I am bothered that the highest rated posts onto science related articles are "Funny" ones. Also,
"intelligent" articles seem to get less posts. When a post about Microsoft/Apple being bad comes up,well, tons of posts! But on the earth, the RSA algorithm, etc - under 200! And the highest rated?
"Funny"
It could have something to do with the ridiculous nature of this particular "science" article. Changing the Earth's orbit with an asteroid to avoid the heat death of the Sun! I mean, come on, man. That's just begging "mock me!".
For the record, I thought one of the most interesting articles today was the RSA one. And, I did post a serious message on that one.
Maybe we could just split of a *piece* of the Earth and send it into another orbit.. y'know, as a test before we send the rest of Earth.
I vote for California.
Look for cracks in the implementations
on
RSA Cracked - Not
·
· Score: 4
The place to look for cracks is less in the theory and more in the implementations.
I was reading "Crypto", and I remember them mentioning that an older version of PGP was using a pretty weak random number generator, making it easy to guess what the supposedly random keys were.
Maybe there'll be a shortcut somebody figures out for factoring large numbers quickly into their constituent primes.. -shrug-.. more likely, somebody will find some kind of buffer overflow or cruddy random number generator, or hashed passwords in one particular implemenation of RSA..
Disclaimer: I am not a mathematician! No need to mentally bully me if I screwed up a detail!
Thats because you use your +2 bonus on comments that don't deserve it. Like the one you just posted. (I'm not that moderator though. Can't say I wouldn't like to be. *grin*)
That may be true... *shrug*.. I keep forgetting I've got +2, I spent so long at 1... (and I'll be back there soon at this rate...:)
I think they're just trying to avoid logs like this:
Captain's Log - 1/10/2001 - 10 A.M.
* Checked air intake regulators - all normal.
* Checked heat regulation unit - replaced regulator.
* Visited by spaceship full of martians - played chess with them.
While this can be good, in the fact that it makes scientists look for better, cheaper ways to do things, as in the various relatively inexpensive space probes we've been launching
I don't know that the recent round of inexpensive space probes are anything to be proud of. How do you convert meters to feet again? Oops, splattered another better, faster, cheaper space probe into Mars.
How's that joke go? "You can have better, faster, or cheaper. Choose two."
The fact that you'll realize this while commuting from a $3 million dollar house to a
well-compensated position, in a modified Audi S4 won't help. It'll still suck.
Hey man Three Kings ROCKED!!! It's one of the best movies of all time. You can't diss it because it is so totally cool.
Acutally, I enjoyed the movie, too -- although "one of the best movies of all time" is a bit of an overstatement. It was a decent action flick, and they had just enough plot to stitch it together but not get boring.
I just couldn't resist a cheap chuckle at Clooney's (sp?) expense.
Oh, and yes, the cow was cool. Thanks for reminding me.
The author of the article links to the previous Slashdot story where prior art is seemingly demonstrated in a an old video, potentially negating BT's claim of ownership of (gag) hypertext...
So what the HECK happened with that? Did anyone even attempt to refute the patent on those grounds?
My understanding of the RBL is that if I subscribe to it, I will not receive e-mail from any sites listed on the RBL. Sites (supposedly) get listed on the RBL because they have been the direct source of spam mail.
It sounds to me like the folks who most recently got blacklisted were put on the RBL *NOT* because they were the source of spam mail, but because they have business relationships with (or have business relationships with people who have business relationships with) sites who create spam-generating tools. Please tell me if I misunderstood.
I'm uncomfortable with the idea that the RBL is being used NOT to directly block spam, but as a big stick for bashing people for making business deals with spam-ware selling sites (sleazy as they may be). If your site isn't directly generating spam, it oughta be removed from the RBL!
And I think it's a bit short-sighted to say "big deal, *I* can't receive e-mail from x.com, so what?" If you were the site owner of 'x.com' and it was a totally legitimate business, you'd probably care a lot!
Of course, it's true, use of the RBL is voluntary. But if they keep this kind of stuff up, they may find less volunteers in the future..
I wonder if anyone's considered sort of a democratic RBL? Anyone could submit a problem site with a complaint, and a group of randomly-chosen (but trusted) people could investigate and vote on it.
I agree with your general feelings about the U.S. patent office, and that the idea of software patents are ridiculous.
But, it looks like there is an agreement of reciprocity between the U.S. and E.U. (along with other nations)... here's a link where they discuss it (skip down to "patent protection").
Sorry we had to drag you guys into this IP mess we've got over here..
Hmmm.... IANAL (European *or* American) and IANAPC (I am not a patent clerk!)... but I would assume that the European countries and the US have some sort of agreed-upon reciprocity for patents.. you honor ours, we'll honor yours..
If so, that would prevent any benefit coders would gain from re-locating, methinks..
Slashdot Mirror
It could have something to do with the ridiculous nature of this particular "science" article. Changing the Earth's orbit with an asteroid to avoid the heat death of the Sun! I mean, come on, man. That's just begging "mock me!".
For the record, I thought one of the most interesting articles today was the RSA one. And, I did post a serious message on that one.
Thbbbt!
That's a completely unfair generalization. I was stupid long before I got ahold of a computer.
Hmmm.. Pantera did the re-make and the video, but it was originally a Black Sabbath song.
Then, get in your giant guitar-shaped spacecraft and go there.
D'oh, I'm stumped! Do I still get 2 1/2 points?
I vote for California.
I was reading "Crypto", and I remember them mentioning that an older version of PGP was using a pretty weak random number generator, making it easy to guess what the supposedly random keys were.
Maybe there'll be a shortcut somebody figures out for factoring large numbers quickly into their constituent primes.. -shrug-.. more likely, somebody will find some kind of buffer overflow or cruddy random number generator, or hashed passwords in one particular implemenation of RSA..
Disclaimer: I am not a mathematician! No need to mentally bully me if I screwed up a detail!
From the article: After passing an initial test of suitability, administered by a Slashdot editor ...
Bah, silly New York Times! There's no suitability test for stories on this site!!!
Or, even if it's not rechargeable, by the time a 5-year lithium battery runs out, you're probably ready for a new $15 computer.
That may be true... *shrug*.. I keep forgetting I've got +2, I spent so long at 1... (and I'll be back there soon at this rate... :)
But oh, what a ride... burn, karma, burn.. :)
I think I've got a moderator following me around with an itchy finger on the "Overrated" trigger.
Take heart, brother. :)
Thank you, Captain Obvious. And, in other news, I predict that the team that scores the most points will win the Superbowl.
Cyanide?
Captain's Log - 1/10/2001 - 10 A.M.
* Checked air intake regulators - all normal.
* Checked heat regulation unit - replaced regulator.
* Visited by spaceship full of martians - played chess with them.
I don't know that the recent round of inexpensive space probes are anything to be proud of. How do you convert meters to feet again? Oops, splattered another better, faster, cheaper space probe into Mars.
How's that joke go? "You can have better, faster, or cheaper. Choose two."
Oh, but that my life should suck so badly.
Acutally, I enjoyed the movie, too -- although "one of the best movies of all time" is a bit of an overstatement. It was a decent action flick, and they had just enough plot to stitch it together but not get boring.
I just couldn't resist a cheap chuckle at Clooney's (sp?) expense.
Oh, and yes, the cow was cool. Thanks for reminding me.
Awwww, c'mon moderators -- I thought that one was pretty funny!
So what the HECK happened with that? Did anyone even attempt to refute the patent on those grounds?
My understanding of the RBL is that if I subscribe to it, I will not receive e-mail from any sites listed on the RBL. Sites (supposedly) get listed on the RBL because they have been the direct source of spam mail.
It sounds to me like the folks who most recently got blacklisted were put on the RBL *NOT* because they were the source of spam mail, but because they have business relationships with (or have business relationships with people who have business relationships with) sites who create spam-generating tools. Please tell me if I misunderstood.
I'm uncomfortable with the idea that the RBL is being used NOT to directly block spam, but as a big stick for bashing people for making business deals with spam-ware selling sites (sleazy as they may be). If your site isn't directly generating spam, it oughta be removed from the RBL!
And I think it's a bit short-sighted to say "big deal, *I* can't receive e-mail from x.com, so what?" If you were the site owner of 'x.com' and it was a totally legitimate business, you'd probably care a lot!
Of course, it's true, use of the RBL is voluntary. But if they keep this kind of stuff up, they may find less volunteers in the future..
I wonder if anyone's considered sort of a democratic RBL? Anyone could submit a problem site with a complaint, and a group of randomly-chosen (but trusted) people could investigate and vote on it.
Okay, I agree, sounds like you're right... I guess I'm going to have to get used to eating fish and chips and drinking Guinness...
But, it looks like there is an agreement of reciprocity between the U.S. and E.U. (along with other nations)... here's a link where they discuss it (skip down to "patent protection").
Sorry we had to drag you guys into this IP mess we've got over here..
If so, that would prevent any benefit coders would gain from re-locating, methinks..
An old college roommate had a theory that they simply put one Pringle's chip in the bottom of an empty can and sealed the can shut.
The Pringle's chips subsequently reproduce asexually. When all oxygen and space resources are consumed, they cease to reproduce.
Voila, a full can of eerie, perfectly-formed potato chips.
:)
I've often wondered since then whether that was an intentional rag on Englebert.. hmmmmmm...
And who is this Keanu Reeves-looking clown they've got starring in it??