The selection in Canada is terrible. I hooked up a Roku box for one of my customers who bought one, and there was not one movie or show on Netflix that they wanted to watch. (I saw a few things I could have watched, but to say I was underwhelmed is an understatement) I left them exploring some of the other (free) channels that the Roku could connect to, but I was not optimistic.
Seriously though, I wouldn't bother with Netflix when I can download most any movie or show that has ever existed and keep it forever.
It also needs mentioning that not all cannabis is the same. Different strains (and even different growing and handling conditions can change it) have varying combinations of cannabinols which result in different effects. The main two are THC ("Delta 9 Tetrahydrocannabinol" and its isomers which have varying psychoactive effects) and CBD (Cannabidiol, which has more sedating effects) but there are others, less studied, that also change the effects in combination. Again, different people may experience different effects due to their own brain chemistry.
In general, strains that are proportionally higher in THC and lower in CBD content have more positive effects. Uplifting, euphoric, mildly psychedelic but less debilitating. Strains proportionally high in CBD have mellower, or even useless sedating effects if there's not enough THC. Strains that have high amounts of both are generally more stupefying.
I agree, and I like that too. Impairment is impairment... I've always said that. It pisses me off that even relatively mild consumption of alcohol or (if they can prove it) drugs results in persecution, yet someone sick, tired and stupid is just expected to "be careful" while driving.
My fear is that those sobriety tests may not really reflect someone's ability to drive, operate machinery or whatever the activity is and some people might just have trouble performing some of the tests at the best of times. Take, for example, the one where they make you stretch your arms out, then touch the tip of your nose. I can do that once, twice, thrice but the more they make you do it, the greater the chances of deviation. At that point they say "aha! this guy is impaired!" even though you just did it a few times and passed previous tests like walking in a straight line and you didn't actually show any driving problems when you were stopped.
A judge in Saskatchewan ruled against a cannabis impairment case because of that. The woman was showing no signs of intoxication (admitted to smoking marijuana earlier when asked, which was her mistake), passed most of the sobriety tests except failing a few times on that one, yet they used it as justification to escalate to a urine test, which she of course failed. The judge ruled there was no evidence of impairment and he wondered whether or not, sober as a judge, he could pass that same sobriety test. Especially while under duress.
That's a good start: It's an example that may help to establish that the mere presence of cannabis metabolites in bodily fluids is not in itself evidence of impairment.
I would think that electronic tests that better simulate the activity (e.g. operating the ski lift) would fare better. No finger pointing, no accusations, just "you're not at your best today, so we'll put you on maintenance duties". I like that part especially. Of course, someone who repeatedly lacks the hand eye coordination could be told they are unsuitable for the position. Such people (especially if they've had no problems while operating the lift itself before they started doing such testing) might raise a ruckus about the test being unfair.
It sounds like that is based on very limited personal experience.
I have been smoking cannabis for more than 35 years and it is nothing but an enhancement to me (well... unless used excessively all day or something). To long time users, it's more like having a cup of coffee than an intoxicant. While it is and we have to be a bit discrete, we don't even think of it as an "illegal drug" when we use it either alone or in social settings, but then, this is Canada where we don't believe American propaganda.
Hippies didn't necessarily die young because of drugs (at least not marijuana and not likely LSD either). There are other common factors and lifestyle choices that come into play. I have friends in their 70's who still smoke cannabis several times a day, by the way.
Most all of the harm from cannabis comes from the drug laws, and extrajudicial mechanisms that serve only to ostracize people who defy those laws. For example it is absolutely disingenuous to test urine for cannabis and use the presence of non pharmacologically active metabolites that may persist for weeks or months, to discriminate against people for employment or any other purpose. Hair follicle testing is even more sinister. They are always testing for past use. Even blood tests, while more accurate, immediate and having the possibility to be quantitative, can detect it for up to 4 days.
Funny how the harm is directly related to society. In places where it's legal/ignored and tolerated, there is far less harm than in an authority driven place like America where the public is so brainwashed that they actively participate in the injustice. You've really got to see cannabis use without the stigmata, to understand this. It doesn't affect your family either, when it's tolerated. In fact it can be a "god send" (not my words) when chosen over alcohol abuse. When people aren't punished by society for it, they keep their jobs and/or businesses, they own homes, have families, raise bright kids who go on to higher education just like "normal" people etc.
The answer to the main question in the article "Do Recreational Drugs Help Programmers?" can only be that it depends on the individual, the drugs in question and the circumstances. It is my opinion that someone who doesn't use drugs would almost certainly be affected adversely if they suddenly got intoxicated or over stimulated and tried to code. Drugs don't affect all individuals the same, either. I know some people who just CAN'T use cannabis for example.
I didn't care until I started making audio CDs for the car. I just used mkisofs and cdrecord to burn CD and DVD ISOs. I just did that at first for audio, using lame in reverse to decode to wav, then cdrecord to make an audio CD but then I switched to K3B, which saved a lot of bullshit. I link mine against ffmpeg too, for more decoding support that saves me conversion steps.
I still use XMMS for listening to tunes. It still compiles (though its dependencies like Glib/GTK+ 1.x need some patching). Nobody can take my favourite mp3 player (with ogg and flac support) away, I don't care how old it is. I do have AmaroK though, but I did prefer the way it was back in the KDE 3 days.
I use a program called X File Explorer (formerly X Wincommander in the old days) for my file manager. It uses a not so common library called the FOX GUI Toolkit though. Chances are it'll be the only thing on my system that ever uses it. (Though for a while I used an audio editor called Rezound that used FOX but it fell into disrepair and I switched to Audacity.). I'm afraid I don't like very many file managers. Konq was good, I could configure that and like it (Even that was better in KDE 3 though), but I don't like Dolphin or the Gnome file manager Snotilus (really hate), or Thunar (I use XFCE as my desktop but not that thing). I hate Explorer in Windows too and use a replacement front end, "XPlorer2"
I use Kate when I need to work with Windows text files. It's the one I trust best not to fuck up the line breaks (though my vi editor, Elvis, is good too). It makes it easy to start a new text file with Windows/DOS EOL. "Tools -> End of Line -> Windows/DOS". Kwrite used to have that (and other settings I liked too), but they dumbed it down in KDE 4. Good to hear that there's a viable Windows port. Notepad breaks shit.
For Windows I actually use a bought program called "UltraEdit 32" for text editing because I need something that isn't going to mangle Unix files. It's also a very good hex editor (you right click on any file and it will open it in text or binary mode as necessary). I've used that program since about 1995, though it was much simpler back then. My old version worked through XP, but broke in 64 bit Windows. I rarely do any work in Windows (it exists just for games), but I need to be confident that I can work on a file to be re-uploaded without breaking it and I'm used to that program.
Why? It's fine for Quake, but a video game command console doesn't help me get work done. It's more meant for typing a quick command then dismissing to get back to your game (or work in this case). I couldn't use that as an interactive terminal emulator.
Quoting myself here. I probably should have looked at it again before commenting, but it seems that Yakuake has changed a lot since I first formed my opinion of it. (admittedly probably 10 years ago now that I think about it). They don't even call it a "quake style" terminal anymore, it's a "drop down terminal emulator". I take back what I said, it's just a different style of terminal now. Kind of like using a window manager that has window "rollup" controls.
I just remembered Yakuake being very awkward when I first looked at it.
He liked KDE 3, but when KDE 4 came out he got poxed off with it. I can't say I blame him, KDE 4 was silly when it first came out. Non configurable, awkward, bloated bullshit.
But KDE 4 has come a long way since then and is a very nice desktop (I don't use it myself, but I do have it. I tend to keep a KDE environment around for some of the apps, like K3B for example, which is my favourite burning front end, and "kpdf" now built in to "Okular"
Why? It's fine for Quake, but a video game command console doesn't help me get work done. It's more meant for typing a quick command then dismissing to get back to your game (or work in this case). I couldn't use that as an interactive terminal emulator.
It's not "his way or the highway" it's his way, or he disagrees with you. He doesn't say "you can't", he says "I don't, and you shouldn't"
You're free to go and use other software if you don't like GNU licenses. The authors of the projects decide how to license their software.
Philosophy is just that... you can't always follow it in practice. I like Richard Stallman's philosophy and I think I'd like the man if I met him, but if I followed his ideals I wouldn't have much. I want more than a Yeelong netbook (open hardware and software) and I still need a Windows install for my games, for example. Even in my Linux setup that I use for everything else, I still want to be able to play music and movies which happen to be in non-free file formats so I turn a blind eye and use things like MPlayer with non-free codecs. I use the Flash player too.
The news sites want their content indexed and they don't get to dictate the terms of it. If the French try to bully Google, they'll simply decline to participate and those searching can land elsewhere. It's a big Internet, with content parrotted across the globe.
It's not really sympathy, it's just that I like good search results and aggregations, with summaries.
Summaries are fair use and if the French don't think so, they can go boil their arses in oil.
The parent that you are trying to belittle is correct. Google will just de-list the news sites. Have they not already learned that lesson, that you can't have it both ways? Ask some Belgian news publishers. They are just not in a position to play "hard ball" with Google.
The reason the news sites don't like summaries is, it gives people a chance to decide if they are interested in reading the article before they click. It saves us from wasting our time. So... my heart just pumps purple piss for them.
Americans use the threat of bureaucratic red tape and obstruction all the time, just as much as the implied threat of violence if you don't do what they want.
Add that to the list of reasons why they are disliked in the world.
I mean, even dealing with American companies is like that. Don't ever produce parts for them, for example. They'll fuck up your whole assembly line at their whims if you so much as deviate from their specifications when you shrink wrap a pallet. We found that the only way to deal with them was to take risks, juggle numbers quite inappropriately to keep things off the books until the right time (so accountants at the head office don't have a shit fit), and stock pile thousands of manufactured parts knowing that they were going to be needing them eventually. Otherwise they'd have us doing die changes multiple times a day for short runs, then inventing reasons to reject shipments when they've decided they don't want any more of those parts right now, (but want THESE ones instead) as they've changed their mind on a production run and don't want them on their floor. When they really NEEDED those parts, there was no scrutiny or tomfoolery and they wanted them impossibly fast.
Not only won't I fly there, I will never set foot on their side of the border again. (I live in the country above them and they think they can even dictate our laws with their veiled threats of trade obstruction and ultimatums). I would just never subject myself to their out of control authority. Even petty officials (e.g. a fucking toll booth operator) have authority complexes there, never mind border officials and escalating levels of various police agencies that will be brought to bear on you if you so much as refuse to comply with a restaurant employee's orders.
Windows NT based systems have come with file permissions for a long time. Remove write permissions from the user and global startup folders. Yes, all write permissions, even for the user "System" (I hate anything that uses the startup folder anyway and wouldn't allow anything in there)
Or what about programs like that "Tea Timer" (Spybot Search and Destroy) or others that block things from getting in startup? (I always thought Tea Timer to be a silly nuisance, never to be activated, but here's an instance where it would help)
Attack foiled.
Personally I am not worried about this, for I use Windows only for games. The chances of me going to a bad URL while in Windows are near zero. Besides, now that the cat is out of the bag, Valve will probably find a way to mitigate this with one of the next client updates.
So? It's still just words. If anything, Facebook could ban the jackass user for breach of acceptable use policy. If such acts are not covered by such a policy, then that's Facebook's fault.
If you're going to have unmoderated comments (e.g. a "wall" that anyone can post to), you are going to have to expect people to defecate on it. Don't play the victim card.
Heheh... when I "blaspheme" and disrespect deity figures in front of religious people and they are shocked that I would say such things, I always tell them that I do not have to fear what I do not believe and that they should also free themselves from their silly superstitions.
I am willing to defend my (non) beliefs with violence too and I don't have to tolerate shit, if I do not wish to.
I used to love to talk to kids... nowadays you're treated with suspicion for approaching them (or letting them approach you) so it's best to just not get involved. Hell, give a kid some money in a store because they are a little short of change and people think you have an ulterior motive. When I was a kid I was grateful for the older person who said "here you go kid" when a cashier was berating you for not having enough money. It was nothing to them, but meant the world to me. Or the "stoner" (in retrospect) offering me half his chocolate bar. The old man on a park bench that just loved company etc. Right now I am remembering one such so fondly I've got a lump in my throat.
It's a shame that a few sickos have induced population wide paranoia. You don't even get a chance to reassure them, because they never say it to your face. Just "come on, let's go" as they cast you a dirty look that says "freak!" and herd their children away.
I just gave the video a dislike, and then reported it as SPAM.
We could help this guy by making sure the video gets flagged by a lot of people as inappropriate. It could be flagged for both mass advertising and misleading text.
I've never had much aptitude for programming. The "programming" (code editing) I do is pretty chunky. I can look at a block of code, go find another example, somewhat understand what THAT block of code is doing and perhaps with a bit of trial and error, come up with the right thing to do. I don't understand the fundamentals. I remember being exposed to programming in earlier years and I just didn't get it. I didn't foresee myself needing it. Maybe if I'd have paid more attention to the preliminary exercises... I don't know, it just seemed pointless because it didn't make sense to me.
Yes, fair enough. I may be jumping to incorrect conclusions based on the article. "Google refuses to comment". However, IF things are how the article says, it's an evil move of Microsoft proportions. That's similar shit to what they pulled on the PC manufacturers in the 90's (not only IBM)
Google might do that, if they just couldn't get used to the idea of a free software license. They may have meant it to be a private threat (Acer bound by NDA regarding their business dealings with Google?), not counting on the other company to make it public.
Acer should be within their rights, as long as they don't use Google's logos and stuff. From what I understand, Aliyun isn't an exact clone of Android.
Ask Redhat about this... they are good sports about it and don't complain when other distributors use the source rpms (srpms, which are source code packaged up in a convenient layout, with spec files to use Redhat's package building system to compile your own packages. It's practically spoon feeding) from Redhat Enterprise Linux to make an identical distribution. Redhat is charging money for the value of the backing of a big company behind support of the product, knowing you can't take the code back once it's GPL.
Of course you can "take the source, change it as you see fit and sell it as your own" (your own product, not the source files) as long as you meet the obligations of the license (which would boil down to GPL for most of it). There is no need to italicize the word "sell" either, because free software licenses don't require products based on the source code to be distributed for zero cost.
There is nothing that says you have to meet the obligation of the license right away either, because until you actually distribute your product, you're not even in violation. After such time the bare minimum (assuming GPL) would be to honour written requests to have the source code made available. Even that doesn't have to be for zero cost.
That's an evil move of Microsoft proportions, for Google to threaten Acer like that. It's just like what Microsoft did to IBM over OS/2.
Well, simply close the port if you don't want to upload torrent data. Get pretty much any consumer grade router, turn off "Universal Plug and Play" (or disable "automatic port mapping" or whatever they are calling it in your torrent client) and don't set up port forwarding.
Alternatively, a software firewall could even be configured not to allow the incoming connections.
Most torrent clients allow you to specify a single port to use. Make sure it's not one that is being forwarded to the outside world.
You'll still be able to download (pick torrents with lots of seeders), and you'll pay the same penalties are you are now if there are any "tit for tat" schemes that you are subject to with peers or private torrent trackers. This isn't contributing, but then you aren't right now anyway.
Yes they could, and then could just consider the result unofficially, while they look for other evidence. This is the same reason I am opposed to voluntarily submitting a sample. They could retain all of that information, against their word, the law, and our wishes and use it for fishing expeditions.
I would not be bullied into "aiding an investigation" in the sense that I have to prove that it wasn't me. It doesn't work that way, it's up to them to prove that it was me. Since I had nothing to do with it, and wasn't anywhere near it, they would never set out to do that, so why should they need my DNA? I know I didn't do it and I am perfectly capable of telling them to piss off, should they suspect me for some reason.
Refusing to cooperate is NOT obstruction. They can simply move on with their investigation.
Not really a related point, but I recall in the U.S. a case where DNA evidence was used to determine who broke into a child's piggy bank and stole about $20 worth of coin. Way to abuse tax payers' dollars. Thousands of dollars worth of lab work to catch a $20 thief and it was admissible in court because the DNA matched a sample they had on record. "The Law!" is more important than life itself, to those ideological fools in America.
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The selection in Canada is terrible. I hooked up a Roku box for one of my customers who bought one, and there was not one movie or show on Netflix that they wanted to watch. (I saw a few things I could have watched, but to say I was underwhelmed is an understatement) I left them exploring some of the other (free) channels that the Roku could connect to, but I was not optimistic.
Seriously though, I wouldn't bother with Netflix when I can download most any movie or show that has ever existed and keep it forever.
It also needs mentioning that not all cannabis is the same. Different strains (and even different growing and handling conditions can change it) have varying combinations of cannabinols which result in different effects. The main two are THC ("Delta 9 Tetrahydrocannabinol" and its isomers which have varying psychoactive effects) and CBD (Cannabidiol, which has more sedating effects) but there are others, less studied, that also change the effects in combination. Again, different people may experience different effects due to their own brain chemistry.
In general, strains that are proportionally higher in THC and lower in CBD content have more positive effects. Uplifting, euphoric, mildly psychedelic but less debilitating. Strains proportionally high in CBD have mellower, or even useless sedating effects if there's not enough THC. Strains that have high amounts of both are generally more stupefying.
I agree, and I like that too. Impairment is impairment... I've always said that. It pisses me off that even relatively mild consumption of alcohol or (if they can prove it) drugs results in persecution, yet someone sick, tired and stupid is just expected to "be careful" while driving.
My fear is that those sobriety tests may not really reflect someone's ability to drive, operate machinery or whatever the activity is and some people might just have trouble performing some of the tests at the best of times. Take, for example, the one where they make you stretch your arms out, then touch the tip of your nose. I can do that once, twice, thrice but the more they make you do it, the greater the chances of deviation. At that point they say "aha! this guy is impaired!" even though you just did it a few times and passed previous tests like walking in a straight line and you didn't actually show any driving problems when you were stopped.
A judge in Saskatchewan ruled against a cannabis impairment case because of that. The woman was showing no signs of intoxication (admitted to smoking marijuana earlier when asked, which was her mistake), passed most of the sobriety tests except failing a few times on that one, yet they used it as justification to escalate to a urine test, which she of course failed. The judge ruled there was no evidence of impairment and he wondered whether or not, sober as a judge, he could pass that same sobriety test. Especially while under duress.
That's a good start: It's an example that may help to establish that the mere presence of cannabis metabolites in bodily fluids is not in itself evidence of impairment.
I would think that electronic tests that better simulate the activity (e.g. operating the ski lift) would fare better. No finger pointing, no accusations, just "you're not at your best today, so we'll put you on maintenance duties". I like that part especially. Of course, someone who repeatedly lacks the hand eye coordination could be told they are unsuitable for the position. Such people (especially if they've had no problems while operating the lift itself before they started doing such testing) might raise a ruckus about the test being unfair.
It sounds like that is based on very limited personal experience.
I have been smoking cannabis for more than 35 years and it is nothing but an enhancement to me (well... unless used excessively all day or something). To long time users, it's more like having a cup of coffee than an intoxicant. While it is and we have to be a bit discrete, we don't even think of it as an "illegal drug" when we use it either alone or in social settings, but then, this is Canada where we don't believe American propaganda.
Hippies didn't necessarily die young because of drugs (at least not marijuana and not likely LSD either). There are other common factors and lifestyle choices that come into play. I have friends in their 70's who still smoke cannabis several times a day, by the way.
Most all of the harm from cannabis comes from the drug laws, and extrajudicial mechanisms that serve only to ostracize people who defy those laws. For example it is absolutely disingenuous to test urine for cannabis and use the presence of non pharmacologically active metabolites that may persist for weeks or months, to discriminate against people for employment or any other purpose. Hair follicle testing is even more sinister. They are always testing for past use. Even blood tests, while more accurate, immediate and having the possibility to be quantitative, can detect it for up to 4 days.
Funny how the harm is directly related to society. In places where it's legal/ignored and tolerated, there is far less harm than in an authority driven place like America where the public is so brainwashed that they actively participate in the injustice. You've really got to see cannabis use without the stigmata, to understand this. It doesn't affect your family either, when it's tolerated. In fact it can be a "god send" (not my words) when chosen over alcohol abuse. When people aren't punished by society for it, they keep their jobs and/or businesses, they own homes, have families, raise bright kids who go on to higher education just like "normal" people etc.
The answer to the main question in the article "Do Recreational Drugs Help Programmers?" can only be that it depends on the individual, the drugs in question and the circumstances. It is my opinion that someone who doesn't use drugs would almost certainly be affected adversely if they suddenly got intoxicated or over stimulated and tried to code. Drugs don't affect all individuals the same, either. I know some people who just CAN'T use cannabis for example.
I didn't care until I started making audio CDs for the car. I just used mkisofs and cdrecord to burn CD and DVD ISOs. I just did that at first for audio, using lame in reverse to decode to wav, then cdrecord to make an audio CD but then I switched to K3B, which saved a lot of bullshit. I link mine against ffmpeg too, for more decoding support that saves me conversion steps.
I still use XMMS for listening to tunes. It still compiles (though its dependencies like Glib/GTK+ 1.x need some patching). Nobody can take my favourite mp3 player (with ogg and flac support) away, I don't care how old it is. I do have AmaroK though, but I did prefer the way it was back in the KDE 3 days.
I use a program called X File Explorer (formerly X Wincommander in the old days) for my file manager. It uses a not so common library called the FOX GUI Toolkit though. Chances are it'll be the only thing on my system that ever uses it. (Though for a while I used an audio editor called Rezound that used FOX but it fell into disrepair and I switched to Audacity.). I'm afraid I don't like very many file managers. Konq was good, I could configure that and like it (Even that was better in KDE 3 though), but I don't like Dolphin or the Gnome file manager Snotilus (really hate), or Thunar (I use XFCE as my desktop but not that thing). I hate Explorer in Windows too and use a replacement front end, "XPlorer2"
I use Kate when I need to work with Windows text files. It's the one I trust best not to fuck up the line breaks (though my vi editor, Elvis, is good too). It makes it easy to start a new text file with Windows/DOS EOL. "Tools -> End of Line -> Windows/DOS". Kwrite used to have that (and other settings I liked too), but they dumbed it down in KDE 4. Good to hear that there's a viable Windows port. Notepad breaks shit.
For Windows I actually use a bought program called "UltraEdit 32" for text editing because I need something that isn't going to mangle Unix files. It's also a very good hex editor (you right click on any file and it will open it in text or binary mode as necessary). I've used that program since about 1995, though it was much simpler back then. My old version worked through XP, but broke in 64 bit Windows. I rarely do any work in Windows (it exists just for games), but I need to be confident that I can work on a file to be re-uploaded without breaking it and I'm used to that program.
Why? It's fine for Quake, but a video game command console doesn't help me get work done. It's more meant for typing a quick command then dismissing to get back to your game (or work in this case). I couldn't use that as an interactive terminal emulator.
Quoting myself here. I probably should have looked at it again before commenting, but it seems that Yakuake has changed a lot since I first formed my opinion of it. (admittedly probably 10 years ago now that I think about it). They don't even call it a "quake style" terminal anymore, it's a "drop down terminal emulator". I take back what I said, it's just a different style of terminal now. Kind of like using a window manager that has window "rollup" controls.
I just remembered Yakuake being very awkward when I first looked at it.
He liked KDE 3, but when KDE 4 came out he got poxed off with it. I can't say I blame him, KDE 4 was silly when it first came out. Non configurable, awkward, bloated bullshit.
But KDE 4 has come a long way since then and is a very nice desktop (I don't use it myself, but I do have it. I tend to keep a KDE environment around for some of the apps, like K3B for example, which is my favourite burning front end, and "kpdf" now built in to "Okular"
Why? It's fine for Quake, but a video game command console doesn't help me get work done. It's more meant for typing a quick command then dismissing to get back to your game (or work in this case). I couldn't use that as an interactive terminal emulator.
It's not "his way or the highway" it's his way, or he disagrees with you. He doesn't say "you can't", he says "I don't, and you shouldn't"
You're free to go and use other software if you don't like GNU licenses. The authors of the projects decide how to license their software.
Philosophy is just that... you can't always follow it in practice. I like Richard Stallman's philosophy and I think I'd like the man if I met him, but if I followed his ideals I wouldn't have much. I want more than a Yeelong netbook (open hardware and software) and I still need a Windows install for my games, for example. Even in my Linux setup that I use for everything else, I still want to be able to play music and movies which happen to be in non-free file formats so I turn a blind eye and use things like MPlayer with non-free codecs. I use the Flash player too.
The news sites want their content indexed and they don't get to dictate the terms of it. If the French try to bully Google, they'll simply decline to participate and those searching can land elsewhere. It's a big Internet, with content parrotted across the globe.
It's not really sympathy, it's just that I like good search results and aggregations, with summaries.
Summaries are fair use and if the French don't think so, they can go boil their arses in oil.
The parent that you are trying to belittle is correct. Google will just de-list the news sites. Have they not already learned that lesson, that you can't have it both ways? Ask some Belgian news publishers. They are just not in a position to play "hard ball" with Google.
The reason the news sites don't like summaries is, it gives people a chance to decide if they are interested in reading the article before they click. It saves us from wasting our time. So... my heart just pumps purple piss for them.
Americans use the threat of bureaucratic red tape and obstruction all the time, just as much as the implied threat of violence if you don't do what they want.
Add that to the list of reasons why they are disliked in the world.
I mean, even dealing with American companies is like that. Don't ever produce parts for them, for example. They'll fuck up your whole assembly line at their whims if you so much as deviate from their specifications when you shrink wrap a pallet. We found that the only way to deal with them was to take risks, juggle numbers quite inappropriately to keep things off the books until the right time (so accountants at the head office don't have a shit fit), and stock pile thousands of manufactured parts knowing that they were going to be needing them eventually. Otherwise they'd have us doing die changes multiple times a day for short runs, then inventing reasons to reject shipments when they've decided they don't want any more of those parts right now, (but want THESE ones instead) as they've changed their mind on a production run and don't want them on their floor. When they really NEEDED those parts, there was no scrutiny or tomfoolery and they wanted them impossibly fast.
Not only won't I fly there, I will never set foot on their side of the border again. (I live in the country above them and they think they can even dictate our laws with their veiled threats of trade obstruction and ultimatums). I would just never subject myself to their out of control authority. Even petty officials (e.g. a fucking toll booth operator) have authority complexes there, never mind border officials and escalating levels of various police agencies that will be brought to bear on you if you so much as refuse to comply with a restaurant employee's orders.
In actual fact, that's quite rare in piracy circles, so cut out the FUD. These groups crack programs with pride.
Windows NT based systems have come with file permissions for a long time. Remove write permissions from the user and global startup folders. Yes, all write permissions, even for the user "System" (I hate anything that uses the startup folder anyway and wouldn't allow anything in there)
Or what about programs like that "Tea Timer" (Spybot Search and Destroy) or others that block things from getting in startup? (I always thought Tea Timer to be a silly nuisance, never to be activated, but here's an instance where it would help)
Attack foiled.
Personally I am not worried about this, for I use Windows only for games. The chances of me going to a bad URL while in Windows are near zero. Besides, now that the cat is out of the bag, Valve will probably find a way to mitigate this with one of the next client updates.
So? It's still just words. If anything, Facebook could ban the jackass user for breach of acceptable use policy. If such acts are not covered by such a policy, then that's Facebook's fault.
If you're going to have unmoderated comments (e.g. a "wall" that anyone can post to), you are going to have to expect people to defecate on it. Don't play the victim card.
I can truthfully say that no religion is better than yours :-)
Heheh... when I "blaspheme" and disrespect deity figures in front of religious people and they are shocked that I would say such things, I always tell them that I do not have to fear what I do not believe and that they should also free themselves from their silly superstitions.
I am willing to defend my (non) beliefs with violence too and I don't have to tolerate shit, if I do not wish to.
I used to love to talk to kids... nowadays you're treated with suspicion for approaching them (or letting them approach you) so it's best to just not get involved. Hell, give a kid some money in a store because they are a little short of change and people think you have an ulterior motive. When I was a kid I was grateful for the older person who said "here you go kid" when a cashier was berating you for not having enough money. It was nothing to them, but meant the world to me. Or the "stoner" (in retrospect) offering me half his chocolate bar. The old man on a park bench that just loved company etc. Right now I am remembering one such so fondly I've got a lump in my throat.
It's a shame that a few sickos have induced population wide paranoia. You don't even get a chance to reassure them, because they never say it to your face. Just "come on, let's go" as they cast you a dirty look that says "freak!" and herd their children away.
I just gave the video a dislike, and then reported it as SPAM.
We could help this guy by making sure the video gets flagged by a lot of people as inappropriate. It could be flagged for both mass advertising and misleading text.
I've never had much aptitude for programming. The "programming" (code editing) I do is pretty chunky. I can look at a block of code, go find another example, somewhat understand what THAT block of code is doing and perhaps with a bit of trial and error, come up with the right thing to do. I don't understand the fundamentals. I remember being exposed to programming in earlier years and I just didn't get it. I didn't foresee myself needing it. Maybe if I'd have paid more attention to the preliminary exercises... I don't know, it just seemed pointless because it didn't make sense to me.
So basically, without examples, I'm fucked.
Yes, fair enough. I may be jumping to incorrect conclusions based on the article. "Google refuses to comment". However, IF things are how the article says, it's an evil move of Microsoft proportions. That's similar shit to what they pulled on the PC manufacturers in the 90's (not only IBM)
Google might do that, if they just couldn't get used to the idea of a free software license. They may have meant it to be a private threat (Acer bound by NDA regarding their business dealings with Google?), not counting on the other company to make it public.
Acer should be within their rights, as long as they don't use Google's logos and stuff. From what I understand, Aliyun isn't an exact clone of Android.
Ask Redhat about this... they are good sports about it and don't complain when other distributors use the source rpms (srpms, which are source code packaged up in a convenient layout, with spec files to use Redhat's package building system to compile your own packages. It's practically spoon feeding) from Redhat Enterprise Linux to make an identical distribution. Redhat is charging money for the value of the backing of a big company behind support of the product, knowing you can't take the code back once it's GPL.
Whoosh? (I was hoping you're being sarcastic)
Of course you can "take the source, change it as you see fit and sell it as your own" (your own product, not the source files) as long as you meet the obligations of the license (which would boil down to GPL for most of it). There is no need to italicize the word "sell" either, because free software licenses don't require products based on the source code to be distributed for zero cost.
There is nothing that says you have to meet the obligation of the license right away either, because until you actually distribute your product, you're not even in violation. After such time the bare minimum (assuming GPL) would be to honour written requests to have the source code made available. Even that doesn't have to be for zero cost.
That's an evil move of Microsoft proportions, for Google to threaten Acer like that. It's just like what Microsoft did to IBM over OS/2.
Well, simply close the port if you don't want to upload torrent data. Get pretty much any consumer grade router, turn off "Universal Plug and Play" (or disable "automatic port mapping" or whatever they are calling it in your torrent client) and don't set up port forwarding.
Alternatively, a software firewall could even be configured not to allow the incoming connections.
Most torrent clients allow you to specify a single port to use. Make sure it's not one that is being forwarded to the outside world.
You'll still be able to download (pick torrents with lots of seeders), and you'll pay the same penalties are you are now if there are any "tit for tat" schemes that you are subject to with peers or private torrent trackers. This isn't contributing, but then you aren't right now anyway.
ftp.mozilla.org uses "round robbin" style mirroring. You connect to that host, and it automatically directs you to an ftp server.
That's how I do it, anyway:
230 Login successful. /pub/firefox/releases/15.0.1/win32/en-US
Remote system type is UNIX.
Using binary mode to transfer files.
ftp> cd
250 Directory successfully changed.
ftp> ls
200 PORT command successful. Consider using PASV.
150 Here comes the directory listing.
-rw-r--r-- 1 ftp ftp 17790056 Sep 05 18:41 Firefox Setup 15.0.1.exe
-rw-r--r-- 1 ftp ftp 189 Sep 05 18:41 Firefox Setup 15.0.1.exe.asc
226 Directory send OK.
ftp> get "Firefox Setup 15.0.1.exe"
local: Firefox Setup 15.0.1.exe remote: Firefox Setup 15.0.1.exe
200 PORT command successful. Consider using PASV.
150 Opening BINARY mode data connection for Firefox Setup 15.0.1.exe (17790056 bytes).
226 Transfer complete.
17790056 bytes received in 4.45 secs (3.9e+03 Kbytes/sec)
ftp> bye
221 Goodbye.
Yes they could, and then could just consider the result unofficially, while they look for other evidence. This is the same reason I am opposed to voluntarily submitting a sample. They could retain all of that information, against their word, the law, and our wishes and use it for fishing expeditions.
I would not be bullied into "aiding an investigation" in the sense that I have to prove that it wasn't me. It doesn't work that way, it's up to them to prove that it was me. Since I had nothing to do with it, and wasn't anywhere near it, they would never set out to do that, so why should they need my DNA? I know I didn't do it and I am perfectly capable of telling them to piss off, should they suspect me for some reason.
Refusing to cooperate is NOT obstruction. They can simply move on with their investigation.
Not really a related point, but I recall in the U.S. a case where DNA evidence was used to determine who broke into a child's piggy bank and stole about $20 worth of coin. Way to abuse tax payers' dollars. Thousands of dollars worth of lab work to catch a $20 thief and it was admissible in court because the DNA matched a sample they had on record. "The Law!" is more important than life itself, to those ideological fools in America.