There is no word "virii" (at least not one signifying several virus particles or strains). Not in English, and not in Latin. "Virus" is uncountable in Latin, and if you want an English plural form it's viruses.
English is a living, dynamic language. New words come and go. Old words get new meanings.
Example: "Hey pal, look at that phat car!"
Sometimes, the works may stick around long enough to make it in to our lexicon (look up "D'oh!" -- thank you Homer Simpson).
This is one of the reasons why 13th century english is much harder to read than 17th century english -- but being educated, you knew that, right?
What right to not be bothered? I don't seem to remember that one.
Amendment 10:
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
Many people miss that one and it's a darn shame.
- Jhon
This is more than annoying.
on
Making It Personal
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· Score: 2, Interesting
I'm sure there are people who may enjoy having marketing "customized" for them. I, however, am not one of them.
Shouldn't there be something in the system that allows for an "opt out" of any and all information gathering? (Ideally, I'd rather see an "opt in"). As loath I am to additional legislation, I wouldn't mind seing something along these lines.
I've worked out of "Mom-n-pop" networks shops. I still do. It's great contract work, when I can get it. Not only do I get between $50-$100/hr, I can also get a share in the profit made by the original contractor. Top that off with a VERY flexible (and VERY stable) full time IT job and that makes for a nice income.
It also keeps my skills up to scratch. Unless you work for a mega-corp, it's hard to keep up on various OSs, software and hardward.
The problems may arise on screen updates -- and that many of these games are bloatware. Game programmers don't think in terms of "K" anymore -- more like 100's of megs or even gigs. Try fitting a playable game (around 50 megs or so) on to an iPAQ.
The audacity of this idea is breathtaking. After Congress gave broadcasters public airwaves worth $70 billion -- or far more -- on the condition that they would return their analog spectrum to the public in a timely fashion, they now want to keep both, auction one off and pocket the proceeds!
What were the conditions of returning "their analog spectrum to the public"? Did they forbid broadcasters from making a profit when they returned them to the public? Did they limit how the broadcasters could return them to the public?
After my knee-jerk "how dare those bastards" reaction, I took time to think about it and I'm not so sure this is a problem.
I often come in contact with users who are moving from old unix based terminals to windows based software. Many of these users have absolutely no GUI experience whatsoever.
There are similar "stumbling" blocks that various users hit when switching platforms -- either from a text-based unix terminal to GUI or from a MAC to WIN32, or whatever.
For most "work" environments, if the user knows how to "click" an icon to run his software, thats about all they NEED to know -- outside of how to operate their software package. It's silly to expect a 50+ y/o client services secretary from company X with no GUI experience to "master" any windows/mac-ish interface. Their "job" is to be able to navagate their software, launch it and shut it down. Beyond that is really expecting too much.
That is if you define a "kook" as someone who goes against the government and corporate power structures for the benefit of everyone -- or in other words, someone who ignores the "you can't fight city hall" mentality that the vast majority of people seem to have.
He is a "kook", but he's our "kook". I wish more people were "kooks".
Also, the myriad "old timers" who've been using the Web for more than, well, just a few years, still remember the Good Old Days (tm) when almost everything on the Web was free.
We need to remember that back in the "Good Old Days (tm)", content also took only a fraction of the bandwidth it takes today. It also took a fraction of time to compile the content on the web years ago (think Joe Student's resume vs. www.nytimes.com with all the flashy graphics and ads). Graphic design costs money and enough people want "flashy" as part of their web experience.
Are you serious? The US wouldn't revoke MFN for human rights violations. What makes you think that we would do so because they "may" be violating GPL? Or even if it's proven they are violating GPL?
China doesn't need us anywhere neer as much as US business needs them.
When did "ACLU" become a dirty word? How did defending the bill of rights come to be out of fashion? Did I miss the spaceship that took all the rational people away?
Seriously -- practices like this are becoming far too acceptable by the general public. Why? Does it start at home? Are we as a society raising drones who refuse to question authority or take an active role in something as running this city/county/country (i.e. voting)?
Ok. Stop the ride. I want to get off. It's finally starting to make me sick.
This doesn't come as a surprise to me. What IS surprising is the REASONING behind the ruling. Since the appeal STILL found Microsoft to be a monopoly, what then, if anything will be the remedy?
"Ok, Microsoft. You're a monopoly. You're predatory. BAD Microsoft! Go take a 'time out' in your room to think about this."
Using a light sensor and motors would require quite a bit more programming than a simple "It's X o'clock and I'm located 'HERE'. (doing math in the background). That means the sun is THERE!". The little beasty then points it's panels where it "knows" the sun to be.
As long as the beasty knows what time it is and where on the surface of the planet it's located, it can fairly easily calculate were a given object is (such as the sun, earth, thinkgeek.com). This is much simpler than controling a mechinism to FIND where the sun is and FIGURE OUT where it's going as the sun moves across the sky.
I stopped myself and asked "Why?" Because I saw this when I was in high-school? Because it was "cool"?
I've got this series on VHS, for gODSAKE. I've already dropped well over $100 in to it -- and that was 1980's dollars. Do I really want to spend this much form something that will in all likelyhood be played once then sit on my shelf?
Hell yes! -- no wonder my wife controls the checkbook...
I think we're starting to reach the limit of "smallness" here. It shouldn't be too long before the best we can hope for is for "breaking even" with regards the laws of thermodynamics.
I think I may not have made my point clearly. You can't get revenue out of censorship. At least not without making the world 1984 scary.
Censorship would cost huges sums of money which would come from the public in the form of taxes or higher costs for services (like higher ISP charges so they can afford to keep their "filters" (read though police) up to date).
How much do you think a speed limit sign costs? How many signs do you think there are?
In California, About $5 a sign, plus an additional $10 on average to replace that sign when necessary. There's a speed limit sign every 5 miles, or when the limit changes. That cost is offset by the revenue generated by traffic tickets. This revenue also covers the cost of enforcing the law.
Censorship has never and will never produce the revenue necessary to cover it's costs -- not even a fraction of it. That would and has come from the pockets of Joe Public.
No. The primary aim of censorship is not to prevent adults from obtaining information, but to prevent children from accessing inappropriate materials.
Shouldn't this be left up to the parents? Isn't it absurd to force other parents and non-parents alike to pay for someone else's ideal of morality?
Perhaps you think children should have unhindered access to these materials?
Shouldn't adults be allowed to have "unhindered access" to "these materials"? Or is free speech and freedom of expression expendable so that parents can be lazy?
Keep it QUITE!
With the current state of the "technology industry", the LAST thing we want to do is to decrease incoming revenue and increase unemployeed nerds!
I already need to beat hungry dot-com'ers off with a stick just to keep my CURRENT job.
(cough) Um... Astrialia, ahem... you must protect your young from dirty pictures! Your very lives depend on it!
How the flying hozzanah can anybody truely expect RINGTONES to be a violation of IP.
I MIGHT understand an ORIGINAL work done as a ringtone -- but only if the complete and ORIGINAL work were used by somebody else (and not just a short excerpt).
This is as silly as suggesting that because some tv-adicted co-workers of mine have starting saying
"You
are the weakest link. Goodbye"
that they have violated NBCs IP or that NBC should expect some type of compensation for people quoting their new money-hog.
I don't know if I'm getting old or what -- but I'm starting to feel defeated. I'm I losing my idealism? I don't know -- but it's getting harder and harder to walk around thinking how things ought to be and being asaulted constantly with how they are. I'm not ready to toss in the towel yet, but I think I'm getting close.
This is a prime example of how ALL 'studies' need to be scrutinized.
How often in the popular press do we read or hear of "a new study shows" that Fruit Loops cause cancer, or you can devolop venereal warts from "virtual sex" or [insert your own claim here]. There are also studies that show just how "right" or "correct" is any given side of an issue (abortion, gun control, whatever)
How often do we take the time to look up criteria used by these studies?
The scary part is that most people don't and they will happily believe what they see in print or watch on the nightly news -- without question.
Slashdot Mirror
Example: "Hey pal, look at that phat car!"
Sometimes, the works may stick around long enough to make it in to our lexicon (look up "D'oh!" -- thank you Homer Simpson).
This is one of the reasons why 13th century english is much harder to read than 17th century english -- but being educated, you knew that, right?
-jhon
Many people miss that one and it's a darn shame.
- Jhon
I'm sure there are people who may enjoy having marketing "customized" for them. I, however, am not one of them.
Shouldn't there be something in the system that allows for an "opt out" of any and all information gathering? (Ideally, I'd rather see an "opt in"). As loath I am to additional legislation, I wouldn't mind seing something along these lines.
-jhon
"Dewd",
I've worked out of "Mom-n-pop" networks shops. I still do. It's great contract work, when I can get it. Not only do I get between $50-$100/hr, I can also get a share in the profit made by the original contractor. Top that off with a VERY flexible (and VERY stable) full time IT job and that makes for a nice income.
It also keeps my skills up to scratch. Unless you work for a mega-corp, it's hard to keep up on various OSs, software and hardward.
-jhon
much better than Where's George. But, wouldn't the evil hearted find a way to put spam in our wallet?
Jhon
is suffering from TMTOHH syndrome (Too Much Time On His Hands).
Seriously though, it makes me eye my old portable TV with an evil grin... makes my wife worry.
-jhon
The problems may arise on screen updates -- and that many of these games are bloatware. Game programmers don't think in terms of "K" anymore -- more like 100's of megs or even gigs. Try fitting a playable game (around 50 megs or so) on to an iPAQ.
-jhon
What were the conditions of returning "their analog spectrum to the public"? Did they forbid broadcasters from making a profit when they returned them to the public? Did they limit how the broadcasters could return them to the public?
After my knee-jerk "how dare those bastards" reaction, I took time to think about it and I'm not so sure this is a problem.
-jhon
I often come in contact with users who are moving from old unix based terminals to windows based software. Many of these users have absolutely no GUI experience whatsoever.
There are similar "stumbling" blocks that various users hit when switching platforms -- either from a text-based unix terminal to GUI or from a MAC to WIN32, or whatever.
For most "work" environments, if the user knows how to "click" an icon to run his software, thats about all they NEED to know -- outside of how to operate their software package. It's silly to expect a 50+ y/o client services secretary from company X with no GUI experience to "master" any windows/mac-ish interface. Their "job" is to be able to navagate their software, launch it and shut it down. Beyond that is really expecting too much.
-jhon
That is if you define a "kook" as someone who goes against the government and corporate power structures for the benefit of everyone -- or in other words, someone who ignores the "you can't fight city hall" mentality that the vast majority of people seem to have.
He is a "kook", but he's our "kook". I wish more people were "kooks".
-jhon
We need to remember that back in the "Good Old Days (tm)", content also took only a fraction of the bandwidth it takes today. It also took a fraction of time to compile the content on the web years ago (think Joe Student's resume vs. www.nytimes.com with all the flashy graphics and ads). Graphic design costs money and enough people want "flashy" as part of their web experience.
jhon
Top story: The Austrialian government has submitted a number of bills, which if pass will outlaw rain in January, hot days and humidity over 60%.
"If we are successful", said one legislator, "we'll stop time for an extra 2 hours every day so we can have longer lunch breaks".
(sigh)
Are you serious? The US wouldn't revoke MFN for human rights violations. What makes you think that we would do so because they "may" be violating GPL? Or even if it's proven they are violating GPL?
China doesn't need us anywhere neer as much as US business needs them.
-jhon
When did "ACLU" become a dirty word? How did defending the bill of rights come to be out of fashion? Did I miss the spaceship that took all the rational people away?
Seriously -- practices like this are becoming far too acceptable by the general public. Why? Does it start at home? Are we as a society raising drones who refuse to question authority or take an active role in something as running this city/county/country (i.e. voting)?
Ok. Stop the ride. I want to get off. It's finally starting to make me sick.
-jhon
This doesn't come as a surprise to me. What IS surprising is the REASONING behind the ruling. Since the appeal STILL found Microsoft to be a monopoly, what then, if anything will be the remedy?
"Ok, Microsoft. You're a monopoly. You're predatory. BAD Microsoft! Go take a 'time out' in your room to think about this."
-jhon
Using a light sensor and motors would require quite a bit more programming than a simple "It's X o'clock and I'm located 'HERE'. (doing math in the background). That means the sun is THERE!". The little beasty then points it's panels where it "knows" the sun to be.
As long as the beasty knows what time it is and where on the surface of the planet it's located, it can fairly easily calculate were a given object is (such as the sun, earth, thinkgeek.com). This is much simpler than controling a mechinism to FIND where the sun is and FIGURE OUT where it's going as the sun moves across the sky.
-jhon
I almost sunk $40+ in to the DVD boxed set.
I stopped myself and asked "Why?" Because I saw this when I was in high-school? Because it was "cool"?
I've got this series on VHS, for gODSAKE. I've already dropped well over $100 in to it -- and that was 1980's dollars. Do I really want to spend this much form something that will in all likelyhood be played once then sit on my shelf?
Hell yes! -- no wonder my wife controls the checkbook...
-jhon
I think we're starting to reach the limit of "smallness" here. It shouldn't be too long before the best we can hope for is for "breaking even" with regards the laws of thermodynamics.
I think I may not have made my point clearly. You can't get revenue out of censorship. At least not without making the world 1984 scary.
Censorship would cost huges sums of money which would come from the public in the form of taxes or higher costs for services (like higher ISP charges so they can afford to keep their "filters" (read though police) up to date).
-jhon
I would question that analogy. There's a big difference between highway speed limits and censorship.
A few examples:
Highway speed limits cost very little extra in the form of taxes
censorship not only forces a foreign and quite often different value system on citizens, but it also forces them to pay for it.
censorship is among the more pricey of legislations.
-jhon
Shouldn't this be left up to the parents? Isn't it absurd to force other parents and non-parents alike to pay for someone else's ideal of morality?
Shouldn't adults be allowed to have "unhindered access" to "these materials"? Or is free speech and freedom of expression expendable so that parents can be lazy?
-jhon
Keep it QUITE! With the current state of the "technology industry", the LAST thing we want to do is to decrease incoming revenue and increase unemployeed nerds!
I already need to beat hungry dot-com'ers off with a stick just to keep my CURRENT job.
(cough) Um... Astrialia, ahem... you must protect your young from dirty pictures! Your very lives depend on it!
I MIGHT understand an ORIGINAL work done as a ringtone -- but only if the complete and ORIGINAL work were used by somebody else (and not just a short excerpt).
This is as silly as suggesting that because some tv-adicted co-workers of mine have starting saying that they have violated NBCs IP or that NBC should expect some type of compensation for people quoting their new money-hog.
I don't know if I'm getting old or what -- but I'm starting to feel defeated. I'm I losing my idealism? I don't know -- but it's getting harder and harder to walk around thinking how things ought to be and being asaulted constantly with how they are. I'm not ready to toss in the towel yet, but I think I'm getting close.
jhon
This is a prime example of how ALL 'studies' need to be scrutinized.
How often in the popular press do we read or hear of "a new study shows" that Fruit Loops cause cancer, or you can devolop venereal warts from "virtual sex" or [insert your own claim here]. There are also studies that show just how "right" or "correct" is any given side of an issue (abortion, gun control, whatever)
How often do we take the time to look up criteria used by these studies?
The scary part is that most people don't and they will happily believe what they see in print or watch on the nightly news -- without question.
We don't need big-brother. We have CNN.
-jhon