Going back on their offer will make them look super-evil. Even worse than if they had not made the offer at all. Personally, I feel for them. There are pleanty of reasons they should be upset about the city-wide free wifi.
I, for one, agree with their #1 pick (don't know about the others, but I'm sure on #1) I mean, can you think of a better product for the #1 spot? What would you have picked instead?
Google benefits me in some way, claria does not. I opt to use googles' mail, news, and search services. I do not choose to use 'claria' nor do the majority of the people who end up with that trash on their system.
Well, Google, in a much more surreptitious manner keeps profiles of all who sign up for their services.
I have no objection to a company keeping a profile of me when I USE their services. My doctor also keeps a provile on me, is he evil as well?
Oh, and Google uses cookies to track logged-in users
I also have no objection to Google using cookies when I'm logged in as that's a perfectly valid use of cookies! In fact, it's the reason cookies were invented.
and using its toolbar tracks the sites users visit when logged out of other Google services (Gmail and such)
I don't use the google toolbar because 1) I don't use IE and 2) I don't have a use for it. I do have the google toolbar installed on the computers at my lab because it blocks some popups so that lab user who opt to use IE don't suffer quite so much. If google becomes irresponsible in its data gathering, I will *use the included uninstall utility* (a tool claria doesn't include). The google toolbar also has a 'privacy' option that allows me to disable any data-gathering activities. On a related note: I OPT to install the google toolbar, it doesn't sneak onto my computer like claria. If I don't want it, I don't have to install it.
Trust me when I say that there are pleanty of people in the U.S. without ready access to technology. (I'm speaking from experience here in reference to poor rural areas.) The program I run (in a housing development) seeks to correct the problem through technology access and training. Our center seeks to "bridge the digital divide" in order to our residents in becoming upwardly mobile. In the time I've been managing the program, I've been able to witness some real success. As an example, one woman (mid 50's) came to the center for my series of basic computer skills classes (offered at no charge, in case you were wondering.) After completing the course, she stayed with the center (also at no cost -- we are funded through mostly private donations) in order to pickup some more advanced skills. The result of giving someone simple access to technology and training? A 50+ year old woman with no past experience with computers was able to leave her job (she worked in a freezer, doing somthing with meat) and take a better-paying office job (improving the quality of her life). She had a fantastic mind (as most people do)-- in four months she went from having problems using the mouse to designing simple databases and writing complex SQL queries all on her own! The only thing that was holding her back was ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY. -- But I digress...
Anyhow, Just because there are 'cheap used computers' out there for under $100 doesn't solve the problem.
1) The example you site is a rare exception -- we have a used computer store in town here, but the prices are typically over $200, even for the junk hardware (and his repair prices are outragious). Our center does repair for nothing (unless new hardware is needed that we don't have laying around in the shop, in such a case I'll see if I can get it donated, or just have them try to buy the hardware necessary if it's affordable).
2) Most people don't know enough about computers to even look for an affordable computer. I bought a laptop computer for $66 on ebay for a friend who needed a computer for her classes at SRU. She was unwilling to believe that a $66 computer would meet her needs until the computer arrived and I was able to demonstrate its utility to her. I had to prove, through demonstration, that the computer would run MS Office, play MP3s, connect to the internet, play her videos, run her IM of choice, and do all of these things at an acceptable speed. She wouldn't have picked up this machine on her own and had actually planned on asking me to buy a machine from Dell. Why? Because she didn't know any better!
3) A computer has other costs associated with it than the list price. It takes electricity (expensive for the low-income household who has trouble paying the electric bill each month), It will break (most repair shops are expensive), It will break more often if a virus scanner is not installed (an annual expense). The user will obviously want (or need for eGov't services) access to the internet (expensive, especially for those who dont' have a telephone [yes, they exist] as they have to get phone service or get their old service "turned back on" in addition to the cost of the service).
That said, why to I bring up low-income so much? Why is a virus scanner somthing people can't afford? Why isn't internet service somthing people can't afford? Consider people who are sick and cannot work (wheel-chair bound and suffer from sores -- often layed up in the hospital for months at a time) Consider the single mother who works two low-paying jobs just to feed and cloth her children -- who relies on the kindness of friends and family to get through a crisis such as the need to replace some part on her car so she can get to work. The handicapped who cannot work due to physical or mental disability who's fixed income is set at ~$600 (yes, that's is a common amount). The poor sod who lost his job when the plant/mill/etc. closed now trying to support his family on wal-mart wages. And the poor sod who just
It would be most useful when youths swarm into stores and begin stealing en masse, a phenomenon known in Britain as steaming. The idea would be to blast them with such an unacceptably loud, high noise
Thieves When earplugs are outlawed... only outlaws will have earplugs
The WMF format is very well understood. Microsoft isn't hiding anything about it. Check out wotsit.org for 3 good documents about WMF (including one from MS)
It's clear that he used one of those USB/MP3 players that are all-too-common. If you've never seen one before: Check this out
Also, there is no reason to doubt that someone could, in fact, make their own MP3 player with parts they can buy. Just because you don't understand it doesn't mean it's impossible. (After all, how do you think these products get into the stores? Magic?)
This fellow? No. It's clearly one of those MP3/USB Flash Drives (or whatever the popular term for them is now) stuck inside an NES controler. Look at the photos -- No Magic Here. Still fun though.
That's most likely *exactly* how he did it -- It's not complicated at all. When I was a child (~10) I used to do exactly that. i.e. I'd rip appart those 'hand-held electronic games' and solder in leads to use homemade controlers. The buttons on those things are nothing more than a simple switch (big shock!) so it doens't take much skill or intelligence to 'hack' such a device in the same manner this fellow did. What's Cool about this hack is that he took something from our childhood and made it into something new. Nostalgia is still king:)
Remember: Just because you can't explain it doesn't mean it's inexplicable!
Unfortunately, Gnome and KDE seem to hog as many resources as I throw at them
I know! What good are they? Why do people insist on using them? I run AfterStep when I can -- fvwm when no one else will touch my machine (/me hides in shame) -- There is no reason a WM has to be bloated. That's insane. There is no reason why an application should require a specific WM. That's just dumb. Developers out there, pick up the O'Reily XLib Reference Manual [2] and XLib Programming manual [1] (sell your blood for the $75 if you need to) and develop the 'lite' way, the right way!
Hard to believe but... a friend of mine is a 'certified hypnotherapist' and runs a small practice in New Castle, PA. He claims that someone under hypnosis (very deep hypnosis anyhow) will not do anything that they wouldn't do when they're not hypnotised. So, you can hypnotise someone to believe that they can't sit down because their chair is missing -- but you couldn't cause them to kill someone.
The science part of MythBusters seems to be lacking (considerably) In a show the other day, in fact, there were explicit science warnings when the characters intended to discuss something technical. Why does MythBusters shy away from science?
but also on Brownian Motion (thus finally providing irrefutable evidence of atoms)
I wouldn't exactly call it "irrefutable" for a number of reasons, least of all that any scientific theory has this requirement of being falsifiable. Remember back in 1905 atoms were still suspect -- but the world was ready to accept them and Einstein provided some compelling supporting evidence when he explained Brownian Motion. As for that evidence being "irrefutable" I simply cannot agree.
I'll agree that we'll always need an o/s in one form or another. What I do believe, is that there is an increased demand for applications to run regardless of hardware or o/s. The web has brought us many things -- at that demand is one of them!
I want my website to function the same way across all platforms. Standards are a way to achieve this.
The driver issue can be resolved easily enough with *standards* interfaces for various devices. Remember the old dos days when all I had to know was that my sound card was SB combatable? (a defacto standard of the time) Remember when most printers would print (plain text) using the same interface regardless of the manufacturer or model? I could print from PFS Write without having to care what kind of printer I had. I love standards!
I remember writing code in Pascal that would compile and run on an apple II or IBM pc without changing a thing! I remember writing code in LISP that would run on any machine with a good LISP interpreter. Why did all these wonderful things change when the GUI entered the picture?
What is needed is a *standard* for GUIs. This shouldn't be hard to achieve, provided everyone is willing to play by the standards game. I really don't understand why we don't. Why hasn't the community demanded that yet?
The only thing I saw was a tiny GNAA logo in the center of the screen. Firefox told me that it has prevented this site from opening a popup window. That was all.
Slashdot Mirror
My T-shrit changed from white to yellow -- but I couldn't get it to change back...
Going back on their offer will make them look super-evil. Even worse than if they had not made the offer at all. Personally, I feel for them. There are pleanty of reasons they should be upset about the city-wide free wifi.
Fiction finally becomes reality!
"leet speak" grammar pendants? What next?!
France: "We Surrender! Please don't hurt us..."
I, for one, agree with their #1 pick (don't know about the others, but I'm sure on #1) I mean, can you think of a better product for the #1 spot? What would you have picked instead?
I have no objection to a company keeping a profile of me when I USE their services. My doctor also keeps a provile on me, is he evil as well?
I also have no objection to Google using cookies when I'm logged in as that's a perfectly valid use of cookies! In fact, it's the reason cookies were invented.
I don't use the google toolbar because 1) I don't use IE and 2) I don't have a use for it. I do have the google toolbar installed on the computers at my lab because it blocks some popups so that lab user who opt to use IE don't suffer quite so much. If google becomes irresponsible in its data gathering, I will *use the included uninstall utility* (a tool claria doesn't include). The google toolbar also has a 'privacy' option that allows me to disable any data-gathering activities. On a related note: I OPT to install the google toolbar, it doesn't sneak onto my computer like claria. If I don't want it, I don't have to install it.
Trust me when I say that there are pleanty of people in the U.S. without ready access to technology. (I'm speaking from experience here in reference to poor rural areas.) The program I run (in a housing development) seeks to correct the problem through technology access and training. Our center seeks to "bridge the digital divide" in order to our residents in becoming upwardly mobile. In the time I've been managing the program, I've been able to witness some real success. As an example, one woman (mid 50's) came to the center for my series of basic computer skills classes (offered at no charge, in case you were wondering.) After completing the course, she stayed with the center (also at no cost -- we are funded through mostly private donations) in order to pickup some more advanced skills. The result of giving someone simple access to technology and training? A 50+ year old woman with no past experience with computers was able to leave her job (she worked in a freezer, doing somthing with meat) and take a better-paying office job (improving the quality of her life). She had a fantastic mind (as most people do)-- in four months she went from having problems using the mouse to designing simple databases and writing complex SQL queries all on her own! The only thing that was holding her back was ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY. -- But I digress...
Anyhow, Just because there are 'cheap used computers' out there for under $100 doesn't solve the problem.
1) The example you site is a rare exception -- we have a used computer store in town here, but the prices are typically over $200, even for the junk hardware (and his repair prices are outragious). Our center does repair for nothing (unless new hardware is needed that we don't have laying around in the shop, in such a case I'll see if I can get it donated, or just have them try to buy the hardware necessary if it's affordable).
2) Most people don't know enough about computers to even look for an affordable computer. I bought a laptop computer for $66 on ebay for a friend who needed a computer for her classes at SRU. She was unwilling to believe that a $66 computer would meet her needs until the computer arrived and I was able to demonstrate its utility to her. I had to prove, through demonstration, that the computer would run MS Office, play MP3s, connect to the internet, play her videos, run her IM of choice, and do all of these things at an acceptable speed. She wouldn't have picked up this machine on her own and had actually planned on asking me to buy a machine from Dell. Why? Because she didn't know any better!
3) A computer has other costs associated with it than the list price. It takes electricity (expensive for the low-income household who has trouble paying the electric bill each month), It will break (most repair shops are expensive), It will break more often if a virus scanner is not installed (an annual expense). The user will obviously want (or need for eGov't services) access to the internet (expensive, especially for those who dont' have a telephone [yes, they exist] as they have to get phone service or get their old service "turned back on" in addition to the cost of the service).
That said, why to I bring up low-income so much? Why is a virus scanner somthing people can't afford? Why isn't internet service somthing people can't afford? Consider people who are sick and cannot work (wheel-chair bound and suffer from sores -- often layed up in the hospital for months at a time) Consider the single mother who works two low-paying jobs just to feed and cloth her children -- who relies on the kindness of friends and family to get through a crisis such as the need to replace some part on her car so she can get to work. The handicapped who cannot work due to physical or mental disability who's fixed income is set at ~$600 (yes, that's is a common amount). The poor sod who lost his job when the plant/mill/etc. closed now trying to support his family on wal-mart wages. And the poor sod who just
Thieves
When earplugs are outlawed
The WMF format is very well understood. Microsoft isn't hiding anything about it. Check out wotsit.org for 3 good documents about WMF (including one from MS)
Did you mean to reply to the parent? I was asserting that this project was not, in fact, fake.
It's clear that he used one of those USB/MP3 players that are all-too-common. If you've never seen one before: Check this out
Also, there is no reason to doubt that someone could, in fact, make their own MP3 player with parts they can buy. Just because you don't understand it doesn't mean it's impossible. (After all, how do you think these products get into the stores? Magic?)
This fellow? No. It's clearly one of those MP3/USB Flash Drives (or whatever the popular term for them is now) stuck inside an NES controler. Look at the photos -- No Magic Here. Still fun though.
That's most likely *exactly* how he did it -- It's not complicated at all. When I was a child (~10) I used to do exactly that. i.e. I'd rip appart those 'hand-held electronic games' and solder in leads to use homemade controlers. The buttons on those things are nothing more than a simple switch (big shock!) so it doens't take much skill or intelligence to 'hack' such a device in the same manner this fellow did. What's Cool about this hack is that he took something from our childhood and made it into something new. Nostalgia is still king :)
Remember: Just because you can't explain it doesn't mean it's inexplicable!
I know! What good are they? Why do people insist on using them? I run AfterStep when I can -- fvwm when no one else will touch my machine (/me hides in shame) -- There is no reason a WM has to be bloated. That's insane. There is no reason why an application should require a specific WM. That's just dumb. Developers out there, pick up the O'Reily XLib Reference Manual [2] and XLib Programming manual [1] (sell your blood for the $75 if you need to) and develop the 'lite' way, the right way!
Even if you don't read the article at least read the summary. It's about a guy with the last name 'Goto'.
Is that one Grammar Ninja or multiple Grammar Ninja?
Hard to believe but ... a friend of mine is a 'certified hypnotherapist' and runs a small practice in New Castle, PA. He claims that someone under hypnosis (very deep hypnosis anyhow) will not do anything that they wouldn't do when they're not hypnotised. So, you can hypnotise someone to believe that they can't sit down because their chair is missing -- but you couldn't cause them to kill someone.
Mod parent up!
The science part of MythBusters seems to be lacking (considerably) In a show the other day, in fact, there were explicit science warnings when the characters intended to discuss something technical. Why does MythBusters shy away from science?
I wouldn't exactly call it "irrefutable" for a number of reasons, least of all that any scientific theory has this requirement of being falsifiable. Remember back in 1905 atoms were still suspect -- but the world was ready to accept them and Einstein provided some compelling supporting evidence when he explained Brownian Motion. As for that evidence being "irrefutable" I simply cannot agree.
I'll agree that we'll always need an o/s in one form or another. What I do believe, is that there is an increased demand for applications to run regardless of hardware or o/s. The web has brought us many things -- at that demand is one of them!
I want my website to function the same way across all platforms. Standards are a way to achieve this.
The driver issue can be resolved easily enough with *standards* interfaces for various devices. Remember the old dos days when all I had to know was that my sound card was SB combatable? (a defacto standard of the time) Remember when most printers would print (plain text) using the same interface regardless of the manufacturer or model? I could print from PFS Write without having to care what kind of printer I had. I love standards!
I remember writing code in Pascal that would compile and run on an apple II or IBM pc without changing a thing! I remember writing code in LISP that would run on any machine with a good LISP interpreter. Why did all these wonderful things change when the GUI entered the picture?
What is needed is a *standard* for GUIs. This shouldn't be hard to achieve, provided everyone is willing to play by the standards game. I really don't understand why we don't. Why hasn't the community demanded that yet?
Wow, wipe their seed from the earth... harsh... But are stiffer penalties *really* a deterant?
I haven't seen a popup/popunder ad all year. What sites are you visiting that give you popup/popunder ads?
(Running Firefox beta 2)
The only thing I saw was a tiny GNAA logo in the center of the screen. Firefox told me that it has prevented this site from opening a popup window. That was all.
Knowledge (and hence, talent) is not the same as Intelligence. I don't know why people have trouble understanding this.