Back in 1980, the DOE commissioned a study for just this question. The document isn't available online, but a query sometime ago elicited this reply:
NTIS Order No: DE84014459/HDM
Title: Communication Measures to Bridge Ten Millennia
Author(s): Sebeok, T. A.
Performing Organization: Indiana Univ. at Bloomington. Research Center for Language and Semiotic Studies.
Corporate Source Codes: 050994031; 9518019
DOE Report No: BMI/ONWI-532
Sponsoring Organization: Department of Energy, Washington, DC.
Notes: Product reproduced from digital image. Order this product from NTIS by: phone at 1-800-553-NTIS (U.S. customers); (703)605-6000 (other countries); fax at (703)321-8547; and email at orders@ntis.fedworld.gov. NTIS is located at 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA, 22161, USA.
Date: Apr 84 Pages: 43p NTIS Price Code: PC A03/MF A01
Language: English
Abstract: The Department of Energy created the Human Interference Task Force (HITF) in 1980 to investigate the problems connected with the post closure, final marking of a filled nuclear waste repository. The task of the HITF is to devise a method of warning future generations not to mine or drill at that site unless they are aware of the consequences of their actions. Since the likelihood of human interference should be minimized for 10,000 years, an effective and long-lasting warning system must be designed. This report is a semiotic analysis of the problem, examining it in terms of the science or theory of messages and symbols. Because of the long period of time involved, the report recommends that a relay system of recoding messages be initiated; that the messages contain a mixture of iconic, indexical, and symbolic elements; and that a high degree of redundancy of messages be employed. (ERA citation 09:037350)
I can't believe this. First everybody moans about how awful closed source software is, and how much better it would be if you could tweak it. But then when a company decides that they don't want the code any more and throws it to the public (points about the license taken), that isn't good either! Would you rather that code remain behind closed doors forever, never seeing the light of day under any circumstances? Geez.
The WaveStar LambdaRouter, as the product is known, operates at speeds that would, in effect, allow the printed contents of whole libraries to be transmitted in a single second. Almost any communications medium would allow this. Just change the size of the library. It's a meaningless phrase!
And its capacity will grow even further over time. Does this mean it will upgrade itself automatically, for free?
Ok, maybe I'm still asleep, but I don't see what's wrong with the Purchasing Circles. This is aggregated statistics, like bestseller lists and the "people who bought this also bought these" listings that were already there. You can't figure out what I've bought from Amazon through PC. Where's the privacy violation?
Slashdot Mirror
Great, now searches for "human" will return everyone with a picture on the net.
"At this time, details and the full potential of this project are being kept very quiet."
Which is why we're talking about it on slashdot...
Back in 1980, the DOE commissioned a study for just this question. The document isn't available online, but a query sometime ago elicited this reply:
Oh, great. So you, the nameless Anonymous Coward shall be the final arbiter of what is Good?
Where's the door?
-----
I can't believe this. First everybody moans about how awful closed source software is, and how much better it would be if you could tweak it. But then when a company decides that they don't want the code any more and throws it to the public (points about the license taken), that isn't good either! Would you rather that code remain behind closed doors forever, never seeing the light of day under any circumstances? Geez.
-----
Cool. Maybe libraries should use this instead of those little carts!
Almost any communications medium would allow this. Just change the size of the library. It's a meaningless phrase!
And its capacity will grow even further over time.
Does this mean it will upgrade itself automatically, for free?
Argh!
Ok, maybe I'm still asleep, but I don't see what's wrong with the Purchasing Circles. This is aggregated statistics, like bestseller lists and the "people who bought this also bought these" listings that were already there. You can't figure out what I've bought from Amazon through PC. Where's the privacy violation?
Stock Keeping Unit
"An inventory item identified by a unique alphanumeric designation assigned to an object in an inventory control system"