McCain is one of the founders of this...
John_McCain@McCain.senate.gov
I like McCain. But he still deserves to get more email for being in the national public eye by running for president.
The issue of how much autonomy states have on issues the federal gov't considers important enough was settled, as the major issue, in the Civil War. The Federal gov't won.
This was definitely a somewhat silly annoucement; it sounds early. Basically though, proving that windows blows is an honorable goal.
Temporal Density is a perfectly fine unit. If you can get twice as many of these packets through the same bandwidth in a given time, you have twice the temporal density. What he's saying about nanopackets is really that he's done lowlevel work by hand to get the packets as small as possible. This is how beautifully efficient things are done.
NP is not his primarly technology. His primary technology is the methodology of the floods. He's simply claiming they are twice as fast and possibly more capable, because he's using the best possible substructure for his floods, nanopackets.
Then what he does after that is give out a bunch of things it can do, without saying HOW, either because it's proprietary or because he doesn't know yet. This is why/. eats him alive, since anything ever done without full disclosure at any time is naturally the root of all evil. (actually, antibacterial soap in the home is the root of all (some) evil. www.cdc.gov)
He did not say it couldn't be blocked, he said it worked on stealthed computers. Certainly, if a secure router routes no outside packets, ever, then there can be no TCP/IP vulnerability (except in router security, or in there being another router or takeable machine on the internal network) But a stealthed machine which at some times has some interaction with the outside world has to respond to some kind of packet sometime, by definition. It would certainly ignore ping. Whether he succeeds at this I don't know, but it certainly is theoretically possible to succeed, at least in any specific case. (and a sufficiently long list of specific cases...)
I have at least 1 issue with GENESIS, which I should probably mail to him. In principle, he seems to have found the theoretical limit of this type of security inspection (@ packet level only) and if it all works as planned, it'll be great.
But he basically needs to provide more details, or not have a press release, or at least have a higher fact/buzzword ratio.
I hadn't yet been able to see the post above, which is even more true: since they're assuming your endorsement without your consent, I'd say that's pretty bad and likely illegal, too.
I thought there was actually a law against SPAM? Since this message section is sent without the consent of the user, it seems like you'd be able to establish that M$ actually sent it. Since it does not offer a way to avoid getting the same message in the future, didn't a law just pass making it illegal, litigatable spam?
I GRADUATED from IIT. Amazingly few people do this and leave (a large number of those who do graduate seem to stay for some reason, or disappear into the military)
AFAIK, and in my opinion, it is a pretty top-rate institution, with a nearly top rate reputation. I think that degree is, and should be, as good as any other degree qualification for employment. This said I don't recommend going there unless you like pain and suffering, because in my experience they do a bad job of making a good quality of life university experience. I should stipulate that this was at least an order of magnitude less true when I left (May) as it was when I started there. So maybe it's better now... If they keep going at that rate the place would truly rock in another 6 or so years, but I think it gets harder to make that size of gain.
It is apparently at least as famous or moreso in the rest of the world, and does have a large foreign student population.
ROTC: the ROTC #s there have been in decline since 95. Army especially so. The AROTC students there tend to win a disproportionate number of awards in the Fire Battalion (IIT's AROTC program is a satellite of UIC's)
There are professors in every department who speak English natively. In the Math and CS classes I took, that only served to demonstrate that they were either incompetent or just terribly confusing and disorganized people (which I could actually tell WASN'T true of some of the people I couldn't undertand) I have a BS in Mechanical Engineering, and that department actually had many professors who spoke English quite understandably AND knew what they were talking about. Still a couple of bastards, of course, but that's life.
I should point out that some of the militarization of IIT's campus in general is due to the extremely bad neighborhoods on 3 sides (the fourth is an expressway. Across the expressway is a neighborhood that isn't too bad, as long as you are white) IIT works very hard for safety there, and does a generally good job (although changing away from the IIT Police was a bad, bad move, imho.)
IITRI is the big tower at the south (most dangerous) side of campus. It is across from some Public Housing towers. Recently there was a multiday shootout between the public housing people (across from IITRI) and the police admin building (across the other street from the PH) involving at least one tripod mounted automatic weapon in the PH. At least one security guard in the IITRI lobby has been shot from the PH tower, and I've heard rumors that there was once a grenade used. (They've improved the glass since the sniper, I'm told)
This isn't the primary security reason. IITRI does some extremely sensitive work. I strongly doubt you'll see leaked source code. A friend of mine who had classes in IITRI (doesn't happen anymore, only in the Design school) reported getting off on the wrong floor and found himself facing M16 bearing military guards.
I've also heard that on the old USSR list of what to nuke, IITRI was the 3rd ranking civilian institution in terms of importance (this obviously excludes any military institution, including any of our nukes, Crystal Mountain, and any place the pres or a successor might be, since he's the military commander-in-chief) to destroy, because of the large body of military research done there.
IITRI is basically like having Lockheed review it, except they seem to by trying to use the fact that IIT is an educational institution to add credibility. I don't think the source will get out. I do think it'll probably be competently reviewed. I don't think we'll ever HEAR about any problems they find.
I'll be happy to communicate via email with anyone interested in IIT.
I know this is an old article now, so probably no one is going to read this, but I'll hope at least someone is helped. Credit cards give you a big advantage.
This only applies to real credit cards, generally involving a Visa, MC, Disc or Amex logo, and certainly NOT involving giving away a PIN. It does include bankcards used WITHOUT the PIN.
By US law, the Credit Card company is required to refund your money if purchases you made are not acceptable (i.e. if you bought something and it was broken, you were charged without your consent OR you paid for a service which was not delivered) AND you have tried in good faith to get it fixed. So you can deny the charge on your credit card (up to I think 60 days afterward)
I live and die by my Discover Card for this reason (and the 1% back) Everything you do is protected. You have a total recourse. It is possible for them to recharge your card, then you re-remove the new charge. (Paypal makes a point of doing this infinitely, which circumvents this protection. Read those agreements!) In fact, the only recourse THEY have is to sue you, which doesn't involve your card number at all. This protection is on all credit cards BY LAW. I personally recommend Discover, like I said, because THEIR customer service has always been very good to me about this, and it has happened.
First off, it easy to get around the "businesses, no exceptions" rule. If they have a "high volume only" rule, then it's a lot harder. I'm a business - the tax ID # is my SSN, it's a sole proprietorship. It sells whatever I have on hand, and my time. Sales are low (because it only has me as an employee, and only during moonlighting hours) but profit margins are high. If necessary for a rather small fee (time) I'd be willing to send it DHL for you, using my business name, addy (mine) ph# (mine) etc. But you'd have to be paying for whatever wacky fees they charge, and I certainly still wouldn't guarantee it wouldn't get stolen. Just as easily, you really could do this yourself.
More options: first off make sure you've checked every carrier. I seem to remember a couple of other ones going there, although I've really no experience with it. Did you try USPS? 2nd: No Commercial Value - is a beautiful thing. Include a letter (preferably in Russian) saying it is broken, you thought it was a really interesting way to break, and you thought he'd be curious to look at it, from a theoretical CS point of view. That should slightly reduce mafia tendencies. Of course, you have less recourse when it's stolen.
I bet you could mail something to the US Embassy, and inside have a letter and another package and ask them very nicely to remail it in Russian mail. I don't know anything about Russian mail, but it's got a better chance of getting there than sitting on your couch. Similarly, you could ask the State Department, they might know. You can even better try this trick with anyone either one of you know who's in one of those big cities.
Next ask someone (like someone else said) who's going to be shipping stuff to Russia - find a Russian community somewhere. While you're at it, you could try paying someone to carry it with them into Russia and then mail it in the Russian mail - and just hope they don't keep it. See my story above.
Call the Russian embassy and ask them.
If the State Dept trick doesn't work, btw, a similar plan could possibly be used with a university or other educational institution - write that same anti-mafia letter, and set it up with someone by email at a university, first. Maybe paypal them some hard currency. Possibly the school he went to is in one of those big cities?
" The M-Net system remained down into July and became available only after M-Net replaced the
system's equipment. "
What in the hell did they do to make it require NEW EQUIPMENT to recover from a crack? I understand lost data, etc. I know it used to be possible to spin a HD until it blew up or set a monitor resolution that burned it out, but I haven't heard anything of the sort in a long, long time. What's up with this? Is the AG wrong? Did M-Net not know how to reinstall a system? Or is this kid really lucky or some kind of jedi master and made all the chips explode in a fiery blaze destorying the MBs?
I agree that unathorized cracking is wrong; there are also ample ways to set up practice if you really want. Cracking free sites is not only wrong and illegal, it's evil and stupid.
I was going to moderate this dicussion, but no one brought up my first point, and I'm really curious.
I know there are some sketchy things in the background about Rambus and some organization of RAM manufacturer's - but no one in the group was a consumer, everyone had their own big lawyers. Maybe this makes Rambus a little evil, but it was only possible because the other manufacturer's either had bad lawyers, or tried to get away with something.
As for now, Rambus owns the technology, they don't seem to be in violation of their contracts (or they'd be losing, not winning) and they should have a right to do as they please. THAT'S WHY PEOPLE MAKE NEW STUFF!
I'm extremely happy Rambus isn't pursuing the SDRAM market (and they don't sound like they will, but maybe they'll change their tune) and instead only the DDRDRAM market. At least you CAN still buy a decent computer cheaply, and they're apparently not even making the DDRDRAM licensing rates terribly ridiculous, or those companies wouldn't be settling so easily.
Also, they don't seem to be trying to drag out court cases or interfere with technology very much - they're getting a licensing fee for something they own (either through tech or better lawyers) and letting people continue making it and it's STILL going to be a lot cheaper than RDRAM
That said, don't buy RDRAM, it's completely not worth it and ridiculously expensive. And I completely think Intel should drop RDRAM, etc. And if Rambus ends up only being able to collect their licensing fees and RDRAM dies, I'd be happy.
then either you already knew a lot more than I did, or you didn't know enough, or you didn't read it carefully enough.
I think it is perfectly the antithesis of the PC approach to interaction, and I think it's goals of frank honesty & why it's NOT really dirty are beautiful. Every jock has mastered the first. The conservative religious and deeply cloistered respectful nerds the second. Together is a rarer combination.
I love Heinlein. His books changed my life. I idolize him. But you do seem somewhat deluded.
Early in his career he wrote very wholesome books - which were Juvenile Fiction (include Starship Troopers, which movie really depressed me) meaning they were written for kids. Which is great, especially considering the reading level is above most adult books these days. Maybe you only read his little kids books.
Later on he wrote fewer juvenile books, and more adult ones. (There is some cronological overlap between the categories. But the books are usually labeled.) These were not "wholesome" in any way. Juvenile or not was based largely on the applied themes.
I'd agree he had issues. Almost every adult contained orgies of some sort, usually with all the protagonists, and many contained various other "free thinking" sexual practices. I doubt he ever had anyone punished for incest. People who were abusive were likely to get punished, although his books were realistic enough that this didn't always happen.
But I love him. He was smart and experienced. He was dead-on about most people, imho. And he was honest about things. And I agree that he hit to the heart of a lot of people by being honest.
Another recommendation: The Sensuous Dirty Old Man, by Dr. A (Issac Asimov) I was very surpised when I read this book. I've since decided that good science fiction writers are smart and have few delusions, and that only delusions can keep you from being a sick bastard.
There are many situations where I agree the college experience is irrelevant.
There is a large class of "techies" who are "blue & white" collar workers - they primarily have MCSE or some such, work regular hours @ a pretty regular company (although they might work FOR a different one, that's virtualization) college wouldn't help them a lick in their jobs, and their path is not terribly different than that of any other tradesman, like a plumber for instance. Both are pretty well paid, both are doing semi-repetitive work, but adapting solutions to situations. The techie has cleaner hands, usually. This is a pretty good existance, but I don't want to be that person (nor do a lot of people in those jobs, I think) I want to make a difference.
I wrestled with this to some extent and here's what I came up with: College is there to expand your mind and train you how to think. If you are most extraordinary, you don't need it. But almost everyone would benefit from the experience, especially if setup correctly.
I couldn't bear the thought of getting a CS degree only to have everything I've learned by 90% irrelevant 3 days after I graduate. So I got a minor instead. If this idea bothers you, here's my recommendation if you can take it (i.e. you are more extraordinary than most, but not so conceited to think you don't need college) hard engineering. Possibly hard science. Or a strong business degree. With a minor in CS. Hang out with CS geeks, sure. But you will have gained a LOT in college. Your credibility will start high, and you'll be miles ahead of any one-horse techie.
I majored in Mechanical Engineering. I can't begin to tell you how many CS majors I know who can't figure out a regression line. So many applied math and fail-safe ideas, tested by centuries of engineering, are applicable to making GOOD technology, the exact opposite of microsucks.
And, if you ever get too old to be employed in Technology (which apparently happens these days) you have something to fall back upon.
First off, I agree with everyone else - this is a pretty ridiculous story to come out NOW.
Mage was a cool game - it came out when WW writers didn't suck, and when the majority of WW players didn't suck either, yet. (I'm aware I'm going to be killed by the loyalist goths out there - oh wait, you won't care enough to do it, because you're so sad...) I'd even still say it was worth the money - and that's rare to me.
I've been gaming since '85 or so, and it would have been earlier if I was born earlier. I've been a fixture and GenCon, I've partied with WW, etc. I have the mint original V:tM Mind's Eye Theatre box set with unbroken blood capsules. (Sign language pictures with scantily clad women are a good way to sell a game.)
To the best of my knowledge, it was a complete ripoff of Ars (I'd know more, but someone stole my copy of Ars before I'd really read it) but I'm basically okay with that - if they make better what they do. If "better" is add more vinyl and shadows, then they did. Also, the rules aren't terribly good - inventive, but not really good. A perfect GM can make this a very fun game - anything less and it is ridiculously easy to degrade, which is the major flaw in all WW games (and a bunch of others) I've seen -
"that'd be cool. Let's put it in a game! Okay! Will it conflict with anything else? Nothing I can think of right now... (of course, I'm drunk right now...)" - typical developer conversation
Now, a free-form magic system: inventive
Putting "it could be happening now" and "no one's really the good guy" (both right out of VtM) along with that magic system, pretty good, too, although a pretty predictable combination, imho. At this combination they did a pretty good job (like I said, they didn't suck then) and I think it is a worthwhile game to own - even a good game to play for an experienced GM with a mature group. I wanted to make sure this was said along with the "this review sucks" chatter.
Still though, as the life-changing event, I think it is rather shy.
I think the important thing is to keep giving people incentive to work. Original Dead Sea Scrolls - obvious no copyright.
Work inferring the difference? Sure. What to do if someone else comes to slightly different conclusion but uses his reasearch - I think that's the difference between copyright and patent - and he doesn't have a patent on his research, I'm sure. So I think this is great - incentive for his work, no barriers to future work...
Now if he actually sued people who made different interpretations of some parts but agreed with him in others, I'd be pretty pissed at him.
Taking a layout without crediting is wrong. Obscuring who did it first is wrong, and ought to be illegal. If you clearly state who did it first, I'd say you should be allowed to do it unless it also gives you problems under trademark law (basically does it confuse your customers)
I don't think proper recording of authorship and therefore credit is at odds with open source - I think it is the heart of it. On the other hand, pursuing small fish is probably worthless.
In my previous post which I suppose this should be a reply to, but it isn't. I erroniously said M$ was the bigger threat. I was very incorrect. I am not an M$ drone, or a bad AI which sniffed this passwd, or even an overpaid M$ execs mistress trying to prove her worth to get a job for M$.
TimeWarner is a bigger threat. This is not because of the DMCA (as ridiculous as it is) since, as listed above, that has self-limited evil effects. And getting a few extra bucks from every single person in the world makes you rich, but it is still limited evil, as opposed to the unlimited evil. (The M$ mind control chip in my head lets me say that because it's in a comparision. It's not that swift.)
The reason they are a bigger threat is because there is a burgeoning news monopoly which only the internet can stop. But whereas the DMCA basically restricts us to small-scale old style copyright infringment, most people still get all news from frighteningly few venues, owned by even fewer. This control is what is the biggest threat. This is also why it is better to read/. despite any false stories which come up.
It is also why it is better not to have an M$ mind control set it your head which can cause you OUCH!
Previous antitrust cases generally have made people in Bill's position RICHER in a breakup. So don't assume it'll make him poorer. I'd say it will probably be the richest course for him, actually. If *nix is actually successful at taking over a good market share in either case, he'll probably get the most money in a breakup now, as opposed to a decline.
But then he couldn't play god as much, so what fun would that be?
Does anyone know if there is some way to do a civil suit re: purjury? I know it's unlikely you could prove MS execs were lying with the criminal burden of proof, but i'm convinced you could with the civil burden of proof.
Courts hit microsoft, because what they do is wrong, AND illegal. The DMCA means what the other threats do is LEGAL. We should be worried about this, but it isn't something any lower courts could possibly remedy; changing it is Congress's domain.
I really think Micro$oft IS the bigger threat. Microsucks impedes the ability of business to get work done and computers to evolve into the power they really can be.
The RIAA's best efforts are really about keeping you from getting Brittany Spears for free, forever. I'm not in favor of letting them have their way with the law. But even if they do, it can at most apply to the artists who are with them and the media that have sufficient development to support encryption (which will always be broken by someone, too.)
Ticketmaster is evil too, and I try to avoid supporting them if possible. But I've found that I hear about more small and free shows the more evil Ticketmaster has gotten. In digital media you have the added advantage of cheap music distribution being easier and easier for independents - fragmenting their control.
Not that they shouldn't be fought. Especially the legal ridiculousness should be fought. But the reality is that the internet already has revolutionized independent distro. Therefore how evil they can get is severly limited by the willingness of good artists to continue to participate in the conspiracy vs. the ease of being a good guy independent.
Microsoft might possibly be similarly self-limited by linux, but while I want to believe that I don't yet.
Now, for my next trick, what we really need to do is create a company that does something that's going to get them sued by both the RIAA and Microsoft, or have them suing them, and where the megacorp's statements are going to be used as crossover evidence. Or maybe be able to sue the RIAA and microsoft in a single brief...
Then we'd see the money just OOOZE out of the lawyer's pockets
Then we could try to get them to agree to a "People's Court" thing, except the CEO's play a game like soccer to settle it. And the field is covered in leprous amadillos and donkey pooh. Oh and the ball is filled with nitrogylerine. Did I forget about the machine guns? And then the hydrofoil ninjas - OOPS time to take the medicine:)
As a college graduate well under 30, used to regular net access and a caffiene junky, I feel quite prepared to address this issue.
I love reading the paper (The Chicago Tribune is THE paper in my worldview) But not for news. I read the paper when I find a paper, or when I'm at my parents house, or for the comics. I go here and get NYT email every morning, occasionally I look at CNN.
Many times I love knowing what's going on. My friends and I are all addicted to the HISTORY channel. When we bombed bin Laden, we stayed up all night watching fox's coverage (fox played CNN's coverage, then Fox anchorpeople during CNN's commercials) I'll never understand why they did that, except Fox must have WAY too much money.
Plus the "US at WAR" headline was the biggest I've ever seen, 1/2 page just for that. And I got to hear a CNN anchorperson say "Wolf Blitzer will be coming to you ad naseum" REALLY! So I like news.
But life is busy, I've got things to do. When something important happens, I like to hear right away - print is too slow. But when something important happens it gets better coverage on CNN than any network (exception above) so I watch CNN. The difference is most days "regular" news show play regular stories. I find regular stories coma-inducingly boring. I don't care who slept with who, who's the most popular with 12-17 year old girls or how stars lives really are. There just isn't enough news I care about to fill a show every night unless you include depth in stories. And the people still watching it can't deal with depth of stories, only with soundbites. So I'm doubly sold out - half the news I don't want to see. The other half I don't get enough of!
At least with CNN I don't have that second problem. But with the net I have neither problem - I can look at a few headlines and go to the stories I want to read - which is pretty much how a newspaper works. I'll probably get a subscription when I grow out of being a cheap b@st@rd.
So where was I? "Kids" reading news on the net know where it's at. TV doesn't, and hasn't for a long time. There ARE broadcast news shows worth watching - they invariably center around someone with an actual opinion and backbone, and they're usually on PBS (WTTW Ch11, here) All the broadcast news I see is just a couple scanlines higher than "Access Hollywood" in my opinion.
this has got to be about the worst idea ever. At least right now I'm pretty sure microsoft won't be able to cause damage outside my computer because they didn't make it the electronic controls
An appliance from microsoft would be one of the most frightening things I can think of. Right out of some b-movie horror. Maybe it will secretly print ads folded into paper airplanes and shoot them across the house. Or maybe oscillating voltage drains to destroy non-MS-complaint appliances on the same circuit. I can just imagine a microwave with ad banners, that only works if you took the fridge from an MS refrigerator of the same generation.
Okay, I know they really mean web appliances, not household appliances (YET!) but that's scary too. The only reason to use such a thing (unless it's really cheap) is for the increased reliability and decreased maintenance of a wellbuilt firmware solution - and if there is anything MS can't do well it's firmware.
The really, really evil thing about MS is that everyone in the world now expects computers to not just be usually somewhat confusing, but also to be unpredictable irrational and unstable. Having to reboot all the time makes people hate computers, and is constantly increasing the ranks of the technophobes, when computers have been swift enough for quite a while now that they shouldn't have this kind of problem!
I'm always glad to see mainstream press pick up a positive story - other Linux companies should learn from them. Not necessarily how to make something, but how to talk to press people and get a positive impression on the FRONT page:)
Keyboards have a superior data rate & NO NET?
on
The Computer of 2010
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· Score: 1
Well, not the keyboard itself, but typing. The problem is in getting the chemical infomation to come out of the person. For text based linguistic information, even a poor typist can type much faster than most any person can speak clearly - especially clearly enough for a computer (or ME) to understand. Nothing has been found to be superior, and I don't think anything will, because our fingers are the most agile. Now the combination of this with possible foot, eye and verbal input could certainly be more powerful. There are some definitely problems in keyboard design, too. But basically it won't eliminate your fingers for anyone who cares about speed. And certainly a stylus is better for lines, and a mouse better for navigation (for now)
On to my more annoyed point - no NET? Macs already AirPort around your house without being plugged in. And if a computer costs $700 new and you remove the video, audio, input, removable media, etc, it should be quite a bit lower. And those are approximately 50% as fast as the blazing new ones... so to be conservative they're saying you won't be able to get a cheap 10 Ghz processor? Or that you'll need faster than 10Ghz to run your appliances? I don't think so. Obviously you buy one to run your house. Maybe when you bring home your computer they interface (but plugging it in is so passe') in case you made changes to what you want to happen that night, but the idea that your computer runs your house only when you're home is ridiculous.
I just got really bored with it last year, and I blame it all on WOTC. I can only hate them so much though, because Mike Selinker is a god to me.
The National Security Decision Making game is the best thing in the world, for anyone who hasn't discovered it.
If you're seriously starting another gaming company, you're welcome to email me. I profited on an invisible booth at GenCon in 1999, I've run two conventions myself, and my GM has run 2 more. I've helped debug Kenzer and Companies games and worked for them: I'm credited in Fairy Meat (along with everyone else in my group, we all helped write it)
And 2 years ago I got Shane Hensley (PEG) quite drunk just a few hours before their company planning meeting. But I've learned he was probably drunk already:)
And if anyone ever got really mad because Chthutlutulululu hit them in the head in the Hyatt Atrium, blame me.
Was there still a Succubus club?
I'm definitely going to go the last year it is in Milwaukee, and I'm going to make it seem just that much more of a letdown when they move it to nowhere.
Slashdot Mirror
McCain is one of the founders of this... John_McCain@McCain.senate.gov I like McCain. But he still deserves to get more email for being in the national public eye by running for president.
The issue of how much autonomy states have on issues the federal gov't considers important enough was settled, as the major issue, in the Civil War. The Federal gov't won.
This was definitely a somewhat silly annoucement; it sounds early. Basically though, proving that windows blows is an honorable goal.
/. eats him alive, since anything ever done without full disclosure at any time is naturally the root of all evil. (actually, antibacterial soap in the home is the root of all (some) evil. www.cdc.gov)
Temporal Density is a perfectly fine unit. If you can get twice as many of these packets through the same bandwidth in a given time, you have twice the temporal density. What he's saying about nanopackets is really that he's done lowlevel work by hand to get the packets as small as possible. This is how beautifully efficient things are done.
NP is not his primarly technology. His primary technology is the methodology of the floods. He's simply claiming they are twice as fast and possibly more capable, because he's using the best possible substructure for his floods, nanopackets.
Then what he does after that is give out a bunch of things it can do, without saying HOW, either because it's proprietary or because he doesn't know yet. This is why
He did not say it couldn't be blocked, he said it worked on stealthed computers. Certainly, if a secure router routes no outside packets, ever, then there can be no TCP/IP vulnerability (except in router security, or in there being another router or takeable machine on the internal network) But a stealthed machine which at some times has some interaction with the outside world has to respond to some kind of packet sometime, by definition. It would certainly ignore ping. Whether he succeeds at this I don't know, but it certainly is theoretically possible to succeed, at least in any specific case. (and a sufficiently long list of specific cases...)
I have at least 1 issue with GENESIS, which I should probably mail to him. In principle, he seems to have found the theoretical limit of this type of security inspection (@ packet level only) and if it all works as planned, it'll be great.
But he basically needs to provide more details, or not have a press release, or at least have a higher fact/buzzword ratio.
I hadn't yet been able to see the post above, which is even more true: since they're assuming your endorsement without your consent, I'd say that's pretty bad and likely illegal, too.
I thought there was actually a law against SPAM? Since this message section is sent without the consent of the user, it seems like you'd be able to establish that M$ actually sent it. Since it does not offer a way to avoid getting the same message in the future, didn't a law just pass making it illegal, litigatable spam?
Class-action lawsuit, anyone?
I GRADUATED from IIT. Amazingly few people do this and leave (a large number of those who do graduate seem to stay for some reason, or disappear into the military)
AFAIK, and in my opinion, it is a pretty top-rate institution, with a nearly top rate reputation. I think that degree is, and should be, as good as any other degree qualification for employment. This said I don't recommend going there unless you like pain and suffering, because in my experience they do a bad job of making a good quality of life university experience. I should stipulate that this was at least an order of magnitude less true when I left (May) as it was when I started there. So maybe it's better now... If they keep going at that rate the place would truly rock in another 6 or so years, but I think it gets harder to make that size of gain.
It is apparently at least as famous or moreso in the rest of the world, and does have a large foreign student population.
ROTC: the ROTC #s there have been in decline since 95. Army especially so. The AROTC students there tend to win a disproportionate number of awards in the Fire Battalion (IIT's AROTC program is a satellite of UIC's)
There are professors in every department who speak English natively. In the Math and CS classes I took, that only served to demonstrate that they were either incompetent or just terribly confusing and disorganized people (which I could actually tell WASN'T true of some of the people I couldn't undertand) I have a BS in Mechanical Engineering, and that department actually had many professors who spoke English quite understandably AND knew what they were talking about. Still a couple of bastards, of course, but that's life.
I should point out that some of the militarization of IIT's campus in general is due to the extremely bad neighborhoods on 3 sides (the fourth is an expressway. Across the expressway is a neighborhood that isn't too bad, as long as you are white) IIT works very hard for safety there, and does a generally good job (although changing away from the IIT Police was a bad, bad move, imho.)
IITRI is the big tower at the south (most dangerous) side of campus. It is across from some Public Housing towers. Recently there was a multiday shootout between the public housing people (across from IITRI) and the police admin building (across the other street from the PH) involving at least one tripod mounted automatic weapon in the PH. At least one security guard in the IITRI lobby has been shot from the PH tower, and I've heard rumors that there was once a grenade used. (They've improved the glass since the sniper, I'm told)
This isn't the primary security reason. IITRI does some extremely sensitive work. I strongly doubt you'll see leaked source code. A friend of mine who had classes in IITRI (doesn't happen anymore, only in the Design school) reported getting off on the wrong floor and found himself facing M16 bearing military guards.
I've also heard that on the old USSR list of what to nuke, IITRI was the 3rd ranking civilian institution in terms of importance (this obviously excludes any military institution, including any of our nukes, Crystal Mountain, and any place the pres or a successor might be, since he's the military commander-in-chief) to destroy, because of the large body of military research done there.
IITRI is basically like having Lockheed review it, except they seem to by trying to use the fact that IIT is an educational institution to add credibility. I don't think the source will get out. I do think it'll probably be competently reviewed. I don't think we'll ever HEAR about any problems they find.
I'll be happy to communicate via email with anyone interested in IIT.
I know this is an old article now, so probably no one is going to read this, but I'll hope at least someone is helped. Credit cards give you a big advantage.
This only applies to real credit cards, generally involving a Visa, MC, Disc or Amex logo, and certainly NOT involving giving away a PIN. It does include bankcards used WITHOUT the PIN.
By US law, the Credit Card company is required to refund your money if purchases you made are not acceptable (i.e. if you bought something and it was broken, you were charged without your consent OR you paid for a service which was not delivered) AND you have tried in good faith to get it fixed. So you can deny the charge on your credit card (up to I think 60 days afterward)
I live and die by my Discover Card for this reason (and the 1% back) Everything you do is protected. You have a total recourse. It is possible for them to recharge your card, then you re-remove the new charge. (Paypal makes a point of doing this infinitely, which circumvents this protection. Read those agreements!) In fact, the only recourse THEY have is to sue you, which doesn't involve your card number at all. This protection is on all credit cards BY LAW. I personally recommend Discover, like I said, because THEIR customer service has always been very good to me about this, and it has happened.
despite not being right, that is still MORE digits right than anyone else...
I forgot to say click on an article to get the error.
First off, it easy to get around the "businesses, no exceptions" rule. If they have a "high volume only" rule, then it's a lot harder. I'm a business - the tax ID # is my SSN, it's a sole proprietorship. It sells whatever I have on hand, and my time. Sales are low (because it only has me as an employee, and only during moonlighting hours) but profit margins are high. If necessary for a rather small fee (time) I'd be willing to send it DHL for you, using my business name, addy (mine) ph# (mine) etc. But you'd have to be paying for whatever wacky fees they charge, and I certainly still wouldn't guarantee it wouldn't get stolen. Just as easily, you really could do this yourself.
More options: first off make sure you've checked every carrier. I seem to remember a couple of other ones going there, although I've really no experience with it. Did you try USPS? 2nd: No Commercial Value - is a beautiful thing. Include a letter (preferably in Russian) saying it is broken, you thought it was a really interesting way to break, and you thought he'd be curious to look at it, from a theoretical CS point of view. That should slightly reduce mafia tendencies. Of course, you have less recourse when it's stolen.
I bet you could mail something to the US Embassy, and inside have a letter and another package and ask them very nicely to remail it in Russian mail. I don't know anything about Russian mail, but it's got a better chance of getting there than sitting on your couch. Similarly, you could ask the State Department, they might know. You can even better try this trick with anyone either one of you know who's in one of those big cities.
Next ask someone (like someone else said) who's going to be shipping stuff to Russia - find a Russian community somewhere. While you're at it, you could try paying someone to carry it with them into Russia and then mail it in the Russian mail - and just hope they don't keep it. See my story above.
Call the Russian embassy and ask them.
If the State Dept trick doesn't work, btw, a similar plan could possibly be used with a university or other educational institution - write that same anti-mafia letter, and set it up with someone by email at a university, first. Maybe paypal them some hard currency. Possibly the school he went to is in one of those big cities?
That's all I've got for right now...
" The M-Net system remained down into July and became available only after M-Net replaced the
system's equipment. "
What in the hell did they do to make it require NEW EQUIPMENT to recover from a crack? I understand lost data, etc. I know it used to be possible to spin a HD until it blew up or set a monitor resolution that burned it out, but I haven't heard anything of the sort in a long, long time. What's up with this? Is the AG wrong? Did M-Net not know how to reinstall a system? Or is this kid really lucky or some kind of jedi master and made all the chips explode in a fiery blaze destorying the MBs?
I agree that unathorized cracking is wrong; there are also ample ways to set up practice if you really want. Cracking free sites is not only wrong and illegal, it's evil and stupid.
I was going to moderate this dicussion, but no one brought up my first point, and I'm really curious.
I know there are some sketchy things in the background about Rambus and some organization of RAM manufacturer's - but no one in the group was a consumer, everyone had their own big lawyers. Maybe this makes Rambus a little evil, but it was only possible because the other manufacturer's either had bad lawyers, or tried to get away with something.
As for now, Rambus owns the technology, they don't seem to be in violation of their contracts (or they'd be losing, not winning) and they should have a right to do as they please. THAT'S WHY PEOPLE MAKE NEW STUFF!
I'm extremely happy Rambus isn't pursuing the SDRAM market (and they don't sound like they will, but maybe they'll change their tune) and instead only the DDRDRAM market. At least you CAN still buy a decent computer cheaply, and they're apparently not even making the DDRDRAM licensing rates terribly ridiculous, or those companies wouldn't be settling so easily.
Also, they don't seem to be trying to drag out court cases or interfere with technology very much - they're getting a licensing fee for something they own (either through tech or better lawyers) and letting people continue making it and it's STILL going to be a lot cheaper than RDRAM
That said, don't buy RDRAM, it's completely not worth it and ridiculously expensive. And I completely think Intel should drop RDRAM, etc. And if Rambus ends up only being able to collect their licensing fees and RDRAM dies, I'd be happy.
then either you already knew a lot more than I did, or you didn't know enough, or you didn't read it carefully enough.
I think it is perfectly the antithesis of the PC approach to interaction, and I think it's goals of frank honesty & why it's NOT really dirty are beautiful. Every jock has mastered the first. The conservative religious and deeply cloistered respectful nerds the second. Together is a rarer combination.
I love Heinlein. His books changed my life. I idolize him. But you do seem somewhat deluded.
Early in his career he wrote very wholesome books - which were Juvenile Fiction (include Starship Troopers, which movie really depressed me) meaning they were written for kids. Which is great, especially considering the reading level is above most adult books these days. Maybe you only read his little kids books.
Later on he wrote fewer juvenile books, and more adult ones. (There is some cronological overlap between the categories. But the books are usually labeled.) These were not "wholesome" in any way. Juvenile or not was based largely on the applied themes.
I'd agree he had issues. Almost every adult contained orgies of some sort, usually with all the protagonists, and many contained various other "free thinking" sexual practices. I doubt he ever had anyone punished for incest. People who were abusive were likely to get punished, although his books were realistic enough that this didn't always happen.
But I love him. He was smart and experienced. He was dead-on about most people, imho. And he was honest about things. And I agree that he hit to the heart of a lot of people by being honest.
Another recommendation: The Sensuous Dirty Old Man, by Dr. A (Issac Asimov) I was very surpised when I read this book. I've since decided that good science fiction writers are smart and have few delusions, and that only delusions can keep you from being a sick bastard.
There are many situations where I agree the college experience is irrelevant.
There is a large class of "techies" who are "blue & white" collar workers - they primarily have MCSE or some such, work regular hours @ a pretty regular company (although they might work FOR a different one, that's virtualization) college wouldn't help them a lick in their jobs, and their path is not terribly different than that of any other tradesman, like a plumber for instance. Both are pretty well paid, both are doing semi-repetitive work, but adapting solutions to situations. The techie has cleaner hands, usually. This is a pretty good existance, but I don't want to be that person (nor do a lot of people in those jobs, I think) I want to make a difference.
I wrestled with this to some extent and here's what I came up with: College is there to expand your mind and train you how to think. If you are most extraordinary, you don't need it. But almost everyone would benefit from the experience, especially if setup correctly.
I couldn't bear the thought of getting a CS degree only to have everything I've learned by 90% irrelevant 3 days after I graduate. So I got a minor instead. If this idea bothers you, here's my recommendation if you can take it (i.e. you are more extraordinary than most, but not so conceited to think you don't need college) hard engineering. Possibly hard science. Or a strong business degree. With a minor in CS. Hang out with CS geeks, sure. But you will have gained a LOT in college. Your credibility will start high, and you'll be miles ahead of any one-horse techie.
I majored in Mechanical Engineering. I can't begin to tell you how many CS majors I know who can't figure out a regression line. So many applied math and fail-safe ideas, tested by centuries of engineering, are applicable to making GOOD technology, the exact opposite of microsucks.
And, if you ever get too old to be employed in Technology (which apparently happens these days) you have something to fall back upon.
It's an Edge. It's served me well so far.
First off, I agree with everyone else - this is a pretty ridiculous story to come out NOW.
Mage was a cool game - it came out when WW writers didn't suck, and when the majority of WW players didn't suck either, yet. (I'm aware I'm going to be killed by the loyalist goths out there - oh wait, you won't care enough to do it, because you're so sad...) I'd even still say it was worth the money - and that's rare to me.
I've been gaming since '85 or so, and it would have been earlier if I was born earlier. I've been a fixture and GenCon, I've partied with WW, etc. I have the mint original V:tM Mind's Eye Theatre box set with unbroken blood capsules. (Sign language pictures with scantily clad women are a good way to sell a game.)
To the best of my knowledge, it was a complete ripoff of Ars (I'd know more, but someone stole my copy of Ars before I'd really read it) but I'm basically okay with that - if they make better what they do. If "better" is add more vinyl and shadows, then they did. Also, the rules aren't terribly good - inventive, but not really good. A perfect GM can make this a very fun game - anything less and it is ridiculously easy to degrade, which is the major flaw in all WW games (and a bunch of others) I've seen -
"that'd be cool. Let's put it in a game! Okay! Will it conflict with anything else? Nothing I can think of right now... (of course, I'm drunk right now...)" - typical developer conversation
Now, a free-form magic system: inventive
Putting "it could be happening now" and "no one's really the good guy" (both right out of VtM) along with that magic system, pretty good, too, although a pretty predictable combination, imho. At this combination they did a pretty good job (like I said, they didn't suck then) and I think it is a worthwhile game to own - even a good game to play for an experienced GM with a mature group. I wanted to make sure this was said along with the "this review sucks" chatter.
Still though, as the life-changing event, I think it is rather shy.
I think the important thing is to keep giving people incentive to work. Original Dead Sea Scrolls - obvious no copyright.
Work inferring the difference? Sure. What to do if someone else comes to slightly different conclusion but uses his reasearch - I think that's the difference between copyright and patent - and he doesn't have a patent on his research, I'm sure. So I think this is great - incentive for his work, no barriers to future work...
Now if he actually sued people who made different interpretations of some parts but agreed with him in others, I'd be pretty pissed at him.
And his little dog too.
Taking a layout without crediting is wrong. Obscuring who did it first is wrong, and ought to be illegal. If you clearly state who did it first, I'd say you should be allowed to do it unless it also gives you problems under trademark law (basically does it confuse your customers)
I don't think proper recording of authorship and therefore credit is at odds with open source - I think it is the heart of it. On the other hand, pursuing small fish is probably worthless.
In my previous post which I suppose this should be a reply to, but it isn't. I erroniously said M$ was the bigger threat. I was very incorrect. I am not an M$ drone, or a bad AI which sniffed this passwd, or even an overpaid M$ execs mistress trying to prove her worth to get a job for M$.
/. despite any false stories which come up.
TimeWarner is a bigger threat. This is not because of the DMCA (as ridiculous as it is) since, as listed above, that has self-limited evil effects. And getting a few extra bucks from every single person in the world makes you rich, but it is still limited evil, as opposed to the unlimited evil. (The M$ mind control chip in my head lets me say that because it's in a comparision. It's not that swift.)
The reason they are a bigger threat is because there is a burgeoning news monopoly which only the internet can stop. But whereas the DMCA basically restricts us to small-scale old style copyright infringment, most people still get all news from frighteningly few venues, owned by even fewer. This control is what is the biggest threat. This is also why it is better to read
It is also why it is better not to have an M$ mind control set it your head which can cause you OUCH!
Previous antitrust cases generally have made people in Bill's position RICHER in a breakup. So don't assume it'll make him poorer. I'd say it will probably be the richest course for him, actually. If *nix is actually successful at taking over a good market share in either case, he'll probably get the most money in a breakup now, as opposed to a decline.
:)
But then he couldn't play god as much, so what fun would that be?
Does anyone know if there is some way to do a civil suit re: purjury? I know it's unlikely you could prove MS execs were lying with the criminal burden of proof, but i'm convinced you could with the civil burden of proof.
Courts hit microsoft, because what they do is wrong, AND illegal. The DMCA means what the other threats do is LEGAL. We should be worried about this, but it isn't something any lower courts could possibly remedy; changing it is Congress's domain.
I really think Micro$oft IS the bigger threat. Microsucks impedes the ability of business to get work done and computers to evolve into the power they really can be.
The RIAA's best efforts are really about keeping you from getting Brittany Spears for free, forever. I'm not in favor of letting them have their way with the law. But even if they do, it can at most apply to the artists who are with them and the media that have sufficient development to support encryption (which will always be broken by someone, too.)
Ticketmaster is evil too, and I try to avoid supporting them if possible. But I've found that I hear about more small and free shows the more evil Ticketmaster has gotten. In digital media you have the added advantage of cheap music distribution being easier and easier for independents - fragmenting their control.
Not that they shouldn't be fought. Especially the legal ridiculousness should be fought. But the reality is that the internet already has revolutionized independent distro. Therefore how evil they can get is severly limited by the willingness of good artists to continue to participate in the conspiracy vs. the ease of being a good guy independent.
Microsoft might possibly be similarly self-limited by linux, but while I want to believe that I don't yet.
Now, for my next trick, what we really need to do is create a company that does something that's going to get them sued by both the RIAA and Microsoft, or have them suing them, and where the megacorp's statements are going to be used as crossover evidence. Or maybe be able to sue the RIAA and microsoft in a single brief...
Then we'd see the money just OOOZE out of the lawyer's pockets
Then we could try to get them to agree to a "People's Court" thing, except the CEO's play a game like soccer to settle it. And the field is covered in leprous amadillos and donkey pooh. Oh and the ball is filled with nitrogylerine. Did I forget about the machine guns? And then the hydrofoil ninjas - OOPS time to take the medicine
As a college graduate well under 30, used to regular net access and a caffiene junky, I feel quite prepared to address this issue.
I love reading the paper (The Chicago Tribune is THE paper in my worldview) But not for news. I read the paper when I find a paper, or when I'm at my parents house, or for the comics. I go here and get NYT email every morning, occasionally I look at CNN.
Many times I love knowing what's going on. My friends and I are all addicted to the HISTORY channel. When we bombed bin Laden, we stayed up all night watching fox's coverage (fox played CNN's coverage, then Fox anchorpeople during CNN's commercials) I'll never understand why they did that, except Fox must have WAY too much money.
Plus the "US at WAR" headline was the biggest I've ever seen, 1/2 page just for that. And I got to hear a CNN anchorperson say "Wolf Blitzer will be coming to you ad naseum" REALLY! So I like news.
But life is busy, I've got things to do. When something important happens, I like to hear right away - print is too slow. But when something important happens it gets better coverage on CNN than any network (exception above) so I watch CNN. The difference is most days "regular" news show play regular stories. I find regular stories coma-inducingly boring. I don't care who slept with who, who's the most popular with 12-17 year old girls or how stars lives really are. There just isn't enough news I care about to fill a show every night unless you include depth in stories. And the people still watching it can't deal with depth of stories, only with soundbites. So I'm doubly sold out - half the news I don't want to see. The other half I don't get enough of!
At least with CNN I don't have that second problem. But with the net I have neither problem - I can look at a few headlines and go to the stories I want to read - which is pretty much how a newspaper works. I'll probably get a subscription when I grow out of being a cheap b@st@rd.
So where was I? "Kids" reading news on the net know where it's at. TV doesn't, and hasn't for a long time. There ARE broadcast news shows worth watching - they invariably center around someone with an actual opinion and backbone, and they're usually on PBS (WTTW Ch11, here) All the broadcast news I see is just a couple scanlines higher than "Access Hollywood" in my opinion.
Oh, and I'll read replies, too.
this has got to be about the worst idea ever. At least right now I'm pretty sure microsoft won't be able to cause damage outside my computer because they didn't make it the electronic controls
An appliance from microsoft would be one of the most frightening things I can think of. Right out of some b-movie horror. Maybe it will secretly print ads folded into paper airplanes and shoot them across the house. Or maybe oscillating voltage drains to destroy non-MS-complaint appliances on the same circuit. I can just imagine a microwave with ad banners, that only works if you took the fridge from an MS refrigerator of the same generation.
Okay, I know they really mean web appliances, not household appliances (YET!) but that's scary too. The only reason to use such a thing (unless it's really cheap) is for the increased reliability and decreased maintenance of a wellbuilt firmware solution - and if there is anything MS can't do well it's firmware.
The really, really evil thing about MS is that everyone in the world now expects computers to not just be usually somewhat confusing, but also to be unpredictable irrational and unstable. Having to reboot all the time makes people hate computers, and is constantly increasing the ranks of the technophobes, when computers have been swift enough for quite a while now that they shouldn't have this kind of problem!
*sigh*
*sigh*
I'm always glad to see mainstream press pick up a positive story - other Linux companies should learn from them. Not necessarily how to make something, but how to talk to press people and get a positive impression on the FRONT page :)
Well, not the keyboard itself, but typing. The problem is in getting the chemical infomation to come out of the person. For text based linguistic information, even a poor typist can type much faster than most any person can speak clearly - especially clearly enough for a computer (or ME) to understand. Nothing has been found to be superior, and I don't think anything will, because our fingers are the most agile. Now the combination of this with possible foot, eye and verbal input could certainly be more powerful. There are some definitely problems in keyboard design, too. But basically it won't eliminate your fingers for anyone who cares about speed. And certainly a stylus is better for lines, and a mouse better for navigation (for now)
On to my more annoyed point - no NET? Macs already AirPort around your house without being plugged in. And if a computer costs $700 new and you remove the video, audio, input, removable media, etc, it should be quite a bit lower. And those are approximately 50% as fast as the blazing new ones... so to be conservative they're saying you won't be able to get a cheap 10 Ghz processor? Or that you'll need faster than 10Ghz to run your appliances? I don't think so. Obviously you buy one to run your house. Maybe when you bring home your computer they interface (but plugging it in is so passe') in case you made changes to what you want to happen that night, but the idea that your computer runs your house only when you're home is ridiculous.
$0.04 - Arete
I've been going since 1993...
:)
I just got really bored with it last year, and I blame it all on WOTC. I can only hate them so much though, because Mike Selinker is a god to me.
The National Security Decision Making game is the best thing in the world, for anyone who hasn't discovered it.
If you're seriously starting another gaming company, you're welcome to email me. I profited on an invisible booth at GenCon in 1999, I've run two conventions myself, and my GM has run 2 more. I've helped debug Kenzer and Companies games and worked for them: I'm credited in Fairy Meat (along with everyone else in my group, we all helped write it)
And 2 years ago I got Shane Hensley (PEG) quite drunk just a few hours before their company planning meeting. But I've learned he was probably drunk already
And if anyone ever got really mad because Chthutlutulululu hit them in the head in the Hyatt Atrium, blame me.
Was there still a Succubus club?
I'm definitely going to go the last year it is in Milwaukee, and I'm going to make it seem just that much more of a letdown when they move it to nowhere.