Just looking at the "Pictures", I don't see where the innovation is. It is a regular phone dressed in a skin. The iPhone on the other hand did introduce the world to some new ideas. The way the touch screen works on the iPhone, and automatic roatation on the screen are just a couple of the innovations. Not to mention a brand new operating system for a phone. What is Alienware introducing to the world other than a skin? I see a joystick, but these have been available for a while for most PDA type phones.
I really think they need to re-think their strategy here. Unless they are going after the 12-year old crowd with this, I don't see many people carrying this thing around.
Eventually, I want to die, its not my right, its my program. Some science assumes that long life means long species survival. I love science, and I like living in a world comfortable enough to sustain 8 billion people. I always wonder if the technology we create sometimes creates a lot of suffering that is endured. On one hand we have food technology that helps feed the word. On the other hand we have over population, deforestation, etcetra. How fast does social science advance with physical science? Satellites for bio-storms. When do we get one that finally figures out that is the social storm that really drives humananity to the future.
Every time I see comments like this I think of my uncle. He was always athletic, fit, and ate well. He was a moderate drinker, maybe having 1 or 2 light beers while watching football, and sometimes a little more on special occasions. He dispised smoking of any kind. He ended up with Diabetes. So, while I don't discount that eating and drinking to excess will make it more likely that Diabetes will occur later in life, I do discount that this is the only group of people that is effected by Diabetes. So I cringe when I see people so misinformed.
Btw, my uncle did very well living with Diabetes, probably because of his healthy lifestyle. In the end though, he ended up dying of leukemia at the age of 68. I felt really bad for him, especially seeing I am a bit overweight, smoke and drink, and spend way too much sentinet time on the computer posting on places like slashdot. I always figured he would live into his 80's.
Hmmm... An interesting way to do something is using a phone with a camera to do some sort of biometrics. Take a picture of the face, or eye, or a finger print. Would be some cool software to work on. Have the actually camera be initiated by a server to take the picture. Of course, this is big brother talking, but biometrics in conjunction with a SIM card would probably be more secure against ballot stuffing than going to your local voting poll site.
As probably one of the few people who've never used photoshop, I like the current GIMP GUI. If you do decide to overhaul the GUI, do it in a way that makes it optional. Make it skinnable anotherwords. I'm not a heavy GIMP user, but use it for band related stuff. I like the fact that it's easy to use on a dual headed system as is. I understand that the GIMP would be more accessible to a wider audience if it had the feel of Photoshop, but don't abandon the people who find the GUI useful as is.
There is bad business... and then there is PR. Chances that the School Board that exists now isn't the one that was there in the early 90's. So, with that in mind, maybe asking for debt forgiveness shows actuall aptitude of the current school board. I know if I was on it, I'd be trying to negotiate at the very least. The other side of this is you have Microsoft "giving" schools technology, and so many other companies giving to education, to hold a school liable will not look good. If Big Bad Blue holds them to this, I don't care what you think, it just looks bad, and screwing up PR will probably cost more than the $5mil loan payback. It would be smart for both sides to come to some kind of settlement, both for a school district in debt, and for a company that still has the cold suit and tie image no matter how many witty commercials they put out.
While there are definately a large pool of arrogance in IT, thats true in any profession. I know plenty of cashiers that treat me like crap. I've been in the IT field over 20 years now, and what I notice is arrogance is actually rare, but frustration is abundant. Its too bad that that frustration carries over to the customer. Think of the Microsoft help desk guy. Any consumer that needs help thinks that the guy they are going to speak with will have all the answers. It becomes very frustrating for said helpdesk tech when they can't provide all the answers because of broken software, or just out of scope questions. They take a lot of abuse themselves, and wrongly they develop defense mechanisms against all consumers.
My help desk example is just one. There are plenty of uptight assholes in I.T., I've dealt with them, and I've also managed a lot of them. I preffer people on my staff that are able to work with customers, and learn to say "I don't know" when they really don't. Of course, there are always renegade tech people who think they know everything, and when they don't have an answer, take it out on the customer instead of just admitting they need to move up a tier of support.
With this all said. Don't forget that customers can be very unrealistic, especially if your "customers" are employees of the company you are supporting. I can be down right nasty to some of my "customers." Especially the ones who know they aren't supposed to be doing something but keep trying to anyway, like trying to install weatherbug, or spending too much time on non-work related sites. They get banned, then scream murder and blame the I.T. staff of incompentance. For all other customers besides these, I treat them with respect and never think they are stupid because they don't know something, or because the computer software they are using is really a buggy piece of shit.
In the end, its more than just saying "Oh, I.T. people are rude an arrogant, and more so than any other proffession." That's just bullcrap. I've seen plumbers, Doctors, librarians with attitudes, but I don't say their whole profession is like that.
It was a little more complicated than we just turned our backs on the UK. We had treaties with both parties, and it was a difficult decision all the way around. To be honest, in the end, it was better that the UK solved the problem on their own. Think about it. U.S. could've easily took care of it for the U.K., but instead the U.K. showed how far its military could reach, and whether it would for such a small possesion.
As far as the topic at hand. The U.S. needs to be concerned with its source for any of its top military projects. Its not just a matter of trust, it has long reaching implications to just hand out national secrets. Someone mentioned something along the lines of Al-Queda not being able to do much by loading it on a powerbook. They are wrong. Maybe not Al-Queda, but any country running a radar system could potentially find ways to figure out how to unlock things like Radar jamming and the like. That would render any aircraft using this code useless, as a big part of the stealth is in the radar jamming algorithms. I think we trust the U.K. government on very complex levels. But, we what we don't trust is what happens to the code when it gets to the U.K. Supplying the equipment is one thing, supplying the secrets to the equipment is a new ball game, especially seeing those secrets could end up in a contractors hands. Not good.
I wouldn't expect any country to just hand over national secrets.
Sorry for rambling a bit, but things are a bit more deep than "Oh look at the Falklands, or where's the trust?"
Alls this is for is so some ass can say "I supported the environment by helping reduce Computer Technology power consumption" during an election campaign.
Of course the speechwritters will make it sound like they are the Messiah of all things good for the Environment.
These are guys who've been in the arena trying to fight unfairness with Ticketmaster and the bigger Music Houses. While they might not be everyones flavour musically, they are definately on of the bands trying to break molds with how their music is distributed. Maybe this is a little bittersweet, but damn good to see someone trying to get paid without ripping half the world off.
Actually, all Dell Servers come with a form of GNU/Linux. There server installation program uses Linux and X Window. I haven't used HP servers in a long time, but I think all their Proliant computers uses a form of Compaq's old server installation software, which was also a variant of Linux and X Window.
It's not just about money, it's also about client routers using bandwidth meant for BGP routers used by ISP's. It's a public network, but one intended for ISP's to transfer Data, not for Client use.
He is asking for some reimbursement for the troubles he's endured, but D-Link is saying he is extorting them.
IMHO, it is a problem D-Link did cause by their incompetence, and what is being asked is reasonable. The problem won't go away totally, because it relies on the average joe customer to actually update firmware, and now he has to deal with the situation for a long time to come. To be able to continue his "free" service, he may now have to pay for bandwidth that was free to him before D-Link wrongly implemented a protocol feature in some of their routers.
My brother always told me, if you invest, invest in land, because they aren't making much new land.
New Orleans is not the only place hit by Katrina, although it may be the most desperate because of population, lack of preparation because of ignoring what "worst case scenario" actually means.
I think most of the USA, and good portions of the world feel very vunerable. People on Slashdot can make a great case to just move somewhere else, but what should be coming off your TV, newsfeeds, and blogs is that anything can happen anywhere. New Orleans should've been prepared more, in hindsight. Maybe a huge stockpile of water, supplies, generators should be sitting not only at vunerable places, but at anything resembling a "shelter of last resort".
The irony of this all, is as much as we worry about technology/biology destroying natural things (nuclear bombs, chemical weapons, etc), this is a case of the opposite. A natural disaster happened, destroyed the technology saving lives, and the system is broken down. A "catastrophie" as was predicted.
We live on a planet with a lot of issues. Technology makes things safe for a time, and makes some of us too comfortable to think realistically about how we live (and especially in the US).
When do we start thinking about technology on the global level, and where and when can it break down the social, class, and political barriers? That is the damn question for ASK SLASHDOT.
No matter where we live, a disaster can happen. If New Orleans where hit like Mississippi, with the eye wall tearing concrete apart like a wet paper bag, we wouldn't question the technology breakdown, and levee breaches, and how to pump the city out. The storm was that powerful to knock 6 miles of costline out with storm surge and wind, not just levee breaches and flooding because of technology breakdown.
On Earth, where I think most of us live and are from, there is potential for "catastrophie" anywhere. We nitpick the systems and technology we develop to prevent these catastrophies. I think, in my eyes, and in the wake of the current situation, what technology do we develop to respond and assist in the wake of a widespread disaster. The biggest superpower in the world, which I live in, didn't do a good job. And in our time, and on our Earth, "catastrophies" will happen again, has happened before, and will get worse on all levels. How can we improve technology to not to make life easier, but to make life bearable in the next 200 years?
A) Just move the City B) Just build it like this city or that city C) New Orleans is just an party town, and of no apparent other use.
It's easy to say build it like Venice, or do it like the Netherlanders, in reality, New Orleans is different.
The reality is, a Category 5 or 4 Hurricane would devastate just about any city close to water without worrying even about the wind damage.
To the people saying just move away and don't bother, its easy to think that way when not looking at the whole picture. New Orleans is a BIG port, and there it's also a huge fishing area, and damn nice place to live without hurricanes like Katrina.
The real solution I think is to break up the levy system and use mother nature to do its own restoration work. New Orleans is sinking because the Mississippi can't redeposit sediment and create a natural barrier. Yes, without the levies there will be yearly flooding, and its an initial logistical nightmare, but without spending billions on systems that could fail again, it's the best long term solution. Right now, NOLA is devastated, and the levy systems as to be initially put up to pump out, but with the current cycle of stronger and more frequent hurricanes in the carribean and gulf, it's just a short term solution.
Let's not forget though, that while New Orleans is the easiest place to look and claim that its just a problem with the land, just look a little East where the hurricane eyewall passed, and the devastation is just as horrific to communities not below sea level.
I've been holding back on posting on Slashdot for about the past 5 years (With a couple exceptions. I was on the forum under a different "handle" before, but I couldn't remember my e-mail address then if my life depended on it). In my time reading these forums I've seen a lot of good tech discusssion with a lot of answers and suggestions, and a lot of bad political discussion with little "insight" and little "solution".
So far:
The U.S.A. is Evil, or Great (KM or Miles may vary upon location on the Earth)
Pollution is Bad, Economic growth is therefore bad or good (if in my neighborhood), (KM or Miles may vary upon location on the Earth)
Economic growth is good, Pollution is Bad (this doesn't vary)
Logic is gone, and we can't go beyond 0's and 1's on Slashdot without a flamewar (this is varied only by few intelligent posts among thosands, and I claim to have little among the brightest posters)
Anyways, without further ado, here is my real post...
Where is a solution to this topic? Honestly I get depressed when I see a thread describing the end of life as we know it, but don't loose your job.
I think I speak for many when I say there is much confusion. I know that the Earth is changing, and from the posts on Slashdot I've read in my 5 years, it's not much different from what we would do to terraform a planet. Yet in our case we will add too much atmosphere and destroy life rather than foster it.
Then I've read posts that the Economy, not just U.S., but wordwide, is in such a state of flux, that maybe in 10 years I can't feed my family, or even heat my house.
Then I've read posts that say I'm gonna get ass cancer and skin cancer, but there will be a robot that can suck up dust on my carpet without my Wife yelling at me.
There are posts that say Kyoto is a great Global "policy" that will save all of human kind. At the same time it will make me poor, and I'll have to eat stale bread and dirty water.
What am I getting at?
I guess I'll ask Slashdot... As a U.S. Citizen, should I crawl under a rock, feed the world, lead the world, screw Bush, vote for Bush, still ride the bus, or maybe get a fuel efficient car... Drink Heineken or Grolsch (which is the better NL beer?), Should I write a song, and hope everyone hears it and holds hands like the old Coca-Cola commercial? Should I care about Kyoto?
I hope I get an answer soon. Politics are a great subject on Slashdot. Unlike the "ASK Slashdot: Should I use Linux, or stick with Windows?"
My Solution for the U.S.
This is all my own opinion, maybe formulated from years of listening to too much shit...
I think we should pull out of Iraq, pull out of every European Military operation we have. Protect our borders, and even those of Mexico and Canada where we can, and put more interest in fixing things on our side of the planetn (With South America in mind too). We should get less dependent on Oil, and create a whole new economy as leaders in new energy sources, and still crank out some excellent movies and computer games. We should pay more attention to family and what it means to have our best resource (our kids) jepordized by stupid political agenda. In my eyes, and from the sentiment I see, the world can go fuck themselves. We can pretty much isolate, suffer a bit, and rebound in a big way as far as what people think of us, and the things we can accomplish. And the rest of the world, while they are pondering what the hell the once "Superpower" is doing can clean up their back yard, and say, hey, they weren't that bad after all. This is my egocentric view, and I think my community, my neighbors are pretty damn good people. Bush and his cabinet may be asses, may geniuses, but hell, they think they are doing what is best. I voted for Kerry, and I want our troops home, and drinking in our Taverns again. I wish them safe voyages (or convoys)...
Ok... this was a spew post... but hell, Politics is not law, and not technology law. And without a good solution, like the one I just didn't propose, it doesn't make much sense on Slashdot, and sends my mind in 20 different directions.
If you read a little into the article it states that the Internet Access is so the villagers/farmers can check pricing so they can sell their rice surplus and weaved goods. It looks to me like they are trying to give these people the opportunity to have some type of economy to build up themselves. It goes with that old saying "Give a man a fish and he can eat for a day, teach him to fish and he can eat for a lifetime"
And besides, it seems like a cool tech project and a model can be created for other applications (Emergency communications, Camping and Forest Ranger Offices) My only question is why the foot pedaling and not a small gas generator???
Slashdot Mirror
Burn all the hippies. I need to fuel my environmentally friendly furnace.
Just looking at the "Pictures", I don't see where the innovation is. It is a regular phone dressed in a skin. The iPhone on the other hand did introduce the world to some new ideas. The way the touch screen works on the iPhone, and automatic roatation on the screen are just a couple of the innovations. Not to mention a brand new operating system for a phone. What is Alienware introducing to the world other than a skin? I see a joystick, but these have been available for a while for most PDA type phones.
I really think they need to re-think their strategy here. Unless they are going after the 12-year old crowd with this, I don't see many people carrying this thing around.
Eventually, I want to die, its not my right, its my program. Some science assumes that long life means long species survival. I love science, and I like living in a world comfortable enough to sustain 8 billion people. I always wonder if the technology we create sometimes creates a lot of suffering that is endured. On one hand we have food technology that helps feed the word. On the other hand we have over population, deforestation, etcetra. How fast does social science advance with physical science? Satellites for bio-storms. When do we get one that finally figures out that is the social storm that really drives humananity to the future.
Every time I see comments like this I think of my uncle. He was always athletic, fit, and ate well. He was a moderate drinker, maybe having 1 or 2 light beers while watching football, and sometimes a little more on special occasions. He dispised smoking of any kind. He ended up with Diabetes. So, while I don't discount that eating and drinking to excess will make it more likely that Diabetes will occur later in life, I do discount that this is the only group of people that is effected by Diabetes. So I cringe when I see people so misinformed.
Btw, my uncle did very well living with Diabetes, probably because of his healthy lifestyle. In the end though, he ended up dying of leukemia at the age of 68. I felt really bad for him, especially seeing I am a bit overweight, smoke and drink, and spend way too much sentinet time on the computer posting on places like slashdot. I always figured he would live into his 80's.
Hmmm... An interesting way to do something is using a phone with a camera to do some sort of biometrics. Take a picture of the face, or eye, or a finger print. Would be some cool software to work on. Have the actually camera be initiated by a server to take the picture. Of course, this is big brother talking, but biometrics in conjunction with a SIM card would probably be more secure against ballot stuffing than going to your local voting poll site.
As probably one of the few people who've never used photoshop, I like the current GIMP GUI. If you do decide to overhaul the GUI, do it in a way that makes it optional. Make it skinnable anotherwords. I'm not a heavy GIMP user, but use it for band related stuff. I like the fact that it's easy to use on a dual headed system as is. I understand that the GIMP would be more accessible to a wider audience if it had the feel of Photoshop, but don't abandon the people who find the GUI useful as is.
Let me guess, you were a CPA for Enron?
There is bad business... and then there is PR. Chances that the School Board that exists now isn't the one that was there in the early 90's. So, with that in mind, maybe asking for debt forgiveness shows actuall aptitude of the current school board. I know if I was on it, I'd be trying to negotiate at the very least. The other side of this is you have Microsoft "giving" schools technology, and so many other companies giving to education, to hold a school liable will not look good. If Big Bad Blue holds them to this, I don't care what you think, it just looks bad, and screwing up PR will probably cost more than the $5mil loan payback. It would be smart for both sides to come to some kind of settlement, both for a school district in debt, and for a company that still has the cold suit and tie image no matter how many witty commercials they put out.
I would rather call it Bollocks
While there are definately a large pool of arrogance in IT, thats true in any profession. I know plenty of cashiers that treat me like crap. I've been in the IT field over 20 years now, and what I notice is arrogance is actually rare, but frustration is abundant. Its too bad that that frustration carries over to the customer. Think of the Microsoft help desk guy. Any consumer that needs help thinks that the guy they are going to speak with will have all the answers. It becomes very frustrating for said helpdesk tech when they can't provide all the answers because of broken software, or just out of scope questions. They take a lot of abuse themselves, and wrongly they develop defense mechanisms against all consumers.
My help desk example is just one. There are plenty of uptight assholes in I.T., I've dealt with them, and I've also managed a lot of them. I preffer people on my staff that are able to work with customers, and learn to say "I don't know" when they really don't. Of course, there are always renegade tech people who think they know everything, and when they don't have an answer, take it out on the customer instead of just admitting they need to move up a tier of support.
With this all said. Don't forget that customers can be very unrealistic, especially if your "customers" are employees of the company you are supporting. I can be down right nasty to some of my "customers." Especially the ones who know they aren't supposed to be doing something but keep trying to anyway, like trying to install weatherbug, or spending too much time on non-work related sites. They get banned, then scream murder and blame the I.T. staff of incompentance. For all other customers besides these, I treat them with respect and never think they are stupid because they don't know something, or because the computer software they are using is really a buggy piece of shit.
In the end, its more than just saying "Oh, I.T. people are rude an arrogant, and more so than any other proffession." That's just bullcrap. I've seen plumbers, Doctors, librarians with attitudes, but I don't say their whole profession is like that.
As for the Falklands, refer to this wikipedia article http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falklands_War#Shuttle _diplomacy_and_U.S._involvement
It was a little more complicated than we just turned our backs on the UK. We had treaties with both parties, and it was a difficult decision all the way around. To be honest, in the end, it was better that the UK solved the problem on their own. Think about it. U.S. could've easily took care of it for the U.K., but instead the U.K. showed how far its military could reach, and whether it would for such a small possesion.
As far as the topic at hand. The U.S. needs to be concerned with its source for any of its top military projects. Its not just a matter of trust, it has long reaching implications to just hand out national secrets. Someone mentioned something along the lines of Al-Queda not being able to do much by loading it on a powerbook. They are wrong. Maybe not Al-Queda, but any country running a radar system could potentially find ways to figure out how to unlock things like Radar jamming and the like. That would render any aircraft using this code useless, as a big part of the stealth is in the radar jamming algorithms. I think we trust the U.K. government on very complex levels. But, we what we don't trust is what happens to the code when it gets to the U.K. Supplying the equipment is one thing, supplying the secrets to the equipment is a new ball game, especially seeing those secrets could end up in a contractors hands. Not good.
I wouldn't expect any country to just hand over national secrets.
Sorry for rambling a bit, but things are a bit more deep than "Oh look at the Falklands, or where's the trust?"
Alls this is for is so some ass can say "I supported the environment by helping reduce Computer Technology power consumption" during an election campaign.
Of course the speechwritters will make it sound like they are the Messiah of all things good for the Environment.
These are guys who've been in the arena trying to fight unfairness with Ticketmaster and the bigger Music Houses. While they might not be everyones flavour musically, they are definately on of the bands trying to break molds with how their music is distributed. Maybe this is a little bittersweet, but damn good to see someone trying to get paid without ripping half the world off.
Yeah, but the guy who says "Hello --- And welcome to Moviephone" may just be sitting there.
Actually, all Dell Servers come with a form of GNU/Linux. There server installation program uses Linux and X Window. I haven't used HP servers in a long time, but I think all their Proliant computers uses a form of Compaq's old server installation software, which was also a variant of Linux and X Window.
.... Well, if you read the article....
It's not just about money, it's also about client routers using bandwidth meant for BGP routers used by ISP's. It's a public network, but one intended for ISP's to transfer Data, not for Client use.
He is asking for some reimbursement for the troubles he's endured, but D-Link is saying he is extorting them.
IMHO, it is a problem D-Link did cause by their incompetence, and what is being asked is reasonable. The problem won't go away totally, because it relies on the average joe customer to actually update firmware, and now he has to deal with the situation for a long time to come. To be able to continue his "free" service, he may now have to pay for bandwidth that was free to him before D-Link wrongly implemented a protocol feature in some of their routers.
My brother always told me, if you invest, invest in land, because they aren't making much new land.
New Orleans is not the only place hit by Katrina, although it may be the most desperate because of population, lack of preparation because of ignoring what "worst case scenario" actually means.
I think most of the USA, and good portions of the world feel very vunerable. People on Slashdot can make a great case to just move somewhere else, but what should be coming off your TV, newsfeeds, and blogs is that anything can happen anywhere. New Orleans should've been prepared more, in hindsight. Maybe a huge stockpile of water, supplies, generators should be sitting not only at vunerable places, but at anything resembling a "shelter of last resort".
The irony of this all, is as much as we worry about technology/biology destroying natural things (nuclear bombs, chemical weapons, etc), this is a case of the opposite. A natural disaster happened, destroyed the technology saving lives, and the system is broken down. A "catastrophie" as was predicted.
We live on a planet with a lot of issues. Technology makes things safe for a time, and makes some of us too comfortable to think realistically about how we live (and especially in the US).
When do we start thinking about technology on the global level, and where and when can it break down the social, class, and political barriers? That is the damn question for ASK SLASHDOT.
No matter where we live, a disaster can happen. If New Orleans where hit like Mississippi, with the eye wall tearing concrete apart like a wet paper bag, we wouldn't question the technology breakdown, and levee breaches, and how to pump the city out. The storm was that powerful to knock 6 miles of costline out with storm surge and wind, not just levee breaches and flooding because of technology breakdown.
On Earth, where I think most of us live and are from, there is potential for "catastrophie" anywhere. We nitpick the systems and technology we develop to prevent these catastrophies. I think, in my eyes, and in the wake of the current situation, what technology do we develop to respond and assist in the wake of a widespread disaster. The biggest superpower in the world, which I live in, didn't do a good job. And in our time, and on our Earth, "catastrophies" will happen again, has happened before, and will get worse on all levels. How can we improve technology to not to make life easier, but to make life bearable in the next 200 years?
I know a lot of people are thinking:
A) Just move the City
B) Just build it like this city or that city
C) New Orleans is just an party town, and of no apparent other use.
It's easy to say build it like Venice, or do it like the Netherlanders, in reality, New Orleans is different.
The reality is, a Category 5 or 4 Hurricane would devastate just about any city close to water without worrying even about the wind damage.
To the people saying just move away and don't bother, its easy to think that way when not looking at the whole picture. New Orleans is a BIG port, and there it's also a huge fishing area, and damn nice place to live without hurricanes like Katrina.
The real solution I think is to break up the levy system and use mother nature to do its own restoration work. New Orleans is sinking because the Mississippi can't redeposit sediment and create a natural barrier. Yes, without the levies there will be yearly flooding, and its an initial logistical nightmare, but without spending billions on systems that could fail again, it's the best long term solution. Right now, NOLA is devastated, and the levy systems as to be initially put up to pump out, but with the current cycle of stronger and more frequent hurricanes in the carribean and gulf, it's just a short term solution.
Let's not forget though, that while New Orleans is the easiest place to look and claim that its just a problem with the land, just look a little East where the hurricane eyewall passed, and the devastation is just as horrific to communities not below sea level.
Yeah, but goolge is much easier to type than microsoft.
Plus the fact I can take a book into the bathroom with me. While I could do that with a laptop or PDA, the consequences could be ugly.
Now, if I can just change the light gun into a real gun, I can finally finish Ikari Warriors for good.
Maybe if U-Haul and similar places didn't overcharge severly for boxes. I'd be happy to pay anyone for boxes if they weren't overpriced.
You should be irritated with the pricing (both the high prices and the free giveaways) on both sides.
I've been holding back on posting on Slashdot for about the past 5 years (With a couple exceptions. I was on the forum under a different "handle" before, but I couldn't remember my e-mail address then if my life depended on it). In my time reading these forums I've seen a lot of good tech discusssion with a lot of answers and suggestions, and a lot of bad political discussion with little "insight" and little "solution".
So far:
The U.S.A. is Evil, or Great (KM or Miles may vary upon location on the Earth)
Pollution is Bad, Economic growth is therefore bad or good (if in my neighborhood), (KM or Miles may vary upon location on the Earth)
Economic growth is good, Pollution is Bad (this doesn't vary)
Logic is gone, and we can't go beyond 0's and 1's on Slashdot without a flamewar (this is varied only by few intelligent posts among thosands, and I claim to have little among the brightest posters)
Anyways, without further ado, here is my real post...
Where is a solution to this topic? Honestly I get depressed when I see a thread describing the end of life as we know it, but don't loose your job.
I think I speak for many when I say there is much confusion. I know that the Earth is changing, and from the posts on Slashdot I've read in my 5 years, it's not much different from what we would do to terraform a planet. Yet in our case we will add too much atmosphere and destroy life rather than foster it.
Then I've read posts that the Economy, not just U.S., but wordwide, is in such a state of flux, that maybe in 10 years I can't feed my family, or even heat my house.
Then I've read posts that say I'm gonna get ass cancer and skin cancer, but there will be a robot that can suck up dust on my carpet without my Wife yelling at me.
There are posts that say Kyoto is a great Global "policy" that will save all of human kind. At the same time it will make me poor, and I'll have to eat stale bread and dirty water.
What am I getting at?
I guess I'll ask Slashdot... As a U.S. Citizen, should I crawl under a rock, feed the world, lead the world, screw Bush, vote for Bush, still ride the bus, or maybe get a fuel efficient car... Drink Heineken or Grolsch (which is the better NL beer?), Should I write a song, and hope everyone hears it and holds hands like the old Coca-Cola commercial? Should I care about Kyoto?
I hope I get an answer soon. Politics are a great subject on Slashdot. Unlike the "ASK Slashdot: Should I use Linux, or stick with Windows?"
My Solution for the U.S.
This is all my own opinion, maybe formulated from years of listening to too much shit...
I think we should pull out of Iraq, pull out of every European Military operation we have. Protect our borders, and even those of Mexico and Canada where we can, and put more interest in fixing things on our side of the planetn (With South America in mind too). We should get less dependent on Oil, and create a whole new economy as leaders in new energy sources, and still crank out some excellent movies and computer games. We should pay more attention to family and what it means to have our best resource (our kids) jepordized by stupid political agenda. In my eyes, and from the sentiment I see, the world can go fuck themselves. We can pretty much isolate, suffer a bit, and rebound in a big way as far as what people think of us, and the things we can accomplish. And the rest of the world, while they are pondering what the hell the once "Superpower" is doing can clean up their back yard, and say, hey, they weren't that bad after all. This is my egocentric view, and I think my community, my neighbors are pretty damn good people. Bush and his cabinet may be asses, may geniuses, but hell, they think they are doing what is best. I voted for Kerry, and I want our troops home, and drinking in our Taverns again. I wish them safe voyages (or convoys)...
Ok... this was a spew post... but hell, Politics is not law, and not technology law. And without a good solution, like the one I just didn't propose, it doesn't make much sense on Slashdot, and sends my mind in 20 different directions.
If you read a little into the article it states that the Internet Access is so the villagers/farmers can check pricing so they can sell their rice surplus and weaved goods. It looks to me like they are trying to give these people the opportunity to have some type of economy to build up themselves. It goes with that old saying "Give a man a fish and he can eat for a day, teach him to fish and he can eat for a lifetime"
And besides, it seems like a cool tech project and a model can be created for other applications (Emergency communications, Camping and Forest Ranger Offices) My only question is why the foot pedaling and not a small gas generator???