YEah, it's great, but you can only have LAN parties for about 1% or less of your total gaming time/month. If you play a few hours every day, you can't mobilize people in a house every day, or you'd be staying w/ them. Hmmm....maybe that's not such a bad idea.:)
I don't think cheating is THAT common. I doubt every quake* server has cheats, or that they even make up 10% of the gaming population. Most people are just out to have a fun time.
I think if people simply left a server w/ cheats/lamers, the problem would be fixed pretty quickly. Unfortunately, people feel the need to "convert" them to good guys, or have a flamewar or try to show them who's the daddy. This only makes it worse. Just leave, that's the best solution. There are enough servers out there.
One thing I've found quite interesting is that in the US, global warming is treated as a political issue, whereas in the rest of the world, it's a scientific issue. In other words, a substantial % of high profile coverage of global warming in the media is from political and business analysts, Rush limbaugh, Gore, politicians, etc. There is very little attention given to the scientific merits of the issue.
I think this is largely because of 2 things. Firstly, Americans in general aren't good at science, and most people would have a difficult time describing exactly what the greenhouse effect is. Secondly, scientific issues in the US aren't considered factual, but a matter of opinion and political affiliation. Thus, you have conservatives ridiculing evolution and global warming as leftist ideology.
In contrast, the rest of the world has an apolitical view of global warming - they are curious about it from a scientific perspective, similar to how knowledge about whether mobile phones cause cancer doesn't depend on whether you're pro or anti business, but is a scientific fact. It's unfortunate, but this is how it is - scientific attitudes in the US are dictated by talk show hosts and political beliefs.
I have rarely seen any Americans discuss global warming without being influenced by what it means to oil prices, the employment rate, etc.
It's a very small niche. I suspect a small fraction of net users know what USENET is. As it stands, it will be a small island habited by old time hackers and net users.
To much of the public, the net is becoming something like TV. Not many people on the street know what a newsgroup is (if you don't believe this, you don't know many people on the street - try asking random people, you'll be surprised.)
Given this scenario, it's not likely that a usenet search engine will last for very long. People who want to use USENET will actually use it. Now that's a surprise.
w/m
Tech media sucks per se, no need for a conspiracy
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The Myth Of The Borg
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In comparison with news coverage of say politics, or war or international news, I've found the tech. media to be quite pathetic and both uninsightful and inaccurate. (Is it any wonder we flock to a web message board to feed off each other?).
There are many reasons for this - it's an esoteric field, so the journalists often don't know what they are writing about. It's a dull field in comparison to hollywood or missile defense, so journalists have to spice it up with as many witty Steve Jobs quotes as they can.
When all else fails, the tech media resorts to flame baiting as a defense mechanism to survive; it's not exactly a big secret that the more you can stoke flames from your online readers, the more hits you get. It's a positive feedback cycle, and quality suffers.
Obviously, companies tend to feed off this phenomenon as well. They need positive reviews, and reviewers need more access to the company. The odd thing is that both sides have been so incompetent at this game that in general, the quality of this cycle has been quite low - in technical coverage, good writing, and general marketing of the product being subtly pushed. Perhaps this is because if you're a good journalist, you don't end up in tech. journalism, and if you're a good marketer, you don't end up marketing computer products. So we get the worst of both worlds.
True, this may sound harsh, but look at what we really get - crappy flame baiting from journalists trying to score page hits, badly written press releases begging for attention, sensational reporting about security breaches riddled with more inaccuracies than TV movies on the same subject.
This is why/. is like an oasis - we get to escape both sides of a bad story. We know more than they do, and guess what....that's why *they* feed off us now.
w/m
PS - If you're a journalist, email me. I'm really curious about what you think of all this.:)
Standards depend entirely on who follows them. HTML is nothing but a tag language. w3c arose because Tim Berners Lee created HTML, his colleagues at CERN used it, hundreds more used it, then thousands and millions used it. There were other committees/people over the years who created SGML languages, which were used only internally. If the situation had been reversed, they would be the standard, and HTML would be a CERN memo.
Ultimately, a standard is just a convention that people follow. If all the people of the planet decide next year that a meter is 10 feet, then that's what happens. HTML tags aren't "correct" or "incorrect". They are just a convention people agree on. That's what a standard is - just a yardstick to make life easier. In software, it comes down to an agreed upon arrangement of bits and bytes. If everyone agrees to change it, it changes. Generally a company or body decides this arrangement. If only a few people listen to them, then they become irrelevant. That was my point.
btw, I didn't work for any of the companies mentioned in any of my posts, just in case there are lawyers reading this. My main point is re. the legal fine points that determine whether a work of software is "shoddy" or done according to "expectations". Anybody who has used any software can probably sense the gaping loopholes which can result from describing how software performs, what was expected, etc. It just takes skilled lawyers to determine this in legal terms. Geeks tend to think of technical details when they talk about expections and good results. Lawyers think of law. The former is irrelevant in lawsuits...
This is small time stuff. The Big 6 (I think it's big 5 now) consulting companies do this all the time, and don't pay a dime, because they have lawyers, not programmers, detailing the deal.
Once in a while, big companies like IBM, Anderson consulting or Price waterhouse get sued, but generally, they don't. Also, the failure rate for large scale projects of the scale undertaken by the big 5 is something over 50%. Ask anyone who has worked (as a programmer, not a manager) on these custom turn-key contract projects, and they'll tell you that in most cases, these companies do a really slick job of presentations/slides/drawing rectangles and flow-charts and generally throwing around industry buzzwords. These are invariably targeted at the VP and above level, and technical details are considered an afterthought. In a project I worked on, the partner of the software firm (a big 6 company) who presented and finalized a 20 million $ software deal was a lawyer.
Predicting whether the project was successfully done, and whether the company was held liable if it wasn't, is left as an exercise to the readers.
w/m PS - I'm sure this isn't a rarity. Please post your experiences in cases like this. It's generally pretty hilarious.:)
A lovely summary of all that's wrong with X
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X Windows Must Die!
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· Score: 5
Possible the greatest work of literature ever written about X. Guaranteed to entertain you for several minutes at least. I think he hangs around/. as well. Just get him started on the topic.:)
Really, it's solid stuff. Think about it, instead of having a knee-jerk reaction.
After all, a standard is what everyone uses. A standard is not something cast in stone that's handed down for everyone to follow. Well, it is, but it becomes irrelevant when the majority of users don't need it.
It's a bit like Open [pick your standard] vs. Windows. Even if Sun, IBM, DEC, HP, etc. band together and their committees agree on an "open" standard, it doesn't really matter, because by that time everyone is using.EXE files,.DOC files, and so on. Windows is the standard on PC operating systems. If 90% of users use it, that's a standard. It doesn't really matter what the pedantic arguments are. you can split hairs all you want, but if you want to live in the real world, a standard is what everyone uses.
real video is a standard. pdf is a standard. flash is a standard. mp3 is a standard. Maybe these aren't rubber stamped by standards committees, but they are standards, because they are what people use.
Increasingly, w3c seems in danger of becoming another irrelevant body. If the majority of users end up using software that bypasses the W3C, then the W3c is a standard no more.
I moved here from the US, and noticed a vast difference in the govt. attitude towards the net/media.
The US policy in general is that business must be left alone, unless necessary to safeguard consumers. The Australian policy is that govt. must *guarantee* good results to consumers. This can take comical effect.
In parliament, you can hear the Prime minister and the opposition leader argue over the management details of how Telstra, the govt. monopoly phone company, should be run, what the pricing policy should be, etc. From a US perspective, this is shocking stuff - elected leaders running company business.
Thus it is not surprising that the govt. here is dreaming about regulating streaming media on the net. For all the whining that Americans do about how bad they have it, they have no clue how lucky they are.
The problem is not that the Aussie govt. is particularly clueless about the net. All govts. are equally clueless - the problem is that the Aussie govt. has WAY too much power over what people can hear and read.
The govt. can decide what/when/how things should be broadcast. Check out this story on ABC news , the govt. funded media/news corporation. But it's even funnier when politicians regulate pr0n.
Yes, Virginia, there is censorship in Australia. Want to see what the Aussie govt. thinks of your favorite multiplayer game? Go check it out! Yes, books are censored too. Don't you want to be sure the public doesn't read naughty things?
Having said there, there is considerable irony in some situations. Breasts can be seen all over the place, even on movie posters in public view. Some weeks ago there was a TV show on censorship, and lo and behold, there was shown a scene of two women licking breasts, on prime time news. Unthinkable on good old American soil, land of free speech and all. Yet openly shown in a country with censorship, on a program on censorship, on a govt. funded TV channel. The irony doth overflow.
Overall, though, the regulation stifles competition. One side effect of all this is that Australia lags behind the US by about 4-5 years in bandwidth, because everything is so heavily regulated and the competition is dampened. When I check out ISPs, there are still those stupid "plans", depending on your download limits and how many hours you spend online. Not one ISP in this city offers unlimited bandwidth AND unlimited hours. All on 56K, of course.
Anyway, I'm done with my ranting. Australia sucks on a grand scale when it comes to the internet.
written by john Perry Barlow, co-founder of the EFF. Probably more relevant than ever. The original NY times article is here
Amendment 1
Congress shall encourage the practice of Judeo-Christian religion by its own public exercise thereof and shall make no laws abridging the freedom of responsible speech, unless such speech is in a digitized form or contains material which is copyrighted, classified, proprietary, or deeply offensive to non-Europeans, non-males, differently-abled or alternatively preferenced persons; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, unless such assembly is taking place on corporate or military property or within an electronic environment, or to make petitions to the Government for a redress of grievances, unless those grievances relate to national security.
Amendment 2
A well-regulated Militia having become irrelevant to the security of the State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms against one another shall nevertheless remain uninfringed, excepting such arms as may be afforded by the poor or those preferred by drug pushers, terrorists, and organized criminals, which shall be banned.
No soldier shall, in time of peace, be quartered in any house, without the consent of the owner, unless that house is thought to have been used for the distribution of illegal substances.
Amendment 4
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers. and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures, may be suspended to protect public welfare, and upon the unsupported suspicion of law enforcement officials, any place or conveyance shall be subject to immediate search, and any such places or conveyances or property within them may be permanently confiscated without further judicial proceeding.
Amendment 5
Any person may be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime involving illicit substances, terrorism, or child pornography, or upon any suspicion whatever; and may be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb, once by the State courts and again by the Federal Judiciary; and may be compelled by various means, including the forced submission of breath samples, bodily fluids, or encryption keys, to be a witness against himself, refusal to do so constituting an admission of guilt; and may be deprived of life, liberty, or property without further legal delay; and any property thereby forfeited shall be dedicated to the discretionary use of law enforcement agents.
Amendment 6
In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and private plea bargaining session before pleading guilty. He is entitled to the Assistance of underpaid and indifferent Counsel to negotiate his sentence, except where such sentence falls under federal mandatory sentencing requirements.
Amendment 7
In Suits at common law, where the contesting parties have nearly unlimited resources to spend on legal fees, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved.
Amendment 8
Sufficient bail may be required to ensure that dangerous criminals will remain in custody, where cruel punishments are usually inflicted.
Amendment 9
The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others which may be asserted by the Government as required to preserve public order, family values, or national security.
Amendment 10
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, shall be reserved to the United States Departments of Justice and Treasury, except when the States are willing to forsake federal funding.
It's not surprising that it was re-used as a manuscript. Manuscript writing was a great art and a worthwhile hobby for bored monks, practised widely up to the middle of the millenium. A lot of the works were of religious/Christian content, and some were historic (generally sponsored by rich patrons). Vellum, or processed calf skin, was written on using pigments and natural minerals which varied from crushed beetles to lapis lazuli. Frequently, gold leaves were used to emboss ornamental designs.
Perhaps the most famous lost and found manuscript is the book of Kells. Written by Irish monks in the 8th century, it was lost during viking attacks on monastaries, found buried underground and unearthed, and today resides at Trinity College, Dublin. It's regarded as Ireland's national treasure. (BTW, the word "miniature" used to describe these manuscripts has nothing to do with size, but indicates drawn inline images, from Latin miniatus, past participle of miniare, to color with minium, from minium red lead.)
If you get a chance to see manuscripts at a nearby exhibition, don't miss it. They are fabulous. And simply looking at words written centuries ago in ink on parchment is quite an indescribable feeling.
(In related news: one of the greatest wonders of the ancient world was completely recycled. The bronze Collossus of Rhodes was sold as scrap metal.)
Check out this link to look at some of the old manuscripts of mathematics.
Just realised that you may look at my nick and think, "Ha! He is one to talk". Actually, 'wooly mammoth' and all the sane variations thereof were already taken. Thus it was that I had to embark upon the nick seeking journey which would lead to this moment of irony.
I repeat, I am not an elite hacker. I'm simply an extinct mammal. Wait, that's even cooler. Hmm...
If you lack the alphanumeric knowledge to type like a script kiddie, you can now summon the vast powers of the Internet to immediately transform yourself into one of the chosen few.
With the sale of satellite technology to china (and a coincidental improvement in Chinese missile design), it is simply a matter of time before another space war between superpowers gets going. China has steadily been gaining in the area of launching satellites, and with the communist party desperate to boost patriotism and distract attention from its problems, it's only a matter of time before they get into the space race.
Imagine how energized congress will be, after years of cutting back science budgets, when China lands someone on the moon....Why, they will have to land an American on Mars, to show the commies where they stand.
Ah, cold war, you were barely gone. How we've missed you.
This is a bit of a rant beyond the AMD thingie, so bear with me.
There's a trend running through the industry. When linux programmers write *free* drivers for new hardware, oftentimes the manufacturer is very reluctant to support the OS. Sometimes the developers have to struggle to wrench out closed specs to write the drivers, and still the corporation sees it fit to at best ignore it. Oh, and by the way, this results in more of their products being sold.
Enthusiasts are the forerunners to new technology. Generally they are the first to embrace it and forecast where the industry is going. At the very least, they provide valuable feedback. Yet for some reason, the history of the computer industry has seen established companies simply ignore enthusiasts. This goes for mainframe makers who ignored the PC, *nix vendors which dismissed linux as a toy, and MS which dissed the internet as a useless fad. It may also be that the music industry is on this track by opposing mp3 fans instead of seeing where they are headed.
As a larger trend, when companies which started out in the garage lose touch with their roots and ignore enthusiasts, it might mean they crumble under their own weight. But in specific cases, I simply fail to understand why companies don't support them. For instance, linux today has millions of users, and yet when I go to logitech's page to see if their cordless mouse works with linux, there is NO info on it at all. I have to dredge thru deja.com to see if anyone has posted it. Why? Does logitech not see the benefit of spending a few thousand $ to hire someone to update their web site with info about linux? Or even if drivers are needed, can't they hire a couple of guys to write them? Even if a small fraction of the linux base buys their mice, they have made a good profit.
I know this may cause thousands of readers to pump up their blood pressure, but if it's a commercial company, then it will naturally target its products on windows (let's face it, if it's a product that needs to make money, windows would be more sensible, not because of the platform's attractiveness, but because that's where the most users are. And this sounds like a home consumer type of product as well.) I can understand it if you want to target BOTH windows and linux, but from your description, it looks like you're sour about moving from exclusively linux to exclusively windows. Why not both?
After all, if it's written in java, that would be one of the key advantages. btw, did you look on computer telephony magazine?
This is timed really well. Bandwidth is getting bigger every year, and people are beginning to use the net for audio news/reports/analysis/whatever.
I often search on www.npr.org for RA snippets that match my interests, and it's inevitable that there will be web sites catering to all kinds of niche interests.(There's indeed a high probability that someone will start a channel broadcasting fan noises from people's overclocked PCs in at least 3 different streaming audio formats).
It's also unlikely that car manufacturers would outfit millions of cars with a device that needs subscription to work. This, at a time when MS is aggressively gunning for their browser to be placed in cars (I think they already have a deal w/ Ford). Hmmm...is it possible that they might give away their browser for free to gain market share, do you think?
The subscription model for radio is a poor idea to start with. There is already a cable-TV like radio broadcaster, which gives you the choice of hundreds of channels. Radio and subscription just don't mix.
Wonder where they got funding for this? After all, what VC would be willing to throw money away on a startup that has no customers and is unlikely to make money? Oh wait...nevermind.:)
fun replying to myself, but there is some seriously solid witty banter in there.
[ Dick admits he isn't top of the class at creative writing.]
:D1ck:i want some one with good writing skillz :D1ck::/ :D1ck:to write About, FAQ :D1ck:etc
[Here we have a fancy debate on the mission statement. These guys take themselves a tad too seriously.]
:D1ck:is this para write for About :D1ck:? :D1ck:K1dd13 came into existance almost a year ago. It was born out of hate and contempt for violence, atrocities and human rights violations against Muslims, specially the affectees in Kashmir. It was precipitated to bring the attention of world leaders and :Sp07:? :D1ck:organizations to the issue in cyberspace which is today the leading source of communication. :D1ck:is that fair enuff? :Sp07:eyah I guess :Sp07:I thought it was like a hacking group
[ Our l33t h4x0rs look for profound quotes to adorn their web site]
:Sp07:what is lahore ? :D1ck:lahore==city :D1ck:Sp07 give me a good quote :Sp07:I thought it was the whore in french :Sp07:ill go get a quote fo you :D1ck:heh :D1ck:ok :Sp07:I dont know any in my ehad :Sp07:hea :Sp07:d :Sp07:Silence is gold, if nothing better you hold. :Sp07:tahts gay :Sp07:I heard a quote before :Sp07:goes something like "If you want peace, you must prepare for war" :Sp07:I herad it in a simpsons episode
[Dick doesn't know what pot is, but tries to look l33t by claiming he has lots of it. Rather Clintonesque admission follows. Spo7 isn't impressed].
:Sp07:im a pothead :Sp07:hehe :D1ck:oh :D1ck:what does it mean btw:P :D1ck:? :Sp07:someone who smokes lots of weed :Sp07:hahaha :Sp07:pot-heads :Sp07:pot = weed :D1ck:oh :D1ck:i get tons f weed :D1ck:but :D1ck:i dont do it :Sp07:heh :Sp07:not weed in your garden or anything
[Spo7 expresses skepticism about Dick's impressive fluctuations in mass. He tries to get to the bottom of it. Suspenseful stuff, this.]
:Sp07:how much do you weight? :D1ck:for real :D1ck:300 punds :Sp07:for real? :D1ck:yes :Sp07:you serious? :D1ck:for real :D1ck : :D1ck:yep :D1ck::) :D1ck:serious :Sp07:dont lie :Sp07:hehe :D1ck:i`m FAT :Sp07:300 is a lot :D1ck:as :D1ck:s :D1ck::) :D1ck:nope i`m 300#$@ :Sp07:how old are you? :D1ck:17
:D1ck:dude :D1ck:4 years back :Sp07:H M :Sp07:H M :D1ck:i was 400 :D1ck:and then i lost 200 :Sp07:DAYUMMMMMMMMM :Sp07:you liar :D1ck:nutriotion :D1ck:and then :Sp07:how can you be 400 pounds when your 13? :D1ck:I WAS :Sp07:you liar :D1ck:tendency :D1ck:and :D1ck:lots of eating :D1ck:but then i left the diet and excersise :D1ck:but i`ll loose it again :D1ck:i`m serious now :D1ck::) :Sp07:400 is too much for a 13 year old :D1ck:when i`m serious imake sure to achieve the goal :Sp07:maybe like 200 is cool :Sp07:but 400 :Sp07:no way :D1ck:hahahaha :Sp07:200 is still fat but 400 is like a fucking elephant
[Dick has forgotten he has said he smokes weed. A rare occasion when he admits not knowing something follows...]
:D1ck:smoking marjuana is likee 'cool'? :Sp07:I GUESS :Sp07:ITS FUN :D1ck:oh :Sp07:ITS NOT LIKE SMOKING :D1ck:it tastes good?
[Dick, ever the crafty one, shocks Spo7 with a clever deceptive move. Spo7 almost has a heart attack, but dick clarifies the situation.]
:Sp07:IT TAKES ME TO MY OWN WORLD :Sp07:MWUHAHAHAHAHA :D1ck:Ok i disclose my self. :D1ck:I`m a FED :Sp07:?? :Sp07:OH SHIT :D1ck:You are busted :Sp07:FUCK YOU :Sp07:DIE MOTHER FUCKER :Sp07:FOR REAL???? :Sp07:officer :D1ck:yes. :Sp07:suck my dick :D1ck:dude :D1ck:relax :Sp07:no wonder :Sp07:how would a pakistanian know english :Sp07:its all clear :Sp07:hey :D1ck:hehe :Sp07:your not really a fed right?? :D1ck:y0 :D1ck:? :Sp07:dont even joke like that :D1ck:nope :D1ck:ok :Sp07:MAKES ME FEEL NERVOUS :D1ck:i`m not a fed :D1ck:why did u take it so serious? :Sp07:I DUNNO
:D1ck:man dont think i`m a fed :D1ck::) :D1ck:i`m a elite hacker
No kidding, some of this stuff will keep me entertained for hours. What are the funniest parts? I liked this one:
:J4n3!:************************************************* ****************************** :J4n3! : A T T E N T I O N :J4n3!:************************************************* ****************************** :J4n3! : YOU ARE REQUESTED TO RESHELVE THE BOOKS AFTER USE :J4n3! : SO THAT WE CAN MAINTAIN A CLEAN AND TIDY WORKING ENVIRONMENT :J4n3! : THANKING YOU FOR YOUR KIND CO-OPERATION :J4n3!:************************************************* *** :J4n3!:ok sir:) :D1ck!:hahahaa
I actually find it more puzzling understanding the other side, i.e, those who are responsible for preventing security breaches. These script kiddies are just teenagers trying to be cool, but what about the admins/managers/etc., who sometimes spend millions on security and fail to even plug well known holes?
For instance, take the case of the Australian govt., which put up info on thousands of business with their business number clearly visible on a CGI thingie on the URL. Guess what, changing the number gave you immediate access to the bank accounts and tax info of the relevant company. Couldn't they have even bothered to scramble the thing in the URL?
It reminds me of the story in Cliff Stoll's excellent book "The Cuckoo's egg" (a must read for hackers), in which he details how military depts. spent millions on security and left guest access open on the very machines they were supposed to protect. Or Richard Feynman's account of how mega-expensive safes guarding nuclear secrets were left with the default combination lock setting.
There was a flap some yrs ago when Dan Farmer scanned various banks for security and published the results, and it turned out many had not bothered applying even rudimentary, known fixes for problems known for years.
It's really amazing how utterly clueless and irresponsible the people in charge of security are. Generally, they tend to be suits impressed by buzzwords or mega $$$ security firms. Nobody really understands the real issues or even the basics. You can never prevent script kiddies from existing in this world. What you can do is take steps to prevent cracking.
Take another example of general hysteria and cluelessness - after the flap over the I LOVE YOU virus, almost none of the mass media coverage was about the fact that it was spreading via VBscript on outlook. MS must have been counting its lucky stars that nobody thought of pointing out this remarkable common factor.
And so history repeats itself...nobody fixes the root of the problem. Maybe somebody should write up an analysis of the mentality of people behind a typical insecure installation. But then, that would be too boring.
PHB1: Should we consider DoS attacks? PHB2: What, DOS? Didn't we upgrade to Windows? PHB1: Not sure...my team wrote something about DoS. OK, you're right, we probably don't need to worry about DOS. I think we have everything covered now. PHB2: Good, now let's write up the status report.
There is an intriguing method of obtaining the same results, relatively speaking. The human operator is submerged in a clear liquid (say, water) while the PC remains above the surface. Due to the human movements being slowed down from viscosity, everything the PC does appears hundreds of times faster, thereby introduing a "relative constant of overclocking".
There are other subtle effects. The light slows down since it has to travel through liquid before hitting the retina. Finger movements slow down, as do mouse movements.
Water is also cheaper than liquid nitrogen, and easily available in swimming pools and oceans. Why not try this intriguing method today and see if it works for you? Oh, and you won't believe what it feels like when you're swimming underwater in Quake III. Very realistic.
* Caltech. Feynman taught there, and there are many interesting guest lectures and stuff.
* NASA, JPL
* Nice old buildings. Lots of cafes. Lots of trees..mmmm....trees.
* Many bookstores, including a used bookstore that is open at midnight.
* Smack in the middle of two techtonic plates. IF you want to enjoy an earthquake, this is the place.
* Smalltown atmosphere. Quiet place.
* Biggest stadium seating arthouse movie theatre in the country.
VERY high geek ratio within a 2 mile radius of caltech, and you can spot them. On a Friday night, you can often see a few guys hanging around talking about particle physics while everyone else is dating. Impressive stuff.
I found Australia to be quite a change from California. Not particularly in any geek way, but life in general.
To start with, Australians are incredibly friendly, and for some reason, almost everybody seems to be in their 20s. They consume enormous quantities of beer, and in general are very talkative and nice to hang out with. By contrast, Americans are guarded, expect a greater amount of "personal space" and would probably find the Aussie rules of social interaction startling. Australia is also different in its city culture. Things are much more relaxed and people prefer to spend time at leisure, instead of the rush towards instant gratification that's common in the US. This also means that things can take longer, but it's far better than the frustrated, horn-honking lifestyle of california.
Another amazing thing about Australia is the sheer amount of space. You can buy land the size of a small town for 50K, or something like that. Everything is spread out.
Other nice things about Australia - no guns, little crime. People generally use syringes to rob stores (cracked me up when I heard of this), and violent crime is pretty rare. On the flip side, Australia is well behind the US in terms of net access, and the govt. keeps micro-managing everything, so it's REALLY bad for business. It's great for a working holiday, however.
Slashdot Mirror
YEah, it's great, but you can only have LAN parties for about 1% or less of your total gaming time/month. If you play a few hours every day, you can't mobilize people in a house every day, or you'd be staying w/ them. Hmmm....maybe that's not such a bad idea. :)
I don't think cheating is THAT common. I doubt every quake* server has cheats, or that they even make up 10% of the gaming population. Most people are just out to have a fun time.
I think if people simply left a server w/ cheats/lamers, the problem would be fixed pretty quickly. Unfortunately, people feel the need to "convert" them to good guys, or have a flamewar or try to show them who's the daddy. This only makes it worse. Just leave, that's the best solution. There are enough servers out there.
w/m
One thing I've found quite interesting is that in the US, global warming is treated as a political issue, whereas in the rest of the world, it's a scientific issue. In other words, a substantial % of high profile coverage of global warming in the media is from political and business analysts, Rush limbaugh, Gore, politicians, etc. There is very little attention given to the scientific merits of the issue.
I think this is largely because of 2 things. Firstly, Americans in general aren't good at science, and most people would have a difficult time describing exactly what the greenhouse effect is. Secondly, scientific issues in the US aren't considered factual, but a matter of opinion and political affiliation. Thus, you have conservatives ridiculing evolution and global warming as leftist ideology.
In contrast, the rest of the world has an apolitical view of global warming - they are curious about it from a scientific perspective, similar to how knowledge about whether mobile phones cause cancer doesn't depend on whether you're pro or anti business, but is a scientific fact. It's unfortunate, but this is how it is - scientific attitudes in the US are dictated by talk show hosts and political beliefs.
I have rarely seen any Americans discuss global warming without being influenced by what it means to oil prices, the employment rate, etc.
w/m
It's a very small niche. I suspect a small fraction of net users know what USENET is. As it stands, it will be a small island habited by old time hackers and net users.
To much of the public, the net is becoming something like TV. Not many people on the street know what a newsgroup is (if you don't believe this, you don't know many people on the street - try asking random people, you'll be surprised.)
Given this scenario, it's not likely that a usenet search engine will last for very long. People who want to use USENET will actually use it. Now that's a surprise.
w/m
In comparison with news coverage of say politics, or war or international news, I've found the tech. media to be quite pathetic and both uninsightful and inaccurate. (Is it any wonder we flock to a web message board to feed off each other?).
/. is like an oasis - we get to escape both sides of a bad story. We know more than they do, and guess what....that's why *they* feed off us now.
:)
There are many reasons for this - it's an esoteric field, so the journalists often don't know what they are writing about. It's a dull field in comparison to hollywood or missile defense, so journalists have to spice it up with as many witty Steve Jobs quotes as they can.
When all else fails, the tech media resorts to flame baiting as a defense mechanism to survive; it's not exactly a big secret that the more you can stoke flames from your online readers, the more hits you get. It's a positive feedback cycle, and quality suffers.
Obviously, companies tend to feed off this phenomenon as well. They need positive reviews, and reviewers need more access to the company. The odd thing is that both sides have been so incompetent at this game that in general, the quality of this cycle has been quite low - in technical coverage, good writing, and general marketing of the product being subtly pushed. Perhaps this is because if you're a good journalist, you don't end up in tech. journalism, and if you're a good marketer, you don't end up marketing computer products. So we get the worst of both worlds.
True, this may sound harsh, but look at what we really get - crappy flame baiting from journalists trying to score page hits, badly written press releases begging for attention, sensational reporting about security breaches riddled with more inaccuracies than TV movies on the same subject.
This is why
w/m
PS - If you're a journalist, email me. I'm really curious about what you think of all this.
Standards depend entirely on who follows them. HTML is nothing but a tag language. w3c arose because Tim Berners Lee created HTML, his colleagues at CERN used it, hundreds more used it, then thousands and millions used it. There were other committees/people over the years who created SGML languages, which were used only internally. If the situation had been reversed, they would be the standard, and HTML would be a CERN memo.
Ultimately, a standard is just a convention that people follow. If all the people of the planet decide next year that a meter is 10 feet, then that's what happens. HTML tags aren't "correct" or "incorrect". They are just a convention people agree on. That's what a standard is - just a yardstick to make life easier. In software, it comes down to an agreed upon arrangement of bits and bytes. If everyone agrees to change it, it changes. Generally a company or body decides this arrangement. If only a few people listen to them, then they become irrelevant. That was my point.
w/m.
Found some cases that make interesting reading.
lawsuit over implementation
cross examination. Note how subjective it gets.
more lawsuits
btw, I didn't work for any of the companies mentioned in any of my posts, just in case there are lawyers reading this. My main point is re. the legal fine points that determine whether a work of software is "shoddy" or done according to "expectations". Anybody who has used any software can probably sense the gaping loopholes which can result from describing how software performs, what was expected, etc. It just takes skilled lawyers to determine this in legal terms. Geeks tend to think of technical details when they talk about expections and good results. Lawyers think of law. The former is irrelevant in lawsuits...
This is small time stuff. The Big 6 (I think it's big 5 now) consulting companies do this all the time, and don't pay a dime, because they have lawyers, not programmers, detailing the deal.
:)
Once in a while, big companies like IBM, Anderson consulting or Price waterhouse get sued, but generally, they don't. Also, the failure rate for large scale projects of the scale undertaken by the big 5 is something over 50%. Ask anyone who has worked (as a programmer, not a manager) on these custom turn-key contract projects, and they'll tell you that in most cases, these companies do a really slick job of presentations/slides/drawing rectangles and flow-charts and generally throwing around industry buzzwords. These are invariably targeted at the VP and above level, and technical details are considered an afterthought. In a project I worked on, the partner of the software firm (a big 6 company) who presented and finalized a 20 million $ software deal was a lawyer.
Predicting whether the project was successfully done, and whether the company was held liable if it wasn't, is left as an exercise to the readers.
w/m
PS - I'm sure this isn't a rarity. Please post your experiences in cases like this. It's generally pretty hilarious.
There you go: the X windows disasater
/. as well. Just get him started on the topic. :)
Possible the greatest work of literature ever written about X. Guaranteed to entertain you for several minutes at least. I think he hangs around
Really, it's solid stuff. Think about it, instead of having a knee-jerk reaction.
w/m
After all, a standard is what everyone uses. A standard is not something cast in stone that's handed down for everyone to follow. Well, it is, but it becomes irrelevant when the majority of users don't need it.
.EXE files, .DOC files, and so on. Windows is the standard on PC operating systems. If 90% of users use it, that's a standard. It doesn't really matter what the pedantic arguments are. you can split hairs all you want, but if you want to live in the real world, a standard is what everyone uses.
It's a bit like Open [pick your standard] vs. Windows. Even if Sun, IBM, DEC, HP, etc. band together and their committees agree on an "open" standard, it doesn't really matter, because by that time everyone is using
real video is a standard. pdf is a standard. flash is a standard. mp3 is a standard. Maybe these aren't rubber stamped by standards committees, but they are standards, because they are what people use.
Increasingly, w3c seems in danger of becoming another irrelevant body. If the majority of users end up using software that bypasses the W3C, then the W3c is a standard no more.
w/m
I moved here from the US, and noticed a vast difference in the govt. attitude towards the net/media.
The US policy in general is that business must be left alone, unless necessary to safeguard consumers. The Australian policy is that govt. must *guarantee* good results to consumers. This can take comical effect.
In parliament, you can hear the Prime minister and the opposition leader argue over the management details of how Telstra, the govt. monopoly phone company, should be run, what the pricing policy should be, etc. From a US perspective, this is shocking stuff - elected leaders running company business.
Thus it is not surprising that the govt. here is dreaming about regulating streaming media on the net. For all the whining that Americans do about how bad they have it, they have no clue how lucky they are.
The problem is not that the Aussie govt. is particularly clueless about the net. All govts. are equally clueless - the problem is that the Aussie govt. has WAY too much power over what people can hear and read.
The govt. can decide what/when/how things should be broadcast. Check out this story on ABC news , the govt. funded media/news corporation. But it's even funnier when politicians regulate pr0n.
Yes, Virginia, there is censorship in Australia. Want to see what the Aussie govt. thinks of your favorite multiplayer game? Go check it out! Yes, books are censored too. Don't you want to be sure the public doesn't read naughty things?
Having said there, there is considerable irony in some situations. Breasts can be seen all over the place, even on movie posters in public view. Some weeks ago there was a TV show on censorship, and lo and behold, there was shown a scene of two women licking breasts, on prime time news. Unthinkable on good old American soil, land of free speech and all. Yet openly shown in a country with censorship, on a program on censorship, on a govt. funded TV channel. The irony doth overflow.
Overall, though, the regulation stifles competition. One side effect of all this is that Australia lags behind the US by about 4-5 years in bandwidth, because everything is so heavily regulated and the competition is dampened. When I check out ISPs, there are still those stupid "plans", depending on your download limits and how many hours you spend online. Not one ISP in this city offers unlimited bandwidth AND unlimited hours. All on 56K, of course.
Anyway, I'm done with my ranting. Australia sucks on a grand scale when it comes to the internet.
w/m
more censorship info here
written by john Perry Barlow, co-founder of the EFF. Probably more relevant than ever. The original NY times article is here
Amendment 1
Congress shall encourage the practice of Judeo-Christian religion by its own public exercise thereof and shall make no laws abridging the freedom of responsible speech, unless such speech is in a digitized form or contains material which is copyrighted, classified, proprietary, or deeply offensive to non-Europeans, non-males, differently-abled or alternatively preferenced persons; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, unless such assembly is taking place on corporate or military property or within an electronic environment, or to make petitions to the Government for a redress of grievances, unless those grievances relate to national security.
Amendment 2
A well-regulated Militia having become irrelevant to the security of the State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms against one another shall nevertheless remain uninfringed, excepting such arms as may be afforded by the poor or those preferred by drug pushers, terrorists, and organized criminals, which shall be banned.
No soldier shall, in time of peace, be quartered in any house, without the consent of the owner, unless that house is thought to have been used for the distribution of illegal substances.
Amendment 4
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers. and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures, may be suspended to protect public welfare, and upon the unsupported suspicion of law enforcement officials, any place or conveyance shall be subject to immediate search, and any such places or conveyances or property within them may be permanently confiscated without further judicial proceeding.
Amendment 5
Any person may be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime involving illicit substances, terrorism, or child pornography, or upon any suspicion whatever; and may be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb, once by the State courts and again by the Federal Judiciary; and may be compelled by various means, including the forced submission of breath samples, bodily fluids, or encryption keys, to be a witness against himself, refusal to do so constituting an admission of guilt; and may be deprived of life, liberty, or property without further legal delay; and any property thereby forfeited shall be dedicated to the discretionary use of law enforcement agents.
Amendment 6
In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and private plea bargaining session before pleading guilty. He is entitled to the Assistance of underpaid and indifferent Counsel to negotiate his sentence, except where such sentence falls under federal mandatory sentencing requirements.
Amendment 7
In Suits at common law, where the contesting parties have nearly unlimited resources to spend on legal fees, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved.
Amendment 8
Sufficient bail may be required to ensure that dangerous criminals will remain in custody, where cruel punishments are usually inflicted.
Amendment 9
The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others which may be asserted by the Government as required to preserve public order, family values, or national security.
Amendment 10
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, shall be reserved to the United States Departments of Justice and Treasury, except when the States are willing to forsake federal funding.
It's not surprising that it was re-used as a manuscript. Manuscript writing was a great art and a worthwhile hobby for bored monks, practised widely up to the middle of the millenium. A lot of the works were of religious/Christian content, and some were historic (generally sponsored by rich patrons). Vellum, or processed calf skin, was written on using pigments and natural minerals which varied from crushed beetles to lapis lazuli. Frequently, gold leaves were used to emboss ornamental designs.
Perhaps the most famous lost and found manuscript is the book of Kells. Written by Irish monks in the 8th century, it was lost during viking attacks on monastaries, found buried underground and unearthed, and today resides at Trinity College, Dublin. It's regarded as Ireland's national treasure. (BTW, the word "miniature" used to describe these manuscripts has nothing to do with size, but indicates drawn inline images, from Latin miniatus, past participle of miniare, to color with minium, from minium red lead.)
If you get a chance to see manuscripts at a nearby exhibition, don't miss it. They are fabulous. And simply looking at words written centuries ago in ink on parchment is quite an indescribable feeling.
(In related news: one of the greatest wonders of the ancient world was completely recycled. The bronze Collossus of Rhodes was sold as scrap metal.)
Check out this link to look at some of the old manuscripts of mathematics.
w/m
Just realised that you may look at my nick and think, "Ha! He is one to talk". Actually, 'wooly mammoth' and all the sane variations thereof were already taken. Thus it was that I had to embark upon the nick seeking journey which would lead to this moment of irony.
I repeat, I am not an elite hacker. I'm simply an extinct mammal. Wait, that's even cooler. Hmm...
w/m
If you lack the alphanumeric knowledge to type like a script kiddie, you can now summon the vast powers of the Internet to immediately transform yourself into one of the chosen few.
:)
Ah, there it is....
Enjoy. And use your powers wisely.
w/m
With the sale of satellite technology to china (and a coincidental improvement in Chinese missile design), it is simply a matter of time before another space war between superpowers gets going. China has steadily been gaining in the area of launching satellites, and with the communist party desperate to boost patriotism and distract attention from its problems, it's only a matter of time before they get into the space race.
Imagine how energized congress will be, after years of cutting back science budgets, when China lands someone on the moon....Why, they will have to land an American on Mars, to show the commies where they stand.
Ah, cold war, you were barely gone. How we've missed you.
w/m
This is a bit of a rant beyond the AMD thingie, so bear with me.
There's a trend running through the industry. When linux programmers write *free* drivers for new hardware, oftentimes the manufacturer is very reluctant to support the OS. Sometimes the developers have to struggle to wrench out closed specs to write the drivers, and still the corporation sees it fit to at best ignore it. Oh, and by the way, this results in more of their products being sold.
Enthusiasts are the forerunners to new technology. Generally they are the first to embrace it and forecast where the industry is going. At the very least, they provide valuable feedback. Yet for some reason, the history of the computer industry has seen established companies simply ignore enthusiasts. This goes for mainframe makers who ignored the PC, *nix vendors which dismissed linux as a toy, and MS which dissed the internet as a useless fad. It may also be that the music industry is on this track by opposing mp3 fans instead of seeing where they are headed.
As a larger trend, when companies which started out in the garage lose touch with their roots and ignore enthusiasts, it might mean they crumble under their own weight. But in specific cases, I simply fail to understand why companies don't support them. For instance, linux today has millions of users, and yet when I go to logitech's page to see if their cordless mouse works with linux, there is NO info on it at all. I have to dredge thru deja.com to see if anyone has posted it. Why? Does logitech not see the benefit of spending a few thousand $ to hire someone to update their web site with info about linux? Or even if drivers are needed, can't they hire a couple of guys to write them? Even if a small fraction of the linux base buys their mice, they have made a good profit.
What am I missing here?
w/m
I know this may cause thousands of readers to pump up their blood pressure, but if it's a commercial company, then it will naturally target its products on windows (let's face it, if it's a product that needs to make money, windows would be more sensible, not because of the platform's attractiveness, but because that's where the most users are. And this sounds like a home consumer type of product as well.) I can understand it if you want to target BOTH windows and linux, but from your description, it looks like you're sour about moving from exclusively linux to exclusively windows. Why not both?
After all, if it's written in java, that would be one of the key advantages. btw, did you look on computer telephony magazine?
w/m
This is timed really well. Bandwidth is getting bigger every year, and people are beginning to use the net for audio news/reports/analysis/whatever.
:)
I often search on www.npr.org for RA snippets that match my interests, and it's inevitable that there will be web sites catering to all kinds of niche interests.(There's indeed a high probability that someone will start a channel broadcasting fan noises from people's overclocked PCs in at least 3 different streaming audio formats).
It's also unlikely that car manufacturers would outfit millions of cars with a device that needs subscription to work. This, at a time when MS is aggressively gunning for their browser to be placed in cars (I think they already have a deal w/ Ford). Hmmm...is it possible that they might give away their browser for free to gain market share, do you think?
The subscription model for radio is a poor idea to start with. There is already a cable-TV like radio broadcaster, which gives you the choice of hundreds of channels. Radio and subscription just don't mix.
Wonder where they got funding for this? After all, what VC would be willing to throw money away on a startup that has no customers and is unlikely to make money? Oh wait...nevermind.
w/m
fun replying to myself, but there is some seriously solid witty banter in there.
:i want some one with good writing skillz ::/ :to write About, FAQ :etc
:is this para write for About :? :K1dd13 came into existance almost a year ago. It was born out of hate and contempt for violence, atrocities and human rights violations against Muslims, specially the affectees in Kashmir. It was precipitated to bring the attention of world leaders and :? :organizations to the issue in cyberspace which is today the leading source of communication. :is that fair enuff? :eyah I guess :I thought it was like a hacking group
:what is lahore ? :lahore==city :Sp07 give me a good quote :I thought it was the whore in french :ill go get a quote fo you :heh :ok :I dont know any in my ehad :hea :d :Silence is gold, if nothing better you hold. :tahts gay :I heard a quote before :goes something like "If you want peace, you must prepare for war" :I herad it in a simpsons episode
:im a pothead :hehe :oh :what does it mean btw :P :? :someone who smokes lots of weed :hahaha :pot-heads :pot = weed :oh :i get tons f weed :but :i dont do it :heh :not weed in your garden or anything
:how much do you weight? :for real :300 punds :for real? :yes :you serious? :for real :yep ::) :serious :dont lie :hehe :i`m FAT :300 is a lot :as :s ::) :nope i`m 300#$@ :how old are you? :17
:dude :4 years back :H M :H M :i was 400 :and then i lost 200 :DAYUMMMMMMMMM :you liar :nutriotion :and then :how can you be 400 pounds when your 13? :I WAS :you liar :tendency :and :lots of eating :but then i left the diet and excersise :but i`ll loose it again :i`m serious now ::) :400 is too much for a 13 year old :when i`m serious imake sure to achieve the goal :maybe like 200 is cool :but 400 :no way :hahahaha :200 is still fat but 400 is like a fucking elephant
:smoking marjuana is likee 'cool'? :I GUESS :ITS FUN :oh :ITS NOT LIKE SMOKING :it tastes good?
:IT TAKES ME TO MY OWN WORLD :MWUHAHAHAHAHA :Ok i disclose my self. :I`m a FED :?? :OH SHIT :You are busted :FUCK YOU :DIE MOTHER FUCKER :FOR REAL???? :officer :yes. :suck my dick :dude :relax :no wonder :how would a pakistanian know english :its all clear :hey :hehe :your not really a fed right?? :y0 :? :dont even joke like that :nope :ok :MAKES ME FEEL NERVOUS :i`m not a fed :why did u take it so serious? :I DUNNO
:man dont think i`m a fed ::) :i`m a elite hacker
[ Dick admits he isn't top of the class at creative writing.]
:D1ck
:D1ck
:D1ck
:D1ck
[Here we have a fancy debate on the mission statement. These guys take themselves a tad too seriously.]
:D1ck
:D1ck
:D1ck
:Sp07
:D1ck
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:Sp07
:Sp07
[ Our l33t h4x0rs look for profound quotes to adorn their web site]
:Sp07
:D1ck
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:Sp07
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:Sp07
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:Sp07
[Dick doesn't know what pot is, but tries to look l33t by claiming he has lots of it. Rather Clintonesque admission follows. Spo7 isn't impressed].
:Sp07
:Sp07
:D1ck
:D1ck
:D1ck
:Sp07
:Sp07
:Sp07
:Sp07
:D1ck
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:Sp07
:Sp07
[Spo7 expresses skepticism about Dick's impressive fluctuations in mass. He tries to get to the bottom of it. Suspenseful stuff, this.]
:Sp07
:D1ck
:D1ck
:Sp07
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:Sp07
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:D1ck :
:D1ck
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:Sp07
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:Sp07
[Dick has forgotten he has said he smokes weed. A rare occasion when he admits not knowing something follows...]
:D1ck
:Sp07
:Sp07
:D1ck
:Sp07
:D1ck
[Dick, ever the crafty one, shocks Spo7 with a clever deceptive move. Spo7 almost has a heart attack, but dick clarifies the situation.]
:Sp07
:Sp07
:D1ck
:D1ck
:Sp07
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:D1ck
:Sp07
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:D1ck
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No kidding, some of this stuff will keep me entertained for hours. What are the funniest parts? I liked this one:
:************************************************* ****************************** :************************************************* ****************************** :************************************************* *** :ok sir :) :hahahaa
:J4n3!
:J4n3! : A T T E N T I O N
:J4n3!
:J4n3! : YOU ARE REQUESTED TO RESHELVE THE BOOKS AFTER USE
:J4n3! : SO THAT WE CAN MAINTAIN A CLEAN AND TIDY WORKING ENVIRONMENT
:J4n3! : THANKING YOU FOR YOUR KIND CO-OPERATION
:J4n3!
:J4n3!
:D1ck!
Oh man.
I actually find it more puzzling understanding the other side, i.e, those who are responsible for preventing security breaches. These script kiddies are just teenagers trying to be cool, but what about the admins/managers/etc., who sometimes spend millions on security and fail to even plug well known holes?
For instance, take the case of the Australian govt., which put up info on thousands of business with their business number clearly visible on a CGI thingie on the URL. Guess what, changing the number gave you immediate access to the bank accounts and tax info of the relevant company. Couldn't they have even bothered to scramble the thing in the URL?
It reminds me of the story in Cliff Stoll's excellent book "The Cuckoo's egg" (a must read for hackers), in which he details how military depts. spent millions on security and left guest access open on the very machines they were supposed to protect. Or Richard Feynman's account of how mega-expensive safes guarding nuclear secrets were left with the default combination lock setting.
There was a flap some yrs ago when Dan Farmer scanned various banks for security and published the results, and it turned out many had not bothered applying even rudimentary, known fixes for problems known for years.
It's really amazing how utterly clueless and irresponsible the people in charge of security are. Generally, they tend to be suits impressed by buzzwords or mega $$$ security firms. Nobody really understands the real issues or even the basics. You can never prevent script kiddies from existing in this world. What you can do is take steps to prevent cracking.
Take another example of general hysteria and cluelessness - after the flap over the I LOVE YOU virus, almost none of the mass media coverage was about the fact that it was spreading via VBscript on outlook. MS must have been counting its lucky stars that nobody thought of pointing out this remarkable common factor.
And so history repeats itself...nobody fixes the root of the problem. Maybe somebody should write up an analysis of the mentality of people behind a typical insecure installation. But then, that would be too boring.
PHB1: Should we consider DoS attacks?
PHB2: What, DOS? Didn't we upgrade to Windows?
PHB1: Not sure...my team wrote something about DoS. OK, you're right, we probably don't need to worry about DOS. I think we have everything covered now.
PHB2: Good, now let's write up the status report.
w/m
There is an intriguing method of obtaining the same results, relatively speaking. The human operator is submerged in a clear liquid (say, water) while the PC remains above the surface. Due to the human movements being slowed down from viscosity, everything the PC does appears hundreds of times faster, thereby introduing a "relative constant of overclocking".
There are other subtle effects. The light slows down since it has to travel through liquid before hitting the retina. Finger movements slow down, as do mouse movements.
Water is also cheaper than liquid nitrogen, and easily available in swimming pools and oceans. Why not try this intriguing method today and see if it works for you? Oh, and you won't believe what it feels like when you're swimming underwater in Quake III. Very realistic.
w/m.
Many reasons why:
* Caltech. Feynman taught there, and there are many interesting guest lectures and stuff.
* NASA, JPL
* Nice old buildings. Lots of cafes. Lots of trees..mmmm....trees.
* Many bookstores, including a used bookstore that is open at midnight.
* Smack in the middle of two techtonic plates. IF you want to enjoy an earthquake, this is the place.
* Smalltown atmosphere. Quiet place.
* Biggest stadium seating arthouse movie theatre in the country.
VERY high geek ratio within a 2 mile radius of caltech, and you can spot them. On a Friday night, you can often see a few guys hanging around talking about particle physics while everyone else is dating. Impressive stuff.
w/m.
I found Australia to be quite a change from California. Not particularly in any geek way, but life in general.
To start with, Australians are incredibly friendly, and for some reason, almost everybody seems to be in their 20s. They consume enormous quantities of beer, and in general are very talkative and nice to hang out with. By contrast, Americans are guarded, expect a greater amount of "personal space" and would probably find the Aussie rules of social interaction startling. Australia is also different in its city culture. Things are much more relaxed and people prefer to spend time at leisure, instead of the rush towards instant gratification that's common in the US. This also means that things can take longer, but it's far better than the frustrated, horn-honking lifestyle of california.
Another amazing thing about Australia is the sheer amount of space. You can buy land the size of a small town for 50K, or something like that. Everything is spread out.
Other nice things about Australia - no guns, little crime. People generally use syringes to rob stores (cracked me up when I heard of this), and violent crime is pretty rare. On the flip side, Australia is well behind the US in terms of net access, and the govt. keeps micro-managing everything, so it's REALLY bad for business. It's great for a working holiday, however.
w/m