Many people when first informed about the concept of Wikipedia scoff at the idea that you can get factual information from a medium that is open to everyone. Normally I just agre with them that it is a problem that requires some effort to combat.
Recently I've changed my whole view on reading information online, due mostly to thinking about the Wikipedia concept. Consider Wikipedia to be analogous to asking a classmate a question like "What does ecology mean?" or "Could you explain a null modem?"
Nobody would decry this as a fruitless effort to gain information, because it is quite possible that your friend knows a lot of information on the subject in question. So you take that information at face value, knowing that there is a possibility he's wrong. If the information "feels right" or "feels wrong" that's all you can tell. It then becomes a starting point for deeper investigation, not the final word on anything. In the end it raises another very important question: Who do you trust to have the final word on something?
Whenever I view a page without having the right language pack installed (see parent) I always get the feeling the authors are incredibly confused and impatient to the point of panicking. Anyone else get that?
By funding them the government is preventing them from becoming too dependent on advertising revenue. Well all know what happens when stations become too advertising focused, it almost unquestionably shrinks their ability to take risks and challenge the status quo. I'm all for increasing their funding, because sometimes it's the only good thing on television. (I think CBC should buy Showcase and Bravo)
I'm surprised the blurb never mentioned the actual show. It was a great documentary on the free software / linux movement. I remember reading about it online every step of the way but it was totally amazing hearing what was happening directly from the people.
You'd probably never catch that kind of open-minded programming on corporate television because it flies in the face of the conventional outlook. My favourite part was seeing Linus bring his two beautiful daughters on stage while RMS was proselytizing.
I'm truly sorry if I offended you, I admit I'm not an expert on Indian lifestyles. The intent of my post was to make people consider why police and most people were behaving the way described in the article- Is it because they're stupid (or ignorant) or is it because they don't have the opportunity to become techno-literate due to financial reasons?
Granted some of the things mentioned in the article like politicians not knowing that the internet is a viable business opportunity are laughable, I still believe my point about the extreme economic disparity is valid, even if it has always been the case in India. Just because it is so doesn't make it right.
Lastly, I didn't mean to imply that the west is funding India- but you must admit that before the outsourcing boom technology was much less a part of the legal and social discourse of the country (the topic of the article).
So if you had ten people and nine of them had no money and one of them had a billion dollars, you would recommend giving the ninth person another billion to decrease the absolute poverty?
I hope everyone realizes the issue at hand is rampant poverty not blatant stupidity. The west is infusing money into India's economy but the money isn't really spreading to everyone, just the techno-elite. I'm not saying that it could or should be spread evenly because the population is so enormous, but think about the situation India is in before you judge and mock.
Personally I think this is just a transient period while the country adjusts. What will happen down the road? Probably even wider economic disparity.
This is one of those articles on slashdot that I wish I knew what it was talking about. I only understood "wireless" and "the" in the description. I'll keep reading.
Claim: NASA spent millions of dollars developing an "astronaut pen" that would work in outer space; the Soviets solved the same problem by simply using pencils.
One thing I always dreamed about when I was studying EM radiation in first year chemistry was how awesome it would be to somehow grab power out of directed EM radiation. Just imagine all the useful things that would come out of such a technology:
No more power lines
No more batteries
Completely wireless monitors (without recharging)
On a side note, I've always wanted wireless headphones that could be used for a walkman. So you'd just have to put tiny earbuds in your ears and leave your mobile audio device in your pocket.. I always figured this isn't feasible because of the power requirements.
The night before I left on a plane to another province my girlfriend reminded me that I promised to install her CD-Burner that she got for Christmas. Now, realizing that when I'm away from home it will be much much more difficult to guide her through the process than it would be to stay up at 3 am and install her burner.
After successfully installing the burner and saying our goodbyes, I took off for a 4 month stint in a new province.
Well she got what she wanted and dumped me over the phone! I guess the reverse is true for dumping- it's easier to dump long distance than to deliver tech support.
Lesson: Never solve your girlfriends computer problems completely or she'll devalue your relationship.
On a completely offtopic note, your quote that "People are very irrational when it comes to closely held beliefs" reminded me of a quote by Rodney Brooks in "Flesh and Machines".. I don't have it with me but it was strikingly similar.
Anyway he suggested that the idea behind robots being considered "alive" would be resisted the same way any belief that is closely held is resisted. It doesn't imply anything about the person who is holding that belief, because it is human nature to cherish certain beliefs no matter what proof is presented to them.
Slashdot Mirror
Many people when first informed about the concept of Wikipedia scoff at the idea that you can get factual information from a medium that is open to everyone. Normally I just agre with them that it is a problem that requires some effort to combat.
Recently I've changed my whole view on reading information online, due mostly to thinking about the Wikipedia concept. Consider Wikipedia to be analogous to asking a classmate a question like "What does ecology mean?" or "Could you explain a null modem?"
Nobody would decry this as a fruitless effort to gain information, because it is quite possible that your friend knows a lot of information on the subject in question. So you take that information at face value, knowing that there is a possibility he's wrong. If the information "feels right" or "feels wrong" that's all you can tell. It then becomes a starting point for deeper investigation, not the final word on anything. In the end it raises another very important question: Who do you trust to have the final word on something?
Whenever I view a page without having the right language pack installed (see parent) I always get the feeling the authors are incredibly confused and impatient to the point of panicking. Anyone else get that?
By funding them the government is preventing them from becoming too dependent on advertising revenue. Well all know what happens when stations become too advertising focused, it almost unquestionably shrinks their ability to take risks and challenge the status quo. I'm all for increasing their funding, because sometimes it's the only good thing on television. (I think CBC should buy Showcase and Bravo)
I'm surprised the blurb never mentioned the actual show. It was a great documentary on the free software / linux movement. I remember reading about it online every step of the way but it was totally amazing hearing what was happening directly from the people.
You'd probably never catch that kind of open-minded programming on corporate television because it flies in the face of the conventional outlook. My favourite part was seeing Linus bring his two beautiful daughters on stage while RMS was proselytizing.
I'm truly sorry if I offended you, I admit I'm not an expert on Indian lifestyles. The intent of my post was to make people consider why police and most people were behaving the way described in the article- Is it because they're stupid (or ignorant) or is it because they don't have the opportunity to become techno-literate due to financial reasons?
Granted some of the things mentioned in the article like politicians not knowing that the internet is a viable business opportunity are laughable, I still believe my point about the extreme economic disparity is valid, even if it has always been the case in India. Just because it is so doesn't make it right.
Lastly, I didn't mean to imply that the west is funding India- but you must admit that before the outsourcing boom technology was much less a part of the legal and social discourse of the country (the topic of the article).
So if you had ten people and nine of them had no money and one of them had a billion dollars, you would recommend giving the ninth person another billion to decrease the absolute poverty?
That sounds like Bush wisdom.
I hope everyone realizes the issue at hand is rampant poverty not blatant stupidity. The west is infusing money into India's economy but the money isn't really spreading to everyone, just the techno-elite. I'm not saying that it could or should be spread evenly because the population is so enormous, but think about the situation India is in before you judge and mock.
Personally I think this is just a transient period while the country adjusts. What will happen down the road? Probably even wider economic disparity.
This is the first example I've seen of Internet Mob Justice. I like it.
Anyone have any other examples (prior art) ?
MOD PARENT UP.
Speaking of live satellite video feeds check out the movie Spin.
Finally we're the ones doing the probing!
And if anyone needs me I'll bein the angry dome!
Thanks!
This is one of those articles on slashdot that I wish I knew what it was talking about. I only understood "wireless" and "the" in the description. I'll keep reading.
Can't the people who make SPAM (the pseudomeat product) sue spammers for defamation of a brandname?
Claim: NASA spent millions of dollars developing an "astronaut pen" that would work in outer space; the Soviets solved the same problem by simply using pencils.
Status: False.
Source: Snopes.
So they used the new ROTSE telescope. Has anyone heard of the GOATSE telescope? Yeah it's exclusively used for peering into massive black holes.
Why buy a USB Grill when I can already fry hamburgers on my P4!
- No more power lines
- No more batteries
- Completely wireless monitors (without recharging)
On a side note, I've always wanted wireless headphones that could be used for a walkman. So you'd just have to put tiny earbuds in your ears and leave your mobile audio device in your pocket.. I always figured this isn't feasible because of the power requirements.The night before I left on a plane to another province my girlfriend reminded me that I promised to install her CD-Burner that she got for Christmas. Now, realizing that when I'm away from home it will be much much more difficult to guide her through the process than it would be to stay up at 3 am and install her burner.
After successfully installing the burner and saying our goodbyes, I took off for a 4 month stint in a new province.
Well she got what she wanted and dumped me over the phone! I guess the reverse is true for dumping- it's easier to dump long distance than to deliver tech support.
Lesson: Never solve your girlfriends computer problems completely or she'll devalue your relationship.
On a completely offtopic note, your quote that "People are very irrational when it comes to closely held beliefs" reminded me of a quote by Rodney Brooks in "Flesh and Machines" .. I don't have it with me but it was strikingly similar.
Anyway he suggested that the idea behind robots being considered "alive" would be resisted the same way any belief that is closely held is resisted. It doesn't imply anything about the person who is holding that belief, because it is human nature to cherish certain beliefs no matter what proof is presented to them.
Most accurate/funny pun ever!
Electrons.. for computing? Now that's a truly radical idea!
Great sig!
All the ladies give my Python some respect.
Yes, I'm -that- guy from TV.