Which terrorists are you referring to? The ones we've been told were responsible for 9/11? Not only are there many unanswered questions about that event, but the fact we've seen a very deliberate and willful disregard for the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the constitution- not by the purported terrorists, but by the current administration - makes for some interesting (if not frightening) parallels.
Re-writing the Geneva Convention, allowing, of all people, someone like Bush to "interpret" what is and is not against human dignity in the treatment of detainees (no, terrorists or criminals, but detainees - or "enemy combatants" as they like to call them - whatever that means) - is unprecendeted. Along with Halliburton's incompetence as reported on last night's ABC News Nightline, and the fact our armed forces are involved in a "war" based on false premises, suggests that there isn't much concern for the safety and well-being of those charged with defending our liberty.
This may sound far-fetched, but considering what has happened within the span of five short years, doesn't seem too far outside the realm of possiblity. All that is required for the president to declare martial law (Yes, I'm talking about the U.S. here) is a catastrophe of sufficient scale. Once this occurs, control of the government would be handed over to (if I remember) FEMA. Yes, FEMA- A completely unelected entity will take control of our government. This is NOT SUBJECT TO CONGRESSIONAL REVIEW UNTIL AT LEAST SIX MONTHS AFTERWARD. Were this to happen, what is the one faction that could do the most damage if they happened to disagree with the direction of their so-called "commander-in-chief?" Yes - the military. Unfortunately, their ability to respond to such an affront would be so severely limited, since many of them are tied up in various "anti-terrorist actions" in other parts of the world, unavailable to defend its country on its own soil.
I don't think anybody is objecting to legitimate infrastructural concerns (schools, roads, etc). What they (and I) object to is the fat subsidies that go to various key players. Once upon a time, this was born BY these companies as an R&D expense, as the cost of STAYING in business. Why should WE the taxpayers pay for a few key players? Let the market decide who gets to stay. That's what it's for.
Papers are only the tip of the iceberg. There are also "services" performed by upper-level students that will do everything from the actual writing of papers, to taking tests for those paying them.
For those that are truly honest, these kinds of services are a slap in the face. Services like handitin.com aren't the problem, though - they are symptom of a problem caused by growing numbers who cheat, and have no sense of personal responsibility to produce their own work, and face up to their own limitations.
I see an interesting similarity between people in this group (the cheaters), and welfare recipients who feel that society somehow "owes" them a living. People who cheat expect something for nothing- same mentality, different medium.
Let the election go on as planned. Keep VERY careful track of all voting-related problems in as many districts as possible. Chances are very high that the election will get hosed in some way, thereby proving Ms. Lamone's comments somewhat comedic, if not completely stupid. Then, file charges against the elections commissioner/administrator, perhaps even suggesting that an act of treason has occurred - the problems with E-voting are well-known and well-documented, and anyone who professes that their presence has not betrayed the trust and confidence demanded by the electoral process in our democratic republic, is not acting in good faith.
I believe that's rather how the whole mess started in the US- and as you might expect, some douche bag lawyer started interpreting this to mean that software *itself* was patentable. The momentum started building, the USPTO was making a nice chunk of change on patent fees, so really didn't see any impetus to change, and suddenly, we were left with something that is completely out of control. And now that there are established and entrenched interests, fixing the problem will an order of magnitude more difficult.
Naming bills introduces an inherent level of efficiency to the process. If legislators can read the title and understand its full intent, then why should they waste time reading the bill itself? Think of all the time that was saved when nearly every elected federal legislator voted in favor of the patriot act because its title conveyed all they needed to know about it.
Now that I think about it, the problem seems much bigger in scope. Even when given the *opportunity* to understand what it said, when, years afterward it came up for renewal, many still failed. Maybe it's a sign of a new syndrome that accompanies having spent too much time in office: Legislation Comprehension Deficit Disorder. Maybe titles are all they can really handle.
I keep seeing references to "girls jeans" - makes me wonder - what are "girls jeans?" Are they jeans that *don't* make one look like a complete retard, with a crotch that literally hangs at knee-height, and that actually *cover* one's rear-end, sparing those within eyeshot a glimpse of what should be underneath (but typically isn't)?
Not necessarily - the one thing about vinyl that some people might find attractive is that it is completely and irrevocably DRM-free. Judging by the incessant tantrums thrown by the RIAA over copyright, you'd think that then industry would have long since died from all of the fair-use copying. (For the record - no pun intended - fair use does not include file sharing over the net).
On the other hand, it's a little more difficult to make a good copy using an analog setup- so I might question whether this is a consumer-driven phenomenon or one that is secretly being pushed by the RIAA.
They are spending huge amounts of research money on this... when the switch flips they will make back the research spending in DAYS! that's how much money is at stake here.
Are you suggesting that all this time ATT has been operating at a net loss with respect R&D expenditures? How much welfare money has ATT and subsidiaries recieved from the government to contribute to this R&D? On a related question, how much has AT&T soaked the American taxpayers through various government contracts?
I'm guessing it's about as pointless as cheating on an exam...you walk away with nothing but the ability to brag about it...I don't use the term "bragging rights" because I think those are earned. Acquiring status through cheating is quite the opposite.
I thought this is exactly what Verisign tried to do...dork with DNS results so that it wasn't clear *what* was going on. And of course, that also gives them a chance to ply their users with all kinds of ads. So, it seems they're simply replacing one type of nastiness with another. The only saving grace is that at least users have a choice, whereas Verisign's actions were more or less a mandate thrust upon the community at large.
So I think this type of education groupware is great. But if this patent means that Blackboard will be the only example of it, then I shudder...
This is exactly the problem with software patents. Parties can claim ownership of entire concepts, and prevent anyone from offering a competing, potentailly better alternative. We're essentially stuck with whatever the so-called "inventor" wants to provide, quality notiwithstanding.
However, Demma seems more incensed at Funk because he may cost the state $40,000 for Diebold's astronomical recertification fee.
Huh? Diebold is certifying its own machines? To say that this is like the fox guarding the henhouse would be a gross oversimplification...it's more like the fox has control of a large percentage of the henhouses throughout the country, and is working diligently to ensure this does not change.
We're talking about an inept president, a congress that rubber-stamps everything he does, and some very serious issues regarding constitutional compliance. We're also talking about other figures - a key military player (General Michael Hayden) who doesn't even know the Constitution he was sworn to uphold. There's Gonzales, with no real concern for legalities, or his duty to observe due process- and who is aiding and abetting every step of the way. There is no 'alarmist'. People are justifiably concerned.
We have people in key positions that don't even know, understand, or care about what is probably the most important document produced in our nation's history. For those interested:
I used to watch warcraft replays all the time - and those of other games - like Rise of Nations (I think that was it). I found watching good players to be quite intriguing- especially embracing the notion that "it's not over 'til it's over." I've seen some great comebacks that didn't seem at all likely based on how the game was progressing. Good stuff.
That's because MSFT had a goddamn 10 year headstart.
That is exactly true. There is a huge semantic problem when they use the word 'best'. What does 'best' mean in this case? If it means greater market share, I say, "well, DUH." If it means a 'better product' there is a hell of a lot of room for debate there.
I'm not the least bit impressed with this article, but I am quite amazed that this wisdom is apparently what a Harvard education gets you these days.
FTA: In fact, the model suggests ways in which the likelihood of OSS winning out can be minimized
Yes, the newest and most effective tool in that warchest is called the software patent. It's a way that entrenched monopolies can rape and pillage any effort to improve things, explore tangential ideas, or offer alternatives. What's this about again? Oh yeah...OSS being second-best.
Who cares if your R&D department cant remember to pay their bills? If they are good enough it'll be cheaper to hire someone to handle all that tedious interfacing with the real world
Indeed. The stupid thing about these contrived "strengths" that employers are looking for (moreso inept HR people), is that they fail to consider some likely possiblities. What if, for example, a person's purported 'lack of organization,' 'laziness,' or whatever other malady employers want to attach to this situation, was the result of someone whose PRIMARY FOCUS is on their job? In other words, bills get paid, but sometimes things slip a little - not because anyone is lazy, but because they're doing things that are inherently more meaningful and rewarding.
This profiling crap is quite unfortanate - what may happen is that eventually the gainfully employed will be a homogeneous group of people that conform to a set of arbitrary conditions. It may eliminate people at the bottom, but it will also eliminate people at the top- the brilliant, or dedicated, or extremely focused, or extremely motivated...they'll end up with a bunch of 9-to-5'ers whose only real loyalty is to collect their paycheck every two weeks.
So be it-- in one sense, this might actually be good for competition, as the smaller, more enlightened employers will end up with the real talent.
As opposed to...what? That bloated proprietary junk? I'd MUCH sooner run IPTables on a linux-based firewall than use any of the proprietary consumer stuff I've seen. There's no comparison.
I see the legislation as a "good thing", the internet is the great leveller, many people who otherwise would find it hard to make purchases or converse in real life find fewer barriers.
This is contradictory - if the internet is the "great leveler" it will do this on its own...as soon as you have government enforcing certain standards and catering to certain interests, it's not the great leveler any more - it's no different than an e-version of society at large.
Slashdot Mirror
The terrorists have won...
Which terrorists are you referring to? The ones we've been told were responsible for 9/11? Not only are there many unanswered questions about that event, but the fact we've seen a very deliberate and willful disregard for the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the constitution- not by the purported terrorists, but by the current administration - makes for some interesting (if not frightening) parallels.
Re-writing the Geneva Convention, allowing, of all people, someone like Bush to "interpret" what is and is not against human dignity in the treatment of detainees (no, terrorists or criminals, but detainees - or "enemy combatants" as they like to call them - whatever that means) - is unprecendeted. Along with Halliburton's incompetence as reported on last night's ABC News Nightline, and the fact our armed forces are involved in a "war" based on false premises, suggests that there isn't much concern for the safety and well-being of those charged with defending our liberty.
This may sound far-fetched, but considering what has happened within the span of five short years, doesn't seem too far outside the realm of possiblity. All that is required for the president to declare martial law (Yes, I'm talking about the U.S. here) is a catastrophe of sufficient scale. Once this occurs, control of the government would be handed over to (if I remember) FEMA. Yes, FEMA- A completely unelected entity will take control of our government. This is NOT SUBJECT TO CONGRESSIONAL REVIEW UNTIL AT LEAST SIX MONTHS AFTERWARD. Were this to happen, what is the one faction that could do the most damage if they happened to disagree with the direction of their so-called "commander-in-chief?" Yes - the military. Unfortunately, their ability to respond to such an affront would be so severely limited, since many of them are tied up in various "anti-terrorist actions" in other parts of the world, unavailable to defend its country on its own soil.
I don't think anybody is objecting to legitimate infrastructural concerns (schools, roads, etc). What they (and I) object to is the fat subsidies that go to various key players. Once upon a time, this was born BY these companies as an R&D expense, as the cost of STAYING in business. Why should WE the taxpayers pay for a few key players? Let the market decide who gets to stay. That's what it's for.
Papers are only the tip of the iceberg. There are also "services" performed by upper-level students that will do everything from the actual writing of papers, to taking tests for those paying them.
For those that are truly honest, these kinds of services are a slap in the face. Services like handitin.com aren't the problem, though - they are symptom of a problem caused by growing numbers who cheat, and have no sense of personal responsibility to produce their own work, and face up to their own limitations.
I see an interesting similarity between people in this group (the cheaters), and welfare recipients who feel that society somehow "owes" them a living. People who cheat expect something for nothing- same mentality, different medium.
Let the election go on as planned. Keep VERY careful track of all voting-related problems in as many districts as possible. Chances are very high that the election will get hosed in some way, thereby proving Ms. Lamone's comments somewhat comedic, if not completely stupid. Then, file charges against the elections commissioner/administrator, perhaps even suggesting that an act of treason has occurred - the problems with E-voting are well-known and well-documented, and anyone who professes that their presence has not betrayed the trust and confidence demanded by the electoral process in our democratic republic, is not acting in good faith.
I believe that's rather how the whole mess started in the US- and as you might expect, some douche bag lawyer started interpreting this to mean that software *itself* was patentable. The momentum started building, the USPTO was making a nice chunk of change on patent fees, so really didn't see any impetus to change, and suddenly, we were left with something that is completely out of control. And now that there are established and entrenched interests, fixing the problem will an order of magnitude more difficult.
Um, what about Linux? Iptables and Snort are both add-ons, as are many other security-related tools. And they do a damn fine job.
I have absolutely no clue how anyone could even go about finding the stuff. And yet, Gonzalez and the gov't claim it is a huge threat.
The fact that *they* can always seem to find it makes me wonder if the real problem is out there on the net, or somewhere else closer to home.
Naming bills introduces an inherent level of efficiency to the process. If legislators can read the title and understand its full intent, then why should they waste time reading the bill itself? Think of all the time that was saved when nearly every elected federal legislator voted in favor of the patriot act because its title conveyed all they needed to know about it.
Now that I think about it, the problem seems much bigger in scope. Even when given the *opportunity* to understand what it said, when, years afterward it came up for renewal, many still failed. Maybe it's a sign of a new syndrome that accompanies having spent too much time in office: Legislation Comprehension Deficit Disorder. Maybe titles are all they can really handle.
having to wear girls jeans
I keep seeing references to "girls jeans" - makes me wonder - what are "girls jeans?" Are they jeans that *don't* make one look like a complete retard, with a crotch that literally hangs at knee-height, and that actually *cover* one's rear-end, sparing those within eyeshot a glimpse of what should be underneath (but typically isn't)?
Not necessarily - the one thing about vinyl that some people might find attractive is that it is completely and irrevocably DRM-free. Judging by the incessant tantrums thrown by the RIAA over copyright, you'd think that then industry would have long since died from all of the fair-use copying. (For the record - no pun intended - fair use does not include file sharing over the net).
On the other hand, it's a little more difficult to make a good copy using an analog setup- so I might question whether this is a consumer-driven phenomenon or one that is secretly being pushed by the RIAA.
They are spending huge amounts of research money on this... when the switch flips they will make back the research spending in DAYS! that's how much money is at stake here.
Are you suggesting that all this time ATT has been operating at a net loss with respect R&D expenditures? How much welfare money has ATT and subsidiaries recieved from the government to contribute to this R&D? On a related question, how much has AT&T soaked the American taxpayers through various government contracts?
I'm guessing it's about as pointless as cheating on an exam...you walk away with nothing but the ability to brag about it...I don't use the term "bragging rights" because I think those are earned. Acquiring status through cheating is quite the opposite.
I thought this is exactly what Verisign tried to do...dork with DNS results so that it wasn't clear *what* was going on. And of course, that also gives them a chance to ply their users with all kinds of ads. So, it seems they're simply replacing one type of nastiness with another. The only saving grace is that at least users have a choice, whereas Verisign's actions were more or less a mandate thrust upon the community at large.
So I think this type of education groupware is great. But if this patent means that Blackboard will be the only example of it, then I shudder...
This is exactly the problem with software patents. Parties can claim ownership of entire concepts, and prevent anyone from offering a competing, potentailly better alternative. We're essentially stuck with whatever the so-called "inventor" wants to provide, quality notiwithstanding.
However, Demma seems more incensed at Funk because he may cost the state $40,000 for Diebold's astronomical recertification fee.
Huh? Diebold is certifying its own machines? To say that this is like the fox guarding the henhouse would be a gross oversimplification...it's more like the fox has control of a large percentage of the henhouses throughout the country, and is working diligently to ensure this does not change.
No, it's much easier to be alarmist
We're talking about an inept president, a congress that rubber-stamps everything he does, and some very serious issues regarding constitutional compliance. We're also talking about other figures - a key military player (General Michael Hayden) who doesn't even know the Constitution he was sworn to uphold. There's Gonzales, with no real concern for legalities, or his duty to observe due process- and who is aiding and abetting every step of the way. There is no 'alarmist'. People are justifiably concerned.
When's the last time they used white sulphur against US citizens? Ah...just what I thought. This is nothing but the dumbest of PR stunts.
The way I see it, inconvenient anonymity means that freedom must also be inconvenient. Newsflash: freedom is NEVER convenient.
From the blog: Diebold must be held accountable for hiring people who know nothing about the machines and it appears, elections.
At least Diebold is consistent....it doesn't know anything about voting machines and elections either.
We have people in key positions that don't even know, understand, or care about what is probably the most important document produced in our nation's history. For those interested:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qX_BjzUJmg
Watch in earnest as General Michael Hayden revises the 4th Amendment.
I used to watch warcraft replays all the time - and those of other games - like Rise of Nations (I think that was it). I found watching good players to be quite intriguing- especially embracing the notion that "it's not over 'til it's over." I've seen some great comebacks that didn't seem at all likely based on how the game was progressing. Good stuff.
That's because MSFT had a goddamn 10 year headstart.
That is exactly true. There is a huge semantic problem when they use the word 'best'. What does 'best' mean in this case? If it means greater market share, I say, "well, DUH." If it means a 'better product' there is a hell of a lot of room for debate there.
I'm not the least bit impressed with this article, but I am quite amazed that this wisdom is apparently what a Harvard education gets you these days.
FTA: In fact, the model suggests ways in which the likelihood of OSS winning out can be minimized
Yes, the newest and most effective tool in that warchest is called the software patent. It's a way that entrenched monopolies can rape and pillage any effort to improve things, explore tangential ideas, or offer alternatives. What's this about again? Oh yeah... OSS being second-best.
Who cares if your R&D department cant remember to pay their bills? If they are good enough it'll be cheaper to hire someone to handle all that tedious interfacing with the real world
Indeed. The stupid thing about these contrived "strengths" that employers are looking for (moreso inept HR people), is that they fail to consider some likely possiblities. What if, for example, a person's purported 'lack of organization,' 'laziness,' or whatever other malady employers want to attach to this situation, was the result of someone whose PRIMARY FOCUS is on their job? In other words, bills get paid, but sometimes things slip a little - not because anyone is lazy, but because they're doing things that are inherently more meaningful and rewarding.
This profiling crap is quite unfortanate - what may happen is that eventually the gainfully employed will be a homogeneous group of people that conform to a set of arbitrary conditions. It may eliminate people at the bottom, but it will also eliminate people at the top- the brilliant, or dedicated, or extremely focused, or extremely motivated...they'll end up with a bunch of 9-to-5'ers whose only real loyalty is to collect their paycheck every two weeks.
So be it-- in one sense, this might actually be good for competition, as the smaller, more enlightened employers will end up with the real talent.
3) I can't believe people still use iptables.
As opposed to...what? That bloated proprietary junk? I'd MUCH sooner run IPTables on a linux-based firewall than use any of the proprietary consumer stuff I've seen. There's no comparison.
I see the legislation as a "good thing", the internet is the great leveller, many people who otherwise would find it hard to make purchases or converse in real life find fewer barriers.
This is contradictory - if the internet is the "great leveler" it will do this on its own...as soon as you have government enforcing certain standards and catering to certain interests, it's not the great leveler any more - it's no different than an e-version of society at large.