First to clear up a small matter. Merely reading the summary is somewhat misleading. While the brain's actual energy usage stays consistent, the study shows that blood sugar and insulin levels varied radically during the tests. Furthermore, the subjects in the tests showed marked signs of stress, including heightened levels of cortisol in their bloodstream. Here's the relevant section:
The authors provide two potential explanations for their findings, both of which may be accurate to varying degrees. The first involves sugar metabolism. The brain is especially reliant on glucose, and the blood tests revealed that both glucose and insulin levels changed during the KBW tasks, while they gently sloped off during the relaxation. The differences weren't consistent--the two KBW tasks sent the levels in opposite directions--but the instability of the levels was large for both of them. The authors suggest that the eating may simply be an attempt to give the body the chance to stabilize blood glucose.
Their other suggestion is that people find KBW stressful. Both the survey results and blood levels of cortisol (a hormone associated with stress) indicated that the KBW tasks took a mental toll. High stress has been associated with increased eating in a variety of contexts, so the upped food intake in this study may simply reflect that.
What's particularly interesting about these results is that two things have been known for a while now. The first is that the brain's energy usage is relatively constant regardless of the task. However, it has also been clear that severe mental activity can result in signs of fatigue, exhaustion, and greater energy consumption. I personally can attest to these symptoms after several extremely challenging programming tasks. (Ever tried cobbling together an emergency replacement JSP engine inside 3 hours? That was... interesting.) Yet this is simply at odds with the scientific evidence on hand.
This study finally offers evidence to break the impasse. It is the first evidence to clearly show that there is a physiological and not merely a psychological effect from extreme mental work. I look forward to hearing the results of future studies. Perhaps a more effective diet or lifestyle can be devised to make knowledge workers more effective.
Amazon and iTunes carry the EXACT SAME MOVIES. One cannot complain about the selection of one without also complaining about the selection of the other.
Indeed. I'm trying very hard to get incensed here, but I just can't work up a reason to care. Oh noes! I must say "Bug Me Not website" when talking about BugMeNot! Horror of horrors! Shocker of Shockers! Quick, make a comparison to Nazi totalitarism! Facebook is like... Hitler, that's it!
Conspicuously absent is any mention of negative actions taken by Facebook. They didn't close his account, they didn't sue him, they didn't kick his dog. They didn't do anything other than remove a link to a site. Whoop de do. Try typing a URL into Youtube comments sometime and see how far you get.
Or you could just use iTunes. Which is what I will continue to do now that I realize that Amazon's service is the same price with the same content, but with more hassle than the fully integrated iTunes interface.
However, do you not understand the meaning of a hyphen between nouns means?
"Next" is an adjective. It modifies "Generation" in such a way as to identify a specific instance based on temporal meaning.
Smooshing the two into one word using a hyphen changes "Next" into a noun. Which then raises the question: What the heck is a "Next"? Next Magazine? Generation "Next"? NeXT Computers?
The reason I say this is, because, they are still making new games (I.E. Mercs 2) for the old next generation system (playstation 2).
New games are still being made for the Atari 2600. Does that make it the current generation? In which case is the PS2 the next, next, next, next, next generation system?
See, right there. You did it. "Next-gen" and "PS3/360" right next to each other. That's bloody confusing. PS3 and 360 cannot possibly be "next" generation as they are here today and have been here for 2-3 years. The "next" generation is whatever comes after them. Even worse, the title of the article (Top 10 Game Technologies of the Next-Generation) uses a hyphen between "Next" and "Generation". Are they referring to some generation called "Next"? Maybe the kids who grew up with "Next" magazine?
Is there something wrong with saying, "Upcoming technologies for the latest game systems"? Or is that not hip enough for the Next magazine generation?
...are we talking about the next generation, or this generation? Because the formerly "next-gen" systems are already here. We can stop referring to them as "next-gen" now. In fact, using that moniker is starting to get a bit confusing as consumers are beginning to look out toward what the 2011-2012 generation will bring (if anything!).
You joke, but I used to purchase Sony products because they represented quality. Need a top of the line Palm Pilot, CRT, television, laptop, CD player, etc.? Sony was the place to go.
Sony is recalling the laptops, but my exercise instructor told me to "feel the burn"!
Sixty-hour work weeks with no overtime...
on
Should IT Unionize?
·
· Score: 5, Insightful
...or comp time sounds like it's time to change jobs, not unionize. Unions correct for errors in the free market, and are not effective in situations where the market already has checks and balances in place. And in any case, there are few companies with large enough IT workforces to make unionizing a viable idea.
I think what you need to look at is the fact that IT jobs are becoming a blue collar skill. Just about anyone with a computer can pick up enough training to do the majority of desktop and server support work that the market demands. On-Site support for mission critical machines are increasingly being moved to co-location centers who have highly trained staff available. What this means is that there is an overabundance of workers in the field, thus decreasing the value of the service.
If you want to get more respect in the IT field, I recommend that you move to large data center work rather than desktop or small server support. Another idea is to develop industry-standard certification programs (not MSCE) that show qualifications for work in sophisticated environments, thus further helping differentiate desktop support from high-end IT support. These certifications would work a bit like the Engineering or Electrician certifications that differentiate true professionals from the trade-school material entering the field.
That being said, let me turn this thing on its head. Has anyone thought of addressing the reasons behind why you work 60 hour work weeks? Is it truly because the field demands it or is it because your environment needs improvement? Whether it be greater automation, additional help, or better procedures, you need to be making an effort to help reshape your environment so that you can accomplish your job more effectively. Not only will it help reduce the hours you work each week, but shaping your environment displays the true mark of a professional.
That's exactly what the law I linked to says. Anything created by a government official in the service of the government is automatically the property of the public. Where things get tricky with copyrights is that 1) the states do have their own powers and 2) works created by government contractors can be copyrighted by those contractors.
California could prevent you from moving there at all, or charge whatever fee it desired for you to have the right to do so.
I do not believe that the states reserve the right to refuse entry to any citizen of the U.S. It's part of Article IV of the U.S. Constitution. States must allow free travel and treat citizens of other states exactly the same as they treat their own citizens.
In fact, if you are not a U.S. citizen, you can't legally move to California, period.
I don't know where you get that idea. Green card holders and H1-Bs are a large part of California's workforce. Their USCIS field offices were quite busy the last time I was there.
That's not to say this would be a good thing for California to do, if it it wanted to encourage immigration, but I'd see nothing illegal about it.
Except for the long list of Immigration Acts that seized the matter of Immigration as a Federal Power. (See: Nationalization Act [1790, 1795, 1870, 1906], Immigration Act [1924, 1990], INS Act [1952, 1965]) Also a Supreme Court decision of 1875 determined that Immigration was a power of the Federal Government. (Unfortunately, I have yet to figure out what that case might be. "CHY LUNG V. FREEMAN" seems promising as the court ruled that Immigration was part of international commerce and thus was Federal jurisdiction, but I am not a legal expert.)
I see nothing wrong with this in principle. It may be to California's advantage that you be able to do so, and indeed, cross-jurisdictional cases are facilitated by reciprocity agreements between courts, but I see no requirement that it be the case.
Cross-jurisdictional cases are established by the US Constitution's requirement that all states honor the laws of other states. As such, any attempt to block other states from obtaining law books would likely result in a Supreme Court case.
Consider that I have a private company (not publicly traded). Should you be able to request a copy of that company's articles of incorporation and corporate bylaws for free?
The U.S. is not a private company, nor are the states. (At least not under current Constitution and case law.) The states must abide by the Constitution. To do that, their own constitutions and laws must be readily available to the federal entity. Think of the states as subsidiaries rather than fully independent companies.
Ignoring the fact that copyright law is federal
The whole point here is that Federal Copyright Law is not designed to cover these sorts of works.
So, perhaps making it freely available to California citizens only is too restrictive -- make it freely available to those within California's jurisdiction.
California's jurisdiction travels around the country thanks to a variety of civil contracts. Have you ever read a contract that says, "This contract will be subject to the laws of the State of [Insert State Here]". Such clauses are normal in contracts as it ensures that the company who draws up the contract can work with laws they are familiar with. i.e. A "home field advantage" as it were.
And again, there is little point in having a state law that restricts copyright on non-Californian citizens and not Californian citizens. If it were valid, it would be pointless. Except that it's not valid thanks to Article IV of the U.S. Constitution.
I'm thinking the problem has more to do with your choice in games than the system itself.
Ah, the Wii. Let me count the ways...
Excite Truck Blast Works Lost Winds Defend Your Castle Mario Galaxy Geometry Wars: Galaxies Zackuuuu and Wiki Link's Crossbow Training Ghost Squad Wild West Guns Super Paper Mario Twilight Princess Mario Kart: Wii Paper Mario 64 Super Mario RPG Blazing Lazers Axelay Toki Tori Internet Channel (Go challenge someone to a web game.) Gate of Thunder Simcity Zelda 64 Guitar Hero 3 Super Smash Bros Brawl
That's just some of the games I play on my Wii. I haven't even mentioned all the GameCube titles I got for cheap. Some of them are quite fun. (Though I'll grant that most remind me of why I never got a GCN or PS2.)
In the case of Sony, I don't think that price is Microsoft's problem. Sony is finally starting to see some of the titles that they've been developing (or waiting on developing) come to fruition. Since a few of those are still PS3 exclusive (e.g. MGS4), consumers are looking at the two consoles and deciding based on whether they want Little Big Planet, MGS4, and Resistance 2 or Viva Pinata, Halo 3, and Gears of War 2.
Sony's hype train is pushing the PS3 as the perfect HD entertainment center for your home. It not only plays highly-anticipated games in 1080p, but it also can play Bluray movies. Those features manage to convince a lot of customers that the PS3 is the quality console, and not the XBox 360.
Of course, they both are fighting over table scraps. The consoles to beat are still the Wii and the PS2 (believe it or not). Quite frankly, it must be horrendously embarrassing for Sony to be unable to compete against their own last-gen console. None the less, it pays the bills, so the PS2 is still the platform to beat.
Which isn't going to happen until both competitors can afford to lower their console prices into the $199 range. (And I DON'T mean the stripped down versions.)
After I posted that, I managed to see a suggestion for the first time! (OMG! PONIES!) 95% of the time, though, it fails to suggest anything. I must be throwing some pretty big words at it or somesuch. (Yeah, right.)
Even at $199, the majority of consumers feel like they're getting half a system when they get the 360 without a hard drive. As a result, they're going to be looking at the higher $299 price tag. The Wii doesn't have that problem (at least not yet) because the system has the exact same fixed storage on all systems. What you get is what you get. You do not miss out on anything because you purchased the cheaper model.
(Anyone reminded of Henry Ford's, "You can have any color you want as long as it's black"?;-))
So what you're saying is that I should have no right to review the laws of California before making a decision to move there? In fact, I must pay for the laws before I can make the decision to be constrained by them.
Furthermore, you're telling me that an out of state court case tried upon California legal code would require the participants in the case to pay for copies of the laws being tried? Also commonly, you're telling me that I cannot cite precedent using California law without paying for it? Or argue the merits in council or senate sessions of my local laws compared to California laws without having a "public performance" license?
Here's an interesting thought for you: Let's say that California does publish laws under state copyright laws. I publish one of their laws freely in another state. Does California's copyright law extend to my state? Can they sue me over copyright infringement? If they do, am I required to pay for the laws I am being sued under so that I can defend myself? If they cannot, what is the point of their state copyright law if it does not apply to citizens of California?
No offense, but I am not beholden to the crown. The crown may do as she pleases since she is not a duly elected representative. In fact, she is the heir to a consolidated power base that is very much self-serving. She can become as rich or as poor as she pleases, as long as she remains in power.
The United States fought a rather difficult war to free itself from the crown. Thus the only thing the US Government is beholden to is the principles upon which it was founded and the people who elect its officials. The US Government could try to remove its self-imposed law, but the Supreme Court would smack it down rather quickly. That's why the particular law I quoted is more of a guideline to prevent confusion rather than a true act of government.
Now state governments are technically mini-nations in the U.S. However, they are all signatories to the U.S. Constitution and thus will be held accountable to that Constitution as long as they are members of the United States.
Is there any reason [...] that you can't look to see if anything's been marked as misspelled?
Time, primarily. Once a story goes live, comments flood in rather quickly. I like hitting the first post with something intelligent rather than allowing it to fall to the usual "frosty piss" crapola.:-)
For that matter, what ever happened to poorfraeding your posts yourself and correcting any speeling misteaks?
Couple of factors there:
1. I often continue to add information to the post right up until the last minute. All those links to laws and cases didn't spring forth out of my memory.
2. I suck at proofreading. At least until I've had enough separation from the text to re-read it without my mind automatically assuming the words. Sort of like this common mistake:
I cannot believe that California thinks the the laws are copyrightable!
My browser does catch such mistakes. (Though has anyone noticed that Chrome lacks the ability to suggest correct spellings? Drives me batty.) The problem is that I cannot use the browser before the story is live. So I tend to type up my posts in Notepad. Notepad kind of sucks when it comes to spell checking.;-)
Out of curiosity, can anyone point me to a good history of when this became the standard?
Go back to Hammurabi. As a king of Babylon, he felt that ignorance of the law was not an excuse for not following it. Thus he constructed massive stone tablets in the center of his cities that displayed the law for all to see, so that no one could argue that they were ignorant of the law. This was the basis for the doctrine of "ignorance of the law is not a defense."
It didn't take long for the complexity of laws to outstrip the ability of governments to easily publish them in public. Thus Hammurabi's idea of a public display was replaced by the doctrine of public access to laws. Citizens in most countries are expected to keep informed of the latest laws by requesting copies from their government. Traditionally, the governments provided these laws at no charge, or merely for the cost of publication.
Slashdot Mirror
First to clear up a small matter. Merely reading the summary is somewhat misleading. While the brain's actual energy usage stays consistent, the study shows that blood sugar and insulin levels varied radically during the tests. Furthermore, the subjects in the tests showed marked signs of stress, including heightened levels of cortisol in their bloodstream. Here's the relevant section:
What's particularly interesting about these results is that two things have been known for a while now. The first is that the brain's energy usage is relatively constant regardless of the task. However, it has also been clear that severe mental activity can result in signs of fatigue, exhaustion, and greater energy consumption. I personally can attest to these symptoms after several extremely challenging programming tasks. (Ever tried cobbling together an emergency replacement JSP engine inside 3 hours? That was... interesting.) Yet this is simply at odds with the scientific evidence on hand.
This study finally offers evidence to break the impasse. It is the first evidence to clearly show that there is a physiological and not merely a psychological effect from extreme mental work. I look forward to hearing the results of future studies. Perhaps a more effective diet or lifestyle can be devised to make knowledge workers more effective.
Amazon and iTunes carry the EXACT SAME MOVIES. One cannot complain about the selection of one without also complaining about the selection of the other.
Indeed. I'm trying very hard to get incensed here, but I just can't work up a reason to care. Oh noes! I must say "Bug Me Not website" when talking about BugMeNot! Horror of horrors! Shocker of Shockers! Quick, make a comparison to Nazi totalitarism! Facebook is like... Hitler, that's it!
Conspicuously absent is any mention of negative actions taken by Facebook. They didn't close his account, they didn't sue him, they didn't kick his dog. They didn't do anything other than remove a link to a site. Whoop de do. Try typing a URL into Youtube comments sometime and see how far you get.
Or you could just use iTunes. Which is what I will continue to do now that I realize that Amazon's service is the same price with the same content, but with more hassle than the fully integrated iTunes interface.
"Next" is an adjective. It modifies "Generation" in such a way as to identify a specific instance based on temporal meaning.
Smooshing the two into one word using a hyphen changes "Next" into a noun. Which then raises the question: What the heck is a "Next"? Next Magazine? Generation "Next"? NeXT Computers?
I'm sure you can appreciate my confusion.
New games are still being made for the Atari 2600. Does that make it the current generation? In which case is the PS2 the next, next, next, next, next generation system?
Gah! My head hurts.
See, right there. You did it. "Next-gen" and "PS3/360" right next to each other. That's bloody confusing. PS3 and 360 cannot possibly be "next" generation as they are here today and have been here for 2-3 years. The "next" generation is whatever comes after them. Even worse, the title of the article (Top 10 Game Technologies of the Next-Generation) uses a hyphen between "Next" and "Generation". Are they referring to some generation called "Next"? Maybe the kids who grew up with "Next" magazine?
Is there something wrong with saying, "Upcoming technologies for the latest game systems"? Or is that not hip enough for the Next magazine generation?
Please stop the abuse of the English language!
...are we talking about the next generation, or this generation? Because the formerly "next-gen" systems are already here. We can stop referring to them as "next-gen" now. In fact, using that moniker is starting to get a bit confusing as consumers are beginning to look out toward what the 2011-2012 generation will bring (if anything!).
Ouch. Everybody's a critic.
You joke, but I used to purchase Sony products because they represented quality. Need a top of the line Palm Pilot, CRT, television, laptop, CD player, etc.? Sony was the place to go.
These days Sony's quality IS the joke. :-(
Sony is recalling the laptops, but my exercise instructor told me to "feel the burn"!
...or comp time sounds like it's time to change jobs, not unionize. Unions correct for errors in the free market, and are not effective in situations where the market already has checks and balances in place. And in any case, there are few companies with large enough IT workforces to make unionizing a viable idea.
I think what you need to look at is the fact that IT jobs are becoming a blue collar skill. Just about anyone with a computer can pick up enough training to do the majority of desktop and server support work that the market demands. On-Site support for mission critical machines are increasingly being moved to co-location centers who have highly trained staff available. What this means is that there is an overabundance of workers in the field, thus decreasing the value of the service.
If you want to get more respect in the IT field, I recommend that you move to large data center work rather than desktop or small server support. Another idea is to develop industry-standard certification programs (not MSCE) that show qualifications for work in sophisticated environments, thus further helping differentiate desktop support from high-end IT support. These certifications would work a bit like the Engineering or Electrician certifications that differentiate true professionals from the trade-school material entering the field.
That being said, let me turn this thing on its head. Has anyone thought of addressing the reasons behind why you work 60 hour work weeks? Is it truly because the field demands it or is it because your environment needs improvement? Whether it be greater automation, additional help, or better procedures, you need to be making an effort to help reshape your environment so that you can accomplish your job more effectively. Not only will it help reduce the hours you work each week, but shaping your environment displays the true mark of a professional.
That's exactly what the law I linked to says. Anything created by a government official in the service of the government is automatically the property of the public. Where things get tricky with copyrights is that 1) the states do have their own powers and 2) works created by government contractors can be copyrighted by those contractors.
I do not believe that the states reserve the right to refuse entry to any citizen of the U.S. It's part of Article IV of the U.S. Constitution. States must allow free travel and treat citizens of other states exactly the same as they treat their own citizens.
I don't know where you get that idea. Green card holders and H1-Bs are a large part of California's workforce. Their USCIS field offices were quite busy the last time I was there.
Except for the long list of Immigration Acts that seized the matter of Immigration as a Federal Power. (See: Nationalization Act [1790, 1795, 1870, 1906], Immigration Act [1924, 1990], INS Act [1952, 1965]) Also a Supreme Court decision of 1875 determined that Immigration was a power of the Federal Government. (Unfortunately, I have yet to figure out what that case might be. "CHY LUNG V. FREEMAN" seems promising as the court ruled that Immigration was part of international commerce and thus was Federal jurisdiction, but I am not a legal expert.)
Cross-jurisdictional cases are established by the US Constitution's requirement that all states honor the laws of other states. As such, any attempt to block other states from obtaining law books would likely result in a Supreme Court case.
The U.S. is not a private company, nor are the states. (At least not under current Constitution and case law.) The states must abide by the Constitution. To do that, their own constitutions and laws must be readily available to the federal entity. Think of the states as subsidiaries rather than fully independent companies.
The whole point here is that Federal Copyright Law is not designed to cover these sorts of works.
California's jurisdiction travels around the country thanks to a variety of civil contracts. Have you ever read a contract that says, "This contract will be subject to the laws of the State of [Insert State Here]". Such clauses are normal in contracts as it ensures that the company who draws up the contract can work with laws they are familiar with. i.e. A "home field advantage" as it were.
And again, there is little point in having a state law that restricts copyright on non-Californian citizens and not Californian citizens. If it were valid, it would be pointless. Except that it's not valid thanks to Article IV of the U.S. Constitution.
I'm thinking the problem has more to do with your choice in games than the system itself.
Ah, the Wii. Let me count the ways...
Excite Truck
Blast Works
Lost Winds
Defend Your Castle
Mario Galaxy
Geometry Wars: Galaxies
Zackuuuu and Wiki
Link's Crossbow Training
Ghost Squad
Wild West Guns
Super Paper Mario
Twilight Princess
Mario Kart: Wii
Paper Mario 64
Super Mario RPG
Blazing Lazers
Axelay
Toki Tori
Internet Channel (Go challenge someone to a web game.)
Gate of Thunder
Simcity
Zelda 64
Guitar Hero 3
Super Smash Bros Brawl
That's just some of the games I play on my Wii. I haven't even mentioned all the GameCube titles I got for cheap. Some of them are quite fun. (Though I'll grant that most remind me of why I never got a GCN or PS2.)
In the case of Sony, I don't think that price is Microsoft's problem. Sony is finally starting to see some of the titles that they've been developing (or waiting on developing) come to fruition. Since a few of those are still PS3 exclusive (e.g. MGS4), consumers are looking at the two consoles and deciding based on whether they want Little Big Planet, MGS4, and Resistance 2 or Viva Pinata, Halo 3, and Gears of War 2.
Sony's hype train is pushing the PS3 as the perfect HD entertainment center for your home. It not only plays highly-anticipated games in 1080p, but it also can play Bluray movies. Those features manage to convince a lot of customers that the PS3 is the quality console, and not the XBox 360.
Of course, they both are fighting over table scraps. The consoles to beat are still the Wii and the PS2 (believe it or not). Quite frankly, it must be horrendously embarrassing for Sony to be unable to compete against their own last-gen console. None the less, it pays the bills, so the PS2 is still the platform to beat.
Which isn't going to happen until both competitors can afford to lower their console prices into the $199 range. (And I DON'T mean the stripped down versions.)
After I posted that, I managed to see a suggestion for the first time! (OMG! PONIES!) 95% of the time, though, it fails to suggest anything. I must be throwing some pretty big words at it or somesuch. (Yeah, right.)
...the Wii will still sell better.
Even at $199, the majority of consumers feel like they're getting half a system when they get the 360 without a hard drive. As a result, they're going to be looking at the higher $299 price tag. The Wii doesn't have that problem (at least not yet) because the system has the exact same fixed storage on all systems. What you get is what you get. You do not miss out on anything because you purchased the cheaper model.
(Anyone reminded of Henry Ford's, "You can have any color you want as long as it's black"? ;-))
So what you're saying is that I should have no right to review the laws of California before making a decision to move there? In fact, I must pay for the laws before I can make the decision to be constrained by them.
Furthermore, you're telling me that an out of state court case tried upon California legal code would require the participants in the case to pay for copies of the laws being tried? Also commonly, you're telling me that I cannot cite precedent using California law without paying for it? Or argue the merits in council or senate sessions of my local laws compared to California laws without having a "public performance" license?
Here's an interesting thought for you: Let's say that California does publish laws under state copyright laws. I publish one of their laws freely in another state. Does California's copyright law extend to my state? Can they sue me over copyright infringement? If they do, am I required to pay for the laws I am being sued under so that I can defend myself? If they cannot, what is the point of their state copyright law if it does not apply to citizens of California?
No offense, but I am not beholden to the crown. The crown may do as she pleases since she is not a duly elected representative. In fact, she is the heir to a consolidated power base that is very much self-serving. She can become as rich or as poor as she pleases, as long as she remains in power.
The United States fought a rather difficult war to free itself from the crown. Thus the only thing the US Government is beholden to is the principles upon which it was founded and the people who elect its officials. The US Government could try to remove its self-imposed law, but the Supreme Court would smack it down rather quickly. That's why the particular law I quoted is more of a guideline to prevent confusion rather than a true act of government.
Now state governments are technically mini-nations in the U.S. However, they are all signatories to the U.S. Constitution and thus will be held accountable to that Constitution as long as they are members of the United States.
Answer to my own question: Of course it was. Thus proving my point by realizing the consistency of the misteaks immediately after the fatc.
Time, primarily. Once a story goes live, comments flood in rather quickly. I like hitting the first post with something intelligent rather than allowing it to fall to the usual "frosty piss" crapola. :-)
Couple of factors there:
1. I often continue to add information to the post right up until the last minute. All those links to laws and cases didn't spring forth out of my memory.
2. I suck at proofreading. At least until I've had enough separation from the text to re-read it without my mind automatically assuming the words. Sort of like this common mistake:
*shrug* I do what I can. :-)
P.S. Was poorfraeding a joke?
My browser does catch such mistakes. (Though has anyone noticed that Chrome lacks the ability to suggest correct spellings? Drives me batty.) The problem is that I cannot use the browser before the story is live. So I tend to type up my posts in Notepad. Notepad kind of sucks when it comes to spell checking. ;-)
Go back to Hammurabi. As a king of Babylon, he felt that ignorance of the law was not an excuse for not following it. Thus he constructed massive stone tablets in the center of his cities that displayed the law for all to see, so that no one could argue that they were ignorant of the law. This was the basis for the doctrine of "ignorance of the law is not a defense."
It didn't take long for the complexity of laws to outstrip the ability of governments to easily publish them in public. Thus Hammurabi's idea of a public display was replaced by the doctrine of public access to laws. Citizens in most countries are expected to keep informed of the latest laws by requesting copies from their government. Traditionally, the governments provided these laws at no charge, or merely for the cost of publication.
Excuse my use of "rediculous" when it should have been "ridiculous". I can't quite seem to purge that mistake from me' brain.