Nerdism, on the other hand, is very detail in what it does
Combining both and you will get an invincible beast
Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it), the investment firm "Knight Capital" does not treasure the nerds enough to put them into position that can have effective oversee powers over technology deployment
I hope the 400 million loss will wake them up
No more we nerds should work under them capitalists --- they need us MUCH MORE than we need them
... For instance in an AP poll, nearly 60 percent of Americans said they oppose the NSA collecting data about their telephone and Internet usage...
Even if 99% of the Americans say they oppose it still doesn't matter.
Saying is NOTHING.
What is need right now is for Americans to ACT.
But are we seeing the Americans doing anything ?
Nope.
As long as MOST of the Americans remain complacent and do NOTHING, them fuckers gonna take advantage of the it and will conjure up much more despicable stuffs in order to "keep us safe from ourselves".
America is fast losing friends if this trend is continuing.
Not that long ago, Russians, Chinese, Cubans, Iranians, North Koreans were painted as EVIL because America said so ~ and the world (mainly Europeans, plus many third world countries) generally subscribe to that view because the United States of America supposed to be trustworthy
Is America anymore trustworthy than the Russians, Chinese, Cubans, Iranians, or North Koreans ?
Scientists Say Climate Change Is Damaging Iowa Agriculture
If I were the scientists, I will focus much more on the diminishing aquifers underneath Iowa first
It is true that global climate changes have effected agriculture patterns all over the world, but by screaming "CLIMATE CHANGE DAMAGING IOWA AGRICULTURE", to me at least, is a little bit too thick
All agriculture needs water (plants need water to grow) and the aquifer system beneath Iowa has seen its water disappearing in an alarming rate
Make sure you guys get the water supply problem licked first, scientists !
And I'll tell you this - if you don't know instinctually and through experience how to apply business knowledge, you're a lot like that clueless 18 year-old kid who thinks they'll be able to read minds after studying psychology.
When people tell me that they are going to LEARN business I look at them with funny expression.
Business can't be learn.
Sure, some skills you can pick up here and there, but the main part of BUSINESS is still largely based on instinct.
No one can tell you when the price will go up, or if the commodity will crash.
No one can explain to you why (before launch) a product gonna sell like hot cakes.
Sure, there are a lot of after-the-effect pundits, doing their 20/20 hindsight analysis, but those are essentially useless.
What is really needed in Business, after all, is the keen sense of knowing what will happen in the future, something that Steve Jobs possessed and many others were sorely lacking.
That is why, without Mr. Jobs, Apple came out with that ridiculous "Apple Newton", and with Steve on the helm, they had their iPhone and iPad.
The problems that are plaguing our world is not only the power that be.
The journalists are also part of the problem.
You see, most journalists we have today do not even comprehend the ethic behind journalism.
And worst of all, some of the journalists are willingly cooperating with the power-that-be (you can see the evidences of the so-called "news media" we have nowadays) - and I still remember a case back in the Bush (senior) days where CNN actually turned over the identity of a whistle blower to the Department of Defense.
Plan 9 is much, much better designed than unix, we just need to port our software
I do concur with you, PLAN 9 was indeed a much better designed OS, from the ground up, but, as all the techies who have been in the tech field already know... better product does not always become the guaranteed winner in the marketplace
There is plenty of closed source software that is very easy to verify (assuming you know how to read assembly, of course).
It is easier said, than done.
As an ASM programmer myself (and I have been doing assembly and machine language since the 1970's) I can tell you that not all programs can be successfully dis-assembled.
The other day I was looking up an open course offered by Harvard that I had meant to try my hands on for the past few years (I know, I know, I procrastinated).
I googled it up and clicked on the link - and long and behold, the Harvard server told me that the course had been deleted, due to some "incompatibility" of the video format and their new hardware, or something like that.
I did not take that course. I have no idea if it was good or not.
What if it was an excellent course ?
Now that that particular course is gone (a few lessons still can still be had on youtube), the opportunity cost for many people does accumulate.
If there was only an archive site for all the open-courses, wouldn't that be great ?
There is no way we can understand everything. There are just too many things out there that we use daily - even software alone consist of so many layers ( from the spreadsheet software program that we use, to the device drivers, the OS, to the embedded firmwares residing inside the chips, to the myriad mix of software that keep the Net humming.
Yes, I know, it is no fun.
The paranoids have a point, after all --- BIG BROTHERS (plural) want to know everything about us.
... processor units that implement software applications in silicon...
Isn't that the definition of an ASIC ?
With the gaffe the OP has pointed out (Gallium Arsenide becomes Gallium and Arsenide) and this... I get the impression that the article's target audiences shouldn't be the techies
On iPods (2006): "No, I do not [have an iPod]. Nor do my children. My children - in many dimensions theyâ(TM)re as poorly behaved as many other children, but at least on this dimension I've got my kids brainwashed - you don't use Google and you don't use an iPod"
On Android (2011): "You don't need to be a computer scientist to use a Windows Phone. I think you do to use an Android phone... It is hard for me to be excited about the Android phones"
On the iPhone (2007): "There's no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant market share. No chance. It's a $500 subsidized item"
On Linux (2001): "Linux is a cancer that attaches itself in an intellectual property sense to everything it touches"
On the iPhone once again (2007): "$500, fully subsidized, with a plan! That is the most expensive phone in the world and it doesn't appeal to business customers, because it doesn't have a keyboard, which makes it not a very good email machine"
I remember when we had those Matrox cards to go with our video editing workstations. Those things were stable as hell
Back then there were more vendors competing fiercely in the market, and all of them were on their toes as they knew even one slip could turn out to be totally fatal.
Nowadays, other than AMD and Nvidia, what other serious players do we have ?
None.
With the market turns into duopoly both the players no longer have the urge to bring new and innovative features into their new products.
How many times we have heard of the horror stories brought on by their crappy drivers ?
Other than lamenting online, the users (no matter if they are casual gamers or professional users) have no other option but to wait for a newer version of the drivers, or roll back the drivers to one that worked.
ps. I still have several of those Matrox cards with dual video outputs.
"A group of cryptographers in the UK has published a letter that calls on authorities in that country and the United States to conduct an investigation to determine which security products, protocols and standards have been deliberately weakened by the countries' intelligence services
You seriously think this plan will work ?
I'm afraid not.
It's as if there is still conscience left in the governments of the two countries.
If there was any conscience to start with, the government wouldn't have allowed their spooks to spy on their own people, in the first place.
It's also like asking a thief to confess to which items he has stolen.
Slashdot Mirror
Capitalism is very effective in what it does
Nerdism, on the other hand, is very detail in what it does
Combining both and you will get an invincible beast
Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it), the investment firm "Knight Capital" does not treasure the nerds enough to put them into position that can have effective oversee powers over technology deployment
I hope the 400 million loss will wake them up
No more we nerds should work under them capitalists --- they need us MUCH MORE than we need them
... For instance in an AP poll, nearly 60 percent of Americans said they oppose the NSA collecting data about their telephone and Internet usage ...
Even if 99% of the Americans say they oppose it still doesn't matter.
Saying is NOTHING.
What is need right now is for Americans to ACT.
But are we seeing the Americans doing anything ?
Nope.
As long as MOST of the Americans remain complacent and do NOTHING, them fuckers gonna take advantage of the it and will conjure up much more despicable stuffs in order to "keep us safe from ourselves".
They have a nice facility in Utah.
They already had 10 bouts of fire inside that spanking new utility, only 2 of those they have identified the causes of the fire.
Of the other 8 fires the causes still remain unknown
Even Slashdot has covered the news of the fires, twice
http://slashdot.org/topic/datacenter/nsa-datacenter-delayed-1yr-after-series-of-explosive-electrical-failures/
and
http://slashdot.org/story/13/10/08/1457235/nsas-new-utah-data-center-suffering-meltdowns
Who will be next ?
America is fast losing friends if this trend is continuing.
Not that long ago, Russians, Chinese, Cubans, Iranians, North Koreans were painted as EVIL because America said so ~ and the world (mainly Europeans, plus many third world countries) generally subscribe to that view because the United States of America supposed to be trustworthy
Is America anymore trustworthy than the Russians, Chinese, Cubans, Iranians, or North Koreans ?
Scientists Say Climate Change Is Damaging Iowa Agriculture
If I were the scientists, I will focus much more on the diminishing aquifers underneath Iowa first
It is true that global climate changes have effected agriculture patterns all over the world, but by screaming " CLIMATE CHANGE DAMAGING IOWA AGRICULTURE ", to me at least, is a little bit too thick
All agriculture needs water (plants need water to grow) and the aquifer system beneath Iowa has seen its water disappearing in an alarming rate
Make sure you guys get the water supply problem licked first, scientists !
And I'll tell you this - if you don't know instinctually and through experience how to apply business knowledge, you're a lot like that clueless 18 year-old kid who thinks they'll be able to read minds after studying psychology.
When people tell me that they are going to LEARN business I look at them with funny expression.
Business can't be learn.
Sure, some skills you can pick up here and there, but the main part of BUSINESS is still largely based on instinct.
No one can tell you when the price will go up, or if the commodity will crash.
No one can explain to you why (before launch) a product gonna sell like hot cakes.
Sure, there are a lot of after-the-effect pundits, doing their 20/20 hindsight analysis, but those are essentially useless.
What is really needed in Business, after all, is the keen sense of knowing what will happen in the future, something that Steve Jobs possessed and many others were sorely lacking.
That is why, without Mr. Jobs, Apple came out with that ridiculous "Apple Newton", and with Steve on the helm, they had their iPhone and iPad.
The NSA could trace this.
Believe it.
It's too unfortunate that Mr. Swartz had to end his life, no thank to those who run MIT.
If Mr. Swartz were still alive, he would have put in a lot of effort to counter many of the NSA's threats.
The problems that are plaguing our world is not only the power that be.
The journalists are also part of the problem.
You see, most journalists we have today do not even comprehend the ethic behind journalism.
And worst of all, some of the journalists are willingly cooperating with the power-that-be (you can see the evidences of the so-called "news media" we have nowadays) - and I still remember a case back in the Bush (senior) days where CNN actually turned over the identity of a whistle blower to the Department of Defense.
Plan 9 is much, much better designed than unix, we just need to port our software
I do concur with you, PLAN 9 was indeed a much better designed OS, from the ground up, but, as all the techies who have been in the tech field already know ...
better product does not always become the guaranteed winner in the marketplace
I do not even know if the Fidonet infrastructure is still working or not.
Yes, I was a sysop back then.
I do not feel so great for Obamacare at all.
I mean, the code itself ( as referred to the following link: https://www.healthcare.gov/marketplace/global/en_US/registration.js ) is hopelessly broken.
The code looks more like a primary school coding project than a government project.
Or does this signify the quality of (or rather, the lack thereof) : care Obama wants give the US citizens ?
If you're tired of their bullshit YOU SHOULDN'T BE VOTING FOR THEM!
Give us an option of" I AM VOTING AGAINST ALL THE SCUMBAGS " on your ballot ticket, then.
Or else, who the fuck are we supposed to vote for ?? Most of us already know that those appearing on our ballot tickets are scumbags.
BIG BROTHERS will never change it self.
Change does not come from within.
Real change must be made from the outside.
All the insiders - the careered politicians, the careered bureaucrats, the careered leeches who bled the public dry - will not change their ways.
If we are to have a REAL CHANGE we must make sure that NONE OF THEM remain inside the government.
Any less than that will be hot air, as usual.
There is plenty of closed source software that is very easy to verify (assuming you know how to read assembly, of course).
It is easier said, than done.
As an ASM programmer myself (and I have been doing assembly and machine language since the 1970's) I can tell you that not all programs can be successfully dis -assembled.
http://scienceblogs.com/goodmath/2007/04/15/strange-loops-dennis-ritchie-a/
Both AC and disposable60 were trying to explain to you the concept outlined by Mr. Thompson.
Read, and ponder.
The other day I was looking up an open course offered by Harvard that I had meant to try my hands on for the past few years (I know, I know, I procrastinated).
I googled it up and clicked on the link - and long and behold, the Harvard server told me that the course had been deleted, due to some "incompatibility" of the video format and their new hardware, or something like that.
I did not take that course. I have no idea if it was good or not.
What if it was an excellent course ?
Now that that particular course is gone (a few lessons still can still be had on youtube), the opportunity cost for many people does accumulate.
If there was only an archive site for all the open-courses, wouldn't that be great ?
... use caution in everything we do.
There is no way we can understand everything. There are just too many things out there that we use daily - even software alone consist of so many layers ( from the spreadsheet software program that we use, to the device drivers, the OS, to the embedded firmwares residing inside the chips, to the myriad mix of software that keep the Net humming.
Yes, I know, it is no fun.
The paranoids have a point, after all --- BIG BROTHERS (plural) want to know everything about us.
I was excited when reading the "Set Record" claim in the title. However, upon reading the following:
"...a photovoltaic cell, achieving a 44.7% rate of efficiency, which was measured at a concentration of 297 suns"
my excitement was very much doused.
I will be waiting for the day when someone come up with a solar cell that can achieve 50%+ conversion rate with the 1 sun that we have.
Isn't that the definition of an ASIC ?
With the gaffe the OP has pointed out (Gallium Arsenide becomes Gallium and Arsenide) and this ... I get the impression that the article's target audiences shouldn't be the techies
Let's say the bomb did explode over NC. Millions died.
A total disaster for the Kennedy administration (it was only his 3rd day as POTUS).
What would the Kennedy administration do ?
Would they admit that the explosion was an accident, or would they place all the blames on the then USSR (sneak attack by them commies)?
http://allthingsd.com/20130824/beyond-monkey-boy-its-a-steve-ballmer-quote-tacular/
On iPods (2006): "No, I do not [have an iPod]. Nor do my children. My children - in many dimensions theyâ(TM)re as poorly behaved as many other children, but at least on this dimension I've got my kids brainwashed - you don't use Google and you don't use an iPod"
On Android (2011): "You don't need to be a computer scientist to use a Windows Phone. I think you do to use an Android phone ... It is hard for me to be excited about the Android phones"
On the iPhone (2007): "There's no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant market share. No chance. It's a $500 subsidized item"
On Linux (2001): "Linux is a cancer that attaches itself in an intellectual property sense to everything it touches"
On the iPhone once again (2007): "$500, fully subsidized, with a plan! That is the most expensive phone in the world and it doesn't appeal to business customers, because it doesn't have a keyboard, which makes it not a very good email machine"
And, a vid, for all to enjoy ---
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eywi0h_Y5_U
I remember when we had those Matrox cards to go with our video editing workstations. Those things were stable as hell
Back then there were more vendors competing fiercely in the market, and all of them were on their toes as they knew even one slip could turn out to be totally fatal.
Nowadays, other than AMD and Nvidia, what other serious players do we have ?
None.
With the market turns into duopoly both the players no longer have the urge to bring new and innovative features into their new products.
How many times we have heard of the horror stories brought on by their crappy drivers ?
Other than lamenting online, the users (no matter if they are casual gamers or professional users) have no other option but to wait for a newer version of the drivers, or roll back the drivers to one that worked.
ps. I still have several of those Matrox cards with dual video outputs.
"A group of cryptographers in the UK has published a letter that calls on authorities in that country and the United States to conduct an investigation to determine which security products, protocols and standards have been deliberately weakened by the countries' intelligence services
You seriously think this plan will work ?
I'm afraid not.
It's as if there is still conscience left in the governments of the two countries.
If there was any conscience to start with, the government wouldn't have allowed their spooks to spy on their own people, in the first place.
It's also like asking a thief to confess to which items he has stolen.
It's like trusting the th
In this modern day do patents promote innovation, or simply protect firms from competition ?
The issues regarding patents are not only about patents, but also the courts.
As the pencil and eraser case (circa 1858) has illustrated, the court back then still managed largely to uphold their independence.
Not now.
Today, the courts have become an apparatchik for the corporations, the banksters, the politicians, and the power that be.
Judges back then were chosen based on merits. Judges today are chosen based on who they know.
I hope they will spring a surprise for us and add an "ig-Nobel Peacec" prize, and award it to Obama.