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User: drsquare

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  1. Re:IT for McCain? on IT Workers Split For McCain, Obama · · Score: 1

    So what you're saying is that IT people (like you, that is) like McCain because he'll import more foreigners to compete with Americans for IT jobs?
    America was created by foreigners and immigrants. If you don't want to compete with immigrants then you're in the wrong country. Some more competition would do IT good. It might cut wage costs, therefore lowering the cost of software development. It might make American IT workers get their act together and learn more skills, rather than thinking because they have a CS degree they deserve a huge salary to sit on their backsides, even though they can barely do anything.
  2. Re:Pardon me saying so... on IT Workers Split For McCain, Obama · · Score: 1

    Except unlike on a computer, the real world is not precise and rational. People and situations have more possible states than 1 and 0. Bear in mind that IT attracts people who refuse to use software if it's not open source, even if it's superior to their open source alternatives. Sort of like libertarians insisting on their hardline policies even if it would lead to disaster. They'd rather the world exploded than even think about compromising on their policies.

    You cannot run the real world with hard laws and unnegotiable principles. This is why libertarianism should be kept to the pages of Ayn Rand.

  3. Re:RP on IT Workers Split For McCain, Obama · · Score: 1

    Ron Paul doesn't support the constitution, he wants to get rid of federal income tax, which is enshrined in the constitution.

    Although I don't see how people are drawn to a candidate who supports America being effectively ruled by 200 year old dead people. Especially as the constitution contains quite a few flaws, such as the electoral college, disenfranchisement of the citizens of DC, directly-elected Senators, allowing states to block alcohol imports, presidents appointing judges, lack of controls against presidents waging wars etc.

    Ron Paul is also against the civil rights act, as well as health and safety regulations, he also doesn't believe in evolution. He believes in the gold standard, which is a whole can of worms in itself.

  4. Re:Street lights? on A Super-Efficient Light Bulb · · Score: 1

    I think you underestimate how big an effect light has on animals. And it's not like cars slam the breaks on if they see a goose crossing the road.

  5. Re:Go abroad on Scholarships From FOSS Organizations? · · Score: 1

    Except there are no institutions that are on par with MIT, let alone easily. And they're not free, except maybe for people in that country. An international student would have to pay as much, if not more, than many places in America.

  6. Re:You're just paying for the brand name. on Scholarships From FOSS Organizations? · · Score: 1

    I'm not sure what CS guys get at MIT that they won't be eligible to find at any other college.
    With classes full of a higher calibre of student, the material being taught will be of a much higher level, so the education will be superior. You'll also be surrounded by more intelligent and educated students and professors, which rubs off. Going to community college with Cletus won't exactly provide much of a learning environment.

    But if you work your ass of at any other college, with the grades and extras to prove it, I don't see how it matters.
    Except top grades from a lesser college with an easy course don't count for an awful lot.
  7. Re:trust me don't do it. on Scholarships From FOSS Organizations? · · Score: 1

    Also, as far as anyone has ever told me and I've ever seen, grad school for engineering and ESPECIALLY for CS is completely worthless for getting a job, and is done almost only by those who wish to go into academia.
    I'm pretty sure you need an MEng at minimum in order to be allowed to qualify as an engineer.
  8. Re:Rage Against the Chinese? on Cyber Attacks against Tibetan Communities · · Score: 1

    How is this any worse than America shipping over people to Hawaii to wipe out their local language culture?

  9. Re:govt-sponsored on Cyber Attacks against Tibetan Communities · · Score: 1

    Fine, however the 2012 Olympics must also be boycotted for the British actions in Iraq, Afghanistan, Northern Ireland, Argentina etc. All Olympics in America should be boycotted until they free the natives from European occupation, as well as withdrawing from Alaska, Iraq and Hawaii.

  10. Re:Would they care? on One Minute of Science Per Five Hours of Cable News · · Score: 1

    Be honest, how many average people do you know who might care about a galaxy eating another galaxy
    Is that really news if it happened millions of years ago?
  11. Re:Dear England on UK Reconsiders 1986 Decision To Ban Astronauts · · Score: 1

    It's not a matter of a lack of balls, but a lack of cash. How can we afford a manned space mission when we have important projects to fund, such as bailing out shitty banks, giving benefits to layabouts, and foreign aid to countries which can afford their own space programmes!

  12. Re:Economic Conditions on Analysts Foresee Another Banner Year For Videogame Industry · · Score: 1

    Even if you do like reading, trying to read Ulysses is enough to send you running back to gaming.

  13. Re:Not shocking.. on Analysts Foresee Another Banner Year For Videogame Industry · · Score: 1

    You can't argue with the numbers, PC games sales are in an all-time slump. People are sick of upgrading three hundred different parts of their PC every couple of years to play the latest re-hashed tired FPS. All the crap that Vista's causing is the final nail in the PC gaming coffin I think.

    Don't worry, PC gaming will still have its niche, casual games like the Sims, Runescape, Bejewelled, Minesweeper.

  14. Re:Renewed niche for broadcast TV? on Hobbyists Create GPLed DIY Super TV Antenna · · Score: 1

    I think a great combination in the future will be Broadcast TV for shows with huge audiences (like football and network news) plus Internet for pre-recorded stuff people want on demand.
    Broadcast doesn't have the bandwidth for much HD content. A single HD 1080p channel takes up ten times as much data as a normal 576i channel. So whilst digital TV might support 40-50 SD channels, it would only support four or five HD channels, meaning choice would be next to zero.

    Plus it would mean everyone having to buy newer HDTVs or buy extra HD tuners. People won't be receptive to that after already having to buy digital set-top boxes in preparation for the analogue switch-off. In most parts of the world, HD content is only available via satallite and cable, and it'll probably stay that way for a long time.
  15. Re:If you're going to include that... on Why Aren't More Linux Users Gamers? · · Score: 1

    Actually it's 720x576, with the built-in smoothing of a TV screen, and what PC plays console games that costs the same as a console?

  16. Re:Playing games with friends on... on Unreal Creator Proclaims PCs are Not For Gaming · · Score: 1

    Because 99% of PC users haven't got a clue how to hook up their computer to their TV (which is often in the next room), let alone how to hook up several controllers.

  17. Re:I'm not worried, because... on Unreal Creator Proclaims PCs are Not For Gaming · · Score: 1

    How many PCs can do that? Maybe 0.01% of hardcore fanatics with a giant expensive monitor and inch-thick glasses.

  18. Re:I'm not worried, because... on Unreal Creator Proclaims PCs are Not For Gaming · · Score: 1

    The first time they tried that was with Quake 3 on the dreamcast and on the PC. Even if you've never played the game yourself, you know the reputation- ridiculously fast amphetamine-twitch gameplay.
    I think the number of people who want to play ridiculously fast twitch games is actually pretty low. Most people want to play a game that doesn't require them to consume 80 cups of coffee before playing, and therefore a console FPS is fine.
  19. Re:If you're going to include that... on Why Aren't More Linux Users Gamers? · · Score: 1

    You'll need to include the $1500 TV you'll need for console gaming to be fair.
    You can plug your console into your old TV. You can't plug your new graphics card into your old computer.

    Since you obviously use your computer for things other than gaming, it's called a sunk cost. You'd buy those bits whether you were gaming or not.
    You can do those 'other' things with your five year old PC. The only reason you need to upgrade is to play games, which means replacing practically every component in your computer. Therefore to upgrade your PC to make it capable of playing games, you have to include the whole cost of the computer. Of course you can deduct whatever you get from selling your old one.
  20. Re:Blah Blah Blah... on Why Aren't More Linux Users Gamers? · · Score: 1

    The average PC is not a gaming PC. The average PC with an average monitor can put out 1024 vertical, tops. No better than HDTV, except it's on a tiny monitor which makes everything look jagged.

    A console hooked up to even a normal TV looks better than squinting at a computer monitor.

  21. Re:PC gaming is dying on Why Aren't More Linux Users Gamers? · · Score: 1

    Total price: $900
    Which is much, much higher than any console. Yes, you can do all your other stuff on the PC like send e-mails, write letters, burn DVDs etc, but you could do with with your old rusty computer that didn't need upgrading.

    But for PC's, if you really want a super duper bleeding edge piece of gaming godness, you can, but by no means do 'most' game devs shove ridiculously high requirements down your throat.
    The advantage of a console is that developers can concentrate on gameplay for a few years, rather than keeping up with the Jones' releasing yet another FPS with stupid hardware requirements that has nothing more to it than an FPS released five years ago. Except you it has more detailed textures and lighting that you don't notice anyway because the game's a 100mph twitch-fest.

    I absolutely love my Wii to death for the games that I play on it, but lets be frank, the CPU/GPU/lack of substantial storage hold it back from competing seriously in many gaming market segments.
    Like what? The wii is capable of playing most genres well. Except maybe the high-end FPS market which is massively overrated by 'hardcore' PC gamers who just seem to play them as hardware benchmarks.
  22. Re:No future in it on AMD's Hybrid Graphics Unveiled, Tested · · Score: 1

    To push that up to the level of a top-class games machine I'd need to get myself an expensive graphics card. To get a separate games machine, I'd need to get myself an expensive games console...
    The problem with the PC is, to plug in that video card you also need a new PCI-X motherboard. Which means you also need a new processor, new RAM, and it's SATA so your old hard disk and DVD drive don't work, so you need to buy them again. Then you need a new power box with all the new fangled connectors to get it all to work. Of course, the new graphics card is DVI only, so you need a new monitor. Then you need a special gaming mouse, and a controller, and speakers comparable to your living room TV. Before you know it you've spent the best part of a grand. Then you need Windows XP to run all the latest games, which is even more money spent.

    Then a couple of years later when Doom 4 or whatever comes out, it's all obsolete and you get to start rebuying all over again.
  23. Re:Damn on Clinton Takes Ohio, Texas; McCain Seals The Deal · · Score: 1

    So the Democrats are fracturing because they actually have a competitive leadership race with two decent candidates? I'm not really following you at all.

  24. Re:why is texas a win for her? on Clinton Takes Ohio, Texas; McCain Seals The Deal · · Score: 1

    With a college education one ought to be able to seek truth more effectively.
    I wouldn't agree with that. Students generally have very sheltered, fucked-up views on the world. I don't see how four years drinking in a frat-house and listening to left-wing professors makes ones votes more informed than someone who actually had to live in the real world.
  25. Re:They won't go for it? on Strict Order Boarding Would Get Planes in the Sky Faster · · Score: 1

    I never even understood why you would want to board the plane first in first class. You lose your freedom of movement sooner
    Where would you rather be, sat in a spacious first-class seat or sat in a cramped gate seat? And first class is normally to the left of the door and the rest of the seats to the right.