Trouble is when you're not a spammer and you're hosting at an ISP and the class C you're on gets listed.
Yes, some may say "find another ISP", but that's not always easy; contracts may make that impossible for many months and the ISP may otherwise be fine as is.
If they block anything, they should only block the IP's that cause the problem, not large netblocks.
Re:Disney's control of its characters
on
Razor Blade Games?
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· Score: 1
Yeah, alternate storylines would be great. For instance, I want to play Scar when he's king, and enjoy my harem of lionesses, and send them on odd jobs to please me while my kingdom falls to shambles.
Yes. Bwahahahhahaaaa.
I love games where you can play the villian. I suppose we all need to do something destructive once in a while, even if it's just in a fantasy world. }:) Probably the reason for the massive success of the Grand Theft Auto series.
Okay, perhaps this is the wrong forum for this. Sorry.
The problem here is not the characters, but the fact that the games were not willing to explore any new ground story-wise.
I mean, I remember playing "The Lion King"; all you did was play the storyline of the movie! I already knew exactly everything that was going to happen. Big whoop.
Now, if they had made it more of an RPG, with an action component, and extended the universe with a new story, THEN it might have been interesting. Combining likeable characters you already know with NEW adventures might have made for quite an improvement!
But no.. they followed formula, formula, formula. Though I must admit, the ability to throw the other player around in a two player "Chip and Dale" game made it worth every penny at the time. };)
Sigh. I really hate to say this, but I must agree with keeping API's backwards compatible across versions of libraries.
I've been using Linux for years now, and one of the biggest annoyances is that software packages tend to be tied very closely to a specific version of a library. Without backwards compatibility, you sometimes need to have two or three different versions of the same library installed in order to use different applications.
When a library is used by a wide variety of applications, like Qt, GTK, libc, and so on, backwards compatibility should be ensured. Yes, this means the library may be a bit more bloated than it has to be, but the bloat isn't as bad as the bloat that results from having to install an ancient version of Qt in order to run an app that hasn't had active development for a few years.
This is coming from someone who doesn't do much software development; I just maintain a lot of systems and software libraries.
Running red lights is one of the few traffic laws I feel should be fully enforced to the letter. Going 10MPH over an unreasonably low limit won't kill someone; running a red light will.
Of course, red lights should be consistent. I've seen areas where the yellow light lasts less time than others. If you're unaware of how long the light will be yellow, you might inadvertantly enter the intersection right after it turns red, which can be construed as a violation.
Yellow lights should be required by law to all last the same amount of time.
Re: Don't backbone routers have backup?
on
Network Blackout
·
· Score: 2, Funny
Whereas a 200HP car engine can put out nearly 150KW of power at peak, which is enough to run several suburban homes, the alternator can probably only put out around 1KW max. Be careful not to overload and burn it out, costing you more money than a couple extra batteries would have. }:)
Cars are designed to haul themselves and your ass around, not keep your little server farm running.
I classify people running E-mail attachments from an untrusted source as "security hole between keyboard and chair".
Honestly, the only way we're going to be able to fight this is to educate users and tell them not to open untrusted E-mail attachments. It doesn't matter how secure a system is, if the user runs untrusted code, stuff like this will spread. Even if it only runs as that user's UID and doesn't infect the system as a whole.
I hate to correct you, but AC does not "travel" better than DC. In fact, it's the other way around, though the difference is insignificant.
AC is subject to the "skin effect", whereby more of the current flows toward the outside surface of the conductor. However, the skin effect is pretty insignificant at 60Hz.
The reason why AC is used for mains power is because its voltage can be adjusted very efficiently using a very inexpensive and reliable device: The transformer. If you put DC into a transformer, you just get a lot of smoke. Changing the voltage of DC requires either a voltage multiplier, a regulator, or a switching power supply, and these are a lot less efficient than a transformer handling AC.
No, this would be a bad idea. The cables from the power supply to the system would be carrying low voltages, and to provide power to the system at those voltages would require high current. This would cause voltage drop (and thus loss) in the cables.
When wiring up electrical systems, it is important to remember that your long runs should always be done with high voltage cable. For instance, from the wall to the power supply is 120V AC. Once the voltage is reduced, the runs need to be kept as short as possible, since every foot of cable loses substantially more power at the increased current required.
50 watts at 120 volts is less than half an amp. 50 watts at 12V is about 4A. Big difference. }:)
For example, we have Dell servers where I work, that have RAID arrays. Sometimes a disk fails, so we grab our spare (we keep one spare for each type of RAID so that we can quickly rebuild in case of a failure) and pop it in, and it rebuilds and all is happy.
Then comes the hard part; convincing Dell support to send us a replacement disk, under warranty. Even though their own hardware reported the disk was bad, and the spare disk formatted and rebuilt fine, they insist that we run diagnostics on the disk. Running them, of course, would require that we down a production server! I once spent a good deal of time explaining this simple concept of not being able to down a production server to verify a disk is bad, when we already know it is.
Eventually we manage to convince them to give us an RMA and cross ship us a replacement disk, but not after a lot of hair-pulling and grinding. Speaking of grinding, sometimes we fib and tell them the disk was grinding to speed the process.
Tech support people: Stop ASSUMING your customers are idiots. Especially system administrators at your customer sites. We know when a disk is bad!
Isn't this an urban legend? I remember reading that QWERTY isn't really meant to slow you down, but rather to spread commonly used letters to fingers that are further apart, or on opposite hands, so that the hammers in old typewriters don't strike each other as often?
Perhaps this resulted in a sub-optimal layout so that one can't type as fast on QWERTY as on other layouts, but were the engineers really thinking "Let's slow the typist down", rather than "Let's spread the keys around to minimize collisions"? Somehow I doubt it.
Yay! I have a little porcelain baby Nala figure on my stack of SCSI drives. Along with a Ryo-oh-ki figure from Tenchi Muyo. Funny how work desks tend to accumulate little trinkets over the years...
Shouldn't be a problem if we can split the Energon cubes with them 50/50. Afterall, their Energon cube system appears to be a very efficient way of harvesting energy!
Is the NYT really being defrauded, though? The page still comes up with ads, so the advertiser revenue is still there.. It's not like we're getting a premium subscriber page with no ads, or special paid content...
Didn't a company once create software called "Kali" (or similar) that did this, but with IPX packets?
Back in the early-to-mid-90's, nearly all online games used IPX for multiplayer (it was popular on corporate LANs at the time, apparently), so this Kali software would basically create IPX tunnels over the Internet, with a central registry, and even a chat system, so people could get together and play IPX-only games like Doom and Descent over the net.
I remember using it for a while; it was damn clever. I suppose the same thing can be done to emulate Layer 2 networks across the net. (not necessarily tunnels, but star-topology.. with one of the machines acting like a "switch" and the others as end-stations on that "switch") It'd be interesting to see what an implementation of this would look like.
Hell, maybe Kali actually DID emulate layer 2 networks, and let IPX packets travel over this emulated network. Anyone have insider-info on how Kali worked?
What I don't get is why they don't just allow people to find and download the software they need. We have a support contract where I work, so we can do that... But why not let anyone who owns a Cisco router download software updates? They don't have to worry about people "pirating" their software, since you need to have a Cisco router to run IOS anyway.
The bandwidth drain can't be that high, and keeping those customers happy will probably mean repeat business.
In fact, I'm betting that having to deal with thousands of customers Emailing them and all is costing them more money (in staff time, and such) than simply opening up the Software Center for all.
My theory is poorly written BIOSes. We have computers at work (Dells, notably) which go from power on to booting the disk in about one second. Sure, it skips things like memory tests, but BIOS memory tests are usually pathetic anyway. I've had bad memory that passes the BIOS check with flying colors but throws up tons of errors when you test with memtest86.
Instant POST is exceptionally handy on laptops, where every second POSTing can be wasted battery life in many cases.
As much as I hate to admit it, I think the RIAA is doing the right thing. Going after the people violating copyright instead of trying to pass laws the restrict reverse engineering and cracking copy protection is what they should have done in the FIRST PLACE!
In fact, this is the way it's always been; if someone found someone else violating their copyright, they'd sue them. All this DMCA crap has only served to annoy legitimate users. I'm glad to finally see them suing the real offenders instead of squashing fair use.
Way to go RIAA. Your products still suck and you still use strongarm tactics but you're finally starting to do the right thing.
Don't forget emulation overhead. You're emulating an entirely different architecture, so it takes dozens of x86 instructions to emulate a single 6502 instruction. Not to mention you're doing the address decoding and register handling entirely in software.
Which means it will get lost that much more easily.
No thanks. Outside special applications where the device has to be *extremely* small, this is pretty useless. SD is already small enough. The big problem with SD is its proprietary-ness. Is xD any more open?
Slashdot Mirror
I'm guessing they need time to come up with more "features" needed to turn it into Microsoft GestapoOS 2007.
Did you also pull your shift keys out? }:)
Trouble is when you're not a spammer and you're hosting at an ISP and the class C you're on gets listed.
Yes, some may say "find another ISP", but that's not always easy; contracts may make that impossible for many months and the ISP may otherwise be fine as is.
If they block anything, they should only block the IP's that cause the problem, not large netblocks.
Yeah, alternate storylines would be great. For instance, I want to play Scar when he's king, and enjoy my harem of lionesses, and send them on odd jobs to please me while my kingdom falls to shambles.
Yes. Bwahahahhahaaaa.
I love games where you can play the villian. I suppose we all need to do something destructive once in a while, even if it's just in a fantasy world. }:) Probably the reason for the massive success of the Grand Theft Auto series.
Okay, perhaps this is the wrong forum for this. Sorry.
The problem here is not the characters, but the fact that the games were not willing to explore any new ground story-wise.
I mean, I remember playing "The Lion King"; all you did was play the storyline of the movie! I already knew exactly everything that was going to happen. Big whoop.
Now, if they had made it more of an RPG, with an action component, and extended the universe with a new story, THEN it might have been interesting. Combining likeable characters you already know with NEW adventures might have made for quite an improvement!
But no.. they followed formula, formula, formula. Though I must admit, the ability to throw the other player around in a two player "Chip and Dale" game made it worth every penny at the time. };)
Sigh. I really hate to say this, but I must agree with keeping API's backwards compatible across versions of libraries.
I've been using Linux for years now, and one of the biggest annoyances is that software packages tend to be tied very closely to a specific version of a library. Without backwards compatibility, you sometimes need to have two or three different versions of the same library installed in order to use different applications.
When a library is used by a wide variety of applications, like Qt, GTK, libc, and so on, backwards compatibility should be ensured. Yes, this means the library may be a bit more bloated than it has to be, but the bloat isn't as bad as the bloat that results from having to install an ancient version of Qt in order to run an app that hasn't had active development for a few years.
This is coming from someone who doesn't do much software development; I just maintain a lot of systems and software libraries.
Running red lights is one of the few traffic laws I feel should be fully enforced to the letter. Going 10MPH over an unreasonably low limit won't kill someone; running a red light will.
Of course, red lights should be consistent. I've seen areas where the yellow light lasts less time than others. If you're unaware of how long the light will be yellow, you might inadvertantly enter the intersection right after it turns red, which can be construed as a violation.
Yellow lights should be required by law to all last the same amount of time.
Whereas a 200HP car engine can put out nearly 150KW of power at peak, which is enough to run several suburban homes, the alternator can probably only put out around 1KW max. Be careful not to overload and burn it out, costing you more money than a couple extra batteries would have. }:)
Cars are designed to haul themselves and your ass around, not keep your little server farm running.
I classify people running E-mail attachments from an untrusted source as "security hole between keyboard and chair".
Honestly, the only way we're going to be able to fight this is to educate users and tell them not to open untrusted E-mail attachments. It doesn't matter how secure a system is, if the user runs untrusted code, stuff like this will spread. Even if it only runs as that user's UID and doesn't infect the system as a whole.
I hate to correct you, but AC does not "travel" better than DC. In fact, it's the other way around, though the difference is insignificant.
AC is subject to the "skin effect", whereby more of the current flows toward the outside surface of the conductor. However, the skin effect is pretty insignificant at 60Hz.
The reason why AC is used for mains power is because its voltage can be adjusted very efficiently using a very inexpensive and reliable device: The transformer. If you put DC into a transformer, you just get a lot of smoke. Changing the voltage of DC requires either a voltage multiplier, a regulator, or a switching power supply, and these are a lot less efficient than a transformer handling AC.
No, this would be a bad idea. The cables from the power supply to the system would be carrying low voltages, and to provide power to the system at those voltages would require high current. This would cause voltage drop (and thus loss) in the cables.
When wiring up electrical systems, it is important to remember that your long runs should always be done with high voltage cable. For instance, from the wall to the power supply is 120V AC. Once the voltage is reduced, the runs need to be kept as short as possible, since every foot of cable loses substantially more power at the increased current required.
50 watts at 120 volts is less than half an amp. 50 watts at 12V is about 4A. Big difference. }:)
For example, we have Dell servers where I work, that have RAID arrays. Sometimes a disk fails, so we grab our spare (we keep one spare for each type of RAID so that we can quickly rebuild in case of a failure) and pop it in, and it rebuilds and all is happy.
Then comes the hard part; convincing Dell support to send us a replacement disk, under warranty. Even though their own hardware reported the disk was bad, and the spare disk formatted and rebuilt fine, they insist that we run diagnostics on the disk. Running them, of course, would require that we down a production server! I once spent a good deal of time explaining this simple concept of not being able to down a production server to verify a disk is bad, when we already know it is.
Eventually we manage to convince them to give us an RMA and cross ship us a replacement disk, but not after a lot of hair-pulling and grinding. Speaking of grinding, sometimes we fib and tell them the disk was grinding to speed the process.
Tech support people: Stop ASSUMING your customers are idiots. Especially system administrators at your customer sites. We know when a disk is bad!
Isn't this an urban legend? I remember reading that QWERTY isn't really meant to slow you down, but rather to spread commonly used letters to fingers that are further apart, or on opposite hands, so that the hammers in old typewriters don't strike each other as often?
Perhaps this resulted in a sub-optimal layout so that one can't type as fast on QWERTY as on other layouts, but were the engineers really thinking "Let's slow the typist down", rather than "Let's spread the keys around to minimize collisions"? Somehow I doubt it.
Yay! I have a little porcelain baby Nala figure on my stack of SCSI drives. Along with a Ryo-oh-ki figure from Tenchi Muyo. Funny how work desks tend to accumulate little trinkets over the years...
Shouldn't be a problem if we can split the Energon cubes with them 50/50. Afterall, their Energon cube system appears to be a very efficient way of harvesting energy!
Is the NYT really being defrauded, though? The page still comes up with ads, so the advertiser revenue is still there.. It's not like we're getting a premium subscriber page with no ads, or special paid content...
Didn't a company once create software called "Kali" (or similar) that did this, but with IPX packets?
Back in the early-to-mid-90's, nearly all online games used IPX for multiplayer (it was popular on corporate LANs at the time, apparently), so this Kali software would basically create IPX tunnels over the Internet, with a central registry, and even a chat system, so people could get together and play IPX-only games like Doom and Descent over the net.
I remember using it for a while; it was damn clever. I suppose the same thing can be done to emulate Layer 2 networks across the net. (not necessarily tunnels, but star-topology.. with one of the machines acting like a "switch" and the others as end-stations on that "switch") It'd be interesting to see what an implementation of this would look like.
Hell, maybe Kali actually DID emulate layer 2 networks, and let IPX packets travel over this emulated network. Anyone have insider-info on how Kali worked?
The bandwidth drain can't be that high, and keeping those customers happy will probably mean repeat business.
In fact, I'm betting that having to deal with thousands of customers Emailing them and all is costing them more money (in staff time, and such) than simply opening up the Software Center for all.
My theory is poorly written BIOSes. We have computers at work (Dells, notably) which go from power on to booting the disk in about one second. Sure, it skips things like memory tests, but BIOS memory tests are usually pathetic anyway. I've had bad memory that passes the BIOS check with flying colors but throws up tons of errors when you test with memtest86.
Instant POST is exceptionally handy on laptops, where every second POSTing can be wasted battery life in many cases.
As much as I hate to admit it, I think the RIAA is doing the right thing. Going after the people violating copyright instead of trying to pass laws the restrict reverse engineering and cracking copy protection is what they should have done in the FIRST PLACE!
In fact, this is the way it's always been; if someone found someone else violating their copyright, they'd sue them. All this DMCA crap has only served to annoy legitimate users. I'm glad to finally see them suing the real offenders instead of squashing fair use.
Way to go RIAA. Your products still suck and you still use strongarm tactics but you're finally starting to do the right thing.
This is likely more due to the DVD player being crap than any copy protection.
You get what you pay for, buy a decent name brand DVD player and you should be okay.
Birds are a renewable resource. Coal and oil are not.
Don't forget emulation overhead. You're emulating an entirely different architecture, so it takes dozens of x86 instructions to emulate a single 6502 instruction. Not to mention you're doing the address decoding and register handling entirely in software.
Yes, but since there are an infinite number of prime numbers, the percentage of them that are even (only the number 2) is practically zero.
I suppose you could say:
______________
0.000000000000001% of prime numbers are even.
But that would just be silly.
Which means it will get lost that much more easily.
No thanks. Outside special applications where the device has to be *extremely* small, this is pretty useless. SD is already small enough. The big problem with SD is its proprietary-ness. Is xD any more open?