You're very quick to make assumptions about other people's level of experience, knowledge, and intelligence. I would suggest this dimension of your personality may be at least partly responsible for the undue attention you claim you receive.
Allow me to further clarify my experience with airport screeners. I am an IT consultant working in a large consulting organization. Frequent air travel is a part of my life, as it is with all my colleagues. When I am on a client project, I will find myself working with anywhere between zero and ten of my colleagues. Sometimes I fly with the group, and sometimes I fly alone. When I happen to be flying with a "brown" person we may or may not look like we're "together" as we pass through security.
But regardless of what I've personally witnessed in airports, one thing that happens is that our team talks. We go out for lunch or dinner and share all our stories about our families, the crappy selection at the rental car lot this week, things that happened at the airport, things that are going on inside our corporation, interesting trends in technology, or whatever. It's just a bunch of guys (well, usually it's guys though there are a handful of women in our consulting organization) shooting the shit, and if somebody has a complaint about something - anything - that happened while in transit it's going to get talked about.
So in summary, I am sorry to hear that you seem to get singled out more than has been the experience of my varied colleagues... but as I stated above, you might be amazed the difference a little attitude adjustment might make.
I have travelled with team members of many different ethnicities, including middle eastern. I have not witnessed what you describe. Hell, one time I was even the one pulled aside for supplemental screening while my colleagues walked on unhindered, and my skin is milky white most months of the year.
"I have seen research that indicates these machines might not be safe, especially for frequent travellers. I am perfectly willing to undergo a manual search instead."
1. Install Linux and never worry about crapware again.
I dunno... I installed Linux and ended up with two desktop environments, three word processors, four web browsers, and a whole bunch of image editors, system utilities, file managers, and other stuff.
I'd call it 3+ years before you make-up the purchase price... hope it works that long.
8 years and counting
PC allows installing ANY SOFTWARE YOU COULD POSSIBLY WANT
My wants are pretty modest as far as routers go: send packets where they need to go, and light up a few LEDs to give me some indication when all is not well.
I used to run FreeSCO on an old P-133 box. Then one day I realized I was using about $50/yr in electricity just so I could have a "free" replacement for a $59.99 router.
The solution to phone spammers is - oh the irony - to use more asterisk. With a little creativity you can keep telemarketers busy without even picking up the phone.
Well, more pedantically it should be something like "telephone impersonation fraud" to account for the fact the scammers attempt to trade on an existing relationship of trust... and now we're up to 9 syllables.
I used to be an avid newsgroup participant way back in the day. The flamewars were legendary, and the amount of technical information exchanged on some of those groups was beyond description.
If there were a way to use spammers for fuel, I'd have no qualms solving our energy woes that way...
It's a matter of appropriate technology vs. inappropriate technology. Most people would agree that utilizing electronic stability control while driving (i.e. a transparent technology that assists the driver in maintaining control) is an appropriate use of technology. Most people would agree that utilizing a cell phone to send text messages while driving (i.e. a highly invasive technology that actively detracts from driver attention) is an inappropriate use of technology.
"Technology" is not all the same thing. What you are arguing is the same as me telling my boss "yeah, but it's all keyclicks. I thought you wanted keyclicks while I'm here at work" when he catches me spending my day posting to/.
The ethnic groups most likely to contain Neanderthal DNA are probably those from central Europe... but I somehow suspect that isn't the implication you were going for here.
I hardly ever rent movies. In order of likelihood, I will see new (as in new to me) movies:
- By picking them up from the discount bin at Wal Mart or Best Buy
- By going to the cinema
- By catching them if they happen to air for free on TV
- By catching them on pay-per-view
- By renting
I don't belong the segment of the populace that really cares about this stuff... but I can hear what you're saying so yeah, I guess this news sucks for people like you.
It's a good idea in theory, but if past behaviour is any indication they'd probably take advantage of the captive audience by overcharging for basic snacks.
Slashdot Mirror
You're very quick to make assumptions about other people's level of experience, knowledge, and intelligence. I would suggest this dimension of your personality may be at least partly responsible for the undue attention you claim you receive.
Allow me to further clarify my experience with airport screeners. I am an IT consultant working in a large consulting organization. Frequent air travel is a part of my life, as it is with all my colleagues. When I am on a client project, I will find myself working with anywhere between zero and ten of my colleagues. Sometimes I fly with the group, and sometimes I fly alone. When I happen to be flying with a "brown" person we may or may not look like we're "together" as we pass through security.
But regardless of what I've personally witnessed in airports, one thing that happens is that our team talks. We go out for lunch or dinner and share all our stories about our families, the crappy selection at the rental car lot this week, things that happened at the airport, things that are going on inside our corporation, interesting trends in technology, or whatever. It's just a bunch of guys (well, usually it's guys though there are a handful of women in our consulting organization) shooting the shit, and if somebody has a complaint about something - anything - that happened while in transit it's going to get talked about.
So in summary, I am sorry to hear that you seem to get singled out more than has been the experience of my varied colleagues ... but as I stated above, you might be amazed the difference a little attitude adjustment might make.
I have travelled with team members of many different ethnicities, including middle eastern. I have not witnessed what you describe. Hell, one time I was even the one pulled aside for supplemental screening while my colleagues walked on unhindered, and my skin is milky white most months of the year.
"I have seen research that indicates these machines might not be safe, especially for frequent travellers. I am perfectly willing to undergo a manual search instead."
Was that so hard?
Hasn't it always been the case that you have the option to decline to use "the machine" and be hand-searched instead?
Until this issue gets resolved, that's what I plan to do anyhow.
On the fourth screen of install Linux gave to me,
four beta drivers,
three net configs,
two swap partitions,
and a download link in FTP.
I think this thread really needs a geek version of the twelve days of Christmas. I'll start:
On the first screen of install Linux gave to me ...
1. Install Linux and never worry about crapware again.
I dunno ... I installed Linux and ended up with two desktop environments, three word processors, four web browsers, and a whole bunch of image editors, system utilities, file managers, and other stuff.
;-)
I'd call it 3+ years before you make-up the purchase price... hope it works that long.
8 years and counting
PC allows installing ANY SOFTWARE YOU COULD POSSIBLY WANT
My wants are pretty modest as far as routers go: send packets where they need to go, and light up a few LEDs to give me some indication when all is not well.
At least there are some robust areas in the declining newspaper market.
I used to run FreeSCO on an old P-133 box. Then one day I realized I was using about $50/yr in electricity just so I could have a "free" replacement for a $59.99 router.
If you ever get this working I can only say watch out Skype!
I've been to numerous client sites where our consulting team either:
a) Could not get internet access onsite. Period.
b) Had to wait literally weeks before the internet access we requested finally appeared.
It's amazing the rube-goldberg-esque tethering solutions we've been forced to implement.
The solution to phone spammers is - oh the irony - to use more asterisk. With a little creativity you can keep telemarketers busy without even picking up the phone.
Well, more pedantically it should be something like "telephone impersonation fraud" to account for the fact the scammers attempt to trade on an existing relationship of trust ... and now we're up to 9 syllables.
I think your godwin generator needs to go in for calibration.
I used to be an avid newsgroup participant way back in the day. The flamewars were legendary, and the amount of technical information exchanged on some of those groups was beyond description.
If there were a way to use spammers for fuel, I'd have no qualms solving our energy woes that way ...
It's a matter of appropriate technology vs. inappropriate technology. Most people would agree that utilizing electronic stability control while driving (i.e. a transparent technology that assists the driver in maintaining control) is an appropriate use of technology. Most people would agree that utilizing a cell phone to send text messages while driving (i.e. a highly invasive technology that actively detracts from driver attention) is an inappropriate use of technology.
"Technology" is not all the same thing. What you are arguing is the same as me telling my boss "yeah, but it's all keyclicks. I thought you wanted keyclicks while I'm here at work" when he catches me spending my day posting to /.
Yeah, the summary definitely goes for sensationalism at the expense of facts.
The ethnic groups most likely to contain Neanderthal DNA are probably those from central Europe ... but I somehow suspect that isn't the implication you were going for here.
You've just got to give DHS time man ...
Where do you live? Across the street?
Angry internet posters? I don't know, there's already a lot of those and the world doesn't seem to be getting any noticeably better.
I hardly ever rent movies. In order of likelihood, I will see new (as in new to me) movies:
- By picking them up from the discount bin at Wal Mart or Best Buy
- By going to the cinema
- By catching them if they happen to air for free on TV
- By catching them on pay-per-view
- By renting
I don't belong the segment of the populace that really cares about this stuff ... but I can hear what you're saying so yeah, I guess this news sucks for people like you.
It's a good idea in theory, but if past behaviour is any indication they'd probably take advantage of the captive audience by overcharging for basic snacks.