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User: LetterJ

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  1. Re:I wish... on Qwest To Offer 'Naked DSL' · · Score: 2

    $14.95? My bare bones phone line costs me nearly $30 from Qwest. No caller ID, no voicemail, no long distance. I only keep it for my satellite dish and my family keeps using the number.

  2. Re:vice-versa on Apache says ASL2.0 is GPL-compatible · · Score: 1

    If what you're saying was true, you couldn't take BSD licensed code and make it proprietary, which you most definitely can. After all, proprietary is MUCH more restrictive than BSD, but IBM and Apple both use BSD code under a more restrictive license. As long as the license permits the addition of restrictions, you can do so. It's just that GPL *doesn't* allow additional restrictions as part of its very nature.

  3. Re:Apple surely have this one sewn up on Napster Sells 5 Million Songs · · Score: 1

    True, but many retailers like Sears and many auto manufacturers make more on selling "credit" to customers than selling appliances and cars. That doesn't mean that you can't make a business out of selling appliances and cars, but that you can make *more* off of the credit. Apple can make more off of the iPods, so that's where they focus.

  4. Re:Growing Distros on Giant List Of Linux-based Live CDs · · Score: 1

    No doubt. I have a place locally that will put a custom color thermal image on DVD-R's and include the disc for $2.50. That's only $0.50 more than for the same service for CD-R.

  5. Re:Is this a bad thing? on Requiem For The Record Store · · Score: 1

    Exactly. Most people's experience with knowledgeable employees is to have their taste questioned. Very rare is the person who actually says, "I really like Black Eyed Dog. Is there anything you think I might like?" to anyone in a physical store and not only expect a resonable answer, but be happy with the answer they get.

  6. Re:Google Adwords on How Google Can Make or Break A Small Business · · Score: 1

    That would be true if in many cases, what you find wasn't 6 other people asking the same question with no one answering it.

  7. Re:Games on cell phones are not new on Plain Cell Phones Fading Away? · · Score: 1

    Yes, I really do. See, I always have the phone set to vibrate and tune in to the ring and the vibration. If both conditions aren't met, I *don't* answer the phone or even check. The thing is that most music is much harder to hear from a pocket than any of the standard rings. With most musical ringtones, all I hear is a faint melody of some sort and I can't identify if it's my "song" until I pull it from my pocket. And, given that practically everyone is using top 40 songs as their ringtones, when my "phone" ringtone goes off, it's more unique than most of the melodies.

  8. Basic Ringtones on Plain Cell Phones Fading Away? · · Score: 1

    Does anyone know of a site selling *basic* ringtones? You know, the ones that sound like a phone? I just got a Sony Ericsson T616 and it has *1* ring that sounds anything like a phone. I generally hate musical ringtones, but would like a few options that still sound like phones.

  9. Re:Yeah, nice use of taxdollars. on US Govt Makes Times New Roman 14 Official Font · · Score: 1

    You might want to install Humor Service Pack 1. It's a joke because so many Christian fundamentalists are also really big on English as the "official" language and this is the exact statement many of them make.

  10. Re:"literal gold mine" on Learning (And Harvesting) from Extremophiles · · Score: 1

    I've found that what a lot of folks *mean* when they say "literal" is "veritible", but can't think of that word until they're told. This one and "I could care less" are about the only 2 phrases that raise the hair on the back of my neck.

  11. Re:What is the point? on Dell Offers FreeDOS With New PCs · · Score: 1

    While you have a point in the abstract, if you think that there's actually a full $189 worth of Windows in those PC's, you're nuts. The last copy of XP Home I bought was $85 and NOT an upgrade.

  12. Re:$39.95? on Core PHP Programming · · Score: 1

    And J's Law of Pedantism strikes again.

    In every conversation with a geek, there will be at least one who will completely miss the point only to point out insignificant descrepencies in the statement.

  13. Re:PayPal venerable? on Micropayments Going Mainstream? Not Yet. · · Score: 3, Informative

    Why do you dislike paypal so much?
    <p>
    Can't speak for anyone else, but for me, the $12,000 that was stolen from my credit cards and bank accounts that were linked to my Paypal account contributes a little bit. I got it all back, but it took nearly a year and to this day, Paypal flags my name as fraudulent. So, not only was I a victim, but if I ever come near Paypal again, I get accused of being a theif.

  14. Google on decline on Better Search Results Than Google? · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Recently, I've noticed a trend in 'landing' pages dominating the results, the kind that the search engine optimizers have been saying get you to the top of the engines. Experts have been saying that those don't work on Google, but over the last couple of months they *have* been working apparently. For instance, do a search for "80/20 mortgage". The first 6 results are all clearly the same search engine "bait" and Google appears to have taken it, hook, line and sinker. None of those pages are real content and none of them are either explanations of what an 80/20 mortgage is or even companies offering 80/20 mortgages.

    I used this as an example, both because I already was looking for one and because it's a pretty non-geeky kind of thing to search for, rather than looking at results for Linux and complaining about MS entries.

  15. Re:Subversion stability? on Pragmatic Version Control Using CVS · · Score: 1

    Considering I run Subversion on Windows, the UNIX user accounts requirement doesn't apply to SVN. It doesn't require any system user account of any sort. When you use the Apache module, you can use most of the Apache methods of authentication and use standard htpasswd user setups.

  16. Re:CVS cons? on Pragmatic Version Control Using CVS · · Score: 1
    But, again, CVS use is only compelling if you have more than one person working on the project at the same time.

    Right. Because you've never implemented a new feature only to find that it broke something you thought was totally unrelated. Version control is great for "It worked on Monday" kinds of situations where you want to see what your code looked like. Most of my projects are just me and I won't work without my SVN server.

  17. Re:What took them so long? on Savannah Back Online With Extra Security · · Score: 2, Informative

    I've been using Subversion for about 6 months and, other than the administration inconveniences of database changes (that are part of working with pre-1.0 software), I've been loving it. I also provide it to my customers as part of our $99/year software subscription and they've been loving it as well. Built-in web access through Apache 2 and the fact that you can do remote work over port 80 make it a pretty cool setup. If you've been using CVS, I have one thing to say: renaming files while retaining history.

  18. Re:you aren't buying anything, it's a service on Digital Music Stores Reviewed · · Score: 2, Informative

    Actually, if you don't back up iTunes songs, you can't download them again, even on machines that are authorized. I bought an audiobook ($18), went to lunch and when I got back, my hard drive had crashed. When I went to Apple and asked where the link to download music I'd purchased was, I was informed that I would be allowed to download it again, but to be aware that they were doing me a favor and it wouldn't be allowed again.

    So, if you buy from ANY of these stores, be sure that you're first action (even before listening) is to burn it off to disc.

  19. Re:realaudio stream . . . too bad on Off-The-Shelf Online Music Stores · · Score: 1

    Gift horse . . . mouth . . . If there's one thing I can't stand about "geek culture" it's the incessant complaining about details while missing the primary point. My point is that there is innovative music out there that isn't in the mainstream and isn't "obscure for the sake of being obscure". Geeks complain over and over that they don't want to buy music without previewing it first. Then, when someone puts up samples, they're not in the right format or high enough quality or long enough, etc. I posted in response to both what was said and what I've seen posted in these conversations before. Frequently someone posts, offering their non-RIAA music and then pulling out their rare, Dutch-import death metal or German techno as an example, leaving most people believing that leaving the beaten path also means leaving their favorite music behind.

    If you don't like RealAudio, just download the MP3's directly or subscribe to the magazine and get the sampler CDs (you know, regular CDs) that come with every issue. It's not like they only provide one way to sample the music. If you'd like another format, ask them.

  20. Re:Burst... on Off-The-Shelf Online Music Stores · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This is like saying that there aren't any painters producing any good paintings. Just because you're trying to buy paintings at garage sales and WalMart doesn't mean that no one is painting great art, just that those places don't have any decent art.

    In almost any style, there are innovative, original musicians making music. For instance, one of my favorite styles is acoustic/roots rock. PasteMusic has a bunch of free MP3s and an Internet <a href="http://www.pastemusic.com/radio/">radio station</a> of their music. In the last 3 months, I've found several artists through them and bought 8 new CD's. Out of those 8, I'd only heard of 1 of the artists before hearing them through Paste. These are not the artists that your local gas station has at the checkout or carried by Target, WalMart or BestBuy. They're also not ultra-rare imports or obscure techno. It's straightforward music, made domestically (for me in the US) that just happens to not be distributed as widely as the popular stuff.

    I haven't bought a CD in the top 40 (or top anything measurable) in several years, but I do buy CD's regularly. Just get off the damn music freeway and see the rest of the music countryside.

  21. Re:Agents, anyone? on Spidering Hacks · · Score: 1

    The thing is . . . a bad implementation does not invalidate the concept. Many, many, many good ideas get a crappy first, second and many times third implementation.

    Given the initial failure of the Newton, would you want $1 for every PDA sold in the last 3 years? If the Newton was your indicator, the answer would be no.

  22. Re:Agents, anyone? on Spidering Hacks · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I think that some of the things being done to filter *out* spam might also apply to filtering *in* good information from things like agents.

    I know that my Popfile spam filter is getting pretty good (with 35,000 messages processed) at not only spam vs. ham type comparisons, but also work vs. personal and other categories.

    Bayesian filters are just one type of learning algorithm, but they work fairly well for textual comparisons. I've personally been toying with seeing how well a toolbar/proxy combination would work for predicting the relative "value" of a site to me. Run all browsing through a Bayesian web proxy that analyses all sites visited. Then, with a browser toolbar, sites can be moderated into a series of categories.

    That same database could be used by spiders to look for new content, and, if it fits into a "positive" category according to the analysis, add it to a personal content page of some sort that could be used as a browser's home page.

    With sufficient data sources (and with a book like this, it shows that there ARE plenty of sources), it could really bring the content you want to read together.

  23. Re:Finally! on Largest Citywide Wi-Fi Deployment · · Score: 1

    Was the surgery painful? You know. When they removed your sense of humor?

  24. Re:Now all they.. on Detoxing With Magnets for Fun and Profit · · Score: 1

    His defence was that he had a diabetic reaction that caused him to not be in control. The thing is, I don't think he *can* appeal as he would have to have evidence that wasn't presented at the first trial. Given how flimsy his initial defence was, if he had other evidence, he'd have presented it. He may not serve time, but even a conviction of someone who served as a popular governor for years and as a Congressional Representative is a boost in confidence in the system.

  25. Re:Now all they.. on Detoxing With Magnets for Fun and Profit · · Score: 2, Informative

    I don't know. The Representative from South Dakota was convicted of manslaughter after hitting someone on a motorcycle today and faces 10 years in prison.