I don't want to be the tin-foil hat guy, but... doesn't it seem convenient or maybe just more palatable, that the cyberwarfare villain in the movie is a rich psychopath rather than a powerful state. Makes you go hmm.
This thread is ridiculous. I just watched WWII in HD, an actual, modern historical account of a war - guess how many of the "characters" were women. I didn't crunch the numbers, but 1 in 5 is not even in the ball park.
As an experienced engineer, making at least 2x the salary of a fresh grad, am I worth it? Yes, in fact I'd sort of describe that as a killer deal. Turn the question around: could my company lay me off, take my salary, hire 2 interns and get as much or more done? Hell no. There is no number of interns that could replace me. Even if you could find 2 interns that could match my productivity in terms of lines of code, you'd still need a master-craftsman system designer, like myself, to manage them and actually get a cohesive product at the end. And on a fixed schedule, don't get me started...
Thanks. This the subject nobody's talking about. Our priorities are so fucked up. Why are we talking about going to Mars vs. Europa? We need to do all of it! And instead we're pissing away orders of magnitude more money on smart bombs and cruise missiles and replacement limbs for brave kids. WTF?
Gnick, I don't think you and the GP are that far apart in your thinking. I think most rational, scientifically minded people will agree that the idea of bearded, robed, man-like god sitting on cloud with a sheppard's staff watching us is silly. I suspect that there are no gods. I find it highly unlikely that there is a god or gods. But I still don't know. To me agostism implies openness mindness in admitted ignorance, whereas strict atheism requires an unfounded sureness or confidence similar to strong faith in a deity.
The AC above is right, Apple expects serious hoop jumping, and wants to controls the content too tightly. That's why I'm putting my chips on Android devices eventually dominating the handset market. Being open source it'll be cheaper, more developer friendly and there won't be any limits on content. IE all the content about sex, drugs and violence, you know the fun stuff, will only come out for Android devices. Porn and cheapness and developer friendliness and freedom will prove an unstoppable combination against Apple's early market lead.
Completely agree. IMO, web development is exactly the right technology to teach in school.
You've got freeness and ubiquity - as noted, you can start with nothing but a browser and a text editor.
You've also got great motivation on the part of the kids - they all have online lives, so generating web content interesting to them.
And you've got instant visual gratification. In only a few minutes you can have kids displaying graphics.
If you put that together with an advanced class about PHP (another C-like syntax) and SQL, by the end of it you'd have semi-competent LAMP developers. Very useful general skills.
I don't know how fast DNA changes now, but 10 years from now, with advances in gene therapy and delivery techniques, I'd bet lots of people's DNA will change regularly.
Uh, what's so insightful about that? Is there something going on that day I don't know about? Other than the winter solstice? That's not "rapture" talk is it? I can't think of anything (that isn't batshit crazy) that would make me abandon all my "plans", which extend well beyond 4 years into the future.
I'm a bit confused. Didn't we just have thread a day or two ago about how much the RIAA and co. hate iTunes and are purposefully selling non-drm music on Amazon that they won't allow Apple to sell, with the intent of breaking Apple's near monopoly on on-line distribution? Wouldn't Apple quitting play right into their hands? Maybe this is a move meant to kill iTunes? Spinnable by the RIAA saying "look how dumb and greedy Apple is, they just killed iTunes over $.06 a track, but never fear we'll still sell you music for your ipods".
Hmm, that's actually a very interesting point. I don't think it negates my statement - if there's anything wrong with what I said, it's that mp3 codecs vary from implementation to implementation, meaning unless you used the same codec, bitrate, and id3 tags you almost certainly won't actually be downloading exactly the file you would've made yourself. But you're point makes me wonder if that's an avenue that could be used to attack the RIAA's position - an mp3 is very different from the content distributed on the original cd, so how can the distribution of an mp3 ever infringe on distrubution of the original content? It's really not a copy at all.
Ah, but isn't it? That's the crux of the RIAA's problem - that digital data is perfectly reproducible. What's the difference between downloading a ripped mp3 and doing it yourself if the resulting files are identical? Effort?
Good call, Tetra. What I find the most offensive about this is the suggestion that mere data can be used to crash a plane. Looking through files has absolutely dick to do with preventing bombings or hijackings. If you wanted to commit an act of terrorism, you'd need ACTUAL explosives or an ACTUAL gun or knife, and absent those things the passenger is just a dood with some bits.
I don't really believe preventing violence is the goal - if it was, the TSA's policies would be a lot more reasonable, and a lot less invasive.
Oh you'd like that. Actually, Mr. Troll, I'd argue the best way to "never see the RIAA again" would be to do it the capitalist way and vote with our dollars, and never buy an RIAA product again. See, here's a situation where we can have our cake and eat it too - you can go to hell, and we can get music from someone else.
Actually, I think you're really close to bone. The question why should the able assist the unable? What do the rich get out of helping the poor? I believe that the rich reap an enormous benefit from placating the masses. Economic disparity creates discontent, and discontent creates instability, and I don't think you can expect to gain or retain wealth without stability.
Put another way, the physical safety of the rich and their assets are secured by limiting the number of totally destitute, pissed off, desperate people around them.
A friend put it to me like this once after I expressed my interest in working on robots, "Do you ever think about just giving in and joining the Dark Side and going to work for DARPA...". I think that's pretty apt. If you're building the military's next generation of killer robots or data miners for finding dissidents or uav spies, you're not that far removed from one the engineers who worked on the death star. You know anyone from Aldaron, dickbag?
No science has ever been achieved by "100% pure human effort". Certainly, to perform science one must record observations somewhere other than in one's memory. Are the scientists with pencils cheating those without? Are the scientists with computers pussies compared to the ones with sliderules? Why do you care how knowledge is acquired? The only integrity in science is objectivity and reproducibility - truth. What about AI? It's coming. What will you think when your desktop computer is 100x smarter and more insightful than you? Will you embrace that tool? Or is it trash because it's not "human"? Drugs are a technology and tool for amplifying the output of the human mind.
Listen buddy, drugs are technology. Are you going to get bent out of shape the first time a scientist with a computer chip embedded in his head gives the world some brilliant insight otherwise unattainable? People use tools to perform intellectual feats they could never reproduce without assistance. The fruits of the human mind can be amplified in many ways. Drugs have been a tool in the pursuit of knowledge since humans began pursuing knowledge.
I've always understood games to in fact be regular applications - ie not being able to install games would imply not being able to install anything. Sweet.
Slightly off-topic, but...
Most of your statements are valid, but you need to seriously re-evaluate your position on the value of farming in a modern economy. Farming is the foundation of the world's economy. Don't believe me: try not eating.
Slashdot Mirror
Or maybe like a recipe. It's definitely a set of facts that exists. If you can't patent Coke a Cola...
I don't want to be the tin-foil hat guy, but... doesn't it seem convenient or maybe just more palatable, that the cyberwarfare villain in the movie is a rich psychopath rather than a powerful state. Makes you go hmm.
This thread is ridiculous. I just watched WWII in HD, an actual, modern historical account of a war - guess how many of the "characters" were women. I didn't crunch the numbers, but 1 in 5 is not even in the ball park.
As an experienced engineer, making at least 2x the salary of a fresh grad, am I worth it? Yes, in fact I'd sort of describe that as a killer deal. Turn the question around: could my company lay me off, take my salary, hire 2 interns and get as much or more done? Hell no. There is no number of interns that could replace me. Even if you could find 2 interns that could match my productivity in terms of lines of code, you'd still need a master-craftsman system designer, like myself, to manage them and actually get a cohesive product at the end. And on a fixed schedule, don't get me started...
Thanks. This the subject nobody's talking about. Our priorities are so fucked up. Why are we talking about going to Mars vs. Europa? We need to do all of it! And instead we're pissing away orders of magnitude more money on smart bombs and cruise missiles and replacement limbs for brave kids. WTF?
Although I don't see how a EULA is ever a contract. Where's the consideration?
Gnick, I don't think you and the GP are that far apart in your thinking. I think most rational, scientifically minded people will agree that the idea of bearded, robed, man-like god sitting on cloud with a sheppard's staff watching us is silly. I suspect that there are no gods. I find it highly unlikely that there is a god or gods. But I still don't know. To me agostism implies openness mindness in admitted ignorance, whereas strict atheism requires an unfounded sureness or confidence similar to strong faith in a deity.
The AC above is right, Apple expects serious hoop jumping, and wants to controls the content too tightly. That's why I'm putting my chips on Android devices eventually dominating the handset market. Being open source it'll be cheaper, more developer friendly and there won't be any limits on content. IE all the content about sex, drugs and violence, you know the fun stuff, will only come out for Android devices. Porn and cheapness and developer friendliness and freedom will prove an unstoppable combination against Apple's early market lead.
Completely agree. IMO, web development is exactly the right technology to teach in school. You've got freeness and ubiquity - as noted, you can start with nothing but a browser and a text editor. You've also got great motivation on the part of the kids - they all have online lives, so generating web content interesting to them. And you've got instant visual gratification. In only a few minutes you can have kids displaying graphics. If you put that together with an advanced class about PHP (another C-like syntax) and SQL, by the end of it you'd have semi-competent LAMP developers. Very useful general skills.
I don't know how fast DNA changes now, but 10 years from now, with advances in gene therapy and delivery techniques, I'd bet lots of people's DNA will change regularly.
Alright Causality, what the hell do you think "chronological" means? You said it twice. Chronological adults? What?
Uh, what's so insightful about that? Is there something going on that day I don't know about? Other than the winter solstice? That's not "rapture" talk is it? I can't think of anything (that isn't batshit crazy) that would make me abandon all my "plans", which extend well beyond 4 years into the future.
Well, they could if they called it a different non-confusing name.
I'm a bit confused. Didn't we just have thread a day or two ago about how much the RIAA and co. hate iTunes and are purposefully selling non-drm music on Amazon that they won't allow Apple to sell, with the intent of breaking Apple's near monopoly on on-line distribution? Wouldn't Apple quitting play right into their hands? Maybe this is a move meant to kill iTunes? Spinnable by the RIAA saying "look how dumb and greedy Apple is, they just killed iTunes over $.06 a track, but never fear we'll still sell you music for your ipods".
Hmm, that's actually a very interesting point. I don't think it negates my statement - if there's anything wrong with what I said, it's that mp3 codecs vary from implementation to implementation, meaning unless you used the same codec, bitrate, and id3 tags you almost certainly won't actually be downloading exactly the file you would've made yourself. But you're point makes me wonder if that's an avenue that could be used to attack the RIAA's position - an mp3 is very different from the content distributed on the original cd, so how can the distribution of an mp3 ever infringe on distrubution of the original content? It's really not a copy at all.
Ah, but isn't it? That's the crux of the RIAA's problem - that digital data is perfectly reproducible. What's the difference between downloading a ripped mp3 and doing it yourself if the resulting files are identical? Effort?
Good call, Tetra. What I find the most offensive about this is the suggestion that mere data can be used to crash a plane. Looking through files has absolutely dick to do with preventing bombings or hijackings. If you wanted to commit an act of terrorism, you'd need ACTUAL explosives or an ACTUAL gun or knife, and absent those things the passenger is just a dood with some bits. I don't really believe preventing violence is the goal - if it was, the TSA's policies would be a lot more reasonable, and a lot less invasive.
Oh you'd like that. Actually, Mr. Troll, I'd argue the best way to "never see the RIAA again" would be to do it the capitalist way and vote with our dollars, and never buy an RIAA product again. See, here's a situation where we can have our cake and eat it too - you can go to hell, and we can get music from someone else.
Actually, I think you're really close to bone. The question why should the able assist the unable? What do the rich get out of helping the poor? I believe that the rich reap an enormous benefit from placating the masses. Economic disparity creates discontent, and discontent creates instability, and I don't think you can expect to gain or retain wealth without stability. Put another way, the physical safety of the rich and their assets are secured by limiting the number of totally destitute, pissed off, desperate people around them.
A friend put it to me like this once after I expressed my interest in working on robots, "Do you ever think about just giving in and joining the Dark Side and going to work for DARPA...". I think that's pretty apt. If you're building the military's next generation of killer robots or data miners for finding dissidents or uav spies, you're not that far removed from one the engineers who worked on the death star. You know anyone from Aldaron, dickbag?
No science has ever been achieved by "100% pure human effort". Certainly, to perform science one must record observations somewhere other than in one's memory. Are the scientists with pencils cheating those without? Are the scientists with computers pussies compared to the ones with sliderules? Why do you care how knowledge is acquired? The only integrity in science is objectivity and reproducibility - truth. What about AI? It's coming. What will you think when your desktop computer is 100x smarter and more insightful than you? Will you embrace that tool? Or is it trash because it's not "human"? Drugs are a technology and tool for amplifying the output of the human mind.
Listen buddy, drugs are technology. Are you going to get bent out of shape the first time a scientist with a computer chip embedded in his head gives the world some brilliant insight otherwise unattainable? People use tools to perform intellectual feats they could never reproduce without assistance. The fruits of the human mind can be amplified in many ways. Drugs have been a tool in the pursuit of knowledge since humans began pursuing knowledge.
I've always understood games to in fact be regular applications - ie not being able to install games would imply not being able to install anything. Sweet.
Slightly off-topic, but... Most of your statements are valid, but you need to seriously re-evaluate your position on the value of farming in a modern economy. Farming is the foundation of the world's economy. Don't believe me: try not eating.
Seems to me, that any law that prevents you from entering a court to defend yourself would violate your right to due process.