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User: Anne+Thwacks

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  1. Re:Algorithm on Big Data Knows When You Are About To Quit Your Job · · Score: 2

    It looks like that would probably be as reliable as what they do use, but cheaper to implement.

  2. Re:Taking the Human out of Human Resources on Big Data Knows When You Are About To Quit Your Job · · Score: 0
    We are getting close to that in parts of the world, and it is spreading fast.

    It used to be because the labour content was exported, but robots are replacing the offshore jobs/manufacturing.

    It is time to come up with a new model of who gets what, and why. and how to implement it.

    Or Ebola just may do it for us.

  3. The reality is that TV, 3D or not, is unsuitable for people of any age. Have you watched Cartoon Network? That stuff MUST cause brain damage for sure!

  4. Re:I'm not a scientist... on French Health Watchdog: 3D Viewing May Damage Eyesight In Children · · Score: 1
    Nope. There is no way to get round the convergence-accomodation problem, except when the image is both logically and physically so far away that 3D is irrelevant.

    3D is a bad idea. It makes your head hurt because you are experiencing the impossible. If it does not make your head hurt, then it is doing you harm.

  5. Re:Too late for Lou Gehrig on Crowdsourcing Project Predicts Progression of ALS · · Score: 1
    Or perhaps What is it?

    Please can we have using TLAs without explaining them made a criminal offence.

  6. Re:Because cloud on Android 5.0 Makes SD Cards Great Again · · Score: 1
    Duh, it's a network device, everyone has unlimited network access everywhere don't they?

    Well GCHQ and the NSA have unlimited access everywhere. I don't know about anyone else.

  7. Re:KISS on The Effect of Programming Language On Software Quality · · Score: 5, Interesting
    I have been responsible for language choice on many occasions, and I can say with confidence, sometimes I made the right choice and sometimes not.

    For a project starting in 1983, and expected to last 8 months, Basic seemed like a good idea. By 1995, it should have been obvious to everyone that a re-write in ANYTHING ELSE was justified (not that I would personally recommend using Perl to write a Basic interpreter to re-interpret the original Basic code or using Snobol4 to translate the Basic into Fortran).

    I could have used C instead - the project would probably have taken a couple of weeks longer, but would have saved countless people years of grief. I have C programs from the 80's that compile on *BSD unchanged, and still work as intended*. It was a toss-up at the time.

    My point is that the language choice may be influenced by incorrect information about the external world - because the external world is subject to massive change.

    * I had to rewrite some C from the 70's cos they were written for Idris and all in capitals :-{ Fortran4 programs from the 70's may compile and run, but you certainly need to re-test them!

    Yes its true: my lawn is written in Fortran, but my Mum's has an Ibjob border.

  8. Re:This. on Too Many Kids Quit Science Because They Don't Think They're Smart · · Score: 1
    I live in Europe where the only governors are prison governors - local government is by elected councellors who are about 50% from working class backgrounds, and corporate empires are owned by the general public through insurance companies and pension funds, If daddy owns a corporate empire here, the chances are it is the local corner shop, and you are from an ethnic minority.

    I am not saying that having good family connections does not help, but it is certainly not the biggest factor in making progress, The people who say that are almost all parroting what they heard in the socialist circles they grew up in - who you know can hold you back every bit as much as push you forward, if not more.

  9. Re:This. on Too Many Kids Quit Science Because They Don't Think They're Smart · · Score: 1
    the hereditary ruling class uses it's control of the world's resources

    The inappropriate praise issue has already been mentioned, but there is a related one: giving children choices -

    The hereditory ruling class puts enormous emphasis on passing on communication and decision making skills - that is why it is a hereditory ruling class. It is not the genes.

    If the parents are barely able to tell the kid "shut up and play" what chance does the kid have against those whose parents insist the kids use correct grammar and approach problems logically from before they start school? The difference in the kid's ability to understand his surroundings, and get questions answered is immense.

    The children from poorly educated backgrounds are given choices they cannot reasonably take (do you want to see Home Alone 3 - which is on at every cinema for 200 miles, or do you want Gratuitous Violence 6? - which has not yet been released, and in any case, they are not old enough to see), and then, when they take the wrong choice, their choice is overridden. The children from an educated background are given choices they can afford to get wrong (chocolate or vanilla ice cream), and then forced to live with their choice. The end result is that the kid grows up believing (correctly) that his choices are critical to his condition or have no influence on events - according to his experience.

    Of course, this is partly because the barely literate parent does not understand the concept of researching the choices before offering them to the kid - that is why they themselves are not part of the Elite.

    It is not a conspiracy of the illuminati - the problem is the illiterati who outnumber them millions to one.

  10. Re:This. on Too Many Kids Quit Science Because They Don't Think They're Smart · · Score: 2
    There is plenty of good, strong scientific evidence that telling kids "thats great" when they are well aware it was crap is a very depressing experience for the kid, and leads to them going slowly off the rails It is not just useless, it is actually a very bad idea.

    Unfortunately, a lot of the school system is allergic to science - so it is hardly surprising the can't teach it.

    Everyone aknowledges some footballers are top rate, and some are not even so-so, but it is not acceptable to the union to admit the same for school teachers. This prevents meaningful discussion of the best way to deploy teachers with different abilities.

    And the guy who said they wont get STM jobs anyway was right.

  11. Re: Well on Space Tourism Isn't Worth Dying For · · Score: 1
    Even if he is willing (and he might be, look at his balloon adventures) Mr Branson is already rich and famous. Other people are motivated by seeking wealth and fame. Why should he stand in their way?

    "Get rich or die trying is the American dream" and dieing is an important part of that dream.

    "If it was easy, they would all be doing it!"

  12. Re:Inform us then on Is Public Debate of Trade Agreements Against the Public Interest? · · Score: 1

    Nope. If it comes from a politician, you are not being informed you are being misled.

  13. Re:No on Will HP's $200 Stream 11 Make People Forget About Chromebooks? · · Score: 1, Insightful
    Will it run FreeBSD?

    If so, it might actually be useful.

    [boople woople twaddle twaddle, /. says I type too fast.]

  14. Re:Inform us then on Is Public Debate of Trade Agreements Against the Public Interest? · · Score: 1
    It's a politician's job to inform us

    That sounds like a tautology.

    Once a politician has handled the truth, it is indistinguishable from a lie.

  15. Proof Republicanism is the major cause of poverty! on Statisticians Study Who Was Helped Most By Obamacare · · Score: -1, Troll

    As if any was needed!

  16. Re:SYSTEM-D SUCKS! on OpenBSD Drops Support For Loadable Kernel Modules · · Score: 1
    from newer scripting languages

    Why would anyone want a newer scripting language? That is like wanting to build a house from new bricks. If you know the old language, you can use it. If you don't, then perhaps you should not be messing with the system initialisation?

    Its not like normal admins have to write these scripts - the people who manage ports supply them for you, and have a tool that puts them in the right place.Most people run OBSD because they want to have a system that runs their apps, not so they can experiment with the boot process. OBSD boots really fast. (Unless you screw up your fstab - like I did last week - In which case it might not boot at all).

    Do you also complain about the type of pipe clip your car manufacturer uses on the under-bonnet pipes?

    If you want to use Java to write a systemd replacement, then go ahead - I wont stop you. Do like Linus, and write your own damned OS.

  17. Re:In other news. on OpenBSD Drops Support For Loadable Kernel Modules · · Score: 1
    I don't know where you get your hardware from, but I dont recall any serious problems with OBSD hardware support. The only kit I have personally owned that was not supported was an Sbus SCSI card used in Sun Enterprise servers, and I had an alternative card anyway.

    I have had more hardware support problems with Windows and Linux.

    I regularly have uptimes of over a year, and bug reports generally produce a next day response. Try getting that elsewhere.

  18. Re:Stop developing 64bit on OEM Windows 7 License Sales End This Friday · · Score: 1
    Are you sure its a good idea to go forward? Don't you every watch Faux News?

    Grounhog day forever!

  19. Re:Unfortunate... on OEM Windows 7 License Sales End This Friday · · Score: 1
    Its HALOWEEN you are supposed to be running Windows ME on your pumpkin. Even Windows 8 is not that scary!

    After that, you throw that sodding SystemD infested Ubuntu in the trash can and upgrate to FreeBSD.

  20. Re:Not true. There's a different division on Debate Over Systemd Exposes the Two Factions Tugging At Modern-day Linux · · Score: 1
    Systemd is the first actual usable solution.

    That implies there was a problem.

    It seems to me that the only problems I have had with init is that some packages, in their infinite wisdom, need you to modify or create scripts yourself, and the message saying so assumes you are still using an LA36.

    My experience with systemd is such that I too, will probably end up having to migrate not just myself, but also my userbase to FreeBSD.

    Why is the Linux world so commited to foisting changes on the unsuspecting, and saying "See, you will like it when you have no choice!" It is like the schoolmasters who say "If you don't enjoy it, you will be severely punished!" - Fine in the late 1860's but even Dickens was agin it, and the 1960's was a revolt against that world. Remember the Paris uprising of 1968? (Hint: It was nothing to do with Paris Hilton).

    I have a lawn too.

  21. Re: Tax and cost from a PC-vendor point of view on Italian Supreme Court Bans the 'Microsoft Tax' · · Score: 2

    The real problem is the $200 bribe to install all that bloatware. If you dont take the bloatware, you have to pay the full price of the hardware. Personally, I am happy to pay -$100 for widows+bloatware and install Mint over it.

  22. Re:Wow on Ballmer Says Amazon Isn't a "Real Business" · · Score: 5, Funny
    You mean when Bill Gates was introduced to IBM by his mum with such a high recommendation that they bought an OS from him that he didn't even have?

    Its hard to top that!

  23. Re: It helps to actually use the thing. on How Sony, Intel, and Unix Made Apple's Mac a PC Competitor · · Score: 1

    Does your cat run OSX?

  24. Re:"not so much as a default wallpaper" on Ubuntu 14.10 Released With Ambitious Name, But Small Changes · · Score: 2
    Why would they leave out the most important thing?

    As most users have already defected to other distros, it was not worth the effort!

  25. Re:Performance issues? on Ask Slashdot: Smarter Disk Space Monitoring In the Age of Cheap Storage? · · Score: 0, Troll
    If you use Unix on a server, you should have multiple partitions. If you don't know that, you should not be using Unix. If you have a server, and you are not using Unix, you should not be in charge of a server. The partitions might be on different H/Ds if performance matters. Different partitions get used in different ways. Some grow faster than others.

    If any partition is more than 50% full, you had best have a plan for what to do next, even if it will not need to be done for two years. If you don't plan two years ahead, you should not be running a server. If you use SCSI disks on Unix, its easy to add more hard disks. If you are not using SCSI hard disks, well, presumably the data was not very important anyway.

    Did I mention the lawn?