On further thought, I think it would be better if the book stayed still and it was the *scanner* that moved back and forth ( in the scanner-top position I described earlier)
That should eliminate worries about size and weight, since the only weight in question is the scanner itself, rather than the book, and that will remain constant.
Also, I think, errors could be reduced by *slowing* down the process, to further minimise pages caught/stuck/torn, since slower and steadier push will allow for more flexible movement than a sudden sharp jerk; also, given that the process is automated once initiated, and could be done in batches, a further 15 or so minutes wouldn't be *that* big a cost, given the delicate nature of books.
I agree with your points, and I saw the video, but I was actually referring to the OP's point about handling delicate books.
DIY's system has the book (which is in fragile condition) down, and very properly secured, and the scanning apparatus (which is more able to take the stress from the constant movement) is the one that moves.
I was actually imagining my dad's big-ass collins dictionary from *his* college time, and comparing the state of that to what I might expect the usual state of affair will be of the books Google scans. Books like that printed in a bundle of reams, and stitched together, and then glued to the hardcover. An old book will have the stitching loose and gaps between the individual reams, and I think the google scanner would sort of *sink* in to that gap and unable to proceed.
Which is why the current system wouldn't work. However, if the position was sort of reversed, with the book being on the bottom, being moved about in a sort of trolley, and the scanner apparatus was sort of suspended above, that would solve a lot of problems.
The have the book lying down on it's spine and supported in a nice 45-ish angle that prevents too much of a tear. However they use ordinary cameras instead of the scanning tech used in a...well...scanner. Though I believe cameras tend to work faster than a scanner, so I don't see a downside.
As some one who has studied under such a system
on
MOOC Mania
·
· Score: 3, Interesting
...allow me to give an intro.
In my country, we have a university, called Virtual University[1], that conducts it's business over the internet. Since my dad was posted to the embassy in Riyadh, and we had an year of tenure still remaining after I did my A-levels, my dad decided to enrol me in the uni, so I had *something to do*.
Basically it works like this: You can study at home if you like (and have an internet connection), or you can visit multitudes of affiliated campuses all over the country. They have hired professional lecturers to perform in front of a camera, and these lectures are available to view in the computer lab/tv rooms of the campuses, over cable TV (four channels, as mandated by law), via video CDs you can order, or on youtube[2].
You also get notes and slides over the site, get and submit assignments over the site, and hold study conference with the teacher or fellow students over it. As for exams, internationally they conducted the exam on the computer via video conference, but nationally, they held exams in their campuses.
Having described the system, how was the study experience, you ask? Miserable!
One-way video lectures never captured my attention (I tend to tune out after ~7 minutes of a continuous rant), so I never viewed them. Lecture notes were very nice, but still limited. I noticed that misconceptions were not caught in the bud but were allowed to carry on, since there was no one monitoring them. Discussions were clumsy, since they were not instantaneous or one to one.
I was maintaining a 3+ GPA, but I realised it didn't reflect my actual knowledge level (barely). I aced assignments not because I knew what I was doing, but because my much more knowledgeable, university going siblings back in Paki pre-checked my assignment and caught errors (they too were unable to clarify just exactly was wrong, communicating over email or IM was clumsy).
This was especially noticeable over the Compsci filler subject they shove in the earlier semesters, regardless of your stream (finance in my case), So while technically I knew HTML, JavaScript, C++, yeah, without my lecturer of a sister, I wouldn't have made the assignments or scrapped through the exams.
But more importantly, I was missing out on the experience. No fellows to discuss with, cooped up in my room in KSA, wasn't exactly conducive to my mental state. Even back in Pak, since there was no proper class session, you never really met with course mates on campus.
Which is why, soon after I came back to Paki, I dropped out, switched to a community college, and got my associate degree. Oh sure, it was a two instead of four year degree, but at least I was *learning* something.(then I moved to ACCA, and here I am , but never mind that)
Basically to sum it up, such a form of education is NOT for your highschool graduate; stick them into a brick-and-mortar institute, they need not just the bookish knowledge but the interaction with their fellows. The need a person for the *immediate* interactivity, not some drone they will tune out to. Also, the degree is not worth shit. Frankly, it's considered only a step above an outright fake degree in matters of public perception and trust. Since they can't see any *visible* effort expended in gaining the degree other than money, it seems to imply that the degree was essentially bought.
And this is why such institutes are limited. Mind you, VU is not our first *open* institute, There is an earlier one, Allama Iqbal Open University[3], which uses postal means rather electronic means to communicate with students, and It too suffers the same flaws.
On the underhand, such universities are *perfect* for people who already have the knowledge or skill, and just need the piece of paper. For a job-goer, who prefers the flexibility over the quality of instruction, such a cheap and flexible method is heaven sent. Also, it's a government recognised university, so its valid for applying to government jobs. Finally, if you are in a place where there *is* no
If you are going to apologise, apologise with dignity, damn it!
Dear Apple, learn a lesson from Michael McCain, the CEO of the Canadian food company Maple Leaf Food.
In 2008, there was an outbreak [1] of Listeriosis, which was linked to Maple Leaf products.
What did Mccain do? To quote [2] from The Globe and Mail (a Canadian newspaper of record):
First, it admitted it was the company's fault. It admitted it was responsible. It said, in essence, "it's our fault and we're going to fix it."
Second, Maple Leaf apologized. It wasn't "wordsmithed" or spin-doctored to deny culpability. The company didn't dodge the issue. It apologized up front in every possible media.
Third, it didn't hire a celebrity to deliver the apology, or a blonde actress with very white teeth wearing a lab coat. CEO Michael McCain was the voice and the face of the crisis, and of the apology.
Fourth, once Maple Leaf realized the problem was the company's fault, it acted decisively, and transparently. It recalled more than 200 packaged meat brands (amounting to tens of thousands of individual packages) that were manufactured or packaged at the affected plant.
Which brings me to one of the best quotes about using (or not using) lawyers. CEO Michael McCain said in his apology on TV and on YouTube[3]: "Going through the crisis there are two advisers I've paid no attention to. The first are the lawyers, and the second are the accountants. It's not about money or legal liability; this is about our being accountable for providing consumers with safe food. This is a terrible tragedy. To those people who have become ill, and to the families who have lost loved ones, I want to express my deepest and most sincere sympathies. Words cannot begin to express our sadness for your pain."
(bolded by me)
I am not saying this let's MLF off the hook, but darn it, when it came to apologising, they didn't mince their words.
Dear Apple, just shut and apologise, and get over it already. MLF did it and got over it, so can you.
How many patents cover assembling a PC from parts, installing your own OS on it, and selling those? Anybody have a list or something? Genuinely curious.
----
On a separate, possibly unrelated note, yet another of my silly dreams: right to access and tinker with the BIOS (or whatever the technical term is).
I understand you might part with that right if you have the item subsidised, but after the contract ends, the root rights must flow back to you.
Oh, and root rights should always be available on an unsubsidised device; the whole "warranty will be void" shtick doesn't fly with me. I mean on my PC, it would be void if I over-clocked it or whatever, not because I installed Linux instead of windows; similarly, warranty should not be voided simply because you change a ROM, only if you use an over-clocking app.
Surely you jest, I recall near to nothing about my high school physics, and even I know "Liquid crystal" is a separate state of matter from Liquid (there were what, six states of matters?)
I agree, you do have free tuition, I am not disagreeing to that, but I just wanted to clarify no tuition didn't mean no costs at all. (once had the Finnish fever, before I realised I could never scrounge together the living money to actually go study there...yeah talk about shattered dreams:D)
Off-topic, but as far as books and pictures are concerned, I suggest you visit this website and their forums, they have a whole thing going around it:
For one, Finland is flirting with college fees, though apparently the resounding shocked gasp from the Finnish people has scared them; that and the fact that apparently universities were getting *less* money from students, then they could get from the government to teach for free.
Secondly, no fees means no scholarships either! And that combined with fact that you need to have a guaranteed amount of 500 EUR per month for living expenses (6000 EUR per year) plus the near-impossibility to get student jobs for foreigners...
In other words, despite having no fees, it costs effectively ~6000EUR (or rather more, Finland is expensive, 6000 is just the minimum you have to submit to be even eligible) to study per year. and you need to have that money, in lump sum, before hand and submitted in a government bank.
It's the same for other *free* havens like Germany and Norway, no fees, but lump sum living expenses (Germany is about the same as Finland, Norway is more expensive, IIRC) for the entire duration must be submitted before hand.
Oh, and this is besides, college student yearly membership fee(~100 EUR pa), books, college trips, health insurance, etc... all minor expenses that pile up.
Not saying it *isn't* an advantage, but there are still significant costs to be incurred.
Wee different. Going concern should not be the only criterion. It's an ethical issue, frankly.
For example, KFC was hacked, that would mean it should only be revealed if, say, KFC's secret recipe was stolen, and it threatened their going concern (unlikely but whatever...), but not if, say entire databases of consumer address and numbers were copied, which while hurting consumer privacy, would *not* hurt their going concern (since KFC could hush it up and go on selling chicken like normal).
I fully understand the naïvety of my Martin Luther King -ish rant, but damn it, it doesn't hurt to dream.
I have this idea, that maybe, one day, when I start earning money and am done with my debts, I will start a charity (or a kick-starter, as it's called now).
You see, I have this idea, possibly naïve, that I will use the funds to outright buy quality textbook rights, or have them written under a patronage system by noted authors, and release those books to the public for free.
I fully realise the flaws in my plan, buying rights of quality works might be damn near impossible, refusal of noted writers to right under a one-off patronage system, crazy licensing issues, non-acceptability of the books produced by teachers, and that's besides the fact that said charity might barely manage to raise funds to publish more than a couple of books.
Voters' free expression cannot be wholly guaranteed in case of Internet voting, therefore, i-voter has the right to replace his/her i-vote with:
another i-vote -> only the last vote counts
a paper ballot -> i-vote is cancelled
Basically it's a matter of correctly planned checks and balances (a matter, as a student of accountancy, I have been hammered with A LOT).
And frankly, the very fact this point is being brought up makes me very depressed about America. I mean, as a 3rd worlder, I understand that *my* rights are worth shit, but why are *you* guys so worried this might be abused?
I thought with you with your first world status, your rights would be iron-clad, is it so common to leave loop holes *this* obvious, that you are immediately worry about it being abused? Where is your confidence that things will be taken care of and properly planned? I can understand *us* being herded like chattel to the voting booth, but why is difficult for *you* to say to your employer, NO?
Frankly, if things are so bad, then you have bigger problems then just some fake votes.
[Canada], Sweden, Latvia and Switzerland are among the countries that have tested Internet voting.
But when it comes to national elections, Estonia is the clear leader.
The tiny Baltic nation (its population of 1.3 million is roughly the size of San Diego) has allowed online voting for all of its citizens since 2007. In this year's election, nearly one in four votes was cast online, according to its elections commission.
Note that they have a national ID card, reasoning that it's better to have *one* government controlled database that they can control and monitor, rather than to have a zillion databases that are unconnected and contain various levels of information.
Slashdot Mirror
Agree with you.
On further thought, I think it would be better if the book stayed still and it was the *scanner* that moved back and forth ( in the scanner-top position I described earlier)
That should eliminate worries about size and weight, since the only weight in question is the scanner itself, rather than the book, and that will remain constant.
Also, I think, errors could be reduced by *slowing* down the process, to further minimise pages caught/stuck/torn, since slower and steadier push will allow for more flexible movement than a sudden sharp jerk; also, given that the process is automated once initiated, and could be done in batches, a further 15 or so minutes wouldn't be *that* big a cost, given the delicate nature of books.
I agree with your points, and I saw the video, but I was actually referring to the OP's point about handling delicate books.
DIY's system has the book (which is in fragile condition) down, and very properly secured, and the scanning apparatus (which is more able to take the stress from the constant movement) is the one that moves.
I was actually imagining my dad's big-ass collins dictionary from *his* college time, and comparing the state of that to what I might expect the usual state of affair will be of the books Google scans. Books like that printed in a bundle of reams, and stitched together, and then glued to the hardcover. An old book will have the stitching loose and gaps between the individual reams, and I think the google scanner would sort of *sink* in to that gap and unable to proceed.
Which is why the current system wouldn't work. However, if the position was sort of reversed, with the book being on the bottom, being moved about in a sort of trolley, and the scanner apparatus was sort of suspended above, that would solve a lot of problems.
Frankly, I like the idea presented by these guys better:
http://www.diybookscanner.org/
The have the book lying down on it's spine and supported in a nice 45-ish angle that prevents too much of a tear. However they use ordinary cameras instead of the scanning tech used in a...well...scanner. Though I believe cameras tend to work faster than a scanner, so I don't see a downside.
Party divide according to:
-County -State -Popular vote
-Population density
http://i.imgur.com/pflQf.jpg
Relevant article (though the Image is not originally theirs:
http://gizmodo.com/5960290/this-is-the-real-political-map-of-america-hint-we-are-not-that-divided
It's all Baby steps with that man...
http://satwcomic.com/still-a-long-way
...allow me to give an intro.
In my country, we have a university, called Virtual University[1], that conducts it's business over the internet. Since my dad was posted to the embassy in Riyadh, and we had an year of tenure still remaining after I did my A-levels, my dad decided to enrol me in the uni, so I had *something to do*.
Basically it works like this: You can study at home if you like (and have an internet connection), or you can visit multitudes of affiliated campuses all over the country. They have hired professional lecturers to perform in front of a camera, and these lectures are available to view in the computer lab/tv rooms of the campuses, over cable TV (four channels, as mandated by law), via video CDs you can order, or on youtube[2].
You also get notes and slides over the site, get and submit assignments over the site, and hold study conference with the teacher or fellow students over it. As for exams, internationally they conducted the exam on the computer via video conference, but nationally, they held exams in their campuses.
Having described the system, how was the study experience, you ask? Miserable!
One-way video lectures never captured my attention (I tend to tune out after ~7 minutes of a continuous rant), so I never viewed them. Lecture notes were very nice, but still limited. I noticed that misconceptions were not caught in the bud but were allowed to carry on, since there was no one monitoring them. Discussions were clumsy, since they were not instantaneous or one to one.
I was maintaining a 3+ GPA, but I realised it didn't reflect my actual knowledge level (barely). I aced assignments not because I knew what I was doing, but because my much more knowledgeable, university going siblings back in Paki pre-checked my assignment and caught errors (they too were unable to clarify just exactly was wrong, communicating over email or IM was clumsy).
This was especially noticeable over the Compsci filler subject they shove in the earlier semesters, regardless of your stream (finance in my case), So while technically I knew HTML, JavaScript, C++, yeah, without my lecturer of a sister, I wouldn't have made the assignments or scrapped through the exams.
But more importantly, I was missing out on the experience. No fellows to discuss with, cooped up in my room in KSA, wasn't exactly conducive to my mental state. Even back in Pak, since there was no proper class session, you never really met with course mates on campus.
Which is why, soon after I came back to Paki, I dropped out, switched to a community college, and got my associate degree. Oh sure, it was a two instead of four year degree, but at least I was *learning* something.(then I moved to ACCA, and here I am , but never mind that)
Basically to sum it up, such a form of education is NOT for your highschool graduate; stick them into a brick-and-mortar institute, they need not just the bookish knowledge but the interaction with their fellows. The need a person for the *immediate* interactivity, not some drone they will tune out to. Also, the degree is not worth shit. Frankly, it's considered only a step above an outright fake degree in matters of public perception and trust. Since they can't see any *visible* effort expended in gaining the degree other than money, it seems to imply that the degree was essentially bought.
And this is why such institutes are limited. Mind you, VU is not our first *open* institute, There is an earlier one, Allama Iqbal Open University[3], which uses postal means rather electronic means to communicate with students, and It too suffers the same flaws.
On the underhand, such universities are *perfect* for people who already have the knowledge or skill, and just need the piece of paper. For a job-goer, who prefers the flexibility over the quality of instruction, such a cheap and flexible method is heaven sent. Also, it's a government recognised university, so its valid for applying to government jobs. Finally, if you are in a place where there *is* no
Just googled a bit, and her are some corporate apologies:
http://www.cbc.ca/undertheinfluence/season-1/2012/05/19/when-brands-apologise-sorry-seems-to-be-the-smartest-word-1/
If you are going to apologise, apologise with dignity, damn it!
Dear Apple, learn a lesson from Michael McCain, the CEO of the Canadian food company Maple Leaf Food.
In 2008, there was an outbreak [1] of Listeriosis, which was linked to Maple Leaf products.
What did Mccain do? To quote [2] from The Globe and Mail (a Canadian newspaper of record):
First, it admitted it was the company's fault. It admitted it was responsible. It said, in essence, "it's our fault and we're going to fix it."
Second, Maple Leaf apologized. It wasn't "wordsmithed" or spin-doctored to deny culpability. The company didn't dodge the issue. It apologized up front in every possible media.
Third, it didn't hire a celebrity to deliver the apology, or a blonde actress with very white teeth wearing a lab coat. CEO Michael McCain was the voice and the face of the crisis, and of the apology.
Fourth, once Maple Leaf realized the problem was the company's fault, it acted decisively, and transparently. It recalled more than 200 packaged meat brands (amounting to tens of thousands of individual packages) that were manufactured or packaged at the affected plant.
Which brings me to one of the best quotes about using (or not using) lawyers. CEO Michael McCain said in his apology on TV and on YouTube[3]: "Going through the crisis there are two advisers I've paid no attention to. The first are the lawyers, and the second are the accountants. It's not about money or legal liability; this is about our being accountable for providing consumers with safe food. This is a terrible tragedy. To those people who have become ill, and to the families who have lost loved ones, I want to express my deepest and most sincere sympathies. Words cannot begin to express our sadness for your pain."
(bolded by me)
I am not saying this let's MLF off the hook, but darn it, when it came to apologising, they didn't mince their words.
Dear Apple, just shut and apologise, and get over it already. MLF did it and got over it, so can you.
[1]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maple_Leaf_Foods#Canadian_Food_Inspection_Agency_recall
[2]: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/small-business/sb-growth/the-best-legal-advice-is-often-an-apology/article626797/
[3]: (original link in article wasn't working, here is an alternative) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSrazdNo55U
How many patents cover assembling a PC from parts, installing your own OS on it, and selling those? Anybody have a list or something? Genuinely curious.
----
On a separate, possibly unrelated note, yet another of my silly dreams: right to access and tinker with the BIOS (or whatever the technical term is).
I understand you might part with that right if you have the item subsidised, but after the contract ends, the root rights must flow back to you.
Oh, and root rights should always be available on an unsubsidised device; the whole "warranty will be void" shtick doesn't fly with me. I mean on my PC, it would be void if I over-clocked it or whatever, not because I installed Linux instead of windows; similarly, warranty should not be voided simply because you change a ROM, only if you use an over-clocking app.
(Do correct me if I am wrong in my rant)
Surely you jest, I recall near to nothing about my high school physics, and even I know "Liquid crystal" is a separate state of matter from Liquid (there were what, six states of matters?)
Genuinely curious, but how much water would a company like foxconn need, for making electronics?
Could someone explain to me where water would come in the manufacturing process of LCDs?
I agree, you do have free tuition, I am not disagreeing to that, but I just wanted to clarify no tuition didn't mean no costs at all. (once had the Finnish fever, before I realised I could never scrounge together the living money to actually go study there...yeah talk about shattered dreams :D)
Off-topic, but as far as books and pictures are concerned, I suggest you visit this website and their forums, they have a whole thing going around it:
http://www.diybookscanner.org/
https://encrypted.google.com/404
Now it's doubly safe!
Not precisely. Read your own link :D
For one, Finland is flirting with college fees, though apparently the resounding shocked gasp from the Finnish people has scared them; that and the fact that apparently universities were getting *less* money from students, then they could get from the government to teach for free.
Secondly, no fees means no scholarships either! And that combined with fact that you need to have a guaranteed amount of 500 EUR per month for living expenses (6000 EUR per year) plus the near-impossibility to get student jobs for foreigners...
In other words, despite having no fees, it costs effectively ~6000EUR (or rather more, Finland is expensive, 6000 is just the minimum you have to submit to be even eligible) to study per year. and you need to have that money, in lump sum, before hand and submitted in a government bank.
It's the same for other *free* havens like Germany and Norway, no fees, but lump sum living expenses (Germany is about the same as Finland, Norway is more expensive, IIRC) for the entire duration must be submitted before hand.
Oh, and this is besides, college student yearly membership fee(~100 EUR pa), books, college trips, health insurance, etc... all minor expenses that pile up.
Not saying it *isn't* an advantage, but there are still significant costs to be incurred.
Lame meme is lame
Ugh, don't remind us, or we will try it again in an act of holy desperation that even Saudi doesn't apply.
In other news, youtube is still blocked for us.
OMG, You killed timothy!
Wee different. Going concern should not be the only criterion. It's an ethical issue, frankly.
For example, KFC was hacked, that would mean it should only be revealed if, say, KFC's secret recipe was stolen, and it threatened their going concern (unlikely but whatever...), but not if, say entire databases of consumer address and numbers were copied, which while hurting consumer privacy, would *not* hurt their going concern (since KFC could hush it up and go on selling chicken like normal).
I believe both cases should be revealed.
Are you sure you want to know?
It's common in south asia, allows the ..."fertiliser"... to be in a dry and usable form.
I fully understand the naïvety of my Martin Luther King -ish rant, but damn it, it doesn't hurt to dream.
I have this idea, that maybe, one day, when I start earning money and am done with my debts, I will start a charity (or a kick-starter, as it's called now).
You see, I have this idea, possibly naïve, that I will use the funds to outright buy quality textbook rights, or have them written under a patronage system by noted authors, and release those books to the public for free.
I fully realise the flaws in my plan, buying rights of quality works might be damn near impossible, refusal of noted writers to right under a one-off patronage system, crazy licensing issues, non-acceptability of the books produced by teachers, and that's besides the fact that said charity might barely manage to raise funds to publish more than a couple of books.
But darn it, I will at least try.
Ah, fair point, but according to this pdf a poster posted in a comment in this thread, you can apparently re-vote:
http://www.vvk.ee/public/dok/Internet_Voting_in_Estonia.pdf
Relevant portion:
Voters' free expression cannot be wholly guaranteed in case of Internet voting, therefore, i-voter has the right to replace his/her i-vote with:
another i-vote -> only the last vote counts
a paper ballot -> i-vote is cancelled
Basically it's a matter of correctly planned checks and balances (a matter, as a student of accountancy, I have been hammered with A LOT).
And frankly, the very fact this point is being brought up makes me very depressed about America. I mean, as a 3rd worlder, I understand that *my* rights are worth shit, but why are *you* guys so worried this might be abused?
I thought with you with your first world status, your rights would be iron-clad, is it so common to leave loop holes *this* obvious, that you are immediately worry about it being abused? Where is your confidence that things will be taken care of and properly planned? I can understand *us* being herded like chattel to the voting booth, but why is difficult for *you* to say to your employer, NO?
Frankly, if things are so bad, then you have bigger problems then just some fake votes.
But as a crooked employer, I could monitor the voting of thousands of employees, and I'd know exactly who is on the short list to be promoted.
I am confused, if they are doing it from home, how will your employer abuse your right?
PS: A link to their National ID card management website: http://www.id.ee/
Apparently Estonians vote online too:
http://techcrunch.com/2012/09/24/report-america-ranks-behind-estonia-in-internet-freedom-heres-why/
http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/08/tech/web/online-voting/index.html
[Canada], Sweden, Latvia and Switzerland are among the countries that have tested Internet voting.
But when it comes to national elections, Estonia is the clear leader.
The tiny Baltic nation (its population of 1.3 million is roughly the size of San Diego) has allowed online voting for all of its citizens since 2007. In this year's election, nearly one in four votes was cast online, according to its elections commission.
Note that they have a national ID card, reasoning that it's better to have *one* government controlled database that they can control and monitor, rather than to have a zillion databases that are unconnected and contain various levels of information.
This isn't reddit :D
Here you link url by using the actual HTML code like so:
{a href="[insert link here]"}[insert text]{/a>}
Replace the curly brackets with the appropriate angle brackets