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User: azadrozny

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  1. Re:Lighter suits on NASA Testing Lighter Space Suits For Asteroid Work · · Score: 1

    You have a really good point. These programs are complex. It is difficult to determine how a change to one part will affect the others. The article discussed the compromises that are needed because of the constraints of the Orion program. I truly hope they can develop a multipurpose product, rather than a crippled one that makes simple tasks more tedious. There is a reason we have both a screwdriver and a hammer in our toolbox.

  2. Re:Bury those cables on Google Fiber In Austin Hits a Snag: Incumbent AT&T · · Score: 1

    If google had to go and burry new cables throughout the entire city, the costs would be a lot higher.

    Not to mention the inconvenience of the people who live/travel along that route. I don't know for sure, but I would guess that a good crew can run cable on poles the length of a few city blocks in an afternoon, maybe a few days. Underground would take many weeks to months of excavation, likely having to reroute traffic and loss of parking for residents, especially in an urban area.

  3. Re:Technicality? on Google Fiber In Austin Hits a Snag: Incumbent AT&T · · Score: 1

    I can also see this from AT&T's view, to a degree. If they allow Google to use the poles, then they set a precedent for other non-telecom companies to do so. I am not saying that AT&T is not taking advantage of the situation, but I can see where they would not want to lease space on their poles to any company that says they are a telecom and needs to run a cable.

  4. Re:Not even then on US Gov't Circulates Watch List of Buyers of Polygraph Training Materials · · Score: 1

    I will accept your observations. I have seen this behavior in many tech shops. There can be resistance to hiring people with a background/methodology very different from your own. Given that, do you think, or have you experienced, that judges who have spent time on both sides do a better job? Would you give a candidate (elected or appointed) more weight because of this, or are there too many other factors for this to be a consideration?

  5. Re:Not even then on US Gov't Circulates Watch List of Buyers of Polygraph Training Materials · · Score: 1

    I am confident that a nearly equal number of defense attorneys are guilty of the same offenses. While I agree that some attorneys go to far, both sides need a qualified proponent for the system to work. The prosecutor needs to represent the interest of the community, and the defense to represent the interests of the accused. A more interesting requirement would be to elect judges who have experience on both sides of criminal cases.

  6. Re:Blockbuster Business Model on How Blockbuster Could Have Owned Netflix · · Score: 1

    For a short time I though Blockbuster had a winning angle when the introduced the DVD-by-mail. As I recall, you could get movies by mail, then return them to the store for a free (or discounted?) rental. I think they missed an opportunity when they limited the number of times in a month you could do this. I think it was only once or twice. In hindsight, they would have still lost once streaming became common, eliminating the time delay of renting by mail. Like you said, they saw changes to the industry coming, but tried to hold on to the old ways that made them what they were.

  7. Re:Every print magazine left. on How Blockbuster Could Have Owned Netflix · · Score: 1

    I agree. Being able to browse for clothing and home goods is still important. There is still no online replacement for being able to carry a pair of pants over to match them to a shirt. As much as I hate shopping for curtains and bed sheets, it is much easier to walk through the department, and see what catches your eye. Yes, online retailers have liberal return policies, but I think for many people, it is more of a pain to buy five items, to compare an contrast their color at home, then mail back the four you don't want.

  8. Re:Should not be a federal program on DHHS Preparing 'Tech Surge' To Fix Remaining Healthcare.gov Issues · · Score: 1

    Aren't all states/countries sovereign only in their borders? In the US, the people of the states decided that they would cede some of their sovereign powers to a central government. This avoids some of the problems seen in the European Union, where individual states retained more (almost all) sovereignty. I will admit that it is a subtle point, but an important one if you wish to understand the inner workings of our federal system, and why people can get excited over states rights when you discuss topics such as gay marriage.

  9. Re:Should not be a federal program on DHHS Preparing 'Tech Surge' To Fix Remaining Healthcare.gov Issues · · Score: 2

    The Constitution limits the sovereignty of the states, but does not take it away completely. A state may not enter into a treaty with a foreign power, but they have complete autonomy with how they issue a building permit, or prosecute a murder case. So they may not be sovereign states from the perspective of the UN, but they have a great deal of sovereign power independent of the US Federal Government. If you look at it from a States' rights perspective, the Civil War was fought over how much autonomy the States had, specifically with respect to slavery.

  10. Re:This is a GOOD thing on Car Dealers vs the Web: GM Shifts Toward Online Purchasing · · Score: 2

    I am a bit split on negotiating. In my experience dealers seem to bundle the options on their cars so that the most desirable options come with a lot of extra, unrelated junk. So the DVD system only comes in models with leather seats. Or the hands free calling is only available with high performance tire/wheels. Yes I can talk them down 10%, but we are starting 20% higher than I expected. If I could choose only the options I want, and save the time/hassle of "let me talk to my manager", that could be a win in my book.

  11. Re:No on Boy Scouts Bully Hacker Scouts Into Submission · · Score: 1

    The Girl Scouts of the USA were founded by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912. Also, I am not sure that they can't be considered non-competing entities. The BSA has a co-ed Venturing program.

  12. Re:Unfortunately I have to side with the Scouts on Boy Scouts Bully Hacker Scouts Into Submission · · Score: 2

    When the BSA changed is policy in May with respect to gay scouts, several groups began to organize Boy Scout-like programs (sans the gays). Several of these groups initially tried to use a form of the word "scout" in their name, or the trademarked Fleur-de-li as part of their logo. I think it is safe to assume that the BSA has stepped up enforcement of its trademarks and copyrights, in an effort to keep these groups from building on their name.

  13. Re:It's simple on The Reporter's Fifth Amendment Paradox · · Score: 1

    Except the reporter, you highlight all the common exceptions to the usual compulsory testimony rules. I feel lawyers are obvious, you need to be candid with them to provide a proper defense. For counselors/doctors, I think we want people to seek medical attention, rather than fear prosecution for a crime. In some cases this could prevent crime; consider the person who wants help for their compulsive shoplifting. I am not sure of all the arguments for priests/clergy. In my view, they are extensions of your deity. By seeking their advice, in the view of some, you are asking your god for help. Like doctors, this could serve to prevent, or compel someone who might not otherwise confess their crime, to "cleanse" their soul.

  14. Re:It's simple on The Reporter's Fifth Amendment Paradox · · Score: 1

    Because society has decided that the risk of government abuse of compulsory testimony by the accused is greater than the benefit. As for the third-party witness, what is the risk to them, compared to the benefit to society? In the first case, there is a risk that someone could be compelled to falsely indite themselves. In the second, society has the benefit of knowing the perspective of the witness, and the judge/jury have this information so that they can make an informed decision. The writers of the Constitution were not concerned with being fair, as much as limiting the power of government.

  15. Re:It's simple on The Reporter's Fifth Amendment Paradox · · Score: 2

    It is not an abuse of government power to compel testimony against yourself. The Fifth Amendment raises the bar for the government, to prosecute its case with more than just a confession or any help from the accused. In Ohio v Reiner, the Supreme Court says, "a witness may have a reasonable fear of prosecution and yet be innocent of any wrongdoing. The privilege serves to protect the innocent who otherwise might be ensnared by ambiguous circumstances." So if a 3rd party witness has a reasonable fear of prosecution, they can, and should invoke their rights. Otherwise, they must bring their information out, so the public can decide if the accused is guilty of a crime. I prefer Franklin's thinking on this matter, "it is better 100 guilty Persons should escape than that one innocent Person should suffer". The 5th amendment is not about making anything fair. It is about making absolutely sure that the right person is convicted.

  16. Re:It's simple on The Reporter's Fifth Amendment Paradox · · Score: 1

    Suppose the defense was able to produce an alibi witness. Should that person be allowed to refuse to testify? The Fifth Amendment is there to prevent the government from abusing its powers, by compelling you participate in your own prosecution. But if any witness is allowed to refuse testimony, for no good reason, then how would justice be done?

  17. Re:Not entirely fair comparison on Magellan II's Adaptive Optics Top Hubble's Resolution · · Score: 1

    As I recall, the mirror size for Hubble was limited so that it could fit into the Space Shuttle payload bay. Since then, newer rockets have been developed that can lift heavier and bulkier objects into space.

  18. Re:Made up problem on Ask Slashdot: Tags and Tagging, What Is the Best Way Forward? · · Score: 1

    I have found that tags (even auto-generated) really don't work well for image search. Sure you could apply the tag for a "car" every time you detect one, but what if you are only interested in red cars, or race cars, or trucks? Tags begin to fail quickly when you move beyond broad categories of objects. My understanding is that Google image search uses the text in the associated web page to figure out what is in the image. Other work in this area uses a group of similar images to build a model that is used to find similar features in your target data.

  19. Re:fuck tags on Ask Slashdot: Tags and Tagging, What Is the Best Way Forward? · · Score: 1

    There are a whole host of NLP algorithms that are better for searching than tags. In my experience, if you rely on tags for search, then you find yourself in a never ending cycle of adding tags. For the articles above you might also consider a tag for "aquatic animals", "migratory animals", or perhaps "predatory sea creatures". Depending on the contents of the article, a simple bag-of-words model would likely link all three of them together for the search term "fish", automatically, without having to manage an endless list of faceted search terms. Other statistical models would probably work even better depending on your objective.

  20. Re:This news is about 3600 years late on The Book That Is Making All Movies the Same · · Score: 2

    This applies to sports, and many other things in life. Most successful professional golfers or baseball players have the same key elements in their swing to maximize how far they hit the ball. The athlete spends years tweaking their swing, getting all the right movements in at precisely the right time. Every so often radical new techniques, like the Fozberry Flop, come along to change the paradigm. When this happens, they are copied and refined. The fact that it can be done for movies is not surprising to me.

  21. Re:The joys of private property ... on TSA Orders Searches of Valet Parked Car At Airport · · Score: 3, Insightful

    If this becomes a precedent, can the police ask my house cleaner to execute a search warrant for my home?

  22. Re:Nothing does on Join COBOL's Next Generation · · Score: 3, Insightful

    You are spot on. If the creators of the Internet knew what it would grow into, they would have designed it differently. Consider the debates and frustration surrounding HTML5 or IPv6. Sometimes you have to declare you have done your best and release it, and then adapt as you learn.

  23. Re:Bitcoin mining is not capital gains on BitCoin Mining, Other Virtual Activity Taxable Under US Law · · Score: 1

    Shouldn't you pay the tax in BitCoins? Give Uncle Sam his percentage and let him figure out the street value.

  24. Re:Wrong on The Amish Are Getting Fracked · · Score: 1

    My understanding of the Amish was that they typically use trusted outsiders to broker these kinds of deals. Apparently not the case here. I am surprised that the family in this article didn't talk it up within their community first. Sounds like they were cash strapped, but getting the lawyer involved first was a better way to go, especially if you won't sue. The lawyer may have been able to work out a long term deal, but with options to kick them out if they feel they are getting "fracked". I suspect this farmer will not make the same mistake.

    I agree with your sentiment. If they choose not to take the company to court, then they need to live with the consequences of their actions.

  25. Re:Chauffeur's on NHTSA and DOT Want Your Car To Be Able To Disable Your Cellphone Functions · · Score: 2

    That would be cool, but Trunk Monkeys might be a cheaper option.