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User: JWSmythe

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  1. Re:Just one more reason on Criminals Using Drones To Find Cannabis Farms and Steal Crops · · Score: 1

    Ya, I pretty much wrote off the story when I saw "hydroponic lights". Unless someone has invented a lightbulb that spews water from it, they're just writing a news story with keywords to try to make a buck.

  2. Re:I wonder how much damage... on Apache OpenOffice Reaches 100 Million Downloads. Now What? · · Score: 1

    I've gone through this at a few places now. Besides resistance from the users ("we only know how to use Outlook!"), is migrating from Outlook to another solution ranges somewhere between unlikely to impossible. For someone like me, I only have 3 or 4 appointments scheduled, and the other few hundred are meetings I was invited to. :)

    You can have the best plan, with the best business reasons, but when a senior executive tells the CEO that he can't switch, you'll frequently find that it will veto the migration.

    Here's a real-world example. I was Director of IT for the company. The CEO told me specifically to get rid of Exchange, because the upgrade costs were too high. We were literally a couple weeks from switching. The Director of Sales went to the CEO and demanded that we keep Exchange, or he would walk.

    Funny thing about the sales department. He didn't manage to sell anything, and he couldn't retain the customers. The accounting staff ended up doing all the customer retention. That guy cost us more money than he made. IT, on the other hand, brought costs down, and improved the customer experience.

    The only thing that sales brought to us were headaches, and very pretty forward looking reports, that pretty much consisted of a graph showing our sales history, and a line going up at a 45 degree angle showing our future revenue. Every few months, he had to update the graph, so it showed our revenue losses, and had a new starting point for his upward line. I don't think he had a grasp of the concept of forecasting.

  3. Re:always come back to MS Word on Apache OpenOffice Reaches 100 Million Downloads. Now What? · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Funny, I've tried MS Office a few times over the years. I usually go back to OpenOffice. If for nothing else, I install OpenOffice when I set up a new computer, since it's too much trouble to find an unused MS license outside of normal business hours. :)

  4. Re:A few observations and suggestions on Apache OpenOffice Reaches 100 Million Downloads. Now What? · · Score: 3, Informative

    Microsoft is probably counting every OEM that ships with the trial version of Office, and all the bundled licenses, even if they aren't used.

    Most companies buy too many licenses, so they can be sure they have enough. So if we buy 50, and use 30, but only 10 use it on any sort of regular basis, MS will still count it as 50.

  5. Re:I wonder how much damage... on Apache OpenOffice Reaches 100 Million Downloads. Now What? · · Score: 4, Interesting

    For most users that I've known who were willing to try OpenOffice, Calc worked fine for them.

    The problem is Outlook and Exchange. The users see the mail client, calendering, and the like, as essential. The word processor and spreadsheet are secondary to that. Once some exec starts talking to sales about getting just Outlook, they are sold on the wonders of getting the whole MSOffice suite.

    There are enough users who refuse to even try OpenOffice for the word processor. "I can't because...". I've tricked some users into switching, by just giving them shortcuts on their desktop with the MS names instead of the OO names, and changing the default save types to the MS counterpart. When they ask about why it looks different, I just tell them "oh, this is the newer version.", and they're fine.

  6. Re:It was a "joke" back then on This 1981 BYTE Magazine Cover Explains Why We're So Bad At Tech Predictions · · Score: 1

    ... and since you said teleportation, your future prediction would be completely ruined by the sudden realization that you can safely establish stable wormholes with stuff that's already in most homes.

    I don't trust any forward looking statement. Business people throw those around all the time, which always equates to "I hope we stay in business". They never make the forward looking statement of "In the next 6 to 9 months, I hope we go bankrupt, and the shareholders murder us."

  7. Re:Can I be the first to say.....? on Saturn May Have Given Birth To a Baby Moon · · Score: 3, Informative

    Nah, the Saturnians just did yet another launch.. You'd think they would have learned by now that they're really not good at it. Look at all that debris they left in orbit. That's what it's going to look like around the Earth in a few thousand years, if we don't start cleaning up after ourselves.

  8. Re:Okay, so Pluto isn't perfect on Pluto May Have Deep Seas and Ancient Tectonic Faults · · Score: 1

    You sir, may have excellent potential in the exciting career of government alphabet soup.

    https://www.usajobs.gov/JobSearch/Search/GetResults?Keyword=Alphabet Soup

  9. Re:Okay, so Pluto isn't perfect on Pluto May Have Deep Seas and Ancient Tectonic Faults · · Score: 1

    The shock and awe of the situation was overwhelming. Almost on the scale of a WMD.

  10. Re:Medical doctor on Ask Slashdot: Are You Apocalypse-Useful? · · Score: 1

    90% of electronics that randomly stop working do so because the user failed.

    FTFY. :)

    You're apocalypse sounds better, and possibly more likely, than some others on here. It's much more likely than the evaporating magnets and technology. :)

  11. Re:Medical doctor on Ask Slashdot: Are You Apocalypse-Useful? · · Score: 1

    I think the first AC below is right. Without a good support structure, including people to defend you, you most likely won't survive the first few weeks. I'm fairly sure you're not the only person around (or even on here) that can identify and replace a bad cap. :)

    It's ok though, if you make it to our compound, you'd be welcome and protected. You'd better know more than just swapping electronic components though. Everyone is a soldier first, and their specialty second. You won't do us much good dead.

  12. Re:Medical doctor on Ask Slashdot: Are You Apocalypse-Useful? · · Score: 1

    A lot of us build from our parents work. Some of it we don't, because technology caught up sufficiently to the mainstream. Like, before my father tired, he was working on bleeding edge work with lasers and thermal imaging.

    I don't need a ruby rod and flashtube to fire a laser, at some huge gov't expense, and $10,000 (if I remember right) for an infrared thermometer. Now I can get a $20 that does both.

    He quite literally had a truck filled with gear that was cooled by liquid nitrogen, to do thermal imaging. I believe the truck was the cheapest component. Instead, I can spend $2,500 for a handheld camera that does much better quality imaging.

    There are some things that really don't change much. I do my own work around the house. I work on my own cars. I've built electronics. Some techniques I learned from him. Some I've improved on. If he was still alive, I believe he would be impressed.

  13. Re:Medical doctor on Ask Slashdot: Are You Apocalypse-Useful? · · Score: 1

    Is that before or after disassembling stuff? :)

    And for some things, you don't even need the magnets. There are plenty of cars out there with self-exciting alternators. All you need is something to spin the pulley.

    I think in his universe, all the magnets, tools, vehicles, and stores simply disappeared.

  14. Re:Medical doctor on Ask Slashdot: Are You Apocalypse-Useful? · · Score: 1

    Correct, but if you're skilled with electrical gear, you can make electricity.

    A car alternator, belt, pulley, a bit of wood, and a running river, can give you constant power.

    That power can run our soldering iron, refrigerator/freezer, or other useful things.

    The guy who knows all the in's and out's on a car, can give you reliable transportation. In the case of the recent walking dead episodes, he can give you a way to drive down the tracks quickly, rather than walking for days. (Hint: a Chevy S10 has the correct distance between wheels to sit on the rails)

    A big enough mini power plant can run arc welders. Building foot thick steel reinforced concrete walls is better than hiding in almost any house.

    And for the record, I'm a long-term IT guy. I also have experience in electronics, refrigeration and HVAC, automotive work, firearms handling, and farming. I'm also spoken for. My friends and family already know where to meet up if there happens to be an apocalypse. They have the written plans and maps. If an apocalypse happened, we'd be set back up and having LAN parties within a few weeks. :)

  15. Re:Mulgrew is an airhead on Scientists/Actress Say They Were 'Tricked' Into Geocentric Universe Movie · · Score: 1

    Ok.. That's one fictional character who followed the scripted instructions to pretend to be interested.

    For the right money, I could fake it too.

  16. Re:Actually... on Scientists/Actress Say They Were 'Tricked' Into Geocentric Universe Movie · · Score: 1

    Ya, but you need a balloon the size of the universe, made out of fire, with infinite elasticity, and be able to place the observer at a position where they can't observe the boundary between the balloon and nothingness.

    There's some really good math that goes with it, which is why I didn't want to just give the balloon analogy.

  17. Re:yes probably... on Scientists/Actress Say They Were 'Tricked' Into Geocentric Universe Movie · · Score: 1

    I worked in porn for too many years. A well dressed woman gets my attention better than "ooohhh.. nekkid". I know I'm the minority though. The rest of you, get a look when you can, and enjoy. :)

  18. Re:Mulgrew is an airhead on Scientists/Actress Say They Were 'Tricked' Into Geocentric Universe Movie · · Score: 1

    My bad. I thought he(?) was talking about Janeway.

    It's no secret that 7 of 9 had a hormonal following. :)

  19. Re:Mulgrew is an airhead on Scientists/Actress Say They Were 'Tricked' Into Geocentric Universe Movie · · Score: 2

    Wait ... people lust after Janeway? Really?

  20. Re:Actually... on Scientists/Actress Say They Were 'Tricked' Into Geocentric Universe Movie · · Score: 1

    Pretty much. We can see the same distance in any direction. There are long detailed explanations on how the universe appears to be expanding from any given point at any time. I won't even attempt to explain it, as there are plenty of people way more qualified than I am, who can say it better.

  21. Re:where is the controversy? on Scientists/Actress Say They Were 'Tricked' Into Geocentric Universe Movie · · Score: 1

    The part you're searching for is "I Kings 7:23-26". I'd quote it, but it will vary by the version of the bible the particular reader prefers.

  22. Re:Ready the Lawyers on Scientists/Actress Say They Were 'Tricked' Into Geocentric Universe Movie · · Score: 1

    Lawyers would never take it cell by cell. They want the large judgement and payday.

  23. Re:Bad law... on Judge Overrules Samsung Objection To Jury Instructional Video · · Score: 1

    It is not appropriate for the courts, or anyone else, to introduce a bias in court.

    The jury doesn't just sit down and start. Attorneys on both sides question each juror and determine if they have a pre-existing bias.

    I can be fairly sure the Samsung attorneys would reject a prospective juror if they were an Apple fanboy, and used exclusively Apple gear because they're the best and their business model is just as clean as their shiny white iThing XXVIII.

    Likewise, I'm sure the Apple attorneys would reject a Samsung fanboy, if such a thing exists. :)

  24. Re:0/10 on Department of Transportation Makes Rear View Cameras Mandatory · · Score: 2

    Nah, the joke is the number. TFS says "estimated 13 to 15 deaths and 1,125 injuries may be prevented"

    The PDF says "save 58 to 69 lives each year (not including injuries prevented)"

    Ha, ha, ha. These editors really crack me up with their subtle April Fool's pranks. Ha, ha, oohhhh.

  25. Re:Bad law... on Judge Overrules Samsung Objection To Jury Instructional Video · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I can see what they're complaining about. I skimmed through the video, and the Apple logo was clearly shown on Apple devices. I didn't notice other brands shown anywhere. They should have been a little better about covering up all references to specific devices (i.e., the logos).

    I could see the implied "Apple is ok, they're even in our instructional video". So ... someone has to go edit, and then they have to go find themselves a new jury who's never heard of Apple or Samsung. I'm surprised they found enough for the jury to start with.