I don't deny the appeal of watching robots fight each other, but why hasn't the genre progressed beyond that?
There are many constructive tasks that robots could compete at, but instead, producers turn out endless streams of robot battle shows. Maybe the audience demand isn't there, but I haven't even seen a more constructive show tried.
Perhaps I'm expecting too much from television, but the potential in robotics is amazing and it's a shame that isn't demonstrated more in these shows.
I make a practice of buying slightly behind the cutting edge hardware. I find it's much cheaper and nearly as powerful. In this case, I've been waiting for the GeForce3 to be released so the price of the GeForce2 Ultras will come down.
Perhaps it is time to reevaluate the way Slashdot posts stories. I am not a long time reader, but I have noticed that in many cases (including this one) a story will be posted that consist mostly of a link to another site. However, the site that is linked to is very often down.
I do not wish to be inflammatory, but this seems to detract from the overall quality of Slashdot. After all, what is there to discuss if we cannot even follow the link in the story?
Would it be possible for Slashdot to mirror content on their own servers? Or alternately, perhaps the focus could be shifted to original content instead of linking. Regardless, as things stand, many stories are quite irksome because of broken links.
As I've mentioned in the past, I use censorware at home to protect my children when I'm at work. However, I think the installation of such software should be up to the individual computer owner.
I find this especially disturbing since it amounts to government subsidation of the censoring industry. Censorware is not perfect, and without the impetus of competition, there is no drive for manufacturers to improve their product. Rather than having lawmakers force people to use their product, censorware makers should strive to make their product most appealing to concerned parents such as myself.
While I would encourage all parents to not give their children unrestricted and unsupervised Internet access, laws like this one are far too broad to be fair.
Unfortunately for advertisers, it seems that most people who really wish to get rid of ads can do it without spending $30 a year.
Freeware or shareware programs such as Junkbuster allow a user to block banner ads. In addition, this can be done by editing the hosts file under Windows.
The implication for Salon and any others who may wish to implement this sort of plan is that they are selling a service (ad free viewing) that is already provided without cost. The future looks grim for professional online media, and it looks as though the entire web might revert back to an amateur effort unless means are found of making money.
Now, I am not at all against amateur content on the Internet. Indeed, many sites that I frequent are produced wholly through volunteer efforts. However, large scale editorial and news content requires the sort of financial backing that only a for-profit corporation can provide. Personally, I like having sites like Salon and CNN.com on the Internet, and I will be saddened if they are forced to terminate operations.
While censorship is always a difficult issue, I think there is a real place on the Internet for censored access.
I am a parent, with an 8 year old son and a 12 year old daughter. I want them to have access to as many educational opportunities as possible, but I am not always around to supervise them. My general practice has been to turn on censor-ware while I was away, but turn it off if I was available to keep tabs on my children.
While I appreciate the dilemmas that the AOL censor has faced, I feel that they are nonetheless providing a valuable service that is appropriate for many people. While I'm not sure what I think about government sanctioned or required censoring, censored Internet access definitely has a place in my household.
As a parent, I am always encourage when I hear about this type of program.
I have a 12 year old daughter who has shown an interest in computers, and thanks to the efforts of a businessman who is a memeber of the local rotary, her school was recently able to aquire fifteen used computers, most of them Athlons. I was especially excited to learn that eight of them had Red Had Linux installed.
One of the teachers at her school is also a long time Linux administrator and user, and it's simply amazing the progress and learning that she is making. Admittedly, I am far from an expert, but she has already passed me by!
I want to encourage anyone who is considering donating computers to a school to please do so. They very much do make a difference in some of the technologically inclined children's education.
I use Earthlink and had been aware of this for a while, but had been unable to find any solid information regarding the extra header.
I have an Earthlink connection; it's the best I can do because of my location. Anyway, I had written an HTTP proxy Perl script, simply for my own educational purposes. You can imagine my surprise when I noticed this extra header! I could not find a reference to HTTP_ELNSB50 in any of the rfc's or manuals I consulted and I noticed that it never changed.
I did in fact email Earthlink about this, because I feared it might be an invasive identifier. I am disappointed, though, to report that even after repeated emails, I received no answer regarding my queries. I do not grudge Earthlink for this, but I do not think it is the best customer service. I nearly cancled my account when I could not discover what this mysterious header was.
Suffice to say, though, I am very grateful to Slashdot for answering my questions!
Manufacturers expect consumers to wear these devices -- often for hours at a time -- but no substantial testing has been done for health risks.
Nobody knows what the long term effects of wearing a tiny screen a few inches away from your eye might be, and nobody has bothered to find out. This is characteristic of the technology sector, though. No one considered the risks of keyboards until people started losing the use of their hands. No one asked if monitors were healthy until people started going blind.
I am not anti-technology, by any means. However, it is ridiculous to destroy one's body for whatever short term gains you may be pursuing. Ultimately, it is an individual's responsibility to assure their own safety, but callousness of manufacturers is appalling. Until congress forces a change, though, I doubt health considerations will be taken into account when designing a product.
While the article was amusing, we need to keep in mind why banner ads are getting so annoying.
For better or worse, most websites are unwilling to operate permenantly at a loss, and thus seek to earn money. Unless the site is a retailer or requires paid registration, the most practical way to accomplish this is banner ads. Unfortunately, no one clicks these ads, forcing sites to deploy ever larger and more intrusive banners.
The simple solution is for the community to organize an effort to click banner ads, particularly the more bland ones. Once sites notice this trend, they will realize that they can earn revenue by deploying small ads, and we will no longer have to put up with blinking neon monstrosities.
I'm optimistic about the trend. I once looked up the student regulations for my school from 1904 to present. (I've since graduated). Students were once literally treated as children. Now the policies generally respect students as scholars with academic freedom.
While this is perhaps true, I do not think it tells the whole story regarding the ways school interest over students has changed.
In 1904, no one was concerned about a student walking into class one day and gunning down a dozen of his fellow students. Neither was anyone concerned about being held legally labial for a student's actions by a litigation-happy society.
Admittedly, violence among students has not increased substantially, but the perception of violence has. Because of this, students are seen as a potential threat that must be dealt with. This intuition directly conflicts with one that states students should have freedom and rights just as any other citizen. This conflict is what lies behind much of the confusion and arbitrariness of school regulations.
Further, organizations, and indeed that administrators of organizations themselves, must constantly worry about being held liable for the actions of people under their supervision. Many school administrators lack the courage and fiber to stand up to these threats, and instead find it easier to implement strict regulations to relieve themselves of legal responsibility.
Neither of these trends are irreversible, though. Education and sober consideration will reveal the relative safety of today's classroom. In addition, greater control and restraints by the courts would cut back much of the fear and paranoia toward litigation. While neither may presently look optimistic, the future is unclear.
An environmentally-aware computer user faces a difficult conflict since the computer manufacturing industry has traditionally been insensitive to environmental concerns.
LCD display panels are an excellent way to sharply decrease the power requirements of a computing system. It is unfortunate, though, that given this manufacturers and retailers artificially inflate prices far beyond their natural market equilibrium.
As the crises in California plainly demonstrates, we can no longer hold irresponsible power consumption habits, but must try to conserve in all areas of life. Recognizing the critical role that computers fill in today's economy, Congress should immediately move to reduce the cost of LCDs and other energy efficient display systems. Manufacturers cannot be allowed to enjoy the luxury of high prices when archaic cathode ray tubes are wasting incredible amounts of energy.
Although drastic, perhaps the only real option the government has is an outright ban on CRTs, accompanied with a system to confiscate existing units. Only then will superior display technologies such as Samsung's unit be able to gain wide usage.
Slashdot Mirror
I don't deny the appeal of watching robots fight each other, but why hasn't the genre progressed beyond that?
There are many constructive tasks that robots could compete at, but instead, producers turn out endless streams of robot battle shows. Maybe the audience demand isn't there, but I haven't even seen a more constructive show tried.
Perhaps I'm expecting too much from television, but the potential in robotics is amazing and it's a shame that isn't demonstrated more in these shows.
I make a practice of buying slightly behind the cutting edge hardware. I find it's much cheaper and nearly as powerful. In this case, I've been waiting for the GeForce3 to be released so the price of the GeForce2 Ultras will come down.
Perhaps it is time to reevaluate the way Slashdot posts stories. I am not a long time reader, but I have noticed that in many cases (including this one) a story will be posted that consist mostly of a link to another site. However, the site that is linked to is very often down.
I do not wish to be inflammatory, but this seems to detract from the overall quality of Slashdot. After all, what is there to discuss if we cannot even follow the link in the story?
Would it be possible for Slashdot to mirror content on their own servers? Or alternately, perhaps the focus could be shifted to original content instead of linking. Regardless, as things stand, many stories are quite irksome because of broken links.
As I've mentioned in the past, I use censorware at home to protect my children when I'm at work. However, I think the installation of such software should be up to the individual computer owner.
I find this especially disturbing since it amounts to government subsidation of the censoring industry. Censorware is not perfect, and without the impetus of competition, there is no drive for manufacturers to improve their product. Rather than having lawmakers force people to use their product, censorware makers should strive to make their product most appealing to concerned parents such as myself.
While I would encourage all parents to not give their children unrestricted and unsupervised Internet access, laws like this one are far too broad to be fair.
Unfortunately for advertisers, it seems that most people who really wish to get rid of ads can do it without spending $30 a year.
Freeware or shareware programs such as Junkbuster allow a user to block banner ads. In addition, this can be done by editing the hosts file under Windows.
The implication for Salon and any others who may wish to implement this sort of plan is that they are selling a service (ad free viewing) that is already provided without cost. The future looks grim for professional online media, and it looks as though the entire web might revert back to an amateur effort unless means are found of making money.
Now, I am not at all against amateur content on the Internet. Indeed, many sites that I frequent are produced wholly through volunteer efforts. However, large scale editorial and news content requires the sort of financial backing that only a for-profit corporation can provide. Personally, I like having sites like Salon and CNN.com on the Internet, and I will be saddened if they are forced to terminate operations.
While censorship is always a difficult issue, I think there is a real place on the Internet for censored access.
I am a parent, with an 8 year old son and a 12 year old daughter. I want them to have access to as many educational opportunities as possible, but I am not always around to supervise them. My general practice has been to turn on censor-ware while I was away, but turn it off if I was available to keep tabs on my children.
While I appreciate the dilemmas that the AOL censor has faced, I feel that they are nonetheless providing a valuable service that is appropriate for many people. While I'm not sure what I think about government sanctioned or required censoring, censored Internet access definitely has a place in my household.
As a parent, I am always encourage when I hear about this type of program.
I have a 12 year old daughter who has shown an interest in computers, and thanks to the efforts of a businessman who is a memeber of the local rotary, her school was recently able to aquire fifteen used computers, most of them Athlons. I was especially excited to learn that eight of them had Red Had Linux installed.
One of the teachers at her school is also a long time Linux administrator and user, and it's simply amazing the progress and learning that she is making. Admittedly, I am far from an expert, but she has already passed me by!
I want to encourage anyone who is considering donating computers to a school to please do so. They very much do make a difference in some of the technologically inclined children's education.
I use Earthlink and had been aware of this for a while, but had been unable to find any solid information regarding the extra header.
I have an Earthlink connection; it's the best I can do because of my location. Anyway, I had written an HTTP proxy Perl script, simply for my own educational purposes. You can imagine my surprise when I noticed this extra header! I could not find a reference to HTTP_ELNSB50 in any of the rfc's or manuals I consulted and I noticed that it never changed.
I did in fact email Earthlink about this, because I feared it might be an invasive identifier. I am disappointed, though, to report that even after repeated emails, I received no answer regarding my queries. I do not grudge Earthlink for this, but I do not think it is the best customer service. I nearly cancled my account when I could not discover what this mysterious header was.
Suffice to say, though, I am very grateful to Slashdot for answering my questions!
Manufacturers expect consumers to wear these devices -- often for hours at a time -- but no substantial testing has been done for health risks.
Nobody knows what the long term effects of wearing a tiny screen a few inches away from your eye might be, and nobody has bothered to find out. This is characteristic of the technology sector, though. No one considered the risks of keyboards until people started losing the use of their hands. No one asked if monitors were healthy until people started going blind.
I am not anti-technology, by any means. However, it is ridiculous to destroy one's body for whatever short term gains you may be pursuing. Ultimately, it is an individual's responsibility to assure their own safety, but callousness of manufacturers is appalling. Until congress forces a change, though, I doubt health considerations will be taken into account when designing a product.
While the article was amusing, we need to keep in mind why banner ads are getting so annoying.
For better or worse, most websites are unwilling to operate permenantly at a loss, and thus seek to earn money. Unless the site is a retailer or requires paid registration, the most practical way to accomplish this is banner ads. Unfortunately, no one clicks these ads, forcing sites to deploy ever larger and more intrusive banners.
The simple solution is for the community to organize an effort to click banner ads, particularly the more bland ones. Once sites notice this trend, they will realize that they can earn revenue by deploying small ads, and we will no longer have to put up with blinking neon monstrosities.
I'm optimistic about the trend. I once looked up the student regulations for my school from 1904 to present. (I've since graduated). Students were once literally treated as children. Now the policies generally respect students as scholars with academic freedom.
While this is perhaps true, I do not think it tells the whole story regarding the ways school interest over students has changed.
In 1904, no one was concerned about a student walking into class one day and gunning down a dozen of his fellow students. Neither was anyone concerned about being held legally labial for a student's actions by a litigation-happy society.
Admittedly, violence among students has not increased substantially, but the perception of violence has. Because of this, students are seen as a potential threat that must be dealt with. This intuition directly conflicts with one that states students should have freedom and rights just as any other citizen. This conflict is what lies behind much of the confusion and arbitrariness of school regulations.
Further, organizations, and indeed that administrators of organizations themselves, must constantly worry about being held liable for the actions of people under their supervision. Many school administrators lack the courage and fiber to stand up to these threats, and instead find it easier to implement strict regulations to relieve themselves of legal responsibility.
Neither of these trends are irreversible, though. Education and sober consideration will reveal the relative safety of today's classroom. In addition, greater control and restraints by the courts would cut back much of the fear and paranoia toward litigation. While neither may presently look optimistic, the future is unclear.
An environmentally-aware computer user faces a difficult conflict since the computer manufacturing industry has traditionally been insensitive to environmental concerns.
LCD display panels are an excellent way to sharply decrease the power requirements of a computing system. It is unfortunate, though, that given this manufacturers and retailers artificially inflate prices far beyond their natural market equilibrium.
As the crises in California plainly demonstrates, we can no longer hold irresponsible power consumption habits, but must try to conserve in all areas of life. Recognizing the critical role that computers fill in today's economy, Congress should immediately move to reduce the cost of LCDs and other energy efficient display systems. Manufacturers cannot be allowed to enjoy the luxury of high prices when archaic cathode ray tubes are wasting incredible amounts of energy.
Although drastic, perhaps the only real option the government has is an outright ban on CRTs, accompanied with a system to confiscate existing units. Only then will superior display technologies such as Samsung's unit be able to gain wide usage.