>> clear hard disk covers inside those clear cases. You could see the mechanics working
I don't think you'd see much... disks spinning at 7200RPM look pretty much like disks standing still... and the heads move back and forth fast enough to be mostly a blur anyways, if that.
Sounds cool, but wouldn't be nearly so in actual use.
>> We all recall the Pokemon Epilepsy scare - who knows what malfunctions could plague this even if it is a cool idea.
Can you imagine the viruses that people might start writing for such a system? I can just see the headlines now: "Computer Virus causes people to colapse with Epilepsy attacks!!!"
If you're going to bother moving the power supply to outside the case, there's no reason you can't have additional connectors to suck other CD voltages from for your scanner/zip/modem/etc.
I'm sure that one (big / 300w+)external DC supply is a lot more efficient (and cheaper) than an internal one plus 6 wall-warts for accessories...
The problem is that you'd either have to choose a standard connector type for each voltage, or have some auto-sensing system...
>> The time overlay is a useful idea, however I don't know if many webcams support such features.
I use a Creative webcam with "iSpy" software for automatically uploading images to an FTP site on a regular (user-set) basis. It automatically overlays the time/date in the format you wish.
>> ? It strikes me as amazing that the first thing people want to do is externalize the causes of these tragedies, to find scapegoats to blame for the actions of a misguided (and in some cases, truly ill IMHO) few.
Not to justify the actions of Klebold and whatshisname, but are video games REALLY the thing that pushed them over the edge? Wasn't it the years of tormenting from other kids (i.e. the Jocks that they shot), feeling outcast by others, etc.?
Hey, I wasn't a popular kid in school, and I sure as hell wanted to get revenge on the jocks and idiots that thought it was fun to pick on me and others... If I was a little less stable, THAT would have put me over the edge, not video games.
Shouldn't the victims be suing the kids that tormented these two, rather than iD et al? I guess that's just harder to proove...
>> But if you jumped from this thing, you'd bounce off the building itself as it arcs out - would be painful!
Nah, as long as you could clear the first 100 feet or so (while building speed), you can "track" away from the building. From 3700', you could easily reach terminal velocity (~130mph in a "belly fly" position), and at that speed, you can almost fly away from the building as fast as you're descending. Put on a "wingsuit" and you can go even further...
FYI, jumping from 3700', and opening at 1500' (still high for a base-jumper, a little low for a skydiver though), you'd have almost 17 seconds of freefall!
>> OK, I admit it. I want to see Lou Gerstner (IBM's CEO) scrubbin' the sidewalks tomorrow mornin'.
Hey, I'm a marketing guy, and the first thing I'd do if I were at IBM would be to actually get Lou Gerstner out there scrubbing sidewalks, and make sure the media knew all about it!
Big grin, humble apology, admitting a "light-hearted" mistake, and taking care of it! Can't get better publicity than FREE publicity!
Your suggestion may be a valid method of stepping out of the loop, but then you may be just working to enable people to do harm... I'm not a lawyer, but I see even bigger legal issues there...
With my website in particular, there is certainly potential for abuse... after all, it's called "Fuckoff!". I want users to be able to sent light-hearted "fuckoff" postcards to other people, but don't want them to do serious damage or harm at the same time. The only way I can think of to make sure that users don't go "over the line" is to MAKE them take responsibility for their own actions. Giving them anonymity is giving them a license to shoot somebody and get away with it.
People use anonymity to avoid responsibility for their actions. There are cases where this is valid (such as whistleblowing), but there are many more where it is not.
Do people disagree with systems such as mine taking steps to ensure (as much as possible) that people are accountable for their own actions, and know it? If you don't want to admit to doing something, don't do it!
I agree... "anonymous" posts should remain anonymous, and sysadmins should go to great lengths to make sure they stay that way. However, it brings up the question of whether or not a sysadmin should allow anonymous posting at all, because of the liability questions...
I'm facing a similar dilemma... I'm going to post a "Postcard" feature on my website (Keyword: Fuckoff), but want to ensure that users KNOW that they can be tracked down, so that overly-abusive posts don't get sent unless the poster is willing to take responsibility for them.
Sure, there's always disclaimers and things, but if somebody gets hurt in the process, and the person who originated the damaging message can't be tracked, I'm sure that I'd be the one on the hook...
Anonymity is great, unless you're using it to willfully hurt other people. Then you should stand up and take responsibilty.
First, let me say that I LOVE Python... I use it for almost all of my application development.
However, the biggest problem that I face is the portability of the code... it's extremely difficult to write a "stand-alone" application that can be distributed. Sure, there's the Freeze tool, but it's a pain to use, and hard to configure properly.
If I'm writing an app that I want others to use (on a non-Linux system), I'll usually choose C/C++ instead, because I know that I can easily send it out. Otherwise, I end up with an application that needs three installers... (Python, Win32, mine).
"But Mommy, there WAS no such thing as the Second World War... I searched and searched on the Internet at school, and there was nothing!"
Censorware in theory has its applications, but those with the power to influence what other people see, hear, and read are all too likely to abuse that power. Just look at the track record of current Censorware companies, blocking sites that oppose them, competitors sites, and the like.
My example above is a little extreme, but who's to say that some programmer or marketing guy at "Censorware R US" won't have a personal bias or vendetta that gets slipped in?
There's NO excuse to rely on Censorware... the best way to ensure that kids don't end up seeing Porn is to SUPERVISE THEM. The Internet is quickly replacing television as the babysitter of the new millenium.
Maybe I just have Hoof-in-mouth disease, but the thought of censoring ANYTHING, for noble reasons or not, makes me sick.
>>...trademarks exist on an "enforce it or lose it" basis
If Apple was smart, and wanted to keep their system open at the same time, they could simply grant Mac Themes a license to use their Trademark. That way, they're still "enforcing" it, have some control over "misuse" of their trademarks, and still gain from open source.
There was a post in comp.lang.python that was in "Kanji" (double-byte asian font). It looked like garbage to most people. There was a great reply to it though:
Your wife just called... she's currently searching for your secret stash of pr0n, and will be auctioning it off on Ebay (assuming this isn't against THEIR rules...).
I am so happy to hear that he's gone... I've personally smashed three mice in frustration because he popped up at the most annoying times, hogging all my computer's cycles...
Will Micro$oft discount XP by the price of three mice for me? Oh yeah... I don't use Office at home, thank God for Linux.
Slashdot Mirror
I don't think you'd see much... disks spinning at 7200RPM look pretty much like disks standing still... and the heads move back and forth fast enough to be mostly a blur anyways, if that.
Sounds cool, but wouldn't be nearly so in actual use.
MadCow.
Can you imagine the viruses that people might start writing for such a system? I can just see the headlines now: "Computer Virus causes people to colapse with Epilepsy attacks!!!"
Scary...
MadCow.
I'm sure that one (big / 300w+)external DC supply is a lot more efficient (and cheaper) than an internal one plus 6 wall-warts for accessories...
The problem is that you'd either have to choose a standard connector type for each voltage, or have some auto-sensing system...
MadCow.
And that's different from today how? .......
A-Scannin-We-Will-Go-Ly Yours,
MadCow.
I use a Creative webcam with "iSpy" software for automatically uploading images to an FTP site on a regular (user-set) basis. It automatically overlays the time/date in the format you wish.
FYI, see my site (Keyword: fuckoff) for an example, under "things to do".
I currently upload an image every 10 seconds to a "local" server, but you could do it as often as you like.
MadCow.
Not to justify the actions of Klebold and whatshisname, but are video games REALLY the thing that pushed them over the edge? Wasn't it the years of tormenting from other kids (i.e. the Jocks that they shot), feeling outcast by others, etc.?
Hey, I wasn't a popular kid in school, and I sure as hell wanted to get revenge on the jocks and idiots that thought it was fun to pick on me and others... If I was a little less stable, THAT would have put me over the edge, not video games.
Shouldn't the victims be suing the kids that tormented these two, rather than iD et al? I guess that's just harder to proove...
MadCow.
Keyword: fuckoff
Yeah, right... that'll stop them. "Oh, ok, let us blow you up first, then you can sue us for doing so."
MadCow.
Nah, as long as you could clear the first 100 feet or so (while building speed), you can "track" away from the building. From 3700', you could easily reach terminal velocity (~130mph in a "belly fly" position), and at that speed, you can almost fly away from the building as fast as you're descending. Put on a "wingsuit" and you can go even further...
FYI, jumping from 3700', and opening at 1500' (still high for a base-jumper, a little low for a skydiver though), you'd have almost 17 seconds of freefall!
Not bad from a building!
MadCow.
Heck, I regularly skydive from 3000' or less (preferably 13000' though), and you can base-jump under 300' !!!
MadCow.
MadCow.
Hey, I'm a marketing guy, and the first thing I'd do if I were at IBM would be to actually get Lou Gerstner out there scrubbing sidewalks, and make sure the media knew all about it!
Big grin, humble apology, admitting a "light-hearted" mistake, and taking care of it! Can't get better publicity than FREE publicity!
MadCow.
With my website in particular, there is certainly potential for abuse... after all, it's called "Fuckoff!". I want users to be able to sent light-hearted "fuckoff" postcards to other people, but don't want them to do serious damage or harm at the same time. The only way I can think of to make sure that users don't go "over the line" is to MAKE them take responsibility for their own actions. Giving them anonymity is giving them a license to shoot somebody and get away with it.
People use anonymity to avoid responsibility for their actions. There are cases where this is valid (such as whistleblowing), but there are many more where it is not.
Do people disagree with systems such as mine taking steps to ensure (as much as possible) that people are accountable for their own actions, and know it? If you don't want to admit to doing something, don't do it!
MadCow.
I'm facing a similar dilemma... I'm going to post a "Postcard" feature on my website (Keyword: Fuckoff), but want to ensure that users KNOW that they can be tracked down, so that overly-abusive posts don't get sent unless the poster is willing to take responsibility for them.
Sure, there's always disclaimers and things, but if somebody gets hurt in the process, and the person who originated the damaging message can't be tracked, I'm sure that I'd be the one on the hook...
Anonymity is great, unless you're using it to willfully hurt other people. Then you should stand up and take responsibilty.
MadCow.
However, the biggest problem that I face is the portability of the code... it's extremely difficult to write a "stand-alone" application that can be distributed. Sure, there's the Freeze tool, but it's a pain to use, and hard to configure properly.
If I'm writing an app that I want others to use (on a non-Linux system), I'll usually choose C/C++ instead, because I know that I can easily send it out. Otherwise, I end up with an application that needs three installers... (Python, Win32, mine).
Oh well...
Freeze-a-phobically-yours, Madcow.
Censorware in theory has its applications, but those with the power to influence what other people see, hear, and read are all too likely to abuse that power. Just look at the track record of current Censorware companies, blocking sites that oppose them, competitors sites, and the like.
My example above is a little extreme, but who's to say that some programmer or marketing guy at "Censorware R US" won't have a personal bias or vendetta that gets slipped in?
There's NO excuse to rely on Censorware... the best way to ensure that kids don't end up seeing Porn is to SUPERVISE THEM. The Internet is quickly replacing television as the babysitter of the new millenium.
Maybe I just have Hoof-in-mouth disease, but the thought of censoring ANYTHING, for noble reasons or not, makes me sick.
MadCow.
Well, he should at least get a "Darwin Award" for his career... I'm sure that it's pretty dead after him causing a lawsuit like that...
MadCow.
If Apple was smart, and wanted to keep their system open at the same time, they could simply grant Mac Themes a license to use their Trademark. That way, they're still "enforcing" it, have some control over "misuse" of their trademarks, and still gain from open source.
Sound reasonable?
MadCow.
Well, most of their processors have always been "P.P." anyways. q:]
MadCow.
I think you want comp.lang.perl !!!
MadCow.
-----------------------------------------
Your wife just called... she's currently searching for your secret stash of pr0n, and will be auctioning it off on Ebay (assuming this isn't against THEIR rules...).
Get home quick...
MadCow.
-----------------------------------------
I guess some (soon-to-be-ex) Micro$oft employee actually has a sense of humor!
MadCow.
-----------------------------------------
Will Micro$oft discount XP by the price of three mice for me? Oh yeah... I don't use Office at home, thank God for Linux.
MadCow.
-----------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------
Windoze is forked-up quite enough, thanks... I'd hate to see them add something as basic as that to an already-bloated-house-of-cards...
MadCow.
The best reply was: "I think you want comp.lang.perl"
MadCow.