The latest article by Kristof points out the dangers of "endocrine disruptor" chemicals and he makes it clear (from the very first sentence) that he is talking only about these chemicals. The red herring about hydrogen and oxygen was inserted by his attacker. Kristof says nothing about hydrogen. Endocrine disruptors have been shown to have serious adverse effects and they are poorly studied and regulated. He is calling for more study and regulation. They are becoming ubiquitous in our environment (from your cash register receipted to most canned foods).
If you would have read the other posts in this thread, you would have read that if Dell did do something stupid outside the package system that either a) no one would buy the system, or b) they would immediately wipe it and install standard Ubuntu. That is the advantage of having a free open OS. Unlike Windows and MacOS, you always have the option of installing the free standard system. Dell may be venal and clumsy but I think they understand the basic situation and they know that if they tried to install some special magic crapware that they would just be shooting themselves in their collective feet. You just can't get away with this the same way you can with Windows and MacOS.
Dell is not that stupid. If they tried this tactic, the project would fail with developers (their target audience) or developers would just wipe the machine and install real Linux, not your hypothetical bastardized Linux. No developer would stand for a "Tivoized" Linux.
I never install anything not in the package manager and I'm not aware of any reputable software which doesn't use the package manager. If Dell started the nonsense you describe, it would be a non-starter with any developer (and developers are the target of this machine). You are describing an alternate Linux universe which does not exist and which would doom this project to failure if your hypothetical scenario was implemented. Dell is not that stupid.
You are right... and Dell is not above installing shovelware on its machines. However, on Linux its very easy to get rid of all of that stuff with a few clicks unlike other OSs where the shovelware can be hidden in multiple obscure places and can be as difficult to remove as some malware.
I just wonder how the US would react if China sent a bunch of aircraft carriers and started doing reconnaissance flights in the Gulf of Mexico of off the coast of Florida or New York or DC (in International waters). Do you think the US would just leave them alone?
I finally gave up supporting my Mom's old Vista computer (marginal hardware) and installed Ubuntu. Everything works great (including sound and WiFi) with standard install. Performance is snappy. I can also support here using Remote Desktop (not needed so far).
I believe that the AC was pointing out the irony of calling modern chemical based farming (inorganic chemical fertilizers, pesticides, etc.) "conventional" farming when it has only come into common use during the past century (inorganic chemical nitrogen fixation started in 1903 with improvements through 1920). Farming prior to this chemical age (and still in many "underdeveloped" countries) was organic and uses organic fertilizers, etc. Organic farmers use organic fertilizer and other techniques such as crop rotation. Inorganic farming using chemical fertilizers and pesticides is a modern aberration with many acknowledged ill effects on the environment and decreasing quality of food.
Looks like if you don't watch real time TV and don't record TV then you don't need a license. You can watch all the old stuff on iplayer without a license. Most people do want to watch at least some TV in real time (i.e. the news, etc.) so will need a license but if you're content to watch old stuff only then you can get by without it.
In Switzerland everyone has to pay an annual TV and radio fee. The UK also has a mandatory TV and radio fee (even if you watch on the Internet). Wouldn't be surprised if other countries had it also.
A Visa ad makes you nauseous? Do your parents have any newspapers or magazines sitting around the house? How about one of those new-fangled TV thingies?
You can't figure out right click? You can't figure out that "Settings" is where you go to change settings? You can have the side bar auto-hide or present all the time... and you can set the location and sensitivity of the reveal... what else do you want?
I've installed it for my Mom because she keeps "losing the Internet" I set up the menubar (Launcher) to have only Firefox and Writer. I deleted everything else. (This is easy to do... just right click on the icon and select "Unlock from Launcher" and it goes away.) If you need the programs back on the Launcher, you can just drag them from the Dash back onto the Launcher. Your other problem is also easily solved. To keep the screen from blanking, go to Settings - Brightness and Lock. You can also set the Launcher to Auto-hide (the default is for it to be present all the time) by Settings - Appearance. I had no problem figuring these things out even though I am a clueless newbie most of the time.
This video is just a "talking head" which is a waste for video. It could have been replaced with a single photo and audio recording (plus a transcript would be nice). If you're going to have a video, then show us something interesting!
It is a device for industrial manufacturing. In the past the terminals and switches were accessible to anybody allowed into that area. It is an access problem. The network in a manufacturing plant should be inaccessible from outside.
Why is that even news?
Because morons DO allow access (physical and Internet) to these "secure" areas.
I am sure that the US drones have lots of magic technology to justify their fleecing the US taxpayer for lots of money. However, I am also sure that you could build a copy of the drone (with less magic) using off the shelf parts. For instance, this guy, (http://www.jetman.com/) seems to be doing just fine with off the shelf parts. He is just a Swiss airline pilot with no access to magic technology. I don't think the point is to build an exact equivalent drone but to build a drone which can fly around and spy on your neighbors and that can certainly be done using off the shelf technology. There are lots of hobbyists building drones of various sorts using standard parts.
Slashdot Mirror
... and as Kristof points out, there have been numerous studies showing bad things happen when you disrupt the endocrine system.
The latest article by Kristof points out the dangers of "endocrine disruptor" chemicals and he makes it clear (from the very first sentence) that he is talking only about these chemicals. The red herring about hydrogen and oxygen was inserted by his attacker. Kristof says nothing about hydrogen.
Endocrine disruptors have been shown to have serious adverse effects and they are poorly studied and regulated. He is calling for more study and regulation. They are becoming ubiquitous in our environment (from your cash register receipted to most canned foods).
If you would have read the other posts in this thread, you would have read that if Dell did do something stupid outside the package system that either a) no one would buy the system, or b) they would immediately wipe it and install standard Ubuntu.
That is the advantage of having a free open OS. Unlike Windows and MacOS, you always have the option of installing the free standard system. Dell may be venal and clumsy but I think they understand the basic situation and they know that if they tried to install some special magic crapware that they would just be shooting themselves in their collective feet. You just can't get away with this the same way you can with Windows and MacOS.
Dell is not that stupid.
If they tried this tactic, the project would fail with developers (their target audience) or developers would just wipe the machine and install real Linux, not your hypothetical bastardized Linux.
No developer would stand for a "Tivoized" Linux.
I never install anything not in the package manager and I'm not aware of any reputable software which doesn't use the package manager.
If Dell started the nonsense you describe, it would be a non-starter with any developer (and developers are the target of this machine).
You are describing an alternate Linux universe which does not exist and which would doom this project to failure if your hypothetical scenario was implemented.
Dell is not that stupid.
You are right... and Dell is not above installing shovelware on its machines.
However, on Linux its very easy to get rid of all of that stuff with a few clicks unlike other OSs where the shovelware can be hidden in multiple obscure places and can be as difficult to remove as some malware.
I don't think you understand Linux.
No antivirus.
Everything is configurable.
Not like Windows and Mac at all.
Twenty is 100% of the Windows machines in my small universe converted to Linux.
What percent of the Fedex deliveries are converted?
I wonder how many systems shipped with Windows get wiped and Linux installed.
I know I've done about twenty.
Just replaced Vista with Ubuntu for my Mom. Works great. She loves it.
I just wonder how the US would react if China sent a bunch of aircraft carriers and started doing reconnaissance flights in the Gulf of Mexico of off the coast of Florida or New York or DC (in International waters).
Do you think the US would just leave them alone?
As you get older, you hearing range drops from the "ideal" of 20K.
I just took this hearing test and discovered that my hearing is reduced to about 8K-10K max.
http://www.noiseaddicts.com/2009/03/can-you-hear-this-hearing-test/
Too many rock concerts when I was young and foolish?
The article has a few awkward sentences that are most likely due to a non-native English writer or poor translation.
I finally gave up supporting my Mom's old Vista computer (marginal hardware) and installed Ubuntu. Everything works great (including sound and WiFi) with standard install. Performance is snappy. I can also support here using Remote Desktop (not needed so far).
Liars make good CEOs.
Tree Style Tabs
Ive had it for years... (Google it)
I believe that the AC was pointing out the irony of calling modern chemical based farming (inorganic chemical fertilizers, pesticides, etc.) "conventional" farming when it has only come into common use during the past century (inorganic chemical nitrogen fixation started in 1903 with improvements through 1920). Farming prior to this chemical age (and still in many "underdeveloped" countries) was organic and uses organic fertilizers, etc. Organic farmers use organic fertilizer and other techniques such as crop rotation.
Inorganic farming using chemical fertilizers and pesticides is a modern aberration with many acknowledged ill effects on the environment and decreasing quality of food.
Looks like if you don't watch real time TV and don't record TV then you don't need a license. You can watch all the old stuff on iplayer without a license.
Most people do want to watch at least some TV in real time (i.e. the news, etc.) so will need a license but if you're content to watch old stuff only then you can get by without it.
In Switzerland everyone has to pay an annual TV and radio fee. The UK also has a mandatory TV and radio fee (even if you watch on the Internet).
Wouldn't be surprised if other countries had it also.
A Visa ad makes you nauseous?
Do your parents have any newspapers or magazines sitting around the house?
How about one of those new-fangled TV thingies?
You can't figure out right click?
You can't figure out that "Settings" is where you go to change settings?
You can have the side bar auto-hide or present all the time... and you can set the location and sensitivity of the reveal... what else do you want?
I've installed it for my Mom because she keeps "losing the Internet" I set up the menubar (Launcher) to have only Firefox and Writer. I deleted everything else. (This is easy to do... just right click on the icon and select "Unlock from Launcher" and it goes away.) If you need the programs back on the Launcher, you can just drag them from the Dash back onto the Launcher.
Your other problem is also easily solved. To keep the screen from blanking, go to Settings - Brightness and Lock. You can also set the Launcher to Auto-hide (the default is for it to be present all the time) by Settings - Appearance.
I had no problem figuring these things out even though I am a clueless newbie most of the time.
This video is just a "talking head" which is a waste for video. It could have been replaced with a single photo and audio recording (plus a transcript would be nice).
If you're going to have a video, then show us something interesting!
It is a device for industrial manufacturing. In the past the terminals and switches were accessible to anybody allowed into that area. It is an access problem. The network in a manufacturing plant should be inaccessible from outside.
Why is that even news?
Because morons DO allow access (physical and Internet) to these "secure" areas.
I am sure that the US drones have lots of magic technology to justify their fleecing the US taxpayer for lots of money.
However, I am also sure that you could build a copy of the drone (with less magic) using off the shelf parts.
For instance, this guy, (http://www.jetman.com/) seems to be doing just fine with off the shelf parts. He is just a Swiss airline pilot with no access to magic technology.
I don't think the point is to build an exact equivalent drone but to build a drone which can fly around and spy on your neighbors and that can certainly be done using off the shelf technology. There are lots of hobbyists building drones of various sorts using standard parts.