I am a very long time reader and hadn't realized that. Believe me, it would please me if I was the only one confused by this. I hope I was wrong in my reason for posting this addendum.
CmdTaco has added comments to the parent post after mine. However, there is no clear distinction where my words end and his begin. Since they might be interpreted to be from me, and they don't represent my sentiments, please note: everything written beginning with the words, "Having stayed," does not belong to me.
In email conversation, CmdTaco has said he didn't feel there would be any confusion since my words are italicized. In this case, I respectfully disagree.
I would appreciate this post being modded up.
A few days ago I checked my Gmail and found a tsunami plea in my spam box. After enabling the graphics, I was pleased to see the actual charity whose name was being used realized one of their graphics was linked in the phishing email. So they changed it! Here is the result. Very clever. They deserve a donation for doing this, if nothing else.
When I started to write my blog I thought people might be interested in what I had to say. Traffic is encouraging and trending up. And then... I looked at my logs. I'm surprised that traffic has come to me after searching for things like, "hot water pipe is frozen south korea," "chuck woolery wives" or the always popular "carrot top shirtless."
Carrot Top shirtless! Someone's gotta get a life.
Google also sent a lot of traffic my way because of an entry I had which debunked a popular picture of a tanker sailing into a hurricane. If you search Google images for "hurricane photo" my enticing picture is on the bottom right. This one link was clicked 55,599 times by Google's users in 2004.
Some people find me interesting. I'm afraid many others find me randomly.
This is some sort of urban legend, right? Because I don't think it's true.
Here's what Weatherbug writes at http://www.weatherbug.com/aws/support/faq_spyware. htm
WeatherBug does not monitor, collect data or 'spy' on its user base. If a software program is implying or reporting that WeatherBug is 'spyware', it is completely incorrect. WeatherBug is incapable of tracking your overall web use or deciphering anything on your hard drive. WeatherBug has no functionality to determine what you were doing/where you were surfing before you opened your WeatherBug program - nor where you go after using the WeatherBug.
Nor is WeatherBug Adware-- we are scrupulously careful about the inalienable rights of our consumer and business users, and adhere to the strictest standards that currently exist relating to informed consent and clear notice.
WeatherBug helps fight Spyware
With computer privacy a vital issue for so many people, we want to assure you that WeatherBug, in addition to being adware-free and spyware-free, is committed to helping our millions of users understand how to remove spyware from their computers, if they desire to do so. Spyware, as defined by CNET, generally refers to any technology that gathers personal information about your computer's configuration, or your surfing/shopping habits - including information such as Web sites you've visited, your IP address, and your computer's host name. WeatherBug does none of these things. We do not advertise any product that we know to be spyware, and we require any software that is offered with WeatherBug, including the My Search toolbar, to also be spyware-free.
In order to insure that your computer is free from spyware, we recommend downloading and running a spyware detection program. While WeatherBug does not endorse any specific spyware detection product, here are links to companies with which we are familiar. The developers of these products advertise them as reliable and effective programs for detecting spyware.
What am I missing? Of course they need to know your zip code and when you're online, because they're sending you weather watches and warnings in real time.
I like having weather data on my site, and XML makes that easier to do. I now have live current weather conditions around my state, a short rundown of current conditions nationwide, watches, warnings and advisories for my state, tropical outlooks and hurricane info and the latest earthquakes! They are all integrated into the look and feel of the site, which is a plus. I had been using http://www.creativyst.com/Prod/18/ JSMFeed and recently supplemented that with a plug-in for my Moveabletype blog called http://www.staggernation.com/mtplugins/#GetXMLGETX ML. Imagine what I could accomplish if I actually knew what I was doing!
I read this review a few days ago and was impressed by David Pogue's video review http://www.nytimes.com/videopages/2004/11/25/techn ology/20041125_STAT_VIDEO.htmlof the camcorder, shot and edited on his way to Ohio to visit his parents. The lines between old line print media and electronic journalism continue to blur - though in a good way here.
I purposely linked to one very small file (about 8k). This is a slow day on Slashdot and not a particularly trying day on my server. So far, no problem. My Ashlee Simpson post received a lot more traffic. As far as I can tell, it was the first web posting after the SNL debacle (I was up and writing. Most newsrooms are non-staffed or understaffed at that time of day/week) which helped my Google ranking.
I have the low-def version of the SA 8000. Maybe the problem with the HD version is Scientifc Atlanta's and not native to HD in general?
I understand what SA's trying to do, but it just isn't implemented well at all. When I got my 8000, I posted this observation to my blog. Not much has changed since then. I posted a follow-up last month. They have updated the software a few times, never telling me and sometimes busting recordings I've set. The channel guide has been moved farther from the main menu. The video-on-demand features a different keystroke for the same function on back-to-back menus. Sometimes a keystroke won't register for a few seconds. Of course you think you just missed with the remote, so you hit it again, only to have two clicks register.
I believe the propensity for this craft to roll has already been acknowledged by Rutan. I can't find the quote at the moment. The NY Times summarized the situation nicely: After he landed he insisted to reporters that the roll was not the fault of the aircraft and that it was probably pilot error. But to many on the ground that seemed like a different kind of spin control on his part.
The roll showed inherent design problems with this particular spacecraft. No one seriously believes Mike Melville mistakenly kicked it into the corkscrew. Now that they have commercial contracts to carry passengers (with Richard Branson) spinning is not good for business. Dick Rutan will find a way to have this craft go up once more, a new (modified) design will be built which fixes this instability and SpaceShipOne will go to the Smithsonian before it hurts anyone. I can't commend Rutan's team enough, but this is an experimental craft in a rush to fly. There will be problems - that's why a test pilot was at the controls. The press (where I work) has a right and obligation to question this part of the flight. Rutan already has PR specialists to slavishly praise.
One of the biggest shortcomings of the Google News method is not taking into account the source's expertise, implied or otherwise. For instance, domestic US stories are often headlined using Xinhua or The Scotsman as the lead source. It would seem that you will get more detail and understanding from a source closer to the story, or specializing in the story's subject. A Connecticut newspaper or TV station is going to give me more detail and perspective on a story taking place here than someone far away. This weekend, this headline was featured on Google News (I wrote about this in my blog, so I have it at hand): The Sopranos buries the competition. That's a valid story in entertainment news, but the source was, "The Scotsman - Scotland's National Newspaper Online." The next listing was for the Sydney Morning Herald (Australia) followed by ABC News and Planet Out.
Truth is, as interesting a tool as Google News is, we still need editors and reporters to weigh facts and sources and see inherent weakness or bias in what is often passed off as complete and balanced facts.
From Vonage's own website:...your call goes to a different phone number than traditional 911 calls. Also, you will need to state the nature of your emergency promptly and clearly, including your location and telephone number, as Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) personnel will NOT have this information on hand.
This is very different than the 911 service I currently have. In this case, it's as if Vonage has set the non-emergency number of my local police department as the speed dial number attached to 911.
Again, I very much want to move to VOIP but this is a deal breaker for me - and I'll bet for many others who understand what's going on.
After weighing the options, I decided to get rid of my POTS and go with VOIP. My daughter already has a $10 monthly Broadvoice VOIP account which gets us unlimited in-state calling and 3 cents/minute long distance. I am happy with their service. However, neither my wife nor daughter (nor I) were comfortable with the fact that 911 service is significantly different, if it exists at all. That was a deal killer. To quote from an email I received from Broadvoice today: "We are working very diligently to implement BV911. We understand the importance of this feature, and anticipate availability later this autumn." However, their website still says they expect it this summer - so take it with a large grain of salt. In my town, if you dial 911 and say nothing, they'll send a squad car. I would guess that response is nearly universal. Without the 911 connectivity only my local phone company provides, that level of comfort and service disappears.
When a co-worker spilled my large cup of coffee into my own Panasonic CF-35 Toughbook laptop, he actually said, "think of it as installing Java."
I was not amused.
The laptop survived! Of course, I spent much of the following weekend washing each removable piece of the keyboard.
Clarification - from original poster
on
When Lightning Strikes
·
· Score: 3, Informative
When I said West Coast, I meant just that - the coast. Please check this map to see how you rate with thunderstorms
From the article: "In addition to the survey, AT&T Wireless customers who enroll in the new national plan, GSM America, as well as those already on one of the company's qualifying national GSM plans, automatically get the benefit of paying no roaming charges anywhere in the United States. " The implication is, where there's a signal, you can call. But, the truth is quite different. No charge for roaming means limited roaming. Roaming only where they have agreements in place - not everywhere there's a signal.
Many cell providers advertise "no charge for roaming nationwide." The plan I'm on from Cingular features that. What is not said is, many of the places you could roam from in the days of paid roaming are now blocked from your phone! At home, on my "no charge for roaming nationwide" plan, I often get a full scale signal. But, when I try to make a call I am admonished, "Emergency use only."
This technique of gaming is also a technique akin to spamming. I maintain a blog on my website www.geofffox.com (I want a higher rank too). It's a small affair averaging 400-500 guests a day, each looking at a few pages. I know that Google results are the single biggest referrer to my site! But sites with no legitimate traction know that Google can work for them too. So, every day or so, I get 'comment spam.' An automated system will hit my site with a comment. The comment, of course, includes his URL. Sometimes the comments are obviously commercial (usually porn or drugs), but often they are socially engineered to blend in. These would include comments like: "I couldn't agree with you more." or "Nice point." Again, these innocuous posts are accompanied by porn or drug URLs. Most of the time they come from Russian IP addresses. Though I don't post those who link to my site, others do... and so I often see what look like referrals in my log, from porn sites. Following the link back shows I wasn't mentioned at all (Let's not talk about my career in adult films). Google rank has become so valuable that these businesses on the margin of legitimacy probably feel they have no other choice if they wish to be found. Damn shame.
Is Global Warming a scientific concern or a political objective? I often ask that question because whenever the global warming scenario is painted, I only hear the bad effects, never the good. That makes me wonder about those doing the painting.
A scientific discourse would show good and bad, and be objective.
You're right that our accuracy goes down as we go farther into the future, but even having a small amount of additional insight into wind directions, barometric pressures, and the high and low temperatures is incredibly valuable.
People live the weather in realtime. The fact that it was nice yesterday makes little or no difference if it's rotten today. But, some businesses and industries greatly benefit from knowing how and when to order and plan based on the coming weather.
I actually present an 8 day forecast. I have gone on the air to explain what it does and doesn't do (and it doesn't do a lot). It has been fairly successful in showing temperature trends and less successful at everything else. But, knowing a cold snap will last... or not... has great value.
Slashdot Mirror
I am a very long time reader and hadn't realized that. Believe me, it would please me if I was the only one confused by this. I hope I was wrong in my reason for posting this addendum.
CmdTaco has added comments to the parent post after mine. However, there is no clear distinction where my words end and his begin. Since they might be interpreted to be from me, and they don't represent my sentiments, please note: everything written beginning with the words, "Having stayed," does not belong to me. In email conversation, CmdTaco has said he didn't feel there would be any confusion since my words are italicized. In this case, I respectfully disagree. I would appreciate this post being modded up.
A few days ago I checked my Gmail and found a tsunami plea in my spam box. After enabling the graphics, I was pleased to see the actual charity whose name was being used realized one of their graphics was linked in the phishing email. So they changed it! Here is the result. Very clever. They deserve a donation for doing this, if nothing else.
Carrot Top shirtless! Someone's gotta get a life.
Google also sent a lot of traffic my way because of an entry I had which debunked a popular picture of a tanker sailing into a hurricane. If you search Google images for "hurricane photo" my enticing picture is on the bottom right. This one link was clicked 55,599 times by Google's users in 2004.
Some people find me interesting. I'm afraid many others find me randomly.
I wish I could figure out how to embed a url without printing out the entire url.
Here's what Weatherbug writes at http://www.weatherbug.com/aws/support/faq_spyware. htm
WeatherBug does not monitor, collect data or 'spy' on its user base. If a software program is implying or reporting that WeatherBug is 'spyware', it is completely incorrect. WeatherBug is incapable of tracking your overall web use or deciphering anything on your hard drive. WeatherBug has no functionality to determine what you were doing/where you were surfing before you opened your WeatherBug program - nor where you go after using the WeatherBug.
Nor is WeatherBug Adware-- we are scrupulously careful about the inalienable rights of our consumer and business users, and adhere to the strictest standards that currently exist relating to informed consent and clear notice.
WeatherBug helps fight Spyware
With computer privacy a vital issue for so many people, we want to assure you that WeatherBug, in addition to being adware-free and spyware-free, is committed to helping our millions of users understand how to remove spyware from their computers, if they desire to do so. Spyware, as defined by CNET, generally refers to any technology that gathers personal information about your computer's configuration, or your surfing/shopping habits - including information such as Web sites you've visited, your IP address, and your computer's host name. WeatherBug does none of these things. We do not advertise any product that we know to be spyware, and we require any software that is offered with WeatherBug, including the My Search toolbar, to also be spyware-free.
In order to insure that your computer is free from spyware, we recommend downloading and running a spyware detection program. While WeatherBug does not endorse any specific spyware detection product, here are links to companies with which we are familiar. The developers of these products advertise them as reliable and effective programs for detecting spyware.
What am I missing? Of course they need to know your zip code and when you're online, because they're sending you weather watches and warnings in real time.
I like having weather data on my site, and XML makes that easier to do. I now have live current weather conditions around my state, a short rundown of current conditions nationwide, watches, warnings and advisories for my state, tropical outlooks and hurricane info and the latest earthquakes! They are all integrated into the look and feel of the site, which is a plus. I had been using http://www.creativyst.com/Prod/18/ JSMFeed and recently supplemented that with a plug-in for my Moveabletype blog called http://www.staggernation.com/mtplugins/#GetXMLGETX ML. Imagine what I could accomplish if I actually knew what I was doing!
I read this review a few days ago and was impressed by David Pogue's video review http://www.nytimes.com/videopages/2004/11/25/techn ology/20041125_STAT_VIDEO.htmlof the camcorder, shot and edited on his way to Ohio to visit his parents. The lines between old line print media and electronic journalism continue to blur - though in a good way here.
I purposely linked to one very small file (about 8k). This is a slow day on Slashdot and not a particularly trying day on my server. So far, no problem. My Ashlee Simpson post received a lot more traffic. As far as I can tell, it was the first web posting after the SNL debacle (I was up and writing. Most newsrooms are non-staffed or understaffed at that time of day/week) which helped my Google ranking.
We put our pumpkin out uncarved. We were going to carve it, but a local squirrel decided to take care of it for us! Here's the photographic evidence http://www.geofffox.com/MT/images/nutti-goes-in.jp g
I have the low-def version of the SA 8000. Maybe the problem with the HD version is Scientifc Atlanta's and not native to HD in general?
I understand what SA's trying to do, but it just isn't implemented well at all. When I got my 8000, I posted this observation to my blog. Not much has changed since then. I posted a follow-up last month. They have updated the software a few times, never telling me and sometimes busting recordings I've set. The channel guide has been moved farther from the main menu. The video-on-demand features a different keystroke for the same function on back-to-back menus. Sometimes a keystroke won't register for a few seconds. Of course you think you just missed with the remote, so you hit it again, only to have two clicks register.
I believe the propensity for this craft to roll has already been acknowledged by Rutan. I can't find the quote at the moment. The NY Times summarized the situation nicely: After he landed he insisted to reporters that the roll was not the fault of the aircraft and that it was probably pilot error. But to many on the ground that seemed like a different kind of spin control on his part.
The roll showed inherent design problems with this particular spacecraft. No one seriously believes Mike Melville mistakenly kicked it into the corkscrew. Now that they have commercial contracts to carry passengers (with Richard Branson) spinning is not good for business. Dick Rutan will find a way to have this craft go up once more, a new (modified) design will be built which fixes this instability and SpaceShipOne will go to the Smithsonian before it hurts anyone. I can't commend Rutan's team enough, but this is an experimental craft in a rush to fly. There will be problems - that's why a test pilot was at the controls. The press (where I work) has a right and obligation to question this part of the flight. Rutan already has PR specialists to slavishly praise.
One of the biggest shortcomings of the Google News method is not taking into account the source's expertise, implied or otherwise. For instance, domestic US stories are often headlined using Xinhua or The Scotsman as the lead source. It would seem that you will get more detail and understanding from a source closer to the story, or specializing in the story's subject. A Connecticut newspaper or TV station is going to give me more detail and perspective on a story taking place here than someone far away. This weekend, this headline was featured on Google News (I wrote about this in my blog, so I have it at hand): The Sopranos buries the competition. That's a valid story in entertainment news, but the source was, "The Scotsman - Scotland's National Newspaper Online." The next listing was for the Sydney Morning Herald (Australia) followed by ABC News and Planet Out. Truth is, as interesting a tool as Google News is, we still need editors and reporters to weigh facts and sources and see inherent weakness or bias in what is often passed off as complete and balanced facts.
From Vonage's own website: ...your call goes to a different phone number than traditional 911 calls. Also, you will need to state the nature of your emergency promptly and clearly, including your location and telephone number, as Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) personnel will NOT have this information on hand.
This is very different than the 911 service I currently have. In this case, it's as if Vonage has set the non-emergency number of my local police department as the speed dial number attached to 911.
Again, I very much want to move to VOIP but this is a deal breaker for me - and I'll bet for many others who understand what's going on.
After weighing the options, I decided to get rid of my POTS and go with VOIP. My daughter already has a $10 monthly Broadvoice VOIP account which gets us unlimited in-state calling and 3 cents/minute long distance. I am happy with their service. However, neither my wife nor daughter (nor I) were comfortable with the fact that 911 service is significantly different, if it exists at all. That was a deal killer. To quote from an email I received from Broadvoice today: "We are working very diligently to implement BV911. We understand the importance of this feature, and anticipate availability later this autumn." However, their website still says they expect it this summer - so take it with a large grain of salt. In my town, if you dial 911 and say nothing, they'll send a squad car. I would guess that response is nearly universal. Without the 911 connectivity only my local phone company provides, that level of comfort and service disappears.
When a co-worker spilled my large cup of coffee into my own Panasonic CF-35 Toughbook laptop, he actually said, "think of it as installing Java." I was not amused. The laptop survived! Of course, I spent much of the following weekend washing each removable piece of the keyboard.
When I said West Coast, I meant just that - the coast. Please check this map to see how you rate with thunderstorms
Ask any digital photographer. Memory is like closet space. One can never have enough - never
From the article: "In addition to the survey, AT&T Wireless customers who enroll in the new national plan, GSM America, as well as those already on one of the company's qualifying national GSM plans, automatically get the benefit of paying no roaming charges anywhere in the United States. " The implication is, where there's a signal, you can call. But, the truth is quite different. No charge for roaming means limited roaming. Roaming only where they have agreements in place - not everywhere there's a signal.
Many cell providers advertise "no charge for roaming nationwide." The plan I'm on from Cingular features that. What is not said is, many of the places you could roam from in the days of paid roaming are now blocked from your phone! At home, on my "no charge for roaming nationwide" plan, I often get a full scale signal. But, when I try to make a call I am admonished, "Emergency use only."
This technique of gaming is also a technique akin to spamming. I maintain a blog on my website www.geofffox.com (I want a higher rank too). It's a small affair averaging 400-500 guests a day, each looking at a few pages. I know that Google results are the single biggest referrer to my site! But sites with no legitimate traction know that Google can work for them too. So, every day or so, I get 'comment spam.' An automated system will hit my site with a comment. The comment, of course, includes his URL. Sometimes the comments are obviously commercial (usually porn or drugs), but often they are socially engineered to blend in. These would include comments like: "I couldn't agree with you more." or "Nice point." Again, these innocuous posts are accompanied by porn or drug URLs. Most of the time they come from Russian IP addresses. Though I don't post those who link to my site, others do... and so I often see what look like referrals in my log, from porn sites. Following the link back shows I wasn't mentioned at all (Let's not talk about my career in adult films). Google rank has become so valuable that these businesses on the margin of legitimacy probably feel they have no other choice if they wish to be found. Damn shame.
Is Global Warming a scientific concern or a political objective? I often ask that question because whenever the global warming scenario is painted, I only hear the bad effects, never the good. That makes me wonder about those doing the painting. A scientific discourse would show good and bad, and be objective.
You're right that our accuracy goes down as we go farther into the future, but even having a small amount of additional insight into wind directions, barometric pressures, and the high and low temperatures is incredibly valuable. People live the weather in realtime. The fact that it was nice yesterday makes little or no difference if it's rotten today. But, some businesses and industries greatly benefit from knowing how and when to order and plan based on the coming weather. I actually present an 8 day forecast. I have gone on the air to explain what it does and doesn't do (and it doesn't do a lot). It has been fairly successful in showing temperature trends and less successful at everything else. But, knowing a cold snap will last... or not... has great value.
Thanks. That was very kind of you to write. All the best, Geoff Fox