If one believes what they say on their site (which, from what you say, you don't; that's fair enough, it's all written in marketingese so I have my doubts too), then they're more or less doing what you suggest: continuing to do business with the DRC, but trying to do it in a "fair trade" way (i.e. directly with the producers on the ground) so as to subvert the structures that make conflict materials problematic:
https://www.fairphone.com/road... Passed in 2010, the Dodd Frank Act addresses tantalum, tin, tungsten and gold (3Ts and G) sourced from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and surrounding high-risk areas. At Fairphone, we want to focus on sourcing conflict-free minerals, which is why we’re going straight to the conflict zone: the DRC. While conflict-free minerals are certainly available from other countries, our goal is to work directly where we can contribute to alternatives to current mining practices, empowering workers and improving the livelihoods of the local population. We want to become a vehicle for change in the regions that need it most.
My point (on which we probably agree) is that you should still strive to do the right thing even if you get it wrong initially. Outcomes are never certain; to some extent you're always rolling the dice, and you roll even when you know things might turn out badly. So if there unintended consequences, you try harder, you don't just give up and pretend that inaction to maintain the status quo doesn't equally have pretty horrendous consequences.
What's your point, exactly? That since doing the right thing the wrong way has unintended consequences beyond our control, we should say fuck it and turn a blind eye?
I find Kodi/XMBC to be god-awful, UI wise. I use it because it came on a device (http://fiveninjas.com/) but it's a struggle every time I want to do something like add a new source, or correct some incorrect info it's attached to a DVD rip, etc. I can't imagine that someone sat down and designed the UI, so I guess it evolved and at this point changing it would piss off too many users.
Ok, I know nothing about radios, or how wi-fi works, or what the issue is. (Assume for the moment that I'm also unable to use google.)
Clearly though it's a Big Deal. Could someone in the know explain why the necessary restrictions to prevent abuse inherently can't be implemented the hardware, such that the software (open or closed) just can't do whatever it is that's causing the problem?
Why do you draw the line at C rather than at assembler, or at Rust?
I'm quite happy programming in C, but to declare that some moment in the 1970s was the pinnacle of programming language design seems somewhat... Amish.
Absolutely! Governments don't ever do anything for me, whereas corporations bend over backwards to keep me happy, I'd much rather they got my dollars. P.S. Nice to see Ron Swanson is on Slashdot.
For a long time in the Germanic countries (I don't know if it's still so) the norm was for the price of a bottled drink to include a deposit which would be refunded when returning the bottle. (I think it has at times been the same in the US? Hobos collecting cans and so on to cash in the deposit.) I assume the deposit didn't go to the manufacturer but rather to the state in some way, but I don't know.
This created an economic incentive for consumers to recycle the containers, and an apparently sensible system for collecting the containers (because you'd return your bottles to a shop, and when the next delivery of drinks came, the empty van could be filled back up with the empty bottles).
Whether it's efficient, in the sense of measurable environmental outcomes, I don't know, but it seemed sensible to me. (In my experience, Germanic people are pretty accepting of systems, rather than seeing them as an illiberal encroachment on their freedoms, so stuff like this works when implemented.)
In the particular case of bottled water it's hard to imagine that any scheme could be more environmentally effective than people not buying it.
Of course, since then the print unions have been reformed and modernised (read: neutered and excised) and we get "I was just following orders" phone hacking.
I think Apple understands that one day it will be Microsoft, or IBM -- behind the curve in some new area that seems all-important, and needing a big warchest to sustain the years of decline and mis-steps while they figure out what to do.
I suppose it's "news for nerds" in the sense that: * they're using a more publicly accessible technology for funding than we're used to in politics * Lessig is a member of the FSF and EFF, which are institutions that matter to nerds mainly * he's active in stuff that matters to software nerds like IPR
Off topic wrt Bhutan, but... I find GDP a particularly frustrating statistic, especially when trotted out as GDP per capita at PPP and used as a comparator between countries. It tells you nothing about the income distribution within a country -- a slave plantation, for example, would have a pretty decent income per capita. Median income per capita would be a far more meaningful statistic in so many ways.
Slashdot Mirror
As a left-handed disabled black Jewish ginger bi-trans BSD user, I demand you send me the aforementioned monies.
If one believes what they say on their site (which, from what you say, you don't; that's fair enough, it's all written in marketingese so I have my doubts too), then they're more or less doing what you suggest: continuing to do business with the DRC, but trying to do it in a "fair trade" way (i.e. directly with the producers on the ground) so as to subvert the structures that make conflict materials problematic:
https://www.fairphone.com/road...
Passed in 2010, the Dodd Frank Act addresses tantalum, tin, tungsten and gold (3Ts and G) sourced from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and surrounding high-risk areas. At Fairphone, we want to focus on sourcing conflict-free minerals, which is why we’re going straight to the conflict zone: the DRC. While conflict-free minerals are certainly available from other countries, our goal is to work directly where we can contribute to alternatives to current mining practices, empowering workers and improving the livelihoods of the local population. We want to become a vehicle for change in the regions that need it most.
My point (on which we probably agree) is that you should still strive to do the right thing even if you get it wrong initially. Outcomes are never certain; to some extent you're always rolling the dice, and you roll even when you know things might turn out badly. So if there unintended consequences, you try harder, you don't just give up and pretend that inaction to maintain the status quo doesn't equally have pretty horrendous consequences.
What's your point, exactly? That since doing the right thing the wrong way has unintended consequences beyond our control, we should say fuck it and turn a blind eye?
I find Kodi/XMBC to be god-awful, UI wise. I use it because it came on a device (http://fiveninjas.com/) but it's a struggle every time I want to do something like add a new source, or correct some incorrect info it's attached to a DVD rip, etc. I can't imagine that someone sat down and designed the UI, so I guess it evolved and at this point changing it would piss off too many users.
As it is, I've no interest in either just a tablet or just an e-reader.
What I'd really like is a tablet version of the Yotaphone: https://yotaphone.com/us-en/
LCD on one side, eInk on the other.
Thanks. So... presumably TDWR detection is too complex to be done (economically) in hardware?
Ok, I know nothing about radios, or how wi-fi works, or what the issue is. (Assume for the moment that I'm also unable to use google.)
Clearly though it's a Big Deal. Could someone in the know explain why the necessary restrictions to prevent abuse inherently can't be implemented the hardware, such that the software (open or closed) just can't do whatever it is that's causing the problem?
Why do you draw the line at C rather than at assembler, or at Rust?
I'm quite happy programming in C, but to declare that some moment in the 1970s was the pinnacle of programming language design seems somewhat... Amish.
Well getting rid of failing CEOs always turns out to be super expensive... maybe it's the same for TAs?
Absolutely! Governments don't ever do anything for me, whereas corporations bend over backwards to keep me happy, I'd much rather they got my dollars.
P.S. Nice to see Ron Swanson is on Slashdot.
I don't know why a VPN provider would favour trade tariffs.
Perhaps "protective" was meant?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
Make a turnstile for the lobbyists and use it to generate energy. Green and limitless.
I found that eau de toilette turned out not to be as cost-effective as the name would imply.
For a long time in the Germanic countries (I don't know if it's still so) the norm was for the price of a bottled drink to include a deposit which would be refunded when returning the bottle. (I think it has at times been the same in the US? Hobos collecting cans and so on to cash in the deposit.) I assume the deposit didn't go to the manufacturer but rather to the state in some way, but I don't know.
This created an economic incentive for consumers to recycle the containers, and an apparently sensible system for collecting the containers (because you'd return your bottles to a shop, and when the next delivery of drinks came, the empty van could be filled back up with the empty bottles).
Whether it's efficient, in the sense of measurable environmental outcomes, I don't know, but it seemed sensible to me. (In my experience, Germanic people are pretty accepting of systems, rather than seeing them as an illiberal encroachment on their freedoms, so stuff like this works when implemented.)
In the particular case of bottled water it's hard to imagine that any scheme could be more environmentally effective than people not buying it.
We Americans write it "check". Maybe you should cheque your facts!
Phew! Crisis averted. I'll switch off my firewall.
Exactly. The basic problem is a lack of management ethics.
And, perhaps, unions that would let you stand up to this sort of unethical command.
For example: http://flashbak.com/the-sun-at...
Of course, since then the print unions have been reformed and modernised (read: neutered and excised) and we get "I was just following orders" phone hacking.
le is obviously for little-endian.
FWIW... words ending with -li are usually Swiss. Austrians would use -le.
Hellisheiði - I actually rubbed my monitor thinking there was some crud obscuring the text...
I think Apple understands that one day it will be Microsoft, or IBM -- behind the curve in some new area that seems all-important, and needing a big warchest to sustain the years of decline and mis-steps while they figure out what to do.
"But this raises the question of what purpose is served by Apple amassing more money anyhow."
Fundamental misunderstanding of how the world works.
I suppose it's "news for nerds" in the sense that:
* they're using a more publicly accessible technology for funding than we're used to in politics
* Lessig is a member of the FSF and EFF, which are institutions that matter to nerds mainly
* he's active in stuff that matters to software nerds like IPR
Off topic wrt Bhutan, but... I find GDP a particularly frustrating statistic, especially when trotted out as GDP per capita at PPP and used as a comparator between countries. It tells you nothing about the income distribution within a country -- a slave plantation, for example, would have a pretty decent income per capita. Median income per capita would be a far more meaningful statistic in so many ways.