It has been said that one can "judge a tree by its fruit". The Pentagon says the one can judge the probability of whether a software program will function error-free by the Program's developers, their company, and their accreditation by the Carnegie-Mellon Software Engineering Institute. Ut's a CYA thing, mostly.
It is my perception that the CS community has never forgiven Mr. Berners-Lee for letting the non-initiated in the door. As a Project Manager for a large military/civilian software system in the mid-90's, I remember one contractor berating another because the winning contractor had done their work in VB. The loser had done his work in Fortran. Probably still is.
This is not a only computer issue. It's also telecommunications issue. There are no "random bitstreams" on the Internet. Every message that moves between any two physically seperated entities must include an agreed-upon method of synchronization, which is "where is the start of the message?", be it synchronous or asynchronous. The Internet and all 802.xx communications are asynchronous, which means each datagram has the same sequence of bits at the start of its packet. Every level "into" the datagram has a similarly "hard-wired" beginning and, if there is not a problem, and ending sequence of bits. For instance: seven levels max, if the 7-level OSI Model is used, which is rarely. Everytime in every datagram. Only the real "data" in the core of the datagram can be encrypted. And if you folk think that NSA is going to have a tough time cracking anything you put out there, you may be in for a surprise. The final issue is one of time and money, not capability. The target must be worth expending the time and the money of critical resources. We folk are not worth the effort. Some of you might someday get that attention if your criminal career keeps progressing as nicely as it has. Cheers.
You make a valid point. One of my questions is: Assuming that, and this is a really, really big assumption, law-abiding citizens did not have to worry about anyone or anything getting at any information about them, would then only criminals have anything to hide? I am a pretty independent fellow, but I wonder about people who worry about privacy. What are they hiding?
I would also like to point out that, as a federal government retiree, government investigations and surveillance (of any kind), physical or electronic, is hideously, ridiculously expensive, mostly due to the man-hours involved. VERY, very labor intensive. I think there is a lot less to fear from government then a lot of people would like to believe. Actually, having seen how it works from the inside, I really doubt the ability of our (or any) government to do what you guys are fearing. The Communist governments pretty much had to stomp down doors, repeatedly, and then rely on word of mouth. (Hey! Wait a minute! That's how we can stimulate the economy! We've had it all wrong!! and backwards!!! Oh, well.) Keep the discussion going. That's being American.
This I can speak to. There is no such thing as "mass connectivity" during the disaster. The issue is Money.
There are two issues here. (Caveat: I used to work for FEMA. I left FEMA four years ago, so things might be better now.).
1. There has been a "movement", for years, to try to get all government agencies on one "bandwidth", technically. during the emergency. To my knowledge, it hasn't happened yet. NO FEDERAL MONEY. (For some reason, the Feds, such as FEMA, the Army, etc., haven't been too enthused about this. Not sure why.) Check out the Extreme Information Infrastructure Initiative, pushed by the National Institute for Urban Search and Rescue. Still not happening. No money. During big disasters, every single agency and department is on a different wavelength using different info. Literally. Ideas like dedicated Secure Internet bandwidth have been floated, but not enough big dogs are buying into such ideas. Literally. There has not been enough money or agreement to get everyone in the same boat. The XII or something like it needs more consideration. It can work.
2. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has done great stuff getting all Federal agenies communicating together, but mostly in a post-emergency framework. The rebuilding needs,(money, again) and interim needs, the needs of those who have lost everything and sometimes everybody, both personal and commercial, are stunningly huge. To that end, in any big emergency in the USA, as soon as authorized by Presidential Declaration, FEMA rents an empty buildings, both away from and near to the area and completely installs, usually within 24 hours, a telephone system and network system for approx. 300 people. About 20-30 big blue or white trucks pull up with everything inside from telephone switches to servers to network routers, to miles of Cat5 cable and reams of connectors. Sometimes, these trucks get flown in via C-130's or C-5's cargo planes. A small army of experienced, highly qualified technicians fly in from all over the country and work 24-36 shifts to make it happen. All this stuff is for the long-term problems -- coordinating tent city needs, water supplies, electricity generators, hospital supplies, etc. Lots of etc, etc. This is the one agency that goes to "war" many, many times every year. The morale is amazingly high as these people can see everyday how they help make a difference. The stress is unbelievable. You have to get it right the first time since the People who have just lost everything don't need excuses for why something like water and basic help still hasn't arrived, yet.
Emergency Preparedness is, and always has been, the last priority on every gov't. list. It's not glamourous. It used to be worse. Until around 1990, it was considered demeaning to ask for States to ask for Federal help. It wasn't until the State Governors realized that Uncle Sam would practically give away hundreds of millions of dollars for disaster relief that FEMA started getting proper funding, at all. (Actually, FEMA sponsors grants up to around $12k and low-cost personal and commercial loans. I do wonder how much gets repaid. ) (Note: You can scream about big government or you can have good federal programs. You can't do both. ) FEMA is one agency that taxpayers can be very proud of.
ps. I just realized that the Red Cross guy mentioned in the original SlashDot article is someone I used to work with at FEMA. I think he used to be the main IT guy for FEMA in New York for that region. An outstanding person and technically brilliant across the IT field from telecomm to networks to app. development. They have the best man possible in place in NYC.
1. Sierra puts out (& have put out) a bunch of stuff that involve creative thought. 'The Secret Island of Dr. Brain', 'The incredible machine'(!), plus the others already mentioned.
2. Turn them on to html. Buy any old HTML 4 book w/CD. Use the CD repeatedly. Linux books w/CD usually have an Apache site already set up with the Caldera and Red Hat versions. Building a web site is relatively simple and can give them a chance to strut their stuff, literally. If you are running MicroSoft, the web site software (Option pack 4) is FREE, at you-know-where. If you are using Unix/Linux, the Apache web server software is FREE, too. So is the java stuff at Sun for javaServerPages (JSP). (Free there, too.) Allaire/Macromedia has a FREE JavaServerPages server (with no expiration date for a developer version) at . Have fun!
Apparently, Sun thinks that the IT/CS crowd is the real and best customer. Novell, I think, learned the folly of that attitude, though ju-u-ust a little too late. Too bad. So sad.
I was originally going to comment that the "green" weapons make sense in the context of helping an ailing Housing Industry. "New Recently Uninhabited Real Estate Now Available (Please ignore the smell.)" The other replies to this message have helped me realize the amount of damage we are doing to OURSELVES, for pete's sake, with the Practice Bombing Exercises in, for example, the Federal Bombing Range, otherwise know as Nevada. Another example, during all my training prior to visiting SouthEast Asis & its "limited warfare arena" in 1971, I expended tens of thousands of rounds of ammo before I ever left the States. Fortunately for me, I never had to fire a shot at anyone nor had anyone fire at me. While there, I attended two training camps that, again, expended, per person, thousands of rounds. If you extrapolate that training to the millions of folk in the Army & USAF that "live-fire" weapons every year, war or no war, you must have some sort of environmental ammonia-overload. I haven't even added in the Bombs or other Countries to this equation. Anyone got any figures on the effects to the Ozone of training for war? (i.e, ammonia, nitre, etc., (not to mention methane when the situation gets tense!) being loosed into the atmosphere.)
Here's the link to the Chantilly Expo Center, which called by its owners The Capital Expo Enter( http://www.capital-expo.com/ ). Looks like Market Pro has a show there every month. I also found some BigFlea shows that might be interesting. (I live just "around the corner" from this place.) It's easy to get to and from. Hope this helps. Have fun.
That 'article' was one of the funniest (and worst) things I have ever read. Here's a summary of it: 1. "First,... learn a programming language." (Details, always details.) 2. Find a project that "meets your standards". (Ka-ching! Standards have been met.) 3. "Seek out a programming Mentor." (Everybody sing with me: "Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket, save it for a rainy day! One more time..)
4. "Those with enough skills to successfully be trained usually have a need to earn a living at programming, and only use the software which they can convince their employers to allow them to use." (How did reality sneak into this article?)
5. "some people program to see the code run" (We just wanna have fun. May you all love what you do and get to do what you love!! Sincerely, budalite.)
Yeah, well, some of us who were poor performing middle class kids with ADD now make a lot more than you & your daddy & your Dean of Computer Science all put together. Seems that a lot of us are Mensa-types. Some of us now work to help other kids like us so they won't have to feel like we did. Who have you helped lately? Sincerely, Budalite.
These days, unfortunately, we don't really have the time in a project with normal deadlines to explore all the esoterica of a language. If you have no deadlines, by all means, be a University-style programmer. If you want to deliver a product before a deadline (and, thereby, keep your job and help keep your company afloat), you really don't have an IDE available for any language that is open-source, cheap, and works as well as required. The real world requires tools like IBM Host Publisher and NeuVis NeuArchitect that take the drudgery of programming connections, etc., & put in 'em the IDE, where they belong. (Why spend days playing with building a GUI, for pete's sake?!!) The bad news is that we only get to use these awesome tools because our company can affort them. I wish I were wrong. It do pay the bills.
I am a web developer so, if you are interested, here are some good web development resources. First, try the World Wide Web consortium for a lot of good web and XML reference/background stuff. For using java on the web, check out Sun's Java Server Pages , with lots of tutorials. Sun is now using the FREE Apache Tomcat JSP Server . There is also a free jsp server in Allaire's JRUN Server 3.1. Interestingly, the JRUN Eval. Edition server has no expiration date, on purpose.
Have fun!
Yeah, but. If the person lives in NoVa, there are few other options. If he or she lives in west Fx. Co., it's even worse. I live in Chantilly. The ONLY option I have is DirecPC or Pegasus, with satellite both ways. (I think that's what it's called.) I do pass those crews laying fiber (I think) everyday so there is hope.
Slashdot Mirror
It has been said that one can "judge a tree by its fruit". The Pentagon says the one can judge the probability of whether a software program will function error-free by the Program's developers, their company, and their accreditation by the Carnegie-Mellon Software Engineering Institute. Ut's a CYA thing, mostly.
It is my perception that the CS community has never forgiven Mr. Berners-Lee for letting the non-initiated in the door. As a Project Manager for a large military/civilian software system in the mid-90's, I remember one contractor berating another because the winning contractor had done their work in VB. The loser had done his work in Fortran. Probably still is.
This is not a only computer issue. It's also telecommunications issue. There are no "random bitstreams" on the Internet. Every message that moves between any two physically seperated entities must include an agreed-upon method of synchronization, which is "where is the start of the message?", be it synchronous or asynchronous. The Internet and all 802.xx communications are asynchronous, which means each datagram has the same sequence of bits at the start of its packet. Every level "into" the datagram has a similarly "hard-wired" beginning and, if there is not a problem, and ending sequence of bits. For instance: seven levels max, if the 7-level OSI Model is used, which is rarely. Everytime in every datagram. Only the real "data" in the core of the datagram can be encrypted. And if you folk think that NSA is going to have a tough time cracking anything you put out there, you may be in for a surprise. The final issue is one of time and money, not capability. The target must be worth expending the time and the money of critical resources. We folk are not worth the effort. Some of you might someday get that attention if your criminal career keeps progressing as nicely as it has. Cheers.
And what if you are a legitmate suspect, and really guilty? If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to hide.
You make a valid point. One of my questions is: Assuming that, and this is a really, really big assumption, law-abiding citizens did not have to worry about anyone or anything getting at any information about them, would then only criminals have anything to hide? I am a pretty independent fellow, but I wonder about people who worry about privacy. What are they hiding?
I would also like to point out that, as a federal government retiree, government investigations and surveillance (of any kind), physical or electronic, is hideously, ridiculously expensive, mostly due to the man-hours involved. VERY, very labor intensive. I think there is a lot less to fear from government then a lot of people would like to believe. Actually, having seen how it works from the inside, I really doubt the ability of our (or any) government to do what you guys are fearing. The Communist governments pretty much had to stomp down doors, repeatedly, and then rely on word of mouth. (Hey! Wait a minute! That's how we can stimulate the economy! We've had it all wrong!! and backwards!!! Oh, well.) Keep the discussion going. That's being American.
This I can speak to. There is no such thing as "mass connectivity" during the disaster. The issue is Money.
There are two issues here. (Caveat: I used to work for FEMA. I left FEMA four years ago, so things might be better now.).
1. There has been a "movement", for years, to try to get all government agencies on one "bandwidth", technically. during the emergency. To my knowledge, it hasn't happened yet. NO FEDERAL MONEY. (For some reason, the Feds, such as FEMA, the Army, etc., haven't been too enthused about this. Not sure why.) Check out the Extreme Information Infrastructure Initiative, pushed by the National Institute for Urban Search and Rescue. Still not happening. No money. During big disasters, every single agency and department is on a different wavelength using different info. Literally. Ideas like dedicated Secure Internet bandwidth have been floated, but not enough big dogs are buying into such ideas. Literally. There has not been enough money or agreement to get everyone in the same boat. The XII or something like it needs more consideration. It can work.
2. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has done great stuff getting all Federal agenies communicating together, but mostly in a post-emergency framework. The rebuilding needs,(money, again) and interim needs, the needs of those who have lost everything and sometimes everybody, both personal and commercial, are stunningly huge. To that end, in any big emergency in the USA, as soon as authorized by Presidential Declaration, FEMA rents an empty buildings, both away from and near to the area and completely installs, usually within 24 hours, a telephone system and network system for approx. 300 people. About 20-30 big blue or white trucks pull up with everything inside from telephone switches to servers to network routers, to miles of Cat5 cable and reams of connectors. Sometimes, these trucks get flown in via C-130's or C-5's cargo planes. A small army of experienced, highly qualified technicians fly in from all over the country and work 24-36 shifts to make it happen. All this stuff is for the long-term problems -- coordinating tent city needs, water supplies, electricity generators, hospital supplies, etc. Lots of etc, etc. This is the one agency that goes to "war" many, many times every year. The morale is amazingly high as these people can see everyday how they help make a difference. The stress is unbelievable. You have to get it right the first time since the People who have just lost everything don't need excuses for why something like water and basic help still hasn't arrived, yet.
Emergency Preparedness is, and always has been, the last priority on every gov't. list. It's not glamourous. It used to be worse. Until around 1990, it was considered demeaning to ask for States to ask for Federal help. It wasn't until the State Governors realized that Uncle Sam would practically give away hundreds of millions of dollars for disaster relief that FEMA started getting proper funding, at all. (Actually, FEMA sponsors grants up to around $12k and low-cost personal and commercial loans. I do wonder how much gets repaid. ) (Note: You can scream about big government or you can have good federal programs. You can't do both. ) FEMA is one agency that taxpayers can be very proud of.
ps. I just realized that the Red Cross guy mentioned in the original SlashDot article is someone I used to work with at FEMA. I think he used to be the main IT guy for FEMA in New York for that region. An outstanding person and technically brilliant across the IT field from telecomm to networks to app. development. They have the best man possible in place in NYC.
1. Sierra puts out (& have put out) a bunch of stuff that involve creative thought. 'The Secret Island of Dr. Brain', 'The incredible machine'(!), plus the others already mentioned.
2. Turn them on to html. Buy any old HTML 4 book w/CD. Use the CD repeatedly. Linux books w/CD usually have an Apache site already set up with the Caldera and Red Hat versions. Building a web site is relatively simple and can give them a chance to strut their stuff, literally. If you are running MicroSoft, the web site software (Option pack 4) is FREE, at you-know-where. If you are using Unix/Linux, the Apache web server software is FREE, too. So is the java stuff at Sun for javaServerPages (JSP). (Free there, too.) Allaire/Macromedia has a FREE JavaServerPages server (with no expiration date for a developer version) at . Have fun!
Apparently, Sun thinks that the IT/CS crowd is the real and best customer. Novell, I think, learned the folly of that attitude, though ju-u-ust a little too late. Too bad. So sad.
I was originally going to comment that the "green" weapons make sense in the context of helping an ailing Housing Industry. "New Recently Uninhabited Real Estate Now Available (Please ignore the smell.)" The other replies to this message have helped me realize the amount of damage we are doing to OURSELVES, for pete's sake, with the Practice Bombing Exercises in, for example, the Federal Bombing Range, otherwise know as Nevada. Another example, during all my training prior to visiting SouthEast Asis & its "limited warfare arena" in 1971, I expended tens of thousands of rounds of ammo before I ever left the States. Fortunately for me, I never had to fire a shot at anyone nor had anyone fire at me. While there, I attended two training camps that, again, expended, per person, thousands of rounds. If you extrapolate that training to the millions of folk in the Army & USAF that "live-fire" weapons every year, war or no war, you must have some sort of environmental ammonia-overload. I haven't even added in the Bombs or other Countries to this equation. Anyone got any figures on the effects to the Ozone of training for war? (i.e, ammonia, nitre, etc., (not to mention methane when the situation gets tense!) being loosed into the atmosphere.)
Here's the link to the Chantilly Expo Center, which called by its owners The Capital Expo Enter( http://www.capital-expo.com/ ). Looks like Market Pro has a show there every month. I also found some BigFlea shows that might be interesting. (I live just "around the corner" from this place.) It's easy to get to and from. Hope this helps. Have fun.
That 'article' was one of the funniest (and worst) things I have ever read. Here's a summary of it: 1. "First, ... learn a programming language." (Details, always details.) 2. Find a project that "meets your standards". (Ka-ching! Standards have been met.) 3. "Seek out a programming Mentor." (Everybody sing with me: "Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket, save it for a rainy day! One more time..)
4. "Those with enough skills to successfully be trained usually have a need to earn a living at programming, and only use the software which they can convince their employers to allow them to use." (How did reality sneak into this article?)
5. "some people program to see the code run" (We just wanna have fun. May you all love what you do and get to do what you love!! Sincerely, budalite.)
Yeah, well, some of us who were poor performing middle class kids with ADD now make a lot more than you & your daddy & your Dean of Computer Science all put together. Seems that a lot of us are Mensa-types. Some of us now work to help other kids like us so they won't have to feel like we did. Who have you helped lately? Sincerely, Budalite.
Figures. Eastern Washington state has broadband while western Fairfax County, a part of Washington, D. C. metropolitan area does not. Have fun.
These days, unfortunately, we don't really have the time in a project with normal deadlines to explore all the esoterica of a language. If you have no deadlines, by all means, be a University-style programmer. If you want to deliver a product before a deadline (and, thereby, keep your job and help keep your company afloat), you really don't have an IDE available for any language that is open-source, cheap, and works as well as required. The real world requires tools like IBM Host Publisher and NeuVis NeuArchitect that take the drudgery of programming connections, etc., & put in 'em the IDE, where they belong. (Why spend days playing with building a GUI, for pete's sake?!!) The bad news is that we only get to use these awesome tools because our company can affort them. I wish I were wrong. It do pay the bills.
I am a web developer so, if you are interested, here are some good web development resources. First, try the World Wide Web consortium for a lot of good web and XML reference/background stuff. For using java on the web, check out Sun's Java Server Pages , with lots of tutorials. Sun is now using the FREE Apache Tomcat JSP Server . There is also a free jsp server in Allaire's JRUN Server 3.1. Interestingly, the JRUN Eval. Edition server has no expiration date, on purpose. Have fun!
Yeah, but. If the person lives in NoVa, there are few other options. If he or she lives in west Fx. Co., it's even worse. I live in Chantilly. The ONLY option I have is DirecPC or Pegasus, with satellite both ways. (I think that's what it's called.) I do pass those crews laying fiber (I think) everyday so there is hope.