Re:Can a Robot Commit a War Crime?
on
Robots Go Spelunking
·
· Score: 3, Interesting
"The persons responsible should be the folks who designed the robot."
I think this is the most ignorant I heard today. What you say is akin to saying dell would be responsible for me smashing someone's head in with this laptop. Or to saying that Einstein was to be held responsible for the Hiroshima bombing.
Designers and manufacturerers are responsible for their products, but only as far as it's functionality: if it functions well, within their specifications, and not outside of those, that's it. It is (or at least should be) the responsibility of the person or organisation that uses/deploys them, that is responsible for the results. In that respect it's similar to a smart bomb.
I think this has more to do with cheap or faulty media, than with the drive itself.
Compare the thickness of an aol cd with that of a high quality cdr, and you'll find that the thickness of the disk is less. Cheaper cdr media is probably thinner and not as sturdy as quality media.
However, the owners of the box are still responsible for the lack of security that allowed their box to be compromised.
I disagree. That would be equivalent to saying you are responsible for your house being burglared. Not having (adequate) security makes one a likely target. It does not, however, make you responsible.
They are, of course, responsible for anything they do. Giving out backdoored software might get them in trouble, if they actively sent the software it to people. If people downloaded it, they may be liable. However, not many countries have as "modern" laws as the USofA, I do not think that is a problem in Poland.
assuming that 650MB fills the whole of the 33mm of disk you have available, 200k would only take up approx. 0.01mm, or 0.005mm per 100k band. Have you used a microscope to check? Reality is even worse, as more than 650MB fits in it.
The content of a cd probably won't show in it's outer appearance, but you would better test this with 100MB files, instead of 100kB files.
Just a patch for mkisofs should do the trick. Tux only would be nice to begin with:)
The distance from the middle should be fixed for every data entry point on the cd (distances of the pits are fixed (except for burnproof, but those margins are slim enough, within 50 nm) && distances between tracks are fixed). Mmmm. Nice summer holidays experiment for my new CDburner.
Mozilla already boast features that IE does not have: Tab browsing, ad disabling, cleaner javascript, multiple platform support. Let's build on this take the browser even further. By constantly improving the user experience Mozilla can win back users.
So true. Microsoft now has catching up to do on these features. The problem is that, while MS can keep devoting manpower to a project, os only keeps devoting manpower as long as it stays interesting. I expect the development of Mozilla to slow down soon, now 1.0 has been released.
That said, I do not expect MS to implement certain features into their browser that make mozilla so pleasant to use: the turning off of popup/under windows and the ad blocking features. I do not believe MS will hamper advertisers.
Or better, reply to the mail. It's an excellent idea.
One problem tho: Now you have all this data, eg. passwords and cc-numbers, on a foreign server. Better make sure that it is secure, both technically and legally.
I think the "lowlanders" should be really worried. The poles will melt soon (2 generations at most), and it will be really caotic in close to sea level countries.
This is only partially true. While the melting of the south pole can cause the sea level to rise, the melting of the north pole will cause no rise in sea level whatsoever: the north pole is a frozen sea. It's a giant block of ice, floating in the sea. If it melts, the molten water will only occupy the space that was taken by the part of the ice cube that was in the water. cf Upward Force.
You can demonstrate this with a cup of water. Put some icecubes in and measure the water level. Let the cubes melt and measure again. The water level wouldn't have risen at all.
The main source rising water, in case of global warming, would be glaciers. Not the north pole.
Apperently not. I have a nice little anecdote about this. A friend of me, bought his palm III over here in the Netherlands. On the back it says made in Singapore.
Then, 2 months later, I was on a trip, and bought one at Singapore Airport. That unit was made in the USA!
I don't know the ideas behind the palm distribution channels, but I'm not thinking much of it.
This is one of the occasions where the privacy lobby goes too far. A 0% false positives isn't possible in a system like this. A human being wouldn't even get 0% false positives or negatives. How common is the feeling you've met someone before, even when that is unlikely? Or ave you spotted a long lost friend in a crowd, only to discover it wasn't him/her? There just are too many people that look alike.
IMHO, a system that recognises faces in a manner that is needed for an airport, the recognising system shouldn't have to be 100% correct. As it isn't autonomous, but requires human confirmation to arrest someone, it's a tool for security. It's like an electronic wanted poster.
Of course, I'm not saying a face recognising system was viable in this occasion. I'm sure the authorities did well not implement it. Yet I'm not so sure that it couldn't be an improvement in security without sacrificing any extra privacy.
Mandrake linux detected my 640U flawlessly, and it works great. And on top of that, it scans better and faster than my old scanner, which I killed while trying to get it working under linux:) (which I shall not name here)
On top of that, I believe people will do it because it is easier. Nowadays it's quite easy to find popular tracks with [insert favorite napsterlike tool here]. Rare tracks are still hard to find. The more people use these tools, the larger the network becomes. And the better it works.
When people only have to pay US$0.25, and don't have to search, and don't have to wait, they will go to the record company's site. This, to the record industry, has the added bonus that the swapping networks will dwindle: the masses won't use them anymore, so it will be even harder to find tracks on them.
I don't believe that will happen. Many people over the years have argued that lowering the prices of cds/records/songs would increase sales. This is just another argument in that discussion. As long as the record industry's economists fail to calculate, they will stick with a broken system. An feed it to us. So I'll continue to use the donkey.
I still like that picture. If you look closely, you can see that the light is coming from inside the maze. So you may leave the maze by using windows, but apparently you'll be stumbing in the dark.
I think it's a bad idea to actually _disable_ a running program
I know that this is a bad idea. I have a box I administer about 10000 kms away from here (it's in Canada somewhere, I'm in Europe). Disabling ssh would be detrimental. I'd rather have a cracked box with ssh than a secure one without.
I will spell it out for you: what he meant was, that by posting those email aliasses on slashdot, you no longer know if spammers using the mail alias cnn.com@offwhite.net really got it from cnn.com or from slashdot.org
The fact that you know and still do not understand only makes it more funny. Have a nice life.
I can vouch for those bigfoots. Around the time they were popular, I was working in the repair department of a computer store. We got about 1/3rd back, malfunctioning. Needless to say, we stopped selling them.
The problem, according to the manufacturer (quantum at the time) was that the head got magnetized, and clung to the side of the drive. The solution, again according to quantum, was to hit the side of the drive with a hammer, and resell the drive.
The fireball was another bad drive, although not as bad the bigfoot. I personally managed to dissolve two in 6 months.
After that, I switched to western digital and stayed there ever since. They do not make the best drives, nor the fastest. But they do have the best service: any drive malfunctioning (within it's warranty period of 3 years) is replaced within a week, without much hassles. Now, last time I did return a drive was over 2 years ago (as an individual, not for the forementioned shop), so I wouldn't know how it is today, but as they are still in business, I reckon it's still good.
Seagate is another company with a good rep in the stores, but I never had any personal experience with them.
the left Ctrl key works only half the time This is a known problem with Dell laptops. I've got my second laptop with this problem, and at work there are at least 4 people who have the same problem. The left shift is also affected. It seems like a design flaw.
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"The persons responsible should be the folks who designed the robot."
I think this is the most ignorant I heard today. What you say is akin to saying dell would be responsible for me smashing someone's head in with this laptop. Or to saying that Einstein was to be held responsible for the Hiroshima bombing.
Designers and manufacturerers are responsible for their products, but only as far as it's functionality: if it functions well, within their specifications, and not outside of those, that's it. It is (or at least should be) the responsibility of the person or organisation that uses/deploys them, that is responsible for the results. In that respect it's similar to a smart bomb.
Chinese lottery, anyone?
I think this has more to do with cheap or faulty media, than with the drive itself.
Compare the thickness of an aol cd with that of a high quality cdr, and you'll find that the thickness of the disk is less. Cheaper cdr media is probably thinner and not as sturdy as quality media.
I think it depends on the version of the CPAN module you are running...
make sure your mirror carries it already :)
However, the owners of the box are still responsible for the lack of security that allowed their box to be compromised.
I disagree. That would be equivalent to saying you are responsible for your house being burglared. Not having (adequate) security makes one a likely target. It does not, however, make you responsible.
They are, of course, responsible for anything they do. Giving out backdoored software might get them in trouble, if they actively sent the software it to people. If people downloaded it, they may be liable. However, not many countries have as "modern" laws as the USofA, I do not think that is a problem in Poland.
assuming that 650MB fills the whole of the 33mm of disk you have available, 200k would only take up approx. 0.01mm, or 0.005mm per 100k band. Have you used a microscope to check? Reality is even worse, as more than 650MB fits in it.
The content of a cd probably won't show in it's outer appearance, but you would better test this with 100MB files, instead of 100kB files.
CDRW.
-
This sentence is only to fool the slashdot lameness filter.
-
Just a patch for mkisofs should do the trick. Tux only would be nice to begin with :)
The distance from the middle should be fixed for every data entry point on the cd (distances of the pits are fixed (except for burnproof, but those margins are slim enough, within 50 nm) && distances between tracks are fixed). Mmmm. Nice summer holidays experiment for my new CDburner.
Mozilla already boast features that IE does not have: Tab browsing, ad disabling, cleaner javascript, multiple platform support. Let's build on this take the browser even further. By constantly improving the user experience Mozilla can win back users.
So true. Microsoft now has catching up to do on these features. The problem is that, while MS can keep devoting manpower to a project, os only keeps devoting manpower as long as it stays interesting. I expect the development of Mozilla to slow down soon, now 1.0 has been released.
That said, I do not expect MS to implement certain features into their browser that make mozilla so pleasant to use: the turning off of popup/under windows and the ad blocking features. I do not believe MS will hamper advertisers.
Or better, reply to the mail. It's an excellent idea.
One problem tho: Now you have all this data, eg. passwords and cc-numbers, on a foreign server. Better make sure that it is secure, both technically and legally.
I think the "lowlanders" should be really worried. The poles will melt soon (2 generations at most), and it will be really caotic in close to sea level countries.
This is only partially true. While the melting of the south pole can cause the sea level to rise, the melting of the north pole will cause no rise in sea level whatsoever: the north pole is a frozen sea. It's a giant block of ice, floating in the sea. If it melts, the molten water will only occupy the space that was taken by the part of the ice cube that was in the water. cf Upward Force.
You can demonstrate this with a cup of water. Put some icecubes in and measure the water level. Let the cubes melt and measure again. The water level wouldn't have risen at all.
The main source rising water, in case of global warming, would be glaciers. Not the north pole.
Apperently not. I have a nice little anecdote about this. A friend of me, bought his palm III over here in the Netherlands. On the back it says made in Singapore.
Then, 2 months later, I was on a trip, and bought one at Singapore Airport. That unit was made in the USA!
I don't know the ideas behind the palm distribution channels, but I'm not thinking much of it.
Come on... Do you really believe those statistics? You mean, they are for real? Not rigged in any way to favor a recordcompany paying money?
To me it's just another scam. Another rigged poll. Anyone knows that most charts are rigged to boost sales, improve airtime and such. Gheesh.
This is one of the occasions where the privacy lobby goes too far. A 0% false positives isn't possible in a system like this. A human being wouldn't even get 0% false positives or negatives. How common is the feeling you've met someone before, even when that is unlikely? Or ave you spotted a long lost friend in a crowd, only to discover it wasn't him/her? There just are too many people that look alike.
IMHO, a system that recognises faces in a manner that is needed for an airport, the recognising system shouldn't have to be 100% correct. As it isn't autonomous, but requires human confirmation to arrest someone, it's a tool for security. It's like an electronic wanted poster.
Of course, I'm not saying a face recognising system was viable in this occasion. I'm sure the authorities did well not implement it. Yet I'm not so sure that it couldn't be an improvement in security without sacrificing any extra privacy.
Anytime an ambulance passes me, I'm amazed. The change in pitch of the sirens so clearly illustrates the Doppler effect.
:)
This must be the most easy experiment to conduct for any student. Just go sit outside a hospital for a couple of minutes.
So when this question came up, I knew this was the one experiment for me
According to the sane USB page they release even preliminary specs on demand: http://www.buzzard.org.uk/jonathan/scanners-usb.ht ml.
:) (which I shall not name here)
Mandrake linux detected my 640U flawlessly, and it works great. And on top of that, it scans better and faster than my old scanner, which I killed while trying to get it working under linux
Where are modpoints when I need them? I've only got one response: ROFL.
Good argument.
On top of that, I believe people will do it because it is easier. Nowadays it's quite easy to find popular tracks with [insert favorite napsterlike tool here]. Rare tracks are still hard to find. The more people use these tools, the larger the network becomes. And the better it works.
When people only have to pay US$0.25, and don't have to search, and don't have to wait, they will go to the record company's site. This, to the record industry, has the added bonus that the swapping networks will dwindle: the masses won't use them anymore, so it will be even harder to find tracks on them.
I don't believe that will happen. Many people over the years have argued that lowering the prices of cds/records/songs would increase sales. This is just another argument in that discussion. As long as the record industry's economists fail to calculate, they will stick with a broken system. An feed it to us. So I'll continue to use the donkey.
I still like that picture. If you look closely, you can see that the light is coming from inside the maze. So you may leave the maze by using windows, but apparently you'll be stumbing in the dark.
I think it's a bad idea to actually _disable_ a running program
I know that this is a bad idea. I have a box I administer about 10000 kms away from here (it's in Canada somewhere, I'm in Europe). Disabling ssh would be detrimental. I'd rather have a cracked box with ssh than a secure one without.
I will spell it out for you: what he meant was, that by posting those email aliasses on slashdot, you no longer know if spammers using the mail alias cnn.com@offwhite.net really got it from cnn.com or from slashdot.org
The fact that you know and still do not understand only makes it more funny. Have a nice life.
I can vouch for those bigfoots. Around the time they were popular, I was working in the repair department of a computer store. We got about 1/3rd back, malfunctioning. Needless to say, we stopped selling them.
The problem, according to the manufacturer (quantum at the time) was that the head got magnetized, and clung to the side of the drive. The solution, again according to quantum, was to hit the side of the drive with a hammer, and resell the drive.
The fireball was another bad drive, although not as bad the bigfoot. I personally managed to dissolve two in 6 months.
After that, I switched to western digital and stayed there ever since. They do not make the best drives, nor the fastest. But they do have the best service: any drive malfunctioning (within it's warranty period of 3 years) is replaced within a week, without much hassles. Now, last time I did return a drive was over 2 years ago (as an individual, not for the forementioned shop), so I wouldn't know how it is today, but as they are still in business, I reckon it's still good.
Seagate is another company with a good rep in the stores, but I never had any personal experience with them.
the left Ctrl key works only half the time
This is a known problem with Dell laptops. I've got my second laptop with this problem, and at work there are at least 4 people who have the same problem. The left shift is also affected. It seems like a design flaw.
Did you frag her, or did she frag you?
:)
Gratz to CTaco. Marriage is wonderful