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User: raymorris

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  1. yes! the UK did remove guns and what happened was on Disabled Woman Denied Entrance To US Due To Private Medical Records · · Score: 2

    Indeed that is the proper question. Does outlawing guns mean that you've assured bad guys that the law-abiding citizens are now defenseless victims, or will the criminals stop commiting crimes? The UK did ban guns, so we can actually see what happens.

    Comparing the five years before the ban and the five years after, violent crime doubled. Murder increased about 70%. Rape increased by about 80%, as I recall. I can link to all the exact numbers if anyone cares to see them, but the overall trend is extremely clear - you should ban guns if you want more rapes, murders, and robberies. You should support self-defense if you prefer less violent crime.

  2. yeah I better check these cigarettes on Ask Slashdot: Why Are Tech Job Requirements So Specific? · · Score: 1

    Indeed you're right. I'm not sure what I was thinking.
    I compared it to SOMETHING years ago and saw it was roughly equal. Maybe a QNX distribution, not Linux, or some tiny Linux.

  3. wish I knew you - Solaris & RHEL ship my code on Ask Slashdot: Why Are Tech Job Requirements So Specific? · · Score: 1

    Lol I wish I had known you at that time. Solaris shipped with code I wrote fifteen years ago, though I primarily used Red Hat. You might have been replacing my old code with my new code. I sure would have been interested in hearing about the position.

  4. If you have 1 Apache admin, they better know Apach on Ask Slashdot: Why Are Tech Job Requirements So Specific? · · Score: 5, Insightful

    There is a good reason and a bad reason.

    Where I work, there is very little overlap in skills between the IT people. One person is responsible for the old IBM database, for example. It's not a relational (sql) database, so nothing I know from MySQL applies. When we replace the IBM database guy, we're going to need someone else who knows that exact system. In fact, because there are so few people remaining who know the system, we are engaging in an 18 month project to rewrite everything for MS SQL shortly before the person retires.

    My own job is programming Moodle, an LMS with over a million lines of code. That's roughly equal to an entire Linux distribution. Hiring someone with no Moodle experience would be roughly similar to hiring a Linux programmer with no Linux experience.

    On the other hand, I once spoke to someone who wanted to hire a "PHP guru". I tried to explain there's no such thing. What he SHOULD have been looking for would be a web PROGRAMMER who knows PHP well. In many cases, skill in the field is far more important than above-average proficiency with a particular tool, but management sometimes doesn't understand that. If the person doing the hiring isn't particularly skilled in the job they are hiring for, they just don't know what is most important. For example, I would argue that for web programming, the WEB part is super important - good programmers who aren't web programmers aren't in the habit of thinking about security at every step, or scalability, nor are they necessarily skilled at stateless programming. A manager who isn't a very web programmer herself wouldn't know that though, so the best they can do sometimes is to look for someone experienced with the tools the company uses.

  5. $billion brand embarrassment an expensive method on Microsoft May Finally Put Windows RT Out To Pasture · · Score: 2, Insightful

    blowing a billion dollars making your brand look like shit is an expensive way to motivate in Intel. And rumors would have done that.

  6. same for Slashdot "foes" list? on Spamhaus Calls for Fining Operators of Insecure Servers · · Score: 1

    Should you be fined if you put someone on your Slashdot "foes"list? It's pretty much the same thing. It's a list of IPs that Spamhaus is wary of because their system detected [criteria].

    As it happens, some of their lists also works pretty well as an element to feed Spamassassin to help determine the likelihood that a message is spam. How that's weighted and if it's considered at all is entirely up to the admin of the system you're sending mail to.

  7. very clear in context, and easy configuation fix on Spamhaus Calls for Fining Operators of Insecure Servers · · Score: 1

    While it's certainly possible for Pelosi or her UK counterpart to pass a dumb law so that they can find out what's in it, I don't think that's what Spamhaus is suggesting. In context, they could be talking about either of two things:

    First, one could get a ticket for the specific issue that caused the problem in the article. The law doesn't say "your car must be safe", it explicitly says "your turn signals must work". Same here, you could specifically say that this particular common problem could result in a ticket.

    Alternatively, TFA made reference to "once you know that your server is participating in an attack". A law could be made that once you're notified that your server is being used in an attack, you then need to take reasonable measures to prevent that from continuing or recurring. Here again "vulnerable" is clearly defined - if your server is still participating in the attack 48 hours after being notified, you can get a ticket. You can defend that ticket if you show that you took reasonable measures to address the problem.

  8. or yum update. unsafe car too? on Spamhaus Calls for Fining Operators of Insecure Servers · · Score: 4, Insightful

    That sounds like an awful lot of trouble to avoid taking ten minutes to fix the configuration, or yum update for a correct default configuration. Do you also move to some third world country to avoid the law requiring working turn signals?

  9. The S in SQL is Structured, or nested on Ask Slashdot: Are We Older Experts Being Retired Too Early? · · Score: 1

    I tend to prefer joins over subqueries, and for many years I wouldn't use subqueries. However, in the very name SQL, Structured Query Language, "structured" means "with nesting". Complaining about nesting in SQL is kind of like complaining about hyperlinks in HTML.

  10. ROFTL no. Would have done so by 40 on Ask Slashdot: Are We Older Experts Being Retired Too Early? · · Score: 3, Insightful

    There are people who RUN businesses, and there are people who are EMPLOYED by businesses. If they haven't "taken over the company" by age 40, they almost certainly won't. If they've been an employee for 20-30 years, that's probably because that's their preference or where their strengths lie. They aren't going to take over anything.

    Of course, there's the rare case of someone has has run several businesses by age 40 taking non-executive employment for some reason, but that's not the usual case. I've run a few companies and I took an 8-5, but I think I'm the only one in a building with ~200 people. Nobody else here is going to take over squat because they'd rather show up at 8, leave at 5, and and collect their steady paycheck and benefits.

  11. if-than-else ? on Ask Slashdot: Are We Older Experts Being Retired Too Early? · · Score: 1

    I'm thinking a programmer who doesn't know if-then-else may not be awesome.

    Is width greater than? It was greater then.

  12. Wrong. POST for actions. REFERER, logs, SEs on Ask Slashdot: Are We Older Experts Being Retired Too Early? · · Score: 1

    > The difference in security between GET and POST is about the same as level ground vs. a finger nail sized piece of tissue paper on that same level ground, since it would have only stopped someone so incompetent to not have been a threat anyway.

    Query strings (GET) are visible to other sites as the referer, and end up in their logs, which may well end up on Google. So if you're okay with the information being displayed with someone does a search for your domain name, it's okay for it to be in the query string. GET is for GETting publicly available documents, and the query string can be used to identify the document. The query string is also visible to third-party JavaScript and .. well just about everybody. So it's in no way private. Additionally, note that any number of people can GET this post and read it and that causes no problems. It can be cached and people can get it without the server knowing and that's fine.

    POST is used to take actions, such as POSTing a message on Slashdot, logging in, logging out, deleting something, etc. That data isn't visible to other sites you visit. It's not part of the REFERER, or document.location, etc. Assuming either SSL or no MITM by someone with access to your network, POST data is private. Additionally, POST explicitly means it has some effect, so it should not be repeated, cached, etc. If you confuse the two, doing something (such as creating a Slashdot post) based upon a GET request, you my well end up doing the action multiple times when it should have been done only once, or not doing it at all when it should have been, because the request was answered by a cache. It's not okay to add four hard drives to my shopping cart when I click "Add to cart" once, so not knowing and respecting the difference is a significant security issue.

  13. ha you're one. like knowing what "arithmetic" is on Image Lifted From Twitter Leads to $1.2M Payout For Haitian Photog · · Score: 1

    If you want to compare it to mathematics, knowing that economics refers to either macroeconomics or microeconomics is more like knowing what "arithmetic" is.

    Since you mentioned names, I'm guessing you thought the two main branches are "Keynesian and some other guy". That's fine, nobody is competent in EVERY field.

      If you didn't know the difference between arithmetic and calculus, you wouldn't argue math with mathematicians, would you? If you didn't know the difference between an Ethernet cable and power cable, you wouldn't argue about computer technology.

      Just know that since you clearly haven't so much seen the cover of an economics text, YOU DON'T KNOW ECONOMICS. If you're arguing about economics and you don't know whether you're discussing microeconomics or macroeconomics, you don't know what you're talking about, simple as that.

  14. specific, popup free, not weird. Girls Gone Wild on Study Suggests Link Between Dread Pirate Roberts and Satoshi Nakamoto · · Score: 1

    As you mentioned, people pay to get exactly what they want, something specific. Not so much sick and depraved, but specific. Either specific niches like Amelia G's work, or a specific style like Perfect 10. Girls Gone Wild is just flashing of boobs and they have a LOT of customers. See also Netvideogirls.com, a specific style / story line.

    Aside from that, the megasites offer a plethora of porn with no popups, no viruses, no bullshit. The value proposition is there for anyone whose time has value.

  15. Obvious troll is obvious. Try more subtle next tim on Healthcare.gov and the Gulf Between Planning and Reality · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Next time try being a little more subtle - not even Obama himself thinks this mess will be fixed in six months.
    If you want to pretend to be a left wing loony, "keep the gov't out of my medicare/obamacare" is a little too stupid.
    Try "keep the evil businesses out of my business".

  16. Most /. opinions have no interest, vested or other on Image Lifted From Twitter Leads to $1.2M Payout For Haitian Photog · · Score: 0

    > You can easily have an opinion on something in which you have no vested interest.

    I would venture to say that most opinions posted on Slashdot are from those with little or no interest in the subject.
    I say this based on the manifest truth that most have little to no knowledge of the subjects upon which they opine.

    For example, everyone on Slashdot has strong opinions on economic theory. Yet, fewer than 1% know the two main branches of economics - something you learn by merely looking looking at the TITLES of economics courses or textbooks, without attending a single day of class.

  17. No, PayPal always for eBay, not porn on Study Suggests Link Between Dread Pirate Roberts and Satoshi Nakamoto · · Score: 4, Informative

    PayPal never was popular for porn. On any given day of your choice, there was 100 times as many PayPal transactions on eBay than PayPal transactions for porn.

    Porn went from AdultCheck and other AVS systems to iBill and a few iBill competitors. With the fall of iBill, CCBill took over the adult sector.

  18. Yes, a bubble for sure. Don't laugh it off on 195K Bitcoin Transaction · · Score: 2

    I don't disagree, it sure looks like a major bubble, so on that point I still think it's very risky to get involved in. Where my perception has changed is that it looked like a toy, something tin-foil-hat people play with. I laughed it off. It seems it's now big enough that one shouldn't laugh it off. As an example, with over $150 million in a single exchange, an unlicensed bank, it probably makes sense to seriously look at appropriate consumer protections.

  19. Thanks. For non-aussies, FiTs = solar subsidies on A War Over Solar Power Is Raging Within the GOP · · Score: 1

    Thanks for link, it provided a lot of good information.
    If anyone else from outside Oz is still reading this, where catprog says "FITs", that's Feed in Tariffs, which is where each customer is forced to pay for some other guy's solar installation.

    The PDF which breaks down the billing shows 9% "carbon tax" and 20% "customer service and renewables schemes". Only 10% is the actual cost of the electricity, so the customer's bill in no way reflects the actual cost of the electricity. That 29% is more than the entire bill paid by Texas residents.

  20. a skeptic says "wow bitcoin is serious ". Hope thi on 195K Bitcoin Transaction · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I've poo-pooed Bitcoin before. If it's now at the point where there are $150 million transactions, that's significant. I sure hope the operators of that exchange don't disappear with the money, get hacked, or any of the other nastiness that seems to happen every couple of weeks. A $150 million heist would be a big deal, and damn few internet-connected systems are secure enough to thwart even moderately skilled crackers. For example, a certain national agency I'm familiar with that does cyber-security training is wide open to SQL injection and other attacks. I sure hope these bitcoin exchanges have better security than the agencies that set security standards have. If not, somebody's going to steal $150 million in bitcoins any day now, and that'll be a big deal.

  21. Dang, four times as expensive! For solar subsidies on A War Over Solar Power Is Raging Within the GOP · · Score: 1

    The utility power that costs you $54 only costs me $12.42.

    Hmm, you're paying four times as much for utility power, and can buy solar systems for half the cost compared to the US. I wonder if that huge extra cost on your electric bill is what's paying the other half of the solar panels, through subsidies. If the government mandates for solar are paid for via taxes on utilities, that would explain things - you're effectively being forced to pay for solar whether you use it or not.

  22. assuming that, $200 / month for daytime use only on A War Over Solar Power Is Raging Within the GOP · · Score: 1

    Assuming that's a quality system, with the price you mentioned, that's an extra $200 / month to cool the house during the sunny part of the day only, when you're at work. Peak temperatures are at sunset. So you've spent $200 / month on solar that you can't even use while you're home after work. Maybe that might somehow be useful for 1% of people. For most people, that would be really silly.

  23. leave change.org long enough to go shopping on A War Over Solar Power Is Raging Within the GOP · · Score: 1

    Go to the store and price out some solar power systems, the complete system with inverters and all, and get back to me.

    If you can't be bothered to get your butt off the couch, Google and check some of your statements against even the most favorable of sources - the manufacturers themselves. Interstate battery's own web site will tell you batteries that work as designed will lose half their capacity in three years. Maybe in a few years something other than lead-acid will make sense for storing enough energy to power major appliances. The lithium batteries we have today? Ask anyone who has kept a laptop for three to five years what happens to lithium batteries.

    Funny, you argue those things, pretend the manufacturers know nothing about their own products, then admit that indeed solar can't replace traditional energy sources. That's good you can at least admit that now.

    You mentioned air conditioning, using solar to supplement when it's very sunny and you most need the power. That's certainly the scenario that is most favorable to solar. Look up how much power a decent AC system uses (about 4000 watts) , then how much a complete solar system providing that much power will cost (about $40,000). You don't need a whitepaper, plenty of online stores sell the stuff. The output of solar cells drops over time. Figuring the average useful life is 10-20 years @ 4 months per year of AC use, that's about 60 months of active use. 60 months for $40,000 is $750 / month cooling. I don't know about you, but I'm not spending $750 / month for AC. Maybe during the less sunny months it would still have some usable power, and maybe we can get away with a 3000 watt unit. So around $300 - $400 / month on the low end. That's still pretty steep, but might work if you have more money than brains. What's that? It only runs during the day time, when I'm at work? You want me to spend $400 / to cool my house only when no-one is there, then still pay the power company to cool it after 5:00!?!? You go right ahead and buy a solar system. I'll stick with clean burning natural gas providing my electricity.

  24. for very small values of "massive", but okay on Another Casualty of Typhoon Haiyan: Geothermal Power · · Score: 1

    Where "massive" means half the size of Pakistan or Nigeria. How about "Medium sized country built on volcanoes has 10% geothermal power"? I'm guessing you wouldn't care ffor "Geothermal useless for 90% of volcanic island's energy needs".

  25. indeed. cost cut 50%, GOP says "that's better " on A War Over Solar Power Is Raging Within the GOP · · Score: 1

    That's right. Conservatives don't have some personal grudge against silicon. The big difference between republicans and democrats is that republicans tend to make policy decisions based on calculations while democrats base theirs on wishes. Democrats say "wouldn't it be great if ...". Republicans say "yeah that'd be great but here in reality the numbers just don't work."

    See for example my own Slashdot posts regarding solar. I, a conservative, have pointed out that once you factor in the costs of batteries, etc., solar just doesn't make sense. Now that the cost for panels is half of what it was, solar makes more sense in more situations. Lead batteries that last three years before becoming expensive toxic waste are still a problem, so solar is still a long way from being good as the primary energy source for most people, but it now makes sense for some people.

    T
    The other thing conservatives have pointed out is this recurring pattern:
    " Green" company is failing, unable to compete.
    Green company donates $1 million to Obama.
    Obama gives $100 million of OUR money to Green Inc.
    Executives of Green take $20 million bonuses.
    Green shuts down.

    That's bribery and graft. Graft with a green label on it is still graft and it's unacceptable. It just so happens that this administration called their graft system "Clean Energy and Recovery".