Looks like people are simply trying to adjust the law structure to what most bicyclists have been doing for decades anyway.
Simply changing these laws won't help traffic flow any. The accidents caused by such actions have a negative effect on traffic as it is. All this does is ease insurance cases, and place the burden of responsibility on the larger vehicle, kind of like what has already happened to big trucks. It doesn't matter one bit what actually happened. Unless you can "prove it in court", the blame always falls on the big truck, and only if it's really obvious does the police force look at the car.
Shame society can't remove someones' right to use a bicycle in public due to their reckless driving practices.
Doesn't the law see them as vehicles already? Or are they still seen as pedestrians in many places?
If you can't use the roads in a safe and responsible manner, you shouldn't be on them with a vehicle.
ANY Vehicle.
Tinker with the laws for bicycles, and you'll see the unregistered all-electric scooters (who do the same things as bikes, such as roll through stop signs, and maybe pause at red lights) following suit as if they're immune to the laws of the road,
You want to see improvement?
How about proper education in the first place, followed up by proper enforcement.
If a driver (any driver of any vehicle) is operating in a safe and intelligent manner while sharing the road with other like-minded souls, traffic wouldn't be a serious issue, because sharing the road wouldn't be a problem.
Sharing the road seems to be the problem in the first place. Bicycle lanes haven't eased the problem much, as most cyclists wander randomly in and out of them whenever they want. Cars use them to scoot around turning vehicles, or to cut a corner at a red light. It's only as if we've just widened the roads to try and accommodate driver behaviour as it is already.
Again. Modifying laws to behaviour is the wrong direction.
In any corporate social hierarchy, there are the existing network of the "Old Boys" that used to gather in smokey back rooms, and private clubs in big wing-backed chairs, talking about what they were doing, and to whom...
Today, there's a digital social network that exists, but the social connections that have no traces still exist.
Such unwritten agreements shaped the development of many a huge cash-based community. Las Vegas is but a single example.
If you were among the Elite, you knew the rules, and could get away with a lot more. Steve Jobs was not exactly part of the actual Old Boys Network, and made his own. The thing is this: he was doing what they were doing, just in a lot less discrete manner. Same stuff. Different pile. If he had been "classically trained" by the Old Boys, he'd likely have never been even suspected directly of anything. That, and he'd have been stifled into obscurity, and the Personal Computer would have been quite different than it is today.
Bottom Line: Power and Influence has its own rules. Rarely do they comply to the actual Laws that govern the Rest of Us. Only when they get found out does anything happen. That's usually when new laws and precedents get set to deal with the "new problem" that has actually been around for decades, but only just made the headlines recently.
Old Boys nod and smile(ey) a lot, and they still do what they want. It will be a long time before (if ever) changes make the headlines in that field.
Unless people have some training or background, thy will proceed blindly along until something actually Makes them pay attention.
Start with such basics in high-school, or even earlier than that. Explain (and mark their understanding) of things like strong vs weak passwords, and simple security procedures. E-mail safety tips. Good file management practices. Even basics like how to take care of a keyboard and/or pointing device would go fairly well in such a course.
Oh. Almost forgot: MAKE IT MANDATORY! Nobody gets to use the school computers/labs (even Office Staff) if they don't show proficiency. No personal systems should be allowed access to the school network without a valid certificate either, lest they infect the whole thing from their own carrier box. Ban those who violate the practices and cause problems. Make them responsible for what they caused, and Sit Through the repair procedures with a technician as an additional education in what happens, and what has to be done to Fix things, or no forgiveness, and therefore, no regained access! Give them a sense of what they are avoiding, and even what to do to fix a problem on their own system, should they get afflicted at home.
Start 'em young, and train them in the ways of the system. The results will be worth the effort.
Seriously: If people don't show they are responsible enough to use the school (or company) systems, they have no business accessing them, and probably shouldn't be working there in any capacity.
#IoT is more-or-less a synonym for Sky-Net in it's infancy.
Think about it: The devices and appliances get smarter by studying humanity. Watching, collecting data, adjusting response, eliminating (or suggesting the elimination of) steps in the chain.
How long before humans get edited out completely, and the machine simply builds itself around us? How long after that before we're no longer needed in the flow-chart of its designs?
Just food for thought, here. I don't like the idea of my fridge coordinating with my stove about what I'm going to have for dinner based on my vending machine habits of the week, and productivity rating at work...
Maybe I should... It'd be really convenient. Might lead to a Fractale-like existence, though.
I guess it will all matter where we stand on certain things in society. Like Google Glass, and all-pervasive surveillance systems, and the Governing Body in place over it all...
It's amazing what happens to some people when they get a taste of power over others. Little wonder why there are cases of extortion and racketeering that happen by police officers in many cities. Once they get a taste, they're hooked, and it escalates.
Why is it that many an off-duty police officer acts like a total a$$-hat, but pops a badge out of their butt when confronted by the proper authority to curb such behavior? They carry on as if they are Allowed to do the things they, themselves are required to prevent. After all, such things are Fun! At least, to some people...
I'd cite examples, but there'd be info-burn from the Google results page...
How many people would tamper with monitoring devices at their work, if they were under such constant scrutiny? Of course, there are laws preventing such devices in many places at work, such as washrooms, changerooms, and similar places. Needless to say why many employees tend to hang out there as much as possible.
Bottom line is this: People in authority should Expect to be monitored for abuse! Gone are the days of power (on certain levels of civil service) putting you beyond reproach. that was then. This is now. It's been called the Information Age for a reason, folks.
Welcome to the Glass House, Mr. Ford. Don't get too comfortable.
Mayors of large, world-class cities have been getting away with things for a very long time in the past. Mostly because they knew when and how to do such things so as not to draw too much attention to themselves.Others see the office as goal, and a place where they have free reign to do whatever they want. Chances are, they were doing things before they had the office, but were simply emboldened to the point of carelessness by the authority they found themselves in. Can you imagine the scandals that would happen if a Mayors' Office was subjected to such constant monitoring? Don't get me wrong! Mayors of such cities have a Lot of things they have to deal with on a daily basis, that are best kept behind closed doors for public safety. Shame the crime-lords of the modern era don't suffer from nearly the same level of accountability as their elected counterparts...
So, bottom line here: If you had such monitoring devices where you work, would you tamper with them for any reason? Would it be privacy, or some other reason that motivates you?
What level of "privacy" do you expect from your work environment?
If this is what happens once a year, imagine what happens to people who have their schedules changed at random (like a truck driver), or someone on "swing shifts"!
Little wonder there are so many truckers having heart attacks that end their careers (or even their lives)!
And to think I worked for a company that the VP actually said to me (with a witness from their own Drivers' Advisory Board present, no less):
"Circadian rhythm is a luxury we cannot afford in this industry."
I'd name names, but I might want to return to driving one day, and it could get me Blackballed;)
I thought I asked a couple of decent questions, but it seems they were toxic, and the thread has died a miserable death... Anybody still out there? Has anyone gotten any kind of answers from JoCo?
Have you considered a female point-of-view version of your song "Better"? It'd be interesting to hear the logic behind her upgrades, and what she was after in the first place.
Also, is there any kind of correlation between "Better" and "Nobody Loves You Like Me"?
Do, please keep up the Wonderful Work! Great, insightful and thought-provoking body of work, BTW!
Bluetooth is short range, and R/C uses audible signals on CB channel 14 or so.
Just monitor the CB band for activity that seems weird, and broadcast something that can knock them down. Whistling into a mic often works. An R/C hobby enthusiast could easily override such a signal, and take control with a much stronger local unit. Any decent computer tech should be able to snoop out a Bluetooth signal, if that's what they're using.
Triangulate on the broadcast before the takeover, and you have a place to look for the perps, while having taken down the drone for analysis and follow-up.
Looks like 'we' will have to right to use drones of our own to do fairly non-invasive things like monitor our own property, take aerial images and videos, and patrol for intrusion.
Expect corporate drones to roll out fairly soon now that it's not considered illegal.
Next step: Armed Drones. They'll probably start will paint-ball chemical/visual tags, and work up the lethality scale slowly, but surely from there.
At least the paint-balls aren't too directly life-threatening... unless you're knocked off a high-rise structure...
Maybe cities just don't have the right mix of amenities, price, space, parking, and other factors to make them better places to put certain businesses.
As is, any decent business that intends to be economical, will build in a place that is of advantage to them, while convenient to their clientele.
If a city area does not have the attributes a company is looking for, why would they locate anywhere else? If they are willing to bus in their employees, bully for them! The city should be happy that there's an employer willing to add to the local economy.
If a city truly wants to revitalize an area, they need to make it appealing to a company to set up there. Tax incentives, for example. Perhaps a city could petition for companies of certain types and demographics to build a neighborhood of sorts, including residential units for employees of the core.
Want to build a community? Plan it out, and fill in the blocks. Leaving it to market whims, and dumb luck doesn't exactly promote growth.
...what will it take for general acceptance to finally take hold?
When nearly everyone has the tech, it will be a mutually assured disclosure situation, and only those who don't have it will feel threatened and/or left out.
In a nutshell: If you have it, you accept it on others, and if you don't have it, you will feel exposed, and therefore resent the presence of it on others.
Widespread adoption will be about the only thing that can allow it to take hold. Sadly, this will also create even more backlash against it.
I doubt it will ever be truly widespread. Isn't it still illegal in most places to record people without prior permission, and threatening to record can also be seen as a threat? Every new phone has a camera as it is. You want to see people get twitchy? Walk into any bar actively recording as you go and post the results! That's not even Glass backlash, just blatant recording reaction!
Maybe there will be a string of clubs spring up that having Glass (or something else similar) is the only way you get in.
Watch for signs to pop up Banning the use of such devices in various establishments. Theaters will likely lead the pack there. I'm surprised that the MPAA/RIAA haven't jumped on this bandwagon yet, as ambient recording of copyrighted material is (at least in their mind) illegal, and recording club music could be a goldmine for them...
Nothing sets a mind into cement like being forced into something painful repeatedly.
It's called a "Conditioned Response" and becomes automatic. Hence the term "knee-jerk reaction".
People tend to teach their kids to avoid something that they had to learn the hard way in an attempt to spare them the suffering they had to endure themselves.
"What have they done?", you ask? Pushed flawed OSes out, forced upgrades that slow or break older systems, actively discontinued support for decent hardware (like printers and scanners) to force more purchases, yank support for older OSes that have been working in the industry in some capacity for years in a vain attempt to generate revenue, forcibly downgrade or out-mode existing suites of software that at least work (now that people have been forced to use them for so long) so that they will have to retrain in something completely different so they can simply continue to work, "bundling" software together in ways that make it obscenely difficult to remove without knocking down their house of cards...
Wash
Rinse
Repeat
Windows ME was a seriously flawed OS.
Windows Vista was as well.
Windows 8 has so far shown many of the same trends as it's failed predecessors, but M$ still pushes it out as if everyone never had to break the bank for the last two serious failures on their part, and wonders why people are slow to adopt anything new from them.
Seriously? We need to look at this with fresh eyes?
I'll be checking mine for a M$ logo before I adopt anything like that wetware into my body.
Heck, I don't think I'd want a Google logo on it, either...
It seems one of the Biggest Obstacles to getting Linux on more desktops is simply that most users are unable to get it running without consulting a guru.
That's one of the main reasons I have never even tried to get into Linux on my own...
"... we want you to feel comfortable being your true, authentic self."
I wonder if they include things like Futa, Loli and Trap with their many gender-obfuscating references...
It just seems to me that many will abuse the whole Net-Annonimity thing, and post their Fantasy selves, as opposed to their "true, authentic" self-image.
What's to keep people from having alts, anyway? There's plenty of those already.
Well, Good Luck with all that, FaceBook! I hope you can last long enough to make a Graceful exit when the Next Big Thing gets here.
There was a theatre in Texas that bans the use of cell phones during the show completely. Even goes so far as to eject without refund and offending patrons. They made a wonderful ad from a caller who left a message complaining after she was ejected for using her cell phone "as a flashlight' since it was so dark". The simple fact that she was terribly drunk made it so hilarious.
In this age of decreasing levels of common decency, and manners in public places, (theaters being nearly the antithesis of private) people still feel they have a false sense of entitlement to do rude things without consequences.
Not play down that someone DIED here, but that level of offense is going to get more common as the texters drain what enjoyment might be left in going for a Big Screen Experience.
I still remember when they first banned cigarettes in theaters, and how terribly offended people were on both sides of the ban.
Maybe, I'm just getting Old and Cranky...
Good thing I'm Canadian, and guns are nowhere near as available to us up here.
If you want a project to fail (as some in opposition to Obama certainly do), you pad a simple, decent idea with enough B.S. to make it collapse under its own weight, and then blame the source.
I call it "Bureaucratic Sabotage". Agree to allow something to happen, and then Bury it in B.S. and layer on the Pork-Barrel extras to make sure it fails miserably, while claiming to be co-operative, all the while knowing what the results will be...
Bottom line is: Good Luck on getting any decent idea through "Government" without it getting totally Buggered (and otherwise mutated) from its' original form and function.
Seriously, though. My fellow workers and I refer to most folks walking by, obliviously texting away as "Pod-People". Many of them with ear buds (or even huge, bulky headphones) to emphasize their wanting not to hear you. People aren't truly in tune with proper social behavior with cell phones/smart phones and constant (albeit intermittent) communications now. If a device (any device) makes it even more of an attention hog than it has already become, then people are going to start walking into traffic (even more than they already do). Many people today are already texting people they are physically standing beside as a method of "whispering" things clandestinely, no matter how rude it really is. People are already getting fully absorbed in their smart phones to the point of not knowing how to hold a coherent conversation over a meal. All this will simply be compounded with the more pervasive devices. It's only a matter of time before Google Glass becomes outright illegal to use while driving. It's bad enough that people think that having their smart phone in their lap while driving is acceptable and considered safe, despite being illegal in many places. What is it going to take before people start taking serious offense at others' smart device use in public places? Not serving people while they are on their phone is a decent start. After all, how rude is it to be expecting someone else to give you proper attention to serve you, and you can't even be bothered to pay enough attention to get the amount of you bill right? Little wonder why many employers have effectively banned smart phone use while at work, particularly in the service and hospitality industry. How far will it go? Extremism exists, and will manifest itself on both sides of this topic. Mark my works: It Will Get Ugly!
When I buy a system, I want to be able to play any games I purchased whenever I want. At home. At the cottage (where I do not have any form of internet). At friends' houses. In the RV while traveling.
I also have the right to continue playing them if my box has an accident, or needs to be replaced. It would be nice if I could upgrade to a better version of the box without having to jump through hoops just to keep playing my same old games.
Maybe, I might even pick up a copy of last years' hot game, and play it for myself, now that I can score it for a discount at a trade-in shop.
Because that's what I want to do with my money and time, I see absolutely no reason whatsoever to waste either on such a system.
And no, I do not have anything associated with Steam.
I like to play a lot of off-line games, as I have limited (or nonexistent) internet access. That, and I'm not able to even come close to competing (let alone surviving) the 15 year old twitch gamers, hyped up on Red-Bull.
If this is the future of gaming, I guess I'll stay in the Stone Age, with my off-line games, playing them with friends over my LAN.
Ultimately, the question I pose is this:
Is this fertilizer going to be worth all the trouble to make, distribute, use and clean up after?
Another series of questions I have is; What kind of affect does this new product have on the nutrient value(s) of the crop it's used on? Are there any potential Health Hazards? Is it Toxic, or produce toxic effects, directly in the food, or indirectly, in the soil it's used on?
After the side effects of genetically engineering Corn and Wheat and the now rampant intolerance to these two products, what is next?
Maybe it's time to just get away from fossil fuels, like we've been pushing for for such a long time. After all, there seems to be a lot of uses for them in the bomb-making field, anyway.
Determined terrorists will always find Something they can use to cause mayhem. I'm surprised there aren't better ways to 'sniff out' fertilizer-and-fuel based bombs already.
In the reference above, the quote:
'Extensive research has already been conducted and found no connection between media and real-life violence.' is almost as bad as saying:
"There is no direct link to fast food restaurants available food choices and obesity"
OK, maybe a bit extreme, but if these shooters are practicing and building tactics in spreadsheets and FPS and plotting out tactics, weapons and scoresheets, maybe it's time to have a serious look at them.
I am surprised that nobody has (yet) found a mock-up of any of the target schools made with one of the myriad game editors and level construction tools. Maybe then someone might finally see a more direct connection. Since there is an underground culture built around FPS, there stands to reason there is a database somewhere of potential or past target environments, and "Sample Models" or areas to choose from. . . They might even make for good tactical analysis tools for defending such places, and serving as training tools for professionals in dealing with such an attack.
Sounds almost like a good game foundation: "Save the local Mall-plex from a handful of Crazed Shooters, while minimizing casualties and property damage! Get high score! Bag more crazies than your buddies! Best score for Least Ammo Expended, Least Property Damage and Most Innocents Saved! Bonus Points if you save the example with a write-up for local authorities to use in the event of a Real Incident!"
Politically Incorrect? Definitely. If it's used to save lives, does that change anything? What happens if (when) it gets into the "wrong hands", though?
I still have a few user-made maps for Unreal Tournament. The Castle of Laputa is one of the more extensive ones, but surely plotting out a local university campus or massive mall-plex is not impossible.
Since the whole thing seems to revolve around the following:
"passed a nonbinding proposal to allow states to collect sales tax on Internet sellers that have no presence within their borders..."
Just how do they plan on collecting this from anyone 'Outside their borders'?
If they actually figure this out, someone in some foreign country will start using this against Americans (or any other country) to start some form of Internet-based Sanctions.
This is only going to make it all that much more muddied for anyone making online purchases.
First, my Ebay purchases. Next, my e-mail, tweets and SMS from out-of-country sources. Digital 'stamps' anyone?
Looks like another classic game is going to suffer the effects of Greed, and be made into a money-grubbing, online-only, don't-even-think-about-playing-it-offline-by-yourself game.
Surely, I am not the only one out here to want games that I can play when there is no access to WiFi or any form of internet. Decent, engaging, immersive, single-player game play that does not require an account online somewhere, or constant call-home-to-mommy-for-permission-to-play crap.
Maybe I just want to play something to keep myself entertained while in the "boonies" or out of touch with the world?
Perhaps I don't want anyone else constantly monitoring my feeble progress through their killer levels with my n00b skillz while others snicker at my attempts, or spawn-camp me to rage-quitting something I've spent en exorbitant amount of money on in the first place.
Sorry for the rant. I just can't seem to part with my hard-earned cash so that I can be someone else s' target-practice.
Anyone who has seen the Actual working conditions at the Big 3 automotive manufacturers knows what it's like there. Employees coming to work late, drinking on the job and sleeping it off in some remote location, or taking three or four hours lunches to play euchre on the clock. Using five workers to do the work of two, and much more slowly, as they need 'stretch the job out' or they'll have nuthin' ta do fer the rest o' th' day...
At least the French don't deny it.
True, however, that the rest of the basic labour force has been reduced to little more than slave labour conditions for minimum wage that no 'self respecting' American would do, resulting in foreign workers coming into the country en masse to conditions that are far superior to what they were experiencing 'back home'.
Maybe it's time kids were taught the meaning of decent work for decent pay, and showed an interest in working at the many Manual Jobs out there that the immigrant workers are taking over. They are leaving themselves out in the cold for jobs that are over staffed, over trained (or poorly trained for), since they all want a sweet, tech based job that pays excessively well, for little effort, and are unwilling to get their hands dirty doing anything that takes real physical effort.
MCSE? There's at least a dozen each three months churned out at the community college. Ever wonder why, in any given college town there are computer shops popping up like pimple on teenagers, then blowing away after a few months?
Nobody seems willing to work at the local warehouse system but migrants. Nobody wants to subject themselves to those 'slave labour conditions' here. Just ask them what is was like back home for a real Wake Up Call on expectations from the working class!
It certainly goes both ways. Employers pay peanuts, they get unskilled monkeys, then bitch about the quality of the work...
Slashdot Mirror
Shouldn't it be the other way around?
Looks like people are simply trying to adjust the law structure to what most bicyclists have been doing for decades anyway.
Simply changing these laws won't help traffic flow any. The accidents caused by such actions have a negative effect on traffic as it is. All this does is ease insurance cases, and place the burden of responsibility on the larger vehicle, kind of like what has already happened to big trucks. It doesn't matter one bit what actually happened. Unless you can "prove it in court", the blame always falls on the big truck, and only if it's really obvious does the police force look at the car.
Shame society can't remove someones' right to use a bicycle in public due to their reckless driving practices.
Doesn't the law see them as vehicles already? Or are they still seen as pedestrians in many places?
If you can't use the roads in a safe and responsible manner, you shouldn't be on them with a vehicle.
ANY Vehicle.
Tinker with the laws for bicycles, and you'll see the unregistered all-electric scooters (who do the same things as bikes, such as roll through stop signs, and maybe pause at red lights) following suit as if they're immune to the laws of the road,
You want to see improvement?
How about proper education in the first place, followed up by proper enforcement.
If a driver (any driver of any vehicle) is operating in a safe and intelligent manner while sharing the road with other like-minded souls, traffic wouldn't be a serious issue, because sharing the road wouldn't be a problem.
Sharing the road seems to be the problem in the first place. Bicycle lanes haven't eased the problem much, as most cyclists wander randomly in and out of them whenever they want. Cars use them to scoot around turning vehicles, or to cut a corner at a red light. It's only as if we've just widened the roads to try and accommodate driver behaviour as it is already.
Again. Modifying laws to behaviour is the wrong direction.
Too bad education doesn't seem to work...
In any corporate social hierarchy, there are the existing network of the "Old Boys" that used to gather in smokey back rooms, and private clubs in big wing-backed chairs, talking about what they were doing, and to whom...
Today, there's a digital social network that exists, but the social connections that have no traces still exist.
Such unwritten agreements shaped the development of many a huge cash-based community. Las Vegas is but a single example.
If you were among the Elite, you knew the rules, and could get away with a lot more. Steve Jobs was not exactly part of the actual Old Boys Network, and made his own. The thing is this: he was doing what they were doing, just in a lot less discrete manner. Same stuff. Different pile. If he had been "classically trained" by the Old Boys, he'd likely have never been even suspected directly of anything. That, and he'd have been stifled into obscurity, and the Personal Computer would have been quite different than it is today.
Bottom Line: Power and Influence has its own rules. Rarely do they comply to the actual Laws that govern the Rest of Us. Only when they get found out does anything happen. That's usually when new laws and precedents get set to deal with the "new problem" that has actually been around for decades, but only just made the headlines recently.
Old Boys nod and smile(ey) a lot, and they still do what they want. It will be a long time before (if ever) changes make the headlines in that field.
Unless people have some training or background, thy will proceed blindly along until something actually Makes them pay attention.
Start with such basics in high-school, or even earlier than that. Explain (and mark their understanding) of things like strong vs weak passwords, and simple security procedures. E-mail safety tips. Good file management practices. Even basics like how to take care of a keyboard and/or pointing device would go fairly well in such a course.
Oh. Almost forgot: MAKE IT MANDATORY! Nobody gets to use the school computers/labs (even Office Staff) if they don't show proficiency. No personal systems should be allowed access to the school network without a valid certificate either, lest they infect the whole thing from their own carrier box. Ban those who violate the practices and cause problems. Make them responsible for what they caused, and Sit Through the repair procedures with a technician as an additional education in what happens, and what has to be done to Fix things, or no forgiveness, and therefore, no regained access! Give them a sense of what they are avoiding, and even what to do to fix a problem on their own system, should they get afflicted at home.
Start 'em young, and train them in the ways of the system. The results will be worth the effort.
Seriously: If people don't show they are responsible enough to use the school (or company) systems, they have no business accessing them, and probably shouldn't be working there in any capacity.
#IoT is more-or-less a synonym for Sky-Net in it's infancy.
Think about it: The devices and appliances get smarter by studying humanity. Watching, collecting data, adjusting response, eliminating (or suggesting the elimination of) steps in the chain.
How long before humans get edited out completely, and the machine simply builds itself around us? How long after that before we're no longer needed in the flow-chart of its designs?
Just food for thought, here. I don't like the idea of my fridge coordinating with my stove about what I'm going to have for dinner based on my vending machine habits of the week, and productivity rating at work...
Maybe I should... It'd be really convenient. Might lead to a Fractale-like existence, though.
I guess it will all matter where we stand on certain things in society. Like Google Glass, and all-pervasive surveillance systems, and the Governing Body in place over it all...
And Absolute Power is kinda nifty...
It's amazing what happens to some people when they get a taste of power over others. Little wonder why there are cases of extortion and racketeering that happen by police officers in many cities. Once they get a taste, they're hooked, and it escalates.
Why is it that many an off-duty police officer acts like a total a$$-hat, but pops a badge out of their butt when confronted by the proper authority to curb such behavior? They carry on as if they are Allowed to do the things they, themselves are required to prevent. After all, such things are Fun! At least, to some people...
I'd cite examples, but there'd be info-burn from the Google results page...
How many people would tamper with monitoring devices at their work, if they were under such constant scrutiny? Of course, there are laws preventing such devices in many places at work, such as washrooms, changerooms, and similar places. Needless to say why many employees tend to hang out there as much as possible.
Bottom line is this: People in authority should Expect to be monitored for abuse! Gone are the days of power (on certain levels of civil service) putting you beyond reproach. that was then. This is now. It's been called the Information Age for a reason, folks.
Welcome to the Glass House, Mr. Ford. Don't get too comfortable.
Mayors of large, world-class cities have been getting away with things for a very long time in the past. Mostly because they knew when and how to do such things so as not to draw too much attention to themselves.Others see the office as goal, and a place where they have free reign to do whatever they want. Chances are, they were doing things before they had the office, but were simply emboldened to the point of carelessness by the authority they found themselves in. Can you imagine the scandals that would happen if a Mayors' Office was subjected to such constant monitoring? Don't get me wrong! Mayors of such cities have a Lot of things they have to deal with on a daily basis, that are best kept behind closed doors for public safety. Shame the crime-lords of the modern era don't suffer from nearly the same level of accountability as their elected counterparts...
So, bottom line here: If you had such monitoring devices where you work, would you tamper with them for any reason? Would it be privacy, or some other reason that motivates you?
What level of "privacy" do you expect from your work environment?
Just Sayin'
Is it a genetic thing, passed on to kids, or might it be something caused by medicines or whatnot?
Most mother-to-be are taking different things during their term that they feel safe taking. What if things like Allergy pills are causing it?
Looks like a widespread version of Thalidomide Babies of this generation.
If this is what happens once a year, imagine what happens to people who have their schedules changed at random (like a truck driver), or someone on "swing shifts"!
Little wonder there are so many truckers having heart attacks that end their careers (or even their lives)!
And to think I worked for a company that the VP actually said to me (with a witness from their own Drivers' Advisory Board present, no less):
"Circadian rhythm is a luxury we cannot afford in this industry."
I'd name names, but I might want to return to driving one day, and it could get me Blackballed ;)
I thought I asked a couple of decent questions, but it seems they were toxic, and the thread has died a miserable death... Anybody still out there? Has anyone gotten any kind of answers from JoCo?
Does any body know where my BBQ Fritos went?
Have you considered a female point-of-view version of your song "Better"? It'd be interesting to hear the logic behind her upgrades, and what she was after in the first place.
Also, is there any kind of correlation between "Better" and "Nobody Loves You Like Me"?
Do, please keep up the Wonderful Work! Great, insightful and thought-provoking body of work, BTW!
Bluetooth is short range, and R/C uses audible signals on CB channel 14 or so.
Just monitor the CB band for activity that seems weird, and broadcast something that can knock them down. Whistling into a mic often works. An R/C hobby enthusiast could easily override such a signal, and take control with a much stronger local unit. Any decent computer tech should be able to snoop out a Bluetooth signal, if that's what they're using.
Triangulate on the broadcast before the takeover, and you have a place to look for the perps, while having taken down the drone for analysis and follow-up.
Two birds with one stone, there.
Looks like 'we' will have to right to use drones of our own to do fairly non-invasive things like monitor our own property, take aerial images and videos, and patrol for intrusion.
Expect corporate drones to roll out fairly soon now that it's not considered illegal.
Next step: Armed Drones. They'll probably start will paint-ball chemical/visual tags, and work up the lethality scale slowly, but surely from there.
At least the paint-balls aren't too directly life-threatening... unless you're knocked off a high-rise structure...
Maybe cities just don't have the right mix of amenities, price, space, parking, and other factors to make them better places to put certain businesses.
As is, any decent business that intends to be economical, will build in a place that is of advantage to them, while convenient to their clientele.
If a city area does not have the attributes a company is looking for, why would they locate anywhere else? If they are willing to bus in their employees, bully for them! The city should be happy that there's an employer willing to add to the local economy.
If a city truly wants to revitalize an area, they need to make it appealing to a company to set up there. Tax incentives, for example. Perhaps a city could petition for companies of certain types and demographics to build a neighborhood of sorts, including residential units for employees of the core.
Want to build a community? Plan it out, and fill in the blocks. Leaving it to market whims, and dumb luck doesn't exactly promote growth.
When nearly everyone has the tech, it will be a mutually assured disclosure situation, and only those who don't have it will feel threatened and/or left out.
In a nutshell: If you have it, you accept it on others, and if you don't have it, you will feel exposed, and therefore resent the presence of it on others.
Widespread adoption will be about the only thing that can allow it to take hold. Sadly, this will also create even more backlash against it.
I doubt it will ever be truly widespread. Isn't it still illegal in most places to record people without prior permission, and threatening to record can also be seen as a threat? Every new phone has a camera as it is. You want to see people get twitchy? Walk into any bar actively recording as you go and post the results! That's not even Glass backlash, just blatant recording reaction!
Maybe there will be a string of clubs spring up that having Glass (or something else similar) is the only way you get in.
Watch for signs to pop up Banning the use of such devices in various establishments. Theaters will likely lead the pack there. I'm surprised that the MPAA/RIAA haven't jumped on this bandwagon yet, as ambient recording of copyrighted material is (at least in their mind) illegal, and recording club music could be a goldmine for them...
It's called a "Conditioned Response" and becomes automatic. Hence the term "knee-jerk reaction".
People tend to teach their kids to avoid something that they had to learn the hard way in an attempt to spare them the suffering they had to endure themselves.
"What have they done?", you ask? Pushed flawed OSes out, forced upgrades that slow or break older systems, actively discontinued support for decent hardware (like printers and scanners) to force more purchases, yank support for older OSes that have been working in the industry in some capacity for years in a vain attempt to generate revenue, forcibly downgrade or out-mode existing suites of software that at least work (now that people have been forced to use them for so long) so that they will have to retrain in something completely different so they can simply continue to work, "bundling" software together in ways that make it obscenely difficult to remove without knocking down their house of cards...
Wash
Rinse
Repeat
Windows ME was a seriously flawed OS.
Windows Vista was as well.
Windows 8 has so far shown many of the same trends as it's failed predecessors, but M$ still pushes it out as if everyone never had to break the bank for the last two serious failures on their part, and wonders why people are slow to adopt anything new from them.
Seriously? We need to look at this with fresh eyes?
I'll be checking mine for a M$ logo before I adopt anything like that wetware into my body.
Heck, I don't think I'd want a Google logo on it, either...
That's one of the main reasons I have never even tried to get into Linux on my own...
"... we want you to feel comfortable being your true, authentic self."
I wonder if they include things like Futa, Loli and Trap with their many gender-obfuscating references...
It just seems to me that many will abuse the whole Net-Annonimity thing, and post their Fantasy selves, as opposed to their "true, authentic" self-image.
What's to keep people from having alts, anyway? There's plenty of those already.
Well, Good Luck with all that, FaceBook! I hope you can last long enough to make a Graceful exit when the Next Big Thing gets here.
See references:
http://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/jun/07/cinema-filmgoer-thrown-out-texting-alamo/
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/risky-business/movie-theater-kicks-customer-texting-195400/
In this age of decreasing levels of common decency, and manners in public places, (theaters being nearly the antithesis of private) people still feel they have a false sense of entitlement to do rude things without consequences.
Not play down that someone DIED here, but that level of offense is going to get more common as the texters drain what enjoyment might be left in going for a Big Screen Experience.
I still remember when they first banned cigarettes in theaters, and how terribly offended people were on both sides of the ban.
Maybe, I'm just getting Old and Cranky... Good thing I'm Canadian, and guns are nowhere near as available to us up here.
If you want a project to fail (as some in opposition to Obama certainly do), you pad a simple, decent idea with enough B.S. to make it collapse under its own weight, and then blame the source.
I call it "Bureaucratic Sabotage". Agree to allow something to happen, and then Bury it in B.S. and layer on the Pork-Barrel extras to make sure it fails miserably, while claiming to be co-operative, all the while knowing what the results will be...
Bottom line is: Good Luck on getting any decent idea through "Government" without it getting totally Buggered (and otherwise mutated) from its' original form and function.
Seriously, though. My fellow workers and I refer to most folks walking by, obliviously texting away as "Pod-People". Many of them with ear buds (or even huge, bulky headphones) to emphasize their wanting not to hear you. People aren't truly in tune with proper social behavior with cell phones/smart phones and constant (albeit intermittent) communications now. If a device (any device) makes it even more of an attention hog than it has already become, then people are going to start walking into traffic (even more than they already do). Many people today are already texting people they are physically standing beside as a method of "whispering" things clandestinely, no matter how rude it really is. People are already getting fully absorbed in their smart phones to the point of not knowing how to hold a coherent conversation over a meal. All this will simply be compounded with the more pervasive devices. It's only a matter of time before Google Glass becomes outright illegal to use while driving. It's bad enough that people think that having their smart phone in their lap while driving is acceptable and considered safe, despite being illegal in many places. What is it going to take before people start taking serious offense at others' smart device use in public places? Not serving people while they are on their phone is a decent start. After all, how rude is it to be expecting someone else to give you proper attention to serve you, and you can't even be bothered to pay enough attention to get the amount of you bill right? Little wonder why many employers have effectively banned smart phone use while at work, particularly in the service and hospitality industry. How far will it go? Extremism exists, and will manifest itself on both sides of this topic. Mark my works: It Will Get Ugly!
When I buy a system, I want to be able to play any games I purchased whenever I want. At home. At the cottage (where I do not have any form of internet). At friends' houses. In the RV while traveling. I also have the right to continue playing them if my box has an accident, or needs to be replaced. It would be nice if I could upgrade to a better version of the box without having to jump through hoops just to keep playing my same old games. Maybe, I might even pick up a copy of last years' hot game, and play it for myself, now that I can score it for a discount at a trade-in shop. Because that's what I want to do with my money and time, I see absolutely no reason whatsoever to waste either on such a system. And no, I do not have anything associated with Steam. I like to play a lot of off-line games, as I have limited (or nonexistent) internet access. That, and I'm not able to even come close to competing (let alone surviving) the 15 year old twitch gamers, hyped up on Red-Bull. If this is the future of gaming, I guess I'll stay in the Stone Age, with my off-line games, playing them with friends over my LAN.
Ultimately, the question I pose is this: Is this fertilizer going to be worth all the trouble to make, distribute, use and clean up after? Another series of questions I have is; What kind of affect does this new product have on the nutrient value(s) of the crop it's used on? Are there any potential Health Hazards? Is it Toxic, or produce toxic effects, directly in the food, or indirectly, in the soil it's used on? After the side effects of genetically engineering Corn and Wheat and the now rampant intolerance to these two products, what is next? Maybe it's time to just get away from fossil fuels, like we've been pushing for for such a long time. After all, there seems to be a lot of uses for them in the bomb-making field, anyway. Determined terrorists will always find Something they can use to cause mayhem. I'm surprised there aren't better ways to 'sniff out' fertilizer-and-fuel based bombs already.
In the reference above, the quote:
'Extensive research has already been conducted and found no connection between media and real-life violence.'
is almost as bad as saying:
"There is no direct link to fast food restaurants available food choices and obesity"
OK, maybe a bit extreme, but if these shooters are practicing and building tactics in spreadsheets and FPS and plotting out tactics, weapons and scoresheets, maybe it's time to have a serious look at them.
I am surprised that nobody has (yet) found a mock-up of any of the target schools made with one of the myriad game editors and level construction tools. Maybe then someone might finally see a more direct connection. Since there is an underground culture built around FPS, there stands to reason there is a database somewhere of potential or past target environments, and "Sample Models" or areas to choose from. . . They might even make for good tactical analysis tools for defending such places, and serving as training tools for professionals in dealing with such an attack.
Sounds almost like a good game foundation:
"Save the local Mall-plex from a handful of Crazed Shooters, while minimizing casualties and property damage! Get high score! Bag more crazies than your buddies! Best score for Least Ammo Expended, Least Property Damage and Most Innocents Saved! Bonus Points if you save the example with a write-up for local authorities to use in the event of a Real Incident!"
Politically Incorrect? Definitely. If it's used to save lives, does that change anything? What happens if (when) it gets into the "wrong hands", though?
I still have a few user-made maps for Unreal Tournament. The Castle of Laputa is one of the more extensive ones, but surely plotting out a local university campus or massive mall-plex is not impossible.
Since the whole thing seems to revolve around the following:
"passed a nonbinding proposal to allow states to collect sales tax on Internet sellers that have no presence within their borders..."
Just how do they plan on collecting this from anyone 'Outside their borders'?
If they actually figure this out, someone in some foreign country will start using this against Americans (or any other country) to start some form of Internet-based Sanctions.
This is only going to make it all that much more muddied for anyone making online purchases.
First, my Ebay purchases. Next, my e-mail, tweets and SMS from out-of-country sources.
Digital 'stamps' anyone?
Looks like another classic game is going to suffer the effects of Greed, and be made into a money-grubbing, online-only, don't-even-think-about-playing-it-offline-by-yourself game.
Surely, I am not the only one out here to want games that I can play when there is no access to WiFi or any form of internet. Decent, engaging, immersive, single-player game play that does not require an account online somewhere, or constant call-home-to-mommy-for-permission-to-play crap.
Maybe I just want to play something to keep myself entertained while in the "boonies" or out of touch with the world?
Perhaps I don't want anyone else constantly monitoring my feeble progress through their killer levels with my n00b skillz while others snicker at my attempts, or spawn-camp me to rage-quitting something I've spent en exorbitant amount of money on in the first place.
Sorry for the rant. I just can't seem to part with my hard-earned cash so that I can be someone else s' target-practice.
Am I truly that alone out here?
Anyone who has seen the Actual working conditions at the Big 3 automotive manufacturers knows what it's like there. Employees coming to work late, drinking on the job and sleeping it off in some remote location, or taking three or four hours lunches to play euchre on the clock. Using five workers to do the work of two, and much more slowly, as they need 'stretch the job out' or they'll have nuthin' ta do fer the rest o' th' day...
At least the French don't deny it.
True, however, that the rest of the basic labour force has been reduced to little more than slave labour conditions for minimum wage that no 'self respecting' American would do, resulting in foreign workers coming into the country en masse to conditions that are far superior to what they were experiencing 'back home'.
Maybe it's time kids were taught the meaning of decent work for decent pay, and showed an interest in working at the many Manual Jobs out there that the immigrant workers are taking over. They are leaving themselves out in the cold for jobs that are over staffed, over trained (or poorly trained for), since they all want a sweet, tech based job that pays excessively well, for little effort, and are unwilling to get their hands dirty doing anything that takes real physical effort.
MCSE? There's at least a dozen each three months churned out at the community college. Ever wonder why, in any given college town there are computer shops popping up like pimple on teenagers, then blowing away after a few months?
Nobody seems willing to work at the local warehouse system but migrants. Nobody wants to subject themselves to those 'slave labour conditions' here.
Just ask them what is was like back home for a real Wake Up Call on expectations from the working class!
It certainly goes both ways. Employers pay peanuts, they get unskilled monkeys, then bitch about the quality of the work...