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  1. Re:Dr. Roy Spencer... on New NASA Data Casts Doubt On Global Warming Models · · Score: 1

    The "alarmist" wording of this article blows a "gaping hole" in the credibility of this paper. It is "extremely important" when trying to teach people something new that your article not be so "dramatically" worded. Glad it linked to the actual publication, but I didn't see anything here to make me think that the Earth isn't warming.

  2. Python and Pygame on Learning Programming In a Post-BASIC World · · Score: 1

    I like to teach students with Python and Pygame. By the end of the first semester programming class they can create some fairly complex games. I have videos of these games on-line, along with a free draft version of the textbook we use:

    http://cs.simpson.edu/?q=python_pygame_examples

  3. Check out the University of Idaho on Evaluating Or Testing Utility SCADA Security? · · Score: 1

    The University of Idaho has a research lab dedicated to this. They have SCADA systems set in a lab. There's a grad class in the subject you can take via video. And there are quite a few papers they have helped published. Search the IEEE document library for some good info.

  4. Agile as a manifesto is a mistake. on A Decade of Agile Programming — Has It Delivered? · · Score: 1

    I like agile when people use it to learn the how and why of managing software projects. It can provide a great platform to debate, discuss, and learn.

    I hate agile when people use it as a manifesto or religion, assuming it works best in all aspects of all projects at all stages and with all people. And like religion, they use it as a means to gain power over those who would use reason and logic instead.

    And dude, this is wrong on so many levels:

    "One of my guys keeps telling me that he would like to have more specified requirements. I keep telling him we're going faster because we don't have specified requirements," Weston says. A hardcore requirements document is a "waste of time," he adds.

  5. Re:Lack of objectivity? on Women Dropping Out of IT · · Score: 1

    Well said.

  6. I agree on Hooked On Gadgets, and Paying a Mental Price · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I used to be a good programmer until I got into management. The flood of information, calls, and e-mails that came in seriously did a number on my brain. It felt like it was being remapped.

    I've gotten out of that field, but I still feel the effects from it. Now I've taken to learning Russian. I think I enjoy it because of the concentration required.

  7. It's not just games on How I Saved the Gaming Industry · · Score: 4, Informative

    It's not just games. In the finance industry I've witnessed many failures of projects to re-write systems from scratch. Some of the best teams just keep updating their old lumbering system, occasionally slapping a web interface or window dressing on it. But it works! And they ship on time! And they make money! And that money goes to fund these colossal re-write failures.

  8. Re:Ask the intelligence community on What Advice For a Single Parent As Server Admin? · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Electronic bullying can result in teen suicide. Young kids seeing terrorists cut the heads people can be disturbing. I can think of lots of things on the internet that can be as dangerous as a table saw.

  9. Talking to one of those who worked on the case... on Groklaw Putting Comes v. Microsoft Docs Online · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I had one of the people working on the case come talk to my college class. The documents provided to the law office were on paper. The office had an impressive cluster of computers used to do optical code recognition on all the documents so that they could be indexed and searched. There were tons of documents. It was not easy technically, and they worked a lot of hours.

    The person I talked to always hoped someone would take this on. They couldn't give up their work for public domain, but there was a ton of computer history contained in those files.

  10. What do people actually believe? on AT&T Loses First Legal Battle Against Verizon · · Score: 1

    I figured most people would understand, but I wasn't sure. So I polled a college class of mine, and 17 out of 17 students misunderstood the add. All students thought the maps indicated total coverage, not 2G vs 3G. And to top it off, no one really knew what 3G was anyway.

  11. Methodology is like cooking on Becoming Agile · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Methodology books are like recipe book. Good chefs own many of them, and draw on the knowledge and ideas inside.

    But buying and following a cookbook does not make you an expert chef.

  12. Re:Rain? Insects? Birds? on Vermont City Almost Encased In a 1-Mile Dome · · Score: 1

    First big hail storm will take care of the yellow glass.

  13. Re:From My Simpleton Point of View on Why Developers Get Fired · · Score: 5, Funny

    I couldn't get past the 'higher' grads.

  14. Python and Pygame on The Best First Language For a Young Programmer · · Score: 2, Interesting

    For a 15 year old? Python with the Pygame toolkit. There are other toolkits besides Pygame, but that one works well.

  15. Re:meh on Software Glitch Leads To $23,148,855,308,184,500 Visa Charges · · Score: 1

    Plus, you could always eat the seed corn.

  16. Re:Um, he is phony! on RIAA Case, Capitol vs. Thomas #2, Starts Monday · · Score: 0, Troll

    I don't care about your "bias." What I'm more worried about is this "perceived" overuse of your so called "quotes." What "evidence" do you have that people like having quotes to spruce up your "reporting?"

    By the way, punctuation goes inside the quote.

  17. If you like hackable RPGs... on Ten Applications That Changed Computing · · Score: 1

    ...try adding Eamon to the list.

  18. Re:Meanwhile... on Git Adoption Soaring; Are There Good Migration Strategies? · · Score: 1

    We were required to use it at a bank I worked at. We had a CVS repository and wrote a script to occasionally move stuff over to clearcase.

    CVS required almost no administration, and the clearcase repository had a whole team dedicated to its maintenance.

    I've started the migration from SVN to Git. Once I learned not to 'git push' to a repository with working files, I've found it works well for me.

  19. Try to find 1 person interested enough to help on Getting an Independent Project Started? · · Score: 1

    Before going through the effort of developing your own project, I'd recommend finding a partner.

    If you can't manage to find 1 other person out there in the world that will be interested in your project, it might say one of the following two things:

    * It wasn't worth doing
    * You don't have the skills to market your project so it will be popular.

    If you need to perfect what the project is, or learn how to 'sell' it, better to learn that now rather than after you go through the development effort.

    Good luck. Creating your own project can be well work the effort!

  20. Re:My vote: HP on The Most Annoying Software Out There · · Score: 1

    I second for Windows. Easy to set up, but HP's all-in-one runs about 7 processes all the time. Plus it automatically updates about once a week.

  21. Re:Cool on Unreleased Atari 2600 Game Found At Flea Market · · Score: 1

    Don't forget to pick up the secret dot, so you can get to that hidden room.

  22. Make the iPod impossible to update. on Give iPod Thieves an Unchargeable Brick · · Score: 4, Funny

    I've learned that if you plug a USB socket into the Firewire plug on your motherboard, any subsequently connected USB iPod is then "secured" against further updates. Interesting noises are included as the internal protection circuit is established.

    You can still charge it.

  23. More paperwork? on Navy Now Mandated To Consider FOSS As an Option · · Score: 2, Informative

    While I heartily support and use FOSS, I wonder if this adds yet more red tape?

    A long while back I worked for USGS. We were hampered with hiring people, getting new software, hardware, etc because of all the paperwork. If we made a decision we had to consider 50 different laws and regulations. Individually, they were great ideas. Put together they were paralyzing. This is the reason we were stuck with Data General for so long, because no one wanted to do the paperwork to change vendors.

  24. Re:Interesting source of lift on New Type of Hot Air Blimp · · Score: 1

    A balloon does not need to be aero-dynamic as it moves with the wind. So in a proper 'Smalley' designed balloon, the balloon is designed only around efficient containment of the hot-air. By adding a front/back nose code and rigid supports, you add weight beyond what is required to produce lift just by holding hot wir. You add weight to support moving through the air rather than with it.

    So I would expect the blimp to require more propane because of that.

  25. Re:Interesting source of lift on New Type of Hot Air Blimp · · Score: 1

    I've got a hot air balloon, and spend about $10-$20/hr in propane. Factors such as weight, outside temperature, and condition of the fabric make a big different in fuel consumption. Airships will run a bit higher in cost than balloons because of the added weight, added cooling by passing through the air rather than moving with it, and the non-optimal shape of the blimp compared to a balloon.