I refer my students to addall.com. Instead of paying nearly $100 for one of the best CS books ever, they paid about $30 per copy. I hope the authors still get their share.
As a computer science professor, I agree. Going through a faculty member has the following advantages:
Professors are treated with much more respect than students. It would be terrible PR for a company to harass a CS/IT professor who reported a security problem to them.
You will make a name for yourself in your department (and beyond) both for being clever and ethical. Such intangibles will be more valuable to you in the long run than if you were paid or received extra credit for the work.
Just try to choose a professor who doesn't falsely take credit for students' work. (Check if the professor's name is first on all papers with students, particularly their theses.)
My husband and I leased an EV1 for three years. It was the best car we've ever driven: quiet, amazing acceleration, and zero emissions. (There isn't even a tailpipe.) We (and other drivers) sent money to GM asking them to extend the lease without a warranty, rather than crush the cars, and they said no. GM's claims that electric cars failed in the marketplace are false. EV1 drivers wanted to keep them, and there were many waitlisted would-be drivers who never got a car, despite GM's lack of advertising, etc. For much more information, see http://cleanup-gm.org.
Our primary car now is a Toyota Prius, which we've been happy with (except by comparison to the EV1). Driving around San Francisco and commuting over the Bay Bridge, often in bad traffic, I average 46 MPG, and it has lower emissions than other cars with internal combustion engines. It cost a little more ($22K) than an ordinary car, but I expect to recoup some of that with the tax deduction and lower fuel costs.
We recently assumed the lease on a Ford Th!nk City. As its maximum speed is about 55 MPH and range about 40 miles, neither my husband nor I can drive it to work. Instead, my husband drives it to the Caltrain station. We also drive it around town, where it can fit in tiny parking spots.
My points are:
The EV1 was a great car. It was not pulled because of any deficiency or lack of demand.
The only electric car available for lease for a little longer (Th!nk) is vastly inferior to the EV1 but still meets some people's needs.
I was fortunate enough to get to lease electric cars because I was in the right place at the time. Many other people tried without success.
While hybrids are better than ordinary cars, purely-electric cars have been designed and produced in ridiculously small quantities, not meeting consumer demand.
If the government hadn't loosened its regulations, more people would be driving electric cars now or in the near future, and we'd be using less oil and polluting less. (Lest you dismiss all regulation as bad, consider the government's role in seatbelts, catalytic converters, and airbags.)
(And, yes, I know electricity needs to be produced somewhere. Internal-combustion engines are one of the dirtiest and least efficient methods, and spew most where populations are dense.)
I use scare quotes around "president" because I consider the U.S. presidency to be an elected position. I do not believe that George W. Bush was fairly elected to the position. I do not use scare quotes when referring to any other recent presidents, whether I dislike them or not, since I believe they were fairly elected.
A simple method for rating potentially revolutionary contributions to physics.
A -5 point starting credit.
1 point for every statement that is widely agreed on to be false.
2 points for every statement that is clearly vacuous.
3 points for every statement that is logically inconsistent.
5 points for each such statement that is adhered to despite careful correction.
5 points for using a thought experiment that contradicts the results of a widely accepted real experiment.
5 points for each word in all capital letters (except for those with defective keyboards).
5 points for each mention of "Einstien", "Hawkins" or "Feynmann".
10 points for each claim that quantum mechanics is fundamentally misguided (without good evidence).
10 points for pointing out that you have gone to school, as if this were evidence of sanity.
10 points for beginning the description of your theory by saying how long you have been working on it.
10 points for mailing your theory to someone you don't know personally and asking them not to tell anyone else about it, for fear that your ideas will be stolen.
10 points for offering prize money to anyone who proves and/or finds any flaws in your theory.
10 points for each statement along the lines of "I'm not good at math, but my theory is conceptually right, so all I need is for someone to express it in terms of equations".
10 points for arguing that a current well-established theory is "only a theory", as if this were somehow a point against it.
10 points for arguing that while a current well-established theory predicts phenomena correctly, it doesn't explain "why" they occur, or fails to provide a "mechanism".
10 points for each favorable comparison of yourself to Einstein, or claim that special or general relativity are fundamentally misguided (without good evidence).
10 points for claiming that your work is on the cutting edge of a "paradigm shift".
20 points for suggesting that you deserve a Nobel prize.
20 points for each favorable comparison of yourself to Newton or claim that classical mechanics is fundamentally misguided (without good evidence).
20 points for every use of science fiction works or myths as if they were fact.
20 points for defending yourself by bringing up (real or imagined) ridicule accorded to your past theories.
20 points for each use of the phrase "hidebound reactionary".
20 points for each use of the phrase "self-appointed defender of the orthodoxy".
30 points for suggesting that a famous figure secretly disbelieved in a theory which he or she publicly supported. (E.g., that Feynman was a closet opponent of special relativity, as deduced by reading between the lines in his freshman physics textbooks.)
30 points for suggesting that Einstein, in his later years, was groping his way towards the ideas you now advocate.
30 points for claiming that your theories were developed by an extraterrestrial civilization (without good evidence).
30 points for allusions to a delay in your work while you spent time in an asylum, or references to the psychiatrist who tried to talk you out of your theory.
40 points for comparing those who argue against your ideas to Nazis, stormtroopers, or brownshirts.
40 points for claiming that the "scientific establishment" is engaged in a "conspiracy" to prevent your work from gaining its well-deserved fame, or suchlike.
40 points for comparing yourself to Galileo, suggesting that a modern-day Inquisition is hard at work on your case, and so on.
40 points for claiming that when your theory is finally appreciated, present-day science will be seen for the sham it truly is. (30 more points for fantasizing about show trials in which scientists who mocked your theories will be forced to recant.)
50 points for claiming you have a revolutionary theory but giving no concrete testable predictions.
Students, professors can/should act like adults
on
Professors vs. WiFi
·
· Score: 2
I am a computer science professor and don't see students' inattention as a problem. I don't require students to attend class. If they can learn the material without going to class, or without paying attention, more power to them. In practice, however, I have excellent attendance, and students pay attention. This is partly because Mills has small classes (my classes have had 3-18 students) and a student's absence or inattention would be noticed, but I think the real reason is that the material is hard and classtime is necessary.
There are times, however, when a student is so sleepy or sick that it's obvious that she is not getting anything from being in class. In those cases, I'm tempted to ask the student (sincerely, not unkindly) whether she'd be more comfortable lying down in my office (across the hall from the classroom) or going home.
I teach one less-technical discussion-oriented course, in which class participation is a major part of the grade. In all of my classes, I announce the grading criteria on the first day, and students are free to make their own choices about how to spend the time.
I don't assume that I know better than students how they should spend their time. I don't really think it's my business whether a student misses my class because she's being awarded a Nobel Prize, taking care of a sick child, or going skiing. Students can make their own choices and live with the consequences.
While it may hurt a professor's feelings for students not to pay attention, that's not an adequate reason to coerce students. I think many academics forget that that schools should be geared to the needs of the students, not to the faculty and staff.
> Its like car insurance, you have it,
> you pay for it up front, the fact that
> you don't have a car crash doesn't
> mean that you can say it wasn't used
> and ask for a refund.
That's not a good analogy. If you have a Microsoft OS, it will crash.
Drivers of the GM EV1 are trying to save the car, or at least stop GM from falsely claiming that nobody wants electric cars. See http://cleanup-gm.org.
Ok, so you and a handful of other people are
willing to lease (maybe not even BUY) an EV-1.
This does not mean that there is a viable
market for them. You have no plausible reason to believe otherwise.
Actually, the research indicates that there is a demand for electric cars. See, e.g., http://www.greencars.com/newsreleases/sept7.html. There is also evidence that the car companies intentionally did a poor job marketing electric cars so they could make the same incorrect argument that you are. (See references at http://cleanup-gm.org/ev1.html.)
I'm a driver of the GM EV1, a great electric car. I've created a website about GM's treatment of the car: cleanup-gm.org. GM is pulling working EV1s off the road, even though drivers are willing to pay to keep driving them. (They returned the checks that we sent them.) Meanwhile, they falsely report that nobody wants electric cars.
In computer science and engineering, Olin has some of the best professors that didn't fit at MIT because they cared too much about teaching and students, namely Lynn Stein and Gill Pratt. When at MIT, I worked with Lynn and heard many good things about Gill.
The transmission needs replacing. The car is 16 years old (1986 Honda Civic), so I have no complaints. The cost of replacing the transmission would be more than the car is worth.
Slashdot Mirror
The story is "Superiority" by Arthur C. Clarke.
True. I let them know about the free copy too, but I recommended they buy the book because it's so much more pleasant to read on paper.
I refer my students to addall.com. Instead of paying nearly $100 for one of the best CS books ever, they paid about $30 per copy. I hope the authors still get their share.
> Biology: first documented case of homosexual necrophilia in the mallard duck species.
"I am not a homosexual necrophiliac!" said Tom in dead earnest.
For more on McNealy's anti-privacy advocacy, see http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=01/05/29/14 32247&mode=thread&tid=158 and http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=01/10/12/003242 &mode=thread&tid=102. I also like the Doctor Fun cartoon.
http://www.ibiblio.org/Dave/Dr-Fun/df9511/df951102 .jpg
- Professors are treated with much more respect than students. It would be terrible PR for a company to harass a CS/IT professor who reported a security problem to them.
- You will make a name for yourself in your department (and beyond) both for being clever and ethical. Such intangibles will be more valuable to you in the long run than if you were paid or received extra credit for the work.
Just try to choose a professor who doesn't falsely take credit for students' work. (Check if the professor's name is first on all papers with students, particularly their theses.)My husband and I leased an EV1 for three years. It was the best car we've ever driven: quiet, amazing acceleration, and zero emissions. (There isn't even a tailpipe.) We (and other drivers) sent money to GM asking them to extend the lease without a warranty, rather than crush the cars, and they said no. GM's claims that electric cars failed in the marketplace are false. EV1 drivers wanted to keep them, and there were many waitlisted would-be drivers who never got a car, despite GM's lack of advertising, etc. For much more information, see http://cleanup-gm.org.
Our primary car now is a Toyota Prius, which we've been happy with (except by comparison to the EV1). Driving around San Francisco and commuting over the Bay Bridge, often in bad traffic, I average 46 MPG, and it has lower emissions than other cars with internal combustion engines. It cost a little more ($22K) than an ordinary car, but I expect to recoup some of that with the tax deduction and lower fuel costs.
We recently assumed the lease on a Ford Th!nk City. As its maximum speed is about 55 MPH and range about 40 miles, neither my husband nor I can drive it to work. Instead, my husband drives it to the Caltrain station. We also drive it around town, where it can fit in tiny parking spots.
My points are:
- The EV1 was a great car. It was not pulled because of any deficiency or lack of demand.
- The only electric car available for lease for a little longer (Th!nk) is vastly inferior to the EV1 but still meets some people's needs.
- I was fortunate enough to get to lease electric cars because I was in the right place at the time. Many other people tried without success.
- While hybrids are better than ordinary cars, purely-electric cars have been designed and produced in ridiculously small quantities, not meeting consumer demand.
- If the government hadn't loosened its regulations, more people would be driving electric cars now or in the near future, and we'd be using less oil and polluting less. (Lest you dismiss all regulation as bad, consider the government's role in seatbelts, catalytic converters, and airbags.)
(And, yes, I know electricity needs to be produced somewhere. Internal-combustion engines are one of the dirtiest and least efficient methods, and spew most where populations are dense.)She has made one of her novels, Borders of Infinity, available as an audiobook online for free at http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/215/the_readers_ch air_inc.html. It's good.
I use scare quotes around "president" because I consider the U.S. presidency to be an elected position. I do not believe that George W. Bush was fairly elected to the position. I do not use scare quotes when referring to any other recent presidents, whether I dislike them or not, since I believe they were fairly elected.
A simple method for rating potentially revolutionary contributions to physics. A -5 point starting credit.
© 1998 John Baez
I am a computer science professor and don't see students' inattention as a problem. I don't require students to attend class. If they can learn the material without going to class, or without paying attention, more power to them. In practice, however, I have excellent attendance, and students pay attention. This is partly because Mills has small classes (my classes have had 3-18 students) and a student's absence or inattention would be noticed, but I think the real reason is that the material is hard and classtime is necessary.
There are times, however, when a student is so sleepy or sick that it's obvious that she is not getting anything from being in class. In those cases, I'm tempted to ask the student (sincerely, not unkindly) whether she'd be more comfortable lying down in my office (across the hall from the classroom) or going home.
I teach one less-technical discussion-oriented course, in which class participation is a major part of the grade. In all of my classes, I announce the grading criteria on the first day, and students are free to make their own choices about how to spend the time.
I don't assume that I know better than students how they should spend their time. I don't really think it's my business whether a student misses my class because she's being awarded a Nobel Prize, taking care of a sick child, or going skiing. Students can make their own choices and live with the consequences.
While it may hurt a professor's feelings for students not to pay attention, that's not an adequate reason to coerce students. I think many academics forget that that schools should be geared to the needs of the students, not to the faculty and staff.
I'll get off the soapbox now.
- http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs.cmu.edu/user/scott
s /mosaic/JOKE/report1.jpg
- http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs.cmu.edu/user/scott
s /mosaic/JOKE/report2.jpg
- http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs.cmu.edu/user/scott
s /mosaic/JOKE/report3.jpg
- http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs.cmu.edu/user/scott
s /mosaic/JOKE/judgement.jpg
(Despite the URL, these are no joke.)> Its like car insurance, you have it,
> you pay for it up front, the fact that
> you don't have a car crash doesn't
> mean that you can say it wasn't used
> and ask for a refund.
That's not a good analogy. If you have a Microsoft OS, it will crash.
Drivers of the GM EV1 are trying to save the car, or at least stop GM from falsely claiming that nobody wants electric cars. See http://cleanup-gm.org.
I'm a driver of the GM EV1, a great electric car. I've created a website about GM's treatment of the car: cleanup-gm.org. GM is pulling working EV1s off the road, even though drivers are willing to pay to keep driving them. (They returned the checks that we sent them.) Meanwhile, they falsely report that nobody wants electric cars.
http://www.ibiblio.org/Dave/Dr-Fun/df200108/df2001 0813.jpg
In computer science and engineering, Olin has some of the best professors that didn't fit at MIT because they cared too much about teaching and students, namely Lynn Stein and Gill Pratt. When at MIT, I worked with Lynn and heard many good things about Gill.
Dive Into Python, a free online book for advanced programmers
Python FAQT, user-expandable knowledge base with great questions and answers
Python Library Reference, ed. by Guido van Rossum and Fred L. Drake, Jr. [need I say more?]
Python Tutorial, ed. by Guido van Rossum and Fred L. Drake, Jr.
The Whole Python FAQ
A great place to hear or compose cutting-edge electronic music is the Center for Contemporary Music at Mills College in Oakland, California.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PriusMods/
I hadn't known about hacking the Prius. That is way cool. With the information in your message, I found this page on the MP3/CD hack Thank you.
The transmission needs replacing. The car is 16 years old (1986 Honda Civic), so I have no complaints. The cost of replacing the transmission would be more than the car is worth.