I watched the first shuttle launch on this type of setup when I was a kid. My dad knew the owner of a TV/Stereo store who loaned him the fresnel lens converter.
We had to use a 13" TV because that's how big the hood was, and had to set it upside-down on a table to get the projected picture rightside-up. If we turned the brightness and contrast all the way up, we got a passable picture in a completely dark room. CRT's are made for direct viewing and don't put out enough light to project well.
So yeah, technically it works, but don't expect the same image quality you might see from even a low-end projection rig. It does make a cool toy for a kid or a cheap science fair project though...
Jeez, people! I have these cards, but that doesn't mean that they have my personal info. All they know is that some guy named Ben Dover buys a lot of beer and that he lives at the governor's mansion.
And yes, I have a couple of cards that I rotate. It keeps the "special" discounts coming more frequently.
I mean, is it really that much of a stretch for this crowd to use a fake name? The discount's the same either way.
Strong enough...128 bit, I believe. I had my documents encrypted with NTFS encryption and then whacked my partition table trying to install Red Hat in a dual-boot config. I was able to use a utility to recover the files, but couldn't get the key (tied to the user account database and the SID). The files looked like they were all there, but contained only gibberish.
Yes, it sucked. and Yes, I use VMWare now instead.
First off, I have to agree that this is the worst abomination I have seen. There is no excuse for this.
The thing that worries me is that (again...remember OK City) people are already blaming Arab terrorists for this and saying it could only have been accomplished by a few people.
Just how many people does it take to hijack a plane? 2? 3? Certainly not more than that. So we have maybe 12 people who downed 4 planes today. That seems like something that just about any fanatical organization could handle. Shit, the Michigan Militia could have decided over the weekend that they wanted to do this.
And now every Republican in congress is ranting on TV about how we need more money for defense and the military, but I can't see how 1000 more tanks or planes would have helped this situation at all. It's just a bunch of politicians jumping on the opportunity to funnel some more money into their pet projects and I think it's disgraceful.
Don't get me wrong, this is the worst thing I've seen and somebody needs to pay for it. But before we go bombing everything in the Middle East, we need to make sure we know who did this.
My heart goes out to all those who lost loved ones in this disaster. I truly hope you see justice served.
Yes, I mean reliable and predictable like Win2k (and even NT, really) is. Even my Win98 box will go for weeks at a time without a reboot. Even then, I reboot for reasons that are consistent.
Here's a really easy test: put a new user in front of a Windows box and a Linux box (with KDE, Gnome or whatever) and give them some simple tasks to do like starting programs, installing, UNinstalling, configuring a static IP, adding a piece of hardware, etc. These are all things an average user might have to face, and they will most likely have an easier time doing it in Windows.
Sure, Windows is less stable, and I think everybody here will agree that its security is laughable. However, the user experience is getting better all the time. The user experience with Linux and KDE/Gnome is (although pretty) about as new-user-friendly as Windows 3.1.
I'm not trashing Linux. I think it's an awesome server and has become something of a Swiss Army knife for me. However, I still use Win2k and OSX for my desktops. It's just easier to do things.
I don't know why ease of use is such a hard concept to understand. The average user doesn't give a rat's ass about how secure/stable/l337/whatever an OS is. They just want something that behaves in a reliable, predictable manner without needing to know a bunch of weird commands or procedures. There's a reason there's so many jokes about the clock on VCR's. It's not intuitive to the average (non-technically inclined) person. Yet people who post here just can't understand why everybody doesn't use a *NIX. It's because the experience totally sucks unless you have a pretty good skill set.
My favorite example is the automatic transmission. I know it works reasonably well, and know when it's broken. But I don't have the faintest idea how it works. I've even taken one apart to try to figure it out, but I can't wrap my brain around it. However, my lack of functional knowledge rarely prevents me from making the car go in the direction I choose.
People would have a much worse opinion of cars if they had to constantly adjust, tweak, repair, etc their transmission every time they drove anywhere.
Likewise, we in the computer field need to understand that "normal" people don't give a crap about kernels or drivers or journaling filesystems or (yeah, I know I'll get flamed) source code. They want an appliance that does what they want without all of the drama.
I'd be very pleased if Linux got to this point, but I don't see much evidence that it is even going in that direction. Meanwhile, MS and Apple are trying to make computers easier for the masses. Since the masses have more money than the small minority of people who are enthusiasts/tech workers, guess who will win?
Words only carry the power we give them. I've always thought it would be better to choose not to be shocked and/or offended by any word. Let the word stand on its own merit as a descriptor or component of a sentence.
If people would quit worrying about how a simple 4-letter word causes imagined pain, the words would succeed or fail based on their merit. As a result, you'd probably hear a lot less use of the word "fuck" since it's used mostly as an attention-getting device, but you'd probably hear "shit" used a lot more because it's easy to say and expresses the concept quite well.
Of course, people will always feel compelled to be offended by something. I just wish that the people who choose to dedicate their time and money to eliminating words would spend a little more time eliminating the dead cars from out in front of their trailers.
The OmniWeb browser on Mac OSX (I don't know if they make it for other platforms) has an option that says "Scripts are allowed to open new windows only in response to being clicked."
This is probably the best solution to this that I have seen. It keeps the useful Javascript and you don't get the pop-up ads.
It also keeps tons of windows from popping up when I'm umm...doing anatomical research.
You should drive one. I own a 2000 TDI Jetta, and everybody who has ridden in it has been surprised to find out it's a diesel. It only sounds like a diesel when it's cold, and when it warms up, there's hardly any noticable difference between a gas and diesel.
Besides, there's tremendous performance potential from the one TDI engine VW sells here in the US. I've added the Wetterauer chip and it's awesome. If you think the PC Overclockers are crazy, look at the TDI Club .
I just think it's too bad that the biggest reason we can't get the better (more efficient, more power) diesel engines in the US is that sulfur levels in our fuel are too high to run in these engines without damaging them. I'v love an Audi A6 with a V6 TDI!
Sure enough, I was trying to get some support info from Macromedia last week and couldn't get through from work. All the traces died on Above.net's network. From home and from my colo it worked fine.
I just figured it was more crappy above.net service. Hell, I even opened a trouble ticket with them about this...the tech I talked to didn't know about the RBL listing, or it would have been a whole lot easier to troubleshoot.
So why is it that I can't get mail from Macromedia but I still got REAL spam? Also, why is it that they feel it's necessary to voluntarily block traffic when their network already does such a fine job of that already?
I had a Thinkpad 755CD that did that. I was doing training for a company and it was the best thing in the world. Just about every hotel and conference center has an OHP, but finding VGA projectors was always a frustrating (and expensive) chore.
I don't know why nobody makes something like this anymore. It was extremely useful and surprisingly durable...you just popped the back of the display off and opened the laptop until it was flat on the OHP. Then you just snapped the back on when you were finished and it was a regular laptop. The lighting element and reflective surface were in the detachable part.
The only downsides were that the resolution was only 640X480 and it was only a P75, but it was an absolute tank...it traveled with me constantly for over a year and never had any hardware problems at all. I even checked it as baggage a few times. Try that with a Vaio and see how long it lives.
I've got to think that there's anough people who do presentations all the time who would buy another one like that. It sure beats carrying a projector. I'd even put up with an extra pound of weight for the added complexity.
I just moved and the trip killed my old CD player, so I decided to go to the local Fred Meyer and get a DVD player to replace it. The first one I got was a Toshiba, and it wouldn't play CDR's. I took it back and bought a Phillips that said right on the box that it plays CDR's.
Guess what? The box was right. Now, remember...I was shopping for the cheapest one I could find in stock right away. I only paid something like $180 for the one I wanted. I just figured it was like all the other people are saying: it's just the components used in the box, not some crazy-ass conspiracy.
Now, I'd be pissed if I dropped $500 on a player and it wouldn't play CDR's, but even then I would probably just go trade it in. There's plenty out there that work, so don't get all bent out of shape...just vote with your wallet and buy the one that does what you want.
I'm using IE5, and I've got a "Links" toolbar that will graciously connect me to MSN, Windows Media, The M$ Home page, etc. Guess where the "Search" button takes you...it sure ain't Google.
Also, I haven't tried Netscape 6 yet, but I'm constantly annoyed by attempts from other companies (Yahoo, Real, and others...even Netscape) to add their own links and toolbars to IE when I install software on my PC.
So, it may be handled a little differently and may not be quite as obvious, but it still happens.
BTW, I totally agree that at least some of the revenue generated from this practice should go to the Mozilla project. I know it's not legally required (IANAL), but morally, I think it's the right thing to do. (Well, OK. Morally, the right thing to do would be to quit trying to steer people back to the Netscape site any time they click one of the 10,000 new "feature" buttons in their shiny new browser.)
That's what I use. I got the RioShell program (www.delymyth.it/rioshell) for WinNT and can move files from home to work and back using the Rio player. It's a really great solution...just drag and drop any file you want to move.
I haven't looked for a Linux solution yet, but I'm sure there's something similar.
Disclaimer: IANANeural Scientist. I do hold a majority stake in a human brain, but that's as far as it goes.
It seems to me that the structuring and basic "operating system" present in the CNS's of organisms is carried by the DNA. There are some differences in neurons between species, but the basic structure and function remains pretty much the same, right?
Since I'm used to thinking in computing terms, it still makes more sense to me to look at neuron-based systems in the same way: Humans get a powerful computer with not much more than the BIOS, but lots of room to add new programs; my cat came pre-loaded with a reasonably stable OS, and a good set of productivity apps (ClawFurniture 4.01, ChaseTail, Litterbox (Enterprise edition, apparently)) but limited expansion. However, we're both built using proprietary hardware...you can't reformat and install DogOS.
So if I want to design and mass-produce a neuron-based device, do I somehow assemble and connect the neurons physically using a template, or would it be done using DNA (thus creating some kind of organism)? I'm trying to figure out how it all comes together...I'm going to go buy a chemistry set, some jeweler's tools, and a used brain but I want to make sure I don't need anything else.;-)
We hear a lot of talk from candidates about "my record shows..." and "I worked to do..." but I don't think many people have a clear idea about what you have actually done in the interests of public service.
Would you please describe three things that you (not your party, not your advisors/staff) have done that has resulted in concrete, quantifiable improvements in the quality of life for your constituency? Please provide statistics or other verifiable information that clearly show that the result came from the action you took.
One qualifier: I don't mean photo opportunities where you helped a sick girl get a kidney or wrote a check to an animal shelter. You're applying for a job where you are accountable to the entire country. You should have a strong history of of making life better for the people whom you serve.
I bought 5 of these wonderful keyboards from a school auction for $1 each. They had a 55 gal garbage can full of them. (5 was the max I thought I could add to my stuff without the missus noticing..."Is that pile of computer stuff growing again?!?") They are truly the best.
They also keep their secrets...The key design keeps the goodies from falling out when I turn it over and shake it. I can see evidence of life in there, but nothing crawled out. I'll classify that as a good thing, I think.
I get this type of question from clients more and more these days..."Should we upgrade our system to Linux? Everybody says it's much better."
That's cool if you have an NT server for file/print, but it's a whole different thing when your business is built on stuff that runs on the current server OS.
Almost every single time, this "upgrade" has been recommended by the person on the staff who "knows computers" or (more frequently these days) by the previous consultant who I'm cleaning up after. Not once has any of these people conducted a systems audit to see how this would impact the business. All they know is "Novell is dead" or "Microsoft is evil" or "Linux is free." (I agree with 2/3 of these, but it's foolish to base a migration on any of these ideas)
It's kinda like saying "I'm gonna put a turbine engine in my Camaro, because they're much more powerful, efficient, durable, and I can run it on cooking oil." You can't just drop the new engine in there, Gomer. All of the things that depend on the old piston engine will either not work or freak out. It's a lot better idea to design your car around the engine you plan to use.
So yeah, on new installations or simple networks moving to Linux may be a good thing. If you're planning on taking away NDS, converting applications and re-training all of the end users I just hope they don't hire me after they fire you.
It's probably not too bad for surfing if you have the phone line for upstream data.
As for 2-way over the satellite, it sucks out loud. I set up a WAN for a company that owned a block of satellite bandwidth and it was pure hell. They had used it for SNA to connect their field locations to the mainframe at the data center, and it worked OK for that. They assumed that client/server would be just as functional. NOT!
Since there's really no getting around the speed of light, you can expect ping times of @1600ms. Forget playing Quake over that connection. Also, forget trying to have a remote application query a database server with any kind of efficiency. In order to keep from getting dropped connections, people usually either adjust the timeout way up or set up some kind of IP spoofing at the satellite gateway so the computers thing they're getting ack's at a regular rate.
(It's also no picnic climbing on the roof of one of these satellite-connected locations to knock snow off of the dish in order to restore network connectivity)
In short, I would strongly discourage anybody from using a satellite connection if there are alternatives available. That is, as long as LEO networks continue to go bankrupt.
Well, that's my opinion anyway. Your mileage may vary.
I work for a library that got a Gates foundation grant. They went to great pains to make sure we understood that they aren't M$.
In fact you get a choice: a computer package with lots of software and content for kids and training classes for the staff, or you can choose the cash option where they write you a check and you create your own solution.
There are certain guidelines on what you can do with the cash, of course. That keeps library IS types from just buying 3 or 4 Monster machines to play Quake on. bummer...
As for the automation system, good luck. They are a nightmare and it takes a brave soul to admin one...let alone write one.
I don't think that's a good idea. It'll get twisted around to look like the same people who [paraphrase] "believe info should be free to those who can steal it" [/paraphrase] are just throwing a tantrum.
If we shun them completely, they will suffer a labor shortage and start paying more. Then we'll come right back because we're more concerned with our own well-being than that of society. I mean, who gives a shit about DeCSS when they're paying twice what anyone else is? Be honest....
I will say this: I won't pay to see any more movies until the MPAA backs off. I won't work for them (not that I ever did) and I won't contribute to their success. I will write to my elected officials and ask them to repeal/rewrite the DMCA.
If you want to leave your job with an MPAA-affiliated company, more power to ya. Maybe we should shun those tech workers who keep working for MPAA (and RIAA) members. That's probably more effective.
Many people on/. spend tons of theor time talking about how $hitty MS products are, and how NT doesn't work. Do you really think that would be the case if all there was to being an NT sysadmin was "clicking buttons?"
Honest to God, sometimes I think it's harder. Like an earlier post said, the good sysadmins don't have anything to do all day. That happens a whole lot less for NT admins, since you never know where you're going to get screwed.
I have my MCSE, and admin a mixed Linux/NT network. I have everything about as stable as it's going to be, but NT will still ruin my day on a regular basis. My Linux boxes just sit there and do their jobs. THe reason I know so much more about NT than *NIX is that I have to. It's really messed up.
Believe me, given the choice I'd pick being a *NIX admin over an NT admin any day. They really have a lot less to do.
So yes, I think you ought to include the NT admins. The good ones have a much harder job than the good *NIX admins.
Slashdot Mirror
I watched the first shuttle launch on this type of setup when I was a kid. My dad knew the owner of a TV/Stereo store who loaned him the fresnel lens converter.
We had to use a 13" TV because that's how big the hood was, and had to set it upside-down on a table to get the projected picture rightside-up. If we turned the brightness and contrast all the way up, we got a passable picture in a completely dark room. CRT's are made for direct viewing and don't put out enough light to project well.
So yeah, technically it works, but don't expect the same image quality you might see from even a low-end projection rig. It does make a cool toy for a kid or a cheap science fair project though...
Jeez, people! I have these cards, but that doesn't mean that they have my personal info. All they know is that some guy named Ben Dover buys a lot of beer and that he lives at the governor's mansion.
And yes, I have a couple of cards that I rotate. It keeps the "special" discounts coming more frequently.
I mean, is it really that much of a stretch for this crowd to use a fake name? The discount's the same either way.
Strong enough...128 bit, I believe. I had my documents encrypted with NTFS encryption and then whacked my partition table trying to install Red Hat in a dual-boot config. I was able to use a utility to recover the files, but couldn't get the key (tied to the user account database and the SID). The files looked like they were all there, but contained only gibberish.
Yes, it sucked. and Yes, I use VMWare now instead.
First off, I have to agree that this is the worst abomination I have seen. There is no excuse for this.
The thing that worries me is that (again...remember OK City) people are already blaming Arab terrorists for this and saying it could only have been accomplished by a few people.
Just how many people does it take to hijack a plane? 2? 3? Certainly not more than that. So we have maybe 12 people who downed 4 planes today. That seems like something that just about any fanatical organization could handle. Shit, the Michigan Militia could have decided over the weekend that they wanted to do this.
And now every Republican in congress is ranting on TV about how we need more money for defense and the military, but I can't see how 1000 more tanks or planes would have helped this situation at all. It's just a bunch of politicians jumping on the opportunity to funnel some more money into their pet projects and I think it's disgraceful.
Don't get me wrong, this is the worst thing I've seen and somebody needs to pay for it. But before we go bombing everything in the Middle East, we need to make sure we know who did this.
My heart goes out to all those who lost loved ones in this disaster. I truly hope you see justice served.
Play it in Hippie mode and the blood and gibs turn into flowers and fruit!
OK, maybe it's still kinda violent, but it's funny as hell. Kill a room full of monsters and it's covered in daisies and melons.
You mean buy a powerbook or a Dell?
-------------------------------
Yes, I mean reliable and predictable like Win2k (and even NT, really) is. Even my Win98 box will go for weeks at a time without a reboot. Even then, I reboot for reasons that are consistent.
Here's a really easy test: put a new user in front of a Windows box and a Linux box (with KDE, Gnome or whatever) and give them some simple tasks to do like starting programs, installing, UNinstalling, configuring a static IP, adding a piece of hardware, etc. These are all things an average user might have to face, and they will most likely have an easier time doing it in Windows.
Sure, Windows is less stable, and I think everybody here will agree that its security is laughable. However, the user experience is getting better all the time. The user experience with Linux and KDE/Gnome is (although pretty) about as new-user-friendly as Windows 3.1.
I'm not trashing Linux. I think it's an awesome server and has become something of a Swiss Army knife for me. However, I still use Win2k and OSX for my desktops. It's just easier to do things.
-------------------------------
Thank God! A voice of reason!!
I don't know why ease of use is such a hard concept to understand. The average user doesn't give a rat's ass about how secure/stable/l337/whatever an OS is. They just want something that behaves in a reliable, predictable manner without needing to know a bunch of weird commands or procedures. There's a reason there's so many jokes about the clock on VCR's. It's not intuitive to the average (non-technically inclined) person. Yet people who post here just can't understand why everybody doesn't use a *NIX. It's because the experience totally sucks unless you have a pretty good skill set.
My favorite example is the automatic transmission. I know it works reasonably well, and know when it's broken. But I don't have the faintest idea how it works. I've even taken one apart to try to figure it out, but I can't wrap my brain around it. However, my lack of functional knowledge rarely prevents me from making the car go in the direction I choose.
People would have a much worse opinion of cars if they had to constantly adjust, tweak, repair, etc their transmission every time they drove anywhere.
Likewise, we in the computer field need to understand that "normal" people don't give a crap about kernels or drivers or journaling filesystems or (yeah, I know I'll get flamed) source code. They want an appliance that does what they want without all of the drama.
I'd be very pleased if Linux got to this point, but I don't see much evidence that it is even going in that direction. Meanwhile, MS and Apple are trying to make computers easier for the masses. Since the masses have more money than the small minority of people who are enthusiasts/tech workers, guess who will win?
-------------------------------
Words only carry the power we give them. I've always thought it would be better to choose not to be shocked and/or offended by any word. Let the word stand on its own merit as a descriptor or component of a sentence.
If people would quit worrying about how a simple 4-letter word causes imagined pain, the words would succeed or fail based on their merit. As a result, you'd probably hear a lot less use of the word "fuck" since it's used mostly as an attention-getting device, but you'd probably hear "shit" used a lot more because it's easy to say and expresses the concept quite well.
Of course, people will always feel compelled to be offended by something. I just wish that the people who choose to dedicate their time and money to eliminating words would spend a little more time eliminating the dead cars from out in front of their trailers.
-------------------------------
The OmniWeb browser on Mac OSX (I don't know if they make it for other platforms) has an option that says "Scripts are allowed to open new windows only in response to being clicked."
This is probably the best solution to this that I have seen. It keeps the useful Javascript and you don't get the pop-up ads.
It also keeps tons of windows from popping up when I'm umm...doing anatomical research.
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You should drive one. I own a 2000 TDI Jetta, and everybody who has ridden in it has been surprised to find out it's a diesel. It only sounds like a diesel when it's cold, and when it warms up, there's hardly any noticable difference between a gas and diesel.
Besides, there's tremendous performance potential from the one TDI engine VW sells here in the US. I've added the Wetterauer chip and it's awesome. If you think the PC Overclockers are crazy, look at the TDI Club .
I just think it's too bad that the biggest reason we can't get the better (more efficient, more power) diesel engines in the US is that sulfur levels in our fuel are too high to run in these engines without damaging them. I'v love an Audi A6 with a V6 TDI!
-------------------------------
Sure enough, I was trying to get some support info from Macromedia last week and couldn't get through from work. All the traces died on Above.net's network. From home and from my colo it worked fine.
I just figured it was more crappy above.net service. Hell, I even opened a trouble ticket with them about this...the tech I talked to didn't know about the RBL listing, or it would have been a whole lot easier to troubleshoot.
So why is it that I can't get mail from Macromedia but I still got REAL spam? Also, why is it that they feel it's necessary to voluntarily block traffic when their network already does such a fine job of that already?
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Isn't it Jim (B)all(son)chin?
I know I'll get modded to hell for this, but I couldn't resist.
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I had a Thinkpad 755CD that did that. I was doing training for a company and it was the best thing in the world. Just about every hotel and conference center has an OHP, but finding VGA projectors was always a frustrating (and expensive) chore.
I don't know why nobody makes something like this anymore. It was extremely useful and surprisingly durable...you just popped the back of the display off and opened the laptop until it was flat on the OHP. Then you just snapped the back on when you were finished and it was a regular laptop. The lighting element and reflective surface were in the detachable part.
The only downsides were that the resolution was only 640X480 and it was only a P75, but it was an absolute tank...it traveled with me constantly for over a year and never had any hardware problems at all. I even checked it as baggage a few times. Try that with a Vaio and see how long it lives.
I've got to think that there's anough people who do presentations all the time who would buy another one like that. It sure beats carrying a projector. I'd even put up with an extra pound of weight for the added complexity.
-------------------------------
I just moved and the trip killed my old CD player, so I decided to go to the local Fred Meyer and get a DVD player to replace it. The first one I got was a Toshiba, and it wouldn't play CDR's. I took it back and bought a Phillips that said right on the box that it plays CDR's.
Guess what? The box was right. Now, remember...I was shopping for the cheapest one I could find in stock right away. I only paid something like $180 for the one I wanted. I just figured it was like all the other people are saying: it's just the components used in the box, not some crazy-ass conspiracy.
Now, I'd be pissed if I dropped $500 on a player and it wouldn't play CDR's, but even then I would probably just go trade it in. There's plenty out there that work, so don't get all bent out of shape...just vote with your wallet and buy the one that does what you want.
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I'm using IE5, and I've got a "Links" toolbar that will graciously connect me to MSN, Windows Media, The M$ Home page, etc. Guess where the "Search" button takes you...it sure ain't Google.
Also, I haven't tried Netscape 6 yet, but I'm constantly annoyed by attempts from other companies (Yahoo, Real, and others...even Netscape) to add their own links and toolbars to IE when I install software on my PC.
So, it may be handled a little differently and may not be quite as obvious, but it still happens.
BTW, I totally agree that at least some of the revenue generated from this practice should go to the Mozilla project. I know it's not legally required (IANAL), but morally, I think it's the right thing to do. (Well, OK. Morally, the right thing to do would be to quit trying to steer people back to the Netscape site any time they click one of the 10,000 new "feature" buttons in their shiny new browser.)
Oh well, at least it isn't another 4.x release.
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That's what I use. I got the RioShell program (www.delymyth.it/rioshell) for WinNT and can move files from home to work and back using the Rio player. It's a really great solution...just drag and drop any file you want to move.
I haven't looked for a Linux solution yet, but I'm sure there's something similar.
-------------------------------
Disclaimer: IANANeural Scientist. I do hold a majority stake in a human brain, but that's as far as it goes.
;-)
It seems to me that the structuring and basic "operating system" present in the CNS's of organisms is carried by the DNA. There are some differences in neurons between species, but the basic structure and function remains pretty much the same, right?
Since I'm used to thinking in computing terms, it still makes more sense to me to look at neuron-based systems in the same way: Humans get a powerful computer with not much more than the BIOS, but lots of room to add new programs; my cat came pre-loaded with a reasonably stable OS, and a good set of productivity apps (ClawFurniture 4.01, ChaseTail, Litterbox (Enterprise edition, apparently)) but limited expansion. However, we're both built using proprietary hardware...you can't reformat and install DogOS.
So if I want to design and mass-produce a neuron-based device, do I somehow assemble and connect the neurons physically using a template, or would it be done using DNA (thus creating some kind of organism)? I'm trying to figure out how it all comes together...I'm going to go buy a chemistry set, some jeweler's tools, and a used brain but I want to make sure I don't need anything else.
-------------------------------
To all candidates:
..." but I don't think many people have a clear idea about what you have actually done in the interests of public service.
We hear a lot of talk from candidates about "my record shows..." and "I worked to do
Would you please describe three things that you (not your party, not your advisors/staff) have done that has resulted in concrete, quantifiable improvements in the quality of life for your constituency? Please provide statistics or other verifiable information that clearly show that the result came from the action you took.
One qualifier: I don't mean photo opportunities where you helped a sick girl get a kidney or wrote a check to an animal shelter. You're applying for a job where you are accountable to the entire country. You should have a strong history of of making life better for the people whom you serve.
-------------------------------
I bought 5 of these wonderful keyboards from a school auction for $1 each. They had a 55 gal garbage can full of them. (5 was the max I thought I could add to my stuff without the missus noticing..."Is that pile of computer stuff growing again?!?") They are truly the best.
They also keep their secrets...The key design keeps the goodies from falling out when I turn it over and shake it. I can see evidence of life in there, but nothing crawled out. I'll classify that as a good thing, I think.
-------------------------------
Amen brother!
I get this type of question from clients more and more these days..."Should we upgrade our system to Linux? Everybody says it's much better."
That's cool if you have an NT server for file/print, but it's a whole different thing when your business is built on stuff that runs on the current server OS.
Almost every single time, this "upgrade" has been recommended by the person on the staff who "knows computers" or (more frequently these days) by the previous consultant who I'm cleaning up after. Not once has any of these people conducted a systems audit to see how this would impact the business. All they know is "Novell is dead" or "Microsoft is evil" or "Linux is free." (I agree with 2/3 of these, but it's foolish to base a migration on any of these ideas)
It's kinda like saying "I'm gonna put a turbine engine in my Camaro, because they're much more powerful, efficient, durable, and I can run it on cooking oil." You can't just drop the new engine in there, Gomer. All of the things that depend on the old piston engine will either not work or freak out. It's a lot better idea to design your car around the engine you plan to use.
So yeah, on new installations or simple networks moving to Linux may be a good thing. If you're planning on taking away NDS, converting applications and re-training all of the end users I just hope they don't hire me after they fire you.
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It's probably not too bad for surfing if you have the phone line for upstream data.
As for 2-way over the satellite, it sucks out loud. I set up a WAN for a company that owned a block of satellite bandwidth and it was pure hell. They had used it for SNA to connect their field locations to the mainframe at the data center, and it worked OK for that. They assumed that client/server would be just as functional. NOT!
Since there's really no getting around the speed of light, you can expect ping times of @1600ms. Forget playing Quake over that connection. Also, forget trying to have a remote application query a database server with any kind of efficiency. In order to keep from getting dropped connections, people usually either adjust the timeout way up or set up some kind of IP spoofing at the satellite gateway so the computers thing they're getting ack's at a regular rate.
(It's also no picnic climbing on the roof of one of these satellite-connected locations to knock snow off of the dish in order to restore network connectivity)
In short, I would strongly discourage anybody from using a satellite connection if there are alternatives available. That is, as long as LEO networks continue to go bankrupt.
Well, that's my opinion anyway. Your mileage may vary.
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They don't care.
I work for a library that got a Gates foundation grant. They went to great pains to make sure we understood that they aren't M$.
In fact you get a choice: a computer package with lots of software and content for kids and training classes for the staff, or you can choose the cash option where they write you a check and you create your own solution.
There are certain guidelines on what you can do with the cash, of course. That keeps library IS types from just buying 3 or 4 Monster machines to play Quake on. bummer...
As for the automation system, good luck. They are a nightmare and it takes a brave soul to admin one...let alone write one.
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I don't think that's a good idea. It'll get twisted around to look like the same people who [paraphrase] "believe info should be free to those who can steal it" [/paraphrase] are just throwing a tantrum.
If we shun them completely, they will suffer a labor shortage and start paying more. Then we'll come right back because we're more concerned with our own well-being than that of society. I mean, who gives a shit about DeCSS when they're paying twice what anyone else is? Be honest....
I will say this: I won't pay to see any more movies until the MPAA backs off. I won't work for them (not that I ever did) and I won't contribute to their success. I will write to my elected officials and ask them to repeal/rewrite the DMCA.
If you want to leave your job with an MPAA-affiliated company, more power to ya. Maybe we should shun those tech workers who keep working for MPAA (and RIAA) members. That's probably more effective.
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Ya know, it's really a shame.
/. spend tons of theor time talking about how $hitty MS products are, and how NT doesn't work. Do you really think that would be the case if all there was to being an NT sysadmin was "clicking buttons?"
Many people on
Honest to God, sometimes I think it's harder. Like an earlier post said, the good sysadmins don't have anything to do all day. That happens a whole lot less for NT admins, since you never know where you're going to get screwed.
I have my MCSE, and admin a mixed Linux/NT network. I have everything about as stable as it's going to be, but NT will still ruin my day on a regular basis. My Linux boxes just sit there and do their jobs. THe reason I know so much more about NT than *NIX is that I have to. It's really messed up.
Believe me, given the choice I'd pick being a *NIX admin over an NT admin any day. They really have a lot less to do.
So yes, I think you ought to include the NT admins. The good ones have a much harder job than the good *NIX admins.
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