I think the GP and GGP's reference to "few efforts" is in regard to the Bush administration, not Obama.
Regarding the topic of this article, I think it's great. As I've said many times, the key to improving the US is transparency, not ideology. Another key is taking steps in the right direction and making incremental improvements. So to the cynics that think that v1.0 of the tax dollar tracking site will suck - v1.0 is the stepping stone to v2.0. As Ivan Turgenev said, "If we wait for the moment when everything, absolutely everything is ready, we shall never begin."
I'm also hopeful that "Orginize America" will inspire people to participate to volunteer more and to be more politically aware.
You appear to be assuming that the so-called "safety net" actually protects people, instead of enslaving them....
I believe that the current, imperfect, system has helped many. I acknowledge that it may provide the wrong incentives to people that grew-up in the system, are addicted to drugs or alcohol, or are depressed or have other mental issues.
We can improve the system, or even replace it. We can find better incentives and teach people to help themselves. I don't know exactly how to do this, but I believe it is worth doing.
7. I don't believe that the "Free Market" is magic nor that all regulation is bad.
8. I am a huge fan of government transparency, and so far Obama is doing the right thing - AFAICT.
1. I think that pay cap is a sensible, political decision. "The economy sucks, so we aren't going to give ourselves a bunch of raises at tax-payer expense."
2. I make > $100,000/year but I'm not afraid of progressive taxes. Yes, the 90% marginal taxes (which no one actually paid) of the 1970s were ridiculous. He's never proposed anything like that, and he never will.
3. I enjoy living in a first world country, complete with a functioning infrastructure.
4. I'm OK with the government providing a safety net. I hope to never use it, but I've seen what happens to people that need it and it's not present.
5. I don't believe that Obama is a "class warrior" that is going to "bleed the rich."
6. I don't think the government is inherently bad, evil, or even wasteful. It can be, but is doesn't have to be.
7. I don't believe that the "Free Market" is magic, that all regulation is bad,
8. I am a huge fan of government transparency, and so far Obama is doing the right thing - AFAICT.
9, I think the way to solve our problems are to have an actual, functional government. The more transparency, the better. Reduce lobbyist and industries ability to influence policy and make it more apparent when they do.
So, based on what I care about, what I believe and what I fear - so far, I'm a happy camper.
And of course "The One" can be trusted to keep official communications off his Blackberry. Yeah, sure. Imagine the kerfuffle were it revealed there were no recorded communications between Bush 43 and oh say Karl Rove on any known official e-mail system, the ACLU and the Dhimmicreeps would go berzerk.
Um, I don't really get the point of your post. The Bush administration had a pretty solid record of keeping things secret. They had a policy to hide information, use non-government email servers for government communications, and invoke "presidential privilege" at the drop of a hat. People that are interested in transparent government don't like that.
If Bush didn't like the conditions of employment, he should not have taken the job. Same goes for Obama.
because 4 years from now those same tactics will be used against a President I support.
I supported Obama. If his administration fails archive communications as required by law, then I will support a lawsuit to try to correct the, um, oversight.
I suspect that the information is "lost." And that really sucks. Not from a standpoint of trying to prosecute anybody, but from the standpoint of developing and growing as a nation. The administration is suppose to support the archives, not hide from them as if this is some sort of childish game. Eventually, based on time, future presidents and security issues, the information is suppose to become available. Then we get to learn from our mistakes.
Every effort should be made to recover the current administrations communications. Furthermore, we need to improve the laws and processes so that future administrations can't so easily skirt them.
I don't think they can do it. This falls afoul of the interstate commerce clause of the Constitution.
I don't get this argument. This effects all producers of a product, both inside and outside of CA, equally. Therefore it is not a barrier to interstate commerce.
...An industry would look a state like CA that wants to foist stupid regulations upon them STRAIGHT in the eye and tell them to "go suck it"....
They'd go out of business, but I'm OK with them trying.
Like it or not, CA has serious power problems. Unlike the "sane" parts of the country, CA is the only US state where per-capita energy consumption has been flat for around 30 years. All because of "crazy" regulations. Yet it's insightful to hate all regulations.
As another example, I grew up in LA in the 60's and I can assure you that those "crazy CA regulations" have done a lot of good environmentally, especially for air quality. Even with a huge increase in population and driver miles, emissions have been reduced. The "free market" may have resulted in cheaper shit. I'm pretty sure it would have also meant more money for asthma medications and hospitals too. So I'm glad that we "crazy Californians" have some right to control our environment. Even if we get it wrong sometimes (and I'm not saying what the CEC is doing is wrong, no matter how badly the LA times is reporting it).
During the dot-com days, his business card would have read, "Technological Evangelist."
I think that understates his value to Apple. A "Technological Evangelist" promotes the technology that a company has. Jobs does do this, but he also recognizes which technologies to push the development of, what markets to enter and he rides people to create products that fit his vision/version of perfection.
That's not to say he's irreplaceable, just that since his return he has been highly effective in leading Apple's success.
I remember when MSIE made the web, when they started putting it with the OS is when the internet started taking off.
MS created IE because the web was taking off without them. Netscape Navigator was supposedly $14.95, but IIRC the Beta's were free. MS didn't want to lose control of the desktop and was actively discouraging a the pre-installation of Netscape.
Until then, it was still a geeks paradise, Mom and pop's had to pay hundred's to be hooked up. Around that time, it was Click on MSIE, the computer would dial up, make an account, and you could use the internet.
What the heck are you talking about? MSN? MSN was created in response to CompuServe and AOL and morphed into an ISP in response to the already prevalent trend. There was nothing magical about it. I guess the bundling made it easier to get started, but all the pieces were in place and MS was actively fighting others trying to thread together the pieces. Again, this was created in response to the existing trend, not the cause. Existing ISPs were price competitive and covered the spectrum of AOL hand-holding to mom and pop ISPs.
Peoples hate of MS blinds them to the fact that they have done some hugely good things in the process to get to were they are.
The vision and momentum of the Internet came from outside of MS. If it weren't for efforts like Mosaic and Netscape, MS would not have created it. If it were not for efforts like Firefox, than the Internet would be IE only and we'd be stuck with IE 6 and ActiveX hell. I'm not saying that MS is evil, they are simply opportunistic (as they should be) and I don't feel like giving credit were credit is not due.
Not supporting IE is a gutsy move. It shows that Google is willing to play hardball. It shows that google is no longer the feel good get along with everyone company, but a company that is willing to dominate and create monopolies...
I think you are reading way too much into this. MS doesn't support IE 6 anymore, why should Google? From TFA:
The page offers direct download links for Firefox 3 and Chrome. IE7 and Apple's Safari are listed as supported Gmail browsers.
They dropped IE 6, not "IE." Google wants fast, preferably standards compliant browsers that are not a total nightmare to support. Well that and every scrape of data about you...
You can't "forget to copyright" something because copyright is not a verb....
copyright noun
the exclusive legal right, given to an originator or an assignee to print, publish, perform, film, or record literary, artistic, or musical material, and to authorize others to do the same. verb [ trans. ]
secure copyright for (such material).
I was with you, up to the point where you wrote "irregardless"...
Congratulations, you made it up to 1418th word out of 1424. The last six words were of no real consequence, so you didn't really miss anything, (irregardless of the non-standard keyword warning.)
Open letter to the moderators du jour, did the poor bastard
(GP) really deserve "Troll" just because he didn't simplify -(regard * 0) to 0?
...when they usually pay through the nose or get jailtime for counterfeiting an official document (which a license plate is).
I was thinking the same thing. I'm not a fan of universal ID's and the like, but I am a fan of really strong penalties for impersonating some one else. It seems like that would apply to a lot of things: Voter fraud, credit theft, privacy violations. Maybe this is already the case and it just isn't a deterrent.
I can't see any instance where this would
work except same vehicle, same sex driving.
To paraphrase Meet the Parents, maybe in some crazy scheme to make a profit Toyota made more than one blue Camery... Now if they check against the DL photo it gets harder, but a wig and big fashionable sun glasses may go a long way.
Slashdot Mirror
I think the GP and GGP's reference to "few efforts" is in regard to the Bush administration, not Obama.
Regarding the topic of this article, I think it's great. As I've said many times, the key to improving the US is transparency, not ideology. Another key is taking steps in the right direction and making incremental improvements. So to the cynics that think that v1.0 of the tax dollar tracking site will suck - v1.0 is the stepping stone to v2.0. As Ivan Turgenev said, "If we wait for the moment when everything, absolutely everything is ready, we shall never begin."
I'm also hopeful that "Orginize America" will inspire people to participate to volunteer more and to be more politically aware.
You appear to be assuming that the so-called "safety net" actually protects people, instead of enslaving them. ...
I believe that the current, imperfect, system has helped many. I acknowledge that it may provide the wrong incentives to people that grew-up in the system, are addicted to drugs or alcohol, or are depressed or have other mental issues.
We can improve the system, or even replace it. We can find better incentives and teach people to help themselves. I don't know exactly how to do this, but I believe it is worth doing.
blah, blah, blah...
7. I don't believe that the "Free Market" is magic nor that all regulation is bad.
8. I am a huge fan of government transparency, and so far Obama is doing the right thing - AFAICT.
blah, blah, blah...
1. I think that pay cap is a sensible, political decision. "The economy sucks, so we aren't going to give ourselves a bunch of raises at tax-payer expense."
2. I make > $100,000/year but I'm not afraid of progressive taxes. Yes, the 90% marginal taxes (which no one actually paid) of the 1970s were ridiculous. He's never proposed anything like that, and he never will.
3. I enjoy living in a first world country, complete with a functioning infrastructure.
4. I'm OK with the government providing a safety net. I hope to never use it, but I've seen what happens to people that need it and it's not present.
5. I don't believe that Obama is a "class warrior" that is going to "bleed the rich."
6. I don't think the government is inherently bad, evil, or even wasteful. It can be, but is doesn't have to be.
7. I don't believe that the "Free Market" is magic, that all regulation is bad, 8. I am a huge fan of government transparency, and so far Obama is doing the right thing - AFAICT.
9, I think the way to solve our problems are to have an actual, functional government. The more transparency, the better. Reduce lobbyist and industries ability to influence policy and make it more apparent when they do.
So, based on what I care about, what I believe and what I fear - so far, I'm a happy camper.
Does anyone else think his executive order freezing the pay of those White House workers making more than $100,000/year is a frightening preview ...
No.
And of course "The One" can be trusted to keep official communications off his Blackberry. Yeah, sure. Imagine the kerfuffle were it revealed there were no recorded communications between Bush 43 and oh say Karl Rove on any known official e-mail system, the ACLU and the Dhimmicreeps would go berzerk.
Um, I don't really get the point of your post. The Bush administration had a pretty solid record of keeping things secret. They had a policy to hide information, use non-government email servers for government communications, and invoke "presidential privilege" at the drop of a hat. People that are interested in transparent government don't like that.
Obama has already enacted a policy of greater transparency and made it clear to his administration that he intends to operate more openly. Maybe he'll actually follow it. Maybe he won't. But things are looking up.
And "The One" and "Dhimmicreeps"? This foaming-at-the-mouth categorical hatred is just as stupid on the "right" as it is on the "left."
Person A calls person B a "fanboi."
General population concludes person A is a ____________.
Prosecute an outgoing President?
If Bush didn't like the conditions of employment, he should not have taken the job. Same goes for Obama.
because 4 years from now those same tactics will be used against a President I support.
I supported Obama. If his administration fails archive communications as required by law, then I will support a lawsuit to try to correct the, um, oversight.
I suspect that the information is "lost." And that really sucks. Not from a standpoint of trying to prosecute anybody, but from the standpoint of developing and growing as a nation. The administration is suppose to support the archives, not hide from them as if this is some sort of childish game. Eventually, based on time, future presidents and security issues, the information is suppose to become available. Then we get to learn from our mistakes.
Every effort should be made to recover the current administrations communications. Furthermore, we need to improve the laws and processes so that future administrations can't so easily skirt them.
I don't think they can do it. This falls afoul of the interstate commerce clause of the Constitution.
I don't get this argument. This effects all producers of a product, both inside and outside of CA, equally. Therefore it is not a barrier to interstate commerce.
...An industry would look a state like CA that wants to foist stupid regulations upon them STRAIGHT in the eye and tell them to "go suck it". ...
They'd go out of business, but I'm OK with them trying.
Like it or not, CA has serious power problems. Unlike the "sane" parts of the country, CA is the only US state where per-capita energy consumption has been flat for around 30 years. All because of "crazy" regulations. Yet it's insightful to hate all regulations.
As another example, I grew up in LA in the 60's and I can assure you that those "crazy CA regulations" have done a lot of good environmentally, especially for air quality. Even with a huge increase in population and driver miles, emissions have been reduced. The "free market" may have resulted in cheaper shit. I'm pretty sure it would have also meant more money for asthma medications and hospitals too. So I'm glad that we "crazy Californians" have some right to control our environment. Even if we get it wrong sometimes (and I'm not saying what the CEC is doing is wrong, no matter how badly the LA times is reporting it).
I thought that half the Slashdot crowd made a resolution to "bulk up and stop exercising only the fingers."
I'm sure that a wrist and forearm of the average Slashdotter get regular workouts...
During the dot-com days, his business card would have read, "Technological Evangelist."
I think that understates his value to Apple. A "Technological Evangelist" promotes the technology that a company has. Jobs does do this, but he also recognizes which technologies to push the development of, what markets to enter and he rides people to create products that fit his vision/version of perfection.
That's not to say he's irreplaceable, just that since his return he has been highly effective in leading Apple's success.
I remember when MSIE made the web, when they started putting it with the OS is when the internet started taking off.
MS created IE because the web was taking off without them. Netscape Navigator was supposedly $14.95, but IIRC the Beta's were free. MS didn't want to lose control of the desktop and was actively discouraging a the pre-installation of Netscape.
Until then, it was still a geeks paradise, Mom and pop's had to pay hundred's to be hooked up. Around that time, it was Click on MSIE, the computer would dial up, make an account, and you could use the internet.
What the heck are you talking about? MSN? MSN was created in response to CompuServe and AOL and morphed into an ISP in response to the already prevalent trend. There was nothing magical about it. I guess the bundling made it easier to get started, but all the pieces were in place and MS was actively fighting others trying to thread together the pieces. Again, this was created in response to the existing trend, not the cause. Existing ISPs were price competitive and covered the spectrum of AOL hand-holding to mom and pop ISPs.
Peoples hate of MS blinds them to the fact that they have done some hugely good things in the process to get to were they are.
The vision and momentum of the Internet came from outside of MS. If it weren't for efforts like Mosaic and Netscape, MS would not have created it. If it were not for efforts like Firefox, than the Internet would be IE only and we'd be stuck with IE 6 and ActiveX hell. I'm not saying that MS is evil, they are simply opportunistic (as they should be) and I don't feel like giving credit were credit is not due.
Not supporting IE is a gutsy move. It shows that Google is willing to play hardball. It shows that google is no longer the feel good get along with everyone company, but a company that is willing to dominate and create monopolies...
I think you are reading way too much into this. MS doesn't support IE 6 anymore, why should Google? From TFA:
The page offers direct download links for Firefox 3 and Chrome. IE7 and Apple's Safari are listed as supported Gmail browsers.
They dropped IE 6, not "IE." Google wants fast, preferably standards compliant browsers that are not a total nightmare to support. Well that and every scrape of data about you...
You Americans... always thinking that "half to 2/3" of the USA is the same thing as the whole world... :D
Our schools aren't that bad. It would be like 2/3 of the world. Duh.
You can't "forget to copyright" something because copyright is not a verb. ...
copyright
noun
the exclusive legal right, given to an originator or an assignee to print, publish, perform, film, or record literary, artistic, or musical material, and to authorize others to do the same.
verb [ trans. ]
secure copyright for (such material).
Look at what happened in the 80s with IBM-compatibles (clones).
I think you just justified Apple's decision. IBM doesn't make IBM-PCs anymore. Apple doesn't want to suffer the same fate, they like selling hardware.
You can deauthorize all of your machines and then re-authorize the one's you actually use: About iTunes Store authorization and deauthorization
And it seems silly to boycott a company that provides the most easy to use DRM and is working to phase it out as fast as the labels will work with them: iTunes Store: iTunes Plus Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
FP on an idle story is like saying "I GOT LAID IN A WHOREHOUSE"
It's not really a win :./
Well, it's a financial win for the whore.
And now for the on-topic remark, let's hope it doesn't trip. Poor ASIMO.
I was with you, up to the point where you wrote "irregardless"...
Congratulations, you made it up to 1418th word out of 1424. The last six words were of no real consequence, so you didn't really miss anything, (irregardless of the non-standard keyword warning.)
Open letter to the moderators du jour, did the poor bastard (GP) really deserve "Troll" just because he didn't simplify -(regard * 0) to 0?
I don't think anyone's really stupid enough to ...
Henry Mencken disagrees:
"No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public." -- Henry Mencken
I know, he was talking about profit, but I think the sentiment applies more broadly.
The more computers come to handle criminal and civil matters, such as with traffic light monitors, the more Joe jobs will become a problem.
One of THX-1138's many social commentaries. A slow, dry movie but damn insightful, IMHO. Still it does not make up for Jar Jar.
He had a paper cutout of another person's face that he would hold over his own whenever passing by a camera so that he could not be given a ticket.
I wonder how long until we our ID is an implanted RFID. I can't wait (sarcasm).
...when they usually pay through the nose or get jailtime for counterfeiting an official document (which a license plate is).
I was thinking the same thing. I'm not a fan of universal ID's and the like, but I am a fan of really strong penalties for impersonating some one else. It seems like that would apply to a lot of things: Voter fraud, credit theft, privacy violations. Maybe this is already the case and it just isn't a deterrent.
BTW - I think you meant ^H (BS), not ^M (CR).
I can't see any instance where this would work except same vehicle, same sex driving.
To paraphrase Meet the Parents, maybe in some crazy scheme to make a profit Toyota made more than one blue Camery... Now if they check against the DL photo it gets harder, but a wig and big fashionable sun glasses may go a long way.