About 7 years back, when the WWW was still cutting its teeth, I had an epiphene; The best thing about the internet, is now everyone can use it. The worst thing about the internet, is now EVERYONE can use it.
Simply put, we should require some form of an operators' license to own or operate a computer. Despite there being radical differences between the types of machinery, an adequate comparison would be to either automobiles or firearms licensing legislation.
Before anyone makes the claim that this is not an adequate comparison, if could be eventually, the financial costs of such practices is matching, and quickly overtaking those of firearm and auto related damages. With time, eventually it could cross over to life threatening potential (for example, if someone decided to make a virus with a specific angle, wiping out or modifying records for grandma's prescription drugs).
(1) The majority of abuses involving computers involve people who consider themselves "above the law", with no care in regards to potential damages that abusing the system can incur. Virus writers, spammers, script kiddies, warez distributors and DDOS operaters often fall under this category. For sake of comparison, lets file this under speeders, reckless drivers, drunk drivers, or road rage. Similarly, the comparison can be made for firearms.
(2) The majority of problems that occur within the computer industry and most media involve people who are poorly trained (or not trained at all), or poorly advised in using their computers. People who do not patch their systems, do not operate a firewall, and open e-mail attachments to unleash every iteration of klez upon the net. This one can be filed as those who pretend a car or a gun is a toy, and treat them accordingly.
(3) Despite the whole "for the children" trend in regards to the internet, there is no practical method to truly enforce it without trampling every detail in the constitution. Therefore, unlike most offered solutions, informing and training the young'uns in how to go about using a computer responsibly would be ideal. Similarly, do the same with new computer users. Give them a basic course, then a test, and upon passing said test, they can purchase their own computer.
The problem is, as illustrated by current tech problems, along with the e-commerce industry's shortcomings and varied collapses, Joe Sixpack tends to think of the computer as an appliance. A new magical alternative to the TV that can make all their dreams come true. They need to be informed that the computer is a tool. And just like any tool, it can be abused, and that there could be consequences, something that most of them are for the most part either ignorant to, or even defiant of. Therefore, if they have this knowlege, then they cannot claim ignorance, and as such could finally be enforced, then charges can be pressed, and at least for the short run, problems can be avoided.
After all, if they could lock away Mitnick (sp?) for over 5 years for downloading a few files, why can't they lock away a virus author or spammer for operating without a permit? At least that way they can set a precedent. Hell, I'm sure a good deal of spammers out there are in violation of other things, such as unpaid taxes, working without a business license, et al. And how many of them use their proceeds towards drug use, pornography, etc? Make the bill tough enough and at least the spammers in the US can be eradicated virtually overnight.
There. The can of worms is open. Feel free to bait a hook.
Well, there is a possibility that solar power fields could be used. Why? Because comparatively speaking, it takes fairly little power to seperate hydrogen from oxygen (anyone who's done the electrolysis experiments in chemistry class can create a cubic foot from just 12V DC within 10-15 minutes).
It would be a slow process, but considering how much land is literally unused and directly adjacent to a water supply, as long as there's a clear sky, the output can be as continuous as the water supply.
Another possibility (and Greenland and Iceland would be foolish to not try this at least) would be to set up industrial level hydrogen seperation plants. That way, they can become a major energy provider (and I'd rather see money that OPEC would shuffle off to Al Qaeda going towards a fairly neutral pair of countries).
"Would you get in a car if you knew that statistically, you had a 1 in 50 chance of the car blowing up and killing you? I guarantee that you'd be walking or riding a bike instead."
Oh come now, people have been driving Ford Pintos for over 20 years now, and yet somehow 99% of them are still here.
It disintegrated upon re-entry. In other words, it broke apart. No explosion involved (except for stored fuel *after* the fact).
Explosion means a sudden release of contained energy or forces. A crack in the wing joint/missing tile/exposed interior parts/systems caused the disintegration due to heat/stress that results from re-entry forces.
In the case of (1), I'm curious. Note that many ISPs supply their own modems and/or NIC for new customers (in some cases, they also let the customers keep them, since NICs and modems can often be cheaper than retail with bulk deals). Secondly, note that there isn't a single home electronics or computer retailer who DOESN'T sell a modem or NIC.
So no matter what the device, you have to get permission to use it? Isn't that what holding an ISP account already grants? Additionally. Say ISP A doesn't particularly like Brand B modems. Not because of technical issues, but more or less because of a grudge against the manufacturer or just too lazy to dig up support for Brand B modems.
Does this mean, therefore, that ISPs can run black lists of what modems you can or can't use? Or for that matter, how about operating systems? Do they mean to imply that if you use OS X or Linux, you're a terrorist?
Are there any/.ers who actually *recieved* something from the Philips beta test, or do you know anyone who did? It would be helpful to know whether or not this is for real, or if it's just a scam to fill up demographic charts.
Actually, the problems with the CD-Key and service pack 1 are irrelevant now, since numerous websites detail how to change the key with a simple 3 step procedure. Anyone can look this up on any variety of search engines.
I believe the diamond in question is going to be the traces in the silicon wafer, vapor deposited on the surface (instead of the existing semiconductors that are layered onto the chips). No need for big crystals here.
If pulse code modulation doesn't count, then all patents regarding fiber optic communications, laser devices, etc, are moot, and a whole lot of companies wasted billions on patents for them for nothing.
Considering that the RIAA is making CDs without the official "Audio CD" label, aren't they technically violating the DMCA? They did, after all, reverse engineer the compact disc standard, to make a disc that can be played on otherwise audio CD compliant player.
Even though there was never any official encryption to begin with (and those who analyzed the CSS code probably consider it as minimal), that doesn't give them the right to perform an illegal act. The CD technology IS patented, and covered under international law as such.
Making a "Not-CD" (subliminal joke there if you say it to yourself out loud) in essense violates those patents, even if they removed the Compact Disc logo.
Okay, can someone build me a cryogenic suspension system, so I can freeze myself? That way when they have the technology to revive me in 2000 years, I can actually panic properly.
Before dismissing this as a flame, understand the following:
Linux is so complicated that Joe Sixpack cannot install, let alone configure and operate it properly, without resorting to a bloated package (eg Lindows, Lycoris, et al).
Linux is so complicated that even a "ground up" install performed by someone experienced in the computing field can be befuddled.
Linux, in order for Joe Sixpack to use with as little chance for confusion as possible, has to be run on a dedicated system. Unfortunately, Joe Sixpack can only afford one computer, and therefore goes for the OS that is easiest to install, configure (eventually) and operate. Install, boot, and run, without being overwhelmed with an OS that relies primarily (still) on a CLI. CLIs are the reason so many DOS users moved on to Macs, and later on to Windows.
Those are the facts, love 'em or leave 'em. If you remain entrenched within the community of the 1337, you give Microsoft the very monopoly you despise them for. You have to make a compromise somewhere, but compromising the basis for using Linux in the first place shouldn't be it.
She's a professional right wing mouthpiece, often serving up a steaming pile on Fox News. The list of stuff she's done in the name of der fatherla- er- America reads like a veritable shopping list.
It may be (a) Microsoft application specific, or (b) independant application specific, IMO. There are often hundreds of applications, be they shareware, freeware, or third party, that cause this issue, but lacking an exact basis for comparison between systems running each and every one of them, I doubt there is an easy answer, let alone a way to conveniently reproduce the bug.
Until more detail is offered as to the applications involved, there is no way to reproduce the bug, unless one develops psychic abilities, and can read the minds of every person using XP.
It's not so much that, but that it's an Oscar for Miyazaki. The guy spent at least 30 years directing anime, which for those of us in the know, extends well beyond just what came out under Disney. Here, to the best of my knowlege, is what he's done:
Lupin the Third (TV), during the 1970s.
Lupin the Third (movie) The Castle of Cagliostro (or to the retrogaming crowd, the base footage used in "Cliff Hanger").
Nausicaa (AKA: Warriors of the Wind), early 1980s.
Laputa: Late 80s.
My Neighbor Totoro: Late 80s.
Kiki's Messenger Service: Late 80s.
Porco Rosso: Early 90s
Those are just the ones I know of, before the Disney imports began. This is a man who has literally pushed the envelope in terms of both realism and storytelling in animation, moreso than what has been done by Disney in the last 20 years.
The fact is, there is a reason why Miyazaki is known as "The Japanese Disney". Because he exceeds the standard that we hold American animation directors to. Considering that Disney bought the rights to his work because Mononoke Hime (that's Princess Mononoke to those who still pronounce anime to rhyme "time") made over $100,000,000 in the Japanese box office.
So frankly, this is something that applies two ways in Slashdot terms: One, it's anime. Two, it's a direct slap in the face to DISNEY. I rest my case.
Make OpenOffice look exactly the same as MS Office, down to the applications and installer interface, burn it to a CD and print a fake label that looks like Microsoft's, problem solved.
Except maybe the hordes of rabid Microsoft lawyers, you have to solve that one on your own.
Slashdot Mirror
Or worst, you plug a rifle magazine into your PC to download new tracks, and accidentally blow your ears off.
About 7 years back, when the WWW was still cutting its teeth, I had an epiphene; The best thing about the internet, is now everyone can use it. The worst thing about the internet, is now EVERYONE can use it.
Simply put, we should require some form of an operators' license to own or operate a computer. Despite there being radical differences between the types of machinery, an adequate comparison would be to either automobiles or firearms licensing legislation.
Before anyone makes the claim that this is not an adequate comparison, if could be eventually, the financial costs of such practices is matching, and quickly overtaking those of firearm and auto related damages. With time, eventually it could cross over to life threatening potential (for example, if someone decided to make a virus with a specific angle, wiping out or modifying records for grandma's prescription drugs).
(1) The majority of abuses involving computers involve people who consider themselves "above the law", with no care in regards to potential damages that abusing the system can incur. Virus writers, spammers, script kiddies, warez distributors and DDOS operaters often fall under this category. For sake of comparison, lets file this under speeders, reckless drivers, drunk drivers, or road rage. Similarly, the comparison can be made for firearms.
(2) The majority of problems that occur within the computer industry and most media involve people who are poorly trained (or not trained at all), or poorly advised in using their computers. People who do not patch their systems, do not operate a firewall, and open e-mail attachments to unleash every iteration of klez upon the net. This one can be filed as those who pretend a car or a gun is a toy, and treat them accordingly.
(3) Despite the whole "for the children" trend in regards to the internet, there is no practical method to truly enforce it without trampling every detail in the constitution. Therefore, unlike most offered solutions, informing and training the young'uns in how to go about using a computer responsibly would be ideal. Similarly, do the same with new computer users. Give them a basic course, then a test, and upon passing said test, they can purchase their own computer.
The problem is, as illustrated by current tech problems, along with the e-commerce industry's shortcomings and varied collapses, Joe Sixpack tends to think of the computer as an appliance. A new magical alternative to the TV that can make all their dreams come true. They need to be informed that the computer is a tool. And just like any tool, it can be abused, and that there could be consequences, something that most of them are for the most part either ignorant to, or even defiant of. Therefore, if they have this knowlege, then they cannot claim ignorance, and as such could finally be enforced, then charges can be pressed, and at least for the short run, problems can be avoided.
After all, if they could lock away Mitnick (sp?) for over 5 years for downloading a few files, why can't they lock away a virus author or spammer for operating without a permit? At least that way they can set a precedent. Hell, I'm sure a good deal of spammers out there are in violation of other things, such as unpaid taxes, working without a business license, et al. And how many of them use their proceeds towards drug use, pornography, etc? Make the bill tough enough and at least the spammers in the US can be eradicated virtually overnight.
There. The can of worms is open. Feel free to bait a hook.
Well, there is a possibility that solar power fields could be used. Why? Because comparatively speaking, it takes fairly little power to seperate hydrogen from oxygen (anyone who's done the electrolysis experiments in chemistry class can create a cubic foot from just 12V DC within 10-15 minutes).
It would be a slow process, but considering how much land is literally unused and directly adjacent to a water supply, as long as there's a clear sky, the output can be as continuous as the water supply.
Another possibility (and Greenland and Iceland would be foolish to not try this at least) would be to set up industrial level hydrogen seperation plants. That way, they can become a major energy provider (and I'd rather see money that OPEC would shuffle off to Al Qaeda going towards a fairly neutral pair of countries).
"Would you get in a car if you knew that statistically, you had a 1 in 50 chance of the car blowing up and killing you? I guarantee that you'd be walking or riding a bike instead."
Oh come now, people have been driving Ford Pintos for over 20 years now, and yet somehow 99% of them are still here.
Yes, there WILL be tentacles (late night schedule).
Nothing to see here, move along, move along.
It disintegrated upon re-entry. In other words, it broke apart. No explosion involved (except for stored fuel *after* the fact).
Explosion means a sudden release of contained energy or forces. A crack in the wing joint/missing tile/exposed interior parts/systems caused the disintegration due to heat/stress that results from re-entry forces.
In the case of (1), I'm curious. Note that many ISPs supply their own modems and/or NIC for new customers (in some cases, they also let the customers keep them, since NICs and modems can often be cheaper than retail with bulk deals). Secondly, note that there isn't a single home electronics or computer retailer who DOESN'T sell a modem or NIC.
So no matter what the device, you have to get permission to use it? Isn't that what holding an ISP account already grants? Additionally. Say ISP A doesn't particularly like Brand B modems. Not because of technical issues, but more or less because of a grudge against the manufacturer or just too lazy to dig up support for Brand B modems.
Does this mean, therefore, that ISPs can run black lists of what modems you can or can't use? Or for that matter, how about operating systems? Do they mean to imply that if you use OS X or Linux, you're a terrorist?
Inquiring minds want to know.
Are there any /.ers who actually *recieved* something from the Philips beta test, or do you know anyone who did? It would be helpful to know whether or not this is for real, or if it's just a scam to fill up demographic charts.
Actually, the problems with the CD-Key and service pack 1 are irrelevant now, since numerous websites detail how to change the key with a simple 3 step procedure. Anyone can look this up on any variety of search engines.
I believe the diamond in question is going to be the traces in the silicon wafer, vapor deposited on the surface (instead of the existing semiconductors that are layered onto the chips). No need for big crystals here.
I can just see PayPal's stocks shooting up in the market overnight.
If pulse code modulation doesn't count, then all patents regarding fiber optic communications, laser devices, etc, are moot, and a whole lot of companies wasted billions on patents for them for nothing.
Considering that the RIAA is making CDs without the official "Audio CD" label, aren't they technically violating the DMCA? They did, after all, reverse engineer the compact disc standard, to make a disc that can be played on otherwise audio CD compliant player.
Even though there was never any official encryption to begin with (and those who analyzed the CSS code probably consider it as minimal), that doesn't give them the right to perform an illegal act. The CD technology IS patented, and covered under international law as such.
Making a "Not-CD" (subliminal joke there if you say it to yourself out loud) in essense violates those patents, even if they removed the Compact Disc logo.
Okay, can someone build me a cryogenic suspension system, so I can freeze myself? That way when they have the technology to revive me in 2000 years, I can actually panic properly.
Before dismissing this as a flame, understand the following:
Linux is so complicated that Joe Sixpack cannot install, let alone configure and operate it properly, without resorting to a bloated package (eg Lindows, Lycoris, et al).
Linux is so complicated that even a "ground up" install performed by someone experienced in the computing field can be befuddled.
Linux, in order for Joe Sixpack to use with as little chance for confusion as possible, has to be run on a dedicated system. Unfortunately, Joe Sixpack can only afford one computer, and therefore goes for the OS that is easiest to install, configure (eventually) and operate. Install, boot, and run, without being overwhelmed with an OS that relies primarily (still) on a CLI. CLIs are the reason so many DOS users moved on to Macs, and later on to Windows.
Those are the facts, love 'em or leave 'em. If you remain entrenched within the community of the 1337, you give Microsoft the very monopoly you despise them for. You have to make a compromise somewhere, but compromising the basis for using Linux in the first place shouldn't be it.
She's a professional right wing mouthpiece, often serving up a steaming pile on Fox News. The list of stuff she's done in the name of der fatherla- er- America reads like a veritable shopping list.
It would have been funnier if you called it "GTA: Sim City".
It looks like one too, if you didn't check the article.
And Phase VI: Profit!
Oh c'mon, you left yourself open for that and you know it.
It may be (a) Microsoft application specific, or (b) independant application specific, IMO. There are often hundreds of applications, be they shareware, freeware, or third party, that cause this issue, but lacking an exact basis for comparison between systems running each and every one of them, I doubt there is an easy answer, let alone a way to conveniently reproduce the bug.
Until more detail is offered as to the applications involved, there is no way to reproduce the bug, unless one develops psychic abilities, and can read the minds of every person using XP.
You haven't seen any good Flash animation then. Happy Tree Friends, or a good pile of the stuff at www.newgrounds.com comes to mind.
It's not so much that, but that it's an Oscar for Miyazaki. The guy spent at least 30 years directing anime, which for those of us in the know, extends well beyond just what came out under Disney. Here, to the best of my knowlege, is what he's done:
Lupin the Third (TV), during the 1970s.
Lupin the Third (movie) The Castle of Cagliostro (or to the retrogaming crowd, the base footage used in "Cliff Hanger").
Nausicaa (AKA: Warriors of the Wind), early 1980s.
Laputa: Late 80s.
My Neighbor Totoro: Late 80s.
Kiki's Messenger Service: Late 80s.
Porco Rosso: Early 90s
Those are just the ones I know of, before the Disney imports began. This is a man who has literally pushed the envelope in terms of both realism and storytelling in animation, moreso than what has been done by Disney in the last 20 years.
The fact is, there is a reason why Miyazaki is known as "The Japanese Disney". Because he exceeds the standard that we hold American animation directors to. Considering that Disney bought the rights to his work because Mononoke Hime (that's Princess Mononoke to those who still pronounce anime to rhyme "time") made over $100,000,000 in the Japanese box office.
So frankly, this is something that applies two ways in Slashdot terms: One, it's anime. Two, it's a direct slap in the face to DISNEY. I rest my case.
Make OpenOffice look exactly the same as MS Office, down to the applications and installer interface, burn it to a CD and print a fake label that looks like Microsoft's, problem solved.
Except maybe the hordes of rabid Microsoft lawyers, you have to solve that one on your own.
"...and that's not Mars you're looking at...
The sound of unzipping..."
It's the Osmonds! *SCREAM*
Maybe he should have titled it "Pac Man Feeble" instead?