The problem is that even if everyone in America voted for Ralph Nader, he still wouldn't be made president because the Electoral college wouldn't permit it. In my opinion, the college is the biggest obstacle to third party success on the national stage. As far as I know there have been two cases of a candidate winning the popular vote, but losing the office b/c of the college. Am I the only one who thinks this is not Democratic? Well, it only goes to show that this country is not a Democracy, but a government of the people not by the people. The "intellectual elite" has faded away into the "mainstream popular" and a whole multitude of voices is not being heard. Ah well...enough ranting.
One further point...as a warning to others: I've found that any time I've bitched about anything on Slashdot I've been in the wrong. Bitching, whining and complaining are usually counterproductive and don't usually add anything to a discourse. A general thanks to all the other/.'s for smacking me whenever I stray. Much appreciated.
Good point. I think it was less of a "free all the information" thing and more of a "I'm incredibly lazy" thing. Another example of why I should not post before lunch. Not enough thinkin' through of things. Thanks, though, for not calling me an idiot (however deserved that moniker might be! )
I think you misunderstood the intent of my post. I usually read the Washington Post online and they don't seem to need to have you create a profile for yourself in order to read their free reporting. I understand that NY Times probably uses the information gathered from these profiles as a means of support (i.e., selling the info. to advertisers). Perhaps this could be done less intrusively with cookies? Well, anyway, I'm sorry that you were upset by the post. I hope any built up stress has since dissipated...
It is important to note that despite it's growth, the segment of society that waxes so poetic over the release of an operating system is still quite small. Being on Slashdot (or the web in general) all day seems to give one the impression that geeks are the world. The truth is that an event such as the release if OS X will not even scratch the surface of greater social consciousness in the US and around the world. Music, such as that on Sgt. Pepper's, is something that touches everyone, it speaks to their soul. Operating systems are a tool. Therefore they will only inspire the craftsmen that use/design them. Everyone has an appreciation for music, regardless of their profession, but I sincerely doubt that in the future large segments of society will be deeply moved by operating system releases. I hope that folks start seeking meaning for their life in places other than computers. Don't put the machines in a place they don't belong. I'm going to close my browser and listen to some music now...hmmm...let's see, how about Sgt. Peppers?!
Anyone else extremely annoyed with the NY Times requiring a login to read their articles? Let us unite, my brethren, and not link to any more NY Times articles until they relent! Together will we crush them or choke their rivers with our dead!
Awww, man, I thought Panasonic had finally invented a device to stop certain shows from remaining on the air. I was envisioning some sort of Star Trek "pain causing" accessory such as a nice belt or perhaps a purse. Or pain cufflinks. That would allow us to send TV execs into writhing Shatneresque pain for foisting such crap shows as Survivor, When Animals Attack III, and well, basically everything on the WB, on us, the viewing audience. I guess I'll just have to continue watching only the Simpsons and Futurama...(sigh).
Glad to see that outsourcing has risen to the national level. Why work to improve something from the inside when you can quickly bring in a cheaper workforce? Why train when you can hire a consultant? At some point it will be impossible to bring anyone in from the outside because we'll all be insiders. Yet, somehow, no one will have any loyalties...
"It's always a risk between the criminals and the good guys. So the better they become at hacking it, the better we'll become at making it stronger," said Stratton Sclavos, CEO of Verisign, an Internet securities firm."
Banker: Oh my god! They broke in and stole all the money!
Bank Guard: Yep! Them rascals sure are clever!
Banker: What?!
Bank Guard: A few more break-ins like that and we'll have the best security system in town!
Banker: You're fired.
Bank Guard: Well, I guess it's time for me to start up that online encryption monopoly that I've been dreaming about....
No mention of caffeine or nicotine?!? Methinks they didn't do real research, they just rented Wall Street from the local video store. The only drug that seems to be timeless is a cocktail of hubris and stupidity.
-MorboNixon in 2000
"Nixon is pro-family and pro-war!"
"Either way, that's about 1 trillion metric tons for each person on Earth. Put another way, 1 trillion metric tons is thought to be the total weight of all plant and animal life on the Earth's surface."
I call all the plant & animal life!!!!! (I know, I know, I'm gonna have to pay somebody rent, sigh).
In a startling development, the Internet has been allowed to remove all barriers from life. Due to the complaints of people who see the Internet as more important than Life itself (most notably, Jon Katz) the Fabric of Life committee finally relented and allowed these whiners to do "whatever the hell they want". In a press conference after the meeting, Father Time made the following comments: "Yeah, we figured that the Internet what with all it's overclocking processors and on-demand streaming what-not, deserved a chance to see how it would react to creating its own rules for itself. Why we haven't done this sorta thing since, eh, what was that thing called? Er, yeah, the Big Bang! Funny story there, see me and Gravity were sittin' there on his porch see and..." Mother Nature interrupted at this point to say: "The Internet was always whining that it 'Wanted its own space' and such, always asking for the keys to car, etc. Well we finally decided to let it move out to its own Quantum Apartment so it could see what it's like when you have to Conserve your own Energy and make sure that everything adds up. I wouldn't want to have to clean up the Entropy in that place!" The Internet seems to have planned its new living situation around a few simple rules: 1) Do what you want unless what you want is not what someone else wants. 2) I'm always right, you're always wrong. "Deal with it." 3) Free beer. Cursory inspection of the Internet's new space shows that it has about 10% useful items, 40% dirty complaints strewn about and 50% porno. Those entering the Internet may be startled to find that you can't get what you want unless you take it, flames don't hurt, there is more SPAM than anyone could eat in a lifetime, none of your co-habitants have any money but they'll more than happily take yours to "by some cool new tunes", Trolls are respected citizens, all the chores are done be 20% of the people, and Jon Katz hogs the remote. -The MorboNixon-Newswire
...he lives in the heart of you and me, in anyone who's every sat bleary-eyed in front of a CRT at 3-am, anyone who has subsisted on Pop-tarts, Zingers, and Mountain Dew, anyone who has been shunned by society only to find acceptance in the warmth of a x86 processor! Yes, he even lives in you, Scarecrow! Every time you lick the neon Cheet-o residue off your fingers so you won't get it lodged in your keyboard...MafiaBoy is with you...each time the BSOD causes you to flop on the ground like a Pokemon-induced seizure...MafiaBoy is there flinching too!...every time you've told a newbie to try 'this really cool command, rm -r *'...MafiaBoy was laughing right along! Don't you see, Timmy? You can't touch or see MafiaBoy, he surrounds us, invisible yet guiding us. So, when those kids tell you there ain't such thing as MafiaBoy, you tell em' what ol' MorboNixon told ya! And that, ya see, is the real meaning of MafiaBoy. Now let me tell ye how I invented the question mark...
.porn, Just face up to the fact that it makes up a substantial portion of the 'Net and give it its own domain. Hell, I'd be surprised if porn wasn't one of the first three things put on the DARPAnet right after work and games. Plus it'd make things easier on those dumbass censors who think that $29.95 over-the-counter, shrinkwrapped solution from CompUSA can make up for years of shoddy parenting. But, I digress...
...it's called Mentos! Secretly developed by German Scientists in dubya dubya 2, the innocent-looking "candy-mints" are actually packed with mind-controlling microscopic robots. Upon ingestion, the robots travel straight to the brain and force the unwitting victim to behave like a dippy European, smiling vacantly and showing everyone their pack of Mentos (subliminal advertising). The scientists called their diabolical invention "Mentos" as a contraction of the words Mental and Nano. The Freshmaker indeed!!!
I have two friends that work at the USPTO (not in the software division) and I am disturbed by how their compensation and advancement structure is so quantity oriented. Basically, they are told, you must review X number of patents in a week, if you do 110% of X, you get a raise of Y%, if between 100% and 110%, then Z% if less then just 3%. My friends are very competent people, but I think that the emphasis should not be on number of patents (or rejections) turned out but on thoroughness of patent review. Of course pressures from concerned companies would influence them, but I think cutting edge industries (such as software, biotech, etc.) will suffer as individuals begin suing each other needlessly. On the other hand, it's a great big universe and I'm just one tiny speck...
Instead of dotcom, how about 1) Market 2) Home 3) Roast Beef 4) None 5) WeeWee All of which also serve as plausable insertions in the sentence "What drives the World today is the American (blank)" with option 4 being none of the above.:)
This is also a pet peeve of my own. People use the expression "sorry, but it's business" to excuse any sort of method of accomplishing their goals regardless of any morals. Since when does business have to exclude any moral standards? The problem is the lowest common denominator effect, where if one company stoops to a lower level, the rest follow suit in the name of competition. The public is oblivious to this and therefore it goes unchecked. I hope that the free flow of information, the hallmark of this age, will act to turn over the "rocks" that hide the worms of business and governmental practices.
Slashdot Mirror
What do you mean by "inintentional"? Are you trying to change the meaning of something? Me fail English?!?! That's unpossible! -Ralph Wiggum
The problem is that even if everyone in America voted for Ralph Nader, he still wouldn't be made president because the Electoral college wouldn't permit it. In my opinion, the college is the biggest obstacle to third party success on the national stage. As far as I know there have been two cases of a candidate winning the popular vote, but losing the office b/c of the college. Am I the only one who thinks this is not Democratic? Well, it only goes to show that this country is not a Democracy, but a government of the people not by the people. The "intellectual elite" has faded away into the "mainstream popular" and a whole multitude of voices is not being heard. Ah well...enough ranting.
Thanks! Y'know I've heard about it peripherally for a while now, but never got around to checking it out. I'm there in 3, 2, 1....
May I ask which other site? Or am I missing the subtle hint that my input isn't really "ready for prime time"? ;)
One further point...as a warning to others: I've found that any time I've bitched about anything on Slashdot I've been in the wrong. Bitching, whining and complaining are usually counterproductive and don't usually add anything to a discourse. A general thanks to all the other /.'s for smacking me whenever I stray. Much appreciated.
Good point. I think it was less of a "free all the information" thing and more of a "I'm incredibly lazy" thing. Another example of why I should not post before lunch. Not enough thinkin' through of things. Thanks, though, for not calling me an idiot (however deserved that moniker might be! )
I think you misunderstood the intent of my post. I usually read the Washington Post online and they don't seem to need to have you create a profile for yourself in order to read their free reporting. I understand that NY Times probably uses the information gathered from these profiles as a means of support (i.e., selling the info. to advertisers). Perhaps this could be done less intrusively with cookies? Well, anyway, I'm sorry that you were upset by the post. I hope any built up stress has since dissipated...
Thank for the tip. I'll do that. So, it's possible for folks here to link to partners instead? That'd be ideal (for lazy people like myself).
Thanks.
It is important to note that despite it's growth, the segment of society that waxes so poetic over the release of an operating system is still quite small. Being on Slashdot (or the web in general) all day seems to give one the impression that geeks are the world. The truth is that an event such as the release if OS X will not even scratch the surface of greater social consciousness in the US and around the world. Music, such as that on Sgt. Pepper's, is something that touches everyone, it speaks to their soul. Operating systems are a tool. Therefore they will only inspire the craftsmen that use/design them. Everyone has an appreciation for music, regardless of their profession, but I sincerely doubt that in the future large segments of society will be deeply moved by operating system releases. I hope that folks start seeking meaning for their life in places other than computers. Don't put the machines in a place they don't belong. I'm going to close my browser and listen to some music now...hmmm...let's see, how about Sgt. Peppers?!
Mildly Offtopic...
Anyone else extremely annoyed with the NY Times requiring a login to read their articles? Let us unite, my brethren, and not link to any more NY Times articles until they relent! Together will we crush them or choke their rivers with our dead!
MorboNixon in 2000
Oh yeah, forgot Buffy...sawry. Everything else on WB, however, deserves PAIN!
Awww, man, I thought Panasonic had finally invented a device to stop certain shows from remaining on the air. I was envisioning some sort of Star Trek "pain causing" accessory such as a nice belt or perhaps a purse. Or pain cufflinks. That would allow us to send TV execs into writhing Shatneresque pain for foisting such crap shows as Survivor, When Animals Attack III, and well, basically everything on the WB, on us, the viewing audience. I guess I'll just have to continue watching only the Simpsons and Futurama...(sigh).
Glad to see that outsourcing has risen to the national level. Why work to improve something from the inside when you can quickly bring in a cheaper workforce? Why train when you can hire a consultant? At some point it will be impossible to bring anyone in from the outside because we'll all be insiders. Yet, somehow, no one will have any loyalties...
"It's always a risk between the criminals and the good guys. So the better they become at hacking it, the better we'll become at making it stronger," said Stratton Sclavos, CEO of Verisign, an Internet securities firm."
Banker: Oh my god! They broke in and stole all the money!
Bank Guard: Yep! Them rascals sure are clever!
Banker: What?!
Bank Guard: A few more break-ins like that and we'll have the best security system in town!
Banker: You're fired.
Bank Guard: Well, I guess it's time for me to start up that online encryption monopoly that I've been dreaming about....
No mention of caffeine or nicotine?!? Methinks they didn't do real research, they just rented Wall Street from the local video store. The only drug that seems to be timeless is a cocktail of hubris and stupidity.
-MorboNixon in 2000
"Nixon is pro-family and pro-war!"
"Either way, that's about 1 trillion metric tons for each person on Earth. Put another way, 1 trillion metric tons is thought to be the total
weight of all plant and animal life on the Earth's surface."
I call all the plant & animal life!!!!! (I know, I know, I'm gonna have to pay somebody rent, sigh).
"Government officials could not be reached for comment after business hours Thursday."
In my experience, business hours at the Govt. end at 3:30 or 4 PM, unless your a contractor. Try calling at 7 AM.
In a startling development, the Internet has been allowed to remove all barriers from life. Due to the complaints of people who see the Internet as more important than Life itself (most notably, Jon Katz) the Fabric of Life committee finally relented and allowed these whiners to do "whatever the hell they want". In a press conference after the meeting, Father Time made the following comments:
"Yeah, we figured that the Internet what with all it's overclocking processors and on-demand streaming what-not, deserved a chance to see how it would react to creating its own rules for itself. Why we haven't done this sorta thing since, eh, what was that thing called? Er, yeah, the Big Bang! Funny story there, see me and Gravity were sittin' there on his porch see and..."
Mother Nature interrupted at this point to say:
"The Internet was always whining that it 'Wanted its own space' and such, always asking for the keys to car, etc. Well we finally decided to let it move out to its own Quantum Apartment so it could see what it's like when you have to Conserve your own Energy and make sure that everything adds up. I wouldn't want to have to clean up the Entropy in that place!"
The Internet seems to have planned its new living situation around a few simple rules:
1) Do what you want unless what you want is not what someone else wants.
2) I'm always right, you're always wrong. "Deal with it."
3) Free beer.
Cursory inspection of the Internet's new space shows that it has about 10% useful items, 40% dirty complaints strewn about and 50% porno.
Those entering the Internet may be startled to find that you can't get what you want unless you take it, flames don't hurt, there is more SPAM than anyone could eat in a lifetime, none of your co-habitants have any money but they'll more than happily take yours to "by some cool new tunes", Trolls are respected citizens, all the chores are done be 20% of the people, and Jon Katz hogs the remote.
-The MorboNixon-Newswire
...he lives in the heart of you and me, in anyone who's every sat bleary-eyed in front of a CRT at 3-am, anyone who has subsisted on Pop-tarts, Zingers, and Mountain Dew, anyone who has been shunned by society only to find acceptance in the warmth of a x86 processor! Yes, he even lives in you, Scarecrow! Every time you lick the neon Cheet-o residue off your fingers so you won't get it lodged in your keyboard...MafiaBoy is with you...each time the BSOD causes you to flop on the ground like a Pokemon-induced seizure...MafiaBoy is there flinching too!...every time you've told a newbie to try 'this really cool command, rm -r *'...MafiaBoy was laughing right along! Don't you see, Timmy? You can't touch or see MafiaBoy, he surrounds us, invisible yet guiding us. So, when those kids tell you there ain't such thing as MafiaBoy, you tell em' what ol' MorboNixon told ya! And that, ya see, is the real meaning of MafiaBoy. Now let me tell ye how I invented the question mark...
.porn, Just face up to the fact that it makes up a substantial portion of the 'Net and give it its own domain. Hell, I'd be surprised if porn wasn't one of the first three things put on the DARPAnet right after work and games. Plus it'd make things easier on those dumbass censors who think that $29.95 over-the-counter, shrinkwrapped solution from CompUSA can make up for years of shoddy parenting. But, I digress...
...it's called Mentos! Secretly developed by German Scientists in dubya dubya 2, the innocent-looking "candy-mints" are actually packed with mind-controlling microscopic robots. Upon ingestion, the robots travel straight to the brain and force the unwitting victim to behave like a dippy European, smiling vacantly and showing everyone their pack of Mentos (subliminal advertising). The scientists called their diabolical invention "Mentos" as a contraction of the words Mental and Nano. The Freshmaker indeed!!!
"Kill"
I have two friends that work at the USPTO (not in the software division) and I am disturbed by how their compensation and advancement structure is so quantity oriented. Basically, they are told, you must review X number of patents in a week, if you do 110% of X, you get a raise of Y%, if between 100% and 110%, then Z% if less then just 3%. My friends are very competent people, but I think that the emphasis should not be on number of patents (or rejections) turned out but on thoroughness of patent review. Of course pressures from concerned companies would influence them, but I think cutting edge industries (such as software, biotech, etc.) will suffer as individuals begin suing each other needlessly. On the other hand, it's a great big universe and I'm just one tiny speck...
Instead of dotcom, how about :)
1) Market
2) Home
3) Roast Beef
4) None
5) WeeWee
All of which also serve as plausable insertions in the sentence "What drives the World today is the American (blank)" with option 4 being none of the above.
This is also a pet peeve of my own. People use the expression "sorry, but it's business" to excuse any sort of method of accomplishing their goals regardless of any morals. Since when does business have to exclude any moral standards? The problem is the lowest common denominator effect, where if one company stoops to a lower level, the rest follow suit in the name of competition. The public is oblivious to this and therefore it goes unchecked. I hope that the free flow of information, the hallmark of this age, will act to turn over the "rocks" that hide the worms of business and governmental practices.