I meta-moderate most days of the week, however I have yet to see _any_ moderations on this entire thread pass my way. wtf ?
Since I first posted on this thread, a couple of days ago, I haven't had the option to metamoderate. Anyone else have this experience? Can a user get shut out of the M2 system? I've never posted anything even remotely trollish. Just off-topic, apparently.
By the way, my bet for 1000 mods is January 26, ~1500 hrs.
I'm touting Linux to all my friends when the subject of computers comes up, just so they know it's not just another operating system: It's Freedom from the Dark Empire.
Instinctively, I agree with you on this. I am a (very) new user of Linux, and I'm trying to explain to family and friends why it's worth the trouble. We're all capable of learning to use the new environment and tools, but I have trouble articulating the moral and almost metaphysical imperative that people on slashdot have to not use Microsoft.
Can someone post (or point to) an essay on this subject? i.e. Why it's worth the trouble to not use microsoft. The commentary should be accessible to a competent computer user, not neccessarily programmer.
I don't know about anyone else, but anytime I install an app and I see that it has installed other crap without my permission, I dump it.
Netscape 6 pulled the same trick, covering my desktop with AOL ads. It lasted about 5 minutes before I got fed up and unintalled (only later found out about Mozilla).
It's time for distributors of software to be up-front about the adware/spyware/sleazeware that they bundle with their product. Until then, we'll have to vote with our disk space by not using these programs. Instead of Kazaa, check out Morpheus, which performs the same function but without the "Clicktilluwin" garbage.
If you tape a CD, then the tape is invariably lower quality, acoustically, than the original.
If you encode a CD at 128 Kbit (especially with a bad encoder like Xing but there are lots of bad tape decks too), then the MP3 is invariably lower quality, acoustically, than the original.
Um, yes. But if you then copy your MP3 and copy the copy, then copy that, etc ad infinitum, you will always have exact replicas forever. Quite different from analog recording.
Putting aside the argument that intelligent life is not the "goal" of evolution (which is also a very good thing to remember), let's assume that an intelligent civilization DOES evolve out there. How long are they going to use radio for communication?
---snip---
For all we know, there could be civilizations all around us, communicating; we just don't have the technology to detect the transmissions.
It's true that if we are using the modern equivanent of smoke signals we won't understand alien communication. But there's a reason why SETI is looking for electrmagnetic transmissions.
First off, we think it is somewhat likely that there is no form of communication that is better/faster than EM. If this is the case, then an advanced civ would be forced to use it.
Even if there does exist a better way to communicate, telephones to our tribal smokesignals, it is surely far beyond our current abilities. An advanced civilization searching for less-advanced ones would try both new and old methods, and this necessarily includes EM.
Slashdot Mirror
Since I first posted on this thread, a couple of days ago, I haven't had the option to metamoderate. Anyone else have this experience? Can a user get shut out of the M2 system? I've never posted anything even remotely trollish. Just off-topic, apparently.
By the way, my bet for 1000 mods is January 26, ~1500 hrs.
Just for the record...
Offtopic=248, Flamebait=4, Troll=26, Redundant=3, Insightful=65, Interesting=145, Informative=32, Funny=7, Overrated=11, Underrated=44, Total=585.
I just thought I'd donate some of my (much limited) karma to the cause . . .
Here goes...
I just thought I'd donate some of my (much limited) karma to the cause.
Here goes...
Instinctively, I agree with you on this. I am a (very) new user of Linux, and I'm trying to explain to family and friends why it's worth the trouble. We're all capable of learning to use the new environment and tools, but I have trouble articulating the moral and almost metaphysical imperative that people on slashdot have to not use Microsoft.
Can someone post (or point to) an essay on this subject? i.e. Why it's worth the trouble to not use microsoft. The commentary should be accessible to a competent computer user, not neccessarily programmer.
I don't know about anyone else, but anytime I install an app and I see that it has installed other crap without my permission, I dump it.
Netscape 6 pulled the same trick, covering my desktop with AOL ads. It lasted about 5 minutes before I got fed up and unintalled (only later found out about Mozilla).
It's time for distributors of software to be up-front about the adware/spyware/sleazeware that they bundle with their product. Until then, we'll have to vote with our disk space by not using these programs. Instead of Kazaa, check out Morpheus, which performs the same function but without the "Clicktilluwin" garbage.
Um, yes. But if you then copy your MP3 and copy the copy, then copy that, etc ad infinitum, you will always have exact replicas forever. Quite different from analog recording.
---snip--- For all we know, there could be civilizations all around us, communicating; we just don't have the technology to detect the transmissions.
It's true that if we are using the modern equivanent of smoke signals we won't understand alien communication. But there's a reason why SETI is looking for electrmagnetic transmissions.
First off, we think it is somewhat likely that there is no form of communication that is better/faster than EM. If this is the case, then an advanced civ would be forced to use it.
Even if there does exist a better way to communicate, telephones to our tribal smokesignals, it is surely far beyond our current abilities. An advanced civilization searching for less-advanced ones would try both new and old methods, and this necessarily includes EM.