This is actually a good question. If I back up my music file on your computer, does that fall under "fair use"? Would whether you access them or not effect the legal position? Is it possible to build something like this so my files can only be accessed, or at least can only be decrypted, by me, and hence are not usable to the person providing the disk space? If so, would that change the legal implications?
This raises all sorts of interesting questions.
Unfortunately the answer to all of these questions is most likely "we won't know until it goes to court and there is a ruling to estabish precedent."
I have this book and have read it. As an experienced java developer I found that
this book had a few really good insights, and a whole load of good reminders. I'd say
that it's a good review for the real pros and an indispensible piece of training for beginners
and intermediate level programmers. That's much more than can be said for most books.
I agree with the reviewer regarding the examples and the readability.
It's nice to see a book review that actually reviews the book,
rather than just regurgitating the table of contents.
I hear the bloggers flog the loggers in their blog. It's slashdotted now, that is, the dotters are hogging the blog flogging the loggers. The blog is bogging down, logging 404's. I'm logging this log blog hogging in my blog.
In an unrelated paper the creators of this theory, William Martin and Michael Russell, along with fellow collaborators John Edward (noted psychic), and Charles Philip Arthur George Windsor (Prince of Wales) reveal their theory that the more first names you have the smarter you are.
Just thinking back on when I sat looking at the pentagon smoking, writing
this comment (attached to the original story). What a crazy day that was.
Several interesting follow-up points:
A few minutes after the plane hit the pentagon we heard two explosions. There was much speculation about what they were, but it wasn't until months later that we found out. Air Force jets usually observe speed limitations in populated areas, but not that day. What we heard were sonic booms as fighter jets arrived on the scene from Andrews AFB.
Our company is a provider of acquisitions support for DOD, so several of my coworkers were deeply involved in the Pentagon restoration project. What an amazing effort that was (and is). They set a very aggresive schedule, to get the outer rings rebuilt within a year, and they finished ahead of schedule.
I find it interesting that on that day, when land lines and the internet were gridlocked, I was only able to get through to my wife via cell phone.
Our building, especially the garage underneath it, smelled like jet fuel for three weeks after the incident.
The traffic afterwards was mayhem. All fed workers were sent home at the same time, and the bridges from VA to DC (which I used in my commute) were closed. I heard some horror stories. But I stayed in the office and waited.
At about 3:30 I thought things had settled down enough so I ventured out. I took I-395 south right past the Pentagon, then the beltway over into MD. All the roads were empty, it was like a ghost town. I made it home in record time.
Two silly observations:
1) the home page has a link for "Pictures" and a link for "Photos". I half expected that when I clicked on the link for "Pictures" I'd see more crayon drawings, like the one taking up most of the main page. Not so, both links go to photographs, with "Photos" being slightly more candid.
2) No homophobia or anything, but the second car on the "Pictures" page says "FAG" on the side in big black letters. Heh. That tickles my "Beavis and Butthead" level sense of humor. It's probably an acronym for something, but never in a million years would anyone in the US come up with an acronym like that and plaster it on their vehicle.
Fascinating. I get the distinction: DNA to protein translation as opposed to multiple protein interaction at the cell level. That kinda kills the fun, puzzle-like quality of starting with something simple and trying to find the algorithm that gets you to the real results. But maybe that's why that part has already been worked out.
While you seem to be quite knowledgable I retain some skepticism (hey, this is the internet:-), but it piques my curiosity, so I'm planning to read up on this some. Good links and refs would be welcome.
I am sure Wolfram would argue that it's still a CA problem, just at a different level. Life, the universe and everything, it's all CA. Or maybe he's a wacko.
Not true. We have the genetic code, but it is *not* well understood.
We don't understand why certain cells become blood cells and others become skin cells, or how all the cell of the brain know which other cells to attatch themselves to, or why at a certain stage of development the heart starts pumping, or why cells divide and divide until there are just the right number, then stop.
We are just beginning to study some of these things, and we're still looking at effects, not at the underlying mechanism.
Somehow this DNA code contains instructions for every cell at every stage of development. We have not even begun to understand how cells use those instructions.
Are these the tools for decompiling DNA?
on
A New Kind of Science
·
· Score: 4, Interesting
Great review. It's hard to convey complex concepts clearly, but cybrpnk2 did an excellent job.
What this most made me think of is DNA. DNA is just oodles of four-state variables that represent some kind of program. It is exactly like the cellular automata he's been working with. Looking at the code (the DNA itself) and the output (the organism produced) perhaps we can understand the underlying algorithm that uses the code to produce the output. Unravelling, understanding, decompiling, reverse engineering, or whatever you want to call it, the secrets of how the DNA code is executed could be the biggest scientific advance ever, and Wolfram may have provided the tools to do it.
Suprisingly there was no reference to this in the review, which probably indicates no discussion of it in the book. Cybrpnk2, is it true that he did not discuss DNA?
The degree in math was from Enron Community College. The actual degree name is "Baccalaureate of the Fine Arts in The Flexible New Math of the Quasi-Legal Gray Areas". At MIT he only studied history and phys. ed.
(Andy)"Ever tried to quit AOL? They just won't let you. It's like the Roach Motel, they check in, but they don't check out. I'm wasting away the final years of my life on hold."
(Jerry) "So who invented hold anyway?!? That's one person who's going to hell. It's a battle of wills, just like the staring game we played when we were kids. After an hour and a half on hold I'm thinking, just a few more minutes, I know he's about ready to cave, there's no way I'm giving up now!"
(Dave) "The call center, I swear I am not making this up, is actually manned by CIA 'Pain Specialists' who are studying the average time a person will stay on hold before giving up. This is going directly into their Pain Threshold Database for future use in IRS audits."
Except Katz takes himself seriously. Oh, and he's not funny.
Some of the states allow quite significant damages, for example, California law allows "damages of $50 per message, up to $25,000 per day, or its actual damages, whichever is greater."
If you are in a state with anti-spam laws you could really lay a hurtin' on them, and might even collect some dough in the process. (Although, given that we know they are unscrupulous, collecting will not be easy.)
So that's the problem! That's it, I'm getting rid of all my employees!! In today's day and age, how can any company risk having autonomous entities of unknown motivation and capability wandering around?!? touching the company's stuff?!!? accessing the company's data?!!!? looking at things?!!!!? Ahhckg!!! Fire them all!!!!!
Maybe it's a good idea. In creating this single gov't-wide authentication system the gov't would in effect be creating a new monopoly. So, you want to get a company that has a lot of experience with monopolies, right? Nothing like the voice of experience.
</evil>
"freedom to innovate"
on
GeekPAC
·
· Score: 3, Interesting
I don't know what is scarier, the fact that they used the phrase "freedom to innovate", or the fact that a certain corporation has so corrupted that phrase that it makes me cringe and sets off warning alarms.
This sounds like a good idea. We must play the game the way it's laid out, and that means forming PACs, funding them, and educating/greasing the right politicos to get what we want. I hope they succeed.
Who needs it? You can already find out how to say "My God! There's an axe in my head!" in
virtually every language on the planet right
here.
I tried to post the translations themselves, but the "lameness filter"
considered it too many "junk characters", even after I removed all the
accents and umlauts and such. The lameness filter is lameness incarnate.
Great /. Blackout - date has been changed
on
April Fools Wrap Up
·
· Score: 2
Attention, folks:
The Great Slashdot Blackout will now be held on 4/1/2003. Put it on your calendars now! Even the chance of being exposed to this kind of soul-sucking lameness again is frightening. Don't risk it!!
Also, I move to make it an annual event, do I hear a second?
Slashdot Mirror
This raises all sorts of interesting questions. Unfortunately the answer to all of these questions is most likely "we won't know until it goes to court and there is a ruling to estabish precedent."
A closely related field, where there is probably lots of overlap, is Chaos Theory.0 092501/qid=1043352869
For a good starter on that I recommend "Chaos" by James Gleick, a most excellent book. It both describes chaos theory extremely well and is engaging and readable.
Gleick's site is here:
http://www.around.com/
His page on the book is here:
http://www.around.com/chaos.html
And here is an Amazon.com link:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/014
Happy reading and thinking.
It's nice to see a book review that actually reviews the book, rather than just regurgitating the table of contents.
I hear the bloggers flog the loggers in their blog. It's slashdotted now, that is, the dotters are hogging the blog flogging the loggers. The blog is bogging down, logging 404's. I'm logging this log blog hogging in my blog.
In an unrelated paper the creators of this theory, William Martin and Michael Russell, along with fellow collaborators John Edward (noted psychic), and Charles Philip Arthur George Windsor (Prince of Wales)
reveal their theory that the more first names you have the smarter you are.
Billy Ray Bob Cameron-James
Several interesting follow-up points:
Two silly observations:
1) the home page has a link for "Pictures" and a link for "Photos". I half expected that when I clicked on the link for "Pictures" I'd see more crayon drawings, like the one taking up most of the main page. Not so, both links go to photographs, with "Photos" being slightly more candid.
2) No homophobia or anything, but the second car on the "Pictures" page says "FAG" on the side in big black letters. Heh. That tickles my "Beavis and Butthead" level sense of humor. It's probably an acronym for something, but never in a million years would anyone in the US come up with an acronym like that and plaster it on their vehicle.
No, we are not related.
Kryzx
gopher://gopher.URr00t3d.ru
While you seem to be quite knowledgable I retain some skepticism (hey, this is the internet :-), but it piques my curiosity, so I'm planning to read up on this some. Good links and refs would be welcome.
I am sure Wolfram would argue that it's still a CA problem, just at a different level. Life, the universe and everything, it's all CA. Or maybe he's a wacko.
We don't understand why certain cells become blood cells and others become skin cells, or how all the cell of the brain know which other cells to attatch themselves to, or why at a certain stage of development the heart starts pumping, or why cells divide and divide until there are just the right number, then stop.
We are just beginning to study some of these things, and we're still looking at effects, not at the underlying mechanism. Somehow this DNA code contains instructions for every cell at every stage of development. We have not even begun to understand how cells use those instructions.
What this most made me think of is DNA. DNA is just oodles of four-state variables that represent some kind of program. It is exactly like the cellular automata he's been working with. Looking at the code (the DNA itself) and the output (the organism produced) perhaps we can understand the underlying algorithm that uses the code to produce the output. Unravelling, understanding, decompiling, reverse engineering, or whatever you want to call it, the secrets of how the DNA code is executed could be the biggest scientific advance ever, and Wolfram may have provided the tools to do it.
Suprisingly there was no reference to this in the review, which probably indicates no discussion of it in the book. Cybrpnk2, is it true that he did not discuss DNA?
The degree in math was from Enron Community College. The actual degree name is "Baccalaureate of the Fine Arts in The Flexible New Math of the Quasi-Legal Gray Areas". At MIT he only studied history and phys. ed.
Go here, pick goodies, and karma whore to your hearts content.
(Andy)"Ever tried to quit AOL? They just won't let you. It's like the Roach Motel, they check in, but they don't check out. I'm wasting away the final years of my life on hold."
(Jerry) "So who invented hold anyway?!? That's one person who's going to hell. It's a battle of wills, just like the staring game we played when we were kids. After an hour and a half on hold I'm thinking, just a few more minutes, I know he's about ready to cave, there's no way I'm giving up now!"
(Dave) "The call center, I swear I am not making this up, is actually manned by CIA 'Pain Specialists' who are studying the average time a person will stay on hold before giving up. This is going directly into their Pain Threshold Database for future use in IRS audits."
Except Katz takes himself seriously. Oh, and he's not funny.
I've never used any other passport services, only hotmail. I wonder if that has anything to do with it.
I mean, really, if Supreme Chancellor Valorum had not been forced out by the Vote of No Confidence that Senator Palpatine talked Queen Amidala into calling for, the Trade Federation never would have been able to get this oppresive, freedom-crushing legislation through the Senate.
lots of good pix here
6 5.htm
k . tml
f fice/body.htm 1 2^2^12^40,FF.html
http://www.fas.org/spp/starwars/program/sbl.htm
a paper on SBL for missile defense
http://www.fas.org/spp/starwars/program/docs/98-1
SBL fact sheet (PDF)
http://www.acq.osd.mil/bmdo/bmdolink/pdf/sbl.pdf
Missile Defense Agency homepage
http://www.acq.osd.mil/bmdo/bmdolink/html/bmdolin
other links
http://www.boeing.com/defense-space/space/md/sbl/
http://www.sbl.losangeles.af.mil/Divisions/FrontO
http://www.trw.com/presskits/detailinfo/0,1067,2_
That's what I said.
Investigate your state laws here: http://law.spamcon.org/us-laws/index.shtml
Some of the states allow quite significant damages, for example, California law allows "damages of $50 per message, up to $25,000 per day, or its actual damages, whichever is greater."
If you are in a state with anti-spam laws you could really lay a hurtin' on them, and might even collect some dough in the process. (Although, given that we know they are unscrupulous, collecting will not be easy.)
Here are some other resources:
http://smallclaim.info/
http://www.spamcon.org/
http://www.aboutspam.com/
http://http://www.cauce.org/about/resources.shtml
So that's the problem! That's it, I'm getting rid of all my employees!! In today's day and age, how can any company risk having autonomous entities of unknown motivation and capability wandering around?!? touching the company's stuff?!!? accessing the company's data?!!!? looking at things?!!!!? Ahhckg!!! Fire them all!!!!!
Maybe it's a good idea. In creating this single gov't-wide authentication system the gov't would in effect be creating a new monopoly. So, you want to get a company that has a lot of experience with monopolies, right? Nothing like the voice of experience.
</evil>
I don't know what is scarier, the fact that they used the phrase "freedom to innovate", or the fact that a certain corporation has so corrupted that phrase that it makes me cringe and sets off warning alarms.
This sounds like a good idea. We must play the game the way it's laid out, and that means forming PACs, funding them, and educating/greasing the right politicos to get what we want. I hope they succeed.
I tried to post the translations themselves, but the "lameness filter" considered it too many "junk characters", even after I removed all the accents and umlauts and such. The lameness filter is lameness incarnate.
Attention, folks:
The Great Slashdot Blackout will now be held on 4/1/2003. Put it on your calendars now! Even the chance of being exposed to this kind of soul-sucking lameness again is frightening. Don't risk it!!
Also, I move to make it an annual event, do I hear a second?