Obviously this wasn't a double blind test. I would expect that most people would also be able to tell the difference between a stout and a red wine.
In short, there was no placebo. This does not mean that the other beverages were not used as controls. It just means that you can't completely rule out the placebo effect for people who already believe that beer will make them healthier. Unfortunately, beer is a pretty distictive beverage, so there isn't any real way to eliminate this problem.
Having been dorm staff in college, I can speak to this a little. While I am not a lawyer, and I don't know the laws in your state, I can say that (at least at my former university) RA's cannot simply "check your room for pot if they smell it walking by". That is, they have no authority to do so, though I admit they often do it anyway.
The authority of the RA pretty much stops at the threshold of the room if the student does not agree to let them enter. We were instructed, very clearly, that if a student refused us entry, we basically had no power unless we called up a police officer and told them we "smelled pot outside a room" (which is what we were supposed to do anyway if the activity could be criminal because while RAs may have administrative authority, they are not law enforcement). This would be effectively no different from any citizen calling the police over suspicious activity. The police, would then have the ability to determine if they have probable cause to force entry.
In practicality, what happens is that the students are TOLD that the RAs have power, and most RAs are quite happy to perpetuate the lie. The percieved power of the RA induces the student to grant the RA access when they don't, technically, have to do so. Once the RA has gained entrance, as a representative of the student's leaseholder (the university), they can take administrative measures (usually reporting them to the university) as defined in the lease.
RAs do not have as much power as most people think (legaly speaking at any rate.)
Well, if all the law says is that you have to show ID, this might be true. But the thing is, we don't know what ELSE the law might say. Nobody has seen it. For all we know it could say "we will try to ask for your ID, but if we don't, it is your responsibility to present your ID, and if you don't it is punishable by five years in prison."
That make a lot of sense. Also, I didn't want to focus only on your case, since I don't know anything about it. I was just making a general observation about something that I see happening freqently. I suppose I went off topic some. My bad.
I know we've gone off topic, but just wanted to thank you for the info.
I just ordered a GeForce 6800 GT OverClocked after re-doing my video card research. I expect it next week and can't wait to start drooling:)
heh heh, I've never had a problem editing conf files. I've been doing it since the 90's back when there were no fancy interfaces and tools to do it fore you (I remember 'probeonly' very unfondly:)
I do not know your particular background, and surely there are concepts in different languages/cultures that are not present in others, but I have found that most times that someone can't figure out how to express X concept "because english doesn't have a word for the concept", it is usually due to lack of knowledge of english vocabulary, not lack of the word in the english language (which, I believe is a result of cultural and educational trend...well, in America at least. I admit to having a much smaller vocabulary than I would like.)
First, thank you very much, Triumph, for the links and info. If I hadn't already posted I'd be modding you up as "Informative" right now.:)
Second, on re-reading, I realize that my first post sounded confrontational, which was not my intent. My appologies to the original AC that posted.
Third, my point (which I didn't make very well) wasn't that the BSD version was not more secure in code. It very well may be, and knowing BDS, probably IS more secure in terms of bug fixes. However, this was not the original topic. The book being reviewed, unless I misunderstand the reviewer and the synopsis, covered how to harden an installation, not a code-base. So even if you have an installation that has more secure code, the book still applies because you can still alter the config settings to make it safer. My issue was with the original statement that 1000s of lines of diffs meant that one didn't have to worry about securing the installation.
I must infer that you are implying that all of these different lines of code are all security patches? I am afraid that I must look up on this with a bit of dis-belief.
If you ARE saying that these are mostly security fixes, could you provide some references to show where the info comes from?
Whether or not you are not claiming that they are mostly security fixes, I fail to see how differences in source code for the binaries has anything to do with securing an installation through configuration. Surely, if there are holes caused by configuration, it doesn't matter if the code it self was 100% secure (which is impossible) because the configuration would make it insecure.
While many young people have built large libraries from Napster, there are in fact older people who have actually been collecting music for well on thirty years or more. Some of their collections are downright monstrous. I know a guy who probably has half a terabyte of music, all ripped from CDs and vinyl (yes, he ripped all his records onto MP3!).
Really? That is interesting, because I have heard this was no longer the case and the opposite was now true. (This is a little more than academic for me at the moment as I am actually in the market for a new card as mine is doing some funky stuff and needs replacing).
I know a couple people who have had nothing but trouble trying to install the nVidia drivers for XFree86 (if I remember correctly, it requires rebooting into single user runlevel to start the install and then rebooting back to multi-user graphical to finish it up; but still didn't work for one of my friends) but once they got an ATI they just ran the installer and it "just worked".
Of course, if it is a matter of update "frequency" maybe that is different. I've never needed to interface with the drivers in code so I really can't speak to that aspect of it.
I would like to hear more on this. Very interesting because, other than my personal experiences with friends, I see nothing but complaints about nVidia on support forums and such. I may be getting a skewed picture if I haven't been hearing the other stuff, which woudl suck if I went out and bought a $400 ATI card in a few weeks (which was going to be my plan) and found out that it doesn't work well with my Mandrake 10 box.
Actually, ATI would have been a good idea. nVidia optimizes for 3D CGI rendering and game engines more than anything else whereas ATI is still the industry leader in A/V-multimedia cards, as well as generally having smaller footprint and lower power consumption/heat production than nVidia.
They could have thrown and All-In-Wonder on the 20" version, with associated TV/in out, which would have made it a true central system for home entertainment. The 20" widescreen is even large enough to service as a TV im most homes. They would then be in a position to offer a software/OS X based PVR (TiVo-like) and become a TRUE hub of the digital home. I can see Jobs now: "I bring you, iVCR!":)
Ok, perhaps I am getting away from myself a little bit here, but a guy can dream can't he?:):)
I agree that the price-point is fair for what one would be getting. This is tempered, though, by realizing that they scrapped the video card, HD, and ram (adding a needed 512mb, a decent video card, and a larger HD could easily run $1000+ more) in order to put a "really fast G5" into it.
Clearly a marketing driven move. Unfortunately, this under-utilizes the power of that chip and makes it worth less than it otherwise would be.
It is good, but lacking for what is being billed as an A/V desktop system.
So, I would say the price is great for the hardware you are getting, but the poor design in what hardware to integrate de-values the entire system so that the price ends up being simply "fair".
...that the 17" versions only have 80GB hard drives, and th 20" has only 160GB.
Makes me questions this:
"all your music, all your photos, all your movies, all your email -- in a computer as fun and useful as an iPod?"
Sorry, that might be enough for all of my music, maybe even all of my photos. But I have very little music (in comparison to most of my friends. ) and almost no photos. I know people who cannot fit even half their music on an iPod. There is a reason that people lobbied to get 80gig hard drive packs for their Neuros.
I like that the hard disks are SATA though! That is pretty cool.
I fail to see how this is anything but a laptop with the keyboard and the battery removed.
Closer still are TabletPCs, but again, with less functionality and portability.
G5 in there is nice, but with the base model only having 256MB of ram, all that nice processing power will go to waste as the hard drive thrashes away.
Once you add in enough ram to make it nice, I am sure the price will put it at about the same place as a mid-to-high end laptop.
Looks like KDE's way of solving some of the same things that the GNOME Storage[www.gnome.org] project is working on.
One potential advantage I can see in the KDE approach, it might be able to search system files as well as user-space files. Still, I think Storage looks to be a better overall answer to WinFS.
Many posts have pointed out the true fact that supercomputers are better for certain jobs that are not suited to clustered solutions (and visa versa).
Most slashdotters are technical enough to realise this...but...we are not the target audience of the original article. Such articles are meant for high level executives and relatively non-specialist managers who don't always hear all sides of the story. Every day these people are seeing articles and news blurbs stating how the latest linux cluster is as good or better than a supercomputer, and gee isn't that swell! While such press is good, and important, not everyone hearing that implicitly understands that such reports only apply to SOME applications.
So what the original article is, is a message from one executive to other executives trying to clarify the situation. Basically saying "hey, just because Wired ran a story that says linux clusters are the next best thing since sliced bread, doesn't mean that this is the best solution for you. Now, let us talk about what you need."
I see nothing wrong with this. I read the article, and found nothing in it that was false. It is good because sometimes an exec will listen to a fellow exec when they won't listed to the advice of their own techs because of something said exec read in Scientific American.
Welcome to corporate america boys and girls.
(Disclaimer: Wired and American Scientific were random examples. I know of know articles in either publication about linux clusters. Both are fine publications.)
Cool site born of a cool magazine. I'm almost 25 and I still think it's fun!
By the way, kudos on your efforts! When you get a comprehensive list together, please post it on/. for us. I know a bunch of teacher friends that would give their right eyes for a link list like that!
Ok, here's the deal. You don't lose loyalty by asking for a raise. That's expected. You won't get one without asking. BUT, asking for a raise is different from threatening to leave. If you were unhappy with your current salary, you should have talked to your supervisor about it. If they can't, or aren't willing to give you a raise at this point, then either change jobs, or stick it out. Once you actually threaten them with leaving, then that sets the tone for your future relationship and things will most likely (though not always) turn bad. Since you actually interviewed with another company and entertained an offer before talking to your boss, you have made the first agressive step in changing your employer's attitude for you. They now have to worry about you up and leaving at any point. Companies want security as much as you do. You've just told them that you are actively looking for other employment (after only a couple months too!) and are thus probably willing to do so again. From their position, this means that you either have no loyalty at all, or don't like something about your job (regardless of what you say. Actions speak louder) and will continue to look for other work.
I agree with the posts saying that you shouldn't have to threaten your employer. The moment you threaten them, they look for someone else, even if they offer you a delaying raise. Think about it. If your boss came to you and said "you really need to buckle down and work harder because this project is behind and its really important." you would probabably work some extra hours, read slashdot less, and the like. But if your boss came up and said "work harder or we are going to replace you. And by the way, we have two interviewees lined up at the temp agency." Well, you'd work harder, but you would also start looking for a new job because you aren't secure where you are. Employers don't say this too you because they know that you'd take the first chance you could to get out and gain security.
You shouldn't threaten your employer. Period. It isn't politic. Only threaten them if you have something to fall back on and don't mind getting let go.
Slashdot Mirror
In short, there was no placebo. This does not mean that the other beverages were not used as controls. It just means that you can't completely rule out the placebo effect for people who already believe that beer will make them healthier. Unfortunately, beer is a pretty distictive beverage, so there isn't any real way to eliminate this problem.
The authority of the RA pretty much stops at the threshold of the room if the student does not agree to let them enter. We were instructed, very clearly, that if a student refused us entry, we basically had no power unless we called up a police officer and told them we "smelled pot outside a room" (which is what we were supposed to do anyway if the activity could be criminal because while RAs may have administrative authority, they are not law enforcement). This would be effectively no different from any citizen calling the police over suspicious activity. The police, would then have the ability to determine if they have probable cause to force entry.
In practicality, what happens is that the students are TOLD that the RAs have power, and most RAs are quite happy to perpetuate the lie. The percieved power of the RA induces the student to grant the RA access when they don't, technically, have to do so. Once the RA has gained entrance, as a representative of the student's leaseholder (the university), they can take administrative measures (usually reporting them to the university) as defined in the lease.
RAs do not have as much power as most people think (legaly speaking at any rate.)
Probably not, but then again, who knows?
nuclear reactor != nuclear accelerator
That make a lot of sense. Also, I didn't want to focus only on your case, since I don't know anything about it. I was just making a general observation about something that I see happening freqently. I suppose I went off topic some. My bad.
I just ordered a GeForce 6800 GT OverClocked after re-doing my video card research. I expect it next week and can't wait to start drooling:)
heh heh, I've never had a problem editing conf files. I've been doing it since the 90's back when there were no fancy interfaces and tools to do it fore you (I remember 'probeonly' very unfondly:)
Thanks again. Good chatting and happy /.ing.
I do not know your particular background, and surely there are concepts in different languages/cultures that are not present in others, but I have found that most times that someone can't figure out how to express X concept "because english doesn't have a word for the concept", it is usually due to lack of knowledge of english vocabulary, not lack of the word in the english language (which, I believe is a result of cultural and educational trend...well, in America at least. I admit to having a much smaller vocabulary than I would like.)
Second, on re-reading, I realize that my first post sounded confrontational, which was not my intent. My appologies to the original AC that posted.
Third, my point (which I didn't make very well) wasn't that the BSD version was not more secure in code. It very well may be, and knowing BDS, probably IS more secure in terms of bug fixes. However, this was not the original topic. The book being reviewed, unless I misunderstand the reviewer and the synopsis, covered how to harden an installation, not a code-base. So even if you have an installation that has more secure code, the book still applies because you can still alter the config settings to make it safer. My issue was with the original statement that 1000s of lines of diffs meant that one didn't have to worry about securing the installation.
If you ARE saying that these are mostly security fixes, could you provide some references to show where the info comes from?
Whether or not you are not claiming that they are mostly security fixes, I fail to see how differences in source code for the binaries has anything to do with securing an installation through configuration. Surely, if there are holes caused by configuration, it doesn't matter if the code it self was 100% secure (which is impossible) because the configuration would make it insecure.
While many young people have built large libraries from Napster, there are in fact older people who have actually been collecting music for well on thirty years or more. Some of their collections are downright monstrous. I know a guy who probably has half a terabyte of music, all ripped from CDs and vinyl (yes, he ripped all his records onto MP3!).
I know a couple people who have had nothing but trouble trying to install the nVidia drivers for XFree86 (if I remember correctly, it requires rebooting into single user runlevel to start the install and then rebooting back to multi-user graphical to finish it up; but still didn't work for one of my friends) but once they got an ATI they just ran the installer and it "just worked".
Of course, if it is a matter of update "frequency" maybe that is different. I've never needed to interface with the drivers in code so I really can't speak to that aspect of it.
I would like to hear more on this. Very interesting because, other than my personal experiences with friends, I see nothing but complaints about nVidia on support forums and such. I may be getting a skewed picture if I haven't been hearing the other stuff, which woudl suck if I went out and bought a $400 ATI card in a few weeks (which was going to be my plan) and found out that it doesn't work well with my Mandrake 10 box.
They could have thrown and All-In-Wonder on the 20" version, with associated TV/in out, which would have made it a true central system for home entertainment. The 20" widescreen is even large enough to service as a TV im most homes. They would then be in a position to offer a software/OS X based PVR (TiVo-like) and become a TRUE hub of the digital home. I can see Jobs now: "I bring you, iVCR!" :)
Ok, perhaps I am getting away from myself a little bit here, but a guy can dream can't he? :):)
It is good, but lacking for what is being billed as an A/V desktop system.
So, I would say the price is great for the hardware you are getting, but the poor design in what hardware to integrate de-values the entire system so that the price ends up being simply "fair".
Sorry, that might be enough for all of my music, maybe even all of my photos. But I have very little music (in comparison to most of my friends. ) and almost no photos. I know people who cannot fit even half their music on an iPod. There is a reason that people lobbied to get 80gig hard drive packs for their Neuros.
I like that the hard disks are SATA though! That is pretty cool.I fail to see how this is anything but a laptop with the keyboard and the battery removed.
Closer still are TabletPCs, but again, with less functionality and portability.
G5 in there is nice, but with the base model only having 256MB of ram, all that nice processing power will go to waste as the hard drive thrashes away.
Once you add in enough ram to make it nice, I am sure the price will put it at about the same place as a mid-to-high end laptop.
Looks like KDE's way of solving some of the same things that the GNOME Storage[www.gnome.org] project is working on.
One potential advantage I can see in the KDE approach, it might be able to search system files as well as user-space files. Still, I think Storage looks to be a better overall answer to WinFS.
Many posts have pointed out the true fact that supercomputers are better for certain jobs that are not suited to clustered solutions (and visa versa).
Most slashdotters are technical enough to realise this...but...we are not the target audience of the original article. Such articles are meant for high level executives and relatively non-specialist managers who don't always hear all sides of the story. Every day these people are seeing articles and news blurbs stating how the latest linux cluster is as good or better than a supercomputer, and gee isn't that swell! While such press is good, and important, not everyone hearing that implicitly understands that such reports only apply to SOME applications.
So what the original article is, is a message from one executive to other executives trying to clarify the situation. Basically saying "hey, just because Wired ran a story that says linux clusters are the next best thing since sliced bread, doesn't mean that this is the best solution for you. Now, let us talk about what you need."
I see nothing wrong with this. I read the article, and found nothing in it that was false.
It is good because sometimes an exec will listen to a fellow exec when they won't listed to the advice of their own techs because of something said exec read in Scientific American.
Welcome to corporate america boys and girls.
(Disclaimer: Wired and American Scientific were random examples. I know of know articles in either publication about linux clusters. Both are fine publications.)
Cool site born of a cool magazine. I'm almost 25 and I still think it's fun!
/. for us. I know a bunch of teacher friends that would give their right eyes for a link list like that!
By the way, kudos on your efforts! When you get a comprehensive list together, please post it on
Ok, here's the deal. You don't lose loyalty by asking for a raise. That's expected. You won't get one without asking. BUT, asking for a raise is different from threatening to leave. If you were unhappy with your current salary, you should have talked to your supervisor about it. If they can't, or aren't willing to give you a raise at this point, then either change jobs, or stick it out. Once you actually threaten them with leaving, then that sets the tone for your future relationship and things will most likely (though not always) turn bad. Since you actually interviewed with another company and entertained an offer before talking to your boss, you have made the first agressive step in changing your employer's attitude for you. They now have to worry about you up and leaving at any point. Companies want security as much as you do. You've just told them that you are actively looking for other employment (after only a couple months too!) and are thus probably willing to do so again.
From their position, this means that you either have no loyalty at all, or don't like something about your job (regardless of what you say. Actions speak louder) and will continue to look for other work.
I agree with the posts saying that you shouldn't have to threaten your employer. The moment you threaten them, they look for someone else, even if they offer you a delaying raise. Think about it. If your boss came to you and said "you really need to buckle down and work harder because this project is behind and its really important." you would probabably work some extra hours, read slashdot less, and the like. But if your boss came up and said "work harder or we are going to replace you. And by the way, we have two interviewees lined up at the temp agency." Well, you'd work harder, but you would also start looking for a new job because you aren't secure where you are. Employers don't say this too you because they know that you'd take the first chance you could to get out and gain security.
You shouldn't threaten your employer. Period. It isn't politic. Only threaten them if you have something to fall back on and don't mind getting let go.
my $0.02