Or one of those gay-looking visors that all the kids are wearing these days. I mean, come on - my 50-year-old Mom has been a visor afficianado from day one, so we basically have all the teenagers trying for the old lady look. It's amazing what people will do for fashion.
Sorry, that rant was a long time coming. I think I'm done now.
How could you detect this? How could you prevent it from being used? You can't, unless you know the reference
image. I could post secret messages on the front page of CNN.com and nobody would know (ok, assuming I had
access to CNN.com to post an image).
See, that's called "hacking", and John Ashcroft will get you then, you damned, dirty terrorist:)
Incorrect. We took classes on coding, architecture, etc., with frickin' overhead slides and frickin' note taking on paper with a writing utensil. Sure, the homework required a computer, but one wasn't needed in class.
I'm not saying that a computer wouldn't be helpful in such a class, but it is possible to learn without handy access to the 'net, and I can understand the argument that in some situations 'net access is more of a distraction than a help.
Don't get me started on the EE classes that required lab notebooks and carbon paper - positively Stone Age technology as we called it:) And this was just a few years ago...
I have - rather than working at a.com, I work 9-to-5 for less money, in a stable industry, for non-psychotic management. I just hope all you $100K/year folks were saving some of it, rather than just buying Ferraris and/or small tropical islands:)
That might be our difference, then - I think of relativistically-constructed laws and ethics as more of a "if it's good for society, then do it". To my viewpoint, human law is only necessary when interacting with other humans in a society, and thus laws should be constructed to maximize the good of society as perceived by its members. Of course, an individual can still act on the basis of "If it's good for you, go ahead", but then the rest of society may decide to improve their situation by putting that individual in prison:)
I like your point about interpretation - too bad more religious people don't have a similar attitude towards careful consideration of what they are sure is true. On the other hand, there's little to stop people from using the interpretation method to try to justify immoral acts because they were a possible interpretation of scripture - after all, you can find a passage in the Bible supporting almost anything. It still seems a little of a "slippery slope" to me, since the interpretation must be ultimately guided by something else (see below).
I don't think slavery was right, and I'd like to think that I would have felt the same way even back when most people thought that it was. I think that even at that time a reasonable person could have concluded that slavery was not in the best interests of society, and thus determined that it was not right. But I believe that such a determination can be reached on the basis of a well-informed ethical compass, and failing that, simple human empathy. Which is why I don't feel the need for a God to mandate right and wrong, although I can understand why some human societies would find it easier to explain moral questions on the basis of a deity, rather than requiring the necessary introspection on the part of all members.
Of course, if you went with RedHat, you could call up your rep and ask for a solution. Not that I'm anti-Debian, I'm just saying that you could get support if you really wanted to pay for it. Is it cheaper and/or better than Microsoft support? I don't know, you'll have to decide that.
How is a position that good and evil are absolutes, but that we can't necessarily tell which absolutes are which, any more useful than a position that good and evil are relative positions that are socially constructed and can change over time? They both come down to the expectation that the societal understanding of good and evil will change over time. The only difference is that with the absolute argument you can try to argue that society is more and more closely approaching the absolutes, but of course since we don't know what they are, you can't really know that society isn't guessing in the wrong direction, can you?
I think the "unknown absolute" argument is always going to degenerate into practical relativism. Which is OK with me, as a relativist, and I agree with you that people that think they are absolutists are the biggest problem with the whole debate.
But there are societies which believe that any killing is wrong, even if it would not normally be called murder. So either your absolute definition of "wrong" is incorrect, or theirs is, or neither of you are truly absolute. How can you prove that your absolute is the true one, without resorting to a higher power to dictate it thus? And, in that case, wouldn't a holder of an opposing viewpoint also lay it all on an unseen deity?
Not that the point hasn't already been argued very well, but I wouldn't want you to have to live unknowing under the shadow of your own moral relativism for too long:)
People stop using things when they become useless. No amount of marketing by "eMoney" companies or wishful
thinking by self-professed "geeks" will make it go away.
Hey, I resent that - many people call me a geek; it's not just me that's saying it:)
I hate to tell you, but during a nuclear war I imagine alcohol, cigarrettes, firearms, potable water, and maybe women will be the only means of payment. OK, maybe I'm just kidding about the women (but ladies, please make sure that you either have firearms, or that your significant other does, when the bomb drops).
Some McDonald's in Illinois, at least, have started accepting the Mobil speedpass keychain thingy, so that you just swipe and it's recorded on a credit card. If the other gas stations aren't careful, speedpass is going to become the new basis for convenience store and other small purchases.
I don't have a speedpass, though, because I usually only buy gas at a gas station, and the delay is not the card authorization at the pump, but the time from the authorization until the pump actually starts dispensing. If I could get the time from swipe->gas starts flowing down to about the time to unscrew the gas cap, I'd be happy. Only then would a speedpass make sense at a gas station.
Credit cards only have $50 at stake, in the U.S. at least - that may not be a lot, depending on your financial standing. Check cards are another story, though.
On another forum, a few minutes ago, someone asked about setting up a small mail server (maybe 20 users or
so). The typical smart-ass answer of "install linux with sendmail/postfix/intermail/whatever" came across. The
guy said he needed it done ASAP and would rather just do it on NT. Is there anything wrong with doing that?
Umm.. no.
Um, yes, there is. The guy who's just setting it up ASAP is going to have myriad security holes to patch out of the box, which may not get patched since he's in such an all-fired hurry, and so doing it the quick and easy way is more likely to lead to more worms deluging the non-quick-and-dirty part of the Internet. If that person would plan ahead by investing a little time in figuring out the best system for his needs, including future expandability, then problems of adding 20 users would be a non-event.
Using NT is not necessarily a mistake. Using NT because you're in a hurry and think that in the long run it will be a quicker solution usually is a mistake.
That said, a good avenue to investigate would be one of the afore-mentioned MTAs and a Webmin interface. You can't get much more pointy-and-clicky than that, plus you can download the most recent and secure versions of postfix, qmail, or even sendmail.
Oh no! Only federally-mandated key escrow can protect us from clicking on those diabolical links!
It has been more-or-less a reign of terror, though - I'm terrified that my boss will accidentally see that guy's bum displayed on my screen and get the wrong idea about me:)
Slashdot Mirror
Wiggum: Did the backwards-talking girl tell you that too?
Lou, deadpan: I'll drive.
Terror has no chance to survive, make your time?
Death to the unbelievers!
(also a joke)
Or one of those gay-looking visors that all the kids are wearing these days. I mean, come on - my 50-year-old Mom has been a visor afficianado from day one, so we basically have all the teenagers trying for the old lady look. It's amazing what people will do for fashion.
Sorry, that rant was a long time coming. I think I'm done now.
See, that's called "hacking", and John Ashcroft will get you then, you damned, dirty terrorist :)
Incorrect. We took classes on coding, architecture, etc., with frickin' overhead slides and frickin' note taking on paper with a writing utensil. Sure, the homework required a computer, but one wasn't needed in class.
I'm not saying that a computer wouldn't be helpful in such a class, but it is possible to learn without handy access to the 'net, and I can understand the argument that in some situations 'net access is more of a distraction than a help.
Don't get me started on the EE classes that required lab notebooks and carbon paper - positively Stone Age technology as we called it :) And this was just a few years ago...
No kidding - I remember when good discussion was about all there was around here :) Thanks.
I have - rather than working at a .com, I work 9-to-5 for less money, in a stable industry, for non-psychotic management. I just hope all you $100K/year folks were saving some of it, rather than just buying Ferraris and/or small tropical islands :)
That might be our difference, then - I think of relativistically-constructed laws and ethics as more of a "if it's good for society, then do it". To my viewpoint, human law is only necessary when interacting with other humans in a society, and thus laws should be constructed to maximize the good of society as perceived by its members. Of course, an individual can still act on the basis of "If it's good for you, go ahead", but then the rest of society may decide to improve their situation by putting that individual in prison :)
I like your point about interpretation - too bad more religious people don't have a similar attitude towards careful consideration of what they are sure is true. On the other hand, there's little to stop people from using the interpretation method to try to justify immoral acts because they were a possible interpretation of scripture - after all, you can find a passage in the Bible supporting almost anything. It still seems a little of a "slippery slope" to me, since the interpretation must be ultimately guided by something else (see below).
I don't think slavery was right, and I'd like to think that I would have felt the same way even back when most people thought that it was. I think that even at that time a reasonable person could have concluded that slavery was not in the best interests of society, and thus determined that it was not right. But I believe that such a determination can be reached on the basis of a well-informed ethical compass, and failing that, simple human empathy. Which is why I don't feel the need for a God to mandate right and wrong, although I can understand why some human societies would find it easier to explain moral questions on the basis of a deity, rather than requiring the necessary introspection on the part of all members.
I think Joe Six Pack's needs are more likely to be met by the PlayStation 3 than by anything in the future from Microsoft :)
Of course, if you went with RedHat, you could call up your rep and ask for a solution. Not that I'm anti-Debian, I'm just saying that you could get support if you really wanted to pay for it. Is it cheaper and/or better than Microsoft support? I don't know, you'll have to decide that.
How is a position that good and evil are absolutes, but that we can't necessarily tell which absolutes are which, any more useful than a position that good and evil are relative positions that are socially constructed and can change over time? They both come down to the expectation that the societal understanding of good and evil will change over time. The only difference is that with the absolute argument you can try to argue that society is more and more closely approaching the absolutes, but of course since we don't know what they are, you can't really know that society isn't guessing in the wrong direction, can you?
I think the "unknown absolute" argument is always going to degenerate into practical relativism. Which is OK with me, as a relativist, and I agree with you that people that think they are absolutists are the biggest problem with the whole debate.
But there are societies which believe that any killing is wrong, even if it would not normally be called murder. So either your absolute definition of "wrong" is incorrect, or theirs is, or neither of you are truly absolute. How can you prove that your absolute is the true one, without resorting to a higher power to dictate it thus? And, in that case, wouldn't a holder of an opposing viewpoint also lay it all on an unseen deity?
Not that the point hasn't already been argued very well, but I wouldn't want you to have to live unknowing under the shadow of your own moral relativism for too long :)
Hey, I resent that - many people call me a geek; it's not just me that's saying it :)
I hate to tell you, but during a nuclear war I imagine alcohol, cigarrettes, firearms, potable water, and maybe women will be the only means of payment. OK, maybe I'm just kidding about the women (but ladies, please make sure that you either have firearms, or that your significant other does, when the bomb drops).
Some McDonald's in Illinois, at least, have started accepting the Mobil speedpass keychain thingy, so that you just swipe and it's recorded on a credit card. If the other gas stations aren't careful, speedpass is going to become the new basis for convenience store and other small purchases.
I don't have a speedpass, though, because I usually only buy gas at a gas station, and the delay is not the card authorization at the pump, but the time from the authorization until the pump actually starts dispensing. If I could get the time from swipe->gas starts flowing down to about the time to unscrew the gas cap, I'd be happy. Only then would a speedpass make sense at a gas station.
Credit cards only have $50 at stake, in the U.S. at least - that may not be a lot, depending on your financial standing. Check cards are another story, though.
That's only if you forgot to bring a friend of the appropriate gender...
You could also try GnuCash.
Um, yes, there is. The guy who's just setting it up ASAP is going to have myriad security holes to patch out of the box, which may not get patched since he's in such an all-fired hurry, and so doing it the quick and easy way is more likely to lead to more worms deluging the non-quick-and-dirty part of the Internet. If that person would plan ahead by investing a little time in figuring out the best system for his needs, including future expandability, then problems of adding 20 users would be a non-event.
Using NT is not necessarily a mistake. Using NT because you're in a hurry and think that in the long run it will be a quicker solution usually is a mistake.
That said, a good avenue to investigate would be one of the afore-mentioned MTAs and a Webmin interface. You can't get much more pointy-and-clicky than that, plus you can download the most recent and secure versions of postfix, qmail, or even sendmail.
The ultimate test: can you run Code Red or Nimda on IIS under Wine on Linux? Then we'll know that Linux is truly "Enterprise-ready".
No, no, it should be "Visual Active Virus XP" by now, shouldn't it? Unfortunately, that doesn't make as nice of an acronym...
On the other hand, using Windows has never been particularly pain-free :)
OK, that makes sense. For some reason I was thinking that older library versions would be replaced. Thanks for setting me straight.
Oh no! Only federally-mandated key escrow can protect us from clicking on those diabolical links!
It has been more-or-less a reign of terror, though - I'm terrified that my boss will accidentally see that guy's bum displayed on my screen and get the wrong idea about me :)