I've been using Gmail for a year now and I still haven't figured out the interface and how it lists and threads messages. I'm always lost in it. It is a very quirky interface.
I only use it for archiving mail since it does have a great search capability.
There is a basic conflict between the legal and financial mandate for a corporation (make a profit for the shareholders) and all type of "evil" behavior that facilitates the profit.
It is very admirable that Google is attempting to bridge this divide but the effort is ultimately futile. Google has shown that when it gets down to the bottom line, it must choose profit (i.e. China).
Hiring this lobby firm is just what is necessary for business as usual in the good old USA capitalist system. You buy youself whatever laws you need to maximize your profit. I love Google just as much as the next person but to expect a corporation to not be evil is unrealistic.
I have thought the term "islamofascist" was odd since it really doesn't describe the terrorists... but it was invented as political rhetoric so I guess we can't expect it to be accurate.
I do agree that the term is better when applied to the "neocons"... "neoconfascists" (or perhaps "neofascist") which would be a fairly accurate description.
To extend your analogy, suppose the professor gave a test on paper in the room. When you entered the room there were two stacks of paper. The first was the test (take one), the second pile was a list of answers (take one on your way out).
If you took the answers at the start, that would be unethical. The rules are clear in this case... don't look at the answers until after you have completed the test. This happens all the time in real life ethical situations.
[BTW, I have actually had this situation in school.]
As far at the Governor goes, they were stupid to post this on the web site. There were no rules to say "don't read this" and the offending recording was exposed. I can't see anything wrong with accessing material on the web site (even if there is not a big fat button on the home page that links to it).
Unfortunately, the recording shows that our Governor is still a very primitive racist... embarassing to him.
That's why I thought it would be good for a real lawyer with experience in this field to answer this question.
I have read lots of different opinions about what is "fair use" and I know the RIAA would like to severely limit fair use and they have a campaign of FUD.
I was struck by the high cost of these laptops quoted in the article... $1400 and $1200.
Since I can buy a very capable laptop for about $500 these days (in fact, I have bought a few for my daughters in college), why are the schools paying so much?
I thought the Maxtor One-touch would be a great solution also...
However, the "One-touch" button never worked as advertised so I had to do manual backups; the backups are in some proprietary format that requires the Dantz software (note the guy said he DOESN'T want that); and the hard drive died a sudden premature death... YMMV.
Re:Maybe Joe Schmoe shouldn't be using a computer.
on
AOL 9.0 Called Badware
·
· Score: 3, Funny
One of the most persistent arguments for why people will never adopt OpenOffice.org is that it has a (somewhat) different user interface and that re-training everyone would be too expensive. Now, ironically, the new Vista Office will require massive re-training and OO.o will require only minor re-training.
Now that PHBs are faced with re-training everyone on the new MS Office, will OO.o be seen as a less difficult transition or will they blindly drink the MS kool-aid?
If your company is using MS Office for a "significant number of daily-use files and periodic procedures" that have been "patched-together" and have "evolved over many years", you have a significant business risk. Chances are that nobody really understands what these things do... yet your business is relying on them. They may seem to be reliable but it is impossible to audit the business processes to understand what they are doing and I can almost guarantee that there are significant errors in what you have "patched-together".
Your first priority should be to extract the business rules from these procedures and re-write them in something that you can understand, audit, and control. I would not recommend either MS Office or OpenOffice.org. These are not business process tools, they are simple WP and spreadsheet tools that do not have any integrity for business processes.
From 1898 through to 1910 it was marketed as a non-addictive morphine substitute and cough medicine for children. Bayer marketed heroin as a "cure" for morphine addiction before it was discovered that heroin is converted to morphine in the liver.
One problem with this new drug is that anything that is analgesic will have some addictive potential.
Just because you haven't seen it, it must not exist.
2) No one knows how the mesh network will work
Mesh networks are common technology.
3) No one knows how hard the batteries will be to keep charged
How hard is it to keep your batteries charged? Lots of people in the developing world have electricity, generators, solar power, and yes, hand cranks.
4) No one knows how usable the software apps will be
Because you haven't "approved" them, they must not work.
5) Nobody gets a refund if any of these wishful thoughts fall through
These "wishful thoughts" are basic engineering tasks that a lot of people are working on... again... just because you haven't seen the solutions doesn't mean they don't exist. You could look at the project pages to get the answers if you weren't a troll.
Good to hear that these phones exist. I guess they are not common in the US since most people here get their phones from the telecoms companies (as part of lock-in contracts) and don't buy them directly.
(I say this even though I just bought my third unlocked phone... not from the telecoms company.)
The problem with this is that the telecoms companies won't distribute a phone that has both WiFi and GSM/CDMA. They want you to pay for their cell based data access (and voice calls) and prohibit you from getting (free) WiFi data and voice access.
I thought the reason Apple computers were more expensive was because they spent more money on better compponents and that they didn't use the cheap low end parts like Dell uses...
Are you saying that Apple buys cheap parts and then resells them at a premium price?
1. Buy cheap parts.
2. Sell at a big markup as expensive special Apple parts.
TFA said they were working to fix them in cooperation with French security experts. They were not "dismissed" but rather they have started to patch them.
Slashdot Mirror
I have a WiFi broadband connection through a small ISP and no ads on Yahoo mail beta.
I only use it for archiving mail since it does have a great search capability.
I rarely see a spam message in my Yahoo mail although my "spam" folder is full of it. Yahoo's spam filter is much better than my Thunderbird filter.
I've been using Yahoo Mail for months and have never seen an ad...
It is very admirable that Google is attempting to bridge this divide but the effort is ultimately futile. Google has shown that when it gets down to the bottom line, it must choose profit (i.e. China).
Hiring this lobby firm is just what is necessary for business as usual in the good old USA capitalist system. You buy youself whatever laws you need to maximize your profit. I love Google just as much as the next person but to expect a corporation to not be evil is unrealistic.
The Economist (a pro-capitalist magazine) has some more information on this: http://www.economist.com/business/displayStory.cfm ?story_id=2647328
I do agree that the term is better when applied to the "neocons"... "neoconfascists" (or perhaps "neofascist") which would be a fairly accurate description.
If you took the answers at the start, that would be unethical. The rules are clear in this case... don't look at the answers until after you have completed the test. This happens all the time in real life ethical situations.
[BTW, I have actually had this situation in school.]
As far at the Governor goes, they were stupid to post this on the web site. There were no rules to say "don't read this" and the offending recording was exposed. I can't see anything wrong with accessing material on the web site (even if there is not a big fat button on the home page that links to it).
Unfortunately, the recording shows that our Governor is still a very primitive racist... embarassing to him.
I have read lots of different opinions about what is "fair use" and I know the RIAA would like to severely limit fair use and they have a campaign of FUD.
- Can we share with a family member, friend, non-friend, anyone, everyone?
- Can we make copies, backups, archives, etc.?
- When and where can we listen to our music... copy in the car, boat, iPod, etc.?
AFAIK, "fair use" has not been defined for electronic copies of music since the RIAA "settles" all cases.
Since I can buy a very capable laptop for about $500 these days (in fact, I have bought a few for my daughters in college), why are the schools paying so much?
Most people who give power point presentations can't read, write, or speak... and that doesn't stop them.
However, the "One-touch" button never worked as advertised so I had to do manual backups; the backups are in some proprietary format that requires the Dantz software (note the guy said he DOESN'T want that); and the hard drive died a sudden premature death... YMMV.
Lawyers and pop tarts http://www.overlawyered.com/2004/12/poptart_fire_l awsuit.html
Flaming strawberry pop tart toaster blowtorch http://www.pmichaud.com/toast/
The definitive word from Dave Berry: http://www.cfcl.com/vlb/Cuute/f/pop_tarts.txt
Now that PHBs are faced with re-training everyone on the new MS Office, will OO.o be seen as a less difficult transition or will they blindly drink the MS kool-aid?
Your first priority should be to extract the business rules from these procedures and re-write them in something that you can understand, audit, and control. I would not recommend either MS Office or OpenOffice.org. These are not business process tools, they are simple WP and spreadsheet tools that do not have any integrity for business processes.
So I have to pay to be irritated by the ads? Please, stop advertising cars. I know what's available and where to find it.
I could see our tax dollars being spent for education on fair use but I don't think that's what the RIAA has in mind.
From the abstract, it appears that the thalamus does act as a kind of "pacemaker" (or "motivator" as in R2D2).
The really important finding of the study is that this may be the path that alcohol uses to disrupt sleep.
1) No one has seen the magical lowcost screen yet
Just because you haven't seen it, it must not exist.
2) No one knows how the mesh network will work
Mesh networks are common technology.
3) No one knows how hard the batteries will be to keep charged
How hard is it to keep your batteries charged? Lots of people in the developing world have electricity, generators, solar power, and yes, hand cranks.
4) No one knows how usable the software apps will be
Because you haven't "approved" them, they must not work.
5) Nobody gets a refund if any of these wishful thoughts fall through
These "wishful thoughts" are basic engineering tasks that a lot of people are working on... again... just because you haven't seen the solutions doesn't mean they don't exist. You could look at the project pages to get the answers if you weren't a troll.
(I say this even though I just bought my third unlocked phone... not from the telecoms company.)
This leaves a very small market for these phones.
It really better to look at the substance of what people say rather than peg them to a stereotype.
Are you saying that Apple buys cheap parts and then resells them at a premium price?
1. Buy cheap parts.
2. Sell at a big markup as expensive special Apple parts.
3. Profit!
TFA said they were working to fix them in cooperation with French security experts. They were not "dismissed" but rather they have started to patch them.