In Japanese you'd probably phrase it in terms of "Is what I'm saying clear and understandable?" In Japanese politeness is very important, and asking someone directly if they "understand" can sound as if you are questioning their intelligence.
A Japanese speaker might say something like:
"Imi|setsumei ga tsuujiteiru deshou ka?" ("Is my meaning|explanation coming across clearly?")
Or more politely, especially when dealing with a customer:
("Go fumei na tokoro ga gozaimasu ka?" - "Are there any points (in what I've said) that are unclear?")
Disclaimer: I'm not a native Japanese speaker, but have studied it for 15 years.
I'm jumping into this rather late, but I'm surprised no one else has mentioned the Project Vote Smart. Just go to vote-smart.org and it'll tell you who your federal representatives are, at the federal and state level. It tells when they're up for re-election, their voting record on various issues, and their ratings by various interest groups.
It's definitely helped me to be a more informed voter.
I used to work at a bar that played music, and also played videos on monitors around the bar. They had problems with customers wanting to listen to the soundtrack of the movie instead of the DJ's music. The solution they came up with: play silent movies, so those who wanted to could still follow the movie.
My bar played Charlie Chaplin films, but for a party situation I think "Metropolis" would be a good choice, if just for the interesting imagery and cinematography.
Just have 2 boxes, 1 marked "20th century" and 1 marked "21st century." Much easier, and you only have to buy a new box every 100 years:)
And, yes, the "21st century" box would of course contain all bills starting with January 1, 2001
How many of you have had the following exchange?
on
PC Annoyances
·
· Score: 1
Me: Click Start User: [click] Me: Now click Programs User: [click] [this goes on for a while until...] Me: Click on "Network Neighborhood" so it's highlighted User: [click] Me: Now right-click the icon so a little menu appears. User: [click] Me: Next click Properties User: Uh, right click or left click?
- In recognition of the fact that most sites need advertising to stay in business, I by default accept banner ads. However... - Any site that serves me a pop-up ad, gets blocked. - Any site that serves me a pop-under ad, gets blocked. - Any site that serves me an annoying, flashing ad, gets blocked - Any site that serves me deceptive ads (designed to look like a warning from the OS that I don't use, or says anything like "Congratulations you're a winner") get blocked. - Any site that serves a Flash ad, gets blocked.. (or will, as soon as I figure out how to do that with Mozilla)
Yes, they use the NTSC standard (so VHS tapes recorded in Japan will play in North America and vice-versa), but the broadcast channels are distributed differently (different frequencies than North America's VHF/UHF channels 2-69). I'm not sure about cable/satellite.
The first computer game I ever owned: Microprose Flight Simulator II for the Apple II.
Similar specs to the C64, except - 6502 ran at ~1 MHz - 280x192 screen res, with 8 colors.
Usually ran about 1 frame per second, depending on the amount of scenery. Sound consisted of a sparse click....click...click sound that let you know the motor was running.
I distinctly remember seeing a demonstration of this technology on the TV show "That's Incredible!" which would mean that it's at least 20 years ago. I think we have a case of "Company press release masquerading as news."
Still, this is great for people who would otherwise have difficulty functioning because of stuttering.
I don't know if it's true or not, but I'm sure I heard a story a few years ago that the government was considering adding features to paper currency to help blind people, but that some "advocacy group for the blind" actually opposed it because it was "demeaning" or "promoted the stereotype of blind people as helpless" or something.
Like I said, I don't know if it's true or not, but in the modern US, it wouldn't be surprising.
qvwm is a not-so-famous, lightweight, customizable window manager that is designed to emulate the look and feel on Microsoft Windows9x. Yes, many have problems like that, but I think it suits many situations, like:
- getting new computer users comfortable with a GUI similar to the one they're most likely to encounter in the real world
- maintaining a consistent desktop in a heterogeneous computing environment
I've been using qvwm for a couple of years now with no problems. Oh, and it's internationalized, too. Check it out at www.qvwm.org
It was a slow network day and I happend to be surfing with the graphics disabled. Loading up Slashdot, I saw the "Matrix" ALT tag and thought, "Neat, Slashdot's finally got a Matrix icon." What a disappointment when I clicked to view it. I mean, OK, the "red pill" is recognizable and familiar to anyone who's seen the movie, and the icon itself is well rendered, but I was really expecting something that better conveyed the dark, cold, futuristic mood of the "Matrix" world.
If there's ever a Slashdot poll on "Favorite design for new 'Matrix' logo", hopefully there will be an option for "Black screen with descending green characters."
There is an important difference between broadcast and print, though: While there is no practical limit to the number of newspapers or print publications, there is a limited number of broadcast stations (TV or radio) that can fit in the spectrum of a given market. Yes, I know that technological advances will make spectrum shortage irrelevant in the future, but as the broadcast market exists today, scarcity exists, necesitating some limits on ownership (the same way space constraints necessitate limits on who can put in water lines, gas lines, and telephone poles).
While I'm strongly libertarian on most issues, I recognize that the nature of broadcasting makes some unusual restrictions necessary. So, I have no problem with a company owning broadcast stations and newspapers in my town, as long as the number of stations owned is limited.
What are the minimum system requirements for EarthLink Accelerator?
EarthLink Accelerator works with most Microsoft® Windows(TM)-based personal computers in use today, including virtually all PCs purchased within the last 4 years.
Platforms
Windows 98/NT 4.0/2000/ME/XP
Browsers
IE 5.0 or later
Netscape 4.7 or later
MSN Explorer
Is EarthLink Accelerator available for Macintosh?
Not at this time.
Better not "xerox" the cease-and-desist letter!
on
Verbing Weirds Google
·
· Score: 1
The article refers to "web cameras mounted in the robot's head." Is the robot actually connected to the Internet, and thus able to transmit the images over the web? Or do they mean that cameras of the same type used for web cams, were used in the construction of the robot?
I suspect that we have another case of the media creating its own new terminology-
hacker = evil computer genius who does malicious things like create viruses
"log on" to a website = view or browse any website, regardless of whether the site actually requires authentication
webcam = any small camera hooked up to a computer
"..turn this legal nightmare back on itself kung-fu style?"
I thought it was judo that was based on the concept of using one's opponent's own weight or strength against him. Do they do this in kung-fun also? Are there any martial artists who can clarify this?
If EULA's are indeed the legally binding contracts that their creators claim, then this would seem to be a straightforward case.
I just wish that it wasn't a class-action lawsuit, because we all know that the best possible outcome is: A few lawyers will get millions of dollars, while all the of consumers will get, what? A couple of dollars, or maybe a discount on their next purchase of propietary Microsoft software.
A random thought that occurred to me while reading the article: If the telegraph were invented for the first time today, would it have a chance of being successful?
Naturally there would be the big patent fight, with various people and corporations suing back and forth, claiming credit for the invention. But even if that were settled, think of the resistance that there would be to the (new) idea of setting poles with wires strung between them:
Environmental groups: "Birds will be tangled in the wires.. and what about the effects of EMF on children?"
Religous groups: "God didn't mean for man to be able to communicate with other men in an instant fashion. The telegraph is an instrument of the devil!"
Rich people: "I don't want those ugly poles and wires in my neighborhood. They'll lower my property values!"
Poor people: "It's only rich people who can afford to send telegraphs, but they run all the wires through our neighborhoods. It's discrimination!"
When I was in junior high school, I still thought programming was fun. On my trusty Apple ][e I experimented with fractals and cellular autonoma, and wrote some pretty sophisticated Zork-style text adventure games. Then I got to college and took my first actual programming courses. There I discovered that in the real world I was going to be spending most of my time writing programs other people wanted.
After changing my major a few times, I eventually ended up back in the IT world, this time on the administration side of things. As another poster pointed out, the appeal of sysadmining is watching the whole system work. I get the same thrill out of controlling a remote server thousands of miles away, as I did running my model railroad as a kid.
OK, I'll bite:
Using these numbers, the CEO starts out earning 20 times as much as the $50K employees. After the cuts, he's earning 17 times as much.
The CEO's 20% cut equates to $200,000. That's how much he's cutting the company's expenses. It would take 67 of those $50K workers, each taking a 6% pay cut, to cut expenses by the same amount.
So this CEO, who normally contributes 20 times as much, is in this case contributing 67 times as much toward keeping everyone from suffering a 100% pay cut (unemployment).
Now, whether the CEO's yearly contribution to the company is actually worth 20 times the average employees', is of course, debatable:)
As far as "cutting back on essentials," that's easier to do with a 6% pay cut than with a 100% pay cut.
Slashdot Mirror
In Japanese you'd probably phrase it in terms of "Is what I'm saying clear and understandable?" In Japanese politeness is very important, and asking someone directly if they "understand" can sound as if you are questioning their intelligence.
A Japanese speaker might say something like:
"Imi|setsumei ga tsuujiteiru deshou ka?" ("Is my meaning|explanation coming across clearly?")
Or more politely, especially when dealing with a customer:
("Go fumei na tokoro ga gozaimasu ka?" - "Are there any points (in what I've said) that are unclear?")
Disclaimer: I'm not a native Japanese speaker, but have studied it for 15 years.
I'm jumping into this rather late, but I'm surprised no one else has mentioned the Project Vote Smart. Just go to vote-smart.org and it'll tell you who your federal representatives are, at the federal and state level. It tells when they're up for re-election, their voting record on various issues, and their ratings by various interest groups. It's definitely helped me to be a more informed voter.
For anyone wondering, the Straight Dope has the answer, as usual.
I used to work at a bar that played music, and also played videos on monitors around the bar. They had problems with customers wanting to listen to the soundtrack of the movie instead of the DJ's music. The solution they came up with: play silent movies, so those who wanted to could still follow the movie. My bar played Charlie Chaplin films, but for a party situation I think "Metropolis" would be a good choice, if just for the interesting imagery and cinematography.
Just have 2 boxes, 1 marked "20th century" and 1 marked "21st century." Much easier, and you only have to buy a new box every 100 years :)
And, yes, the "21st century" box would of course contain all bills starting with January 1, 2001
Me: Click Start
User: [click]
Me: Now click Programs
User: [click]
[this goes on for a while until...]
Me: Click on "Network Neighborhood" so it's highlighted
User: [click]
Me: Now right-click the icon so a little menu appears.
User: [click]
Me: Next click Properties
User: Uh, right click or left click?
Here's my policy regarding ads.
- In recognition of the fact that most sites need advertising to stay in business, I by default accept banner ads. However...
- Any site that serves me a pop-up ad, gets blocked.
- Any site that serves me a pop-under ad, gets blocked.
- Any site that serves me an annoying, flashing ad, gets blocked
- Any site that serves me deceptive ads (designed to look like a warning from the OS that I don't use, or says anything like "Congratulations you're a winner") get blocked.
- Any site that serves a Flash ad, gets blocked.. (or will, as soon as I figure out how to do that with Mozilla)
Yes, they use the NTSC standard (so VHS tapes recorded in Japan will play in North America and vice-versa), but the broadcast channels are distributed differently (different frequencies than North America's VHF/UHF channels 2-69). I'm not sure about cable/satellite.
The first computer game I ever owned: Microprose Flight Simulator II for the Apple II.
Similar specs to the C64, except
- 6502 ran at ~1 MHz
- 280x192 screen res, with 8 colors.
Usually ran about 1 frame per second, depending on the amount of scenery. Sound consisted of a sparse click....click...click sound that let you know the motor was running.
And I played it for hours and hours at a time.
You comment makes sense, and is probably right on the mark, but can you provide any historical examples?
I distinctly remember seeing a demonstration of this technology on the TV show "That's Incredible!" which would mean that it's at least 20 years ago. I think we have a case of "Company press release masquerading as news."
Still, this is great for people who would otherwise have difficulty functioning because of stuttering.
I don't know if it's true or not, but I'm sure I heard a story a few years ago that the government was considering adding features to paper currency to help blind people, but that some "advocacy group for the blind" actually opposed it because it was "demeaning" or "promoted the stereotype of blind people as helpless" or something.
Like I said, I don't know if it's true or not, but in the modern US, it wouldn't be surprising.
I remember that program as well. It was from the "Enhancing your Apple" books, written by the great Don Lancaster.
qvwm is a not-so-famous, lightweight, customizable window manager that is designed to emulate the look and feel on Microsoft Windows9x. Yes, many have problems like that, but I think it suits many situations, like:
- getting new computer users comfortable with a GUI similar to the one they're most likely to encounter in the real world
- maintaining a consistent desktop in a heterogeneous computing environment
I've been using qvwm for a couple of years now with no problems. Oh, and it's internationalized, too. Check it out at www.qvwm.org
The Straight Dope on Hitler and gun control
It was a slow network day and I happend to be surfing with the graphics disabled. Loading up Slashdot, I saw the "Matrix" ALT tag and thought, "Neat, Slashdot's finally got a Matrix icon." What a disappointment when I clicked to view it. I mean, OK, the "red pill" is recognizable and familiar to anyone who's seen the movie, and the icon itself is well rendered, but I was really expecting something that better conveyed the dark, cold, futuristic mood of the "Matrix" world.
If there's ever a Slashdot poll on "Favorite design for new 'Matrix' logo", hopefully there will be an option for "Black screen with descending green characters."
There is an important difference between broadcast and print, though: While there is no practical limit to the number of newspapers or print publications, there is a limited number of broadcast stations (TV or radio) that can fit in the spectrum of a given market. Yes, I know that technological advances will make spectrum shortage irrelevant in the future, but as the broadcast market exists today, scarcity exists, necesitating some limits on ownership (the same way space constraints necessitate limits on who can put in water lines, gas lines, and telephone poles).
While I'm strongly libertarian on most issues, I recognize that the nature of broadcasting makes some unusual restrictions necessary. So, I have no problem with a company owning broadcast stations and newspapers in my town, as long as the number of stations owned is limited.
That was my first question, of course.
From Earthlink's FAQ:
What are the minimum system requirements for EarthLink Accelerator?
EarthLink Accelerator works with most Microsoft® Windows(TM)-based personal computers in use today, including virtually all PCs purchased within the last 4 years.
Platforms
Windows 98/NT 4.0/2000/ME/XP
Browsers
IE 5.0 or later
Netscape 4.7 or later
MSN Explorer
Is EarthLink Accelerator available for Macintosh?
Not at this time.
Sorry, couldn't resist.
The article refers to "web cameras mounted in the robot's head." Is the robot actually connected to the Internet, and thus able to transmit the images over the web? Or do they mean that cameras of the same type used for web cams, were used in the construction of the robot?
I suspect that we have another case of the media creating its own new terminology-
hacker = evil computer genius who does malicious things like create viruses
"log on" to a website = view or browse any website, regardless of whether the site actually requires authentication
webcam = any small camera hooked up to a computer
"..turn this legal nightmare back on itself kung-fu style?"
I thought it was judo that was based on the concept of using one's opponent's own weight or strength against him. Do they do this in kung-fun also? Are there any martial artists who can clarify this?
If EULA's are indeed the legally binding contracts that their creators claim, then this would seem to be a straightforward case.
I just wish that it wasn't a class-action lawsuit, because we all know that the best possible outcome is: A few lawyers will get millions of dollars, while all the of consumers will get, what? A couple of dollars, or maybe a discount on their next purchase of propietary Microsoft software.
A random thought that occurred to me while reading the article: If the telegraph were invented for the first time today, would it have a chance of being successful?
Naturally there would be the big patent fight, with various people and corporations suing back and forth, claiming credit for the invention. But even if that were settled, think of the resistance that there would be to the (new) idea of setting poles with wires strung between them:
Environmental groups: "Birds will be tangled in the wires.. and what about the effects of EMF on children?"
Religous groups: "God didn't mean for man to be able to communicate with other men in an instant fashion. The telegraph is an instrument of the devil!"
Rich people: "I don't want those ugly poles and wires in my neighborhood. They'll lower my property values!"
Poor people: "It's only rich people who can afford to send telegraphs, but they run all the wires through our neighborhoods. It's discrimination!"
When I was in junior high school, I still thought programming was fun. On my trusty Apple ][e I experimented with fractals and cellular autonoma, and wrote some pretty sophisticated Zork-style text adventure games. Then I got to college and took my first actual programming courses. There I discovered that in the real world I was going to be spending most of my time writing programs other people wanted.
After changing my major a few times, I eventually ended up back in the IT world, this time on the administration side of things. As another poster pointed out, the appeal of sysadmining is watching the whole system work. I get the same thrill out of controlling a remote server thousands of miles away, as I did running my model railroad as a kid.
OK, I'll bite: Using these numbers, the CEO starts out earning 20 times as much as the $50K employees. After the cuts, he's earning 17 times as much. :)
The CEO's 20% cut equates to $200,000. That's how much he's cutting the company's expenses. It would take 67 of those $50K workers, each taking a 6% pay cut, to cut expenses by the same amount.
So this CEO, who normally contributes 20 times as much, is in this case contributing 67 times as much toward keeping everyone from suffering a 100% pay cut (unemployment).
Now, whether the CEO's yearly contribution to the company is actually worth 20 times the average employees', is of course, debatable
As far as "cutting back on essentials," that's easier to do with a 6% pay cut than with a 100% pay cut.