Having a company to blame for failure is more important than doing a good job or being a steward of taxpayer money. Using OSS would never garner any positive feedback from people who matter, while using commercial solution is comforting to the tech-illiterate.
I can understand the incentives to use commercial software in that situation, and I'd cover my ass the same way. There is no ethical obligation to risk your own ass in the workplace for no personal benefit.
If my employer does not reward intelligent behavior, MY intelligent response will be to do what benefits me the most. Fuck 'em.
Every process has collateral damage. Consider the "friendly" casualties we take in the ranks of citizens and policemen in the course of the war on crime.
I've not seen any cause for great concern with the offender databases, and even if they cost some "collateral damage" the useful tradeoff is that they allow internal exile and monitoring of offenders.
Part of having a good quality of life is being able to avoid the company of undesirables. I want to see all the threats in a convenient manner so I can plan accordingly. Sex offender databases should be combined with all other databases so those of us who choose to be innocent can monitor those who choose to be guilty.
The alternative of letting the offenders hide because a few mistakes may be made is also consent to the "cost" their crimes committed because they are untracked impose. I'll take the few lynchings as preferable.
That's NOT what happened in the posted example, and it would be perfectly appropriate to provide specific case info. I think EVERYONES criminal record should be online.
"Because the point of a penal system should be reform, not vengeance. "
Why not have both? Criminals don't reform because they like crime and will commit as much as they can get away with. Vengeance is not per se wrong.
If they want to change, fine, but destroying the worst ones shouldn't be a problem. Humans have the worth they give their lives by their actions. Rapists etc are worthless to me so I'm fine with deleting them.
"The whole point of these laws is to make you miserable for the rest of your life. If some whack-job kills you, all the better."
Yes. I think that is a fine idea. Those who cannot behave themselves in terms of not raping, etc need to be utterly broken or killed. We don't need them and they deserve zero compassion.
One dead rapist is no loss to me.
I favor the "society of hate" model for rapists and such, and would go further to offer them assisted suicide if they wish to check out. They aren't going to change, they are worthless, so why not offer them the option to self-delete?
" If you don't allow that, then how can anyone improve?"
That assumes I want them to improve rather than damage themselves. Even if their operating system suddenly became wonderful the company would still be a problem.
I don't want them to get better, I want them to screw up visibly and often.
I'm an American, and it's pretty fair to say that the average American is a bigoted, backward, religious, anti-intellectual moron. The rest of us look down on them, but there is little we can do.
The problem is they hate anyone who might try to change things, so the only way to govern them is to pander to and manipulate them as much as practical. They really get the government and President they deserve.
We need an abrupt, stressful social shock like a Depression and/or a serious war to refocus priorities.
"The second wave of mortgage failures will come in March. Once the USA sinks, things will get tough, and legislation like the above will become commonplace, even under a Democratic Administration."
Yawn. The public are stupid enough to crave the mass-produced bullshit they are threatened with punishment for copying, so I fine with things going far enough to provoke an eventual backlash.
As for the mortgage failures, that's another yawner if one is prepared to weather the storm. I followed the example of my parents who grew up in the Depression ("good time are a chance to prepare for bad times"), everything I own is payed for, and I'm ready.
When the market rockets into the shitter I'll be looking to buy land cheap.
"If you have ANY SENSE at all, you will get out of the USA as soon as possible."
May the sensitive types who spout that shit go first.:)
"I keep hearing about how wonderful Canada is, compared to their neighbor to the south, and then stuff like this happens which seems to show no regard for the common citizen at all!"
Give 'em a break. They'll never get Statehood if they don't play by the rules!
The idea isn't absurd. Tents and mosquito netting that stop shrapnel yet allow ventilation would be very useful. Tent and fabric shelters are popular because they compact well for transport and cover many square meters when erected. If a rocket or mortar goes off in tent city, shrapnel-retarding fabrics could save lives.
"These guys aren't criminals, they are soldiers in a new kind of war"
They aren't "soldiers", they are combatants, and the sort of war they are fighting is not new. The rules of war exist for good reason, and if they fail to obey them, (to borrow a phrase from another war) "sorry 'bout that".
"What do you do when you've managed to grab a a wolf by there ears?"
Your realize that you shouldn't have captured a wolf, and that lawful means of wolf-hunting exist that kill the wolf from a distance thus obviating the need for "ear-holding".
"Is paying for college for people with a C-average instead of directing them towards only vocational training--as in many other Western countries--a good idea?"
Only if you want to continue to use the trade schools as a dumping ground... There is good money in the trades, but our society despises them so we chase potential talent away from learning about them.
"I imagine building a robotic tank is considerably more expensive than building a robotic car."
Not if the tracked vehicle is from the large number of M60 tanks and M113 APCs in reserve. They are available free to fire depts for wildland firefighting conversions too, BTW.
I don't feel bad for them at all. I delete email spam yet eat a fair amount of the Hormel kind, especially the spicy variety. (Fried with eggs, crumbled into macaroni and cheese, etc.)
If anything the association keeps people in mind of their trademark. People aren't going to be turned off food by mere association with unsolicited email. I can drive down the road and buy canned pork brains at any local supermarket, which look quite "brainy" yet are a popular breakfast munch.
"If computer techs cost $80 an hour like mechanics, nobody would ever get a computer repaired."
Most machines aren't worth repairing at commercial rates. That's one reason those of us who dumpsterfish have free computers aplenty every Christmas.:)
Slashdot Mirror
"Sorry, but those are sold out. We have taken the initiative to substitute our Roseanne Barr-bot and know you will be pleased."
"People want cheap and easy."
They want FAMILIAR, which is Windows. Therefore, only more Windows will do in most cases. For Bubba, Windows = computer.
"yes, the manuals and help screens suck, so did your chemistry book."
If my chemistry books sucked as much as the "manuals and help screens", my school would have been replaced by a smoking crater...
Having a company to blame for failure is more important than doing a good job or being a steward of taxpayer money. Using OSS would never garner any positive feedback from people who matter, while using commercial solution is comforting to the tech-illiterate.
I can understand the incentives to use commercial software in that situation, and I'd cover my ass the same way. There is no ethical obligation to risk your own ass in the workplace for no personal benefit.
If my employer does not reward intelligent behavior, MY intelligent response will be to do what benefits me the most. Fuck 'em.
Every process has collateral damage. Consider the "friendly" casualties we take in the ranks of citizens and policemen in the course of the war on crime.
I've not seen any cause for great concern with the offender databases, and even if they cost some "collateral damage" the useful tradeoff is that they allow internal exile and monitoring of offenders.
Part of having a good quality of life is being able to avoid the company of undesirables. I want to see all the threats in a convenient manner so I can plan accordingly. Sex offender databases should be combined with all other databases so those of us who choose to be innocent can monitor those who choose to be guilty.
The alternative of letting the offenders hide because a few mistakes may be made is also consent to the "cost" their crimes committed because they are untracked impose. I'll take the few lynchings as preferable.
That's NOT what happened in the posted example, and it would be perfectly appropriate to provide specific case info.
I think EVERYONES criminal record should be online.
"Because the point of a penal system should be reform, not vengeance. "
Why not have both? Criminals don't reform because they like crime and will commit as much as they can get away with. Vengeance is not per se wrong.
If they want to change, fine, but destroying the worst ones shouldn't be a problem. Humans have the worth they give their lives by their actions. Rapists etc are worthless to me so I'm fine with deleting them.
"Trying to ban computer chips from reaching anyone who wants to buy them is like trying to ban corn, oil, gas, rice, or soybeans."
Those are easier to interdict because they are bulk products. A shipping container of computer parts is small and easy to send most anywhere.
"The whole point of these laws is to make you miserable for the rest of your life. If some whack-job kills you, all the better."
Yes. I think that is a fine idea. Those who cannot behave themselves in terms of not raping, etc need to be utterly broken or killed. We don't need them and they deserve zero compassion.
One dead rapist is no loss to me.
I favor the "society of hate" model for rapists and such, and would go further to offer them assisted suicide if they wish to check out. They aren't going to change, they are worthless, so why not offer them the option to self-delete?
" If you don't allow that, then how can anyone improve?"
That assumes I want them to improve rather than damage themselves. Even if their operating system suddenly became wonderful the company would still be a problem.
I don't want them to get better, I want them to screw up visibly and often.
I'm an American, and it's pretty fair to say that the average American is a bigoted, backward, religious, anti-intellectual moron. The rest of us look down on them, but there is little we can do.
The problem is they hate anyone who might try to change things, so the only way to govern them is to pander to and manipulate them as much as practical. They really get the government and President they deserve.
We need an abrupt, stressful social shock like a Depression and/or a serious war to refocus priorities.
"The second wave of mortgage failures will come in March. Once the USA sinks, things will get tough, and legislation like the above will become commonplace, even under a Democratic Administration."
:)
Yawn. The public are stupid enough to crave the mass-produced bullshit they are threatened with punishment for copying, so I fine with things going far enough to provoke an eventual backlash.
As for the mortgage failures, that's another yawner if one is prepared to weather the storm. I followed the example of my parents who grew up in the Depression ("good time are a chance to prepare for bad times"), everything I own is payed for, and I'm ready.
When the market rockets into the shitter I'll be looking to buy land cheap.
"If you have ANY SENSE at all, you will get out of the USA as soon as possible."
May the sensitive types who spout that shit go first.
"I keep hearing about how wonderful Canada is, compared to their neighbor to the south, and then stuff like this happens which seems to show no regard for the common citizen at all!"
Give 'em a break. They'll never get Statehood if they don't play by the rules!
The idea isn't absurd.
Tents and mosquito netting that stop shrapnel yet allow ventilation would be very useful. Tent and fabric shelters are popular because they compact well for transport and cover many square meters when erected. If a rocket or mortar goes off in tent city, shrapnel-retarding fabrics could save lives.
They aren't "crippled", they are "functionally challenged".
"It would have to be heavily discounted or offer some other unique novelty before I'd touch it.
--"
When users get pissed off and sell them cheap and/or lackluster sales drive the price down will be the time to pounce.
"Anyway, in my experience the people left on the airwaves are all at least 60 years old."
The barriers to entry that kept the hobby purist worked a bit too well.
"These guys aren't criminals, they are soldiers in a new kind of war"
They aren't "soldiers", they are combatants, and the sort of war they are fighting is not new.
The rules of war exist for good reason, and if they fail to obey them, (to borrow a phrase from another war)
"sorry 'bout that".
"What do you do when you've managed to grab a a wolf by there ears?"
Your realize that you shouldn't have captured a wolf, and that lawful means of wolf-hunting exist that kill the wolf from a distance thus obviating the need for "ear-holding".
"Is paying for college for people with a C-average instead of directing them towards only vocational training--as in many other Western countries--a good idea?"
Only if you want to continue to use the trade schools as a dumping ground...
There is good money in the trades, but our society despises them so we chase potential talent away from learning about them.
To heck with the malware, does this mean that executables which run in a PE environment (like that ofthe WinPE CDs..) will run with little work?
"I imagine building a robotic tank is considerably more expensive than building a robotic car."
Not if the tracked vehicle is from the large number of M60 tanks and M113 APCs in reserve. They are available free to fire depts for wildland firefighting conversions too, BTW.
"by releasing the complete "Golden Girls" archive."
:)
Fap, fap, fap...
I don't feel bad for them at all.
I delete email spam yet eat a fair amount of the Hormel kind, especially the spicy variety. (Fried with eggs, crumbled into macaroni and cheese, etc.)
If anything the association keeps people in mind of their trademark. People aren't going to be turned off food by mere association with unsolicited email. I can drive down the road and buy canned pork brains at any local supermarket, which look quite "brainy" yet are a popular breakfast munch.
"If computer techs cost $80 an hour like mechanics, nobody would ever get a computer repaired."
:)
Most machines aren't worth repairing at commercial rates. That's one reason those of us who dumpsterfish have free computers aplenty every Christmas.