With all due respect, regardless of your perspective on the morality of this law, in the boundaries of the States, it is the law....right?
Is it ok to break laws you don't personally care for?
'okay'? No. Justified? Morally correct? Perhaps. It's a value judgement you have to make for yourself.
The constitution is the supreme law of the land, and there is no reason not to be educated in that law. So, if in your judgement the DMCA is not compatible with the constitution, you may even be legally justified in not complying with that law.
But don't expect that to save you from arrest and conviction, as the Supreme Court is the final arbitor of such issues.
Thought experiment: The government passess a law which makes it a crime NOT to kill anyone over 50 years of age. You refuse, and therefore you go to jail. Legally it may be correct, but morally, ethically, personally, it is entirely inhuman and evil.
Yes, that's an extreme example, but what I am pointing out is that you have an obligation to act as your best judgement dictates, regardless of the law.
These fears are just that, fears. A recognition of the potential for harm, not a manifestation of said harm. So talking about potential problems is great, making legislation based on fear is not.
If you want to truly 'protect' humanity from this technology, get a PhD in a relevant field and start doing serious research. Because that's the only place where you are going to be able to institute controls, at the development level. And by control I do not mean creating Ethics Police, I mean developing techniques that stop problems before they start, or at the very least, clean up minor messes before they become serious threats.
I'll point to computer viruses as the hackneyed example: What could have been a terrifying constant danger has become no more than a nuisance. Why? Because there are very intelligent people working in the field, and there are such people because there is a demand for protection.
Also, where does it say that humans and computers fusing is a bad thing? Explain to me what is so special about a given classification of elements. So what if my far future descendants make significant use of inorganic chemistry in their physiology? Big whoop. I'd still call them kin.
As others have said, those weapons are illegal under the current rules, entirely for safety reasons.
Now, how about "Extreme Battlebots": The arena is open, dozens of remote cameras are the only spectators for a thousand feet around. Use whatever weapon systems you want, up to and including explosives (within a reasonable limit, of course).
You'd have to go off-shore, more than likely, due to the explsoives, but otherwise it could work. Now, would anyone want to compete? And, how do you deal with the 'bot that is nothing but a satchel charge with wheels?
Nope. No such thing as "realistic needs". Ask Bill Gates about that one..
No matter WHAT your storage capacity, speed, data throughput, bandwith, there will ALWAYS be applications for which it isn't enough. Always. And, it seems, eventually these high-usage apps become POPULAR, and hell, then they are required for any given field. When I first heard that Word Perfect was a megabyte, I lost my shit! "ONE WHOLE MEG?! Omg.. what's in that bloated POS??"
Never enough. Never ever.
Re:Don't mean to sound the troll here but...
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SJGames Layoffs
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The fact of the matter is, when you work at a small company, you grow to trust people. When you grow to trust people, you manage them less (and generally speaking, that's a good thing, if someone is competent, they shouldn't have to have you giving them anally retentive directions). Unfortunately, good people can get locked in destructive cycles such as the one above, where they tell themselves "if I just work extra hard tomorrow, then I don't need to work on this today," making the task ever more daunting, until finally the whole thing falls apart, as in this case.
This is exactly what happened to me at my first professional programming gig. My first year was great, I was hammering out projects left and right. But then our projects became more long term and more individual, less directly supervised. And the last one had a schedule of about six months, with just me. Combine that with telecommuting and you can imagine what occured.
I've spent the last several years wondering if there was anyway for me to have gotten out of that situation before it became a nightmare. So far, not really.
In the future, I would suggest to all those who manage projects with long deadlines: Demand to see progress. Stick to the milestone plan. You can be the guy's friend, and yet still stick to professionalism; ask to see the code(/work). No matter how awesome you think the developer/worker is, check.
I agree with every point you make, and only wish to point out a reason why continuing a story line in an existing universe may be perceived as a terrible thing: %99 of American television sucks royal donkey nuts. And so if it was a series by any other person, it would be quite rational to maintain low expectations.
But I don't think it has quite sunk in yet just how good JMS is. Unfortunately, the vast majority of the population has trouble recognizing quality when they see it, and so if this new series doesn't do well, we may not see another.
Do you want to know why you haven't heard much about Babylon Five? Simple: The Bell curve. Most people don't know quality when they see it, and or are totally weirded out by things that appear new (but really aren't).
Look at it this way-- probably 85+% of the people in this Florida town think that putting cameras around town is a great idea. Stops crime, right? They're not concerned about the potential for abuse, or the threat to privacy. So if the ACLU were to walk in there and try to do something about it, they'd just muddy their name even more (those damn interfering liberals!)
As a recent Tampa resident, let me share a little insight with you about that town.
It is almost %100 focused on "Family Interest". The nightly news, on all channels, is playing solely to Soccer-mom's and churchgoers (Christian, specifically).
Ybor city, where this plan is being implemented, is the only place in town where you can find a decent club. It is the nightlife center of town, and it is always shown on the news as being dangerous and crime ridden.
Perhaps ten years ago, that was true. But since then it has been yuppified and turned into an adult playground. I've been there many times, and the worst crime I've ever seen is the occaisonal drunken brawl.
It certainly does NOT need this level of surveilance to prevent crime. In actuality, I suspect the cameras are there simply because criminals like to have fun too.
Why no cameras in real crime ridden areas, like College Hill or Suitcase City?
Also, and this is very very strange: Tampa has more cops than anyplace I have ever lived. I moved to Miami about four months ago, and there isn't half the police presence here.
Though there is far more corruption here in Miami, or perhaps the criminals are just less intelligent.
The police need it to do anything to you in public. This requirement prevents much harrassment (not all of course, it can be trumped up, but it does make it more difficult). This system, if it CURRENTLY DOES NOT keep a record of matches, is the ultimate Probable Cause generator.
"Yes your honor, the system flagged the suspect's face as having an outstanding warrant, so I proceeded to ask him to step aside and empty his pockets. How was I to know he was carrying a gun?"
Why is everybody so against the eye in the sky?
I'm not trying to flame, I'm trying to be serious.
I know I have nothing to hide from big brother, and if he wants to look into what I'm doing to keep me safer, all the better. The FBI or CIA or whatever does not care a/b whether you cheat on your wife, or skip work for a day. They only care a/b whether you are breaking the law. So if they come up with systems that allow them to better test whether or not you are breaking the law, why fight that?
Two words: Right Now.
Right now.. the police are only chasing real criminals.
Right now.. the FBI attempts to prevent real threats..
Right now.. the CIA is banned by law from operating against US Citizens.
What happens if any of that changes? What if someone starts a pogrom against a minority that you happen to be a part of? What if it becomes culturally OK to persecute someone with strange beliefs?
Think it cannot happen here? Heh. History proves not only that it can, but that it is simply a matter of time.
AV recording capacity, 33.34MB / minute, 10.8TB = 323,935 minutes of recording for one 16 layer PC Card storage device. Woo. Fucking! Hoo. !! Becoming a gargoyle (a la Stephenson) would be a practical reality
One of the major ways to save bandwith with client-server games is to have a large library of precomputed models, textures and animations. If the game ships on one of these cards, it would be possible to automatically pre-render every possible combination of every possible movement and texture of every model in your game to a near photo-realistic level of detail, letting you just transmit an index. And still have space left over for an abridged Library of Congress.
Ever find yourself needing to look up something on the 'net, but lack access? Whip out a Net-on-Card and find what you need.
I just hope it's not vapor. Please, PLEASE, don't let it be vapor.
.. that while this technology has uses now (right now!), it's true utility won't be seen until we can do some sort of direct neural / central nervous system input. It's all well and good to interpret my arm motions as commands, but to be a truly effective pilot (or effective controller of anything) I need feedback.
But, if / when we succeed in that... mouhahahaha.. Perhaps some sort of CNS nerve tap?.. gotta figure a way to do it that doesn't require surgery more complex than getting a pierced ear.
Perhaps a neural net could be trained to learn how to input signals rather than interpret outputs? A sufficiently powerful, changing magnetic field can induce a change in charge within a conductor (this is how nerve inductors work), but they suck (bulky, power hogs, heat, crappy resolution).
This is a prototype, of course, with all it's attendant bulk and fragility. I would guess future versions might resemble a fat wristwatch and utilize some sort of short-ranged wireless protocol.
And as for the 'sliding' issue, that's one of the reasons why they use a neural net in the first place: it can adapt to changes in signal characteristics. They've done similar things with genetic algorythms before.
I apologize for calling you a Luddite, the label was incorrect. In theory, we're all just talking here, there was no need for me to get belligerent.
..But, in the wrong hands it could be the end of the human race as we know it.
Cause severe damage, yes. End of the human race, as in kill everyone off? No, I doubt it. But, another interpretation: the end of the human race as we know it? Of course!
Hopefully, we'll be able to give ourselves and our children advantages that we can only dream of now. Options and capabilities are what our technology is all about, and if I can use that technology to increase my childs potential (or her great-great grandkids), I'm going to.
A clone is a CHILD with genetic material taken from ONE source. Do you fear children?
Once we start cloning, then we are going to start genically modifying are children - are we going to start growing our children vats?
If a genetic modification will enhance my child's life and chances of survival, then I will pursue such technology once it becomes available. If you want to tell me what sorts of advantages I can give my children, you'll receive the same sort of response I'd give anyone who told me how to raise my children: Eat shit and die. It's a primal, basic response, but quite appropriate.
And you know something else? If growing a child in a vat turns out to be a better choice than 'natural' childbirth, then bring on the vats! "Happy decanting day, son!"
Research. Think. Dream. But don't imagine that you have any right to tell others how to live their lives, as long as their choices don't harm you directly. And try to come up with concrete problems rather than vague fears next time, eh?
This is a "me, too", but basically, you are absolutely correct. Except that we have no idea how to speed up the growth process, so you're talking 10-15 years before your clone is ready. Best to start it when born. Use a fund similar to a college fund to keep it going.
However, they are doing some truly impressive things with stem cells, it may, in the long run, be better to simply keep a stem cell farm going rather than an entire body.
I hate to say it, but both questions are based on false premises. First, the premise that society is a real thing and not an abstraction. We are not all one mass. Some of us are very intelligent, some are not.
Second, the premise that there are certain problems that shouldn't be solved by certain people. If a couple are infertile, and it is possible to create a child via cloning, then by all means DO SO (providing you can afford the costs of the treatment).
Besides, as the failed 'Drug War' has so completely and utterly demonstrated, where there is demand, there will be supply (if it exists).
I think you dismiss ingenuity and creativity. Pin-point accuracy may be impossible (or unreasonably difficult). So? There's other ways to skin an ICBM: Sand cannons. Yeah, sounds lame, but the idea is pretty straightforward: fill the space where the rocket must fly with abrasive debris. On rentry, the missile's shielding ablates off and it burns up on the way in. Needs cheap lifting, but is technologically simple.
No, it's not the best idea, there's lots of problems with it, but never assume something is impossible.
"No damn space weapons at all"? Heh. Try this out.
100 years from now (sooner I hope, but hey..), a space colony decides it no longer wants to have anything to do with ole Mother Earth any longer. They cease to pay taxes, 'nationalize' any local holdings of earth-based corporations, and generally declare themselves a new entity.
Do ya think we're just going to let them go? Think this scenario is unlikely? Well, I put it to you this way: Nations fracture when a sizeable portion of their population feels that their government no longer works for them. And I very much doubt anything here on Earth would do a good job of governing a population living in space.
So like it or not, one way or the other, space warfare will occur, whether it is between nations or corporations. And it's always an advantage to have the most effective weapons (effective being a highly mission-specific thing).
Try this: If there were no automobile companies, all those who have died from driving related accidents would not have
It's not a matter of proving you wrong, or right. It's not germane. The real truth is, that we do alot of things that are damaging to ourselves, but we choose to do those things anyway. Our problem as Americans is that we tend to not take responsibility for those actions.
What you have to come to terms with is this: It's okay. There's nothing wrong with someone choosing to do something bad to themselves. They think it's worth it. They understand the risks.
So, yes, if there were no Tobacco companies, far fewer people would have died (possibly). And that's absolutely meaningless, unless you intend to outlaw the sale, manufacture and possession of tobacco?
I'm certain we could all use more crime in this country, so sure, go ahead. Outlaw 50 million people. I'll get the marshmellows for the fire down at city hall.
Slashdot Mirror
'okay'? No. Justified? Morally correct? Perhaps. It's a value judgement you have to make for yourself.
The constitution is the supreme law of the land, and there is no reason not to be educated in that law. So, if in your judgement the DMCA is not compatible with the constitution, you may even be legally justified in not complying with that law.
But don't expect that to save you from arrest and conviction, as the Supreme Court is the final arbitor of such issues.
Thought experiment: The government passess a law which makes it a crime NOT to kill anyone over 50 years of age. You refuse, and therefore you go to jail. Legally it may be correct, but morally, ethically, personally, it is entirely inhuman and evil.
Yes, that's an extreme example, but what I am pointing out is that you have an obligation to act as your best judgement dictates, regardless of the law.
If you want to truly 'protect' humanity from this technology, get a PhD in a relevant field and start doing serious research. Because that's the only place where you are going to be able to institute controls, at the development level. And by control I do not mean creating Ethics Police, I mean developing techniques that stop problems before they start, or at the very least, clean up minor messes before they become serious threats.
I'll point to computer viruses as the hackneyed example: What could have been a terrifying constant danger has become no more than a nuisance. Why? Because there are very intelligent people working in the field, and there are such people because there is a demand for protection.
Also, where does it say that humans and computers fusing is a bad thing? Explain to me what is so special about a given classification of elements. So what if my far future descendants make significant use of inorganic chemistry in their physiology? Big whoop. I'd still call them kin.
Now, how about "Extreme Battlebots": The arena is open, dozens of remote cameras are the only spectators for a thousand feet around. Use whatever weapon systems you want, up to and including explosives (within a reasonable limit, of course).
You'd have to go off-shore, more than likely, due to the explsoives, but otherwise it could work. Now, would anyone want to compete? And, how do you deal with the 'bot that is nothing but a satchel charge with wheels?
Still, it'd be fun to watch.
Cheap competitor to Palm.
Homebuilt robotics.
Arena-grade laser tag SBC.
Keychain network diagnostic tool.
Keychain security client.
Wearable computer system.
No matter WHAT your storage capacity, speed, data throughput, bandwith, there will ALWAYS be applications for which it isn't enough. Always. And, it seems, eventually these high-usage apps become POPULAR, and hell, then they are required for any given field. When I first heard that Word Perfect was a megabyte, I lost my shit! "ONE WHOLE MEG?! Omg.. what's in that bloated POS??"
Never enough. Never ever.
This is exactly what happened to me at my first professional programming gig. My first year was great, I was hammering out projects left and right. But then our projects became more long term and more individual, less directly supervised. And the last one had a schedule of about six months, with just me. Combine that with telecommuting and you can imagine what occured.
I've spent the last several years wondering if there was anyway for me to have gotten out of that situation before it became a nightmare. So far, not really.
In the future, I would suggest to all those who manage projects with long deadlines: Demand to see progress. Stick to the milestone plan. You can be the guy's friend, and yet still stick to professionalism; ask to see the code(/work). No matter how awesome you think the developer/worker is, check.
But I don't think it has quite sunk in yet just how good JMS is. Unfortunately, the vast majority of the population has trouble recognizing quality when they see it, and so if this new series doesn't do well, we may not see another.
Simply: The vast majority of people are morons.
As a recent Tampa resident, let me share a little insight with you about that town.
It is almost %100 focused on "Family Interest". The nightly news, on all channels, is playing solely to Soccer-mom's and churchgoers (Christian, specifically).
Ybor city, where this plan is being implemented, is the only place in town where you can find a decent club. It is the nightlife center of town, and it is always shown on the news as being dangerous and crime ridden.
Perhaps ten years ago, that was true. But since then it has been yuppified and turned into an adult playground. I've been there many times, and the worst crime I've ever seen is the occaisonal drunken brawl.
It certainly does NOT need this level of surveilance to prevent crime. In actuality, I suspect the cameras are there simply because criminals like to have fun too.
Why no cameras in real crime ridden areas, like College Hill or Suitcase City?
Also, and this is very very strange: Tampa has more cops than anyplace I have ever lived. I moved to Miami about four months ago, and there isn't half the police presence here.
Though there is far more corruption here in Miami, or perhaps the criminals are just less intelligent.
The police need it to do anything to you in public. This requirement prevents much harrassment (not all of course, it can be trumped up, but it does make it more difficult). This system, if it CURRENTLY DOES NOT keep a record of matches, is the ultimate Probable Cause generator.
"Yes your honor, the system flagged the suspect's face as having an outstanding warrant, so I proceeded to ask him to step aside and empty his pockets. How was I to know he was carrying a gun?"
Don't be so gullible.
Two words: Right Now.
Right now.. the police are only chasing real criminals.
Right now.. the FBI attempts to prevent real threats..
Right now.. the CIA is banned by law from operating against US Citizens.
What happens if any of that changes? What if someone starts a pogrom against a minority that you happen to be a part of? What if it becomes culturally OK to persecute someone with strange beliefs?
Think it cannot happen here? Heh. History proves not only that it can, but that it is simply a matter of time.
Can I just say that, for the record, this is the most misguided hunk of trash ever pushed in the UN? Thank you.
AV recording capacity, 33.34MB / minute, 10.8TB = 323,935 minutes of recording for one 16 layer PC Card storage device. Woo. Fucking! Hoo. !!
Becoming a gargoyle (a la Stephenson) would be a practical reality
One of the major ways to save bandwith with client-server games is to have a large library of precomputed models, textures and animations. If the game ships on one of these cards, it would be possible to automatically pre-render every possible combination of every possible movement and texture of every model in your game to a near photo-realistic level of detail, letting you just transmit an index. And still have space left over for an abridged Library of Congress.
Ever find yourself needing to look up something on the 'net, but lack access? Whip out a Net-on-Card and find what you need.
I just hope it's not vapor. Please, PLEASE, don't let it be vapor.
But, if / when we succeed in that... mouhahahaha.. Perhaps some sort of CNS nerve tap? .. gotta figure a way to do it that doesn't require surgery more complex than getting a pierced ear.
Perhaps a neural net could be trained to learn how to input signals rather than interpret outputs? A sufficiently powerful, changing magnetic field can induce a change in charge within a conductor (this is how nerve inductors work), but they suck (bulky, power hogs, heat, crappy resolution).
And as for the 'sliding' issue, that's one of the reasons why they use a neural net in the first place: it can adapt to changes in signal characteristics. They've done similar things with genetic algorythms before.
Hopefully, we'll be able to give ourselves and our children advantages that we can only dream of now. Options and capabilities are what our technology is all about, and if I can use that technology to increase my childs potential (or her great-great grandkids), I'm going to.
But this isn't much different from rural midwifery, is it? The problem has always existed, cloning technology really doesn't change anything.
But this isn't much different from rural midwifery, is it? The problem has always existed, cloning technology really doesn't change anything.
A clone is a CHILD with genetic material taken from ONE source. Do you fear children?
If a genetic modification will enhance my child's life and chances of survival, then I will pursue such technology once it becomes available. If you want to tell me what sorts of advantages I can give my children, you'll receive the same sort of response I'd give anyone who told me how to raise my children: Eat shit and die. It's a primal, basic response, but quite appropriate.And you know something else? If growing a child in a vat turns out to be a better choice than 'natural' childbirth, then bring on the vats! "Happy decanting day, son!"
Research. Think. Dream. But don't imagine that you have any right to tell others how to live their lives, as long as their choices don't harm you directly. And try to come up with concrete problems rather than vague fears next time, eh?
However, they are doing some truly impressive things with stem cells, it may, in the long run, be better to simply keep a stem cell farm going rather than an entire body.
Second, the premise that there are certain problems that shouldn't be solved by certain people. If a couple are infertile, and it is possible to create a child via cloning, then by all means DO SO (providing you can afford the costs of the treatment).
Besides, as the failed 'Drug War' has so completely and utterly demonstrated, where there is demand, there will be supply (if it exists).
Tempest shielding, aka, "Faraday Cages".
No, it's not the best idea, there's lots of problems with it, but never assume something is impossible.
100 years from now (sooner I hope, but hey..), a space colony decides it no longer wants to have anything to do with ole Mother Earth any longer. They cease to pay taxes, 'nationalize' any local holdings of earth-based corporations, and generally declare themselves a new entity.
Do ya think we're just going to let them go?
Think this scenario is unlikely? Well, I put it to you this way: Nations fracture when a sizeable portion of their population feels that their government no longer works for them. And I very much doubt anything here on Earth would do a good job of governing a population living in space.
So like it or not, one way or the other, space warfare will occur, whether it is between nations or corporations. And it's always an advantage to have the most effective weapons (effective being a highly mission-specific thing).
If there were no automobile companies, all those who have died from driving related accidents would not have
It's not a matter of proving you wrong, or right. It's not germane. The real truth is, that we do alot of things that are damaging to ourselves, but we choose to do those things anyway. Our problem as Americans is that we tend to not take responsibility for those actions.
What you have to come to terms with is this: It's okay. There's nothing wrong with someone choosing to do something bad to themselves. They think it's worth it. They understand the risks.
So, yes, if there were no Tobacco companies, far fewer people would have died (possibly). And that's absolutely meaningless, unless you intend to outlaw the sale, manufacture and possession of tobacco?
I'm certain we could all use more crime in this country, so sure, go ahead. Outlaw 50 million people. I'll get the marshmellows for the fire down at city hall.