It's rare that I'll, you know, defend the government and all... but the FBI's purview extends way beyond terrorists. They handle organized crime in general, for one. I mean, the South American gangs like MS13 alone could account for a large portion of those GPS trackers. That doesn't even consider all of the other crime that they handle (bank robbery, wire fraud, etc.)
Don't forget to check the EULAs of specific sites. They may disallow a game that interacts with instances on other sites. Even Zynga has (technically) different versions of Farmville and the like for Facebook and Myspace.
Crazy politicians, crazy justice system, and privacy invading measures? That's pretty much America today anyway. If it ends up being cheaper it's still a net gain.
Wow, just reading over the intro on his Wikipedia page... he seems like a really good guy. I'll, of course, have to dig into his voting record and what he's said over the years (go go Internet!), but I finally might have someone worth voting for in the next election. Thank you!
I just recently upgraded my Verizon phone. I'm the same way - anything that smart phones do I'd rather do on a desktop. (I view smartphones as more of a novelty than something critically necessary.)
I bought a LG clamshell for about $130. Pretty sturdy (survived the "drop three feet onto concrete and bounce a few times" test, it's pretty robust, and it can do all of the basic stuff you'd expect plus a little more. The lowest-end phones at any store are usually a waste and you'll run into compatibility issues down the road (like you have now), but if you go to the ones just above that you'll probably be fine.
P.S., if you're on Verizon, they're ending the "New Every Two" credit towards phones if you renew your contract with them. Yes, it's idiotic as it was a fantastic customer retention program, but they are legitimately ending the credit. You should be grandfathered in if you're still currently on a contract with them, but you'll have to ask at the store.
Otherwise your so-called "Privacy Bill of Rights" is just a shallow gimmick designed to score brownie points from the less informed and less attentive among us in the electorate.
Unfortunately, the "less informed and less attentive" far, far outnumber the rest of us.
We have two options. First is advocacy (make the people more informed and, hopefully, more attentive). This has worked pretty well in stopping at least some of the bullshit.
Secondly is getting people who are all about the whole "fair play" kinda thing - you know, respecting the Constitution and civil rights, acting for the benefit of the people instead of the benefit of corporations, etc. - actually elected into offices. That is much more difficult and I really wish someone with a fanbase would step up and leverage that social power towards getting elected and making a particular change in our government.
The people who are most able to affect such a change are the "leaders" - mayor, governer, president, etc. It is said that without compromise, nothing will ever get passed. Even the most honest politician will be stopped by an uncooperative legislature because he didn't sign off on their latest bad bill in order to get his good bill pushed through. The solution to this (that is rarely, if ever, resorted to) is twofold: first, directly tell the public that the city/state/national legislature is being a bunch of asshats and trying to stop this good thing from happening, and secondly to veto everything you don't like. (A lot of the votes in any given legislature are close enough that they are unlikely to pass a veto override).
We (as in those who use the Internet for more than lolcats and WoW) have a lot of power that we just need to get together and use to effect real change. Look at how we managed to stop SOPA and PIPA. Had the Patriot Act been proposed ten years later (instead of in the early 2000s when broadband penetration was still comparatively low), it would never have passed thanks to our efforts. We use it too often in a reactionary fashion instead of a pro-active fashion.
Please, someone who has the gusto to be honest step up and make a run for office. Any office. Try to be the mayor of somewhere insignificant like West Bumblefuck, Ohio, or Newark, NJ. Get the tech savvy people behind you, and use your connection with them to pull the populace out of its apathy. I'd do it if I thought I had a chance in hell, but I'm pretty sure I don't.
Before modding me down into oblivion, note that I am making this statement in a general sense. Although I currently have no suggestions for improvement, eventually there will be some change that will make it better.
Oh, I do, although it's a generic one - how about making Slashcode less of a buggy, laggy mess? Let's go one better: trash Slashcode completely and rewrite a new system from scratch that actually works efficiently.
It's not as if we'd lose much - you already can't post in an article after a set period of time. Everything would be automatically archived, migrate the user accounts, bam done.
I'd appreciate it, thanks. Chuck me an e-mail if it takes more than a few days for you to dig it up as this comment will have fallen behind on my radar. Thanks a bunch!
Well by 2014 we're supposed to have pretty much all American troops out of Afghanistan. Even if mining companies were to get set up in the area, what are they going to do to protect themselves against insurgents and/or banditry? Hire a private army?
...if only there were a way for reality to affect our politicians in other ways
There are. It's called "marksmanship". Unfortunately, very few people have the balls to do it anymore and I personally don't think we've reached that point yet.
For people who might call my view extreme, keep in mind that our country was started - very violently - on the basis that we did not have any representation. Now we seem to have a similar situation where we do have representatives and we do elect them but they are no longer out for our best interests. That is almost the same thing.
I have not seen this letter. Could you direct me towards an example (real or just the letter format they use)? I'd love to see it so I can aspire towards getting and framing one of those letters.;D
The Articles of Confederation were considered a failure. Our current Constitution is basically the "second try". We had to call a mulligan on our current governmental system.
Perhaps we are nearing the time where we have to say what we have is clearly not working for us, the citizenry, and that we need to start over.
Slashdot Mirror
Obligatory physics jokes, let's just get them outta the way:
A photon goes to the airport and buys a ticket. The ticket agent asks if he has any luggage. "Nope," says the photon, "I'm traveling light."
Next!
The last time we had something like this, they were called Pinkertons. Between this company and companies like Blackwater, it's... it's just not good.
It's rare that I'll, you know, defend the government and all... but the FBI's purview extends way beyond terrorists. They handle organized crime in general, for one. I mean, the South American gangs like MS13 alone could account for a large portion of those GPS trackers. That doesn't even consider all of the other crime that they handle (bank robbery, wire fraud, etc.)
However that's a pain for the police to prosecute, you know they'd have to record his actions and take witness evidence etc.
Cry me a fucking river. I don't think I'll ever accept "but it's haaaaard" as an excuse from the police if they're bitching about fucking due process.
There is a code of honor that others subscribe to.
Waitasec, cascades are a real thing? I thought it was just a bunch of technobabble when reversing the polarity of the warp core went badly.
Don't forget to check the EULAs of specific sites. They may disallow a game that interacts with instances on other sites. Even Zynga has (technically) different versions of Farmville and the like for Facebook and Myspace.
Apple changes things at pretty much the same rate...
Exactly! Remember when they completely shut down iTunes 5 years ago?
Crazy politicians, crazy justice system, and privacy invading measures? That's pretty much America today anyway. If it ends up being cheaper it's still a net gain.
Bad governmental employees are not unique to Australia.
NEVER go full retard.
Wow, just reading over the intro on his Wikipedia page... he seems like a really good guy. I'll, of course, have to dig into his voting record and what he's said over the years (go go Internet!), but I finally might have someone worth voting for in the next election. Thank you!
I just recently upgraded my Verizon phone. I'm the same way - anything that smart phones do I'd rather do on a desktop. (I view smartphones as more of a novelty than something critically necessary.)
I bought a LG clamshell for about $130. Pretty sturdy (survived the "drop three feet onto concrete and bounce a few times" test, it's pretty robust, and it can do all of the basic stuff you'd expect plus a little more. The lowest-end phones at any store are usually a waste and you'll run into compatibility issues down the road (like you have now), but if you go to the ones just above that you'll probably be fine.
P.S., if you're on Verizon, they're ending the "New Every Two" credit towards phones if you renew your contract with them. Yes, it's idiotic as it was a fantastic customer retention program, but they are legitimately ending the credit. You should be grandfathered in if you're still currently on a contract with them, but you'll have to ask at the store.
Otherwise your so-called "Privacy Bill of Rights" is just a shallow gimmick designed to score brownie points from the less informed and less attentive among us in the electorate.
Unfortunately, the "less informed and less attentive" far, far outnumber the rest of us.
We have two options. First is advocacy (make the people more informed and, hopefully, more attentive). This has worked pretty well in stopping at least some of the bullshit.
Secondly is getting people who are all about the whole "fair play" kinda thing - you know, respecting the Constitution and civil rights, acting for the benefit of the people instead of the benefit of corporations, etc. - actually elected into offices. That is much more difficult and I really wish someone with a fanbase would step up and leverage that social power towards getting elected and making a particular change in our government.
The people who are most able to affect such a change are the "leaders" - mayor, governer, president, etc. It is said that without compromise, nothing will ever get passed. Even the most honest politician will be stopped by an uncooperative legislature because he didn't sign off on their latest bad bill in order to get his good bill pushed through. The solution to this (that is rarely, if ever, resorted to) is twofold: first, directly tell the public that the city/state/national legislature is being a bunch of asshats and trying to stop this good thing from happening, and secondly to veto everything you don't like. (A lot of the votes in any given legislature are close enough that they are unlikely to pass a veto override).
We (as in those who use the Internet for more than lolcats and WoW) have a lot of power that we just need to get together and use to effect real change. Look at how we managed to stop SOPA and PIPA. Had the Patriot Act been proposed ten years later (instead of in the early 2000s when broadband penetration was still comparatively low), it would never have passed thanks to our efforts. We use it too often in a reactionary fashion instead of a pro-active fashion.
Please, someone who has the gusto to be honest step up and make a run for office. Any office. Try to be the mayor of somewhere insignificant like West Bumblefuck, Ohio, or Newark, NJ. Get the tech savvy people behind you, and use your connection with them to pull the populace out of its apathy. I'd do it if I thought I had a chance in hell, but I'm pretty sure I don't.
He must be a master of baiting.
Famous last words.
Before modding me down into oblivion, note that I am making this statement in a general sense. Although I currently have no suggestions for improvement, eventually there will be some change that will make it better.
Oh, I do, although it's a generic one - how about making Slashcode less of a buggy, laggy mess? Let's go one better: trash Slashcode completely and rewrite a new system from scratch that actually works efficiently.
It's not as if we'd lose much - you already can't post in an article after a set period of time. Everything would be automatically archived, migrate the user accounts, bam done.
I'd appreciate it, thanks. Chuck me an e-mail if it takes more than a few days for you to dig it up as this comment will have fallen behind on my radar. Thanks a bunch!
It's not like you pick axe out a block of Yttiribilium (or however you spell these silly names).
WHAT?! Minecraft LIED to me!
rare Earch metals.
Clearly wherever you live is rich in high-proof alcohol and has a liberal policy towards drinking at work. d=
That's simply methane emissions heating the air as it comes off of all the bullshit floating around down there./p.
Well by 2014 we're supposed to have pretty much all American troops out of Afghanistan. Even if mining companies were to get set up in the area, what are they going to do to protect themselves against insurgents and/or banditry? Hire a private army?
...if only there were a way for reality to affect our politicians in other ways
There are. It's called "marksmanship". Unfortunately, very few people have the balls to do it anymore and I personally don't think we've reached that point yet.
For people who might call my view extreme, keep in mind that our country was started - very violently - on the basis that we did not have any representation. Now we seem to have a similar situation where we do have representatives and we do elect them but they are no longer out for our best interests. That is almost the same thing.
Clearly the only solution is for the Air Force to drop a JDAM or three on the legislative branch while it's in session.!
I have not seen this letter. Could you direct me towards an example (real or just the letter format they use)? I'd love to see it so I can aspire towards getting and framing one of those letters. ;D
The Articles of Confederation were considered a failure. Our current Constitution is basically the "second try". We had to call a mulligan on our current governmental system.
Perhaps we are nearing the time where we have to say what we have is clearly not working for us, the citizenry, and that we need to start over.