The answers to these problems are beyond the reaches of Earth's Gravity. Don't even go down the road, of conservation, recycling, social reform, less births, ETC. It may not be the solution but it certainly. Even with genocide in place and one child per family, China is suffering from growth(less then it would be but nonetheless). Where are we going to go though, Mars where it is so freakin' cold, its like having an eternal winter, some planet far away that we are going to have to teraform the planet or genetically engineer life forms to be able to survive the planet. Patients is a virtue and we have to wait until we have enough technology to get their plus some competition to speed things up wouldn't hurt(No one is going to spend large sums of money if their isn't an issue of pride or possible profit at stake.) ----
"bad habit(which generally they are such as global variables, multiple return points within a single function/procedure, etc) " No different to C! You can do all of that in both languages! Well, duh. I couldn't think of any strict VB samples so I wrote what I've seen others do in C and C++.
Speed isnt important for a lot of programs, outside of the tiresome world of game framerates, and server throughput. Some people still spend
their time making 2d graphics cards run faster. Faster than what? Oh, faster than `fast enough`. Strange Speed is very important to me. I'm willing to sacrifice memory for speed(back when computers were less then or =640k, it was switched) Unless you're writing a console program or something simple like the Tower of Hanoi where these programs don't usually require a huge amount of CPU cycles or something that is very object or event oriented, VB is not the answer. In other words, you are not going to write something that is CPU intensive in VB like Quake or mr. mega encryption program.
I learned (68000) assembler first, and after i did a bit of C, i couldnt stand to go back. Now i`m doing VB, and the idea of doing tedious low lever stuff like string manipulation in C, now i`m used to: I hate assembly too. I've wrote programs in x86 assembly, not 68000, and it truely is a pain in the butt. As resources, memory, cpu cycles, etc. approach infinity, more and more people are likely to write games and major projects in very high level languages like VB and Python. It's almost impossible to write a good encryption in these high level languages because they don't allow you to easily modify individual bits without calling lower level programs.
MyString = "File " & sFilename & "from drive " & !drivename & "is " & nSize " bytes." This is why people invented PERL so they could save time doing this. String manipulation in C can be done but is a pain and too often enough leads to string overflow. Using char_string=(char *) malloc(512) will often waste more memory then needed. Since memory is not a top priority at the current prices, it is not a big deal.
The bottom line is, if you really want control of what you are doing and do exactly what you want the program the do, C is best. If you really don't want to think about it and let the OS/VM/API handle it and look approximately how you want it to look, VB might be a better answer.
I've programmed in both and I'm always going to prefer C(I do way too much low level programming). I know I'll never be able to change your mind since its already made up so their is really no reason to continue. ----
The right tool for the right job. VB is certainly not the fastest thing in the world but it can be useful, look at XL, completely written in VB. For something quick and dirty, it might be useful. It might take a good cpp programmer 20 minutes to write the same program that a good VB program maybe able to write in five(then again, maybe not.) I have personal problems with VB like you said, creation of bad habits or what I think is a bad habit(which generally they are such as global variables, multiple return points within a single function/procedure, etc) but anything that is useful and saves time programming might be helpful. I used to program in GWBasic years ago, it got me started. What I thought then was real programming is nothing compared to what I think of programming today. Everybody has to start somewhere and those who really don't care about being a professional about it or doing anything other than writing pong, this might be good. Personally, I'm avoiding it as much as possible. I am fond of having as much control over a a program as possible, being as fast as possible, and being as portable as possible. VB lacks in all three categories and that's why most game designers are not active VB programmers. ----
Don't buy or use "Learn XXX in 21 days" books. They kind of suck. My advise to you is learn the basic libraries. I would start with "stdio.h" "stdlib.h" and "string.h". Learn basic commands like printf, scanf, fgets, strcpy, strncat, etc. These you will have to learn out of a book, no way else except sitting through 50 min. boring lectures. After that, learn about files. FILE *inputfile. inputfile=fopen(string_name, "rb+"); Then learn some basic commands to use with them including fprintf, fscanf, and my favorite fgets. After you learn files, learn about pointers. Pointers are very confusing at first. You'll pull your hair-out trying to figure out why something didn't work until truely understand them. Flip to this chapter third. Their are many many samples out their and you can't truely know C unless you understand and can use pointers. If you don't want pointers, use JAVA, but using java won't teach you the lower level principles about C. After pointers, learn an API. I recommend QT. Very easy to use, cross-platform, and is free. Good luck. You'll need it. ----
The problem with VB is that it is slower than CPP. Cpp is probably the closest you are going to get to assembly(speed and control of code) without programming in assembly. VB is nowhere near assembly. It is based on an API that calls libraries that calls win32 api to finally perform the function. This is a higher level language then C(you can't write Operating Systems in Visual Basic where you can in C(I know, I wrote a very small one in C that could execute Assembly programs, could print, talk to the serial ports, and had its own command shell)), which might be a good thing for the casual programmer or where speed or size of executables is not an issue but it has its limitations. ----
We could always build an indoor racing stadium like the one near Pittsburgh, use some artificial lighting and then maybe we could have explosions, head splattering, crashes, and red necks. Maybe then it would be more entertaining and get more publicity. Probably won't happen but it would be cool if it did. ----
The user also asked about telnet if you actually read everything they wrote. Also, I meant to say "Telnet does not require a fast connection." I was just in a hurry and didn't really preview it beforehand. By the way, I said 56k was just fine and 56k is certainly not a fast connection. Certainly not compared to the T3 I use at work. ----
You're just argueing on the basis of the unknown. In theory, you find things that are proportional and than use K to represent what is unknown. You find K later. Sometimes K is not completely linear, it doesn't matter. As long as it works for the range that is being dealt with, it is a good approximation and works. My argument is not silly. It's the only thing that is even reasonable then trying to find every single possible variable that might have a microscopic effect on the actual answer. ----
I would recommend X-Win32. It's a little expensive, over $100 a pop, but works really well over 10 mb/s network. If you're doing it the opposite way around, VNC is probably you're best option. Just keep the servers local and use a network with as much bandwidth as possible. ----
I can telnet on 56k and still be able to do PINE just fine. What really kills you is the lag time more then the bandwidth. Type in Q and wait.2 seconds to view it is not fun. ----
Variables do not have to be linear. Try plotting y=X^3*sin(x^2)+x^2*cos(x)+x*tan(x/2) dx. This is not linear but still infinite amount of ground. If too things are related then to make them equal, all you have to do is add a variable(if non linearly)/constant(if they are linearly related). This is 5th grade math. ----
Can you say Variable. Their is a little theory that allows variables to change formulas once it hits a certain limit. Say y=X^2 with limits of 1 and -1. Then when it hits 1 or -1. Y=0. So the formula does still apply, just not in the manner you are used to. ----
Will we ever learn? We're America. We have to keep our Engineers employed. The government really doesn't care. They are going to get most of the money back anyway through various taxe and plus, it helps the Economy out. The more money the government spends, the more poeple that are employed, the more people spend, the more taxes the government gets back that they can spend and the cycle repeats itself In the end, economically, we're better off. So you see, this is an economical issue. Although in the long run, it may look really really bad(lack of tech development), in the short run, it gives people money to spend and get back in taxes. If we were truely concerned about Japan/China/India/Russia and the European Alliance(France, Germany, and Great Britain), we would spend more money on it. As of now, their isn't enough political interest to overcome the economical interests for us to learn. Weird, isn't? Unfortunately, that is how it is currently divised. ----
I could fly to Japan tomorrow, buy a huge circus cannon, buy one of those human cannon ball suits, buy insurance for life, shoot myself through the air and still cost me less then $160/cm. ----
Nonetheless, don't want to step down without a fight. Even if KDE doesn't, they can't just give in. Everytime someone has a conflict, they'll just bully GPL licensed products around until they get what they want. The more grounds they are fought on, the less likely this will happen. ----
Manhattan may not be moved in a day but the people inside of it can more easily move away and take their stuff with them. Not everybody has to be stuffed in such a small area, they can easily be integrated into the rest of the cities and ruralities. ----
This is a much easier and less messy (although slower) way to practice genocide. Genocide is actually the complete removal. If you let them just starve to death, some will survive. Enough will survive until their is enought food to feed that many people. It is not true Genocide but more of sub-category. Not exactly the Armenian, Jewish, or the Tibetian genocide but it works. Get people weak enough to easily take them over. As for overproduction of food, yes we do produce more food in America then we eat. Lots more. So we can easily sustain massive population growths. As for political issues, if a place can't feed itself or afford to pay someone to feed it then its overpopulated and should be left to settle on its own. It's cruel but it works. ----
Millenia of data from who, the Chinesse? I'm sure they had excellent tools for exact measurements of temperature *cough cough* and the effects of the greenhouse. Remember, 700+ years ago, we were in the medeival ages and people still believed Comets were the sign of the devil. Just admit it, we have less then 200 years of real data(reliable) and only about 80 of those(say from 1920's) can we really compare to global warming. ----
You know, the Romans used Plumbous(lead, via. the initials Pb) in their piping system. This couldn't have played a vital part in the fall of the Roman Empire, nah. ----
First of all, statistically, 20 years is a small sample. This could be caused by anything, the natural change in weather patterns, etc. Wait until you get a bigger sample, say 100 or more and then make this statement again. Short term small change in weather, yes 20 years is short term, is not a thing to be alarmed about. A major change, maybe, but their is not enough evidence to prove anything on this short term of a scale. ----
Another Thought: The formula is not just meant for plants but all CO2 breathing organisms. It works just. Increase CO2, increase plankton in the long-run, increase O2 levels. It eventually topples off. Their is also another part. Increase plants/plankton/other organisms that fall in this category, increase the number of creatures that eat these animals(also increasing herbivorous predators) and will generally decrease the number of CO2 breathing organisms. In the end, the total is still higher for C02 organisms, herbivores, and predators so in a sense, nature will start to work itself out. ----
If we introduce pollutants into the environment that inhibit plant growth, your formula's CO2 levels skyrocket exponentially. I agree in the
general principle that increaed CO2 increases plant growth, but unfortunately, plants and humans have trouble co-existing right now. Via the Constant/variable. This will take care of any exponential growth. By the way, some of the more rural states have enough trees to take care of its own polution(population density 400 people/sq. mile with continental, tropical, or other tree happy climates.)
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First of all, millions are alreadying dying of drought. It is the direct result of overpopulation. Too many people using too few resources. So saying millions will die because of a 5 degree increase global temperature is just silly. People will just migrate a little farther toward the poles where it is cooler. Second of all, the ice caps don't just suddenly melt. It will occur over a long period of time. The icecap is quite cold and it would take centuries for enough global warming to take place to get it even warm enough to start melting. It is more likely to slip off its base and into another iceage before their is significant amount of the cap melting fast enough for the seas to rise that fast and that much. So to say all the coastal will be destroyed by rising waters is also silly. Their will be enough time for people to relocate or build a wall before that happens. It's not like a flash flood caused by melting snow, 33 degrees fahrenheit will take a really long time to melt a large cap. ----
Slashdot Mirror
The answers to these problems are beyond the reaches of Earth's Gravity. Don't even go down the road, of conservation, recycling, social reform, less births, ETC. It may not be the solution but it certainly. Even with genocide in place and one child per family, China is suffering from growth(less then it would be but nonetheless). Where are we going to go though, Mars where it is so freakin' cold, its like having an eternal winter, some planet far away that we are going to have to teraform the planet or genetically engineer life forms to be able to survive the planet. Patients is a virtue and we have to wait until we have enough technology to get their plus some competition to speed things up wouldn't hurt(No one is going to spend large sums of money if their isn't an issue of pride or possible profit at stake.)
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"bad habit(which generally they are such as global variables, multiple return points within a single function/procedure, etc) " No different to C! You can do all of that in both languages! Well, duh. I couldn't think of any strict VB samples so I wrote what I've seen others do in C and C++.
: I hate assembly too. I've wrote programs in x86 assembly, not 68000, and it truely is a pain in the butt. As resources, memory, cpu cycles, etc. approach infinity, more and more people are likely to write games and major projects in very high level languages like VB and Python. It's almost impossible to write a good encryption in these high level languages because they don't allow you to easily modify individual bits without calling lower level programs.
Speed isnt important for a lot of programs, outside of the tiresome world of game framerates, and server throughput. Some people still spend their time making 2d graphics cards run faster. Faster than what? Oh, faster than `fast enough`. Strange Speed is very important to me. I'm willing to sacrifice memory for speed(back when computers were less then or =640k, it was switched) Unless you're writing a console program or something simple like the Tower of Hanoi where these programs don't usually require a huge amount of CPU cycles or something that is very object or event oriented, VB is not the answer. In other words, you are not going to write something that is CPU intensive in VB like Quake or mr. mega encryption program.
I learned (68000) assembler first, and after i did a bit of C, i couldnt stand to go back. Now i`m doing VB, and the idea of doing tedious low lever stuff like string manipulation in C, now i`m used to
MyString = "File " & sFilename & "from drive " & !drivename & "is " & nSize " bytes." This is why people invented PERL so they could save time doing this. String manipulation in C can be done but is a pain and too often enough leads to string overflow. Using char_string=(char *) malloc(512) will often waste more memory then needed. Since memory is not a top priority at the current prices, it is not a big deal.
The bottom line is, if you really want control of what you are doing and do exactly what you want the program the do, C is best. If you really don't want to think about it and let the OS/VM/API handle it and look approximately how you want it to look, VB might be a better answer.
I've programmed in both and I'm always going to prefer C(I do way too much low level programming). I know I'll never be able to change your mind since its already made up so their is really no reason to continue.
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The right tool for the right job. VB is certainly not the fastest thing in the world but it can be useful, look at XL, completely written in VB. For something quick and dirty, it might be useful. It might take a good cpp programmer 20 minutes to write the same program that a good VB program maybe able to write in five(then again, maybe not.) I have personal problems with VB like you said, creation of bad habits or what I think is a bad habit(which generally they are such as global variables, multiple return points within a single function/procedure, etc) but anything that is useful and saves time programming might be helpful. I used to program in GWBasic years ago, it got me started. What I thought then was real programming is nothing compared to what I think of programming today. Everybody has to start somewhere and those who really don't care about being a professional about it or doing anything other than writing pong, this might be good. Personally, I'm avoiding it as much as possible. I am fond of having as much control over a a program as possible, being as fast as possible, and being as portable as possible. VB lacks in all three categories and that's why most game designers are not active VB programmers.
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Don't buy or use "Learn XXX in 21 days" books. They kind of suck. My advise to you is learn the basic libraries. I would start with "stdio.h" "stdlib.h" and "string.h". Learn basic commands like printf, scanf, fgets, strcpy, strncat, etc. These you will have to learn out of a book, no way else except sitting through 50 min. boring lectures. After that, learn about files. FILE *inputfile. inputfile=fopen(string_name, "rb+"); Then learn some basic commands to use with them including fprintf, fscanf, and my favorite fgets. After you learn files, learn about pointers. Pointers are very confusing at first. You'll pull your hair-out trying to figure out why something didn't work until truely understand them. Flip to this chapter third. Their are many many samples out their and you can't truely know C unless you understand and can use pointers. If you don't want pointers, use JAVA, but using java won't teach you the lower level principles about C. After pointers, learn an API. I recommend QT. Very easy to use, cross-platform, and is free. Good luck. You'll need it.
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The problem with VB is that it is slower than CPP. Cpp is probably the closest you are going to get to assembly(speed and control of code) without programming in assembly. VB is nowhere near assembly. It is based on an API that calls libraries that calls win32 api to finally perform the function. This is a higher level language then C(you can't write Operating Systems in Visual Basic where you can in C(I know, I wrote a very small one in C that could execute Assembly programs, could print, talk to the serial ports, and had its own command shell)), which might be a good thing for the casual programmer or where speed or size of executables is not an issue but it has its limitations.
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We could always build an indoor racing stadium like the one near Pittsburgh, use some artificial lighting and then maybe we could have explosions, head splattering, crashes, and red necks. Maybe then it would be more entertaining and get more publicity. Probably won't happen but it would be cool if it did.
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The user also asked about telnet if you actually read everything they wrote. Also, I meant to say "Telnet does not require a fast connection." I was just in a hurry and didn't really preview it beforehand. By the way, I said 56k was just fine and 56k is certainly not a fast connection. Certainly not compared to the T3 I use at work.
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You're just argueing on the basis of the unknown. In theory, you find things that are proportional and than use K to represent what is unknown. You find K later. Sometimes K is not completely linear, it doesn't matter. As long as it works for the range that is being dealt with, it is a good approximation and works. My argument is not silly. It's the only thing that is even reasonable then trying to find every single possible variable that might have a microscopic effect on the actual answer.
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I would recommend X-Win32. It's a little expensive, over $100 a pop, but works really well over 10 mb/s network. If you're doing it the opposite way around, VNC is probably you're best option. Just keep the servers local and use a network with as much bandwidth as possible.
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I can telnet on 56k and still be able to do PINE just fine. What really kills you is the lag time more then the bandwidth. Type in Q and wait .2 seconds to view it is not fun.
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Variables do not have to be linear. Try plotting y=X^3*sin(x^2)+x^2*cos(x)+x*tan(x/2) dx. This is not linear but still infinite amount of ground. If too things are related then to make them equal, all you have to do is add a variable(if non linearly)/constant(if they are linearly related). This is 5th grade math.
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Can you say Variable. Their is a little theory that allows variables to change formulas once it hits a certain limit. Say y=X^2 with limits of 1 and -1. Then when it hits 1 or -1. Y=0. So the formula does still apply, just not in the manner you are used to.
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Will we ever learn? We're America. We have to keep our Engineers employed. The government really doesn't care. They are going to get most of the money back anyway through various taxe and plus, it helps the Economy out. The more money the government spends, the more poeple that are employed, the more people spend, the more taxes the government gets back that they can spend and the cycle repeats itself In the end, economically, we're better off. So you see, this is an economical issue. Although in the long run, it may look really really bad(lack of tech development), in the short run, it gives people money to spend and get back in taxes. If we were truely concerned about Japan/China/India/Russia and the European Alliance(France, Germany, and Great Britain), we would spend more money on it. As of now, their isn't enough political interest to overcome the economical interests for us to learn. Weird, isn't? Unfortunately, that is how it is currently divised.
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I could fly to Japan tomorrow, buy a huge circus cannon, buy one of those human cannon ball suits, buy insurance for life, shoot myself through the air and still cost me less then $160/cm.
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Japan tests Giant Killer Robot today. And Gojira destroys Tokyo. Again! Godzilla is the American word translation.
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Nonetheless, don't want to step down without a fight. Even if KDE doesn't, they can't just give in. Everytime someone has a conflict, they'll just bully GPL licensed products around until they get what they want. The more grounds they are fought on, the less likely this will happen.
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Manhattan may not be moved in a day but the people inside of it can more easily move away and take their stuff with them. Not everybody has to be stuffed in such a small area, they can easily be integrated into the rest of the cities and ruralities.
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This is a much easier and less messy (although slower) way to practice genocide. Genocide is actually the complete removal. If you let them just starve to death, some will survive. Enough will survive until their is enought food to feed that many people. It is not true Genocide but more of sub-category. Not exactly the Armenian, Jewish, or the Tibetian genocide but it works. Get people weak enough to easily take them over. As for overproduction of food, yes we do produce more food in America then we eat. Lots more. So we can easily sustain massive population growths. As for political issues, if a place can't feed itself or afford to pay someone to feed it then its overpopulated and should be left to settle on its own. It's cruel but it works.
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Raw Data from data found at VA Data. Their are hundred more like this but it still isn't a big enough sample to be conclusive.
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Millenia of data from who, the Chinesse? I'm sure they had excellent tools for exact measurements of temperature *cough cough* and the effects of the greenhouse. Remember, 700+ years ago, we were in the medeival ages and people still believed Comets were the sign of the devil. Just admit it, we have less then 200 years of real data(reliable) and only about 80 of those(say from 1920's) can we really compare to global warming.
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You know, the Romans used Plumbous(lead, via. the initials Pb) in their piping system. This couldn't have played a vital part in the fall of the Roman Empire, nah.
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First of all, statistically, 20 years is a small sample. This could be caused by anything, the natural change in weather patterns, etc. Wait until you get a bigger sample, say 100 or more and then make this statement again. Short term small change in weather, yes 20 years is short term, is not a thing to be alarmed about. A major change, maybe, but their is not enough evidence to prove anything on this short term of a scale.
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Another Thought: The formula is not just meant for plants but all CO2 breathing organisms. It works just. Increase CO2, increase plankton in the long-run, increase O2 levels. It eventually topples off. Their is also another part. Increase plants/plankton/other organisms that fall in this category, increase the number of creatures that eat these animals(also increasing herbivorous predators) and will generally decrease the number of CO2 breathing organisms. In the end, the total is still higher for C02 organisms, herbivores, and predators so in a sense, nature will start to work itself out.
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If we introduce pollutants into the environment that inhibit plant growth, your formula's CO2 levels skyrocket exponentially. I agree in the general principle that increaed CO2 increases plant growth, but unfortunately, plants and humans have trouble co-existing right now. Via the Constant/variable. This will take care of any exponential growth. By the way, some of the more rural states have enough trees to take care of its own polution(population density 400 people/sq. mile with continental, tropical, or other tree happy climates.)
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First of all, millions are alreadying dying of drought. It is the direct result of overpopulation. Too many people using too few resources. So saying millions will die because of a 5 degree increase global temperature is just silly. People will just migrate a little farther toward the poles where it is cooler. Second of all, the ice caps don't just suddenly melt. It will occur over a long period of time. The icecap is quite cold and it would take centuries for enough global warming to take place to get it even warm enough to start melting. It is more likely to slip off its base and into another iceage before their is significant amount of the cap melting fast enough for the seas to rise that fast and that much. So to say all the coastal will be destroyed by rising waters is also silly. Their will be enough time for people to relocate or build a wall before that happens. It's not like a flash flood caused by melting snow, 33 degrees fahrenheit will take a really long time to melt a large cap.
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