Slashdot's strength comes from it's collective input, and this, being diverse and often opposed, is not a unanimous opinion. Slashdot is a respected authority on linux and some other issues because it provides a great service about these issues, and as such is influential with the linux community. For it to be influential in large-scale politics- because most issues the lobby group suggests are international- it needs to widen its readership and, vitally, maintain a high standard of input as free as possible from dogmatism and ossification. I would welcome an editorial endorsement of some political lobbyists, but stay clear of too close ties which could stifle both groups.
The British aren't ruled by the upper classes- the 'caste system' has almost disappeared, and the cabinet isn't all from Oxbridge, isn't all from a privileged background and John Major, the last Prime Minister and son of a circus performer, made his career from standing on soap boxes. Most people are middle class. Hugh Grant is as representative as Captain America.
The Secret Services have come under a lot of scrutiny following memoirs and a budget that has been rocketing despite the end of the Cold War. Read the papers. Despite a resurgence we're terrible at Cricket because it's not getting played very much any more- even in boarding schools it's usually third to Football and Rugby.
The British Government has a nasty habit of acquiescing to America, particularly when the Americans want to bomb someone. As a Nation we tend to follow where the EU or the USA leads.
Laptops belonging to MI5 have fuck all to do with British 'Old England' 'Empire' tradition beyond people getting drunk and looking foolish.
where is your university? could you take a sports sim that won't be known to your students because your country doesn't play that sport- in america, somthing like championship manager. it does have a steep learning curve, and it does take a long time to play, but it is an excellent game. it does, as with a lot of strategy games, have an element of luck which could throw your results... so if that doesn't work, try writing to companys asking if you can beta test for them
i can see what you're saying, and agree with it mostly, but i think you're missig them a little. the 'natural state' for a human is as much to be aged and frail as to be young and sprightly but still old people are healed as far as they can be of their 'old age'; this is because this healing constitutes not a 'natural state'; it would be far more 'natural' to let ageing take it's course; but because old age is unpleasant, as with skincancer... so 'heal' is a acceptable word to use.
'Ultimately, the fact music is not, and never will be, free is not due to a limitation of technology. It's because the people who make music have to eat'; we're not so far away from some point where food is not a problem, where labour is in the hands of artificial intelligence, where people may well spend all their time making music/art/sleeping and taking drugs.
'I hate this argument already. It's so clear to me now that those who insist that music should be free just haven't thought about what the consequences of that'
napster etc. is necessary as an antithesis to the situation we have at the moment, and will ultimately lead to more common sense. to say that napster has no use is to be anachronisitic, napster is a definitive part of the evolution of the net/music/something, whatever, and as such is of use, along with those who say music should be free; they're provoking debate and thus moving people forward; although people aren't perhaps ever happier than they would have been, more is achived, even if this acheivement is pointless. apologies for my incoherence, this is rushed.
try reading language truth and logic by a.j. ayer. it's awkward at first but excellent. basically, ayer rejects metaphysical propostions (i.e. those which aren't empirically verifiable) as non-sensical as they cannot be verified through experience. this is pretty much what you're saying about god; and that it's a matter of faith rather than belief. however, some aspects of god can be discussed (ayer's not as clever as he thinks); whether we can show got necessarily exists (ontological argument, god exists a priori) (we can't, but this would be an argument not dependant on metaphysics if it worked) and whether the concept of god can be shown to be logical, i.e. whether evil can be reconciled with the notion of an omnipotent and all-loving god (it can, just) and whether hell can be (it can't) and whether there can be shown to be any point in worshipping god without hell. alternatively, you can just see god as a language game (wittgenstein), but that's confusing matters.
i'm not so sure... public opinion isn't quite as homogeneous as that, these are only the first wave of articles, this sissue isn't as likely to generate public sympathy as the napster case and many others like it because most people *out there* don't know what kerberos is... and surely if slashdot loses then it'll become easier to impose censorship -if/. loses one case it won't fight many more. lots of people have alot to lose on this case, not just microsoft, and although their pr has never been immaculate, they'll find some support.
Slashdot Mirror
Slashdot's strength comes from it's collective input, and this, being diverse and often opposed, is not a unanimous opinion. Slashdot is a respected authority on linux and some other issues because it provides a great service about these issues, and as such is influential with the linux community. For it to be influential in large-scale politics- because most issues the lobby group suggests are international- it needs to widen its readership and, vitally, maintain a high standard of input as free as possible from dogmatism and ossification. I would welcome an editorial endorsement of some political lobbyists, but stay clear of too close ties which could stifle both groups.
The British aren't ruled by the upper classes- the 'caste system' has almost disappeared, and the cabinet isn't all from Oxbridge, isn't all from a privileged background and John Major, the last Prime Minister and son of a circus performer, made his career from standing on soap boxes. Most people are middle class. Hugh Grant is as representative as Captain America.
The Secret Services have come under a lot of scrutiny following memoirs and a budget that has been rocketing despite the end of the Cold War. Read the papers. Despite a resurgence we're terrible at Cricket because it's not getting played very much any more- even in boarding schools it's usually third to Football and Rugby.
The British Government has a nasty habit of acquiescing to America, particularly when the Americans want to bomb someone. As a Nation we tend to follow where the EU or the USA leads.
Laptops belonging to MI5 have fuck all to do with British 'Old England' 'Empire' tradition beyond people getting drunk and looking foolish.
where is your university? could you take a sports sim that won't be known to your students because your country doesn't play that sport- in america, somthing like championship manager. it does have a steep learning curve, and it does take a long time to play, but it is an excellent game. it does, as with a lot of strategy games, have an element of luck which could throw your results... so if that doesn't work, try writing to companys asking if you can beta test for them
i can see what you're saying, and agree with it mostly, but i think you're missig them a little. the 'natural state' for a human is as much to be aged and frail as to be young and sprightly but still old people are healed as far as they can be of their 'old age'; this is because this healing constitutes not a 'natural state'; it would be far more 'natural' to let ageing take it's course; but because old age is unpleasant, as with skincancer... so 'heal' is a acceptable word to use.
'Ultimately, the fact music is not, and never will be, free is not due to a limitation of technology. It's because the people who make music have to eat'; we're not so far away from some point where food is not a problem, where labour is in the hands of artificial intelligence, where people may well spend all their time making music/art/sleeping and taking drugs. 'I hate this argument already. It's so clear to me now that those who insist that music should be free just haven't thought about what the consequences of that' napster etc. is necessary as an antithesis to the situation we have at the moment, and will ultimately lead to more common sense. to say that napster has no use is to be anachronisitic, napster is a definitive part of the evolution of the net/music/something, whatever, and as such is of use, along with those who say music should be free; they're provoking debate and thus moving people forward; although people aren't perhaps ever happier than they would have been, more is achived, even if this acheivement is pointless. apologies for my incoherence, this is rushed.
try reading language truth and logic by a.j. ayer. it's awkward at first but excellent. basically, ayer rejects metaphysical propostions (i.e. those which aren't empirically verifiable) as non-sensical as they cannot be verified through experience. this is pretty much what you're saying about god; and that it's a matter of faith rather than belief. however, some aspects of god can be discussed (ayer's not as clever as he thinks); whether we can show got necessarily exists (ontological argument, god exists a priori) (we can't, but this would be an argument not dependant on metaphysics if it worked) and whether the concept of god can be shown to be logical, i.e. whether evil can be reconciled with the notion of an omnipotent and all-loving god (it can, just) and whether hell can be (it can't) and whether there can be shown to be any point in worshipping god without hell. alternatively, you can just see god as a language game (wittgenstein), but that's confusing matters.
i'm not so sure... public opinion isn't quite as homogeneous as that, these are only the first wave of articles, this sissue isn't as likely to generate public sympathy as the napster case and many others like it because most people *out there* don't know what kerberos is... and surely if slashdot loses then it'll become easier to impose censorship -if /. loses one case it won't fight many more. lots of people have alot to lose on this case, not just microsoft, and although their pr has never been immaculate, they'll find some support.