Great. So, suppose Senator Hoohoo is a "friend" of mine. He's coming to town.
I throw a dinner and invite him as a "guest speaker". Dinners are costly, so the cost of the dinner is $100/$1000/whatever.
I then use that money to publish a book/newsletter, etc, saying what a great guy Senator Hoohoo is and why everyone should vote for him.
It's going to take quite a law or quite a court to say that I no longer have the right to assemble with people I want to (the senator and my guests) and that I don't have the right to write a book about how great I think he is.
It's a tricky thing. It's a bad road to go down when you have the government telling people what they can say, who they can say it to, and how much they can spend to say it. Where do you draw the line?
What's worse is that the system you've proposed will only serve to make it harder for those who are not already politically connected to get in. Those who are "in" will have the protection of the others that are in. Those who are out will have to spend even more time & effort making sure they don't violate the law. What happens when an incumbant governor has his attorney general bring an investigation against his challengers? Now they have to spend money on a legal defense while trying to run a campain - all the while the incumbant gets all kinds of free press.
Probably the best thing to do is to get corporate money out of the situation. Corporations are not humans and should not be treated as if they were.
Instant-run-off voting would be another nice change. It helps take the bitter taste of out voting for the lesser of two evils.
Right, but the incumbant will always be able to use government vehicles to go on "fact-finding" missions throughout the state/world. Or even just to have "face-to-face" time with local leaders. And oh, by the way, the media will probably be there for his Public Service Announcement, and local supporters can pay $100 a plate for a dinner with the incumbant while he's in town.
There's nothing wrong with overpaying for dinner. This is a democracy.
Re:Less challenges on the moon?
on
US Plans Lunar Motel
·
· Score: 2, Informative
Wasn't there an article on slashdot some time ago about how the dust on the moon is much finer and more abbrasive than Earth dust because it doesn't get blown around. It talked about how the dust would easily muck up seals and anything that had moving parts.
So he called himself "terrorist", and he was allegedly involved with a real-world bomb plot. So not so sensationalist.
Back in the old BBS days, I often went by the name Necromancer - not very original, but I was a teenager. In spite of that name, I never did try to raise the dead or anything like that. Just because I called myself a thing did not make me that thing.
This entire "ask slashdot" article is moot because of that.
I'm glad to hear that. I was afraid it was just my faulty memory - remembering what wasn't.
Maybe this guy has his nfs servers' exports file set with "no_root_squash" - which can be handy while trying to get things working - but never turned it off when it was done?
I think for added security on the file server, all accounts but a select few had their home and shell set to/dev/null in the passwd file. That machine, a sequent running dynix, couldn't do NIS, so we had to maintain a separate passwd file for all accounts anyway. That way, people couldn't actually log into the file server itself.
I just realized one issue, though. In that old setup, on a local machine, once you were root, you could su to another user and then have access to their files on the file-server.
Where I once worked, our drives were all mounted via nfs. I could be on a local linux box and become root, but that didn't give me root access to the mounted drive. In fact, as root, I couldn't even see my own user files on the remote machine. If I wanted to do root-like things on the remote end, I had to log in there to do it. I've always assumed this was a defult way that NFS worked.
This was more than 8 years ago, so I don't think it's anything new.
First of all, transmitters sending more than a minimal signal are costly -- a 50,000 watt transmitter on one frequency would costs thousands a day in power. To broadcast over a wide range of frequencies would cost millions.
And don't forget that most electronics devices with an FCC ID are required to not generate "too much" RF interference. Imagine how much cheaper all your electronics could be if that didn't have to be factored in?
The boombox disturbs OTHER people; the laptop doesn't.
Have you ever been in a classroom where one guy is clicking away so loudly at the keys that you can hardly concentrate? So, you sit on the other side of the room.
But now, in front of you are two people IM'ing each other, and showing each other music-video websites.
It IS distracting. It's hard enough to focus, but it's even worse with so many more distractions.
Come to class if you want to learn, but if you want to socialize, take your laptop and go sit somewhere else.
As for the loud typer, please be gentler to your laptop - you don't have to hit the keys so damn hard...
You must work for Microsoft tech support. While technically correct, the answer was useless./sarcasm
Searching for non-MS sites about Access and.net are pretty difficult just because there are so many non-related sites that come up. Sure, I can filter out some of the stuff I don't want, but it's hard to make know if I flitered out stuff I might have wanted.
I usually don't want to get Microsoft's webpage when I search for these things. I can just as easily go to Microsoft's page and search if I want their page.
But, often I'm looking for reviews, example code, "how-to"s, etc. People with good information don't always put a "Microsoft" in front of "Access" when they write about it. And will "Microsoft Access" turn up results for a page that only ever says, "MS Access"?
And like someone mentioned before, try doing a search for anything meangful for.net.
The names they pick can often make it difficult to find meaningful information about the products or using the products because you have to wade through tons of other stuff to find it.
The truck was filled with fish eggs. Roe was the cargo of the 18-wheeler. The lorry carried caviar.
Translation is an art. While this is an extreme example, those three sentences could have come from the same Arabic sentence. Yet, the only words they have in common are "the" and "was".
Getting good translations is hard. Comparing them could be just as hard. Though, I have to say, I like the idea of collaborative translations - particularly for small, self-contained, documents.
Having said that, I wouldn't bet that cold, hard cash will disappear any time too soon. It's quick and easy to use for informal transactions, doesn't require any equipment to transfer, and doesn't have any float to worry about.
And it's not very traceable - which is perfect for giving politicians bribes. I can't imagine they'll be in a hurry to get rid of that very convenient feature of cash.
Debit cards have the same protection as credit cards when used as credit cards.
That's what the banks say, but it's not often born out by experience.
Remember, that visa debit card is attached to your checking account. If someone takes money they're not supposed to, you can end up bouncing checks and getting into all kinds of other trouble. You have to fight to get your money back, and bank does not have to respond immediately - and can even deny your claim.
If you just use a credit card and someone gets your number, it's actually the credit card company's money that's lost - not yours.
Why risk it.
Here's some info from Clark Howard's website about what he calls "Fake Visa's":
Feb 14, 2005 -- Update on Visa check card rights Visa's check card is supposed to help elminate debt by drafting money directly and immediately from your account that has money. But there are some problems with the cards. First, criminals can empty your checking account if they get their hands on your card. Who pays the bounced checks charges if your check card has been stolen? YOU DO! Also, on a real credit card, if you order something you have the right to dispute the charge if something happens to your order. Until now, you could not dispute an order problem on your check card. Visa is now offering modified dispute rights for check card customers. If you have a check card, look on the back and see if it says 'enterlink'. If your card does say this, then you might be covered under Visa's new policy. Make sure you check with your bank to see if you are covered before you begin ordering on your check card.
Nov 10, 2004 -- Fake Visa warning and Wells Fargo update Clark has a special warning for people who carry fake Visa cards. There has been a breach of security at one of the big national merchants. No one is saying which merchant it is, but an employee has evidently obtained the records of an untold number of customers. That person is using people's debit card numbers across the country without their knowledge. So, when people try to use their cards, they are being turned away. We need full disclosure by the banking industry about this and anytime it happens. We need to know how many people are affected and what institution is involved. So, for the next seven days, if you carry a fake Visa card, check your account for unauthorized debits. Criminals are striking fast before people realize what's going on. Why is this so important? If someone gets a hold of your fake Visa numbers and charges up your account, that money is gone. You have to fight to get that money back, and banks decide on an individual basis. Also,Visa offers no protection for you if it causes checks to bounce. It's a disgrace, but right now, banks are free to decide whether they want to help you out or not.
But they don't really do anything, other than linking other sites.
It looks like one of those sites you get when you mispell the name of a website and you end up with some random search. If I hadn't gone there from slashdot, I would have quickly hit the back button for fear of spyware.
The problem with windows on refurb. computers is that you might not be entitled to the license that originally came with it.
There is a company here in Portland called Free Geek http://www.freegeek.org/ that recycles computers and electronic components. The refined their own version of linux to make a quite useable machine. Most of them are donated to charities, and not kids, but my understanding is that the people who receive them have little trouble using them.
There's nothing magic about Windows and Office... a decently configured linux box and open office are just as easy to use and just as effective for someone who doesn't already have a computer and isn't a power-user.
Given this process there shouldn't be any scope for such problems as the publishers themselves are, presumably, considered trustworthy by the console manufacturers.
You mean like Sony can be trusted to make CDs that won't compromise people's computers? I'm glad these companies are so trustworthy because otherwise, we'd have a lot to worry about.
The energy has to go somewhere. If you put an ice-cube in a glass of water, the ice cube will melt and the water will be cooler. But the overall energy in the system will be the same (not accounting for heat transferring from the glass to the environment).
To compound the problem of melting ice caps is that the ice caps tend to reflect a lot of sunlight back into space. Ocean water does this less. This means that more sunlight/energy stays in the Earth system - which contributes at least a little to the warming of the whole system.
Global warming is an overall average temperature increase, and is quite capable of lowering average temperatures in some locations.
The problem is that there have been measured increases in ocean temperatures. Hurricanes require energy to keep going (from a site about El Nino, about 81 degrees F). Warmer oceans mean more energy. It's not much of a leap to link stronger hurricanes with warmer oceans.
Isn't that just a really bad "security" model... that any old game you put in your system has the ability to re-write the firmware? Isn't that just asking for trouble?
Slashdot Mirror
Great. So, suppose Senator Hoohoo is a "friend" of mine. He's coming to town.
I throw a dinner and invite him as a "guest speaker". Dinners are costly, so the cost of the dinner is $100/$1000/whatever.
I then use that money to publish a book/newsletter, etc, saying what a great guy Senator Hoohoo is and why everyone should vote for him.
It's going to take quite a law or quite a court to say that I no longer have the right to assemble with people I want to (the senator and my guests) and that I don't have the right to write a book about how great I think he is.
It's a tricky thing. It's a bad road to go down when you have the government telling people what they can say, who they can say it to, and how much they can spend to say it. Where do you draw the line?
What's worse is that the system you've proposed will only serve to make it harder for those who are not already politically connected to get in. Those who are "in" will have the protection of the others that are in. Those who are out will have to spend even more time & effort making sure they don't violate the law. What happens when an incumbant governor has his attorney general bring an investigation against his challengers? Now they have to spend money on a legal defense while trying to run a campain - all the while the incumbant gets all kinds of free press.
Probably the best thing to do is to get corporate money out of the situation. Corporations are not humans and should not be treated as if they were.
Instant-run-off voting would be another nice change. It helps take the bitter taste of out voting for the lesser of two evils.
Right, but the incumbant will always be able to use government vehicles to go on "fact-finding" missions throughout the state/world. Or even just to have "face-to-face" time with local leaders. And oh, by the way, the media will probably be there for his Public Service Announcement, and local supporters can pay $100 a plate for a dinner with the incumbant while he's in town.
There's nothing wrong with overpaying for dinner. This is a democracy.
Ahh, here's the article I was thinking of:
1 6/188245
Lunar 'Lawnmower' Devised for Moon Colonists:
http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/11/
Wasn't there an article on slashdot some time ago about how the dust on the moon is much finer and more abbrasive than Earth dust because it doesn't get blown around. It talked about how the dust would easily muck up seals and anything that had moving parts.
2 6/0851241 might have been it, though this one seems to focus on the health issues of the dust.
This http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/11/
So he called himself "terrorist", and he was allegedly involved with a real-world bomb plot. So not so sensationalist.
Back in the old BBS days, I often went by the name Necromancer - not very original, but I was a teenager. In spite of that name, I never did try to raise the dead or anything like that. Just because I called myself a thing did not make me that thing.
This entire "ask slashdot" article is moot because of that.
/dev/null in the passwd file. That machine, a sequent running dynix, couldn't do NIS, so we had to maintain a separate passwd file for all accounts anyway. That way, people couldn't actually log into the file server itself.
I'm glad to hear that. I was afraid it was just my faulty memory - remembering what wasn't.
Maybe this guy has his nfs servers' exports file set with "no_root_squash" - which can be handy while trying to get things working - but never turned it off when it was done?
I think for added security on the file server, all accounts but a select few had their home and shell set to
I just realized one issue, though. In that old setup, on a local machine, once you were root, you could su to another user and then have access to their files on the file-server.
Doesn't nfs have "root_squash" on by default?
Where I once worked, our drives were all mounted via nfs. I could be on a local linux box and become root, but that didn't give me root access to the mounted drive. In fact, as root, I couldn't even see my own user files on the remote machine. If I wanted to do root-like things on the remote end, I had to log in there to do it. I've always assumed this was a defult way that NFS worked.
This was more than 8 years ago, so I don't think it's anything new.
First of all, transmitters sending more than a minimal signal are costly -- a 50,000 watt transmitter on one frequency would costs thousands a day in power. To broadcast over a wide range of frequencies would cost millions.
r They can produce a tremendous amount of broad-band "noise".
Have you ever heard of a spark-gap transmitter? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spark-gap_transmitte
And don't forget that most electronics devices with an FCC ID are required to not generate "too much" RF interference. Imagine how much cheaper all your electronics could be if that didn't have to be factored in?
The boombox disturbs OTHER people; the laptop doesn't.
Have you ever been in a classroom where one guy is clicking away so loudly at the keys that you can hardly concentrate? So, you sit on the other side of the room.
But now, in front of you are two people IM'ing each other, and showing each other music-video websites.
It IS distracting. It's hard enough to focus, but it's even worse with so many more distractions.
Come to class if you want to learn, but if you want to socialize, take your laptop and go sit somewhere else.
As for the loud typer, please be gentler to your laptop - you don't have to hit the keys so damn hard...
Maybe it's only transparent to visible light? Would it be possible that the ICs would be visible in UV light?
We have our rats too.
Do you think the Polynesians elected theirs too?
You must work for Microsoft tech support. While technically correct, the answer was useless. /sarcasm
.net are pretty difficult just because there are so many non-related sites that come up. Sure, I can filter out some of the stuff I don't want, but it's hard to make know if I flitered out stuff I might have wanted.
Searching for non-MS sites about Access and
I usually don't want to get Microsoft's webpage when I search for these things. I can just as easily go to Microsoft's page and search if I want their page.
.net.
But, often I'm looking for reviews, example code, "how-to"s, etc. People with good information don't always put a "Microsoft" in front of "Access" when they write about it. And will "Microsoft Access" turn up results for a page that only ever says, "MS Access"?
And like someone mentioned before, try doing a search for anything meangful for
The names they pick can often make it difficult to find meaningful information about the products or using the products because you have to wade through tons of other stuff to find it.
What is it with Microsoft and its penchant for product names that are virtually useless for doing searches?
Access
Word
Windows
Excel
Publisher
Sequel
Contrast that with:
linux
mozilla
firefox
mysql
php
At least with these, you have a reasonable chance of finding what you're looking for without a ton of other non-related crap.
Nah - it's just that I expect that I'm going somewhere odd - because of all the content already about the website.
If I THOUGHT I had typed "ibm.com", but got content like that, I'd quickly back up because something was not like I expected it.
The truck was filled with fish eggs.
Roe was the cargo of the 18-wheeler.
The lorry carried caviar.
Translation is an art. While this is an extreme example, those three sentences could have come from the same Arabic sentence. Yet, the only words they have in common are "the" and "was".
Getting good translations is hard. Comparing them could be just as hard. Though, I have to say, I like the idea of collaborative translations - particularly for small, self-contained, documents.
Having said that, I wouldn't bet that cold, hard cash will disappear any time too soon. It's quick and easy to use for informal transactions, doesn't require any equipment to transfer, and doesn't have any float to worry about.
And it's not very traceable - which is perfect for giving politicians bribes. I can't imagine they'll be in a hurry to get rid of that very convenient feature of cash.
Debit cards have the same protection as credit cards when used as credit cards.
5 /
That's what the banks say, but it's not often born out by experience.
Remember, that visa debit card is attached to your checking account. If someone takes money they're not supposed to, you can end up bouncing checks and getting into all kinds of other trouble. You have to fight to get your money back, and bank does not have to respond immediately - and can even deny your claim.
If you just use a credit card and someone gets your number, it's actually the credit card company's money that's lost - not yours.
Why risk it.
Here's some info from Clark Howard's website about what he calls "Fake Visa's":
http://clarkhoward.com/shownotes/category/7/40/22
Feb 14, 2005 -- Update on Visa check card rights
Visa's check card is supposed to help elminate debt by drafting money directly and immediately from your account that has money. But there are some problems with the cards. First, criminals can empty your checking account if they get their hands on your card. Who pays the bounced checks charges if your check card has been stolen? YOU DO! Also, on a real credit card, if you order something you have the right to dispute the charge if something happens to your order. Until now, you could not dispute an order problem on your check card. Visa is now offering modified dispute rights for check card customers. If you have a check card, look on the back and see if it says 'enterlink'. If your card does say this, then you might be covered under Visa's new policy. Make sure you check with your bank to see if you are covered before you begin ordering on your check card.
Nov 10, 2004 -- Fake Visa warning and Wells Fargo update
Clark has a special warning for people who carry fake Visa cards. There has been a breach of security at one of the big national merchants. No one is saying which merchant it is, but an employee has evidently obtained the records of an untold number of customers. That person is using people's debit card numbers across the country without their knowledge. So, when people try to use their cards, they are being turned away. We need full disclosure by the banking industry about this and anytime it happens. We need to know how many people are affected and what institution is involved. So, for the next seven days, if you carry a fake Visa card, check your account for unauthorized debits. Criminals are striking fast before people realize what's going on. Why is this so important? If someone gets a hold of your fake Visa numbers and charges up your account, that money is gone. You have to fight to get that money back, and banks decide on an individual basis. Also,Visa offers no protection for you if it causes checks to bounce. It's a disgrace, but right now, banks are free to decide whether they want to help you out or not.
But they don't really do anything, other than linking other sites.
It looks like one of those sites you get when you mispell the name of a website and you end up with some random search. If I hadn't gone there from slashdot, I would have quickly hit the back button for fear of spyware.
The problem with windows on refurb. computers is that you might not be entitled to the license that originally came with it.
There is a company here in Portland called Free Geek http://www.freegeek.org/ that recycles computers and electronic components. The refined their own version of linux to make a quite useable machine. Most of them are donated to charities, and not kids, but my understanding is that the people who receive them have little trouble using them.
There's nothing magic about Windows and Office... a decently configured linux box and open office are just as easy to use and just as effective for someone who doesn't already have a computer and isn't a power-user.
Given this process there shouldn't be any scope for such problems as the publishers themselves are, presumably, considered trustworthy by the console manufacturers.
You mean like Sony can be trusted to make CDs that won't compromise people's computers? I'm glad these companies are so trustworthy because otherwise, we'd have a lot to worry about.
The energy has to go somewhere. If you put an ice-cube in a glass of water, the ice cube will melt and the water will be cooler. But the overall energy in the system will be the same (not accounting for heat transferring from the glass to the environment).
To compound the problem of melting ice caps is that the ice caps tend to reflect a lot of sunlight back into space. Ocean water does this less. This means that more sunlight/energy stays in the Earth system - which contributes at least a little to the warming of the whole system.
Is that why it sounds different to pour hot water into my coffee cup than cold water?
Global warming is an overall average temperature increase, and is quite capable of lowering average temperatures in some locations.
The problem is that there have been measured increases in ocean temperatures. Hurricanes require energy to keep going (from a site about El Nino, about 81 degrees F). Warmer oceans mean more energy. It's not much of a leap to link stronger hurricanes with warmer oceans.
Isn't that just a really bad "security" model... that any old game you put in your system has the ability to re-write the firmware? Isn't that just asking for trouble?