I can think of right now) can really improve computer use.
Yes I have. I'm rather fond of science, physic and math, maybe like the average /.er (but that's just a guess). But I had some terrible lecture in physics one year and I never really recover from it. I had some boring teacher in automatics to, and it's quite a shame.
But that's one thing that makes me trust that genetics isn't really what determine what we are. The circumstances builds you too. (I forget that one on my previous post.)
Teach every kid to build an automotive engine, perform minor surgery, build a piano, produce a television show?
Sound too cool to be done.
Genetic predisposition are overrated. The social context is far more important in this case. A child raised in a family with no computer will take longer to adapt. No computer at home means their will be no one to explain how to work with them, part from school lessons. I can clearly see how it could turn frustrating.
There is also the interests of the child. A child into technology will take more attention and learn faster.
Anyway, computer literacy is important, but you don't have to know much really. What you have to know can be learned in a week, and then you use that knowledge, otherwise it's pointless. There will always be things you occasionally fumble on, meaning you have to search how to do what you want to do from times to times so maybe the most useful thing to know about computing is really how to use a search engine. Then you can learn to code.
The ability to put say... a nuclear warhead in orbit, interestingly, isn't considered lightly by governments, and I can't think of one who would give that kind of technology to public domain. (thought you might argue that it'll soon be irrelevant, if it's not yet the case, with private space programs and previously underdeveloped country developing their own space technology.)
Just to be clear, I'm not saying that NASA business is to put nuclear warhead in orbit, I'm just saying they build things that can do that. I'll just not speculate on that.
There are significant differences between language, but that doesn't mean in any way that you're starting from nothing each times.
When you learned your first programming language, you learn some programming practices that aren't language dependent. When you learned you're second one, you learned a bit about the difference between syntax and logic, and so on...
Also, most of the programming challenge isn't the language anyway. (well, can be... I'm looking at you, Perl!)
It's true it does have an influence, but for exemple, you can think your programs pretty much the same way in all Object Oriented language.
Not if they had three boobs to begin with...
Yeah right, because American Joe understand it much better... Ho wait! Are you trying to say USA is now a third world hell hole?
What do you call children? 10yo? 12yo? 14? They're all children in regard of the law, but they don't have the same understanding. Even at a given age, you can't say they all understand or not. Even some adults are clueless. (And yes it's frightening).
The separation is arbitrary. True it can be difficult to say who is mature enough. The legal age make an easy way to sort people and protect one for some times, but that protection isn't always needed that long, and sometimes it's not enough. It works for most people, (but not without a little frustration I would guess) but it's certainly not a perfect system.
Technically true, but once the bullet is fired, it's generally to late to do anything... But yeah, you can do something about it before, but then you just have to be sure the loaded gun is on the good side of the bulletproof whatever.
I knew it was the spoons! They're after me!
You get 20% troll, 20% funny and 60% informative for this post... (at least, when I checked)
I would call that quite self demonstrating.
Keep it quiet! If we say it don't exist, maybe reality can be fooled.
It's understandable, based on the fact that most HR aren't techies and mostly look at popular trend... Iphone is still the trendiest smartphone, therefore Iphone devs are more researched. It really comes down to an advertising matter, not that it doesn't make sense from the employers point of view...
Did you find out the sound of one hand clapping yet?
Works well if you do your hacking stuffs in a cyber-café :)
It seems to me it's not so much about giving up enforcement than pointing out that ip isn't a good way to identify law breakers.
It more like, a murderer used a stolen cars ( Or the murderer give/sell the car away) and the police arrest the owner of the car...
I think things really comes done to "who you are".
For a government or a company with sensible government contract, clouds are as bad as giving the information directly in the open...
For companies in general, you should be very careful going on "the clouds". Who does the cloud belong to? Is it related some way or an other to a competitor? Is it worth the price? The security issue is more or less pertinent given the situation. For small business, I don't really see a problem with clouds, unless your paranoid. ( Then again, it isn't because I'm paranoid that they aren't all after me...)
For individuals, I really don't see the possibility of government reading your stuff as an issue. I mean, I already have a facebook account... Anyway, if you have documents you don't want the government or anyone else to see, don't put them in the clouds... Don't mail them either. It's just common sens...
IA in games are ( except maybe a very few exceptions that I'm not aware of...) basically just automatons. They execute script given the situation and that is all. If the scripts are good enough, you have a good illusion of intelligence in the restricted set of situation of the game, but that's all. So, if in theory you could script enough situations to give a good enough illusion, you would have to do it for each NPC so that they don't seem the same...
So basically, even if possible, I don't see it being done, because it's too much work for uncertain result. And even a perfect result wouldn't be paying enough to justify it.
But all that depends where you put the threshold : if a NPC crying after being shot is enough to make you consider NPCs rights, then you're 20 (30?) years late...
Well, doing the same things that the "bad guys" isn't exactly a good way to legitimate yourself...
Perhaps people are trying to encourage you to follow ESR's advice of describing your goal so that they can understand the step.
Perhaps, but most of the times I want my answers anyway. They might be irrelevant, but I don't like staying ignorant.
ESR also says you can sometimes get more helpful replies if you tell people what queries you've already used unsuccessfully.
I don't mind unhelpful answers when it's my fault for not mentioning I already try that or that. (also I do mind being asked "Did you try to turn it off and on again?"... specially when it works...). It's absolute no reply that is frustrating, also it's not the fault of anyone, except maybe myself asking in the wrong place...
The problem is not being rude (also it's definitely not something I like). The problem is often the helpful guy will assume there is more to know that what you say, sometimes even assume your motives and answer to that instead of what I actually asked. They may have good reason to answer this way, but it annoys me. I stay polite, because I know they mean well and alienating them won't solve my problems anyway, but it nonetheless frustrating.
I'm not sure about that. All too often, when I ask a specific question I get solution to some problem I don't have, or when I explain what I'm trying to do, I'm asked why I would like to do that in the first place. Its annoying. Plus most of the time I don't get answers at all. (Cause, you know, before asking I actually do a google search first, so when I ask something it's often not trivial.)
Anyway, not getting the answer to your question is frustrating. I welcome advises of any kind, but I like to have my answers first. Then I can see for myself if my question was a good one.
I think W.E. Coyote believes in gravity because a lot of its plan rely on it. Mostly, he doesn't ignore it in purpose anyway.