Should the caps lock key be replaced?
on
Is Caps Lock Dead?
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· Score: 1
By what?!? An F16 key? One of those cute "internet explorer" buttons that appears on those oh so awesome multimedia computers sold by compaq? Or how about the "hide porn from boss button", which would minimize all browsers and windows media player windows at the same time. Actually, that last one might be useful.
But seriously, caps lock is useful. Maybe not to you, but to a lot of people. For instance, my mother (lay off the mom jokes, cause i just got off yours) uses a shitty database that requires all data be entered in caps lock. Without a caps lock key, she'd be forced to throw a big ole paperweight on the shift key.
And hey, the ~ key isn't exactly that useful in windows. But just because 90+ percent of all computers don't use it, doesn't mean the linux/unix users would welcome the removal of such a useful key. I mean, unix users would flip the F&*$ out.
Summary: why remove a key for the sake or just removing a key? If it bothers you that much, rip the little piece of crap off, and put some play dough in it's place.
probably been said before. But if the current iPod doesn't have enough oomph, then it can be argued that playing an ogg file probably consumes more power. How much more to decode? I don't rightly know. This may be a trivial arguement, but what if playing ogg files shaves an hour of battery lifetime. Then, you have people bitching about the battery life sucking.
"We are breaking our own rules that said we would not put new code into service packs"
I know this is semantics, but isn't a patch "new" code anyway? The old code was buggy, and hence is not used anymore?
Perhaps they meant to say new "features", so that solves that issue.
Finally, even though I think this patch will benefit XP users greatly, I would rather microsoft stick to what they say, rather than change policy when it's convenient for them to do so. It makes them lose credibility through inconsistency, and they certainly don't have credibility to burn.
-17 gig songs (granted, a 4000+ collection is fairly rare... and i could go to 128 instead of 160)
-Encrypted backup disk images of digital pictures of friends, family, myself backup documents from all my classes family guy episodes
-Standard apple iSync stuff (very small, mind you) contacts, address book, iCal, etc
I have about 3 gigs free right now (not COMPLETELY full, but close). Bear in mind, my music collection continues to grow, and I have stuff from my office that would be nice to have another backup in my pocket... just in case.
So absurd? probably. But if i didn't have an iPod and was given a choice between a 20,40, and 60... i might still jump for the 60. Always better to have room to grow.
Slightly off-topic, but does anyone else wonder what software companies are going to do to compensate for version numbers that are already at version 10 and up? I know numbering is by far the easiest system for engineer types, but will people start to get annoyed or confused about the difference between mandrake 15 vs suse 12... do these releases actually warrant a whole new number?
And frankly, can't we just call it something new and start from 1 again?
Offtopic, but the submitter opened the door: according to their specs sheet (PDF warning), this stuff has a boiling point of 49.2C (120.6F). Processors burn hotter than that, how useful would it still be for cooling purposes if it were a gas?
But remember, this is at ONE atmosphere or "standard" pressure. It is quite possible that in a relatively small pressure vessel with leads etched through it, that the boiling point could be raised. How much, that is something that has to figured out, but it's not completely unreasonable.
Also, processors burn hotter than 120F because the cooling sucks. If a liquid were to be well circulated, it might be possible to keep the temperature of the outside of the heat sink at a reasonable temp (~100F). But that will depend mainly on the thermal diffusivity of the liquid as well as the circulation rate of the liquid.
So yeah, a boiling point of 120F is pretty shitty, but there are reasonable ways around it, if the properties of this liquid have cooling properties that are worth the effort.
Is it just me, or should articles like this include an anger rating system from 0 (happy child running through the meadow) to 10 (about to go ripshit in the streets of boston after someone totalled your car during rush hour traffic, preventing you from going back to your unloving wife and kids). Seriously though, after reading this article, I felt like the only just thing to do in this world would be to take down these operations, SWAT style.
A rating would help prevent readers like myself from getting this huge adrenaline rush right before going back to the lab and running experiments requiring patience, not the ability to throw large blunt objects at retarded management.
Ick. Why would anyone want to compare Linus to that looser Edison? I mean, he invented two bloody things in his entire life, the rest was invented by other people who had signed contracts that gave Edison all rights to their inventions and let him take...
-True, but he did found a little company called GE... which seems to be doing rather well, and doing a lot of really great things. Besides, lights are kindof, i dont' know, important.
Will all these online music stores survive that long? Maybe not. At least with physical CD media you don't have to worry about such things.
Physical media blows. Pardon my french, s'il vous plait. I don't know how many CDs that my friends have that are completely UNREADABLE after about 4-5 years of ownership . Yeah, mine are fine, because I take really good care of them. The point being, I bet a lot of people don't. Or, they use them in places where it's inevitable that they'll get scratched up (like changing CDs while driving a car, they are bound to get scuffed now and then). Of course, if you're like me, and just buy CD's (usually used ones) to rip into AAC on the computer, then they will hardly ever deteriorate and you can always rerip later.
Or, you can just download on iTunes. I like CD's more... but I also like options.
--Of course you like it. You didn't have to pay for most of it. The rest of the country did.
True, however, there are some other things to think about before you can just point fingers at boston residents.
1) Boston is not the only place that receives federal funding for pork barrel legislation. While I don't agree with pork barrel legislation 90% of the time, there are instances in which certain things would NEVER get done without a large sum of money coming from the feds. Do you think boston would have been able to raise 15 billion on itself over that time frame? perhaps it could've, it they weren't also supporting pork barrel legislation in other areas of the country. While boston obviously has received more than it's fair share in say a 30 year window (received more money for federal projects than it has given out), i'd be willing to bet it's not as horrendous as it seems.
2) Cities need to be efficient, and although you are in the right to bitch about money getting pumped into the city, at least understand that the rest of the state will eventually get a return on their investment. By improving the infrastructure of areas like boston, NYC, silicon valley, etc... you keep business going/improving/growing. Just the ability to lessen the average commute for a worker in the city by 10 min would have very positive impact on businesses and school alike... lowering costs, improving quality of life, etc etc. When companies in boston do well, I'd be willing to bet that the effects are felt throughout the state, whether it be generating more taxes from within the city, to creating more jobs/opportunities around it as well.
Oh, i'd love to. Believe me I would. However, Owning/maintaining a car in boston is not trivial/cheap. Cost and hassle of endless parking fees and registrations, ugh. When I used to live back home with my family, making a weekend trip to boston was in fact easy, convenient, comfortable, etc etc.
Now, the other way around (as a grad student) is way too unaffordable. Car insurance is disgusting high for people in the 18-25 age group, and parking anywhere near where I live in boston costs a cool 400/term... This for the 5-6 times a year i make the round trip, costs more than all the greyhound tickets.
I agree, and I wish I had a car, but for me and many others, its' just not a cost feasible option.
Student in boston = REEMED by insurance and parking. Plus, most of my travel back and forth is holiday season, meaning that it can sometimes take about 2 hours just to get to worcester. I agree though, driving at odd times, driving is by far, the best alternative in terms of all out speed and convenience. But in a city, not everyone can own a car (for sheer lack of affordable space).
When I have access to a car, yeah, I have been able to make it in as little as 2.25 hours (speeding a little, sure).
Of course, there may be a sort of a "last mile" problem in the US too - once you arrive at your destination, it might take almost as long or longer to make the second half of the journey from train station to final destination (because of car rentals, traffic, etc.).
I don't think people realize how true this actually is. Basically, when flying just about anywhere, assume an extra 1-2 hours of just dicking around, getting luggage, getting rental car or fighting through the subways, etc etc.
Travelling in Scandinavia was orgasmic by comparison to the US system. Stockholm to Oslo in 3 hours on a fast train, no pre-boarding, post-boarding, endless security checks, etc etc. I travel back and forth from Boston to Albany, NY constantly, and I have the choice of Greyhound or a cheap business class flight.
Greyhound... SUCKS. Ok, remember stockholm to Oslo? 30 US dollars, covering almost twice the distance in huge seats with all sorts of accomodations. Greyhound? 35 dollars to sit in a smelly uncomfortable chair for 4 hours.
Flying? Well, greyhound takes 4, so surely flying is much faster than that. WRONG AGAIN! While flight time is only like 50-60 min, getting to the airport early, along with fighting your way through multiple subway conversions generally saves only about an hour.
Oh, to have a train that could make it in 2 hours for a reasonable cost (say 40 bucks). But alas, we only have amtrak that can do it in 6 hours for a paltry $60
I have been getting "spims" for about 3-4 month now (on and off, with on being a couple a day). It's not always obvious that the incoming message is a spim based on the user name because they are generally names like sarahB1742 and not makeYourPenisHuge@penis-growth.com (not trying to make a joke, just prove a point).
And finally, how do you run an IM "spim" filter? I don't want to only allow my buddy list to contact me, because there are times when a friend of a friend may IM me. Plus, unlike e-mail, there is a limit to the number of people on a buddy list. I know it sounds impossible, but having a buddy list maxed out at 108 users (or whatever the maximum number is) is by no means a challenge. You don't even need 108 people either. Almost everyone has at least 2 accounts (one for their home computer, one when they are out and about). If you go to college (like i currently do), it takes you approximately 1 month to fill your list, even if you are a shut in.
Great point. But for some reason, people feel that freely making something available in a library is somehow different than freely (at least partially, or in an annoying fashion) making it available via the web. I think the issue is this. In a library, there is one copy... ONE. that's it. One person can be reading it/ checking it out at a time. Sure, we could photocopy the book page for page, but that would take forever, cost a lot, and is just too much of a hassle in general. Digital copies of books, on the other hand, can be copied and copied on a whim, with relatively no cost, effort, etc... so lots of people would do it.
I don't want to keep going on with this arguement, because in spirit, I agree with you fully. But I can definitely understand why authors are upset with such an onine book access scheme through amazon.
Microsoft just bought out nicotrol. I can just see the ads now for the combo patch...
Addicted to nicotine? Feel the need to restrict access to your grocery list to only Office 2003 extra special addition? You're in luck! The new nicotine in the mouth DRM up the ass patch is now available! Simple place one a patch either in your mouth or up your ass when ever you get a craving... and the commercial goes on
Well, at least it will be better than feminene ads. I could care less if your new maxi pad model has even more absorbent wings then your freaking competitor. I'm trying to eat my hot pocket god damn it
Hey man, I agree with you fully. It is NOT a secure password. However, it is a primative security check. Perhaps it won't stop someone from eventually getting to your financial information, but it may give the person who lost their credit card enough time to cancel it. It's not meant to be an impenetrable fortress, but it is suppossed to act as a barrier (though a small one).
I also agree that way to many people know my SSN, but that's because lot's of institutions require you to put it on every god damn form that you ever sign. But, time to stop bitching... thanks for the reply
Well, it actually does matter. Say you found Bill's first usa visa credit card on the ground. If you call their 1-800 number (written on the back of the card), they ask you for the last 4 digits of the primary card holders social security number for certain transactions. While this method is by no means fullproof (or even that effective at all) it is still a security check point to someones financial data. If one can easily access a person SSN (and thus their zip code, middle name, and various other trivia that could be used as a security check point) then it becomes much more difficult to authenticate financial transactions over the phone using an automated system.
I know this seems like a very picky example, but I'm sure stuff like this actually happens.
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By what?!? An F16 key? One of those cute "internet explorer" buttons that appears on those oh so awesome multimedia computers sold by compaq? Or how about the "hide porn from boss button", which would minimize all browsers and windows media player windows at the same time. Actually, that last one might be useful.
But seriously, caps lock is useful. Maybe not to you, but to a lot of people. For instance, my mother (lay off the mom jokes, cause i just got off yours) uses a shitty database that requires all data be entered in caps lock. Without a caps lock key, she'd be forced to throw a big ole paperweight on the shift key.
And hey, the ~ key isn't exactly that useful in windows. But just because 90+ percent of all computers don't use it, doesn't mean the linux/unix users would welcome the removal of such a useful key. I mean, unix users would flip the F&*$ out.
Summary: why remove a key for the sake or just removing a key? If it bothers you that much, rip the little piece of crap off, and put some play dough in it's place.
I mean really, Apple, what do you have to lose?
probably been said before. But if the current iPod doesn't have enough oomph, then it can be argued that playing an ogg file probably consumes more power. How much more to decode? I don't rightly know. This may be a trivial arguement, but what if playing ogg files shaves an hour of battery lifetime. Then, you have people bitching about the battery life sucking.
just a thought. I'm sure there are better ones.
"We are breaking our own rules that said we would not put new code into service packs"
I know this is semantics, but isn't a patch "new" code anyway? The old code was buggy, and hence is not used anymore?
Perhaps they meant to say new "features", so that solves that issue.
Finally, even though I think this patch will benefit XP users greatly, I would rather microsoft stick to what they say, rather than change policy when it's convenient for them to do so. It makes them lose credibility through inconsistency, and they certainly don't have credibility to burn.
... but rather embrace and extend.
Not to be a little b&@#!, but if someone couldn't grasp linux in the first 4 editions, I think they should give up and just get a Mac.
Kinda like summer school. Sure, you couldn't understand algebra in 8 months... so now you have 6 weeks!
And I use a mac, so commence making fun of me for being a hypocrit. Linux is an OS for guys with testicles far bigger than the lowly pair I was given.
Easy (my 30 gig Ipod is full)
-17 gig songs (granted, a 4000+ collection is fairly rare... and i could go to 128 instead of 160)
-Encrypted backup disk images of
digital pictures of friends, family, myself
backup documents from all my classes
family guy episodes
-Standard apple iSync stuff (very small, mind you)
contacts, address book, iCal, etc
I have about 3 gigs free right now (not COMPLETELY full, but close). Bear in mind, my music collection continues to grow, and I have stuff from my office that would be nice to have another backup in my pocket... just in case.
So absurd? probably. But if i didn't have an iPod and was given a choice between a 20,40, and 60... i might still jump for the 60. Always better to have room to grow.
thanks, that brightened up my day :)
Slightly off-topic, but does anyone else wonder what software companies are going to do to compensate for version numbers that are already at version 10 and up? I know numbering is by far the easiest system for engineer types, but will people start to get annoyed or confused about the difference between mandrake 15 vs suse 12... do these releases actually warrant a whole new number?
And frankly, can't we just call it something new and start from 1 again?
just a thought
Offtopic, but the submitter opened the door: according to their specs sheet (PDF warning), this stuff has a boiling point of 49.2C (120.6F). Processors burn hotter than that, how useful would it still be for cooling purposes if it were a gas?
But remember, this is at ONE atmosphere or "standard" pressure. It is quite possible that in a relatively small pressure vessel with leads etched through it, that the boiling point could be raised. How much, that is something that has to figured out, but it's not completely unreasonable.
Also, processors burn hotter than 120F because the cooling sucks. If a liquid were to be well circulated, it might be possible to keep the temperature of the outside of the heat sink at a reasonable temp (~100F). But that will depend mainly on the thermal diffusivity of the liquid as well as the circulation rate of the liquid.
So yeah, a boiling point of 120F is pretty shitty, but there are reasonable ways around it, if the properties of this liquid have cooling properties that are worth the effort.
The enemy of your enemy is your friend.
This is just a shining example of this concept.
Is it just me, or should articles like this include an anger rating system from 0 (happy child running through the meadow) to 10 (about to go ripshit in the streets of boston after someone totalled your car during rush hour traffic, preventing you from going back to your unloving wife and kids). Seriously though, after reading this article, I felt like the only just thing to do in this world would be to take down these operations, SWAT style.
:)
A rating would help prevent readers like myself from getting this huge adrenaline rush right before going back to the lab and running experiments requiring patience, not the ability to throw large blunt objects at retarded management.
grumble grumble... i feel better now
Ick. Why would anyone want to compare Linus to that looser Edison? I mean, he invented two bloody things in his entire life, the rest was invented by other people who had signed contracts that gave Edison all rights to their inventions and let him take...
-True, but he did found a little company called GE... which seems to be doing rather well, and doing a lot of really great things. Besides, lights are kindof, i dont' know, important.
Agreed. My only response to your claim is this
Will all these online music stores survive that long? Maybe not. At least with physical CD media you don't have to worry about such things.
Physical media blows. Pardon my french, s'il vous plait. I don't know how many CDs that my friends have that are completely UNREADABLE after about 4-5 years of ownership . Yeah, mine are fine, because I take really good care of them. The point being, I bet a lot of people don't. Or, they use them in places where it's inevitable that they'll get scratched up (like changing CDs while driving a car, they are bound to get scuffed now and then). Of course, if you're like me, and just buy CD's (usually used ones) to rip into AAC on the computer, then they will hardly ever deteriorate and you can always rerip later.
Or, you can just download on iTunes. I like CD's more... but I also like options.
--Of course you like it. You didn't have to pay for most of it. The rest of the country did.
True, however, there are some other things to think about before you can just point fingers at boston residents.
1) Boston is not the only place that receives federal funding for pork barrel legislation. While I don't agree with pork barrel legislation 90% of the time, there are instances in which certain things would NEVER get done without a large sum of money coming from the feds. Do you think boston would have been able to raise 15 billion on itself over that time frame? perhaps it could've, it they weren't also supporting pork barrel legislation in other areas of the country. While boston obviously has received more than it's fair share in say a 30 year window (received more money for federal projects than it has given out), i'd be willing to bet it's not as horrendous as it seems.
2) Cities need to be efficient, and although you are in the right to bitch about money getting pumped into the city, at least understand that the rest of the state will eventually get a return on their investment. By improving the infrastructure of areas like boston, NYC, silicon valley, etc... you keep business going/improving/growing. Just the ability to lessen the average commute for a worker in the city by 10 min would have very positive impact on businesses and school alike... lowering costs, improving quality of life, etc etc. When companies in boston do well, I'd be willing to bet that the effects are felt throughout the state, whether it be generating more taxes from within the city, to creating more jobs/opportunities around it as well.
well done. If I could mod you up more, i would.
Oh, i'd love to. Believe me I would. However, Owning/maintaining a car in boston is not trivial/cheap. Cost and hassle of endless parking fees and registrations, ugh. When I used to live back home with my family, making a weekend trip to boston was in fact easy, convenient, comfortable, etc etc.
Now, the other way around (as a grad student) is way too unaffordable. Car insurance is disgusting high for people in the 18-25 age group, and parking anywhere near where I live in boston costs a cool 400/term... This for the 5-6 times a year i make the round trip, costs more than all the greyhound tickets.
I agree, and I wish I had a car, but for me and many others, its' just not a cost feasible option.
Student in boston = REEMED by insurance and parking. Plus, most of my travel back and forth is holiday season, meaning that it can sometimes take about 2 hours just to get to worcester. I agree though, driving at odd times, driving is by far, the best alternative in terms of all out speed and convenience. But in a city, not everyone can own a car (for sheer lack of affordable space).
When I have access to a car, yeah, I have been able to make it in as little as 2.25 hours (speeding a little, sure).
Of course, there may be a sort of a "last mile" problem in the US too - once you arrive at your destination, it might take almost as long or longer to make the second half of the journey from train station to final destination (because of car rentals, traffic, etc.).
I don't think people realize how true this actually is. Basically, when flying just about anywhere, assume an extra 1-2 hours of just dicking around, getting luggage, getting rental car or fighting through the subways, etc etc.
Travelling in Scandinavia was orgasmic by comparison to the US system. Stockholm to Oslo in 3 hours on a fast train, no pre-boarding, post-boarding, endless security checks, etc etc. I travel back and forth from Boston to Albany, NY constantly, and I have the choice of Greyhound or a cheap business class flight.
Greyhound... SUCKS. Ok, remember stockholm to Oslo? 30 US dollars, covering almost twice the distance in huge seats with all sorts of accomodations. Greyhound? 35 dollars to sit in a smelly uncomfortable chair for 4 hours.
Flying? Well, greyhound takes 4, so surely flying is much faster than that. WRONG AGAIN! While flight time is only like 50-60 min, getting to the airport early, along with fighting your way through multiple subway conversions generally saves only about an hour.
Oh, to have a train that could make it in 2 hours for a reasonable cost (say 40 bucks). But alas, we only have amtrak that can do it in 6 hours for a paltry $60
grumble grumble, oh to be in sweden again
I have been getting "spims" for about 3-4 month now (on and off, with on being a couple a day). It's not always obvious that the incoming message is a spim based on the user name because they are generally names like sarahB1742 and not makeYourPenisHuge@penis-growth.com (not trying to make a joke, just prove a point).
And finally, how do you run an IM "spim" filter? I don't want to only allow my buddy list to contact me, because there are times when a friend of a friend may IM me. Plus, unlike e-mail, there is a limit to the number of people on a buddy list. I know it sounds impossible, but having a buddy list maxed out at 108 users (or whatever the maximum number is) is by no means a challenge. You don't even need 108 people either. Almost everyone has at least 2 accounts (one for their home computer, one when they are out and about). If you go to college (like i currently do), it takes you approximately 1 month to fill your list, even if you are a shut in.
Great point. But for some reason, people feel that freely making something available in a library is somehow different than freely (at least partially, or in an annoying fashion) making it available via the web. I think the issue is this. In a library, there is one copy... ONE. that's it. One person can be reading it/ checking it out at a time. Sure, we could photocopy the book page for page, but that would take forever, cost a lot, and is just too much of a hassle in general. Digital copies of books, on the other hand, can be copied and copied on a whim, with relatively no cost, effort, etc... so lots of people would do it.
I don't want to keep going on with this arguement, because in spirit, I agree with you fully. But I can definitely understand why authors are upset with such an onine book access scheme through amazon.
Microsoft just bought out nicotrol. I can just see the ads now for the combo patch...
Addicted to nicotine? Feel the need to restrict access to your grocery list to only Office 2003 extra special addition? You're in luck! The new nicotine in the mouth DRM up the ass patch is now available! Simple place one a patch either in your mouth or up your ass when ever you get a craving... and the commercial goes on
Well, at least it will be better than feminene ads. I could care less if your new maxi pad model has even more absorbent wings then your freaking competitor. I'm trying to eat my hot pocket god damn it
bring back family guy!
not to keep this going on forever, but he merely flamed a troll. Personally, i think they both lost.
nice :)
Hey man, I agree with you fully. It is NOT a secure password. However, it is a primative security check. Perhaps it won't stop someone from eventually getting to your financial information, but it may give the person who lost their credit card enough time to cancel it. It's not meant to be an impenetrable fortress, but it is suppossed to act as a barrier (though a small one).
I also agree that way to many people know my SSN, but that's because lot's of institutions require you to put it on every god damn form that you ever sign. But, time to stop bitching... thanks for the reply
Well, it actually does matter. Say you found Bill's first usa visa credit card on the ground. If you call their 1-800 number (written on the back of the card), they ask you for the last 4 digits of the primary card holders social security number for certain transactions. While this method is by no means fullproof (or even that effective at all) it is still a security check point to someones financial data. If one can easily access a person SSN (and thus their zip code, middle name, and various other trivia that could be used as a security check point) then it becomes much more difficult to authenticate financial transactions over the phone using an automated system.
I know this seems like a very picky example, but I'm sure stuff like this actually happens.