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User: tstur

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Comments · 17

  1. Wrong Target on Facebook Blamed For Driving Up Cellphone Bills, But It's Not Alone · · Score: 1

    The underlying problem is the perpetual screwing that US mobile carriers inflict on customers. How they can defend the devolution of options is perplexing. No great alternatives so we must pay to play. I have lived outside the US for 6 years (while still paying for my US Verizon 5-phone family plan) and from Cyprus to Germany to South Korea the mobile plans are better priced, more robust, and reasonably fair to the consumer.

  2. oh me on George Lucas Selects Chicago For the Star Wars Museum · · Score: 1

    Could he have selected a more pompous name for the place?

  3. Re:Accountability on Workplace Surveillance Becoming More Common · · Score: 1

    Fair point for a select few home run hitters. Extend that mentality to the entire workforce though and it probably won't suffice.

  4. Accountability on Workplace Surveillance Becoming More Common · · Score: 1

    Unfortunately without accountability humans tend to make some poor choices. As an employer, why would I put up with paying somebody whose 5-min hourly smoke/coffee breaks slink towards 11-min? As a nonsmoking/noncoffeedrinking coworker, why should I be paid the same as the guy who works for 49 and breaks for 11? Now perhaps that guy is more efficient or more effective with hourly 11-min breaks, but that's the subject of a separate study. Without accountability it's easy to spend more and more minutes surfing slashdot and facebook between emails and coding. As with everything, of course, there needs to be a middle ground.

  5. common threads on Gut Microbes Linked to Autism-Like Symptoms in Mice · · Score: 1

    Reminds me of when illness/death comes from some bad source of food and impacts a swath of people. It's always interested me to know how quickly and by what process the source is discovered. I know that when I feel weird and suspect bad food it's a bit of a challenge to think absolutely thoroughly back through every last thing I ate over the past X hours/days. I wonder if there are many other common threads such as this that might yield clues if researchers had more complete knowledge of every person with a particular condition including things that people may never mention thinking it isn't relevant or important.

  6. Re:quasardilla supreme on Astronomers Discover Largest Structure In the Universe · · Score: 2

    Yep, if only that were widely understood... I'd like to see more things prefaced with, "Here's what we think we know as of today..." in order to help the larger population realize it's good to question things and continue researching, developing, and exploring. Often the first whack or two are not particularly correct.

  7. Re:What's really scary on NSA Wants To Reveal Its Secrets To Prevent Snowden From Revealing Them First · · Score: 2, Informative

    You don't suppose US allies are doing the exact same thing or would if they could? Information is power. Naturally, they must feign outrage and disdain, and meanwhile put their own similar programs on lock down. NSA is probably the envy of the international intelligence community.

  8. basics on Skype Is Evaluating Adding Typing Suppression Feature · · Score: 1

    Each iteration of Skype adds more features I don't want, makes the fundamental features harder to use, and bogs down the host device even further. It would behoove Skype to bear in mind that their revenue comes from people who pay for the VOIP capabilities and focus on making sure that actually works well. Also, don't make it so damn difficult to find the international rates.

  9. quasardilla supreme on Astronomers Discover Largest Structure In the Universe · · Score: -1, Troll

    So you're trying to tell me that something the scientific community thought was well understood (a la global warming, evolution) turns out to be in question?

  10. Re:There is such a value. on Italy Investigates Apple For Alleged Tax Fraud · · Score: 1

    Right, and the stuff being done is not a static set. Did we need a F-35? Probably not. But the money got spent because it's relatively easy to print more and/or tax more. I'm all for paying for the essential services and benefits, but my point is it's never enough, no matter who your government is.

    What does exec compensation have to do with tax rates?

  11. Re:Predictable on Italy Investigates Apple For Alleged Tax Fraud · · Score: 1

    I agree with your last sentence. Rules are rules. But I'm also suggesting there's a larger problem.

    Also, certain things don't scale well. It's conceivable the system that works so well in Scandinavia won't work in more populous countries.

  12. Re: Predictable on Italy Investigates Apple For Alleged Tax Fraud · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Trouble is that argument implies there is some magic number that equals Enough for the taxing authority, and there isn't. Or it's enough for that year, then it must be raised again. And again. And Again... Entities not paying tax are not the cause of ever increasing rates.

  13. Good Work Congress on Legislation Would Prohibit ISPs From Throttling Online Video Services · · Score: 1

    The fact that Congress thinks they have a solution, and furthermore that their solution took 63 pages to explain, tells me it's a stupid fucking idea. Business throttles content, customers get pissed, customers leave, business changes or succumbs to competition. Problem solved.

  14. Ridiculous on SnapChat Turns Down $3 Billion Offer From Facebook · · Score: 1

    Idiots. SnapChat for rejecting, and Facebook for offering.

  15. Predictable on Italy Investigates Apple For Alleged Tax Fraud · · Score: 2

    While despicable since megacorps like Apple have no defense for not paying what's owed as part of the cost of doing business, it remains to be said that the taxation system worldwide is completely out of control. No percentage will ever be enough for any government and thus tax paying entities must find techniques to minimize the fleecing.

  16. I'm not a number, I'm a free man! on The Prisoner To Be Remade On U.K. TV · · Score: 1
  17. Strange. on Nokia 5100 Reviewed · · Score: 1
    The Bad: No Bluetooth support, hard to push keys

    What again was the point of a cell phone? Was it to make phone calls? Won't I be dialing numbers? At least give me a phone that does well what it's supposed to do.