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User: gosand

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  1. Re:Oh hell no. on EFF Advocates Leaving Wireless Routers Open · · Score: 1

    It is my personal observation that Communism works well in a small group, like a tribe. More than a few hundred people and you need a tyrant.

    Gotcha covered.. we have a whole nest of them... it's called "Washington D.C."

  2. I'll be sure to check it out in 2020... on Another Windows 8 Pre-Beta Surfaces · · Score: 1

    That's probably when my employer will force me to use it. I work for a very large company, and I just got a new laptop this year (we get a new one every 3). It came with XP on it becuase it's the standard OS. Thank goodness they haven't moved to Win7 yet as the standard (I think they are skipping Vista all together.. *phew*)

    The comments here really make much sense to me. It makes me a little sad because I like to keep up on technology. But in a way, kind of like when people yammer on about phone apps and Facebook, I am glad I ignore some technology out there. I'd much rather hear about the latest version of Linux coming on the horizon.

  3. At least he wasn't downloading music on Bizarre Porn Raid Underscores Wi-Fi Privacy Risks · · Score: 2

    he probably would have been shot on sight.

  4. Re:Sorry, I've been playing my Free games... on Dollar Apps Killing Traditional Gaming? · · Score: 1

    Not surprised, just a little disappointed. I don't HAVE the platform it was designed for.. so I was using WINE. So technically I sort of have the platform.

    I agree with you on Half-Life... I played it for years with the same way you did, I loved the single-player mode, and played lots of mods. I just finally upgraded my video card to one that would play HL2, and was looking forward to the same experience.

  5. Sorry, I've been playing my Free games... on Dollar Apps Killing Traditional Gaming? · · Score: 1

    If I get the gaming itch, I either fire up old games (still fun - like Unreal Tournament) or find updated new ones or ones I haven't played. Like Frogatto, World of Padman...Or more recently SuperTuxKart, or Red Eclipse. A while back I tried to play HL2 demo via Steam, but it keeps screwing up on my machine (Linux). So why would I buy it? Oh well, so I can't play it. I learned a long time ago that needing to play the latest and greatest, or anything in general - is kind of sad. I've played a few wii games, but don't think they're worth spending hundreds of dollars on it. I had heard so much about Grand Theft Auto, and tried to play it at a friend's once... wow. What a piece of crap. My view of society plummeted - not because I'm on some moral high-horse about what's "acceptable" but because that game was dumb and boring. I can't believe that it was popular, let along spawned sequels.

    I realize my rant will probably kill any chance of someone reading this and agreeing with me, as most people seem to be gamers and are willing to spend hundreds of dollars on multiple gaming systems. Having said that, I don't think you can compare your phone games to console/pc games. That's like saying why would someone buy a car if they can get a Razor scooter for $20 off of craigslist.

  6. *ahem* on Apple Sues Samsung Over Galaxy Phones and Tablets · · Score: 1
  7. Re:Them swedes. on Swedish File-Sharers File For Religious Status · · Score: 1

    Not THIS argument again. People downloading movies aren't too poor to pay to watch them. They're just too cheap to pay to watch them. If something costs n dollars, and you have n*0.1 dollars, either wait until it costs less or you've saved more. It's easy to say "I wouldn't have bought it anyway," when you plan from the start to download it rather than buying it.

    I don't really understand why people put this in black and white terms. Why is it that people who download things aren't willing to pay for them? Example: I missed an episode of The Office. Because I am on the west coast, it was up on bittorrent about an hour after it aired. I was able to download and watch it (no, I don't have a DVR). I could have waited a few days and watched it on nbc.com. Who did I deprive of anything? Another example: I have a movie my kids watch a lot. I have a DVD player with usb port, and have a 320GB hard drive with divx files on it. I could have ripped their DVD and put it on there, but instead I downloaded it. I own the DVD. To me, this is different than downloading a movie I don't own.

    There are many more examples of gray areas, that aren't just people "trying to get something for free". How about we focus on making downloading and digital copies a valid way of doing business instead of pointing out the illegal ways to use it? This reminds me of how the music industry fought against MP3s instead of embracing them. And let's not forget all of the old material that is out there, movies, tv shows, music - that will not be marketed by anyone but there's a market for. Make it a business. If "downloading" is a valid business model, then it's more likely to be recognized as a true religion.

  8. Our can-do American spirit is being lost. on How the Social Tech Bubble Is Different · · Score: 1

    I've never been able to put my finger on it, but it's starting to ring clearer. How the heck does manufacturing know-how play into our technology world? It's the SPIRIT of manufacturing, of doing things yourself, that we are losing. I took plenty of engineering classes as part of my CS degree, and I've always been a "tinkerer" - whether it be with engines or electronics. Over the last several years I got back into motorcycles, and now have an assortment of tools to help me do things myself - grinders, files, welder, raw steel. I bought an old truck to work on. Some people even my own age don't get it. There's not even a DVD player in it! I think we're sinking into a pit. I don't get these social sites. It all seems so meaningless. Which is OK I guess, but you have to unplug from it. When I can't carry on a 1:1 conversation with someone because they are busy checking their phone. It all seems so mindless. When you do things with your hands.. when you do something, you can really focus on it. We seem to have lost our focus - not on one particular thing, just in general.

    This is a good video to watch .

  9. Re:Big difference on Is Science Just a Matter of Faith? · · Score: 1

    Hmm, not exactly. They may believe you because they know that 1+1=2, and algebra is just a more complicated form of that. There is no part of religious beliefs that you can demonstrate to people to give them a basic understanding of it. It is ALL based on faith.

  10. There's a huge discrepancy in your statements tho. on Is Science Just a Matter of Faith? · · Score: 1

    The foundations of science, and as you pointed out - math - are universal. They are the same, no matter where you are. You cited ONE religious belief, which a very large portion of the planet wouldn't agree is 'fact'.

    So if science does require some faith, it is a common one - and one that hasn't been used as a tool to manipulate and/or kill thousands upon thousands of people throughout time.

  11. You make a great point, but not how you intended on Is Science Just a Matter of Faith? · · Score: 1

    So what you're also saying is that all people, no matter how uneducated, can have faith and believe in the same religious ideals?

    Or is it that no person, no matter how educated, is capable of testing or proving any part of religious beliefs?

  12. Well, to be fair (and balanced) on Elderly Georgian Woman Cuts Armenian Internet · · Score: 1

    If the submitter wanted to be more like Fox News, they would have misused the term "Nazi" in some way to make their point more emphatic. *ahem*

  13. Re:I care so little about facebook on The Facebook Obsession · · Score: 1

    You care so little about this article that you just wasted 10 minutes of your life posting a reply to it to explain just how little you care about it???

    No, I posted a reply to explain why I think facebook is a waste, and it didn't even take me 10 minutes. I think facebook is a problem, and the going assumption (at least where I live) is that people assume you have a) a facebook account and b) that you spend your day on your phone checking it. The PTO at my kids' school puts announcements on facebook and expect that in order to know what's going on, you've "friended" them. Countless other examples I won't go into. And the willingness for people to share so much personal information with the world blows my mind. At first I thought "who cares?!" but apparently I'm in the minority, because it's become so huge. And yeah, I'll comment on stories here... that's what this site is for.

  14. This is not about smokers, it's about POOR smokers on Arizona Governor Proposes Flab Tax · · Score: 1

    The plan, if approved by the Republican-dominated legislature, would mark the first time the state-federal health-care program for the poor has charged people for engaging in behavior deemed unhealthy.

    This is of course not applied across the board. I've been living in AZ for over 6 years now, and the stupidity of this state still amazes me sometimes.

  15. I care so little about facebook on The Facebook Obsession · · Score: 0

    I care so little about it that I didn't read the article. I'm so sick of hearing ABOUT it. I joined it, under an alias, and maybe log in once a month. I have a friend in China, and it would be nice to keep in touch with him.. but I honestly don't care what he ate for breakfast, or some random picture that he took. So I'd rather just lose touch. Same goes for family/friends across the country. There's certainly a good argument for the concept of facebook, but so far I've only seen it used to document the most banal, annoying, unimportant things in life. People like to post comments about what they're following on twitter.

    In all honesty, facebook is the most annoying piece of technology to have been created in my lifetime (and I was born in the 60s)

  16. honestly, customers screw themselves on How AT&T Totally Flubbed 4G · · Score: 1

    Now AT&T is being shady... but people are like sheep when it comes to "latest and greatest" technology. Have you seen the Best Buy ad, where they say you can trade in your outdated technology for the new stuff? They show people buying something brand new, and then they immediately see something "better". It's ridiculous, but people buy into that crap.

    Someone called my phone a dinosaur. It's an LG something that I make calls with and occasionally listen to MP3s with. It's only about 5 years old... but that is pretty old in phone years. I also only pay $70 a month for service for this AND my wife's phone. The only reason AT&T is "getting away with this" is because people will buy it. Cue the iFanboys with their "nuh uh!" comments.

  17. Worst analogy ever on US House Subcommittee Votes To Kill Net Neutrality · · Score: 1

    if I want to take a toll road, which is less congested than the rest of the highway system.

    From this statement I can tell that you have never taken a toll road.
    Does that mean that if the toll road is congested you don't have to pay? Of course not, don't be silly. Oh, and due to factors X and Y, now we have to raise the tolls. So sorry. Your alternative is to take side-streets, because these toll roads are the only major roads that get you from A to B.

    Yeah, I used to live in the Chicago area.

  18. Making the most out of what the web has to offer? on Ask Slashdot: Privacy Paranoia · · Score: 1

    I have yet to see a really good reason I should use things like facebook/twitter. I live in a different state from my family and I do share photos, emails, and even video chat with them. I have a facebook account, under an alias to see what all the hype was about.. and in my opinion it is the single worst piece of widely used technology to be invented in my lifetime. I don't get it. People don't use it for "keeping in touch", they use it to record every stupid thought that comes into their heads. Or worse, use canned thoughts because they're too lazy to think of their own. I have friends (in real life) that use it all the time. I noticed one of them commented that she was following Charlie Sheen on twitter, and that she accidentally exposed herself to some co-workers. And I saw all of this on my Linked-In updates. So I hope potential employers enjoy her mind-ramblings.

    I feel like the old man yelling at kids to get off his lawn - except that the "kids" are people my own age. They are the worst offenders! There is nothing more annoying than talking to someone and have them constantly checking their phone. I am the "tech" guy, but I don't understand the appeal of being plugged in all of the time. And all of this does play into privacy. Once it's "out there" it is on record.

    When I was growing up there was no internet, and while getting my CS degree frequented BBSs and gopher sites - so I can certainly appreciate how far we've come. But I really don't see how these "social" technologies as advancements. People are for some reason willing to forego privacy these days.

  19. Re:Linuxconf on Reminiscing Old School Linux · · Score: 1

    Don't worry. linuxconf is every bit as capable as vi of emacs with regards to fucking up your fresh linux install. It's the user, not the interface, who makes the mistakes.

    Sadly, I can confirm this. I had pretty much forgotten about linuxconf, it really was a great tool for the time. But thinking about installing/updating/upgrading back in those days makes me shudder. I'm glad I went through it, but wouldn't want to go back to that.

  20. I agree with everything you say... on Bradley Manning Charged With Aiding the Enemy · · Score: 2

    War is hell.
    Which is exactly WHY you shouldn't enter it without just cause - which is exactly what we did. I have never seen a good reason as to WHY the US invaded Iraq.
    Yes, we've been there a long time and some may say that is irrelevant now. But NONE of this would have happened if we a) weren't there or b) had any kind of how/when we were going to leave.

    Amazing how that one horrible decision has led to so many others. It has cost this country, and others (among other things) loss of money, credibility, and lives.

  21. this is all patently untrue on Kepler Finds Bizarre Systems · · Score: 2

    I just checked my Bible, and there's nothing in there about any of this.

  22. a possible ironic one... on Nokia Plan B Was Just a Hoax · · Score: 1

    I think it would be great if we knew for sure it was a Nokia engineer on his iPhone

  23. Re:The real mistake on Anatomy of the HBGary Hack · · Score: 1

    Well, to be fair - a COMPANY doesn't have to go after Anonymous... all it takes is one person, then the company may be held accountable. Can you control what every person in your company says or does? All it takes is one comment, one "published" opinion to set off vigilantes. Then how do you stop them?

  24. Re:That is the thing on Teachers Back Away From Evolution In Class · · Score: 1

    In Europe, this ain't even an issue. Evolution isn't taught in school, it is fact. School explains the fact same as school explains gravity. You have to be educated that gravity exists, just how it actually works.

    That evolution is even up for debate shows a LOT about the USA. There shouldn't even be a debate. You don't debate facts. And if you claim evolution is not a fact... happy beard in the sky day.

    Sorry, but Evolution is a theory not a fact. The problem is that the religious nuts try to exploit the word "theory" to mean "unknown or unproven" while calling what they believe "fact". The beauty of a theory is that you can continue to refine it as you continue to learn more, until it is virtually irrefutable.

    I grew up Catholic, went to school through 8th grade with nuns and everything, in a small rural USA community. I didn't really learn ANYTHING until I shook off the shackles of religion.

  25. linear musical chairs on Nvidia Unveils New Mid-Range GeForce Graphics Card · · Score: 1

    And in 6 months, all cards move one level down.

    I just upgraded from on-board video and got a GeForce GT240. Even if my rebate doesn't go through, it falls in your Budget category.
    Then again, I run a quad-core CPU running 64-bit Linux, and am not a hardcore gamer. But it's been great. I'll probably never drop more than $100 on a video card, it just doesn't make sense to me. I think a lot of people get caught up in the "latest and greatest" frenzy, and some people truly are hardcore gamers (those that are snickering at my video card choice). Which is great because it pushes the technology but I just don't get it.