This is a very cool thing. Sadly, Peru has enacted this law, not a country that holds any sway in the IT world. Peruvians are busy trying to feed themselves and the government is busy trying the crush the Shining Path. My house probably contains more computing power than that entire country. While I like the action, it will accomplish very little. Kind've like DoS'ing a T3 with dialup.
You can't outlaw physics. Additionally, the government has made attempts in the past to prevent private citizens from acquiring powerful crypto, but have been unable to do so. Privacy is a right.
Re:Today, the WTO pulled the trigger on another 2.
on
Wipout Essay Results
·
· Score: 2, Informative
Dude, I'm callin' shenanigans on you. In sub-saharan Africa up to 20% of the population is infected with AIDS. Burundi is a good example, they have a 19% infection rate. It isn't as though they are being unsafe or overly promiscuous; there is no birth or disease control available to them, and furthermore, everybody has it, so avoiding it is rendered difficult.
Yes, there IS a conspiracy of sorts. The conspiracy is that the pharmaceutical companies and their extremely powerful allies won't allow AIDS drugs to be manufactured overseas. Treatment is so expensive because the pharms. charge markups in excess of 1000% on the cost of manufacture. The conspiracy is that money is always weighed above human life in our country.
I've seen a lot in the past few months about hardware firewalls built into all manner of things. The ones that I found most interesting were the PCMCIA card that you mentioned, but also a handheld that would have a hardware firewall built on. That seems rather gratuitious, but gratuitious tech is cool.
I made no statement that a firewall had to have an impressive box. Please don't think me naive because you place warrants into my statements which are not there.
3Com strikes me as no less trustworthy than other companies which are routinely entrusted with power or important information. Microsoft, for instance.
If you're THAT concerned about security or engaging in online activity that is THAT high risk, then get a real firewall. Aside from that if you're connected to the net through a NIC, then you're probably protected by a firewall anyway, which renders the technology even more pointless.
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Turing talked a lot about the Babbage Engine in his famous essay "Can Machines Think?" While that fact has very little bearing upon the article, Turing's essay touches upon the meaning of what it means to be human and whether it can be replicated. The Babbage Engine was his way of disproving that electricity is what makes humans human. Effectively it also banished the notion that it is any physical or quantifiable thing that makes humans human.
Because everybody has inherent human dignity. And part of that dignity is a right to keep your affairs your own. Also, I feel obligated to point out that the Bill of Rights and Constitution were written a *tad* before there was an internet. Oh, and let's not forget, a small group of people called the Supreme Court say we have a right to privacy. For some reason I trust them over an anonymous coward. If you fear terrorists so much that you'd let the government read your email, than truly you are a coward. We still live in an era where human life should have some meaning or value. Get used to it. Fascist.
"Those who would sacrifice their liberty for safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
That's from your founding father. Why don't you read the Constitution before you start thumping it.
I know many former college debaters who took this route. One of them is physically unable to hold still anymore. Your point is well taken.
Re:Can we really draw conclusions?
on
Sharing Doesn't Hurt
·
· Score: 2, Informative
Yes, it is very easy to draw conclusions, by looking to the music industry. A couple of years ago, while Metallica was busy crying a river over Napster, a couple of other bands decided to capitalize instead. Limp Bizkit and Cypress Hill both put on free concerts in support of Napster. Also, they decided that it was OK it their music was available on file-sharing services. Result: increased sales.
It is important to remember that Leonardo Da Vinci was a truly strange guy. Interestingly enough, many of the most creative people of all time had unusual sleep habits. Einstein slept up to 14 hours a day. Edison would stay awake for over two days at a time, only to crash and sleep so long that he had to find a newspaper to learn what day it was. Euler was nocturnal.
Seeing this, it is probably also important that we strive to live in accordance with out own sleep patterns, rather than try to defy your body with drugs. I personally have Type II Circadian Rhythm sleep disorder, which means basically that I'm nocturnal. As much as possible, I build my schedule to be night-oriented. Not so easy while school is around, but when school isn't a factor, you will see me awake until dawn and asleep until near dusk. When I am obeying what my body is telling me to do, I am happier, healthier, and smarter. Pass on the Provigil and instead take a chance to try out sleeping when your body tells you to.
I hate to say it, but there is really no totally healthy way to avoid sleep.
As a debater, I frequently take caffiene pills in order to wake up, get frenetic for a round, or just plain avoid falling asleep. As any true slashdotter knows, huge amounts of caffiene take their toll. Dehydration would be one. Another is the crash you experience, and sometimes, the generally shitty feeling that you get when you have a lot of caffiene in your system.
Provigil may not come with those side effects, but it is simply not possible for there to be no side effects. If the chemical was not intended to be in your body, then it will have some unseemly effect. Hell, most of the chemicals that ARE meant to be in your body still carry side effects of some kind.
As nobody knows exactly what the side effects are, I would discourage you all from taking this product. Remember, they sell all kinds of shit as medication. It was not long ago that Bayer advertised Heroine and Aspirin in the same product ads. Maybe if they do a study a couple of years from now, you can rest assured and try a couple of them. Perhaps you can even try a couple now. But habitual use of a product which nobody understands is generally not a cool thing, the notable exception being Aspirin (nobody understands why it does anything at all in the body, yet it continues to show more and more beneficial results).
I'll pass on the Provigil, thanks. NoDoz for me.
I'm delighted to see that you have not only assumed me to be a crybaby but have also elected to moderate down my post (at least, I presume it was you, as shortly after this was posted the score of the comment was modded down one for being overrated). My dislike of school is not childish or a reflexive response. My dislike of school is a result of teacher apathy, uninteresting material, and because of my fellow students; high schoolers daily prove to me that they are among the most cruel, unthinking, and bitter people I have yet encountered. Certainly there are exceptions to this, but as a general rule, the company of my classmates is not company I keep.
It is the apathetic attitude of you and millions of others that has millions of people like me squirming in desks. Refusing to take a stand is how Canada got made.
Well, I am inclined to partially disagree. There have been two teachers who broke that mold. Not surprisingly, one was a debate coach, and the other was a history teacher. They have both had a profound influence on the way I view education. Before, I simply knew that teachers could do better. After, I knew how teachers could do better. Namely, they can do better by making their students think. You could teach me every fact in the entire world (there are those who would say that I have learned this already) but it would not make me useful. Thinking is what sets some people apart from the rest. Thinking can't be taught, of course, only encouraged. But when a teacher makes you address some tough issues, or asks some tough questions, you have to face up to them. That is what can change. That is what will not change. Why? Because teachers have no incentive to be different, and very few of them seem to truly care.
Schools are not made for LEARNING They are places to contain people until they have been indoctrinated properly. I sit through 8 hours of school every day, I learn nothing. Today was unusual, I learned one thing as a direct result of my classes. Typically, I learn nothing except that trying to stand up to my teachers or fellow students is futile. Every day, the system attempt to break my non-conformity. This incident at Georgia Tech does nothing but reinforce this point. This student wasn't in the class to learn something, he was in the class to receive more specific indoctrination for his selected profession.
Slashdot Mirror
Aww...does this mean I actually have to type in www.farmlove.com now?
This is a very cool thing. Sadly, Peru has enacted this law, not a country that holds any sway in the IT world. Peruvians are busy trying to feed themselves and the government is busy trying the crush the Shining Path. My house probably contains more computing power than that entire country. While I like the action, it will accomplish very little. Kind've like DoS'ing a T3 with dialup.
A bad product at an inflated price....who would've thought that it wouldn't be a license to print money?
You can't outlaw physics. Additionally, the government has made attempts in the past to prevent private citizens from acquiring powerful crypto, but have been unable to do so. Privacy is a right.
Dude, I'm callin' shenanigans on you. In sub-saharan Africa up to 20% of the population is infected with AIDS. Burundi is a good example, they have a 19% infection rate. It isn't as though they are being unsafe or overly promiscuous; there is no birth or disease control available to them, and furthermore, everybody has it, so avoiding it is rendered difficult.
Yes, there IS a conspiracy of sorts. The conspiracy is that the pharmaceutical companies and their extremely powerful allies won't allow AIDS drugs to be manufactured overseas. Treatment is so expensive because the pharms. charge markups in excess of 1000% on the cost of manufacture. The conspiracy is that money is always weighed above human life in our country.
I've seen a lot in the past few months about hardware firewalls built into all manner of things. The ones that I found most interesting were the PCMCIA card that you mentioned, but also a handheld that would have a hardware firewall built on. That seems rather gratuitious, but gratuitious tech is cool.
I made no statement that a firewall had to have an impressive box. Please don't think me naive because you place warrants into my statements which are not there.
3Com strikes me as no less trustworthy than other companies which are routinely entrusted with power or important information. Microsoft, for instance.
If you're THAT concerned about security or engaging in online activity that is THAT high risk, then get a real firewall. Aside from that if you're connected to the net through a NIC, then you're probably protected by a firewall anyway, which renders the technology even more pointless.
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MSNBC Interactive grants you the right to install and use copies of the SOFTWARE PRODUCT on your computers running validly licensed copies of the operating system for which the SOFTWARE PRODUCT was designed [e.g., Microsoft Windows(r) 95; Microsoft Windows NT(r), Microsoft Windows 3.x, Macintosh, etc.]. * Backup Copies. You may also make copies of the SOFTWARE PRODUCT as may be necessary for backup and archival purposes. 2. DESCRIPTION OF OTHER RIGHTS AND LIMITATIONS. * Prerelease Software. If any component of the SOFTWARE PRODUCT or any of its components is marked "Prerelease" or "Beta", the component of the SOFTWARE PRODUCT constitutes pre-release code and may be changed substantially before commercial release. You may not use such component in a live operating environment where it may be relied upon to perform in the same manner as a commercially released product or with data that has not been sufficiently backed up. * Maintenance of Copyright Notices. 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THE SOFTWARE PRODUCT AND ANY RELATED DOCUMENTATION IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR NONINFRINGEMENT. THE ENTIRE RISK ARISING OUT OF USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THE SOFTWARE PRODUCT REMAINS WITH YOU. 8. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY. To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, in no event shall MSNBC Interactive or its suppliers be liable for any special, incidental, indirect, or consequential damages whatsoever (including, without limitation, damages for loss of business profits, business interruption, loss of business information, or any other pecuniary loss) arising out of the use of or inability to use the SOFTWARE PRODUCT or the provision of or failure to provide Support Services, even if MSNBC Interactive has been advised of the possibility of such damages. In any case, MSNBC Interactive's entire liability under any provision of this EULA shall be limited to the greater of the amount actually paid by you for the SOFTWARE PRODUCT or US$5.00; provided however, if you have entered into a MSNBC Interactive Support Services Agreement, MSNBC Interactive's entire liability regarding Support Services shall be governed by the terms of that agreement. Because some states and jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of liability, the above limitation may not apply to you. 9. MISCELLANEOUS. This EULA is governed by the laws of the State of Washington, U.S.A. Should you have any questions concerning this EULA, or if you desire to contact MSNBC Interactive for any reason, please write: MSNBC Interactive/One Microsoft Way/Redmond, WA 98052-6399.
Turing talked a lot about the Babbage Engine in his famous essay "Can Machines Think?" While that fact has very little bearing upon the article, Turing's essay touches upon the meaning of what it means to be human and whether it can be replicated. The Babbage Engine was his way of disproving that electricity is what makes humans human. Effectively it also banished the notion that it is any physical or quantifiable thing that makes humans human.
Because everybody has inherent human dignity. And part of that dignity is a right to keep your affairs your own. Also, I feel obligated to point out that the Bill of Rights and Constitution were written a *tad* before there was an internet. Oh, and let's not forget, a small group of people called the Supreme Court say we have a right to privacy. For some reason I trust them over an anonymous coward. If you fear terrorists so much that you'd let the government read your email, than truly you are a coward. We still live in an era where human life should have some meaning or value. Get used to it. Fascist. "Those who would sacrifice their liberty for safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." That's from your founding father. Why don't you read the Constitution before you start thumping it.
I know many former college debaters who took this route. One of them is physically unable to hold still anymore. Your point is well taken.
Yes, it is very easy to draw conclusions, by looking to the music industry. A couple of years ago, while Metallica was busy crying a river over Napster, a couple of other bands decided to capitalize instead. Limp Bizkit and Cypress Hill both put on free concerts in support of Napster. Also, they decided that it was OK it their music was available on file-sharing services. Result: increased sales.
It is important to remember that Leonardo Da Vinci was a truly strange guy. Interestingly enough, many of the most creative people of all time had unusual sleep habits. Einstein slept up to 14 hours a day. Edison would stay awake for over two days at a time, only to crash and sleep so long that he had to find a newspaper to learn what day it was. Euler was nocturnal. Seeing this, it is probably also important that we strive to live in accordance with out own sleep patterns, rather than try to defy your body with drugs. I personally have Type II Circadian Rhythm sleep disorder, which means basically that I'm nocturnal. As much as possible, I build my schedule to be night-oriented. Not so easy while school is around, but when school isn't a factor, you will see me awake until dawn and asleep until near dusk. When I am obeying what my body is telling me to do, I am happier, healthier, and smarter. Pass on the Provigil and instead take a chance to try out sleeping when your body tells you to.
I hate to say it, but there is really no totally healthy way to avoid sleep. As a debater, I frequently take caffiene pills in order to wake up, get frenetic for a round, or just plain avoid falling asleep. As any true slashdotter knows, huge amounts of caffiene take their toll. Dehydration would be one. Another is the crash you experience, and sometimes, the generally shitty feeling that you get when you have a lot of caffiene in your system. Provigil may not come with those side effects, but it is simply not possible for there to be no side effects. If the chemical was not intended to be in your body, then it will have some unseemly effect. Hell, most of the chemicals that ARE meant to be in your body still carry side effects of some kind. As nobody knows exactly what the side effects are, I would discourage you all from taking this product. Remember, they sell all kinds of shit as medication. It was not long ago that Bayer advertised Heroine and Aspirin in the same product ads. Maybe if they do a study a couple of years from now, you can rest assured and try a couple of them. Perhaps you can even try a couple now. But habitual use of a product which nobody understands is generally not a cool thing, the notable exception being Aspirin (nobody understands why it does anything at all in the body, yet it continues to show more and more beneficial results). I'll pass on the Provigil, thanks. NoDoz for me.
I'm delighted to see that you have not only assumed me to be a crybaby but have also elected to moderate down my post (at least, I presume it was you, as shortly after this was posted the score of the comment was modded down one for being overrated). My dislike of school is not childish or a reflexive response. My dislike of school is a result of teacher apathy, uninteresting material, and because of my fellow students; high schoolers daily prove to me that they are among the most cruel, unthinking, and bitter people I have yet encountered. Certainly there are exceptions to this, but as a general rule, the company of my classmates is not company I keep.
Well, it'd be cool, no? Maybe Unreal Tourney wouldn't lag anymore...
It is the apathetic attitude of you and millions of others that has millions of people like me squirming in desks. Refusing to take a stand is how Canada got made.
Well, I am inclined to partially disagree. There have been two teachers who broke that mold. Not surprisingly, one was a debate coach, and the other was a history teacher. They have both had a profound influence on the way I view education. Before, I simply knew that teachers could do better. After, I knew how teachers could do better. Namely, they can do better by making their students think. You could teach me every fact in the entire world (there are those who would say that I have learned this already) but it would not make me useful. Thinking is what sets some people apart from the rest. Thinking can't be taught, of course, only encouraged. But when a teacher makes you address some tough issues, or asks some tough questions, you have to face up to them. That is what can change. That is what will not change. Why? Because teachers have no incentive to be different, and very few of them seem to truly care.
Schools are not made for LEARNING They are places to contain people until they have been indoctrinated properly. I sit through 8 hours of school every day, I learn nothing. Today was unusual, I learned one thing as a direct result of my classes. Typically, I learn nothing except that trying to stand up to my teachers or fellow students is futile. Every day, the system attempt to break my non-conformity. This incident at Georgia Tech does nothing but reinforce this point. This student wasn't in the class to learn something, he was in the class to receive more specific indoctrination for his selected profession.