The system is bad, yeah. Having been all both sides of the desk, I know.
So: wich grownup's do you blame for you're shity litterasy?
Winston Churchill, by the way, was lauded for his ability to FUCKING SPEAK AND WRITE, whatever his thoughts on education. Not to mention, you know, running a country.
Before I buy even one cent worth of your argument that it's all the system's fault, you're going to have to show me that you -- or the apparently silent majority for whom you stand -- took the time to make up for it somehow on your own initiative.
It was paranoia of a different type and a different era, when Great Big Scary Technology came in the form of nukes falling from the sky. Terrorists were people who hijacked planes to fly them to restricted airspaces like Cuba and use as a stage for making unreasonable demands.
Just as valid as today's paranoia, of course, which is to say: "not very." But a different type none the less. Things change, and things stay the same.
Future generations judge technology by comparing the merits of what they're used to versus what came before. What's old though functional becomes hobbled and retrograde -- quaint, at best.
As this e-ink tech catches on, for whatever reasons we can imagine, our grandchildren will look at our solid technology and ask themselves, "Why *doesn't* this flex? Why *isn't* it touch-sensitive?"
Sort of the same way the current youth might express surprise at an all-green terminal screen. "What do you mean, it's only one color? How did you guys ever get anything done on this?" Geez, I feel that way now, and I grew up with the blinking green cursor.
In retrospect, our solid flat-screen LCD displays that are so impressive now will be anachronistic and primitive next to the bendable, touchy future.
Spending any amount of money on a wasteful process that could be replaced with something more efficient and useful != good economic sense. Jobs or no jobs. That $80 billion is already missing from the economy. It's just that nobody's felt the pinch of it yet. That pinch will come. Better it come in a controllable way.
That, sir, is a damn smart way to tackle the challenge. As a self-styled Geek Ambassador to the non-geeky world outside of my IT office, I tip my hat to you, and will adopt your way of thinking.
Think for a moment about the institution you're talking about: something deep-rooted for centuries, penetrating every aspect of western life.
Now think about Facebook. Not even a decade old, and easily replaced.
Which do you think is easier to change with less uproar? Don't magnify the response on Facebook out of proportions: you don't see congressional hearings, massive politicizing, years of debate, marches in front of mansions, and constant media coverage on this admittedly very minor issue.
In other words, the uproar over the banking industry IS THERE. The uproar over the housing crisis IS THERE. The uproar over the fundamentals of the American economy IS THERE. You're not addressing the sheeple you imagine.
You're grandstanding, and it shows, and it doesn't become you.
Nah. What makes it newsworthy is that the snoops are patenting tools which can detect their own snoopage.
Counter-snooping this way is now a patent infringement as well as anything else, and the laws seem much tougher for that crime. Pursue 'em for one thing, nail 'em to the wall with another.
It's funny how the shows get stopped by someone else so very, very often.
It could be that Windows is a rock-solid system with reliable underpinnings. But if third party developments break it so much, and you can never tell which app or driver it will be before you've already committed, then maybe there's still good reason enough to question the system as a whole.
My experience is that once a show-stopper is put on a Windows machine, it becomes intractable. It is difficult to tell exactly how the third-party software is going to make Windows suck; it can suck in so many different ways. Digging through files and settings and registry entries is more time and effort than just reinstalling everything, and that feels like surgery with a hand grenade.
When I want to write NOW NOW NOW, I reach for my Alphasmart. I like the instant-on ability, and the insanely long battery life.
What really makes me happy is that it doesn't have the usual distractions of a desktop. No internet, no games, no browsing, no music...
It's a word processor. That's all it does, and it does that one thing very well indeed. And for creative, but easily distracted minds like mine, that's a real plus.
It doesn't host USB formatted drives, though it can be used as a USB keyboard to rapidly transfer your writing to another computer. Just plug it in and hit "send."
Re:Ignorance vs. the Unknown
on
LHC Success!
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· Score: 1
Maybe the universe has had more practice at it than we have?
Leave it to the experts, I say.
Re:Rootkit? WTF are you talking about?
on
Review: Spore
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· Score: 1
If somebody can convince me why a video game needs: * ring 0 system access, such as is required for device drivers * to intercept calls from userland to the kernel * basically run amok over all the security privileges that all other userland applications are confined to... then I'll accept that the DRM doesn't install a root kit.
That being said: I installed Spore today using an image from Alcohol 120%, and it's running just fine. So are all my other images. My computer appears safe, for now.
So I'll be able to run Spore forever, regardless of damage to the DVD...... At least, until I use up all my installs. Or if a new SecuROM patch get sent to my machine.
I hope WINE gets all patched up to run Spore soon. A virtual machine looks the same no matter what year it is.
And they're very happy with their own blogs, forums, and ways of doing things, thank you very much. Sites like Unclebear, Nuketown, and Musings of a Chatty DM already have a venerable history and vibrant user bases. Grassroots, professional, and otherwise: Gleemax was a Johnny-Came-Never compared to the great sites that are already around.
If you're looking for a way to concentrate all that good RPG chatter, look no further than your own RSS reader.
Or better yet, just plug into the RPG Bloggers Network. They've done all the RSS congregation for you.
The first time I used Google, I was impressed with their search results, sure. But what really got my attention was how easy it was to pick out the results I wanted, visually. Lack of clutter, lots of white space, fast loading pages. I was looking at a clean list of stuff.
Yahoo!, by contrast, was chock full of pictures, advertisements, and "design." Somewhere in there were a few search results. It sucked. Google's clean presentation really made it stand out.
Cuil has a few innovations. I like the expanding/collapsing "search by category" thing. But I still feel like I'm looking at a magazine index, not a list of search results. They're going to need to really work to convince me that their results are significantly better than Google's.
As Geekily as Possible -- with the right equipment
on
How Do Geeks Exercise?
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· Score: 2, Interesting
What turned me on to regular, healthful exercise was to have the right gadget. I worked for an outfit that makes consumer-grade heart rate monitors, so I got to keep one for myself while I wrote out the documentation.
I was very impressed with this gadget. It did wonders for getting me off my duff and tracking my exercise.
Seriously. It's the toys, guys. Having a little bleeping widget on my wrist made a huge difference.
So, even though I don't work for them any more, I'll totally shill for the Polar F11 HRM. It figured out an appropriate exercise schedule for me, it monitors the intensity of my workouts to keep me on target, and it tracks my progress over months. It's geared toward cardio, so it really excels at aerobic stuff like cross-country simulators and standing bikes. The pounds just melt away, though, and I'm toning up nicely.
If you're interested in getting one, I recommend going to your local gym to see if they have a partnership with Polar, because the personal trainers there will help you learn how to use the thing to maximum effectiveness. The thing is pretty simple to use anyway, though.
Slashdot Mirror
The system is bad, yeah. Having been all both sides of the desk, I know.
So: wich grownup's do you blame for you're shity litterasy?
Winston Churchill, by the way, was lauded for his ability to FUCKING SPEAK AND WRITE, whatever his thoughts on education. Not to mention, you know, running a country.
Before I buy even one cent worth of your argument that it's all the system's fault, you're going to have to show me that you -- or the apparently silent majority for whom you stand -- took the time to make up for it somehow on your own initiative.
It was paranoia of a different type and a different era, when Great Big Scary Technology came in the form of nukes falling from the sky. Terrorists were people who hijacked planes to fly them to restricted airspaces like Cuba and use as a stage for making unreasonable demands.
Just as valid as today's paranoia, of course, which is to say: "not very." But a different type none the less. Things change, and things stay the same.
I don't believe in the second world war.
That doesn't stop the second world war from believing in me, though.
"Live Free or Diebold."
Future generations judge technology by comparing the merits of what they're used to versus what came before. What's old though functional becomes hobbled and retrograde -- quaint, at best.
As this e-ink tech catches on, for whatever reasons we can imagine, our grandchildren will look at our solid technology and ask themselves, "Why *doesn't* this flex? Why *isn't* it touch-sensitive?"
Sort of the same way the current youth might express surprise at an all-green terminal screen. "What do you mean, it's only one color? How did you guys ever get anything done on this?" Geez, I feel that way now, and I grew up with the blinking green cursor.
In retrospect, our solid flat-screen LCD displays that are so impressive now will be anachronistic and primitive next to the bendable, touchy future.
Spending any amount of money on a wasteful process that could be replaced with something more efficient and useful != good economic sense. Jobs or no jobs. That $80 billion is already missing from the economy. It's just that nobody's felt the pinch of it yet. That pinch will come. Better it come in a controllable way.
Can we instead quasi-fight for our quasi-right to quasi-party?
I can't watch any of the BBC's website's Doctor Who special content streams in America, either.
Stupid BBC. Doomed to fail.
That, sir, is a damn smart way to tackle the challenge. As a self-styled Geek Ambassador to the non-geeky world outside of my IT office, I tip my hat to you, and will adopt your way of thinking.
Think for a moment about the institution you're talking about: something deep-rooted for centuries, penetrating every aspect of western life.
Now think about Facebook. Not even a decade old, and easily replaced.
Which do you think is easier to change with less uproar? Don't magnify the response on Facebook out of proportions: you don't see congressional hearings, massive politicizing, years of debate, marches in front of mansions, and constant media coverage on this admittedly very minor issue.
In other words, the uproar over the banking industry IS THERE. The uproar over the housing crisis IS THERE. The uproar over the fundamentals of the American economy IS THERE. You're not addressing the sheeple you imagine.
You're grandstanding, and it shows, and it doesn't become you.
I don't care what you say. Berman was the worst thing that ever happened to Star Trek.
Or vote for somebody who's neither a Republican nor Democrat. I mean, if you want to talk about actual change from the past, say, 60 years.
Oh, I am, believe me. I am.
Matt Smith's resume is admittedly short, giving some people pause as to whether he's got the acting chops to sustain the role of Doctor Who.
However, it should be pointed out that this one goes to 11.
Nah. What makes it newsworthy is that the snoops are patenting tools which can detect their own snoopage.
Counter-snooping this way is now a patent infringement as well as anything else, and the laws seem much tougher for that crime. Pursue 'em for one thing, nail 'em to the wall with another.
It's funny how the shows get stopped by someone else so very, very often.
It could be that Windows is a rock-solid system with reliable underpinnings. But if third party developments break it so much, and you can never tell which app or driver it will be before you've already committed, then maybe there's still good reason enough to question the system as a whole.
My experience is that once a show-stopper is put on a Windows machine, it becomes intractable. It is difficult to tell exactly how the third-party software is going to make Windows suck; it can suck in so many different ways. Digging through files and settings and registry entries is more time and effort than just reinstalling everything, and that feels like surgery with a hand grenade.
... one of the bank applications that for unknown requires admin privilege.
Wait a second: so you're OKAY with applications involving bank accounts asking you for admin privileges, even when you don't know why?
You obviously need a new IT guy. I volunteer. I'll even do it for free!
And, yes, I *am* planning on moving to Switzerland after that big site-wide security upgrade next week. Why do you ask?
When I want to write NOW NOW NOW, I reach for my Alphasmart. I like the instant-on ability, and the insanely long battery life.
What really makes me happy is that it doesn't have the usual distractions of a desktop. No internet, no games, no browsing, no music ...
It's a word processor. That's all it does, and it does that one thing very well indeed. And for creative, but easily distracted minds like mine, that's a real plus.
It doesn't host USB formatted drives, though it can be used as a USB keyboard to rapidly transfer your writing to another computer. Just plug it in and hit "send."
Maybe the universe has had more practice at it than we have?
Leave it to the experts, I say.
If somebody can convince me why a video game needs: ... then I'll accept that the DRM doesn't install a root kit.
* ring 0 system access, such as is required for device drivers
* to intercept calls from userland to the kernel
* basically run amok over all the security privileges that all other userland applications are confined to
That being said: I installed Spore today using an image from Alcohol 120%, and it's running just fine. So are all my other images. My computer appears safe, for now.
So I'll be able to run Spore forever, regardless of damage to the DVD ... ... At least, until I use up all my installs. Or if a new SecuROM patch get sent to my machine.
I hope WINE gets all patched up to run Spore soon. A virtual machine looks the same no matter what year it is.
Spore comes out today: perfect timing!
At last I can install EA games with confidence! And perhaps play a music CD from Sony!
And they're very happy with their own blogs, forums, and ways of doing things, thank you very much. Sites like Unclebear, Nuketown, and Musings of a Chatty DM already have a venerable history and vibrant user bases. Grassroots, professional, and otherwise: Gleemax was a Johnny-Came-Never compared to the great sites that are already around.
If you're looking for a way to concentrate all that good RPG chatter, look no further than your own RSS reader.
Or better yet, just plug into the RPG Bloggers Network. They've done all the RSS congregation for you.
Yes. Total shill. Right here.
People will flock to it in droves, buy HD routers with HD cables and HD service plans.
The first time I used Google, I was impressed with their search results, sure. But what really got my attention was how easy it was to pick out the results I wanted, visually. Lack of clutter, lots of white space, fast loading pages. I was looking at a clean list of stuff.
Yahoo!, by contrast, was chock full of pictures, advertisements, and "design." Somewhere in there were a few search results. It sucked. Google's clean presentation really made it stand out.
Cuil has a few innovations. I like the expanding/collapsing "search by category" thing. But I still feel like I'm looking at a magazine index, not a list of search results. They're going to need to really work to convince me that their results are significantly better than Google's.
What turned me on to regular, healthful exercise was to have the right gadget. I worked for an outfit that makes consumer-grade heart rate monitors, so I got to keep one for myself while I wrote out the documentation.
I was very impressed with this gadget. It did wonders for getting me off my duff and tracking my exercise.
Seriously. It's the toys, guys. Having a little bleeping widget on my wrist made a huge difference.
So, even though I don't work for them any more, I'll totally shill for the Polar F11 HRM. It figured out an appropriate exercise schedule for me, it monitors the intensity of my workouts to keep me on target, and it tracks my progress over months. It's geared toward cardio, so it really excels at aerobic stuff like cross-country simulators and standing bikes. The pounds just melt away, though, and I'm toning up nicely.
If you're interested in getting one, I recommend going to your local gym to see if they have a partnership with Polar, because the personal trainers there will help you learn how to use the thing to maximum effectiveness. The thing is pretty simple to use anyway, though.
Okay. Done.