I definitely agree with this. Having more focus, Meego would get great pretty quickly. If Nokia's N9 progress from PR1 to the current version is any indication... And it was only half-Meego.
I can tell you that there is a world of difference between production lines for Nokia and LG/Samsung. Nokia is much more worker-friendly overall, from R&D to manufacturing. However, Nokia does use components produced by others (Chinese and Korean companies among them) that don't necessarily follow the same procedures. Nonetheless, Nokia tries to influence work environment on these, both from people and ecological points of view (to varying degrees of success, of course).
Full disclosure: I do work on projects for Nokia, so take my view with whatever amount of salt you fell appropriate.
Egos and charlatans aside, real academics with actual know-how/expertise on given areas are simply not going to use Wikipedia.
Not for any reason except that much of what they'd write would be reverted by some random i-know-more-than-you joe, or some of the entrenched biased "editors".
I love the Wikipedia idea and I still like the site a lot as a whole, but I no longer contribute much mainly because of this. Especially on the non-English wikis.
Very valid point. If I'm not mistaken these are called method patents (and are specially common in Germany).
Sorry if I indirectly implied a dichotomy, my point was that the Wild Fox guy was talking about software patents, while the replier was talking about other kinds as well.
Brazil and most of South America have no concept of software patents.
In Brazil specifically, the law says that mechanism to protect software is the same as literary works, i.e. copyright. Business methods are also not patentable in Brazil.
Mexican law also states that software (computer programs) are not inventions and thus, not subject to patents.
In 2009 Canada also rejected software and business methods patents. As far as I know, this has not changed. Please correct me if I'm wrong here.
From the little info that is available, the problem seems to be exactly the direct affiliation with the FBI.
ACM is just a professional organization, and they'd like to know the profiles of their members. ACM doesn't have other goals but tho help their members (at least officially). The same applies to IEEE and others.
In this case, an external entity (the FBI) is asking for this info from members of another entity, which does not specify clearly their purpose or the nature of their relationship with the FBI. It is only natural for people to think this is weird.
I agree with you and I also know people that have this happen to them, so they are now doing research in other countries.
What I think is interesting is that US policy always (officially) favours an open market and competition. But in this area (grad-school-educated people) they have these weird protectionist rules. It is not as if the US even has a lot of unemployed PhDs laying around to begin with...
It is definitely very common to find this "memorizing-stuff-is-education" in developing countries. Brazil for example, used to be very much like this in the 80s. Even Richard Feynman complained about it when he taught in Brazil for a year. It is still somewhat like that, but has improved. My experience with China (and Singapore, for that matter) is that the issue is more of a "no challenge allowed", so students don't have a say and have to do exactly what is asked of them. Maybe due to this, most students from Asia are less autonomous, needing more guidance to pursue solutions to problems.
From the educational systems I know something about, the "copy culture" is not so specific to countries. I'd say it is more of a global thing, with occasional countries where it seem to happen more often.
My impression from the US is that there is a lack of interest in students to really study hard, and this is amplified by policies that keep lowering the bar. But the US still has the best options for grad school. I'd say that on average they are better than most in Europe.
Overall I think basic education is the biggest influence in determining students behaviour at grad school. In this sense, northern europe seems to take a great lead (specially the Finnish system), as well as Cuba (at least basic education they do right if not much else). I've also heard good things about Canada, but have no experience in this regard.
While I'm not Chinese or Asian, I completely agree with him.
The thing I miss the most from living in Asia is the food. Only in very few places outside Asia have I found "good Chinese food", and all of those were places run by immigrants (where people in the kitchen didn't even speak English). I also heard the same from Indian and Nepalese friends.
So I guess food can really be a strong drive in going back. Stronger than most people would think.
Yes, constrained the remaining nobles in their territory to a small principality called Monaco so they could still have all the nobility gossips they wanted in their tabloids, without having to actually deal with them.
Hey mister flamebaiter, nowhere I said everybody loves Iran.
If you're so educated, please learn to read and notice that I do agree that Iran is unstable and undemocratic. And also that I was just pointing flaws in the way the OP originally framed his argument.
Even your example about Saudi Arabia is a fallacy. Israel having nukes is as good a reasons as Iran having them for the Saudis to pursue theirs. If they ever needed a "reason".
But Brazil only fingerprints and photographs people from the US. And that is reciprocity for having its citizens fingerprinted and photographed in the US.
Other countries (Peru, Panama, Bolivia,...) charge more fees if you're from the US to cover for immigration and customs procedures.
Slashdot Mirror
I definitely agree with this. Having more focus, Meego would get great pretty quickly. If Nokia's N9 progress from PR1 to the current version is any indication... And it was only half-Meego.
I can tell you that there is a world of difference between production lines for Nokia and LG/Samsung. Nokia is much more worker-friendly overall, from R&D to manufacturing.
However, Nokia does use components produced by others (Chinese and Korean companies among them) that don't necessarily follow the same procedures. Nonetheless, Nokia tries to influence work environment on these, both from people and ecological points of view (to varying degrees of success, of course).
Full disclosure: I do work on projects for Nokia, so take my view with whatever amount of salt you fell appropriate.
Erlang is Ericsson.
> ... ...
> Think about it, who ever wanted a loan of Brazilian Reales?
>
Nobody, of course. But if it was in Brazilian Reais, I'd want one. Provided the interest is low enough. ;-)
Egos and charlatans aside, real academics with actual know-how/expertise on given areas are simply not going to use Wikipedia.
Not for any reason except that much of what they'd write would be reverted by some random i-know-more-than-you joe, or some of the entrenched biased "editors".
I love the Wikipedia idea and I still like the site a lot as a whole, but I no longer contribute much mainly because of this. Especially on the non-English wikis.
It's also a mistake even in South America or half of Europe. And especially in Japan.
I'd rather have them die in a fire. Especially if it's one that will get them nominated to the Darwin Award. :)
Very valid point. If I'm not mistaken these are called method patents (and are specially common in Germany).
Sorry if I indirectly implied a dichotomy, my point was that the Wild Fox guy was talking about software patents, while the replier was talking about other kinds as well.
Oblig. xkcd: http://www.xkcd.com/739/ :-)
But these count hardware patents, not only software patents. Remember that both are wildly different beasts.
The guy proposing Wild Fox is focused on going around software patents. It would be pretty hard to add hardware to Firefox. :)
Hey, not the Americas, just the US.
Brazil and most of South America have no concept of software patents.
In Brazil specifically, the law says that mechanism to protect software is the same as literary works, i.e. copyright. Business methods are also not patentable in Brazil.
Mexican law also states that software (computer programs) are not inventions and thus, not subject to patents.
In 2009 Canada also rejected software and business methods patents. As far as I know, this has not changed. Please correct me if I'm wrong here.
Just wait till DHS notices all this illegal border crossing...
The new "unified" ISDB-T standard (Japanese/Brazilian digital tv) also uses H.264.
From the little info that is available, the problem seems to be exactly the direct affiliation with the FBI.
ACM is just a professional organization, and they'd like to know the profiles of their members. ACM doesn't have other goals but tho help their members (at least officially).
The same applies to IEEE and others.
In this case, an external entity (the FBI) is asking for this info from members of another entity, which does not specify clearly their purpose or the nature of their relationship with the FBI.
It is only natural for people to think this is weird.
Oddly, the same also kind of applies to the system in Cuba.
Interesting correlation...
I agree with you and I also know people that have this happen to them, so they are now doing research in other countries.
What I think is interesting is that US policy always (officially) favours an open market and competition. But in this area (grad-school-educated people) they have these weird protectionist rules. It is not as if the US even has a lot of unemployed PhDs laying around to begin with...
Sorry for replying to myself, but it should say "Only in very few places outside southeast Asia..." on the part about Chinese food.
It is definitely very common to find this "memorizing-stuff-is-education" in developing countries. Brazil for example, used to be very much like this in the 80s. Even Richard Feynman complained about it when he taught in Brazil for a year. It is still somewhat like that, but has improved. My experience with China (and Singapore, for that matter) is that the issue is more of a "no challenge allowed", so students don't have a say and have to do exactly what is asked of them. Maybe due to this, most students from Asia are less autonomous, needing more guidance to pursue solutions to problems.
From the educational systems I know something about, the "copy culture" is not so specific to countries. I'd say it is more of a global thing, with occasional countries where it seem to happen more often.
My impression from the US is that there is a lack of interest in students to really study hard, and this is amplified by policies that keep lowering the bar. But the US still has the best options for grad school. I'd say that on average they are better than most in Europe.
Overall I think basic education is the biggest influence in determining students behaviour at grad school. In this sense, northern europe seems to take a great lead (specially the Finnish system), as well as Cuba (at least basic education they do right if not much else). I've also heard good things about Canada, but have no experience in this regard.
While I'm not Chinese or Asian, I completely agree with him.
The thing I miss the most from living in Asia is the food. Only in very few places outside Asia have I found "good Chinese food", and all of those were places run by immigrants (where people in the kitchen didn't even speak English). I also heard the same from Indian and Nepalese friends.
So I guess food can really be a strong drive in going back. Stronger than most people would think.
I don't know if she is good in bed. But the name "Isa Dick" kind of summarizes the whole thing about this possible lawsuit in my opinion.
Yes, constrained the remaining nobles in their territory to a small principality called Monaco so they could still have all the nobility gossips they wanted in their tabloids, without having to actually deal with them.
Agreed.
On the other hand, the estate is only being a dick about the whole thing. :-P
*ducks*
Hey mister flamebaiter, nowhere I said everybody loves Iran.
If you're so educated, please learn to read and notice that I do agree that Iran is unstable and undemocratic. And also that I was just pointing flaws in the way the OP originally framed his argument.
Even your example about Saudi Arabia is a fallacy. Israel having nukes is as good a reasons as Iran having them for the Saudis to pursue theirs. If they ever needed a "reason".
Interesting.
But I guess they can claim that such lengths as 95+ years is limited. Like they do with copyrights...
But Brazil only fingerprints and photographs people from the US. And that is reciprocity for having its citizens fingerprinted and photographed in the US.
Other countries (Peru, Panama, Bolivia, ...) charge more fees if you're from the US to cover for immigration and customs procedures.