I know this is a bizarre comment and I next to nothing about japanese culture, so I could be wrong on this..... but I've read that, despite freely allowing violently sexual comics and cartoons, "escort" services and graphic sex clubs in their big cities, the japanese have (by all accounts and law systems) a much, much lower rate of sexual/domestic crime than North Americans.
IMHO, the sad reality of this is that we will never understand. "Why?" is a fundamentally human question, but one that cannot always be answered. These boys were obviously sick, and rational people will not be able to comprehend their motivations. That's why its the fault of the Internet.......or Doom, neo-nazism, geek culture, goth culture, competition and pressures in US schools, Marilyn Manson, Rammstein, television, racism, the US gun laws, movies like Natural Born Killers, Kosovo, bisexuals, the books they read, black trench coats, teachers, the kids that teased them, their parents, the food they ate etc. I'm surprised I haven't seen a talking head trying to blame the real mafia yet. The fact is large-scale school violence can happen anywhere - Dublane, Scotland or Montreal, Canada or in South Africa (watch the news this morning!) I don't have any easy answers and neither does the Christian Right or angry, frightened parents or censors or the NRA or psychatrists or journalists.
It's embarrassing that you two would suggest that only women buy iMacs and for one of two reasons: a) 'cause they're technically illiterate and unable to setup their own machines. b) 'cause, like babies, they're attracted to pretty colours. I only know five people who own iMacs and all of them are middle-aged men. Comon guys, women may be a minority here, but that doesn't mean you can get away with this kind of talk. And if YOUR mothers/girlfriends/girl friends can't setup a computer, why not spend the time teaching them instead of helping them take the easy way out?
This is just a thought, but I believe the arrogance stems from the heady rocket-ride to power geeks have had over the past couple years. In the past, people who were technically-inclined were portayed in the media etc. as societal rejects - unnaturally-pale basement dwellers with tape on their glasses. Suddenly, in true "Revenge of the Nerds" style, the technical skills these people possessed became valuable and even, dare I say it, hip.
Frequently, an ascent to power breeds arrogance, particularly in people who have never sniffed mainstream popularity before. It's true that knowledgable techies should have a reason to be proud of themselves and confidant in their skills. But arrogance and confidence are not one and the same. You don't have to be bossy or disdainful to lead people and you don't have to act like you know it all to prove you know what you're doing(look at Linus!). Geeks would do well to remember what it feels like to be stepped on and/or dismissed.
What does everything think? Am I even vaguely on the right track here?
it would seem to me that he certainly does know what it is and what it does.
The router determines what route packets should take. It doesn't determine what "r-ow!-te". Al Gore may have claimed he invented the Internet but at least he didn't claim he invented the English language. That's a popular American mistake......
I'm not particularly religious, but I am just wondering what the religion-is-for-users people are going to do when your computer skills/interests become out-dated. Sure, the earth has been around for millions of years, and organized religions are barely a blip on the screen of Time (whoa, how stale and convoluted a metaphor was that?:). But if time is the test of authenticity, how valid is computer/cyber culture? One day this is all going to be old and outdated and we'll be videoconferencing with our supersmart grandkids, boring them with stories about how spiritual the opensource movement was. And as for this-is-our-club-you-can't-join snobbiness and we-own-the-earth arrogance, I've noticed that a lot of Linux'ers are as prone to that as Christians!:)
In short, I love slashdot and what it stands for. I love that open source exists. I am not a coder, or a hacker. I'm almost a tinkerer. But I think that slashdot is still the most important site on the web right now. Does that make sense?
I think it makes perfect sense. I resent people who want to make slashdot into some sort of 1950s Country Club for uber-geeks. But I still read their comments. It's the variety and the spirit that makes this site valuable to me and I think you expressed a similar view nicely in the paragraph above. Thanks!
As much as the flames concern me, I am equally concerned by the number of Jon-ites who dismiss arguments against Katz as being written by rude teenagers. Last time I checked, stupidity wasn't limited to the young. Swearing, acne-covered skateboarders/geeks ARE surely part of this community, but they can't take the blame for every idiotic post bashing an old geezer!
Slashdot Mirror
I believe 14 women, all young engineers were killed, the "14 Not Forgotten".
I know this is a bizarre comment and I next to nothing about japanese culture, so I could be wrong on this..... but I've read that, despite freely allowing violently sexual comics and cartoons, "escort" services and graphic sex clubs in their big cities, the japanese have (by all accounts and law systems) a much, much lower rate of sexual/domestic crime than North Americans.
IMHO, the sad reality of this is that we will never understand. "Why?" is a fundamentally human question, but one that cannot always be answered. These boys were obviously sick, and rational people will not be able to comprehend their motivations. That's why its the fault of the Internet.......or Doom, neo-nazism, geek culture, goth culture, competition and pressures in US schools, Marilyn Manson, Rammstein, television, racism, the US gun laws, movies like Natural Born Killers, Kosovo, bisexuals, the books they read, black trench coats, teachers, the kids that teased them, their parents, the food they ate etc. I'm surprised I haven't seen a talking head trying to blame the real mafia yet. The fact is large-scale school violence can happen anywhere - Dublane, Scotland or Montreal, Canada or in South Africa (watch the news this morning!) I don't have any easy answers and neither does the Christian Right or angry, frightened parents or censors or the NRA or psychatrists or journalists.
It's embarrassing that you two would suggest that only women buy iMacs and for one of two reasons:
a) 'cause they're technically illiterate and unable to setup their own machines.
b) 'cause, like babies, they're attracted to pretty colours.
I only know five people who own iMacs and all of them are middle-aged men. Comon guys, women may be a minority here, but that doesn't mean you can get away with this kind of talk. And if YOUR mothers/girlfriends/girl friends can't setup a computer, why not spend the time teaching them instead of helping them take the easy way out?
This is just a thought, but I believe the arrogance stems from the heady rocket-ride to power geeks have had over the past couple years. In the past, people who were technically-inclined were portayed in the media etc. as societal rejects - unnaturally-pale basement dwellers with tape on their glasses. Suddenly, in true "Revenge of the Nerds" style, the technical skills these people possessed became valuable and even, dare I say it, hip.
Frequently, an ascent to power breeds arrogance, particularly in people who have never sniffed mainstream popularity before. It's true that knowledgable techies should have a reason to be proud of themselves and confidant in their skills. But arrogance and confidence are not one and the same. You don't have to be bossy or disdainful to lead people and you don't have to act like you know it all to prove you know what you're doing(look at Linus!). Geeks would do well to remember what it feels like to be stepped on and/or dismissed.
What does everything think? Am I even vaguely on the right track here?
Are you American?
it would seem to me that he certainly does know what it is and what it does.
The router determines what route packets should take. It doesn't determine what "r-ow!-te". Al Gore may have claimed he invented the Internet but at least he didn't claim he invented the English language. That's a popular American mistake......
Are there enough "true liberals" left in the United States to make a difference to Gore?
I doubt you'll be painted with the same brush as Rob, but that's probably unfortunate for you. Rob has a sense of humor. You're anal retentive :)
I'm not particularly religious, but I am just wondering what the religion-is-for-users people are going to do when your computer skills/interests become out-dated. Sure, the earth has been around for millions of years, and organized religions are barely a blip on the screen of Time (whoa, how stale and convoluted a metaphor was that?:). But if time is the test of authenticity, how valid is computer/cyber culture? One day this is all going to be old and outdated and we'll be videoconferencing with our supersmart grandkids, boring them with stories about how spiritual the opensource movement was. And as for this-is-our-club-you-can't-join snobbiness and we-own-the-earth arrogance, I've noticed that a lot of Linux'ers are as prone to that as Christians! :)
In short, I love slashdot and what it stands for. I love that open source exists. I am not a coder, or a hacker. I'm almost a tinkerer. But I think that slashdot is still the most important site on the web right now. Does that make sense?
I think it makes perfect sense. I resent people who want to make slashdot into some sort of 1950s Country Club for uber-geeks. But I still read their comments. It's the variety and the spirit that makes this site valuable to me and I think you expressed a similar view nicely in the paragraph above. Thanks!
As much as the flames concern me, I am equally concerned by the number of Jon-ites who dismiss arguments against Katz as being written by rude teenagers. Last time I checked, stupidity wasn't limited to the young. Swearing, acne-covered skateboarders/geeks ARE surely part of this community, but they can't take the blame for every idiotic post bashing an old geezer!