I'm graduating this weekend from an institution that thinks VB is the greatest thing since sliced bread (thankfully I learned C/C++/Java on my own and at other institutions). Anyhow, looking at industry requirements right now (not future trends), the most sought after knowledge is: (1) C/C++, (2) Java, (3)UNIX, (4) web dev, (5)VB.
If a computer science department ignores C/C++, they are doing a huge disservice to the students there - basically reducing the number of jobs they can apply for by a huge number.
Also, C is a simple language to learn structure and flow control from. Start with that, simple concepts (arrays, type conversion, pointers), and then move on to the meat-and-potatoes of OOP - objects, inheritance, frienships, operator overloading.... If you start out with a fully OOP language, like Java, there's a lot of "Just do it this way - trust me" that you have to tell the students ("Why does main have to be an object? What is an object"? type questions).
As an aside, I don't think full OOP is a good idea - computers don't work that way, and neither does the real world. Let's say you are in a room with a closed door, and you want to exit the room. First you walk to the door (no objects used here - simple proceedural logic: "walk to door"). Then, you use a piece of the door object: "turn door knob, pull." This is why I like C++ - it's a mix of proceedural and OOP. Use proceedural logic until you need an object. I always have a difficult time wrapping my brain around Java: Main() is where it all begins, but first you need an Application object that contains Main. But how do you instantiate the Application object? Well, you call it in Main. But Main is in the Application object.......wash, rinse, repeat.
The judge noted that investigators then obtained a search warrant before viewing the vast store of data--nearly 250 gigabytes, according to court records. He rejected the argument that the warrant should have been obtained before the data was downloaded, noting that "the agents had good reason to fear that if they did not copy the data, (the) defendant's co-conspirators would destroy the evidence or make it unavailable."
This opens a particularly nasty can of worms. Let's say I have a computer, and for whatever reason a law enforcement agency is told that my computer may have something they want. They could storm into my home and take my personal posessions, and there is nothing I could do about it, since they have not viewed the data yet. I would have no right to ask what they needed the equipment for, or why, or when I would get the hardware back.
I understand the argument (but do not condone it) of "if we don't get it now, it may be gone", but if "good reason" takes precedence over written law, law becomes powerless.
From the CNN article:
Schroeder says Gorshkov was using someone else's computer and had no reasonable expectation of privacy. He also maintains that no search warrant was needed because the FBI lacks jurisdiction in Russia.
This must be a new def'n of jurisdiction... if "crime-fighter A" doesn't have jurisdiction in a particular region, that is a free license to do whatever he wishes? Seems like the crime figthers would soon find jurisdiction troublesome and seek to remove the notion.
What the feds should have done is get permission from the local Russian authorities and proceed through the channels.
Be afriad when fallable human beings become above the law....
Beyond which title to choose, just make sure you don't go to a school that thinks a CS degree means you know Visual Basic. Make sure that you are taught C/C++/Java, and preferably some UNIX courses on scripting, perl, etc. Get as much experience on as many platforms as you can.
//quote 1
If you *live* in the U.S. you *NEED* to learn English, not expect Americans to learn Spanish, Japanese, French, German, Italian, Hebrew, etc...
//
//reply to quote 1
Why? Is the average American so much dumber than the average European? Or many Canadians and Latin Americans? Or me?:-> I think the reason more Americans don't learn other languages is sheer intellectual laziness...
//
//my reply
One thing I've noticed lately is that cultures coming to the US expects the existing culture to 100% accomidate (sp) the new culture. Why does this only happen in the US? I'm an American, and if I moved to any other country, and immediately expected that country to change all of its ways to accomidate my language and culture, I would get laughed out of that country!
However, focusing on the existing culture and wanting it to change is not the right way to look a things. It would make more sense to me for a culture to adpot the ways of its new "parent" culture, rather than demanding the new parent culture to change...
To me, it seems arrogant to move to a new nation and demand that it changes to service you. If I move to another state in the US, is it right for me to demand the laws in that state to mirror the laws in the previous state? If a country allows you to become a citizen of that nation, be appreciative and adpot their culture, providing yours to them as a service. That, to me, is what "E Pluribus Unum" (one from many - and hey, it's not in English!!) means. Take our culture, add yours to it, we all get a new one.
And, yes, I think Americans are extemely lazy for not learning other languages. Of course, there is the other extreme - in Japan, before students graduate High School they have to have 6 full years of foreign language (usually English).
//quote
You cannot establish a situation in which content must be labeled. It leads directly to censorship, period. Its ONLY purpose is censorship.
//end quote
So the movie rating system in place around the globe is for censorship? Or is it a warning to parents about the content of the film?
But what about parents who don't have a clue about anything technical, but who don't want their kids to be exposed to porn? Should the parent completely throw out the computer and deny the child access to the technology that is vital to his or her future?
This is not about censorship - this is about giving more help to those who need to make correct decisions.
Suspension for declining an honor? On the one hand, there comes a time that we need to swallow our pride and accept something we do not want (or do not deserve), for the greater good of humanity, but to be suspended (high school equivelance for banishment) for it...
I have long held the opinion that a student's personal rights are stripped from them as they enter the school property..and this is just another example of it...man, I'm glad I finished HS when I did.
In the article there is this statement:
"The complicated undertaking, which has been a work in progress for over a year, requires the companies to map native Win32 API calls to the Linux equivalents so that Windows applications will run normally in that environment."
This would be a fantastic advance (if the documentation was released) and would aid in many other Windows applications being ported to Linux. On this project, I hope Microsoft succeeds!
//quote
Concerns have been raised over personal privacy, but ADS claims that privacy concerns are misplaced, since the device can be turned off by the owner."
//end quote
Could someone tell me why someone who would just turn off the tag buy one? Perhaps this is not a product for consumers, but instead for control? (insert ominous music here)
What the RIAA should have done is gone into business with Naptser. Allow downloads of songs (only from bands who agree to the service) for a small charge per song. If it's $18/CD, and let's say the average CD has 15 tracks, that's just over a buck a song. This way, everybody wins: RIAA is not "losing their income", bands get their royalties for each song, fans get just the songs they want without the other crap songs on CD. It just makes sense. Of course there would be "underground" servers (such as the Hotline protocol) offering every MP3 known to man, but the general, clueless internet user wouldn't know where to begin to find them.
The MP3 format is an incredible advance in the music world, and if the RIAA would have embraced it and worked with it, everyone would have stood to benefit.
If you look at the stats, MacOS, MacOSX and BeOS are all far beneath Windows, and therefore should be classified as the best OS of all time..(if his logic was not the pile of mokey-droppings that it is)
//We asked about their treatment of Tenchi Muyo and how they decided to handle the 'nudity' within some scenes. He was very emphatic that all of the Toonami staff are fans and that they do not believe in chopping up anime. Therefore, the only solution for them is to digitally fix the scenes. This allows them to keep the show intact, and it makes everyone associated with the show very happy. (note: It also makes the fans very happy).
So far, examples of this digital editing has shown up in Tenchi as bathing suits added to the girls during a scene at a hot spring. Doing this type of work is very expensive. They split the costs with the producer of the anime. It is expensive but they are happy to do it. //
As an anime purist, I am extremely happy that CN didn't butcher Tenchi (truthfully I haven't had time to see the show much). I am also glad, however, that they are not showing the un-edited versions on the midnight run. From my time spent in Japan I can tell you that there are some things in Japanese culture that would not be appropriate for the same audience in this culture, and some things just should not be brought over here. CN has done a wonderful job of keeping the shows true to the original format, with only appropriate, minor edits here and there.
In this "instant, -gotta-have-it-yesterday" world, it seems like people have lost the art of storytelling (or perhaps the audience has lost the skill of patience and listening?). Modern culture is focused on buzzwords, and that's all that matters. MHz, RAM, Internet, Protected memory. While all these concepts are indeed good, they can't make up an entire computer.
Likewise, any entertainment experience cannot be judged only by a piece of it (you can't judge a book by its' cover). Do people say that the original Fantasia sucked because it wasn't 3D CGI animation? No, they say it was a fantastic movie. It blended beautiful music with enchanting visuals to create an experience that the world has up to that point never seen before.
I guess the point of this is that a movie (or anything else for that matter) cannot, and should not, be evaluated and judged by a single aspect! I happen to prefer ink-and-paint on cell animation to CGI, simply because (generally) hand-drawn animation is more detailed and art-like to me than CGI animation. Ditto for hand-built models compared to a structure or ship built inside a computer.
This law will inconvenince those of us who like violent, etc. games. However, I do think that it is a good idea. Some will argue with me that we have a constitutional right to view any content we choose, play any games we choose, and shall not be prohibited from those choices. I do not disagree. The day the Government tells me I can't play Marathon because it has guns and blood will be a sad day. However, I also believe that those of us who enjoy content like that should think about this for a few minutes.
Those reading this who have children under the age of 10 will most likely admit to having taken steps to prevent their children from viewing, participating, or otherwise being exposed to violent or sexual content (if parents do not, that is their choice, and I am not one to make a judgement on that). Certain movies are not rented, certain shows are not watched, certain web sites are not visited, etc. Now, imagine that this particular family goes out to dinner at a pizza pit, or other place where arcade games are readily available. The child wants to play a video game to pass the time. The parent(s) have a choice: either let the child go to the arcade to play PacMan (or other non-violent game) and be exposed to Mortal Kombat, etc., or do not let the child play in the arcade.
This law would require a visual barrier to be in place between the violent and non-violent games. Yes, this would require another few steps to be taken by the player to get to the machine. But, I think that players need think about others in the arcade, not just themselves. Regardless of what psychologists say, a child seeing violence does effect the child. Also, as pointed out in the above example, it allows families to choose whether or not to expose their children to such content. Think of it like the password lock-out features of digital cable or satelite TV - those who want it willingly take a few more steps to access their violence and porn in order to prevent the little one from stumbling across "Debbie Does Dallas" and asking "Mommy, what is that man doing?"
If we are in a society that is so concerned about choice, why is it that we are so adamant about denying choice to others?
Slashdot Mirror
I'm graduating this weekend from an institution that thinks VB is the greatest thing since sliced bread (thankfully I learned C/C++/Java on my own and at other institutions). Anyhow, looking at industry requirements right now (not future trends), the most sought after knowledge is: (1) C/C++, (2) Java, (3)UNIX, (4) web dev, (5)VB.
If a computer science department ignores C/C++, they are doing a huge disservice to the students there - basically reducing the number of jobs they can apply for by a huge number.
Also, C is a simple language to learn structure and flow control from. Start with that, simple concepts (arrays, type conversion, pointers), and then move on to the meat-and-potatoes of OOP - objects, inheritance, frienships, operator overloading.... If you start out with a fully OOP language, like Java, there's a lot of "Just do it this way - trust me" that you have to tell the students ("Why does main have to be an object? What is an object"? type questions).
As an aside, I don't think full OOP is a good idea - computers don't work that way, and neither does the real world. Let's say you are in a room with a closed door, and you want to exit the room. First you walk to the door (no objects used here - simple proceedural logic: "walk to door"). Then, you use a piece of the door object: "turn door knob, pull." This is why I like C++ - it's a mix of proceedural and OOP. Use proceedural logic until you need an object. I always have a difficult time wrapping my brain around Java: Main() is where it all begins, but first you need an Application object that contains Main. But how do you instantiate the Application object? Well, you call it in Main. But Main is in the Application object.......wash, rinse, repeat.
Just my 2 yen.
Taken from the ZD-Net article:
The judge noted that investigators then obtained a search warrant before viewing the vast store of data--nearly 250 gigabytes, according to court records. He rejected the argument that the warrant should have been obtained before the data was downloaded, noting that "the agents had good reason to fear that if they did not copy the data, (the) defendant's co-conspirators would destroy the evidence or make it unavailable."
This opens a particularly nasty can of worms. Let's say I have a computer, and for whatever reason a law enforcement agency is told that my computer may have something they want. They could storm into my home and take my personal posessions, and there is nothing I could do about it, since they have not viewed the data yet. I would have no right to ask what they needed the equipment for, or why, or when I would get the hardware back.
I understand the argument (but do not condone it) of "if we don't get it now, it may be gone", but if "good reason" takes precedence over written law, law becomes powerless.
From the CNN article: Schroeder says Gorshkov was using someone else's computer and had no reasonable expectation of privacy. He also maintains that no search warrant was needed because the FBI lacks jurisdiction in Russia. This must be a new def'n of jurisdiction... if "crime-fighter A" doesn't have jurisdiction in a particular region, that is a free license to do whatever he wishes? Seems like the crime figthers would soon find jurisdiction troublesome and seek to remove the notion. What the feds should have done is get permission from the local Russian authorities and proceed through the channels. Be afriad when fallable human beings become above the law....
Beyond which title to choose, just make sure you don't go to a school that thinks a CS degree means you know Visual Basic. Make sure that you are taught C/C++/Java, and preferably some UNIX courses on scripting, perl, etc. Get as much experience on as many platforms as you can.
Good luck!
er
//quote 1
//
:-> I think the reason more Americans don't learn other languages is sheer intellectual laziness...
If you *live* in the U.S. you *NEED* to learn English, not expect Americans to learn Spanish, Japanese, French, German, Italian, Hebrew, etc...
//reply to quote 1
Why? Is the average American so much dumber than the average European? Or many Canadians and Latin Americans? Or me?
//
//my reply
One thing I've noticed lately is that cultures coming to the US expects the existing culture to 100% accomidate (sp) the new culture. Why does this only happen in the US? I'm an American, and if I moved to any other country, and immediately expected that country to change all of its ways to accomidate my language and culture, I would get laughed out of that country!
However, focusing on the existing culture and wanting it to change is not the right way to look a things. It would make more sense to me for a culture to adpot the ways of its new "parent" culture, rather than demanding the new parent culture to change...
To me, it seems arrogant to move to a new nation and demand that it changes to service you. If I move to another state in the US, is it right for me to demand the laws in that state to mirror the laws in the previous state? If a country allows you to become a citizen of that nation, be appreciative and adpot their culture, providing yours to them as a service. That, to me, is what "E Pluribus Unum" (one from many - and hey, it's not in English!!) means. Take our culture, add yours to it, we all get a new one.
And, yes, I think Americans are extemely lazy for not learning other languages. Of course, there is the other extreme - in Japan, before students graduate High School they have to have 6 full years of foreign language (usually English).
-er
//quote
You cannot establish a situation in which content must be labeled. It leads directly to censorship, period. Its ONLY purpose is censorship.
//end quote
So the movie rating system in place around the globe is for censorship? Or is it a warning to parents about the content of the film?
But what about parents who don't have a clue about anything technical, but who don't want their kids to be exposed to porn? Should the parent completely throw out the computer and deny the child access to the technology that is vital to his or her future?
This is not about censorship - this is about giving more help to those who need to make correct decisions.
-er
Suspension for declining an honor? On the one hand, there comes a time that we need to swallow our pride and accept something we do not want (or do not deserve), for the greater good of humanity, but to be suspended (high school equivelance for banishment) for it...
I have long held the opinion that a student's personal rights are stripped from them as they enter the school property..and this is just another example of it...man, I'm glad I finished HS when I did.
In the article there is this statement:
"The complicated undertaking, which has been a work in progress for over a year, requires the companies to map native Win32 API calls to the Linux equivalents so that Windows applications will run normally in that environment."
This would be a fantastic advance (if the documentation was released) and would aid in many other Windows applications being ported to Linux. On this project, I hope Microsoft succeeds!
-er
//quote
Concerns have been raised over personal privacy, but ADS claims that privacy concerns are misplaced, since the device can be turned off by the owner."
//end quote
Could someone tell me why someone who would just turn off the tag buy one? Perhaps this is not a product for consumers, but instead for control? (insert ominous music here)
What the RIAA should have done is gone into business with Naptser. Allow downloads of songs (only from bands who agree to the service) for a small charge per song. If it's $18/CD, and let's say the average CD has 15 tracks, that's just over a buck a song. This way, everybody wins: RIAA is not "losing their income", bands get their royalties for each song, fans get just the songs they want without the other crap songs on CD. It just makes sense. Of course there would be "underground" servers (such as the Hotline protocol) offering every MP3 known to man, but the general, clueless internet user wouldn't know where to begin to find them.
The MP3 format is an incredible advance in the music world, and if the RIAA would have embraced it and worked with it, everyone would have stood to benefit.
If you look at the stats, MacOS, MacOSX and BeOS are all far beneath Windows, and therefore should be classified as the best OS of all time..(if his logic was not the pile of mokey-droppings that it is)
-Johan
"It would link the e-mail and real-world addresses in a giant Postal Service database"
...
(1) Is this something that they should be advertising as a good thing?
(2) Why, when I read this, do I involuntarily shiver...
//We asked about their treatment of Tenchi Muyo and how they decided to handle the 'nudity' within some scenes. He was very emphatic that all of the Toonami staff are fans and that they do not believe in chopping up anime. Therefore, the only solution for them is to digitally fix the scenes. This allows them to keep the show intact, and it makes everyone associated with the show very happy. (note: It also makes the fans very happy).
So far, examples of this digital editing has shown up in Tenchi as bathing suits added to the girls during a scene at a hot spring. Doing this type of work is very expensive. They split the costs with the producer of the anime. It is expensive but they are happy to do it.
//
As an anime purist, I am extremely happy that CN didn't butcher Tenchi (truthfully I haven't had time to see the show much). I am also glad, however, that they are not showing the un-edited versions on the midnight run. From my time spent in Japan I can tell you that there are some things in Japanese culture that would not be appropriate for the same audience in this culture, and some things just should not be brought over here. CN has done a wonderful job of keeping the shows true to the original format, with only appropriate, minor edits here and there.
-Johan
In this "instant, -gotta-have-it-yesterday" world, it seems like people have lost the art of storytelling (or perhaps the audience has lost the skill of patience and listening?). Modern culture is focused on buzzwords, and that's all that matters. MHz, RAM, Internet, Protected memory. While all these concepts are indeed good, they can't make up an entire computer.
Likewise, any entertainment experience cannot be judged only by a piece of it (you can't judge a book by its' cover). Do people say that the original Fantasia sucked because it wasn't 3D CGI animation? No, they say it was a fantastic movie. It blended beautiful music with enchanting visuals to create an experience that the world has up to that point never seen before.
I guess the point of this is that a movie (or anything else for that matter) cannot, and should not, be evaluated and judged by a single aspect! I happen to prefer ink-and-paint on cell animation to CGI, simply because (generally) hand-drawn animation is more detailed and art-like to me than CGI animation. Ditto for hand-built models compared to a structure or ship built inside a computer.
-johan
This law will inconvenince those of us who like violent, etc. games. However, I do think that it is a good idea. Some will argue with me that we have a constitutional right to view any content we choose, play any games we choose, and shall not be prohibited from those choices. I do not disagree. The day the Government tells me I can't play Marathon because it has guns and blood will be a sad day. However, I also believe that those of us who enjoy content like that should think about this for a few minutes.
Those reading this who have children under the age of 10 will most likely admit to having taken steps to prevent their children from viewing, participating, or otherwise being exposed to violent or sexual content (if parents do not, that is their choice, and I am not one to make a judgement on that). Certain movies are not rented, certain shows are not watched, certain web sites are not visited, etc. Now, imagine that this particular family goes out to dinner at a pizza pit, or other place where arcade games are readily available. The child wants to play a video game to pass the time. The parent(s) have a choice: either let the child go to the arcade to play PacMan (or other non-violent game) and be exposed to Mortal Kombat, etc., or do not let the child play in the arcade.
This law would require a visual barrier to be in place between the violent and non-violent games. Yes, this would require another few steps to be taken by the player to get to the machine. But, I think that players need think about others in the arcade, not just themselves. Regardless of what psychologists say, a child seeing violence does effect the child. Also, as pointed out in the above example, it allows families to choose whether or not to expose their children to such content. Think of it like the password lock-out features of digital cable or satelite TV - those who want it willingly take a few more steps to access their violence and porn in order to prevent the little one from stumbling across "Debbie Does Dallas" and asking "Mommy, what is that man doing?"
If we are in a society that is so concerned about choice, why is it that we are so adamant about denying choice to others?
-er