btw, it's Nick Burns, your company's computer guy...
But I've been thinking about this issue a lot. It seems to me that non-technical people should work on the actual interface of a program. Perhaps not your dumbest user, but someone who is tech-savvy yet has studied how people learn.
For example, I'm a Human Resources (Int'l Business double -- but that's besides the point) major, yet I can throw out HTML, PHP, and JavaScript with the best of them. However, I don't want to be the nerd who doesn't consider the end-user. My goal is to able to create software that uses proven and reliable learning theories to make sure that users are not only able to move about the interface, but also understand what is going on.
On a slightly different topic, I think that the easiest thing is to change your program to what people are most accustomed to -- M$. Because of their near monopoly on home users software everyone knows that the little icon with a disk is "Save" and that the little house icon is "Home Page". Now, perhaps one could hope for a standard on such things, but it's doubtful.
cigarettes don't nicotine free you...BUT, in Japan there have been plastic cigarette looking things that are actually breath-freshners. The concept is that the act of holding something and even being able to suck on it will help wean you off cigarettes.
Good notes, however, I'd like to point out that many of those songs that are the "b-sides" have become hits. Many artists would not even be known if DJs hadn't turned over the record and listened to the other stuff (don't get me started on ClearChannel and their radio stations...). Also, many of these songs are songs that actually mean something to the artist. It allows them some artistic freedom. If we went to a pay-per-track scheme, or something like it, we'd be stuck with artists only being allowed to record tracks if They feel that it'd be a hit on the radio and internet.
VERY BAD
This would transform groups such as radiohead and groove armada with their insightful double-digit tracks into one-hit wonders because that'd be all they were allowed.
I agree with you whole-heartedly. I do tech support for a 13,000 student university, and they seem to always complain about how slow their computer is. A friend of mine (a grrl linux user) runs linux with all the things you say, and I tell them to check out her computer. I say she has probably changed at least 20 people into linux users. I think these simple things can be set up, and it needs to be a better way for the dummie user.
Also, I think we need more hardware support. I've been impressed with how much better it's gotten, but especially digital cameras and printers -- those are the two main peripherals that really need help.
I have always been an O'Reilly kind of guy, but I picked this book up and was very impressed. I'm probably catagorised as an intermediate programmer, and I found it intuitive and easy to pick up. Also, the book assumed you had some grasps of the concepts which kept it from being redundant and boring. A very good book if PHP is your second or third language.
I have to agree. I lived in the PHilippines since I was 4, and I remember Virra Mall like nothing else. Ever since Famicom with it's 3000 games in 1, and the SNES, and on and on, until about 2000 when PCs started taking over. By my senior year in high school, I was playing CS at a internet cafe, back in the day...*sigh* I'm getting old
The point is that you can do so many other things as well. You can not only do Tivo-esque functions, you can:
Play mp3s/ogg (perfect for a party -- no need to have a computer hooked up or burn a CD)
Play Divx (again, parties)
Streaming audio (setup a playlist from another box, or stream internet radio)
DVD playback
And the ability to rip all of these.
For all of these features, the xBox is a pretty small and handy way to do all this. Just try and build a PC about the same size for 400 dollars w/ a remote, etc. that's why this is pretty cool
This is nothing more than a simple "I agree". I think that many times we get carried away with trying to "protect" rights we've never had, like taping the radio, which may have been tolerated in the past, we're now realizing is quite illegal, as you pointed out quite well in distinguishing it as a performance. I think a more rational approach such as yours is needed to make sure that we do get our digital media however we want.
Yes, I've always seen a parallel between Mitnick and Abagnale. My grandfather helped bring in Abagnale, and when I talked to him a few years ago about Mitnick, he said he felt some deja vu coming on. This is how it will always be, I think that's the point of social engineering -- there will always be a way around the system.
I'm starting an article boycott. I think I've had enough of seeing poor servers being brought down to their knees by slashdot. I'd like to think that some way can be figured out to make sure we don't harm/piss off any webmasters. This is not a matter of legality, it is completely legal for Slashdot to link to this sites, but I believe it is in the moral duty and mere common decency for Slashdot to figure out some way to not fry some of these webservers.
I wonder who is actually behind this "stunt." I just read an article about how linksys has been doing incredibly well in the WIFI world, and that Microsoft is just now jumping in with their products. Could it be that Microsoft is angling itself to fit in with this WIFI Zone, and have only it's hardware approved?
SMU is in no way a christian university. It's purely a name so they can drag money out of people. This CNN article about a Meth lab they found in their music building should be enough motivation.
What would be great is if Slashdot would give a heads-up to some of these poor sysadmins. I can only imagine what kind of grief these guys get when some random person's quest to build a computer in a banzai tree who happens to have space on their server gets slashdotted.
Actually it's a little like a car race that ends in some poor little town. That town feels the wrath of hundreds of thousands of fans, crew, media, etc. but also gets their name on the map. If only every city wanted to be on the map...
It will encourage terrorism
on
Droning On
·
· Score: 2
Now here's where technology struggles...
How do the planes communicate? Wirelessly? Well then, we now have a wireless interface that could be "hijacked" so to speak, and thus putting control of the plane in someone else's hands. This seems to me to be a more complete and non-sacrificial type of hijacking. You'll have 13-year-old kids "having some fun" and cracking into the system that controls these planes. That's where I think we'll have a problem. I'm sure this will be introduced as a way to stop hijacking (since, as you noted, there's no pilot to threaten) but it will only encourage the non-crazy types to find a technological alternative.
Just about true
on
Droning On
·
· Score: 4, Interesting
Actually, you're not far off...
My brother is an intel officer in the USAF, and he told me about how all the pilots are b*tchin about how they are going to be reduced to remote-controlled airplane pilots just like their 8-year-old son. There's an on-going investigation into some pilots who may have purposefully crashed their drones to "demonstrate" how bad they are and how we still need planes...
It is analysing the sociological impact of technology. This is very important to all nerds, because regardless if a technology is good, if a society won't embrace it, it won't happen. Also, he looks at future technology and, through that same sociological spectre, tries to see what people will be interested in. Very interesting, intriguing, and ordered-off-of-amazon.com-as-we-speak work if I may say.
Is there a/. for politics? Something that would give the low-down on various political issues to keep us informed as muchas we are on technology? I think this would help tremendously.
I agree with you completely, and it's something that I've been saying for quite some time. I'm interested to see what you think will be the japanese car manufacturers of software. Will it be a specific area or is that the role of open-source developers? Or do you think there even is a specific point that we can point to at which we'll be "changed"?
I think this study shows that the hype that was given early on isn't quite living up to it's worth. Many people do not integrate computers with their life yet. It IS possible, but they do not. Once you integrate your computer w/ life, you have a completely different story to tell. For example, I cannot live without my cable modem. I have a Wireless LAN at home and with my Toshiba e740, I walk around always connected. Now, I'm a nerd by general standards, but I'm also much more informed. Wonder what's on for TV? I just whip it out, surf to tv.yahoo.com and find out. Having a discussion at the table about how many pounds in a metric tonne? Pull it out and check online. Wonder what the wheather is like? Etc...
I personally feel that if I had to go to my desktop (muchless turn it on, muchles dial up!) I wouldn't do half the stuff I want to do. I think it really comes down to the interfaces we currently have (big boxes in a side room). It's the physical integration that will increase broadband usage. Once that happens, broadband becomes a necessity.
I agree with you 100%. A lawyer is necessary for working out the "legalese" and being able to finding the "devils in the details".
However, I still think it's important to find technical issues that a lawyer would neither have the foggiest idea to even consider, nor the different strategies available to hinder other's using the code. Such as, (and I in no way recommend this, but it may work) the idea to put all the source on one line to give them -- somewhat of a security through obscurity technique.
At any rate, after any rugby injury I see the sports physician at my school regardless of ideas given to me so that I, in total blind faith of other people who might make mistakes, don't do something that would actually screw it up even more.
Slashdot Mirror
But I've been thinking about this issue a lot. It seems to me that non-technical people should work on the actual interface of a program. Perhaps not your dumbest user, but someone who is tech-savvy yet has studied how people learn.
For example, I'm a Human Resources (Int'l Business double -- but that's besides the point) major, yet I can throw out HTML, PHP, and JavaScript with the best of them. However, I don't want to be the nerd who doesn't consider the end-user. My goal is to able to create software that uses proven and reliable learning theories to make sure that users are not only able to move about the interface, but also understand what is going on.
On a slightly different topic, I think that the easiest thing is to change your program to what people are most accustomed to -- M$. Because of their near monopoly on home users software everyone knows that the little icon with a disk is "Save" and that the little house icon is "Home Page". Now, perhaps one could hope for a standard on such things, but it's doubtful.
Just sounds better to me.
VERY BAD
This would transform groups such as radiohead and groove armada with their insightful double-digit tracks into one-hit wonders because that'd be all they were allowed.
Also, I think we need more hardware support. I've been impressed with how much better it's gotten, but especially digital cameras and printers -- those are the two main peripherals that really need help.
I have always been an O'Reilly kind of guy, but I picked this book up and was very impressed. I'm probably catagorised as an intermediate programmer, and I found it intuitive and easy to pick up. Also, the book assumed you had some grasps of the concepts which kept it from being redundant and boring. A very good book if PHP is your second or third language.
In fact, I would encourage you to develop this idea and post it on k5.
I have to agree. I lived in the PHilippines since I was 4, and I remember Virra Mall like nothing else. Ever since Famicom with it's 3000 games in 1, and the SNES, and on and on, until about 2000 when PCs started taking over. By my senior year in high school, I was playing CS at a internet cafe, back in the day...*sigh* I'm getting old
Thanks for this post. It reminded me how much I love Quentin Tarantino.
For all of these features, the xBox is a pretty small and handy way to do all this. Just try and build a PC about the same size for 400 dollars w/ a remote, etc. that's why this is pretty cool
This is nothing more than a simple "I agree" . I think that many times we get carried away with trying to "protect" rights we've never had, like taping the radio, which may have been tolerated in the past, we're now realizing is quite illegal, as you pointed out quite well in distinguishing it as a performance. I think a more rational approach such as yours is needed to make sure that we do get our digital media however we want.
Yes, I've always seen a parallel between Mitnick and Abagnale. My grandfather helped bring in Abagnale, and when I talked to him a few years ago about Mitnick, he said he felt some deja vu coming on. This is how it will always be, I think that's the point of social engineering -- there will always be a way around the system.
I'm starting an article boycott. I think I've had enough of seeing poor servers being brought down to their knees by slashdot. I'd like to think that some way can be figured out to make sure we don't harm/piss off any webmasters. This is not a matter of legality, it is completely legal for Slashdot to link to this sites, but I believe it is in the moral duty and mere common decency for Slashdot to figure out some way to not fry some of these webservers.
*Sigh* Too much Conspiracy Zone for me...
Yeah, my university has this too. Lots of C++, Perl, and PHP references, so I'm happy.
SMU is in no way a christian university. It's purely a name so they can drag money out of people. This CNN article about a Meth lab they found in their music building should be enough motivation.
Actually it's a little like a car race that ends in some poor little town. That town feels the wrath of hundreds of thousands of fans, crew, media, etc. but also gets their name on the map. If only every city wanted to be on the map...
Now here's where technology struggles...
How do the planes communicate? Wirelessly? Well then, we now have a wireless interface that could be "hijacked" so to speak, and thus putting control of the plane in someone else's hands. This seems to me to be a more complete and non-sacrificial type of hijacking. You'll have 13-year-old kids "having some fun" and cracking into the system that controls these planes. That's where I think we'll have a problem. I'm sure this will be introduced as a way to stop hijacking (since, as you noted, there's no pilot to threaten) but it will only encourage the non-crazy types to find a technological alternative.
Actually, you're not far off...
My brother is an intel officer in the USAF, and he told me about how all the pilots are b*tchin about how they are going to be reduced to remote-controlled airplane pilots just like their 8-year-old son. There's an on-going investigation into some pilots who may have purposefully crashed their drones to "demonstrate" how bad they are and how we still need planes...
Yeah, no one in the DFW area does the dress up thing. I found that out the hard way last year...
It is analysing the sociological impact of technology. This is very important to all nerds, because regardless if a technology is good, if a society won't embrace it, it won't happen. Also, he looks at future technology and, through that same sociological spectre, tries to see what people will be interested in. Very interesting, intriguing, and ordered-off-of-amazon.com-as-we-speak work if I may say.
Is there a /. for politics? Something that would give the low-down on various political issues to keep us informed as muchas we are on technology? I think this would help tremendously.
Dude, I had the same problem with OfficeXP. Microsoft's just as bad if not worse.
Discuss...
I personally feel that if I had to go to my desktop (muchless turn it on, muchles dial up!) I wouldn't do half the stuff I want to do. I think it really comes down to the interfaces we currently have (big boxes in a side room). It's the physical integration that will increase broadband usage. Once that happens, broadband becomes a necessity.
However, I still think it's important to find technical issues that a lawyer would neither have the foggiest idea to even consider, nor the different strategies available to hinder other's using the code. Such as, (and I in no way recommend this, but it may work) the idea to put all the source on one line to give them -- somewhat of a security through obscurity technique.
At any rate, after any rugby injury I see the sports physician at my school regardless of ideas given to me so that I, in total blind faith of other people who might make mistakes, don't do something that would actually screw it up even more.