Where does this idea of the peaceful alien come from? There has never been mutual cooperation between civilizations or species competing for the same resources.
Unless there's something major we don't understand about the laws of physics, we're not going to be competing for the same resources.
Skyvision is a well known and reputable satellite provider of ala carte channels. Their subscriber numbers are basically a rounding error compared to the big providers.
Yes, because their channel selection is limited and their smallest dishes are a meter across.
But Skyvision are a good counterexample to the claim that a la carte is economically impossible.
Not to mention that by using the framework, you've added an external dependency to your project.
Want to move your code to a different platform? Better hope the framework is supported on that platform. Want to set a release schedule? Better check it's compatible with the framework's release schedule. The framework has a critical security hole they just patched? Well, I guess it's time for you to pull a new release out of your ass, isn't it? Framework A version X clashes with Framework B version Y, and you use both? Good luck, you're gonna need it.
Some frameworks are useful, but there seem to be just as many that are far more trouble than they're worth. Struts springs instantly to mind--the stuff that Struts does for you just isn't that hard to do yourself, and most of the time understanding Struts by decoding its documentation is going to be harder than writing the code for the bits of functionality you actually need.
Programming is becoming nothing more than cutting and pasting, especially with languages like java, that provide libraries that do "the hard stuff" and let programmers concentrate on "programming".
You say that, but take JDBC as an example. All of Sun's examples are wrong and can leak resources. All their reference code is wrong too. O'Reilly's onJava has incorrect code examples. Sun even has an article about resource leakage and the importance of getting JDBC calls right--and the article gets it wrong. I've written about this on my web site.
It's not just JDBC, there are lots of Java APIs that are routinely used incorrectly. Ever seen a Swing application UI freeze on you? They probably got the threading wrong in the initialization.
The fact that incorrect code is so prevalent points at cargo cult cut-and-paste programming being the norm. Use of standard libraries really has nothing to do with it, as cut-and-paste use of libraries is as bad as cut-and-paste anything else. This, in turn, is why Java has a reputation for "memory leaks".
It's funny, some comments in here complain that many articles have gotten stale and aren't well-maintained. Others, like yours, complain that there aren't enough articles. These two complaints are at odds with each other - a fixed number of editors can either maintain a smaller, more important set of articles, or can devote their time to starting and watching new articles.
Yes, but Wikipedia doesn't have a fixed number of editors.
I used to edit, but the deletions and the policy douchebaggery drove me away. So the "not enough articles" and "stale articles" problems are arguably both the result of the same "policies driving people away" issue.
Sadly, most DRM-crippled hardware isn't going to have the private keys inside. For example, the PS3 and Wii will only have the public keys in the hardware so that they can check signatures on code. The private keys will be on hardware somewhere inside Sony and Nintendo, and presumably carefully guarded from unauthorized access.
Or you could use MPEG-4, which would play not only in all those boxes you cite, but would also work for PS3, AppleTV, PSP, Xbox, iPod, mobile phones, and so on.
After all, I bet you're using patent-encumbered codecs in your MKV file, so why not go the whole hog and use a patent-encumbered container that everyone can read? You're already impure.
So sure, if you're using Theora and Vorbis, do use MKV. But if you're not, why use MKV?
Unless you're going to use Theora and Vorbis, why not use MPEG-4? It supports all the same features, and has the added benefit of being playable everywhere.
If you're already using patented codecs, why not use the standard patented container?
AFAIK, MKV is also patent-free, and it's the standard container for torrents^Wprivate-encoded HD video.
Which is fucking stupid when you think about it. All those MKV files contain MPEG-2, MPEG-4 or h264 video, and usually AAC or MP3 audio. Given that you're using those patent-encumbered codecs, you may as well use the standard patent-encumbered container, MPEG-4. All you do by using MKV instead is annoy people who would like to play the video on their AppleTV, PS3, Mac, PSP, iPod, phone, etc.
Oops, I already replied to something so I can't mod you up.
Absolutely. Firefox should leverage the OS frameworks for audio and video and get the hell out of the way of HTML5 video. That way they don't even have to worry about having to pay patent fees themselves.
Realistically, every Windows and Mac system is going to have a licensed MPEG-4 decoder, and many Linux systems are too, because of the amount of hardware that has MPEG-4 support in hardware these days.
I don't need Mozilla telling me that I shouldn't be allowed to use payment-required codecs, any more than I need them telling me I shouldn't be allowed to use payment-required web sites or run their browser on a payment-required OS.
But I don't think the problem is with the actual regulation. To me there seems a dangerous lack of discretion on the part of administrators, as to when laws ought, and more importantly, ought not to be applied.
One of the things I observed when I moved to the US a decade ago, is that culturally, many Americans have a strong belief in following the rules--to a completely absurd and mindless degree. See, for example, this reply to your comment stating that laws should be followed blindly. It's not just a government thing; corporations are incredibly bureaucratic too. Whether you're applying for a credit card, trying to get a mobile phone, or renewing a driver's license, there's an amazing lack of common sense on the part of the bureaucrat when faced with any kind of exceptional situation. ("You've been a customer for eight years and will pay cash up front for the phone? Sorry, the credit rating says code 13 so no contract account for you.")
If you have a car that has an automatic transmission, putting it into neutral while driving is a bad idea and it wouldn't surprise me if ALL automatics stopped the driver from doing so.
Toyota specifically state that in the event of an unintended acceleration problem with the Prius, you should shift the car into neutral.
There might be problems with putting an old-style mechanical shift automatic transmission into neutral, but these days more and more cars use CVT or Toyota-style planetary gear systems.
Yes, but Opera's UI lets it down. There doesn't seem to be any way to make site preferences into a toolbar button, so you either have to wander through hierarchical menus to find it, or right-click.
There have been touch screens but how many of them automatically changed based on rotation?
Back in the early 90s, the Radius Pivot display automatically changed based on rotation.
Existing product from the 80s plus touch screen (and possible change of sensor technology *) should not equal patentable innovation, in my view.
[ (*) I don't know if the Radius display used a mercury switch or a mechanical switch on the pivot mechanism; either way, using a mercury switch to implement a pivoting display is obvious, given the idea of a pivoting display.]
In the US, police are allowed to lie. They can take you in to the station for a polite chat, turn the tape recorder on, and lie on tape that they have a witness who swears that he saw you do it. The only thing they can't do is threaten you with extrinsic, coercive consequences if you don't talk.
In the UK, the situation is slightly worse: Not only can the police lie to you, they can also tell you that you may face consequences at trial if you remain silent. However, as in the US, they cannot threaten you by saying they'll do something unless you answer. For full details, see PACE Code C, particularly section 11.
As soon as these new functions hit the Linux and Mac versions of Chrome, I'm saying goodbye to Firefox. It's slow, bloated and crashy, and I've only been sticking with it because of the lack of CS Lite and NoScript on other browsers. I suspect Firefox is going to pay the price for valuing advertisers at the expense of users.
I was playing inFAMOUS Sunday afternoon. When PSN died at midnight UTC, I got a logout error, but the game carried on working. A while later I got an error from the trophy system, but again the game carried on working. I got no more trophies, of course, in spite of finishing the game.
So I'd say it's down to bad programming on the part of the game developers too. They are assuming that if networking is switched on, the PSN trophy server must be available, rather than timing out.
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Unless there's something major we don't understand about the laws of physics, we're not going to be competing for the same resources.
That's one model of OO. There are others. JavaScript is OO, and it doesn't even have classes, to pick one prominent example.
I have a PS3, I play it all the time, and I have a Wii as well so I'm not averse to motion controls... but really, does anyone want this?
David Gelernter was still a kid when Douglas Englebart and Ted Nelson were inventing all the hypertext ideas the Web was built from.
Yes, because their channel selection is limited and their smallest dishes are a meter across.
But Skyvision are a good counterexample to the claim that a la carte is economically impossible.
Not to mention that by using the framework, you've added an external dependency to your project.
Want to move your code to a different platform? Better hope the framework is supported on that platform. Want to set a release schedule? Better check it's compatible with the framework's release schedule. The framework has a critical security hole they just patched? Well, I guess it's time for you to pull a new release out of your ass, isn't it? Framework A version X clashes with Framework B version Y, and you use both? Good luck, you're gonna need it.
Some frameworks are useful, but there seem to be just as many that are far more trouble than they're worth. Struts springs instantly to mind--the stuff that Struts does for you just isn't that hard to do yourself, and most of the time understanding Struts by decoding its documentation is going to be harder than writing the code for the bits of functionality you actually need.
You say that, but take JDBC as an example. All of Sun's examples are wrong and can leak resources. All their reference code is wrong too. O'Reilly's onJava has incorrect code examples. Sun even has an article about resource leakage and the importance of getting JDBC calls right--and the article gets it wrong. I've written about this on my web site.
It's not just JDBC, there are lots of Java APIs that are routinely used incorrectly. Ever seen a Swing application UI freeze on you? They probably got the threading wrong in the initialization.
The fact that incorrect code is so prevalent points at cargo cult cut-and-paste programming being the norm. Use of standard libraries really has nothing to do with it, as cut-and-paste use of libraries is as bad as cut-and-paste anything else. This, in turn, is why Java has a reputation for "memory leaks".
In particular, NoScript seems to prevent 100% of Ars's ads. I don't have AdBlock installed, but I have NoScript, and I see no ads on that page.
If they are saying they demand that I run all the scripts on their site if I'm going to look at the content, well sorry, no way.
Yes, but Wikipedia doesn't have a fixed number of editors.
I used to edit, but the deletions and the policy douchebaggery drove me away. So the "not enough articles" and "stale articles" problems are arguably both the result of the same "policies driving people away" issue.
Sadly, most DRM-crippled hardware isn't going to have the private keys inside. For example, the PS3 and Wii will only have the public keys in the hardware so that they can check signatures on code. The private keys will be on hardware somewhere inside Sony and Nintendo, and presumably carefully guarded from unauthorized access.
Or you could use MPEG-4, which would play not only in all those boxes you cite, but would also work for PS3, AppleTV, PSP, Xbox, iPod, mobile phones, and so on.
After all, I bet you're using patent-encumbered codecs in your MKV file, so why not go the whole hog and use a patent-encumbered container that everyone can read? You're already impure.
So sure, if you're using Theora and Vorbis, do use MKV. But if you're not, why use MKV?
Unless you're going to use Theora and Vorbis, why not use MPEG-4? It supports all the same features, and has the added benefit of being playable everywhere.
If you're already using patented codecs, why not use the standard patented container?
Which is fucking stupid when you think about it. All those MKV files contain MPEG-2, MPEG-4 or h264 video, and usually AAC or MP3 audio. Given that you're using those patent-encumbered codecs, you may as well use the standard patent-encumbered container, MPEG-4. All you do by using MKV instead is annoy people who would like to play the video on their AppleTV, PS3, Mac, PSP, iPod, phone, etc.
Oops, I already replied to something so I can't mod you up.
Absolutely. Firefox should leverage the OS frameworks for audio and video and get the hell out of the way of HTML5 video. That way they don't even have to worry about having to pay patent fees themselves.
Realistically, every Windows and Mac system is going to have a licensed MPEG-4 decoder, and many Linux systems are too, because of the amount of hardware that has MPEG-4 support in hardware these days.
I don't need Mozilla telling me that I shouldn't be allowed to use payment-required codecs, any more than I need them telling me I shouldn't be allowed to use payment-required web sites or run their browser on a payment-required OS.
Yeah, but without a full open spec for RTMP, the Flash file format alone isn't all that useful for the things sites actually use Flash for.
One of the things I observed when I moved to the US a decade ago, is that culturally, many Americans have a strong belief in following the rules--to a completely absurd and mindless degree. See, for example, this reply to your comment stating that laws should be followed blindly. It's not just a government thing; corporations are incredibly bureaucratic too. Whether you're applying for a credit card, trying to get a mobile phone, or renewing a driver's license, there's an amazing lack of common sense on the part of the bureaucrat when faced with any kind of exceptional situation. ("You've been a customer for eight years and will pay cash up front for the phone? Sorry, the credit rating says code 13 so no contract account for you.")
Toyota specifically state that in the event of an unintended acceleration problem with the Prius, you should shift the car into neutral.
There might be problems with putting an old-style mechanical shift automatic transmission into neutral, but these days more and more cars use CVT or Toyota-style planetary gear systems.
Yes, but Opera's UI lets it down. There doesn't seem to be any way to make site preferences into a toolbar button, so you either have to wander through hierarchical menus to find it, or right-click.
Naah, it's more like Apple patenting Ivan Sutherland's 1963 object-oriented graphics program "Sketchpad".
Back in the early 90s, the Radius Pivot display automatically changed based on rotation.
Existing product from the 80s plus touch screen (and possible change of sensor technology *) should not equal patentable innovation, in my view.
[ (*) I don't know if the Radius display used a mercury switch or a mechanical switch on the pivot mechanism; either way, using a mercury switch to implement a pivoting display is obvious, given the idea of a pivoting display.]
In the US, police are allowed to lie. They can take you in to the station for a polite chat, turn the tape recorder on, and lie on tape that they have a witness who swears that he saw you do it. The only thing they can't do is threaten you with extrinsic, coercive consequences if you don't talk.
This is one of the reasons why you should never talk to the police without a lawyer.
In the UK, the situation is slightly worse: Not only can the police lie to you, they can also tell you that you may face consequences at trial if you remain silent. However, as in the US, they cannot threaten you by saying they'll do something unless you answer. For full details, see PACE Code C, particularly section 11.
It's news because there are people like me who've been waiting for this functionality before switching.
The Firefox developers basically refused to make an interface for per-site permissions part of the core product, forcing everyone to use CS Lite and NoScript or similar. They do the job, but every time there's a new version you have compatibility problems.
As soon as these new functions hit the Linux and Mac versions of Chrome, I'm saying goodbye to Firefox. It's slow, bloated and crashy, and I've only been sticking with it because of the lack of CS Lite and NoScript on other browsers. I suspect Firefox is going to pay the price for valuing advertisers at the expense of users.
I was playing inFAMOUS Sunday afternoon. When PSN died at midnight UTC, I got a logout error, but the game carried on working. A while later I got an error from the trophy system, but again the game carried on working. I got no more trophies, of course, in spite of finishing the game.
So I'd say it's down to bad programming on the part of the game developers too. They are assuming that if networking is switched on, the PSN trophy server must be available, rather than timing out.
I'm betting Ubisoft's EULA will clearly state that they don't guarantee that the game will actually run at all, just like every other EULA.
Nevertheless, the IUPAC standard spelling is aluminium.
If you don't like it, go back to spelling sulfur the way it was originally spelled rather than the IUPAC way.