So you can do some fairly heavy duty astronomy with this data once it gets released, and the sheer amount of information means that it will be many years before it is all properly worked through
Well, could this be made into an app like SETI@Home? A nice distributed app that runs on all sorts of computers with some pretty screensaver (maybe of the current pics being processed) might be something people really like. Even just a catalogue would be pretty extensive. But if a whole lot of people each proccess one picture, it might be worth it. -cpd
This is a company that can't even trust it's own employees to not go into a building they don't actually work in. Find me a company this is not nessecarily true in. Where I work there are locks on all doors. There are rooms I'm not allowed in. Of course I work at a pharaceutical plant. In the case of M$ why would you allow people in buildings they don't work in? Ok the cafeteria I can understand, but from many standpoints I can understand not allowing strangers in your building. Yeah its a nuisance to need an escort in other buildings but oh well. I have heard of worse cases too that really don't seem onerous. One place you needed a pass number to get into the bathrooms, which they changed if someone was let go/fired/quit. -cpd
Except by my reading of the interview this won't nessecarily be true. Because the random noise would get voted out. Not true for current version, but the plan is that voting will occur post viewing of material. So if I get a chunk that's garbage, I vote it down. So do others. Eventually it is voted out of existence. Companies could concievably overwhelm the system if they could get all of their workers to believe the same idea. So for example let's just take company XYZ (no not the zipper company). Bob posts a nasty note about XYZ and people read it. It gets moderated up to a +3 (or however this works). Then XYZ finds it and wants to squash it. Now XYZ is a world-wide company. They insert a counter random noise note. These random notes won't show up cuz nobody moderated them up. They send all of their employees (or maybe just a few trusted at each site) a memo to moderate up this bogus note they just posted. Eventually the employees at XYZ won't see Bob's note anymore. However if they go home, and their ISP is running a Freenet server they will see the note, and know that their work tried to crushed the note and succeded in preventing its viewing from work. The real problem I would forsee is with AOL/Time-Warner. If they were company XYZ there would be an immense decrease in Bob's note being seen. This is merely my interpretation of the interview and FAQ. Not entirely sure if its true.
Except I don't think that's their plan. The biggest reason people use win9x over NT is that win9x tends to be better for some games especially the older ones. M$ would really like to push people off of win9x (for some good reasons). They were along the lines of saying so with Win2000 saying that it would be the personal release too, but they backed off. I would expect 1 more release of the personal versions of win9x line, then a discontinuation. You'll only be able to buy NT for your computer, or this X box. But that's just my impression of what they're doing. -cpd
OK so under the DMCA the distribution of anything which can aid it the circumvention of copyrights can be considered criminally liable? So by that argument then isn't just about anything criminal? My brain would help me circument copyright - sue my parents. My computer would help - sue the manufacturer. M$-Word helps (hey I can type copyrighted works in) - sue M$. Any programming language and compiler helps - sue them too (all of 'em). CD players help too - sue the manufacturers. Oh wait a minute... My CD manyfactuer is Sony. Who is a member of RIAA. Who pushed this thru. (There's the circle) So they will have to sue them selves. If they don't then really the Finnish guy should sue the DVD manufactuerer under the same laws.... OK its silly but so is this law. -cpd
Well this is only an intial design. I would think that if you take into consideration other design limitations you will end up with different perhaps beter designs. Your basic idea of WIG is correct. Turbulence under the wings, and the usual effect of Bernoulli's principle all effect to amplify the normal lift conditions caused by a wing. But your comment about size is wrong. In this case size doesn't entirely matter. Or more appropriately its not the only condition. If I remember correctly your lift is a function of speed, wing size, and wing efficency. So if my wing is effiecent, and I go fast enough I will get lift. Especially when that is multiplied by the ground effect. Ground effect does happen on normal airplanes generally when the airplane is 1/2 the wing length above the ground. Kinda nifty effect.
Odd side note is that the train would have to have an upper limit on speed otherwise it would take off. Unless there was a top part to the track.... -cpd
I think it would need to be more rated. Use a similar system to what HBO uses before their movies. I mean there is a difference between a hard porn sites, sites about homosexuality, sites on AIDS, Beaver College, and sites on Latin. However maybe here I want to block anything with any sexual content. So hard porn, homosexual sites, and the sites on AIDS are blocked. But I can choose which categories to block. This would allow the people/communties implementing the filters to block only what they want. Personally I wouldn't block anything. However I can see the need for it. -cpd
Just some quick comments.... 1. Software is different. Yes it is. 2. 3-5 year patents. OK if that's how he feels then when his patents become that old he should drop them. He can seek damages for sstuff B&N did before his patent expired, but he really should give them up when he thinks others should. 3. Retroactive lifespan. I don't think this would work. People applied for a patent expecting it to last 17 years. Now it doesn't? I think that would be kinda unfair. Yes the patents are probably also unfair. This would be akin to selling someone a 36" tv for $50, then giving them a 16" tv. 4. Early Comments. This would be sticky. And I really think the USPTO would have problems. Along with those who would be applying for the patent. If my patent application is rejected, then I can still develop it in secret. However, that secret would be out of the bag in this case. I think a better idea would be for the USPTO to hire more computer minded people. I'm not sure who is reveiwing these patents now, but I somewhat doubt they're using all the tools available to them before they approve a patent. -cpd
And some rebuttals... No I don't own the music. However I just looked at a couple CDs. I see no license that I agreed to. No click though "sure whatever" thing, nothing.
Win98 there is a license. I agreed to that license at some point (ok in theory only but still).
Linux you also agreed to a license. Specifically the GPL.
Software usually comes accompanied by a license. Music does not. Nowhere. Therefore it should be treated like copydrighted material (which it is). To the best of my knowledge I can produce a copy of any copyrighted material for backup puposes. (Side note: Even the Win98 license allows this) So I feel that I am right in creating a copy on my hard drive, and listening to that as the primary source. I am then using the CD as a backup.
Music is under copyright law. Software is under license law. And specifically the license that accompanies the software. -cpd
Emphasis on that KINDLY. Do not flame. Be nice. Something along the lines of... "I noticed a mistake in your article at URL. In which you said MISTAKE. This is not true because REASONS. For examples of this see URL OF EXAMPLES." -cpd
Well I'll vote for the CD dist. I did have a problem where my modem was not working. Had problems with PNP stuff. Had to shutdown, reboot to m$, go online, read HowTo's, jot down ideas, reboot to linux, try ideas, repeat as nessecary. Now I should mention that part of the problem was I did not realize the install I had done included the howto's with it. I found those eventually and stopped the rebooting part. Which kinda proves the point that I like having local copies of some stuff. -cpd
That wasn't the argument. The argument was on cost. I'll agree that programmers generally hate doing documentation, but this is more along the lines of reading the manual. Or searching the internet to see if anyone has done it before. Why would you reinvent the wheel? Its already done. Besides, go look at patents that were submitted 17 years ago (I think). These will be coming off patent protection, use those ideas, and implement free forms of that. Legal, easy, and probably useful. -cpd
Technically you can do them yourself. You'll find most relevent stuff easily. There are many libraries that are used as depositories. (see http://www.uspto.gov/web/of fices/ac/ido/ptdl/ptdlib.htm) Chances are there's one nearby. Its actually rather interesting to sift through it all. Most of these libraries also have some kind of search engines too. Or if you want to do it from home look at http://www.patents.ibm.com/. If its a decent library they'll probably even have someone who can help you figure out how to do a search. Its not eaxactly easy, but nor is it rocket science. If you make a reasonable effort you'll probably find all of the relavent patents quickly. The $10,000 is for a professional lawyer or librarian or both to search thouroughly the entire patent database. You can probably restrict yourself to just the software stuff. -cpd
Not sure how much I like that idea. I thought they missed what they were aiming at on Mars with the Mars Lander. Not by much, but people in Argentina might not be pleased. Of course if they miss that metric conversion thing again I might get hit even here in the US. Yes I mean this as sarcastic and only aimed at the part about landing things here from space. The rest of the idea is good I think. -cpd
What is that bit about [end side one. Discussion about clones missed.]? Now that's something I'd be curious and frightened of. My god, a never ending stream of Bill Gates. Clone after clone, after clone. -cpd
Lack of perfeect knowledge. If you could know what the weather at every point in the world was you could accurately predict weather far into the future (the models are quite good). However because you only have weather stations every couple miles (at most) on the ground and the occasional weather balloon you can't know what's happening everywhere. And in the case of weather even small things (damn butterfly's sneezing) can cause large events (oh look a hurricane). Its kinda like trying to predict where a bouncing ball will land knowing only a few data points. But knowing that someone will interfere at some point (but not when). It becomes quite difficult. -cpd
I misunderstood your argument (the conduit content concept). I thought you were more refering to the idea of CNN carrying news about itself. Personally I don't trust news by a company about itself (or parts thereof). So (to me) NBC can't be trusted for reports on MS, ABC can't be trusted on reports about Disney, CNN couldn't be trusted about reports on its screwup with that report a year or so ago. As for your actual points about conduit and content, while I can see your point, I do not see it as big of a concern as its would seem. Just like TV or Newspapers you can change companies if you choose. -cpd
Your analogy is wrong I think. This is more akin to some of your neghibors relatives dumping trash on your yard. Your then ask you neighbor to stop. Your neighbor ignores you. Repeatedly. You then get a restraining order against your neighbor and all of their relatives. Each computer connected to USENET collects the news. This just says I'm not going to store news from that address anymore. -cpd
It would probably be a good idea to allow choice. So an employee could choose to use the employers stuff (i.e. desk, chairs) that would normally be used at the office. However the telecomuter could waive these benefits by signing a document. This would allow the person the using their own environment. At the same time OSHA getting involved is kinda silly. I mean what if my apartment (or house) is not handicap accessible, which is an OSHA requirement for workplaces. My house needs an elevator? Seems screwey to me. -cpd
To me it seems strange to presume that all geeks will agree on any set of issues. Are all geeks pro-choice? Do geeks want affirmative action to continue? How about drug controls? More? Less?
OK the majority probably feel that Evolution should be taught, but really how many issues do geeks really agree on? Yes many probably agree on the laws governing the internet. But that's probably not even going to be much of an issue. Maybe we should make it one. -cpd
Yeah but like the saying goes: Build a better mouse trap and the world will build a better mouse. (offer null and void in Kansas) The TV stations need you to see those commercials. That't their money. If a TV station can't promise that you'll see the commercials they'll loose revenue. The remote's already done a number on them. They'll start changing the blank times, change the blank screen color maybe even add a logo there. But I thought there was a signal that got passed down that was a cue to run the commercials. Not sure what it is though. Or they'll just start slipping the commercials into the show. Kinda like Bond. Look Drew Carey is driving a Toyota. Oh and drinking Pepsi. The problem is this wouldn't work for documentaries. Therefore documentaries wouldn't be shown cuz they can't make money. OK I'll stop now. -cpd
Unless its illegal to try to fool these cameras then let's have fun. Pretend that you're about to steal your own car. When the alarms sound and you get arrested show them (ok that's a tough part) its your car. Then sue them for false arrest. Mmmm money making schemes in the morning. Yeah I know sueing is wrong, but in this case probably justified. -cpd
Slashdot Mirror
Well, could this be made into an app like SETI@Home? A nice distributed app that runs on all sorts of computers with some pretty screensaver (maybe of the current pics being processed) might be something people really like. Even just a catalogue would be pretty extensive. But if a whole lot of people each proccess one picture, it might be worth it.
-cpd
This is a company that can't even trust it's own employees to not go into a building they don't actually work in.
Find me a company this is not nessecarily true in. Where I work there are locks on all doors. There are rooms I'm not allowed in. Of course I work at a pharaceutical plant. In the case of M$ why would you allow people in buildings they don't work in? Ok the cafeteria I can understand, but from many standpoints I can understand not allowing strangers in your building. Yeah its a nuisance to need an escort in other buildings but oh well. I have heard of worse cases too that really don't seem onerous. One place you needed a pass number to get into the bathrooms, which they changed if someone was let go/fired/quit.
-cpd
Except by my reading of the interview this won't nessecarily be true. Because the random noise would get voted out. Not true for current version, but the plan is that voting will occur post viewing of material. So if I get a chunk that's garbage, I vote it down. So do others. Eventually it is voted out of existence. Companies could concievably overwhelm the system if they could get all of their workers to believe the same idea.
So for example let's just take company XYZ (no not the zipper company). Bob posts a nasty note about XYZ and people read it. It gets moderated up to a +3 (or however this works). Then XYZ finds it and wants to squash it. Now XYZ is a world-wide company. They insert a counter random noise note. These random notes won't show up cuz nobody moderated them up. They send all of their employees (or maybe just a few trusted at each site) a memo to moderate up this bogus note they just posted. Eventually the employees at XYZ won't see Bob's note anymore. However if they go home, and their ISP is running a Freenet server they will see the note, and know that their work tried to crushed the note and succeded in preventing its viewing from work.
The real problem I would forsee is with AOL/Time-Warner. If they were company XYZ there would be an immense decrease in Bob's note being seen.
This is merely my interpretation of the interview and FAQ. Not entirely sure if its true.
Except I don't think that's their plan. The biggest reason people use win9x over NT is that win9x tends to be better for some games especially the older ones. M$ would really like to push people off of win9x (for some good reasons). They were along the lines of saying so with Win2000 saying that it would be the personal release too, but they backed off. I would expect 1 more release of the personal versions of win9x line, then a discontinuation. You'll only be able to buy NT for your computer, or this X box.
But that's just my impression of what they're doing.
-cpd
OK so under the DMCA the distribution of anything which can aid it the circumvention of copyrights can be considered criminally liable? So by that argument then isn't just about anything criminal? My brain would help me circument copyright - sue my parents. My computer would help - sue the manufacturer. M$-Word helps (hey I can type copyrighted works in) - sue M$. Any programming language and compiler helps - sue them too (all of 'em). CD players help too - sue the manufacturers. Oh wait a minute... My CD manyfactuer is Sony. Who is a member of RIAA. Who pushed this thru. (There's the circle) So they will have to sue them selves. If they don't then really the Finnish guy should sue the DVD manufactuerer under the same laws....
OK its silly but so is this law.
-cpd
Well this is only an intial design. I would think that if you take into consideration other design limitations you will end up with different perhaps beter designs. Your basic idea of WIG is correct. Turbulence under the wings, and the usual effect of Bernoulli's principle all effect to amplify the normal lift conditions caused by a wing. But your comment about size is wrong. In this case size doesn't entirely matter. Or more appropriately its not the only condition. If I remember correctly your lift is a function of speed, wing size, and wing efficency. So if my wing is effiecent, and I go fast enough I will get lift. Especially when that is multiplied by the ground effect. Ground effect does happen on normal airplanes generally when the airplane is 1/2 the wing length above the ground. Kinda nifty effect.
Odd side note is that the train would have to have an upper limit on speed otherwise it would take off. Unless there was a top part to the track....
-cpd
I think it would need to be more rated. Use a similar system to what HBO uses before their movies. I mean there is a difference between a hard porn sites, sites about homosexuality, sites on AIDS, Beaver College, and sites on Latin. However maybe here I want to block anything with any sexual content. So hard porn, homosexual sites, and the sites on AIDS are blocked. But I can choose which categories to block. This would allow the people/communties implementing the filters to block only what they want.
Personally I wouldn't block anything. However I can see the need for it.
-cpd
Just some quick comments....
1. Software is different. Yes it is.
2. 3-5 year patents. OK if that's how he feels then when his patents become that old he should drop them. He can seek damages for sstuff B&N did before his patent expired, but he really should give them up when he thinks others should.
3. Retroactive lifespan. I don't think this would work. People applied for a patent expecting it to last 17 years. Now it doesn't? I think that would be kinda unfair. Yes the patents are probably also unfair. This would be akin to selling someone a 36" tv for $50, then giving them a 16" tv.
4. Early Comments. This would be sticky. And I really think the USPTO would have problems. Along with those who would be applying for the patent. If my patent application is rejected, then I can still develop it in secret. However, that secret would be out of the bag in this case. I think a better idea would be for the USPTO to hire more computer minded people. I'm not sure who is reveiwing these patents now, but I somewhat doubt they're using all the tools available to them before they approve a patent.
-cpd
And of course the number six is sex in latin.
-cpd
And some rebuttals...
No I don't own the music. However I just looked at a couple CDs. I see no license that I agreed to. No click though "sure whatever" thing, nothing.
Win98 there is a license. I agreed to that license at some point (ok in theory only but still).
Linux you also agreed to a license. Specifically the GPL.
Software usually comes accompanied by a license. Music does not. Nowhere. Therefore it should be treated like copydrighted material (which it is). To the best of my knowledge I can produce a copy of any copyrighted material for backup puposes. (Side note: Even the Win98 license allows this) So I feel that I am right in creating a copy on my hard drive, and listening to that as the primary source. I am then using the CD as a backup.
Music is under copyright law.
Software is under license law. And specifically the license that accompanies the software.
-cpd
Emphasis on that KINDLY. Do not flame. Be nice. Something along the lines of...
"I noticed a mistake in your article at URL. In which you said MISTAKE. This is not true because REASONS. For examples of this see URL OF EXAMPLES."
-cpd
Well I'll vote for the CD dist. I did have a problem where my modem was not working. Had problems with PNP stuff. Had to shutdown, reboot to m$, go online, read HowTo's, jot down ideas, reboot to linux, try ideas, repeat as nessecary. Now I should mention that part of the problem was I did not realize the install I had done included the howto's with it. I found those eventually and stopped the rebooting part. Which kinda proves the point that I like having local copies of some stuff.
-cpd
Seen on bathroom wall
"There's no such thing as luck."
And in response
"Then I need better fate."
-cpd
That wasn't the argument. The argument was on cost. I'll agree that programmers generally hate doing documentation, but this is more along the lines of reading the manual. Or searching the internet to see if anyone has done it before. Why would you reinvent the wheel? Its already done. Besides, go look at patents that were submitted 17 years ago (I think). These will be coming off patent protection, use those ideas, and implement free forms of that. Legal, easy, and probably useful.
-cpd
Technically you can do them yourself. You'll find most relevent stuff easily. There are many libraries that are used as depositories.
(see http://www.uspto.gov/web/of fices/ac/ido/ptdl/ptdlib.htm) Chances are there's one nearby. Its actually rather interesting to sift through it all. Most of these libraries also have some kind of search engines too. Or if you want to do it from home look at http://www.patents.ibm.com/. If its a decent library they'll probably even have someone who can help you figure out how to do a search. Its not eaxactly easy, but nor is it rocket science. If you make a reasonable effort you'll probably find all of the relavent patents quickly. The $10,000 is for a professional lawyer or librarian or both to search thouroughly the entire patent database. You can probably restrict yourself to just the software stuff.
-cpd
Not sure how much I like that idea. I thought they missed what they were aiming at on Mars with the Mars Lander. Not by much, but people in Argentina might not be pleased. Of course if they miss that metric conversion thing again I might get hit even here in the US. Yes I mean this as sarcastic and only aimed at the part about landing things here from space. The rest of the idea is good I think.
-cpd
What is that bit about [end side one. Discussion about clones missed.]? Now that's something I'd be curious and frightened of. My god, a never ending stream of Bill Gates. Clone after clone, after clone.
-cpd
Lack of perfeect knowledge. If you could know what the weather at every point in the world was you could accurately predict weather far into the future (the models are quite good). However because you only have weather stations every couple miles (at most) on the ground and the occasional weather balloon you can't know what's happening everywhere. And in the case of weather even small things (damn butterfly's sneezing) can cause large events (oh look a hurricane).
Its kinda like trying to predict where a bouncing ball will land knowing only a few data points. But knowing that someone will interfere at some point (but not when). It becomes quite difficult.
-cpd
I misunderstood your argument (the conduit content concept). I thought you were more refering to the idea of CNN carrying news about itself. Personally I don't trust news by a company about itself (or parts thereof). So (to me) NBC can't be trusted for reports on MS, ABC can't be trusted on reports about Disney, CNN couldn't be trusted about reports on its screwup with that report a year or so ago. As for your actual points about conduit and content, while I can see your point, I do not see it as big of a concern as its would seem. Just like TV or Newspapers you can change companies if you choose.
-cpd
Funny comming from a MSNBC correspondent. Isn't NBC doing coverage of the MS trial? Just strikes me as a little glass houseish.
-cpd
Your analogy is wrong I think. This is more akin to some of your neghibors relatives dumping trash on your yard. Your then ask you neighbor to stop. Your neighbor ignores you. Repeatedly. You then get a restraining order against your neighbor and all of their relatives.
Each computer connected to USENET collects the news. This just says I'm not going to store news from that address anymore.
-cpd
It would probably be a good idea to allow choice. So an employee could choose to use the employers stuff (i.e. desk, chairs) that would normally be used at the office. However the telecomuter could waive these benefits by signing a document. This would allow the person the using their own environment.
At the same time OSHA getting involved is kinda silly. I mean what if my apartment (or house) is not handicap accessible, which is an OSHA requirement for workplaces. My house needs an elevator? Seems screwey to me.
-cpd
To me it seems strange to presume that all geeks will agree on any set of issues.
Are all geeks pro-choice?
Do geeks want affirmative action to continue?
How about drug controls? More? Less?
OK the majority probably feel that Evolution should be taught, but really how many issues do geeks really agree on? Yes many probably agree on the laws governing the internet. But that's probably not even going to be much of an issue. Maybe we should make it one.
-cpd
Yeah but like the saying goes: Build a better mouse trap and the world will build a better mouse. (offer null and void in Kansas)
The TV stations need you to see those commercials. That't their money. If a TV station can't promise that you'll see the commercials they'll loose revenue. The remote's already done a number on them. They'll start changing the blank times, change the blank screen color maybe even add a logo there. But I thought there was a signal that got passed down that was a cue to run the commercials. Not sure what it is though.
Or they'll just start slipping the commercials into the show. Kinda like Bond. Look Drew Carey is driving a Toyota. Oh and drinking Pepsi. The problem is this wouldn't work for documentaries. Therefore documentaries wouldn't be shown cuz they can't make money.
OK I'll stop now.
-cpd
Unless its illegal to try to fool these cameras then let's have fun. Pretend that you're about to steal your own car. When the alarms sound and you get arrested show them (ok that's a tough part) its your car. Then sue them for false arrest. Mmmm money making schemes in the morning. Yeah I know sueing is wrong, but in this case probably justified.
-cpd