Truth. I'm down to about one spam in a thousand that's coming from a (known) open relay on my mail server. Doesn't mean spam is any less, just that RBLs aren't serving the purpose they once did.
The way I see it, as long as the Feds are paying for this stuff, they have every right to dictate how the money is spent.
But I fund the Feds! I have every right to voice my opinion about how that money is spent since I am required to pay it. And I don't agree with government censorship of any sort.
What I'm about to say has already been identified in this very forum, but due to the enormity of the situation bears repeating: to the myriad high schoolers out there that can so readily identify with why the two boys in Colorado finally went over the edge, HANG ON. Your lifelong journey is a _long_ road stretching off into the distance before you, and you've only seen a tiny bit of it so far. HANG ON. College will be better as you encounter more people that are intelligent, understanding, and feel as you do. HANG ON. Employment after college will be even better still as you launch a career that will leave your former peers gasping in your dust. HANG ON. Believe me, I've experienced what you're going through. I applaud those with the courage to stand up for both their rights and beliefs in the face of such adversity. HANG ON. High school ultimately consumes a minute amount of your overall time. HANG ON. It's going to get better.
Those that Can, Do. Those that Can't, Teach. Those that can't Teach, Administrate. Those that can't Administrate, Counsel. {With my apologies to the few individuals actually capable of Teaching, Administrating, and Counseling. You are in the minority.}
I agree that the perception truly does exist (and is quite pervasive) that the internet is evil, guns are evil, adult oriented games are evil, and geeks already have more than a few screws loose. One need only watch a TV newscast, a TV drama, read a newspaper, or visit a more mainstream news website to see these portrayals. Before you cry *mass media!* *foul!* many people _believe_ the information presented to them in these formats. When bad things happen that appear to have influences related to these topics, the immediate and overwhelming American societal response is: legislate the hell out it! (Guns/internet/porn/games/whatever.) _Some_ of the rationale is understandable. Constant exposure to violent and sexually degrading material tends to desensitize the individual being exposed to it. Guns are easy to use and tend to distance the killer from his/her victim. Geeks are just plain different than your average Joe.
Folks, these aren't the issues. Not by a long shot. America, as a society, has three fundamental problems. 1) An inherent inability to see a tool for what it is, a tool. 2) An inherent unwillingness to take responsibility for actions. 3) (Likely not just an American problem.) Fear of the different/unknown.
Point 1: Guns, the internet, knives, etc. are nothing more than tools. They have no intrinsic good or evil qualities. What the person chooses to do with them, the behaviour--good or evil, is what matters. Remove or limit the effects of one tool, and the person will find another. Recent legislation, however, has focused on the tool rather than the behaviour.
Point 2: I seem unable to distill this into a nice little package. Suffice it to say that _parents_, not schools, not television, not games, not the internet, have a responsibility to raise their children properly.
Point 3: Fundamental human nature. We fear what we do not understand and do not know.
Slashdot Mirror
Expenditure of effort aside, I'm curious--does learning in your world NOT involve asking questions of those with deeper knowledge/understanding?
But I'll be you lock the door anyway.
I'm thinking many would not consider DRM in FOSS to be a boon of any sort...
Real exercise consists of more than merely flapping your arms around? Seriously?
Shoot, am I the only one that read that as "wearable kilt"?
Correction: It's 11:00 PM, do you know who your kids are doing on-line?
Truth. I'm down to about one spam in a thousand that's coming from a (known) open relay on my mail server. Doesn't mean spam is any less, just that RBLs aren't serving the purpose they once did.
And please, /.ers, stop knee-jerking. That's not what geeks do.
Where have you been? That's exactly what the geeks around here do.
The way I see it, as long as the Feds are paying for this stuff, they have every right to dictate how the money is spent.
But I fund the Feds! I have every right to voice my opinion about how that money is spent since I am required to pay it. And I don't agree with government censorship of any sort.
What I'm about to say has already been identified in this very forum, but due to the enormity of the situation bears repeating: to the myriad high schoolers out there that can so readily identify with why the two boys in Colorado finally went over the edge, HANG ON. Your lifelong journey is a _long_ road stretching off into the distance before you, and you've only seen a tiny bit of it so far. HANG ON. College will be better as you encounter more people that are intelligent, understanding, and feel as you do. HANG ON. Employment after college will be even better still as you launch a career that will leave your former peers gasping in your dust. HANG ON. Believe me, I've experienced what you're going through. I applaud those with the courage to stand up for both their rights and beliefs in the face of such adversity. HANG ON. High school ultimately consumes a minute amount of your overall time. HANG ON. It's going to get better.
Those that Can, Do. Those that Can't, Teach. Those that can't Teach, Administrate. Those that can't Administrate, Counsel. {With my apologies to the few individuals actually capable of Teaching, Administrating, and Counseling. You are in the minority.}
Adam
I agree that the perception truly does exist (and is quite pervasive) that the internet is evil, guns are evil, adult oriented games are evil, and geeks already have more than a few screws loose. One need only watch a TV newscast, a TV drama, read a newspaper, or visit a more mainstream news website to see these portrayals. Before you cry *mass media!* *foul!* many people _believe_ the information presented to them in these formats. When bad things happen that appear to have influences related to these topics, the immediate and overwhelming American societal response is: legislate the hell out it! (Guns/internet/porn/games/whatever.) _Some_ of the rationale is understandable. Constant exposure to violent and sexually degrading material tends to desensitize the individual being exposed to it. Guns are easy to use and tend to distance the killer from his/her victim. Geeks are just plain different than your average Joe.
Folks, these aren't the issues. Not by a long shot. America, as a society, has three fundamental problems. 1) An inherent inability to see a tool for what it is, a tool. 2) An inherent unwillingness to take responsibility for actions. 3) (Likely not just an American problem.) Fear of the different/unknown.
Point 1: Guns, the internet, knives, etc. are nothing more than tools. They have no intrinsic good or evil qualities. What the person chooses to do with them, the behaviour--good or evil, is what matters. Remove or limit the effects of one tool, and the person will find another. Recent legislation, however, has focused on the tool rather than the behaviour.
Point 2: I seem unable to distill this into a nice little package. Suffice it to say that _parents_, not schools, not television, not games, not the internet, have a responsibility to raise their children properly.
Point 3: Fundamental human nature. We fear what we do not understand and do not know.
Refutations?
So sayeth MztrBlack.