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User: KJSwartz

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Comments · 150

  1. Re: Ground Control... on 5,200 Days Aboard ISS, and the Surprising Reason the Mission Is Still Worthwhile · · Score: 1

    Finally, I find it fascinating that you gave examples of commercial enterprises. NASA has a superb history of servicing safety critical systems; your angst seems better placed towards private businesses.

    Seeking reparations after a chemical plant failure isn't a good business model.

  2. Re: Ground Control... on 5,200 Days Aboard ISS, and the Surprising Reason the Mission Is Still Worthwhile · · Score: 1

    "Proof" as in signatures that the people have actually read it, and "Proof" residing in the margins and comments attached to said documents.

    Sometime a stupidly dumb proposal helps the process by feeding the imagination engine.

  3. Re: Ground Control... on 5,200 Days Aboard ISS, and the Surprising Reason the Mission Is Still Worthwhile · · Score: 1

    Who wants a half heartedly designed pacemaker? Those must be as cheap as hearing aids. But, more to your point, it takes many people at different periods in their careers to usher in truly ground breaking discoveries. The redundancies serve as classes so that should two, three or more emergencies arise, there are adequate people to assist.

    Perhaps the best reason is having experienced people taught in NASA's laboratories increase their value in the commercial enterprises desiring their skill and experience. Frankly, NASA should earn a headhunter's fee when outplacing any if their engineers.

  4. Re: Shut it down on 5,200 Days Aboard ISS, and the Surprising Reason the Mission Is Still Worthwhile · · Score: 1

    I'm sure that Spain, Portugal and England had similar discussions in the 1400s. After all, why try to innovate and just pay the exorbitant taxes levied by the Spice Road owners. Can anybody see the relevance today with Europe, Russia and China?

  5. NASA incorporates a cascading filter process that relies upon multiple examination of these documents to cast out the unworthy elements. The best test of any process is to introduce errors and check the process(es) work products.

  6. Re: Ground Control... on 5,200 Days Aboard ISS, and the Surprising Reason the Mission Is Still Worthwhile · · Score: 1

    There is much truth to what you say. There has to be proof, in safety-critical processes, that the people working those processes have taken the time to interpret that piece of paper properly. Redundancies exist in the process workflow as well. You can cheap out and use an airline process, and, truth be told, we probably are arriving at that level of sophistication. But not quite yet; let's watch how Space-X and Virgin perform with government contracts and with tourism as well as the next commercial Concorde.

  7. Re:So its a sports hall you can fly your RCs in on Ohio College Building Indoor Drone Pavilion · · Score: 1

    Finally a use of gladatorial games arenaes where the geeky players can WIN!

    Few things are more pathetic than student funded Megabuck Stadias dedicated to barely functional liberal arts students paid to play football, baseball and basketball.

  8. Re: Microsoft Windows only on Highly Advanced Backdoor Trojan Cased High-Profile Targets For Years · · Score: 1

    Current strain of Microsoft Windows? Which ones? There are presently 7 variants (after losing count) of Windows 8. Are they all equally secure?

    Windows 7? Vista? XPSP3 and 2003 Server?

    Are the Home versions every bit as secure as the Professional versions?

    Notice my glaring omission of NT.

  9. Re: Hello FVEY on Highly Advanced Backdoor Trojan Cased High-Profile Targets For Years · · Score: 1

    Perpetual decay \snicker \ha \haw

    Remember ANYTHING about the 50s, 60s and 70s, son? You have things SO MUCH BETTER NOW than way back in the day. Computerized checkbooks, reliable transportation, telephone,... ..., Electricity, Internet. Need I go on? Polio and Smallpox Vaccines,... ..., imaging technology that puts X-ray Films from Polaroid to shame.

    The decay you believe in is a figment of your imagination. Visit a third world county sometime and see what value your "wealth of knowledge" has in the real world. \Pity.

  10. Re: Expertise in Congress? on Congress Suggests Moat, Electronic Fence To Protect White House · · Score: 1

    I, for one, welcome our Tea Partying Congressional Overlords!

  11. Re: I need Bennet Haselton to analyze this on Tor Eyes Crowdfunding Campaign To Upgrade Its Hidden Services · · Score: 1

    I'm sure we all are thinking the exact same thing at this moment.

    Spare a second and join us.

  12. Re: Earth's Core is a spinning electromagnet on MAVEN Spies Mars' Atmosphere Leaching Out Into Space · · Score: 1

    Charged particles are separated by our magnetic field and enter the athmosphere at the two poles. The charge either dissipate staticly - through surface phenomena - or as electron exchanging current. So, do you propose the static charge at the poles accumulate as to create static clouds and pools that migrate, or that enough charge gets accumulated to break down the dielectric constant of air, water and rock?

    There should be readily available information to answer your question.

  13. Nice Graphics on MAVEN Spies Mars' Atmosphere Leaching Out Into Space · · Score: 1

    Good images, but quite useless to view without a little information. How does the Spectrograph present it's images - or a better question - how long did it take for MAVEN to collect the data for these few preliminary images? The voids in two images make them appear to be incomplete.

    I'm wondering what effect our past missions have made to build up the hydrogen cloud around Mars, and how well Mar's two moons sweep up the high atmosphere.

  14. States Rights issue on Supreme Court Upholds Michigan's Ban On Affirmative Action In College Admissions · · Score: 1

    I like how the majority justices considered this an issue already decided by Michigan's citizens. I don't agree with their voters' choice, but deciding this as a states' rights issue seems appropriate.

    Now, what Michigan's Universities should do is refuse a private path for deciding legacy admissions and other priority considerations. After all, what's to prevent those private paths from being discriminatory as well!

  15. Throttling mechanism is all wrong on Algorithm Challenge: Burning Man Vehicle Exodus · · Score: 1

    The best method would be to establish the gate at the exit point, and to have a radio checkpoint further up the road. Do not allow vehicles out until the way is clear enough to meet additional cars' speed-to-AC ratio. If you can't establish at least an aggregate 20 mph (just pulling the figure out of thick smelly air), no additional cars are allowed to exit, excepting buses and emergency vehicles. The backlog of people wanting to enter their cars would be able to view the progress of cars at the exit and then make an informed decision. As long as there's free water and something interesting to watch, I'm certain folks won't be too bent outta shape.

  16. Re: I wonder what was underneath the rock they fo on Confirmed: Earth's Oldest Rock In Australia · · Score: 1

    Don't you mean cm to the right?
    Egads! Americans using the metric system is like teaching dolphins to ride a bike. It's cute to watch them try!

  17. Re: What a silly analogy! on Ask Slashdot: Should Developers Fix Bugs They Cause On Their Own Time? · · Score: 1

    I have a modicum of knowledge about bricklayers. The analogy is stupid.
    Who helps write the proposal for building the wall?
    Who helps write the statement of work?
    Who then writes the requirements document, top level design document, interface control documents, and module development plans?
    Who breaks down the project into a WBS itemized list, along with timelines and milestones?
    Who submits requests for tools, computing resources, vendor supplied OSes and libraries, licenses!
    Who develops and executes the test plan that proves the "wall" performs to specifications as laid out in the SoW and Requirements Documents?

    We aren't bricklayers mixing cement and placing already preformed rhombuses into a preplanned structure. We build glorious monuments of achievement!

  18. What a silly analogy! on Ask Slashdot: Should Developers Fix Bugs They Cause On Their Own Time? · · Score: 1

    First and foremost, your boss grossly underestimated the scope of software and firmware engineering to an insulting level. Bricklayers. Pssshaw!

    A small project requires the efforts of a entire contracting firm, from architects to planners to buyers to assemblers, excavators, bricklayers, carpenters, roofers, etc etc etc. Any small flaw that exists in the initial design has to be resolved in situ: it takes experience and teamwork to successfully bring in projects. So many times we are called upon to perform as many functions with fewer people.

    It also takes a crack sales team to sell it off, as well as finance people to watch that the money flows smoothly.

    I would look look deep into those soulless eyes and understand how little significance I hold when I'm in its sights.

  19. Text-based code best represents multi dimensional on Ask Slashdot: Why Are We Still Writing Text-Based Code? · · Score: 1

    As a software engineer, you've taken the effort to generate requirements document, various module development plans, a high level design document, multiple interface control documents, and finally begin to codify the design. Now, graphically embed the essence of all those documents into intermediate object files, link them together and swear on a rack of Sun Solaris Manuals that you can support the product for the next ten years.

    The answer: you can't. Tools evolve and die off, while text-based intermediate files are infinitely easier to support in the long run. Imagine what happens when your current version of LabView falls out of support and you have new requirements or a critical problem to resolve and your only machine with LabView has died a horrible death taking your hard drives with it.

    Or better yet, developed test programs using VB 6.0, and woke up in a new millennium where your application no longer works on a Windows 2016 machine. What to do, Bunkie?

    ---

    Do you REALLY want to have a George Jetson job making sprockets with your one red button? Steve Jobs said YES and created the iPod.

  20. Re: Reliable ratings for me on Ask Slashdot: Best SOHO Printer Choices? · · Score: 1

    Exactly. Do your own research on quality issues through reviewers you can trust, and don't burden Slashdot with such unquantifiable services as "product reviewers". But to pose a question back at you - what OS VERSION and DISTRIBUTION do expect to use in your office computers? Purchase the multifunction printer that either had, has, or will have the best reputation.

  21. Why not use iPhone 4/4S Facetime Camera on Homebrew Camera Mod Mimics LANDSAT Satellite · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Similar effect - the main camera is filtered, but I've learned that the 2nd camera is not..
    Resolution may not be good, but should be adequate for proof-of-concept.

  22. Will it blend ... on Interviews: Ask Blendtec Founder Tom Dickson What Won't Blend? · · Score: 1

    ... Fermilab's Tevatron Accelerator? Bonus points for finding those Higgs particles their scientists mistook for pions.

  23. Re:Laid off - try to stay at Adobe on Adobe Ends Development of Flash On Mobile Browsers · · Score: 2

    Sadly, whenever a profitable platform is shut down, a lot of good developers are RIF'ed. Its a horrible market right now, so PLEASE look for a way to stay with Adobe.

    1) Use your knowledge of internal procedures and development practices WORK for you (saves the company serious $$$s training somebody new!)
    2) Submit your resume back to your own HR department and let them know you wish to stay
    3) Work off-hours on active projects that YOU think have potential - ask questions, involve yourself in debugging, development and design reviews
    4) Get yourself invited to development meetings while still putting 40 hrs/wk on your current tasks
    5) Don't Slouch - its bad for your posture

    The last two items really get the line managers' attention.

  24. Preemptive suits on Patent Troll Says Anyone Using Wi-Fi Infringes · · Score: 1

    If I were in the business where my attornies were just sitting idly by, like a McDonalds, Starbucks, or another business that can see this thing snowball, I would sic them on these slimetards and tangle up this operation from thousands of different POVs. What this patent troll is collecting is just to bank their attack on the big boys. Don't need a crystal ball for this!

  25. Politicizing is the first step toward defunding on When Did Irene Stop Being a Hurricane? · · Score: 1

    Guanxi, your links are appreciated. Don't forget the US Geological Survey ( http://coastal.er.usgs.gov/hurricanes/irene ), they will make the raw data available in a few more days. It looks like the baby-faced politicians are making mockery of the serious science of weather forecasting in a very apparent attempt to defund and dismantle another of our "Crown Jewels". If an agency doesn't drop bombs, wreck havoc or kill people ("Let God Sort Them Out", to use the vernacular), these numbskull pols consider it a waste of tax revenue. President Bush defunded the USGS to such an extent that he refused to issue a Tsunami warning to Indonesia; I guess Hurricane and severe weather forecasting is next on the chopping block.