One unfortunate thing about polution is that the wind blows it everywhere. A coal factory darkens the skies in antartica no matter if it's location is in Denver, Stockholm, or Bejing.
Really? I didn't know fumes from a smokestack in Denver, Stockholm, or Beijing could be auto-magically multiplied to effectively blanket an entire continent in a swatch of life-choaking pollution. C'mon people, stop believing the FUD! You don't like it when Microsoft does it to your precious Linux, why be any different about our planet??? Volcanoes alone produce more pollution and life killing destruction in one eruption than all the many years of our little tiny cars coughing spent fossil fuels into the air.
Ok, so scientists are pissed off about the following things:
1) Global warming: It's getting hotter! 2) Global dimming: It's getting darker! 3) Global light pollution: It's too bright at night! 4) Global noise pollution: It's too noisy!
Why don't we all stop bemoaning all the crap that's supposed to have killed us within 10 years over the past 50 years and just get back to doing something useful with our time. Measuring fractions of changes on a global scale is like stating that my Linux server crashed because of the price of tea in China yesterday! Sheesh.
Sorry, I wasn't blaming the user, I was simply stating that Google had made the decision to go with image ads, so either they don't mind alienating a few cell phone web-users and 28.8 modem people, or they figured a way to make the images small enough to not adversely affect the end-user. What I was trying to say was blaming it on Google or the end-user doesn't matter, it's the transmission protocol that slows things down.
7. NOTE ON Java SUPPORT. THE SOFTWARE PRODUCT CONTAINS SUPPORT FOR PROGRAMS WRITTEN IN Java. Java TECHNOLOGY IS NOT FAULT TOLERANT AND IS NOT DESIGNED, MANUFACTURED, OR INTENDED FOR USE OR RESALE AS ON-LINE CONTROL EQUIPMENT IN HAZARDOUS ENVIRONMENTS REQUIRING FAIL-SAFE PERFORMANCE, SUCH AS IN THE OPERATION OF NUCLEAR FACILITIES, AIRCRAFT NAVIGATION OR COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS, AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL, DIRECT LIFE SUPPORT MACHINES, OR WEAPONS SYSTEMS, IN WHICH THE FAILURE OF Java TECHNOLOGY COULD LEAD DIRECTLY TO DEATH, PERSONAL INJURY, OR SEVERE PHYSICAL OR ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE.
[...]
Damn! And I was so looking forward to managing my nuclear arsenal with Java....
Google is so fast because it uses a massively distributed, constantly updated cluster of linux machines all over the place. Images won't slow down Google, they may be tough for your measly 56k modem or 128k DSL line to handle, but then again, who's fault is that, yours or Google's? Besides, the original poster had a point - targeted advertising actually works for Google (witness their upcoming IPO), whereas most of the other players in that game don't have near as much sophistication, yet.
Of course I'll be blocking ad-images using Firefox, but that's beside the point.;)
I think we'd all probably agree that school administration sucks. It's school ADMINISTRATION and government ADMINISTRATION that's the problem here, since they're the ones in control of the budgets, buying the fancy new computers. My sister-in-law just graduated with her undergrad in education and can attest to the same issues you face: ZERO authority in the classroom. Kids and parents run the show, even if that means one unruly, uncaring student/parent pair gets to make things worse for all the other kids who do want to learn and be taught in school.
Hang in there though! Us soon to be parents within 5-10 years need teachers like you!
I just love it when people say open source is anti-capitalist and unamerican.
Two things that sell in marketing:
1) Sex 2) Patriotism
Obviously software engineering is mostly FAR from 'sexy', and Open Source Software vs. Closed Source Software has nothing to do with sex, so computer companies are choosing the 'patriotism' angle to sell their closed source software. Unfortunately all the marketing in the world can't, in the end, overcome a revolutionary change to the way things are done.
With statistics, it's semi-dangerous to compare such incredibly long spans of time for something like this. I mean, there are so many HUGE factors in the "amount of change" to maintaining Linux (increasing volume of vendors selling and using it, more user visibility, constant improvements to the 'product', etc.) over the past 4 years that comparing the two years prior to the two years now is almost impossible. It is NOT a simple thing to compare the two differences!
Just because Linus *feels* more productive with BitKeeper doesn't necessarily mean that we can measure the change like this. What should be going on is the measurement over say a 3-month sapn of time on two very active projects, one which uses BitKeeper, and one that uses another well established 'product' or process, like CVS. Compare the efficiency's gained or lost between the two similar, active projects and you can start to use statistics. But without a baseline, and with a absolutely moving scale like Linux development over the past 4 years, these statistics make no convincing argument.
From your website essay: "Why I want to be an Industrial Engineer"
"Perhaps most important of all, Industrial Engineering can be used to solve fundamental long-term issues that civilization will exhibit. Overpopulation, transportation planning, waste and recycling center location planning, and hospital facilities layout are just a few places where Industrial Engineers can be used to greatly help. Applying our knowledge in these and other important areas will help our societies to function better in the long-term."
Those are great dreams and all, so I hope something comes of them for you, but in my current position I'd relate myself more to "The Bob's" of the world, and less to the revolutionary changer of the way daily life is run.
Well, if the previous poster is anything like me, then he knows that the state schools he attended sucked in whole different ways from DeVry, couldn't stand the State school institutional learning program, (i.e. actively try to flunk 30% of your 500+ person undergrad English and History classes to keep the over-achieving work-aholic kids in the priveledged engineering programs later down the line while encouraging 5-6yr programs for half the students to keep those athletic programs raking in the money - which a whopping 10% (maybe) of students can ever put on their resumes) and after working a couple years doing something he enjoyed finally decided on the type of "piece of paper" he wanted hanging on the wall as his undergrad degree.
Listen you 31337 big state school undergrads: DeVry is not so very different from your big 20,000+ college campus filled with drunkards, potheads, and sorority chicks. There are a good deal of DeVry students I see which own their own businesses already, have salaries comparable to or better than what state school college grads twice their age currently make, or generally are just more interested in learning than some of the recent state-school undergrad meatheads and sorority girls I live around. And I'm one of those DeVry types.
Yes, I'm ranting about a somewhat offtopic issue, but remember: just because I decided to not fudge my way through a 'Communications' degree fresh out of HS because I found that I wasn't ready for such "committment" to getting the undergrad degree at the time in no way reflects my ability to be a productive worker, an intelligent scientist, or an entrepenaur (sp?). The connections people make at schools like MIT or Stanford are going to generally be much better and more frequent than at schools like DeVry, I'll give you that, but connections to other smart folks does not a smart person make.
Oh, BTW, did you ever wonder why your old dial-up telephone modem made those high-pitched annoying tones exactly the same way no matter what kind of modem you had? Those tones are three (maybe 2, I forget) distinct ring tones that instruct the repeater on your telephone line to shut off the noise on the line to set up lossless digital communications.
Ironically, you're probably right, they need some sort of "white noise" or wuwuwuwuwuwwuwu sound so that us humans aren't messed up by the lack of sound coming from the machines. Telephone lines have, since the invention of the telophone practically, had a feedback loop which directs a little bit of the signal noise on the line back through the receiver. Even in this age of digital communications where lossless line communications (i.e. zero noise on the line) is more than possible, phone companies still inject just enough noise on the line. Why? Because people need to hear at least a low volume of 'noise' or else they think something is wrong.
Maybe the bigger and badder the machine (i.e. cars and planes and stuff), the more noise is needed as an indicator of imminent danger if I don't get out of its way?
I am not a scientist nor an engineer, and therefore my goal has never been to do scientific research. My goal, by humorously proclaiming myself as the World's First Robotic Psychiatrist (and the real Susan Calvin) 18 years ago, was and still is, to educate the public, that group of people that buy the National Enquirer, watch American Idol, and read puff-piece articles.
I quit reading after this point. Comparing yourself to the National Enquirer, American Idol, and "puff-piece" articles makes you neither relavant or interesting.
The article states that for the tests, users where easily moved from M$ to OOo... exept for those who use exell in a profesional way!
Wrong! Bzzzt! The article said 'except for those using advanced features of EXCEL'. Personally, I use OOo at work for document editing, (writing business cases, case studies, project documents, etc.) and unfortunately am stuck using Excel for PivotTables and Charts. I would consider myself a "Power user" (not developer though, remember that!) of Microsoft Office products. But Office really does suck it, and hard. Page formatting is in the "File..." menu?! and formatting a document can sometimes be a severe pain in the ass!
I love the layout of OOo's different app's, it's just that Calc isn't sophisticated enough yet for some of the heavier analysis and charting work that I do. (And I do a lot)
But don't imply that OOo isn't for professionals. It's the Calc app that isn't yet made for *some* of us professionals yet. The rest is IMHO DEFINITELY ready for professional usage, even more so than MS Office these days I think.
If he was talking about the DeVry program, I'll chime in and echo your comments as well. I'm currently in the CET program at DeVry, and while I don't get a lot of background in the pure sciences to head on to that coveted PhD program in the sky (I still could, but I'd not have as much Math or Science as a typical "Engineering" undergrad would), I am finding that generally it's a decent enough program to be in. For me, the system does blow chunks in terms of quality of education, HOWEVER I am a pretty self-motivated learner anyways having taught myself BASIC programming back in HS, not to mention a slew of other disciplines never taught to me directly in a formal classroom setting. So having the "easy" DeVry program does allow a bit more time for self-study into programming and other areas of interest that would otherwise be time taken up studying for difficult math and sciences classes.
If you're currently already full-time working stiff, DeVry is a decent enough program for getting into the computer tech field. Just don't expect to walk out of there the programming genious you may aspire to be. It takes more self-study and experience to gain that anyways, so DeVry at least will give you the diploma necessary to get you job interviews for such positions.
Hell, burn the TV. It takes an IQ point away for every 100 hrs you watch.
I read a book not long ago that actually had valid statistics stating that for every hour of TV you watch your earnings potential decreases by an average of ~$216. That's scary to think that simply watching Survivor (my one TV show I watch anymore) actually COSTS me ~$216!
I for one still play video games and watch TV though. They're both very nice benefits of living in America at this time in history, so I'll indulge just a bit.;)
I don't know about his other books, but after all the adolation from this website, I picked up Cryptonomicon from the library to give it a shot.
First 100 pages: sucked! It was like reading an 8th grader's book report about each character. If this is what/.'ers find engaging literature then I may just have to go elsewhere to find decent book reviews.
Get your parents to pay for his/her retainer. If you're in the Columbus, OH area I could refer you to one lawyer at least that would be ethical and fight for you at the same time. (He's not me, but I do know him well enough to know he's a good guy).
Seriously. If you know that your personal ID info can be VERY easily obtained (as your posting indicated) then it's only different than if you were embroiled in trying to regain your identity through fraud because you're being pre-emptive about it rather than trying to fix the problem after the injustice occurred. I think if you could demonstrate to a lawyer the very serious potential risk your school is taking in not securing the website than you can have the lawyer send them a cease & desist letter that let's them know you're already protected and concerned enough about this issue to go to a lawyer with it.
Well, I'll agree that there maybe a majority of idiots on Slashdot, including at least one "editor" (michael), but I think the real issue about RIAA and P2P filesharing is the as-yet-undefined legal ground upon which copyright exists. Are we merely sharing songs to our online "psuedo-friends" in an effort to get others to listen and buy the music we ourselves find enjoyable, or are we just trying to get something for free that shouldn't be gotten for free?
Also keep in mind that the RIAA sends out threating letters in hopes of scaring people and receiving monetary settlements. I don't think they're as interested in actually prosecuting thousands of individual lawsuits if push came to shove. That's cheap lawyerin' or something and that's what probably annoys the majority of slashdotters - cheap legal tactics to get the less clued-in P2P users to bend. I'm sure some/.'ers don't want to see P2P fold or become a fee-based communication method because that's the end of cracked software and other underhanded software engineering tactics.
So who's right (or less evil)? The underhanded lawyer or the underhanded technology geek?
BTW, I certainly didn't totally approve of the potential Condoleeza Rice appointmentship either, but Cohen totally sucked in my opinion. And I never expected Ashcroft to go so far as chasing down pornographers - waste of my tax dollars for sure. We've certainly got more important things to focus on now than sex.
OK, a more fair assessment of the situation than the previous response, but again, I don't LOVE Bush. And another thing, why should I vote for John Kerry? He hasn't mentioned barely anything I'm concerned about: Ashcroft, DMCA, he's against the Iraq war and getting involved in Arab crap - which I think HAD to be done despite the cost to us Americans, and he's not promising any revolutionary tax cuts for me, so why vote for him? He's got nothing right now, otherwise I *would* consider not voting for Bush again because of all of the total crap that Ashcroft has put in place to show Bush what I think of that appointment decision, as you mention.
Well since I didn't like the current appointees hangin' around the White House, judiciary, and other branches of the federal government, I had little choice in the matter. And yes, taking potential appointees into consideration is of course important, and given the choices I was stuck voting for the lesser of what I considered to be two evils.
Once again, don't blame me for Ashcroft. I want a strong standing army for defense, not a strong military state.
Please for the love of America can we stop stating Ashcroft == Bush == elected?! No, I voted for Bush who I felt would do a much better job with international military matters as well as give us a tax cut. He gave us a tax cut, and has handled international matters quite well considering the situations he's had to deal with (in my book, feel free to disagree). I DID NOT VOTE FOR ASHCROFT and never will!
Most people would probably lump me in the category of "conservative Christian", but Ashcroft is waaaaayyy far right of where I'm at. In fact he's bordering on (if not outright) fanatical. Yes, there are certain freedoms granted to every American by the Constitution that Ashcroft continues to trample horribly. I may be repulsed and disgusted by what some of you choose to do in your spare time, or even get paid to do, but according to the governmental regulations provided by the Constitution, you're not doing anything legally wrong! So I agree, Ashcroft is about the crappiest Attorney General ever, but please stop whining about how the "conservatives" elected him. Please? I elected Bush, but I'd never vote for Ashcroft, even if it meant abstaining from a vote. Some of us "conservatives" hate his policies as well!
Slashdot Mirror
One unfortunate thing about polution is that the wind blows it everywhere. A coal factory darkens the skies in antartica no matter if it's location is in Denver, Stockholm, or Bejing.
Really? I didn't know fumes from a smokestack in Denver, Stockholm, or Beijing could be auto-magically multiplied to effectively blanket an entire continent in a swatch of life-choaking pollution. C'mon people, stop believing the FUD! You don't like it when Microsoft does it to your precious Linux, why be any different about our planet??? Volcanoes alone produce more pollution and life killing destruction in one eruption than all the many years of our little tiny cars coughing spent fossil fuels into the air.
Ok, so scientists are pissed off about the following things:
1) Global warming: It's getting hotter!
2) Global dimming: It's getting darker!
3) Global light pollution: It's too bright at night!
4) Global noise pollution: It's too noisy!
Why don't we all stop bemoaning all the crap that's supposed to have killed us within 10 years over the past 50 years and just get back to doing something useful with our time. Measuring fractions of changes on a global scale is like stating that my Linux server crashed because of the price of tea in China yesterday! Sheesh.
Sorry, I wasn't blaming the user, I was simply stating that Google had made the decision to go with image ads, so either they don't mind alienating a few cell phone web-users and 28.8 modem people, or they figured a way to make the images small enough to not adversely affect the end-user. What I was trying to say was blaming it on Google or the end-user doesn't matter, it's the transmission protocol that slows things down.
The Poles with their ridiculous screen doors on their submarines, and now the Swedes running Windows NT on their ships! What is this world coming to?!
An Extract from the Windows NT license agreement
This is an extract from the Windows NT license agreement... (there wasn't any copyright on the license agreement...)
[...]
7. NOTE ON Java SUPPORT. THE SOFTWARE PRODUCT CONTAINS SUPPORT FOR PROGRAMS WRITTEN IN Java. Java TECHNOLOGY IS NOT FAULT TOLERANT AND IS NOT DESIGNED, MANUFACTURED, OR INTENDED FOR USE OR RESALE AS ON-LINE CONTROL EQUIPMENT IN HAZARDOUS ENVIRONMENTS REQUIRING FAIL-SAFE PERFORMANCE, SUCH AS IN THE OPERATION OF NUCLEAR FACILITIES, AIRCRAFT NAVIGATION OR COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS, AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL, DIRECT LIFE SUPPORT MACHINES, OR WEAPONS SYSTEMS, IN WHICH THE FAILURE OF Java TECHNOLOGY COULD LEAD DIRECTLY TO DEATH, PERSONAL INJURY, OR SEVERE PHYSICAL OR ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE.
[...]
Damn! And I was so looking forward to managing my nuclear arsenal with Java....
No, but the Swedes are! Run for the hills!
Google is so fast because it uses a massively distributed, constantly updated cluster of linux machines all over the place. Images won't slow down Google, they may be tough for your measly 56k modem or 128k DSL line to handle, but then again, who's fault is that, yours or Google's? Besides, the original poster had a point - targeted advertising actually works for Google (witness their upcoming IPO), whereas most of the other players in that game don't have near as much sophistication, yet.
;)
Of course I'll be blocking ad-images using Firefox, but that's beside the point.
...broadband internet access and cable TV are significantly cheaper (for you slashdotters out there).
Uhhh... how many of us here AREN'T slashdotters?!??
I think we'd all probably agree that school administration sucks. It's school ADMINISTRATION and government ADMINISTRATION that's the problem here, since they're the ones in control of the budgets, buying the fancy new computers. My sister-in-law just graduated with her undergrad in education and can attest to the same issues you face: ZERO authority in the classroom. Kids and parents run the show, even if that means one unruly, uncaring student/parent pair gets to make things worse for all the other kids who do want to learn and be taught in school.
Hang in there though! Us soon to be parents within 5-10 years need teachers like you!
I just love it when people say open source is anti-capitalist and unamerican.
Two things that sell in marketing:
1) Sex
2) Patriotism
Obviously software engineering is mostly FAR from 'sexy', and Open Source Software vs. Closed Source Software has nothing to do with sex, so computer companies are choosing the 'patriotism' angle to sell their closed source software. Unfortunately all the marketing in the world can't, in the end, overcome a revolutionary change to the way things are done.
With statistics, it's semi-dangerous to compare such incredibly long spans of time for something like this. I mean, there are so many HUGE factors in the "amount of change" to maintaining Linux (increasing volume of vendors selling and using it, more user visibility, constant improvements to the 'product', etc.) over the past 4 years that comparing the two years prior to the two years now is almost impossible. It is NOT a simple thing to compare the two differences!
Just because Linus *feels* more productive with BitKeeper doesn't necessarily mean that we can measure the change like this. What should be going on is the measurement over say a 3-month sapn of time on two very active projects, one which uses BitKeeper, and one that uses another well established 'product' or process, like CVS. Compare the efficiency's gained or lost between the two similar, active projects and you can start to use statistics. But without a baseline, and with a absolutely moving scale like Linux development over the past 4 years, these statistics make no convincing argument.
From your website essay: "Why I want to be an Industrial Engineer"
"Perhaps most important of all, Industrial Engineering can be used to solve fundamental long-term issues that civilization will exhibit. Overpopulation, transportation planning, waste and recycling center location planning, and hospital facilities layout are just a few places where Industrial Engineers can be used to greatly help. Applying our knowledge in these and other important areas will help our societies to function better in the long-term."
Those are great dreams and all, so I hope something comes of them for you, but in my current position I'd relate myself more to "The Bob's" of the world, and less to the revolutionary changer of the way daily life is run.
"So tell me... Bob; what do ya do here?"
Well, if the previous poster is anything like me, then he knows that the state schools he attended sucked in whole different ways from DeVry, couldn't stand the State school institutional learning program, (i.e. actively try to flunk 30% of your 500+ person undergrad English and History classes to keep the over-achieving work-aholic kids in the priveledged engineering programs later down the line while encouraging 5-6yr programs for half the students to keep those athletic programs raking in the money - which a whopping 10% (maybe) of students can ever put on their resumes) and after working a couple years doing something he enjoyed finally decided on the type of "piece of paper" he wanted hanging on the wall as his undergrad degree.
Listen you 31337 big state school undergrads: DeVry is not so very different from your big 20,000+ college campus filled with drunkards, potheads, and sorority chicks. There are a good deal of DeVry students I see which own their own businesses already, have salaries comparable to or better than what state school college grads twice their age currently make, or generally are just more interested in learning than some of the recent state-school undergrad meatheads and sorority girls I live around. And I'm one of those DeVry types.
Yes, I'm ranting about a somewhat offtopic issue, but remember: just because I decided to not fudge my way through a 'Communications' degree fresh out of HS because I found that I wasn't ready for such "committment" to getting the undergrad degree at the time in no way reflects my ability to be a productive worker, an intelligent scientist, or an entrepenaur (sp?). The connections people make at schools like MIT or Stanford are going to generally be much better and more frequent than at schools like DeVry, I'll give you that, but connections to other smart folks does not a smart person make.
Do a google search on "echo suppressors for POTS" or maybe "how a DSL modem works". Also search for topics like this one.
Oh, BTW, did you ever wonder why your old dial-up telephone modem made those high-pitched annoying tones exactly the same way no matter what kind of modem you had? Those tones are three (maybe 2, I forget) distinct ring tones that instruct the repeater on your telephone line to shut off the noise on the line to set up lossless digital communications.
Ironically, you're probably right, they need some sort of "white noise" or wuwuwuwuwuwwuwu sound so that us humans aren't messed up by the lack of sound coming from the machines. Telephone lines have, since the invention of the telophone practically, had a feedback loop which directs a little bit of the signal noise on the line back through the receiver. Even in this age of digital communications where lossless line communications (i.e. zero noise on the line) is more than possible, phone companies still inject just enough noise on the line. Why? Because people need to hear at least a low volume of 'noise' or else they think something is wrong.
Maybe the bigger and badder the machine (i.e. cars and planes and stuff), the more noise is needed as an indicator of imminent danger if I don't get out of its way?
I am not a scientist nor an engineer, and therefore my goal has never been to do scientific research. My goal, by humorously proclaiming myself as the World's First Robotic Psychiatrist (and the real Susan Calvin) 18 years ago, was and still is, to educate the public, that group of people that buy the National Enquirer, watch American Idol, and read puff-piece articles.
I quit reading after this point. Comparing yourself to the National Enquirer, American Idol, and "puff-piece" articles makes you neither relavant or interesting.
The article states that for the tests, users where easily moved from M$ to OOo... exept for those who use exell in a profesional way!
Wrong! Bzzzt! The article said 'except for those using advanced features of EXCEL'. Personally, I use OOo at work for document editing, (writing business cases, case studies, project documents, etc.) and unfortunately am stuck using Excel for PivotTables and Charts. I would consider myself a "Power user" (not developer though, remember that!) of Microsoft Office products. But Office really does suck it, and hard. Page formatting is in the "File..." menu?! and formatting a document can sometimes be a severe pain in the ass!
I love the layout of OOo's different app's, it's just that Calc isn't sophisticated enough yet for some of the heavier analysis and charting work that I do. (And I do a lot)
But don't imply that OOo isn't for professionals. It's the Calc app that isn't yet made for *some* of us professionals yet. The rest is IMHO DEFINITELY ready for professional usage, even more so than MS Office these days I think.
If he was talking about the DeVry program, I'll chime in and echo your comments as well. I'm currently in the CET program at DeVry, and while I don't get a lot of background in the pure sciences to head on to that coveted PhD program in the sky (I still could, but I'd not have as much Math or Science as a typical "Engineering" undergrad would), I am finding that generally it's a decent enough program to be in. For me, the system does blow chunks in terms of quality of education, HOWEVER I am a pretty self-motivated learner anyways having taught myself BASIC programming back in HS, not to mention a slew of other disciplines never taught to me directly in a formal classroom setting. So having the "easy" DeVry program does allow a bit more time for self-study into programming and other areas of interest that would otherwise be time taken up studying for difficult math and sciences classes.
If you're currently already full-time working stiff, DeVry is a decent enough program for getting into the computer tech field. Just don't expect to walk out of there the programming genious you may aspire to be. It takes more self-study and experience to gain that anyways, so DeVry at least will give you the diploma necessary to get you job interviews for such positions.
Hell, burn the TV. It takes an IQ point away for every 100 hrs you watch.
;)
I read a book not long ago that actually had valid statistics stating that for every hour of TV you watch your earnings potential decreases by an average of ~$216. That's scary to think that simply watching Survivor (my one TV show I watch anymore) actually COSTS me ~$216!
I for one still play video games and watch TV though. They're both very nice benefits of living in America at this time in history, so I'll indulge just a bit.
I don't know about his other books, but after all the adolation from this website, I picked up Cryptonomicon from the library to give it a shot.
/.'ers find engaging literature then I may just have to go elsewhere to find decent book reviews.
First 100 pages: sucked! It was like reading an 8th grader's book report about each character. If this is what
Get your parents to pay for his/her retainer. If you're in the Columbus, OH area I could refer you to one lawyer at least that would be ethical and fight for you at the same time. (He's not me, but I do know him well enough to know he's a good guy).
Seriously. If you know that your personal ID info can be VERY easily obtained (as your posting indicated) then it's only different than if you were embroiled in trying to regain your identity through fraud because you're being pre-emptive about it rather than trying to fix the problem after the injustice occurred. I think if you could demonstrate to a lawyer the very serious potential risk your school is taking in not securing the website than you can have the lawyer send them a cease & desist letter that let's them know you're already protected and concerned enough about this issue to go to a lawyer with it.
Well, I'll agree that there maybe a majority of idiots on Slashdot, including at least one "editor" (michael), but I think the real issue about RIAA and P2P filesharing is the as-yet-undefined legal ground upon which copyright exists. Are we merely sharing songs to our online "psuedo-friends" in an effort to get others to listen and buy the music we ourselves find enjoyable, or are we just trying to get something for free that shouldn't be gotten for free?
/.'ers don't want to see P2P fold or become a fee-based communication method because that's the end of cracked software and other underhanded software engineering tactics.
Also keep in mind that the RIAA sends out threating letters in hopes of scaring people and receiving monetary settlements. I don't think they're as interested in actually prosecuting thousands of individual lawsuits if push came to shove. That's cheap lawyerin' or something and that's what probably annoys the majority of slashdotters - cheap legal tactics to get the less clued-in P2P users to bend. I'm sure some
So who's right (or less evil)? The underhanded lawyer or the underhanded technology geek?
BTW, I certainly didn't totally approve of the potential Condoleeza Rice appointmentship either, but Cohen totally sucked in my opinion. And I never expected Ashcroft to go so far as chasing down pornographers - waste of my tax dollars for sure. We've certainly got more important things to focus on now than sex.
OK, a more fair assessment of the situation than the previous response, but again, I don't LOVE Bush. And another thing, why should I vote for John Kerry? He hasn't mentioned barely anything I'm concerned about: Ashcroft, DMCA, he's against the Iraq war and getting involved in Arab crap - which I think HAD to be done despite the cost to us Americans, and he's not promising any revolutionary tax cuts for me, so why vote for him? He's got nothing right now, otherwise I *would* consider not voting for Bush again because of all of the total crap that Ashcroft has put in place to show Bush what I think of that appointment decision, as you mention.
Well since I didn't like the current appointees hangin' around the White House, judiciary, and other branches of the federal government, I had little choice in the matter. And yes, taking potential appointees into consideration is of course important, and given the choices I was stuck voting for the lesser of what I considered to be two evils.
Once again, don't blame me for Ashcroft. I want a strong standing army for defense, not a strong military state.
Please for the love of America can we stop stating Ashcroft == Bush == elected?! No, I voted for Bush who I felt would do a much better job with international military matters as well as give us a tax cut. He gave us a tax cut, and has handled international matters quite well considering the situations he's had to deal with (in my book, feel free to disagree). I DID NOT VOTE FOR ASHCROFT and never will!
Most people would probably lump me in the category of "conservative Christian", but Ashcroft is waaaaayyy far right of where I'm at. In fact he's bordering on (if not outright) fanatical. Yes, there are certain freedoms granted to every American by the Constitution that Ashcroft continues to trample horribly. I may be repulsed and disgusted by what some of you choose to do in your spare time, or even get paid to do, but according to the governmental regulations provided by the Constitution, you're not doing anything legally wrong! So I agree, Ashcroft is about the crappiest Attorney General ever, but please stop whining about how the "conservatives" elected him. Please? I elected Bush, but I'd never vote for Ashcroft, even if it meant abstaining from a vote. Some of us "conservatives" hate his policies as well!