I think the increasng social conservatism in Europe is showing best in the attitude towards immigration. I could see it during my last six month visits to Denmark and the Netherlands and from what I can see in the news the same thing is happening in Switzerland, too.
Another alarming incident was the attempt to have christianity incorporated in the new EU Constitution. Fortunately it looks like it will remain fully secular.
Do you seriously think that any elections official would refuse a dad with a 14 year old son saying:
"Me and my son would like go and vote together, if that's OK?"
I bet most officials would just think how nice and good husband the dad is when he even takes time to vote with his family teaching the son how to vote.
If the son starts making noise about it, well, he's grounded for six months then.
This is about individual's fundamental right to improve or waste his life (including suicide/euthanasia) in any way he wants to. Right now I'm wasting my finite life on posting these obvious truths on Slashdot, but that's OK.
They should be doing something more productive such as
Again, who are you to tell them how they live their lives and why do you feel so strongly about other people's chosen way of life?
You might like reading educational books, socializing or going out for hikes but they might not. Instead, they like watching TV and perhaps socializing by talking about the last nights football match or a soap episode with the neighbour - while they're having a smoke or walking the dog in the backyard.
It's their life and, even if it might seem like a pitiful mutant abortion of a life to you, they're happy with it and that's enough. If they like living the life of a fat, braindead couch-potato so be it. I and no-one else should have a say about it.
The physical and mental benefits far outweigh watching television all day.
Benefits to whom? The society? The individual?
That's the same line of argument with which people pester obese individuals and, as I've discovered recently, single men in their thirties. While the argument appears to be caring and sensitive on the surface, it suggests that the chosen lifestyle is Wrong and the person must change it to appease the majority:
"Have you ever considered that you'd be happier if you lost 10 kg?" (implication: obese people cannot/should not be happy; if they're we'll make it damn sure they'll feel bad after we've pointed out their physical deficiencies)
"You know, you'll live a longer and healthier life if you'd lost a few kilos?" (implied: i don't care if you die a horrible death but you're costing me tax money).
"You'd feel much better if you exercised once in a while" (implied: you're so fat that you must feel horrible all the time)
I'll tell you whats offensive: the fact that 400,000 people a day are sitting in front of televisions, doing nothing with their lives, and society thinks this is 'normal'.
I think it's perfectly normal. People are lazy by nature.
Besides, who are you to say what people should be doing with their lives?
Yes. However, since the prudes (religiously motivated prudes in particular) make a very loud crowd that also tends to vote, the government listen to them.
I for one am worried about the recent re-emergence of social conservatism both in Europe and abroad. One good thing about conservatism is that it encourages people to vote. Voting just doesn't seem to be "cool" amongst the young social liberals and now we're seeing the results.
And what has the history taught us about the (non-)equivalence of the morality and law?
Failure of the competition IS the goal of any good, thriving business. It's just silly to start a business if you're not intent on crushing your enemy (and yes, seeing them driven before you and hearing the lamentations of their women;-).
Actually I think I might have been trolled by the "Death to closed source. Long live Open Source"-bit. It's just too corny to be real - even on Slashdot.
1) I have a load of documents in MS Office format. If I need them in the future, I must be able to import them properly. And before anyone says anything about incompatibility between MS Office versions: I have used the last three Office versions. I have had absolutely no problems with my legacy documents or with any documents I've received from other people.
2) Exporting to MS Office. My collaborators and clients require documents in Word, Excel and Powerpoint. You're just naive if you think I have the option of telling them that that's a no go. And no. Free alternatives do not export documents properly.
The last time I tested Open Office (1.1.0) I wrote a two page document. One page of text, the second page with two bitmap figures. When exported to MS Office format, there was only one page in the document: the figures were laid on top of the text. Unbelievable.
Slashdot Mirror
Look, there is no way that the right to vote should be given to anyone who's still dependent on his/her parents. There is too much room for abuse.
Because I like some of the programs. I am not ashamed to admit it.
thats all 'normal', what you see on TV, is it?
There's crap and there's great stuff on TV. It is just a part of our contemporary culture. I don't see why you're making it into such a beast.
Another alarming incident was the attempt to have christianity incorporated in the new EU Constitution. Fortunately it looks like it will remain fully secular.
"Me and my son would like go and vote together, if that's OK?"
I bet most officials would just think how nice and good husband the dad is when he even takes time to vote with his family teaching the son how to vote.
If the son starts making noise about it, well, he's grounded for six months then.
This is about individual's fundamental right to improve or waste his life (including suicide/euthanasia) in any way he wants to. Right now I'm wasting my finite life on posting these obvious truths on Slashdot, but that's OK.
Now you're assuming something that I've never said.
I've simply said that if someone wants to watch TV 16 h/day and sleep for the rest of the time he/she's fully entitled to do so.
If you, I or anyone else tries to the take that right away we're simply exercising social control over someone's life.
Whatever happens inside a private home that involves one or many consenting adult individuals is not our business.
Dad can ground him for as long as he wants until the son is 18.
Again, who are you to tell them how they live their lives and why do you feel so strongly about other people's chosen way of life?
You might like reading educational books, socializing or going out for hikes but they might not. Instead, they like watching TV and perhaps socializing by talking about the last nights football match or a soap episode with the neighbour - while they're having a smoke or walking the dog in the backyard.
It's their life and, even if it might seem like a pitiful mutant abortion of a life to you, they're happy with it and that's enough. If they like living the life of a fat, braindead couch-potato so be it. I and no-one else should have a say about it.
The physical and mental benefits far outweigh watching television all day.
Benefits to whom? The society? The individual?
That's the same line of argument with which people pester obese individuals and, as I've discovered recently, single men in their thirties. While the argument appears to be caring and sensitive on the surface, it suggests that the chosen lifestyle is Wrong and the person must change it to appease the majority:
"Have you ever considered that you'd be happier if you lost 10 kg?" (implication: obese people cannot/should not be happy; if they're we'll make it damn sure they'll feel bad after we've pointed out their physical deficiencies)
"You know, you'll live a longer and healthier life if you'd lost a few kilos?" (implied: i don't care if you die a horrible death but you're costing me tax money).
"You'd feel much better if you exercised once in a while" (implied: you're so fat that you must feel horrible all the time)
and so on.
"Dad, I don't want to vote for the Save The Children-act!"
"Son, you'll either let me watch you vote for the act or you're grounded for six months"
"Ok, dad."
I think it's perfectly normal. People are lazy by nature.
Besides, who are you to say what people should be doing with their lives?
Yes. However, since the prudes (religiously motivated prudes in particular) make a very loud crowd that also tends to vote, the government listen to them.
I for one am worried about the recent re-emergence of social conservatism both in Europe and abroad. One good thing about conservatism is that it encourages people to vote. Voting just doesn't seem to be "cool" amongst the young social liberals and now we're seeing the results.
So why are you sitting in front of your computer when you could be helping in Sudan, for instance?
Developing means for reliable access to space and fixing problems on Earth are not mutually exclusive goals.
And as far as I know that particular government lost the next elections. Democracy works.
And why is that? You can download a free Word viewer here.
Fortunately, as was recently pointed out in an article in Time magazine, European continent has become mostly "post-Christian" these days.
It just doesn't feel like bona fide space travel to me.
Collecting password hashes and IPs, maybe?
Ok, I get it now.
You saw me as defending a monopoly. No, of course not. I was defending any company's right to strive for a monopoly.
And what has the history taught us about the (non-)equivalence of the morality and law?
Failure of the competition IS the goal of any good, thriving business. It's just silly to start a business if you're not intent on crushing your enemy (and yes, seeing them driven before you and hearing the lamentations of their women ;-).
Actually I think I might have been trolled by the "Death to closed source. Long live Open Source"-bit. It's just too corny to be real - even on Slashdot.
Immoral?
failure of the competition
The goal of any business. Nothing wrong here.
Ah. I see. You see business as immoral. Now I get it.
1) I have a load of documents in MS Office format. If I need them in the future, I must be able to import them properly. And before anyone says anything about incompatibility between MS Office versions: I have used the last three Office versions. I have had absolutely no problems with my legacy documents or with any documents I've received from other people.
2) Exporting to MS Office. My collaborators and clients require documents in Word, Excel and Powerpoint. You're just naive if you think I have the option of telling them that that's a no go. And no. Free alternatives do not export documents properly.
The last time I tested Open Office (1.1.0) I wrote a two page document. One page of text, the second page with two bitmap figures. When exported to MS Office format, there was only one page in the document: the figures were laid on top of the text. Unbelievable.
Venus Transit of June 8, 2004 - A Breakthrough of Intuitive Awareness.
Sure it's not the end of the world but superstitious lunaticism nevertheless...
Well, he/she could be a furry.
Ok. Sounds just about like every computer I've ever owned for more than a year. Sometimes there are strange smells, too.