Google search for term "search engine".... results are:
1. Dogpile.com 2. Bing 3. Altavista 4. Wikipedia article on search engines 5. Google custom search engine (not the main google site) 6. Ask.com 7. Yahoo.com......
Also, use a disposable email address from a company without a legal presence in the country you're posting in. Preferably some country at odds with them.
A Canadian judge will not likely be able to compel a Libian ISP to disclose your identity.:)
So it's good for YouTube and Hulu... what about the other 99% of applications Flash is used for? i.e. interactive content? What about flash gaming? Annoying flash websites? My wife is pissed because her favorite games won't play on the iPad I just ordered...
Find a service provider or museum with a digital Cruzcam. They are a copy stand with an integrated camera/scanner system meant for exactly what you need.
>>I WILL NOT buy products advertised in this fasion.
ABSOLUTELY. And let the company whose product is advertised know that's the reason.
(on a side note - Slashdot has a feature to allow users to disable advertising if they have high enough Karma or something, and I haven't enabled that yet... but I'm coming close because of a few recent annoying ads and a couple popups. I'll support the site until it intrudes on my enjoyment.)
Just to illustrate my point, I used to give demos of using Photoshop with a digital photographic printer my company made. Even doing so in Japan, on a Japanese-language version of Photoshop wasn't an issue because I know where each option was in the menus. It was quick and efficient (as opposed to keyboard shortcuts on a Japanese keyboard)... no "hunting" required.
>> The command line is a fine interface, and if you're not a jackass, it's much quicker than hunting through any set of menus.
However, you're comparing someone that has memorized all the command line commands, syntaxes, and switches to someone that has no idea where in the menus each option is. "hunting" through the menus isn't necessary if you have even a basic understanding of their layout. However, without a thorough understanding of the command line, there's no hope in hell of being able to use it at ALL.
Don't get me wrong - I love the command line... but your statement is not even close to being realistic.
Yes, but I can easily read the titles of 5 separate posts and decide which ones I should read. Each one is a separate and complete thought, and I'm free to pick and choose.
5 jumbled together are harder to split apart, and you're always thinking "do I have to read another paragraph later for this to be summed up with a conclusion, or is the whole thought in one place?"
You'd be better off with 5 letters, or 5 clearly separate "chapters" that are clearly delineated.
>>is it just an "arbitrary convention" that making four or five points in an essay is worse than making one single one?
4-5 or even 100 points is fine... as long as they're related and flow enough to make it one overall theme. If you go in too many directions, you'll get someone interested in one point, and bored to death on the other... so they'll never take in your work (or look at it and get too overwhelmed to care).
There's no rule - but you're losing your audience by being so fragmented. It's just human nature.
If you do something 20 times, and each time there's a 5% chance of paying a $10k fine, the _average_ cost is $500 per time. 19 times you'll get away with $0 cost. Once you'll have a $10k bill. That could happen the first time, the last time, or somewhere in-between (or it could happen 5 times in a row, then not again for 100+ times, etc.).
That's statistics... sorry, you're the one that failed.:)
How many different directions and issues do you need to drag up in one Slashdot posting????
Maybe you make some good points, but your rambling makes me put you in the "tinfoil hat" category. Don't drag down one good argument by associating it with 7 less important ones.
Tinfoil hat response... wacky, but NOT out of the question.
1) Employer takes fingerprints for timecard scanner.
2) Employer falls on hard times, is bought out by Evil Corp, and decides that it can make some money selling off it's database of names/fingerprint info to a marketing firm. Alternatively, they go bankrupt and their servers are bought at auction by said marketing firm. Alternatively, someone hacks into their network and steals the data. Alternatively, a disgruntled employee steals it and sells it... and on and on.
3) The government is LEGALLY allowed to purchase data from 3rd parties that it can't legally obtain by itself. It does this and adds your fingerprints to a national database.
4) Now you can be instantly linked to anything using a handy search tool, even if there's no other evidence. Have nothing to hide? Well, maybe a disgruntled cop wants to find the guy that's been doing his wife... and on and on.
Sorry... any private company just HAVING that type of biometric data is a concern to me. Despite best intentions, not everything works out as planned.
Yes, and I was equally concerned with them using these at Disney World! Thankfully they don't collect fingerprints from kids - maybe they're also concerned with the potential legal issues?
Hint - at least at Disney World you can decline. You simply have to show picture ID. Don't be a sheep - at least ask what your options are, how your privacy will be protected, and what THEIR liability is if there is a breach in that privacy.
>>if kept indefinitely in an identifiable fashion, will eventually be used maliciously
Add to that the potential for misappropriation along the way. Data gets stolen, and sold.
I was horrified on a trip to Disney World 2 weeks ago when I saw they had fingerprint scanners on every turnstyle (in addition to your pass card). Supposedly this is to ensure only one person uses the card, and you can't hand it off to someone else. The good news is that they don't ask it from kids, and when I refused they simply asked to see ID to compare names. However, all the other sheep just put their finger on the scanner and went through... disappointing that nobody else seemed concerned!
Sure, Disney might have non-nefarious intentions, but what about:
- what's their actual privacy policy?
- how is the data stored, and for how long?
- what is their IT security like?
- what happens if they get broken into and the data is stolen?
- what happens if they fall on hard times and get a good offer for the information (name + fingerprint)?
- what happens if they get bought out by EvilCorp?
- when they go bankrupt and someone buys their old server?
Just them HAVING that data is a concern, even if the intent is 100% "pure". Remember that the US Government can legally collect all kinds of personal data for their databases even when they're specifically prohibited from getting it directly from you... they can simply go to a third party to get it, LEGALLY.
>>Now, I'd challenge you to watch one of the films where it wasn't just a gimmick, but I'd be hard pressed to actually name one. "Monsters vs. Aliens" wasn't too bad, though.
Avatar in 3D... sure, there were a couple scenes where it was over-used, but by far it was the best use of 3D I've ever seen. I was very skeptical, especially after watching 5 really annoying 3D trailers before the movie (oxymoron...), but it was not distracting in the least.
>> essentially, thermal conduction from the extremely-hot accretion disk heats the surrounding gas, causing it to expand, and thus move away from Sagittarius A*'s gravity well
If there is a dense enough concentration of gas that thermal expansion (i.e. pressure) can keep it out of the gravity well, then is there enough density to actually call that an atmosphere? It's an interesting thought... although going from "atmosphere" to anything else (life, etc.) has about a billion hurdles in-between.
I would assume that in the disc there is a range of concentration/pressure, but never thought it would reach/exceed our atmospheric pressure. That would be cool.
I would fully expect there to be some sort of compensation to Plurk - but maybe along with an NDA so they don't set expectations elsewhere. I also wouldn't be surprised if they just licensed the code from Plurk and got back to beta with their own site.
As much as I like MS-bashing, Kudos to MS for admitting it so quickly and taking a decisive move like taking the site down.
The times I've encountered the terahertz scanners at airports, they've always been optional (although they don't make it clear to you that it is). If directed to one, I've always simply asked if I must use it or if I had a choice of a "normal" metal detector. EVERY time they've allowed me to choose (and I travel a LOT). Most times they take a note of it or ask me to sign a sheet to indicate my declination - I assume so they can figure out if people object or not.
Asking the quesiton never hurts. It also sends the message that this intrusion isn't accepted by the public. Don't surrender to these things willingly.
Slashdot Mirror
Why can't anti-satellite systems hit the target from ABOVE, and direct debrit towards re-entry?
Madcow
I remember the headlines... and the general reaction here at the time. Didn't happen. :)
MadCow.
Google search for term "search engine".... results are:
1. Dogpile.com ... ...
2. Bing
3. Altavista
4. Wikipedia article on search engines
5. Google custom search engine (not the main google site)
6. Ask.com
7. Yahoo.com
29. Google.com :)
Also, use a disposable email address from a company without a legal presence in the country you're posting in. Preferably some country at odds with them.
A Canadian judge will not likely be able to compel a Libian ISP to disclose your identity. :)
So it's good for YouTube and Hulu... what about the other 99% of applications Flash is used for? i.e. interactive content? What about flash gaming? Annoying flash websites? My wife is pissed because her favorite games won't play on the iPad I just ordered...
MadCow.
Mmmmmmmm.... ancestors in wine sauce never .... :)
Find a service provider or museum with a digital Cruzcam. They are a copy stand with an integrated camera/scanner system meant for exactly what you need.
Madcow
Not to mention, how the heck do you poop in a bottle in the first place? Thread it up your ass and squeeze? Yowza...
(given that it would add pressure to the bottle, I can then imagine it all squeezing back out once you removed it from your nether regions too...)
>>I WILL NOT buy products advertised in this fasion.
ABSOLUTELY. And let the company whose product is advertised know that's the reason.
(on a side note - Slashdot has a feature to allow users to disable advertising if they have high enough Karma or something, and I haven't enabled that yet... but I'm coming close because of a few recent annoying ads and a couple popups. I'll support the site until it intrudes on my enjoyment.)
MadCow.
Just to illustrate my point, I used to give demos of using Photoshop with a digital photographic printer my company made. Even doing so in Japan, on a Japanese-language version of Photoshop wasn't an issue because I know where each option was in the menus. It was quick and efficient (as opposed to keyboard shortcuts on a Japanese keyboard)... no "hunting" required.
Interesting comparison you make:
>> The command line is a fine interface, and if you're not a jackass, it's much quicker than hunting through any set of menus.
However, you're comparing someone that has memorized all the command line commands, syntaxes, and switches to someone that has no idea where in the menus each option is. "hunting" through the menus isn't necessary if you have even a basic understanding of their layout. However, without a thorough understanding of the command line, there's no hope in hell of being able to use it at ALL.
Don't get me wrong - I love the command line... but your statement is not even close to being realistic.
Yes, but I can easily read the titles of 5 separate posts and decide which ones I should read. Each one is a separate and complete thought, and I'm free to pick and choose.
5 jumbled together are harder to split apart, and you're always thinking "do I have to read another paragraph later for this to be summed up with a conclusion, or is the whole thought in one place?"
You'd be better off with 5 letters, or 5 clearly separate "chapters" that are clearly delineated.
>>is it just an "arbitrary convention" that making four or five points in an essay is worse than making one single one?
4-5 or even 100 points is fine... as long as they're related and flow enough to make it one overall theme. If you go in too many directions, you'll get someone interested in one point, and bored to death on the other... so they'll never take in your work (or look at it and get too overwhelmed to care).
There's no rule - but you're losing your audience by being so fragmented. It's just human nature.
MadCow.
Actually, he's right, sorry. :)
If you do something 20 times, and each time there's a 5% chance of paying a $10k fine, the _average_ cost is $500 per time. 19 times you'll get away with $0 cost. Once you'll have a $10k bill. That could happen the first time, the last time, or somewhere in-between (or it could happen 5 times in a row, then not again for 100+ times, etc.).
That's statistics... sorry, you're the one that failed. :)
How many different directions and issues do you need to drag up in one Slashdot posting????
Maybe you make some good points, but your rambling makes me put you in the "tinfoil hat" category. Don't drag down one good argument by associating it with 7 less important ones.
Tinfoil hat response... wacky, but NOT out of the question.
1) Employer takes fingerprints for timecard scanner.
2) Employer falls on hard times, is bought out by Evil Corp, and decides that it can make some money selling off it's database of names/fingerprint info to a marketing firm. Alternatively, they go bankrupt and their servers are bought at auction by said marketing firm. Alternatively, someone hacks into their network and steals the data. Alternatively, a disgruntled employee steals it and sells it... and on and on.
3) The government is LEGALLY allowed to purchase data from 3rd parties that it can't legally obtain by itself. It does this and adds your fingerprints to a national database.
4) Now you can be instantly linked to anything using a handy search tool, even if there's no other evidence. Have nothing to hide? Well, maybe a disgruntled cop wants to find the guy that's been doing his wife... and on and on.
Sorry... any private company just HAVING that type of biometric data is a concern to me. Despite best intentions, not everything works out as planned.
MadCow.
Yes, and I was equally concerned with them using these at Disney World! Thankfully they don't collect fingerprints from kids - maybe they're also concerned with the potential legal issues?
Hint - at least at Disney World you can decline. You simply have to show picture ID. Don't be a sheep - at least ask what your options are, how your privacy will be protected, and what THEIR liability is if there is a breach in that privacy.
MadCow.
They're not there for security - and nobody has claimed they were. They're there to help guarantee Disney's profit by reducing ticket-sharing.
MadCow.
>>if kept indefinitely in an identifiable fashion, will eventually be used maliciously
Add to that the potential for misappropriation along the way. Data gets stolen, and sold.
I was horrified on a trip to Disney World 2 weeks ago when I saw they had fingerprint scanners on every turnstyle (in addition to your pass card). Supposedly this is to ensure only one person uses the card, and you can't hand it off to someone else. The good news is that they don't ask it from kids, and when I refused they simply asked to see ID to compare names. However, all the other sheep just put their finger on the scanner and went through... disappointing that nobody else seemed concerned!
Sure, Disney might have non-nefarious intentions, but what about:
- what's their actual privacy policy?
- how is the data stored, and for how long?
- what is their IT security like?
- what happens if they get broken into and the data is stolen?
- what happens if they fall on hard times and get a good offer for the information (name + fingerprint)?
- what happens if they get bought out by EvilCorp?
- when they go bankrupt and someone buys their old server?
Just them HAVING that data is a concern, even if the intent is 100% "pure". Remember that the US Government can legally collect all kinds of personal data for their databases even when they're specifically prohibited from getting it directly from you... they can simply go to a third party to get it, LEGALLY.
MadCow.
>>Now, I'd challenge you to watch one of the films where it wasn't just a gimmick, but I'd be hard pressed to actually name one. "Monsters vs. Aliens" wasn't too bad, though.
Avatar in 3D... sure, there were a couple scenes where it was over-used, but by far it was the best use of 3D I've ever seen. I was very skeptical, especially after watching 5 really annoying 3D trailers before the movie (oxymoron...), but it was not distracting in the least.
MadCow.
>> essentially, thermal conduction from the extremely-hot accretion disk heats the surrounding gas, causing it to expand, and thus move away from Sagittarius A*'s gravity well
If there is a dense enough concentration of gas that thermal expansion (i.e. pressure) can keep it out of the gravity well, then is there enough density to actually call that an atmosphere? It's an interesting thought... although going from "atmosphere" to anything else (life, etc.) has about a billion hurdles in-between.
I would assume that in the disc there is a range of concentration/pressure, but never thought it would reach/exceed our atmospheric pressure. That would be cool.
MadCow.
I would fully expect there to be some sort of compensation to Plurk - but maybe along with an NDA so they don't set expectations elsewhere. I also wouldn't be surprised if they just licensed the code from Plurk and got back to beta with their own site.
As much as I like MS-bashing, Kudos to MS for admitting it so quickly and taking a decisive move like taking the site down.
Actually, when I decline, they've always walked me to the front of the line for the other detectors. It's saved me time in the end, strangely enough.
A few other times, when it was my turn, I simply walked to the standard detector myself, and had no issues.
(they have two normal lanes and one terahertz scanner lane at my departure airport, but I've run into them in many other places recently too)
The times I've encountered the terahertz scanners at airports, they've always been optional (although they don't make it clear to you that it is). If directed to one, I've always simply asked if I must use it or if I had a choice of a "normal" metal detector. EVERY time they've allowed me to choose (and I travel a LOT). Most times they take a note of it or ask me to sign a sheet to indicate my declination - I assume so they can figure out if people object or not.
Asking the quesiton never hurts. It also sends the message that this intrusion isn't accepted by the public. Don't surrender to these things willingly.
>> It's an i5, not an i7
It's either. You can upgrade to a 2.8GHz i7 as an option.
MadCow.