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User: joshsisk

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Comments · 1,394

  1. Re:Manufacturers bear the costs? on HP Wants Manufacturers To Bear PC Disposal Costs · · Score: 2, Insightful

    So you think people will take an hour of their own time to take their PC down to the special PC recycling center just to get $5-$10??

    Uh, no. I think _businesses_ (who use and dispose of the most computers) will do one of these things:

    1) donate their computers to thrift stores or schools en masse, as many do now, who will then use them if they are useful, or recycle them and get the money if they are useless. The thrift store by my house has literally hundreds of junked computers and monitors - maybe thousands.

    2) let them pile up in storage until they have a truckload. Then they'll have one employee spend 4 hours to make $1000. Much more efficient than spending 1 hour to make $5 or ten.

    3) Sell the computers to companies who buy computers for half the recycling price, then take them to the centers and get the full recycling value. If they actually did start giving $10 recycling deposits back when you recycle a computer, I'd definitely start a business like this. Sounds like a moneymaker.

    4) just keep throwing them away.

    Since most businesses do either 1 or 4 right now, the addition of other options could only be good, in my mind. Especially since, in #1, the burden of disposing of the computers is simply shifted from the business to the charity group or school.

    As far as individuals go, I'd bet that places like CompUSA would start their own recycling center drop-offs (operating on the same lines as option #3 above). People would be more likely to drop a computer off at CompUSA when they were going shopping than they would be to go to a recycling center - even if CompUSA was pocketing half their refund.

  2. Re:That sucks on HP Wants Manufacturers To Bear PC Disposal Costs · · Score: 1

    If hazardous material is improperly disposed of and ends up in a landfill, then the government goes in and declares that landfill a Superfund site, whose money do you think pays for that?

    Sure, one monitor won't make a landfill hazardous, but if enough people are improperly disposing of hazardous materials, it will add up. Ever looked at the list of Superfund sites? There are a pretty good amount of landfills on there. And again, who pays to clean those sites? You, me and everyone else, that's who.

  3. Re:That sucks on HP Wants Manufacturers To Bear PC Disposal Costs · · Score: 1

    And I suppose that you are under the mistaken impression that the business does not pay to have that dumpster emptied?
    Try not paying your garbage collection bills, see how quickly your old PC stays right where you left it.


    First, please note the phrase that I used in my comment "many businesses just throw their computers into the standard garbage, thus avoiding any special waste disposal fees and putting the burden on everyone as opposed to specifically paying the cost themselves".

    In many states (maybe all, I have no idea), you are not allowed to dispose of certain items (tires, car batteries, computer monitors) in the regular trash. If you throw them in your regular trash, you are circumventing the extra fees you are _supposed_ to pay to have those specialty items disposed of.

    For example, I pay a nominal fee to have my garbage hauled off. But if I want to throw away certain items, I have to call a number and arrange for a pick up. They come and pick up the items and that month, I get charged extra for the special item disposal. Of course, many people just put these special items in regular garbage bags and avoid the extra fee.

    The people that do this are thus placing the burden on everyone, since they are avoiding the extra cost that their trash incurs. If nothing else, they are making the cost of running the specialty item pickup service be more expensive for those who follow the rules.

    Even if you were correct, why would this only apply to computers? Why not ALL garbage?

    I never said it shouldn't apply to all garbage. At least, all garbage that can't simply be placed in a landfill.

  4. Re:Recycling on HP Wants Manufacturers To Bear PC Disposal Costs · · Score: 1

    The costs for disposal already come out of the consumer's pocket, but they come out of EVERYONE's pocket, not the pocket of the people actually buying the product. If my town has to pay extra to get hazardous material removed from landfill, MY taxes go up even if I didn't put any of that material there.

  5. Re:Manufacturers bear the costs? on HP Wants Manufacturers To Bear PC Disposal Costs · · Score: 1

    Well, no, Americans aren't. But people are suffering the exact symptoms you describe due to discarded computers.

  6. Re:Manufacturers bear the costs? on HP Wants Manufacturers To Bear PC Disposal Costs · · Score: 1

    Here's a thought: disallow putting old computers in municipal dump heaps, classifying them as hazardous waste that must be handled separately. Oh wait, most states and communities are already doing that. What was the problem again? Oh, none? Okay then.

    The problem is that people don't do this. They just throw them away with the normal trash. If you got $5 or $10 for turning it in to a recycling center though, you'd be way more likely to dispose of it properly.

  7. Re:That sucks on HP Wants Manufacturers To Bear PC Disposal Costs · · Score: 1

    See my above response. Most business I have worked for just throw computer equipment away with the regular trash, in the same dumpster, in the same bags. If you think someone digs through all the trash to see what needs special disposal, you're crazy.

  8. Re:That sucks on HP Wants Manufacturers To Bear PC Disposal Costs · · Score: 1

    Well, first off - businesses are taxpayers. And many businesses just throw their computers into the standard garbage, thus avoiding any special waste disposal fees and putting the burden on everyone as opposed to specifically paying the cost themselves.

    Every business I've worked at until the current one disposed of junk computer equipment by putting it in garbage bags and then placing it in the dumpster to be taken, I assume, to a landfill. This is against the law, I'm sure (since I know I'm not allowed to throw items like computer monitors away in my home trash), but they do it anyway.

  9. Re:Spaced out? on Spielberg's Taken · · Score: 3, Informative

    I think he means we wishes that there was more space between episodes. As in, once a week for ten weeks as opposed to every day for ten days.

  10. Re:i can't believe it on Spielberg's Taken · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Unless he is in a neilson family, no one can tell if he watches the commercials or not...

  11. Re:not removable on PS2 Gets A Working Divx Player · · Score: 1

    Duh. Move it next to the computer, hook it it to the network and a smaller TV or TV tuner card, copy all the DivX files you want to the PS2 hard drive, unhook it from the network, move it back to the tv room, hook it up to the big TV. Now the DivX files are on the PS2 even though their is no network cable in the TV room.

    It amazes me how some people need every little detail spelled out for them.

  12. Re:not removable on PS2 Gets A Working Divx Player · · Score: 2, Insightful

    And if your PC is not in the same room as your PS2, and you can't pull CAT5 cable through your walls (either you don't own your home or bringing the rest of your wiring up to the current code is prohibitively expensive), then what do you do?

    I dunno, get a wireless router? Run the cable along the hallway? Move the lightweight playstation?

    Seriously, if you are geeky enough to have the Linux add-on for the PS2, you probably also have it connected to your home network.

  13. Re:not removable on PS2 Gets A Working Divx Player · · Score: 1

    But how do you get things on and off that hard drive?

    The network connector?

  14. Re:Diesel Cars on 239 MPG Car · · Score: 2, Interesting

    My dad has a small diesel truck (Izuzu?). He's had it for twenty or so years. Everything on it is broken _except_ for the engine... Wipers, heater, radio, all broken. Still drives, though, and still gets good mileage, too. My mom pleads with him to get a new truck, but he won't. He says the engine is so simple compared to new engines that it will never go out.

    Incidentally, he gets these offers occasionally to sell it to a company in Brazil who wants more of that same model truck to use in the rain forest. Very odd.

  15. Re:uh, so what? on Time Warner Properties May Only Be Available Through AOL · · Score: 1

    It's not that odd - I didn't own a TV for a good while. I do now, though.

  16. Re:Risks on Time Warner Properties May Only Be Available Through AOL · · Score: 1

    Isn't AOL only like $20-25 a month?

  17. Re:Square Enix on new platforms... on Square To Merge With Enix · · Score: 1

    Considering the fact that the Xbox isn't selling well in Japan, anything but ports seem unlikely. But who knows.

  18. Re:Hopefully this means.. on Square To Merge With Enix · · Score: 1

    Huh? You said "Hopefully this means... ..Square RPG's on other systems besides Sony."

    What does the fact that Nintendo is giving them money have to do with it? There still will be a Square RPG on an other system besides Sony.

  19. Re:Did you read the article ? on Square To Merge With Enix · · Score: 1

    Enix outsells Square in Japan.

  20. Re:woah! why? on Square To Merge With Enix · · Score: 1

    Uh, no. Square was having money issues. Huge ones.

  21. Re:Who knew . . . on Square To Merge With Enix · · Score: 1

    (not to mention their movie)

    Their movie is the reason for this merger, I'm sure - they lost tens of millions, if not more, on that ill-concieved venture.

  22. Re:Distributed Computing Asteroid Project on Stopping Killer Asteroids · · Score: 1

    No one has to say it's a good suggestion, it is by itself, a good suggestion. This cannot be disputed.

    Huh? I could say the same thing about my suggestion... Anyone can _say_ they are making a good suggestion, but that doesn't make it so... If it did, all suggestions would be good - which isn't the case.

    A distributed computing client is needed in order to take another possible measure to protect ourselves against this happening again. If you disagree, that's your opinion, but it is one lone voice crying out for the sake of hearing itself.

    Well, I think there are more people who aren't interested in a distributed computing project to detect asteroids than there are people crying out for one, first of all. This can be proven by the fact that it doesn't exist. If everyone but me wanted it, I'd imagine that we would already have it.

    Also, recent news has pointed out (Asteroid impact factor less than thought: scientists, Asteroid threat reassessed) that the risk of an asteroid hitting is less likely than we used to think. And remeber that we thought it was pretty unlikely in the first place.

    It sounds to me that you, like many, are making too much of this threat, which drums up hysteria for nothing, much like with Y2K. People wasted a lot of time (and money) worrying about nothing then - this asteroid hullabaloo seems like a repeat to me. A lot of actual experts on the topic (of which I am not, and I doubt you are, either) seem to think so as well.

    So let's make more distributed computing projects for other things, too, including asteroid detection. There's enough PCs in the world to handle all these projects nicely.

    Unless I'm wrong, you _yourself_ asked why we waste computing power on something that is unlikely to get results, such as seti@home. (Or am I attributing another AC's comment to you?) If there are enough PCs in the world to do everything, why complain that people waste computing power on Seti@home?

    There may be enough PCs out there- I don't know about that, but I doubt it- but are there enough people willing or able to join in on every project? It seems there is a limited pool of people who understand what distributed computing is and will join in projects, at least without some sort of campaign to recruit more.

    A lot of experts think an asteroid hit is almost as unlikely as us discovering alien life. So why not spend our limited resources research on more timely, and pressing issues?

    You're arguing for the sake of arguing. I should really stop feeding the trolls.

    I'm arguing because I have an opinion. If it offends you that someone might have an opinion that differs from yours (and is willing to voice it), I suggest you avoid posting in public forums - especially forums as rife with conflicting opinions as this one.

    As far as me being a troll, the "troll card" just seems like something someone pulls out when they feel like trying to discredit someone's opinion. Note that I'm posting with my real name while you are both anonymous _and_ insisting on using an annoying bold tag on all your comments (which implies that you feel your comments are more worthy of being read than everyone else's, but are at the same hesitant to commit yourself to them). Also, I have not made any antagonizing or dismissive comments about you, while you have dismissed mine as noise for the sake of noise, among other things...

    If you want to discuss this, fine, but stop whining about trolls.

  23. Re:really, now.... on Farscape Fans Produce Commercial · · Score: 1

    bah, it amazes me how many people know absolutely nothing about ad insertion...

    Why on Earth would anyone (who doesn't work in a related industry) know _anything_ about ad insertion?

  24. Re:Why was the show canceled? on Farscape Fans Produce Commercial · · Score: 1

    Well, really, would _you_ like something that you couldn't understand?

  25. Re:Why was the show canceled? on Farscape Fans Produce Commercial · · Score: 1

    But does SG-1 have more viewers? Which would mean higher ad rates, which would make the larger investment sensible...