I'm sad to see that, as usual, the control freaks of the world are eager to lynch anyone who makes "unauthorized use" of a computer.
I'm just waiting for the day when everyone gets a neural implant that automatically detects non-business related thoughts during company hours. After all, we provide the air that you breath. It is against company policy for anyone to have independent thoughts while breathing the company's air.
Just because you can legally treat your employees like serfs doesn't mean that you are obligated to do so.
A smart manager might ask, Why was this software installed and why was it so popular?
It isn't that simple. Newspapers and magazines commonly buy the "first North American serial rights", which allows them to publish the material once, in North America. The writer does not have to sell all of his rights, he can sell a limited set of rights.
Whatever the platform, I think courses should use development tools that conform to ANSI/ISO standards. If it is a C++ course, it should teach the ANSI/ISO C++ language, not Microsoft Visual C++.
If I was teaching a programming class, I would use Pascal or Ada-95, which are not available from Microsoft.
Obviously it wasn't a barrier here; what makes it one elsewhere?
Economics.
The first system builder has 100% of the market and monopoly pricing power. Anyone who is building a second system has to take customers away from the incumbent and compete on the basis of price, quality and service. This makes it substantially less profitable to build a second system and the market is less predictable.
Nothing may stop the construction of a competing system today, but that misses the point. Many of the incumbent cable systems were constructed when local governments had the power to grant a monopoly. I can remember when all sorts of sleazy deals were made between local government officials and the cable companies. In many localities, the cable companies basically bribed government officials and "influential citizens" to get the cable franchise. It is disingenuous for them to now claim that there is a competitive market, after they constructed their system under monopoly conditions.
Paper ballots have their own set of problems. Ballot boxes from districts that vote for the wrong candidate can be "lost".
A friend of mine from Texas told me a story about a county courthouse that conveniently burnt down the day after the votes had been counted, preventing any recounts or outside verification.
Re:Vote on the weekend
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eLection '04
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· Score: 2
What about Jews and others who observe a Sabbath on Saturday?
There are major constitutional problems with any scheme that involves the federal government setting standards for the states.
Most people don't understand that the states have a great deal of discretion in how elections are held. There isn't a constitutional requirement that a state hold an election to select the electors for the electoral college. A state could give that power to the Governor or legislature. See McPherson v. Blacker.
Re:Problems with the system
on
eLection '04
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· Score: 2
The problem in the United States is that most states have "at will" employment laws. That means that someone can be fired at any time, for any or no reason, except for certain exceptions such as race, nationality, etc.
If I was an employer, I could fire anyone who exhibited political sympathies that I found to be objectionable, such as voting for a candidate who supported the labor or enviromental movement.
Re:Problems with the system
on
eLection '04
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· Score: 2
I believe there are legal problems that prevent them from requiring a voter to present a photo ID. After all, there are large numbers of people who don't have a driver's license or passport. Voting is a right, not a privilege.
When I voted, the election judges asked for my name, looked it up in a big printout, and asked for my address and date of birth. Someone else could get that information, but they would have to spend time memorizing it well enough to repeat it on demand. They would also have to be the appropriate gender and age group.
It could be worse. When I lived in Washington, D.C., it was almost a certainty that any candidate, dead or alive, running as a Democrat was going to win.
In 1984, Walter Mondale got 85% of the vote in Washington, D.C., barely won in Minnesota, his home state, and lost every other state to Ronald Reagan.
Looking at the current election results, Gore got 85% of the vote in Washington, D.C., and Bush was a distant second at 9%.
Complain to your local board of elections. Where I live, the board of elections mails every registered voter a sample ballot that has the name and address of the voter's polling place printed on it.
How do they know, for the sake of argument, whether you downloaded copyrighted music, as opposed to public domain music or music that has been authorized for free distribution by the copyright holder?
NASA can afford a million dollars. The question is, what should they spend it on? At some point, you have to pull the plug on old missions after they have met their scientific objectives. There are always other projects that need funding. The trick is to spend the available budget in the most effective manner.
Where I work, we have a large number of NT 4.0 systems with Office 97. Upgrading them to Windows 2000, Office 2000, and the latest Visual Studio for the developers, is going to be very expensive. I expect that we will stick with our current software as long as possible.
Isn't there a problem with the new Windows 2000 directory service? I got the impression that it requires all of the servers to be running Windows 2000.
Kasparov is a chess player, not a salesman. As such, the important thing is that he is good at chess, not that he has a "perfect people personality". At that level of chess, you need a strong ego to survive. World chess champions are infamous for their personality and psychological quirks.
I know it is a problem for high altitude aircraft like the U-2 and SR-71. The controls get touchier at higher altitudes and it becomes easier to lose control of the aircraft, with fatal results. I'm not sure how it would affect a skydiver.
Organized religions are better protected than Atheism. For example, you will have a chance to exempt from military service if your 'religion' prohibited violence. Similar benefit is not enjoyed by a pacifist atheist, no matter how strong his belief is.
There is a practical reason for the current law. In the event of a draft, people will look for ways to avoid being drafted, including a sudden attack of pacifism. That is why there were draft boards during the Vietnam War. They were supposed to separate the real conscientious objectors from the draft dodgers. The problem was that the children of the upper and middle classes dodged the draft by getting educational exemptions. They were a lot of people in college, grad school and divinity school for the main purpose of avoiding the draft.
One of the big advantages of fiber is that you can upgrade the bandwidth of the system without replacing the fiber. Just upgrade the transceivers as demand, technology and price warrant.
And are you arguing that it's a good thing that only two parties have a substantial voice in the federal government? Yeah, it's wonderful that the system is stacked against divergent viewpoints.
Yes, it is a good thing, and a bad thing. It makes it more likely that a candidate will win a decisive victory. It marginalizes small parties that don't have a regional base. It is a stable system. Each system has its pluses and minuses. A direct popular vote would take power away from the states. Parliamentary systems are more representative, but then you have to deal with fringe parties and coalition governments.
Slashdot Mirror
I'm just waiting for the day when everyone gets a neural implant that automatically detects non-business related thoughts during company hours. After all, we provide the air that you breath. It is against company policy for anyone to have independent thoughts while breathing the company's air.
Just because you can legally treat your employees like serfs doesn't mean that you are obligated to do so.
A smart manager might ask, Why was this software installed and why was it so popular?
It isn't that simple. Newspapers and magazines commonly buy the "first North American serial rights", which allows them to publish the material once, in North America. The writer does not have to sell all of his rights, he can sell a limited set of rights.
I've read that conformal coating can cause thermal problems if it wasn't taken into account when the circuit board was designed.
If I was teaching a programming class, I would use Pascal or Ada-95, which are not available from Microsoft.
Economics.
The first system builder has 100% of the market and monopoly pricing power. Anyone who is building a second system has to take customers away from the incumbent and compete on the basis of price, quality and service. This makes it substantially less profitable to build a second system and the market is less predictable.
Nothing may stop the construction of a competing system today, but that misses the point. Many of the incumbent cable systems were constructed when local governments had the power to grant a monopoly. I can remember when all sorts of sleazy deals were made between local government officials and the cable companies. In many localities, the cable companies basically bribed government officials and "influential citizens" to get the cable franchise. It is disingenuous for them to now claim that there is a competitive market, after they constructed their system under monopoly conditions.
A friend of mine from Texas told me a story about a county courthouse that conveniently burnt down the day after the votes had been counted, preventing any recounts or outside verification.
What about Jews and others who observe a Sabbath on Saturday?
Most people don't understand that the states have a great deal of discretion in how elections are held. There isn't a constitutional requirement that a state hold an election to select the electors for the electoral college. A state could give that power to the Governor or legislature. See McPherson v. Blacker.
If I was an employer, I could fire anyone who exhibited political sympathies that I found to be objectionable, such as voting for a candidate who supported the labor or enviromental movement.
When I voted, the election judges asked for my name, looked it up in a big printout, and asked for my address and date of birth. Someone else could get that information, but they would have to spend time memorizing it well enough to repeat it on demand. They would also have to be the appropriate gender and age group.
The FOIA is a federal law, applicable to federal agencies. State and local governments are not subject to the law.
I think they would have to go into the Witness Protection Program to avoid getting lynched by angry Democrats/Republicans.
In 1984, Walter Mondale got 85% of the vote in Washington, D.C., barely won in Minnesota, his home state, and lost every other state to Ronald Reagan.
Looking at the current election results, Gore got 85% of the vote in Washington, D.C., and Bush was a distant second at 9%.
Don't forget Dick Tuck, the Democrats' master of dirty tricks.
Complain to your local board of elections. Where I live, the board of elections mails every registered voter a sample ballot that has the name and address of the voter's polling place printed on it.
How do they know, for the sake of argument, whether you downloaded copyrighted music, as opposed to public domain music or music that has been authorized for free distribution by the copyright holder?
For parts, I would try Digi-Key or JAMECO.
NASA can afford a million dollars. The question is, what should they spend it on? At some point, you have to pull the plug on old missions after they have met their scientific objectives. There are always other projects that need funding. The trick is to spend the available budget in the most effective manner.
Isn't there a problem with the new Windows 2000 directory service? I got the impression that it requires all of the servers to be running Windows 2000.
Kasparov is a chess player, not a salesman. As such, the important thing is that he is good at chess, not that he has a "perfect people personality". At that level of chess, you need a strong ego to survive. World chess champions are infamous for their personality and psychological quirks.
I know it is a problem for high altitude aircraft like the U-2 and SR-71. The controls get touchier at higher altitudes and it becomes easier to lose control of the aircraft, with fatal results. I'm not sure how it would affect a skydiver.
There is a practical reason for the current law. In the event of a draft, people will look for ways to avoid being drafted, including a sudden attack of pacifism. That is why there were draft boards during the Vietnam War. They were supposed to separate the real conscientious objectors from the draft dodgers. The problem was that the children of the upper and middle classes dodged the draft by getting educational exemptions. They were a lot of people in college, grad school and divinity school for the main purpose of avoiding the draft.
One of the big advantages of fiber is that you can upgrade the bandwidth of the system without replacing the fiber. Just upgrade the transceivers as demand, technology and price warrant.
Yes, it is a good thing, and a bad thing. It makes it more likely that a candidate will win a decisive victory. It marginalizes small parties that don't have a regional base. It is a stable system. Each system has its pluses and minuses. A direct popular vote would take power away from the states. Parliamentary systems are more representative, but then you have to deal with fringe parties and coalition governments.