I certainly understand, and share, the apprehension, and the feeling this could be a very bad thing. But while I was sitting here reading the comments of others, a nuclear bomb went off in my head. Didn't a lot of people worry we would shoot ourselves in the proverbial foot with that one, too? I realize there is still the possibility of that happening, but I think throughout history, with most innovations there has been this common fear of where it will lead.
I don't want to be the one to make the decision about when we're ready as a people to make some of these advances, or even if we should take these steps. But, I would certainly feel better if I knew someone had, and could tell us their thought process and all the pros and cons. I think that would be very interesting to read.
Unless he's working on an open source project, who's really going to know? Even then, I think it would only be bad if he used that copy of the code he saved to floppy before he left them.
I'm not even going to approach the patent aspect, since the question wasn't about violating a patent. Is there a good legal definition of Intellectual Property as pertains to Information Technology?
Since I currently live in AZ, I think I'll have to keep an eye open for this sort of thing. I think I'll also check out what Pima County has as far as their guidelines.
I have to believe that a species is extinct for a reason. Yes, maybe it's because Man destroyed their habitat or hunted them to extinction, but the fact remains, they're extinct, they could not adapt for survival.
If I shoot you in the head, could I argue that you could not adapt for survival?
I suggest getting out of a company that does this more than one time EVER
Uhm... if a company thinks they can make more money by screwing the people in the trenches, why give them a chance to do it more than once?
has decided not to do yearly perfomance raises this year. I kind of lucked out though, because I pushed for a promotion I had been promised last year, and got my performance raise at the same time... before they decided not to do performance increases. As far as I know, I'm the only person in the company who got it this year. (It worked out to a 12% raise.) I'm using the $$ to finish my degree, and pick up an extra certification, so I'm improving the company's asset with it.
If the government had nanotechnology, could they just spray those over a city to keep an eye on the population, instead of installing spyware on my computer? Is that why my skin's been itching lately?
This, just like any other technology CAN be used for evil. That didn't prevent us from cloning sheep (evil redneck farmers) or from developing nuclear weapons. The plain and simple fact is, we don't even know how it will affect us. Nanotech could lead us down avenues of thought we haven't even considered to develop all kinds of other technologies. That's not even considering the applications for nanotechnology, which I'm sure I don't have to list here. 200 years ago did someone say, "Guns can be used to hurt people, so we shouldn't make them, even though it helps us to feed our families"? Of course not. Now I do think a lot of times we jump in without thinking of the consequences, and if the government was trying to make sure we had thought things out pretty well first, then great (just don't over-do it.) If they're just trying to quash technology out of fear, then shame on them!
I'm kind of surprised they said you probably won't see it in your local bookstore. Do people still go to the bookstore? I only go there looking at the bargain books. I found the book by the ISBN on Amazon.com here HCI Book.
I didn't read the entire article. I was too intrigued by JetBlue's reservation agents working from home. My wife currently stays home with our 9 month old baby, and it would be great if she could work from home at the same time. So I went to JetBlue's web page. I was sad to see they had no listings currently. I also noticed when you hit the drop down for the location, there was no home or telecommute option. The article said you had to pay for 2 phone lines, and they'd provide the computer. Why can't you have 1 phone line and high speed internet? Can't they set up a VPN access or something? Sheesh.
I'm not a M$ fan, but I really don't see the point in the antitrust case. Microsoft made a product, and got it to market, making deals for distribution along the way. People choose to use their product. M$ made a bunch of money.
Saying that they incorporate their browser and that's bad is like saying Ford shouldn't be installing their own air bags into cars. You don't need the air bag for the car to function, but it makes it convenient.
I also don't know what, exactly, the bells did wrong. If you don't like their service, get some money, run your own lines, and start selling your own phone service. Isn't that why we have a capitalistic economic system? So if you don't like it, you can try to go into business yourself to make a better product or provide a better service? I don't think companies should be penalized because the public is too lazy to switch to something new, I think I'd be rather $#%@'ed off if I had a business and the government started sticking their noses in where they don't belong.
I really hate reading 'articles' on "theregister.co.uk". With the effort I put into reading around their typos, I could be completing my cold fusion reactor. (j/k)
I've noticed this myself, in recent weeks. I'm just grateful I still have the option to hit cancel. I'm kind of waiting for them to figure out how to force the download with no user interaction required. Then, will we be able to sue them? Or will M$ be required to put some type of security setting in IE that you can disable this function?
elevator obstacles
on
Hospital Robots
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· Score: 2, Insightful
The article said the used to have a problem with people rushing past to get in the elevator, but now it bellies up to the elevator and waits for the door to open...
What about the people already on the elevator trying to get off?
You can use scanners to scan pages of books in, and PC's to convert them to text, insert them into files, and put the book on the net for anyone to read. Are we going after scanners and copy machines, too?
This also kind of relates to the Celine Dion story from earlier today. I'm working on a major presentation to bring in a prospective client for a very lucrative contract. I pop this crap CD into my PC, thinking to listen to some music while I work. Now my computer is locked up, and 6 hours of work is totally lost!
I am really happy to see someone actually challenging this. We can complain all we want, but until someone has the time, money, and initiative to actually challenge the DMCA in court, it's not likely to change. I'd really like to see this go before the Supreme Court. Their insight will be really interesting to hear.
In a similar incident, I've discussed with my wife the laws restricting stem cell research and cloning. We both find it interesting that abortion is legal, and yet we can't create "life" and then destroy it. I thought the whole reason abortion was legal (to a point) in the U.S. was because the embryo was not considered to be "life". That, too, hasn't made it into any courts, to my knowledge, but I'd like to see what the courts would say about a well thought out legal argument.
I'm glad you posted the section you did here, as I didn't remember his exact words (and I can sometimes be a stickler for comparing what he said to what people think he said.) It says, "We are close to being able to find Earth-like planets." He doesn't say we're close to finding one, just that we're close to being able to find one. That's quite a big difference, especially when you consider that space is mostly empty. It could be 20 years after we are able to find one that we actually do.
Just to kind of explain that to some of our slower readers... and this is in no way accurate, but just an example to help understand... if putting a coke bottle on the end of a telescope enables us to detect Earth-like planets, then we still have to search the skies with that telescope. That could take a long time, with the vastness of space.
Wouldn't this be similar to/. running on strictly NT servers with IIS? Next thing you know they'll setup MSN.com to only allow IE. I realize they did this, didn't they?
have to take out 8 of the servers, but 4 are here
on
The Root of All E-Mail
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· Score: 1
I got the impression that counting the A server, there were at least 4 of the main ones they're talking about in this one building. Granted taking out one of the servers wouldn't hurt you, not even the A, but if there are at least 4 in this one building... a terrorist would only have to take out 5 buildings at most. That is assuming there are not more than 4 in this building and no more than one at each of the other locations.
easy read, but inaccurate in part
on
Stopping Light
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· Score: 1
I really liked that this article was written to explain what was being done so that just about anyone would understand it. The Star Trek reference was, however, inaccurate. From this article, it sounds like they make a duplicate of Kirk using something similar to light. This is not how the transporter works.
We have some evidence of the inner workings of transporters, but not much. They employ Heisenberg compensators, pattern buffers, phase transition coils, Biofilters, matter streams, confinement beams, and matter-energy converters, and phased matter. As for what they do, we know that you are conscious during transport (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, "Realm of Fear" [TNG]), but can also be held in stasis ("Day of the Dove" [TOS], "Relics" [TNG]). Further, while in transport, you appear whole to yourself.
I hypothesize that the Annular Confinement Beam first locks onto, then disassembles the subject into phased matter, via the phase transition coils, causing it to take on a very energy-like state somewhat akin to plasma, called phased matter. The matter stream is then fed into the pattern buffer, piped through wave-guide conduits to one of the beam emitters on the hull of the starship, and then relayed to a point on the ground where the ACB reconstructs the subject.
This was taken from Transporters, Replicators and Phasing FAQ by Joshua Bell.
I don't know how many times I've turned away from my phone and told someone I was talking to an idiot. If this ends up with you having to wear some type of electrodes, then they need to incorporate an option for the listener to push a button and shock you. Of course, I've always wanted a button to do that to idiots that I end up having to talk to...
Slashdot Mirror
I certainly understand, and share, the apprehension, and the feeling this could be a very bad thing. But while I was sitting here reading the comments of others, a nuclear bomb went off in my head. Didn't a lot of people worry we would shoot ourselves in the proverbial foot with that one, too? I realize there is still the possibility of that happening, but I think throughout history, with most innovations there has been this common fear of where it will lead.
I don't want to be the one to make the decision about when we're ready as a people to make some of these advances, or even if we should take these steps. But, I would certainly feel better if I knew someone had, and could tell us their thought process and all the pros and cons. I think that would be very interesting to read.
If there was a precedent set for email spammers to have to pay, would you then go put your email address everywhere fishing for spam to get paid for?
At least with a fax number, it's not as easy to get spammed.
Unless he's working on an open source project, who's really going to know? Even then, I think it would only be bad if he used that copy of the code he saved to floppy before he left them.
I'm not even going to approach the patent aspect, since the question wasn't about violating a patent. Is there a good legal definition of Intellectual Property as pertains to Information Technology?
Since I currently live in AZ, I think I'll have to keep an eye open for this sort of thing. I think I'll also check out what Pima County has as far as their guidelines.
I have to believe that a species is extinct for a reason. Yes, maybe it's because Man destroyed their habitat or hunted them to extinction, but the fact remains, they're extinct, they could not adapt for survival.
If I shoot you in the head, could I argue that you could not adapt for survival?
Recently heard on the ISS: Quick, its the feds, Gorby, hold my dope for me! No wonder I can't work a DVD player.
I suggest getting out of a company that does this more than one time EVER
Uhm... if a company thinks they can make more money by screwing the people in the trenches, why give them a chance to do it more than once?
has decided not to do yearly perfomance raises this year. I kind of lucked out though, because I pushed for a promotion I had been promised last year, and got my performance raise at the same time... before they decided not to do performance increases. As far as I know, I'm the only person in the company who got it this year. (It worked out to a 12% raise.) I'm using the $$ to finish my degree, and pick up an extra certification, so I'm improving the company's asset with it.
If the government had nanotechnology, could they just spray those over a city to keep an eye on the population, instead of installing spyware on my computer? Is that why my skin's been itching lately?
I had mod points. This is VERY funny. Thank you.
This, just like any other technology CAN be used for evil. That didn't prevent us from cloning sheep (evil redneck farmers) or from developing nuclear weapons. The plain and simple fact is, we don't even know how it will affect us. Nanotech could lead us down avenues of thought we haven't even considered to develop all kinds of other technologies. That's not even considering the applications for nanotechnology, which I'm sure I don't have to list here. 200 years ago did someone say, "Guns can be used to hurt people, so we shouldn't make them, even though it helps us to feed our families"? Of course not. Now I do think a lot of times we jump in without thinking of the consequences, and if the government was trying to make sure we had thought things out pretty well first, then great (just don't over-do it.) If they're just trying to quash technology out of fear, then shame on them!
I'm kind of surprised they said you probably won't see it in your local bookstore. Do people still go to the bookstore? I only go there looking at the bargain books. I found the book by the ISBN on Amazon.com here HCI Book.
I didn't read the entire article. I was too intrigued by JetBlue's reservation agents working from home. My wife currently stays home with our 9 month old baby, and it would be great if she could work from home at the same time. So I went to JetBlue's web page. I was sad to see they had no listings currently. I also noticed when you hit the drop down for the location, there was no home or telecommute option. The article said you had to pay for 2 phone lines, and they'd provide the computer. Why can't you have 1 phone line and high speed internet? Can't they set up a VPN access or something? Sheesh.
I'm not a M$ fan, but I really don't see the point in the antitrust case. Microsoft made a product, and got it to market, making deals for distribution along the way. People choose to use their product. M$ made a bunch of money.
Saying that they incorporate their browser and that's bad is like saying Ford shouldn't be installing their own air bags into cars. You don't need the air bag for the car to function, but it makes it convenient.
I also don't know what, exactly, the bells did wrong. If you don't like their service, get some money, run your own lines, and start selling your own phone service. Isn't that why we have a capitalistic economic system? So if you don't like it, you can try to go into business yourself to make a better product or provide a better service? I don't think companies should be penalized because the public is too lazy to switch to something new, I think I'd be rather $#%@'ed off if I had a business and the government started sticking their noses in where they don't belong.
I really hate reading 'articles' on "theregister.co.uk". With the effort I put into reading around their typos, I could be completing my cold fusion reactor. (j/k)
From the picture, it looks like WOPR!!! I want to play Global Thermonuclear War!!
I've noticed this myself, in recent weeks. I'm just grateful I still have the option to hit cancel. I'm kind of waiting for them to figure out how to force the download with no user interaction required. Then, will we be able to sue them? Or will M$ be required to put some type of security setting in IE that you can disable this function?
The article said the used to have a problem with people rushing past to get in the elevator, but now it bellies up to the elevator and waits for the door to open...
What about the people already on the elevator trying to get off?
You can use scanners to scan pages of books in, and PC's to convert them to text, insert them into files, and put the book on the net for anyone to read. Are we going after scanners and copy machines, too?
This also kind of relates to the Celine Dion story from earlier today. I'm working on a major presentation to bring in a prospective client for a very lucrative contract. I pop this crap CD into my PC, thinking to listen to some music while I work. Now my computer is locked up, and 6 hours of work is totally lost!
I am really happy to see someone actually challenging this. We can complain all we want, but until someone has the time, money, and initiative to actually challenge the DMCA in court, it's not likely to change. I'd really like to see this go before the Supreme Court. Their insight will be really interesting to hear.
In a similar incident, I've discussed with my wife the laws restricting stem cell research and cloning. We both find it interesting that abortion is legal, and yet we can't create "life" and then destroy it. I thought the whole reason abortion was legal (to a point) in the U.S. was because the embryo was not considered to be "life". That, too, hasn't made it into any courts, to my knowledge, but I'd like to see what the courts would say about a well thought out legal argument.
I'm glad you posted the section you did here, as I didn't remember his exact words (and I can sometimes be a stickler for comparing what he said to what people think he said.) It says, "We are close to being able to find Earth-like planets." He doesn't say we're close to finding one, just that we're close to being able to find one. That's quite a big difference, especially when you consider that space is mostly empty. It could be 20 years after we are able to find one that we actually do.
Just to kind of explain that to some of our slower readers... and this is in no way accurate, but just an example to help understand... if putting a coke bottle on the end of a telescope enables us to detect Earth-like planets, then we still have to search the skies with that telescope. That could take a long time, with the vastness of space.
Wouldn't this be similar to /. running on strictly NT servers with IIS? Next thing you know they'll setup MSN.com to only allow IE. I realize they did this, didn't they?
I got the impression that counting the A server, there were at least 4 of the main ones they're talking about in this one building. Granted taking out one of the servers wouldn't hurt you, not even the A, but if there are at least 4 in this one building... a terrorist would only have to take out 5 buildings at most. That is assuming there are not more than 4 in this building and no more than one at each of the other locations.
I really liked that this article was written to explain what was being done so that just about anyone would understand it. The Star Trek reference was, however, inaccurate. From this article, it sounds like they make a duplicate of Kirk using something similar to light. This is not how the transporter works.
We have some evidence of the inner workings of transporters, but not much. They employ Heisenberg compensators, pattern buffers, phase transition coils, Biofilters, matter streams, confinement beams, and matter-energy converters, and phased matter. As for what they do, we know that you are conscious during transport (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, "Realm of Fear" [TNG]), but can also be held in stasis ("Day of the Dove" [TOS], "Relics" [TNG]). Further, while in transport, you appear whole to yourself.
I hypothesize that the Annular Confinement Beam first locks onto, then disassembles the subject into phased matter, via the phase transition coils, causing it to take on a very energy-like state somewhat akin to plasma, called phased matter. The matter stream is then fed into the pattern buffer, piped through wave-guide conduits to one of the beam emitters on the hull of the starship, and then relayed to a point on the ground where the ACB reconstructs the subject.
This was taken from Transporters, Replicators and Phasing FAQ by Joshua Bell.
I don't know how many times I've turned away from my phone and told someone I was talking to an idiot. If this ends up with you having to wear some type of electrodes, then they need to incorporate an option for the listener to push a button and shock you. Of course, I've always wanted a button to do that to idiots that I end up having to talk to...