This is a good article, and if you like it,
you might like some of Bruce Tognazzini's work here.He
also has a book out "Tog on Interfaces".
One of his major
points is the size of GUI targets. The edges and screen corners
are easy to hit, but grossly underutilised by GUI designers.
This causes more RSI in users than necessary. I've worked some
apps with poorly chosen target locations and defaults that were
just murder on my wrist.
... don't write and fear no woman.
This used to be a dictum many years ago when spurned women would publish their suitor's letters.
These times are rolling around again.
It's really very simple -- email isn't private. It can and will be forwarded by recipients. This one was so juicy it would travel far. A journalist ought to have known that. She should have either published or not. Copyright is technically available, but ultimately sour grapes.
Why do you assume that I stink? Zinc oxide ointment is a remarkably effective deodorant. Merely defending someone does not imply like behaviour.
I also seriously doubt that sex truly comes first for you. If it did, you would probably know nothing about programming, and instead be a doctor or bartender. Or is that your craft?
Programmers and other artisans frequently get absorbed in their craft.
This is good for their output and all those who receive it. They
naturally attach lesser importance to impressing people with their
conversational or sartorial skills. I resent gregarious people
expecting everyone to share their high value on impressing others.
Hygiene only becomes a problem when it causes skin or GI infections.
Odor is a matter of taste. I've found female smokers to be the most
easily offended. The Pot is calling the Kettle black...
Are the FCC actually going to realloc the freed VHF & UHF bands used
by NTSC analog TV to police & emerg services? How will police/fire ever use that much bandwidth?
I thought the FCC was going to auction the spectrum, most likely for cellular voice/internet. It doesn't
look like there will be alot of bids from the moribund telecoms. Just as well,
because I don't think the FCC will be able to stop analog TV. Too many voters just won't
switch in time with these prices. If they're extremely lucky, they might be able to free the UHF band by moving stations to VHF.
I generally agree with the story. It was much like that when I
went through HS, and 30 years later it seems worse for my kids.
More draconian lockdowns do not seem to have helped.
But I have observed one thing -- teenagers burn. They're too
active with fast-twitch anaerobic muscle activity and concentrated thinking.
They burn through their puny glycogen stores in about 4 hours then
crash and become extremely cranky and irritable from hypoglycemia.
Or suffer rebound [insulin shock] hypoglycemia from eating
too-quickly absorbed carbs (high glycemic index).
This seems a very risky tactic for SBC to use. museumtours.com may
not be able to afford aggressive lawyers, but they are fairly likely
to get sympathy from NGOs like the EFF. Once one of the action
groups gets involved, SBC may not be able to easily withdraw.
Losing a patent case to prior art just makes other patents easier to
attack on the same grounds. Whole patent portfolios get devalued.
This dog has more bark than bite, so you keep him from biting.
If effective, this medication would be abused by people with predatory inclinations
to increase their predatation or garner soldiers. Without hyperbole, it would deal civilization
a crippling blow because it would decrease the costs of predators.
With this lopsided a decision, I have to wonder
why the USSC took up the case at all. If
"limited times" means "with a limit, however
unjustifiable" the wasn't this obvious the the
time of the petition and voting for a writ of
certiori?
Are the justices trying to
re-establish a reputation for primacy of the
legislative branch? Why?
Where is a PCI card that will receive HDTV signals?
HDTV tuners for the "HDTV capable" sets are 'way expensive.
I don't see HDTV making serious inroads until the price differential with NTSC gets ~$100. Until HDTV becomes very popular, there's no way the FCC can reallocate [autction] the spectrum.
No, Morse has only two symbols
on
DNA Goes Binary
·
· Score: 2
Sorry Bruce, but Morse Code has only two symbols. ON and OFF.
Symbols have a very precise meaning in communications theory --
a symbol is a communications element [state of the wire] that exists
at a particular position [time] in a communications stream.
Increasing the number of symbols used is a popular way to increase
the information flow of a spped-limited channel. Modems went
above 2400 baud (symbols per second) mostly by increasing the
symbol constellation. 56kbps is 15 bits per symbol at only 3750 Hz.
Even given the need for timing synchronization, Morse Code
isn't every efficient even with it's primative compression.
Normally, the mounting holes are surrounded by solder rings and
obviously supposed to be grounded. Additional capacitance is
negligable because the board usually has a ground plane [layer]
that is much closer. 2mm is a big difference -- are you sure the
motherboard wasn't shorting against the tray with the short ones?
Mobos frequently have some thru-soldered devices where the pins
can protrude 2-3mm. Short one of these, and you're hosed.
The
other thing to check is if the holes on the mobo matched the case
perfectly. It isn't unusual to have the holes 0.5mm off,
and then the standoff or screwhead could short a trace.
'Scuse me, but don't most commercial airlines fly 30-40,000 ft up? That's 6-8 miles up. I though most cell grids were around 3 miles (5 km).
Then you've got to deal with the cell base antennae, which are probably horizontally directional. Not to mention airplanes typically flying over unpopulated areas. I just don't see it. Easier to put a concentrator/tranceiver on the plane itself, but that costs weight and power.
To my knowledge, this trial is going to take place in open court with a public audience. The judge (or more likely Crown) just wants
a ban on publication. Any reporters present in the audience are ordered not to publish their findings. That order might not even persist past the end of the case.
AFAIK, IANAL, etc, contempt of court is neither a civil nor criminal offense. It is an offense against the order of the court. There are no extradition treaties. Also, punishments for violating orders cannot persist beyond the end of the trial.
The easiest way way around this gag order is to send a series of American journalists in, one per day, and have them leave the UK and files their stories from the US onto the web/sat. They might need to stay out of the UK 'til the trial is over.
It's really silly to try to keep things half-secret. Either keep them fully secret in Star Chambers or fully open. You can't have it halfway, and trying is repugnant.
Easy! Just allow warrentee disclaimers only when source is available [not necessarily free]. The justification is that the user has the
possibility of inspecting the code for problems that his
use might cause, and fix them.
No user can reasonably evaluate binaries for suitability [they'll have
more than enough trouble with `c`, but at least could do it]. Yet
no coder can predict all the crazy cases that users will run. There
has to be some shared work.
I'd like to thank you, lm, for being so forthcoming to a potentially
hostile audience. May I politely suggest that you have missed
the point of free software [open source]? You are stuck in Bill
Gates paradigm of commercial software mills. This model has been
commercially very successful, even if it produces technically
mediocre [or worse] results for structural reasons. Commercial
software is a project venture: someone sees a market, estimates its
size and the cost to produce, then invests the cost of writing and
distributing code and hopes it has a positive ROI.
FS/OS has a
totally different model. It certainly needs funding, because pgmrs
gotta have their Twinkies&Jolt [or is that now Carob&Gingsing?]:)
This funding comes _internal_ to the organization or individual.
They have a burning need for the code, so will fund it's creation.
This burning need drives the code creation, not some prospective
market. It is very likely that the code will meet the need [ROI]
-- not always the case in the commercial market.
The tricky bit
with FS/OS becomes what to do with the code. The code [or more
likely embedded data] might be so valuable that it is a competitive
advantage. This code will never be licenced and guarded like the
crown jewels. The code may be so duplicatable that you might as
well give it away for the goodwill. Or now, thanks to Mr Gates,
some managers will consider trying to sell the code. This usually
proves awkward, since the producing entity usually looks more
like a customer than a saleman, and will need all sorts of new
functions.
The FS/OS model breaks down when there is no burning
need, when the code becomes the crown jewels, or when people see no
goodwill in publishing. I would have said that FS/OS isn't good for
large GUI bloatware because no-one has that kind of burning need.
But the existence of both Gnome and KDE proves that the World is a
big place, and people have all sorts of needs and motivations.
In the specific case of SCM software, I would expect that a large
organization that writes lots of software would have "the burning
need". IBM, NASA, RedHat, the USDoD, MS, Oracle, SAP,
CA, and looser organizations around Linux and *BSD come to mind.
Many of these probably already have SCM in the "crown jewels"
category, and the commercial software houses certainly aren't about
to release code -- they're all about selling it. IBM might release
code, and RedHat certainly would. I wouldn't be at all surprised
to see RedHat fund `arch`. Patronage is not ignoble.
I've driven and worked on passenger car diesels exclusively for
the past ten years. They're robust and reliable, but you can't
just fuel them on anything. They run terribly on gasoline!
The
most critical part of the diesel is the fuel pump and injectors.
They run at 3000-5000 psi with very low volume per stroke, so leakage
cannot be tolerated. The fuel has to be filtered extremely well
(sub micron). My worry with biodiesel is that it might plug
filters due to microbial growth [always a problem in diesel],
or the vegatable oil hydrolyze into organic acid plus glycerol.
The organic acids will cause corrosion of the injector pump plungers
and injector tips. Not good at all. The fuel will also have
different rubber swell characteristics, so you may get fuel leaks.
I'd try this first on a imetal-to-metal Mercedes with simple to
replace rubber rather than a Peugeot or VW with a fuel-lubricated
pump and that main O ring soaking in fuel.
I expect vegatable oil
could be made to work with additives: a biostat, acid neutralizer
plus seal swell control. But it would have to remain a separate
product becauase petroleum oil and vegatable oils aren't miscible.
If you wanted a blend, you'd need an emulsifier, and the results
might be too viscous.
I agree it's very contentious. Perhaps moreso in this case since the lifeguards were presumably civil servants at work.
Of course a "right to Privacy" can be claimed, but difficult to prove since said "right" is not well-described in statute. Especially where the subject is on public property and no "tresspass by telephoto" applies.
Funny, I thought the photographer owned the copyright on photos,
not the subject. Of course, the photographer and/or newspaper
usually seeks consent to avoid being sued for defamation or uncompensated services. But
news is news, and what happens in a public place _is_ public.
As a practical matter, this would only work iff the website
or some sponsor/owner of it were within the Court's jurisdiction.
I probably shouldn't reply to the flame. Casting pearls before swine. But for the potentially confused:
I measured a joystick -- 1.6k at one end, 10k center, 90k at the other. I also found a reference to 250k.
One-shots are cheap for A/D. But they are slow and have considerable latency. USB will not help this.
A one-shot may be fast enough if you have nothing else to do. Else it needs a dedicated counting circuit. The original PC used the CPU! reading port 201h. This cost CPU cycles that can be used for other things (redraw).
Perhaps current Southbridge chips have this counting circuit.
Thank you for the reassurances on thermisters. I've always had trouble finding them. Do you know a good source, perhaps for 20 ohm 1/4W that would be good for fan speed control?
I think that joysticks are a good gaming I/O device. Unfortunately, the original PC architecture
had a very cheap Game Port. Had it had an interrupt-driven port like a Mouse Port (RS232 or PS/2),
then the joystick would have had better "action" (responsiveness) and the PC would be a more
competitive gaming platform. Yes, consoles are attractive for more than their "action" -- they are
cheaper, simpler devices.
Slashdot Mirror
One of his major points is the size of GUI targets. The edges and screen corners are easy to hit, but grossly underutilised by GUI designers. This causes more RSI in users than necessary. I've worked some apps with poorly chosen target locations and defaults that were just murder on my wrist.
It's really very simple -- email isn't private. It can and will be forwarded by recipients. This one was so juicy it would travel far. A journalist ought to have known that. She should have either published or not. Copyright is technically available, but ultimately sour grapes.
I also seriously doubt that sex truly comes first for you. If it did, you would probably know nothing about programming, and instead be a doctor or bartender. Or is that your craft?
Programmers and other artisans frequently get absorbed in their craft. This is good for their output and all those who receive it. They naturally attach lesser importance to impressing people with their conversational or sartorial skills. I resent gregarious people expecting everyone to share their high value on impressing others.
Hygiene only becomes a problem when it causes skin or GI infections. Odor is a matter of taste. I've found female smokers to be the most easily offended. The Pot is calling the Kettle black ...
The real question is whether justice is state-surrogate revenge or to keep the public order.
I thought the FCC was going to auction the spectrum, most likely for cellular voice/internet. It doesn't look like there will be alot of bids from the moribund telecoms. Just as well, because I don't think the FCC will be able to stop analog TV. Too many voters just won't switch in time with these prices. If they're extremely lucky, they might be able to free the UHF band by moving stations to VHF.
But I have observed one thing -- teenagers burn. They're too active with fast-twitch anaerobic muscle activity and concentrated thinking. They burn through their puny glycogen stores in about 4 hours then crash and become extremely cranky and irritable from hypoglycemia. Or suffer rebound [insulin shock] hypoglycemia from eating too-quickly absorbed carbs (high glycemic index).
Losing a patent case to prior art just makes other patents easier to attack on the same grounds. Whole patent portfolios get devalued. This dog has more bark than bite, so you keep him from biting.
Since the Supremes upheld the constitutionality of the Sonny Bono copyright extention, all existing copyrights would have to be grandfathered.
Clearly sociopaths are the worst. But do you want to increase their numbers artificially? These pills could be "sociopaths in a bottle".
Are the justices trying to re-establish a reputation for primacy of the legislative branch? Why?
HDTV tuners for the "HDTV capable" sets are 'way expensive.
I don't see HDTV making serious inroads until the price differential with NTSC gets ~$100. Until HDTV becomes very popular, there's no way the FCC can reallocate [autction] the spectrum.
Increasing the number of symbols used is a popular way to increase the information flow of a spped-limited channel. Modems went above 2400 baud (symbols per second) mostly by increasing the symbol constellation. 56kbps is 15 bits per symbol at only 3750 Hz.
Even given the need for timing synchronization, Morse Code isn't every efficient even with it's primative compression.
The other thing to check is if the holes on the mobo matched the case perfectly. It isn't unusual to have the holes 0.5mm off, and then the standoff or screwhead could short a trace.
Then you've got to deal with the cell base antennae, which are probably horizontally directional. Not to mention airplanes typically flying over unpopulated areas. I just don't see it. Easier to put a concentrator/tranceiver on the plane itself, but that costs weight and power.
AFAIK, IANAL, etc, contempt of court is neither a civil nor criminal offense. It is an offense against the order of the court. There are no extradition treaties. Also, punishments for violating orders cannot persist beyond the end of the trial.
It's really silly to try to keep things half-secret. Either keep them fully secret in Star Chambers or fully open. You can't have it halfway, and trying is repugnant.
Jes, they can sniff & log IPs and MACs. But both can be cloned. A malicious student could get another in deep trouble.
Any draconian authority has to be careful not to get used as a hammer for personal revenge.
No user can reasonably evaluate binaries for suitability [they'll have more than enough trouble with `c`, but at least could do it]. Yet no coder can predict all the crazy cases that users will run. There has to be some shared work.
FS/OS has a totally different model. It certainly needs funding, because pgmrs gotta have their Twinkies&Jolt [or is that now Carob&Gingsing?] :)
This funding comes _internal_ to the organization or individual.
They have a burning need for the code, so will fund it's creation.
This burning need drives the code creation, not some prospective
market. It is very likely that the code will meet the need [ROI]
-- not always the case in the commercial market.
The tricky bit with FS/OS becomes what to do with the code. The code [or more likely embedded data] might be so valuable that it is a competitive advantage. This code will never be licenced and guarded like the crown jewels. The code may be so duplicatable that you might as well give it away for the goodwill. Or now, thanks to Mr Gates, some managers will consider trying to sell the code. This usually proves awkward, since the producing entity usually looks more like a customer than a saleman, and will need all sorts of new functions.
The FS/OS model breaks down when there is no burning need, when the code becomes the crown jewels, or when people see no goodwill in publishing. I would have said that FS/OS isn't good for large GUI bloatware because no-one has that kind of burning need. But the existence of both Gnome and KDE proves that the World is a big place, and people have all sorts of needs and motivations.
In the specific case of SCM software, I would expect that a large organization that writes lots of software would have "the burning need". IBM, NASA, RedHat, the USDoD, MS, Oracle, SAP, CA, and looser organizations around Linux and *BSD come to mind. Many of these probably already have SCM in the "crown jewels" category, and the commercial software houses certainly aren't about to release code -- they're all about selling it. IBM might release code, and RedHat certainly would. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see RedHat fund `arch`. Patronage is not ignoble.
The most critical part of the diesel is the fuel pump and injectors. They run at 3000-5000 psi with very low volume per stroke, so leakage cannot be tolerated. The fuel has to be filtered extremely well (sub micron). My worry with biodiesel is that it might plug filters due to microbial growth [always a problem in diesel], or the vegatable oil hydrolyze into organic acid plus glycerol. The organic acids will cause corrosion of the injector pump plungers and injector tips. Not good at all. The fuel will also have different rubber swell characteristics, so you may get fuel leaks. I'd try this first on a imetal-to-metal Mercedes with simple to replace rubber rather than a Peugeot or VW with a fuel-lubricated pump and that main O ring soaking in fuel.
I expect vegatable oil could be made to work with additives: a biostat, acid neutralizer plus seal swell control. But it would have to remain a separate product becauase petroleum oil and vegatable oils aren't miscible. If you wanted a blend, you'd need an emulsifier, and the results might be too viscous.
Of course a "right to Privacy" can be claimed, but difficult to prove since said "right" is not well-described in statute. Especially where the subject is on public property and no "tresspass by telephoto" applies.
As a practical matter, this would only work iff the website or some sponsor/owner of it were within the Court's jurisdiction.
I measured a joystick -- 1.6k at one end, 10k center, 90k at the other. I also found a reference to 250k.
One-shots are cheap for A/D. But they are slow and have considerable latency. USB will not help this.
A one-shot may be fast enough if you have nothing else to do. Else it needs a dedicated counting circuit. The original PC used the CPU! reading port 201h. This cost CPU cycles that can be used for other things (redraw). Perhaps current Southbridge chips have this counting circuit.
Thank you for the reassurances on thermisters. I've always had trouble finding them. Do you know a good source, perhaps for 20 ohm 1/4W that would be good for fan speed control?
I think that joysticks are a good gaming I/O device. Unfortunately, the original PC architecture had a very cheap Game Port. Had it had an interrupt-driven port like a Mouse Port (RS232 or PS/2), then the joystick would have had better "action" (responsiveness) and the PC would be a more competitive gaming platform. Yes, consoles are attractive for more than their "action" -- they are cheaper, simpler devices.