"Japan gives not one tenth of one fuck about environmental impact, so long as it doesn't affect them, just like everyone else."
Actually they don't even give a fuck when it WILL eventually affect them. If it wasn't for international law they'd have probably fished whales to extinction by now.
"Firefox is open source right? If it has gotten out of control, why can't the good pieces be carried over to something better, and the old Firefox be shut down?"
Thats pretty much what happened with Netscape Navigator - and it became Firefox. Thing is, rewriting code may free up some cruft and get rid of some bugs and make the devs feel like their doing something more productive than simply firefighting, but in general it simply replaces like for like - you simply get new cruft (after a few revisions) and new bugs to deal with. Rince and repeat.
... getting their code airtight and less time constantly fucking about with GUI and javascript interpreter - sorry, "engine" - changes perhaps these exploits could become less of an issue.
"look at where only allowing those with "mature" brains vote has gotten us. "
And you think letting kids who know the square root of fuck all about the world having a vote will improve things? Get a grip.
"Why shouldn't felons get to vote either? Who better them has insight into how our current criminal justice system is or isn't fair. Are they no longer human just because they have been put in prison?"
They opted out of the rules of society when they broke them. Give us a good reason why they SHOULD get the vote?
... and those responsible for it at Intel should have been brought to book about it. There is NO good technical reason for its existence and it introduces a multitude of issues and not only security ones. eg: timing issues for realtime OS's, buggy firmware causing sudden crashes. Sure, it makes some things such as emulating hardware simpler but that is hardly a compelling reason to have this barn door of a security hole in every Intel motherboard.
"Why should I be burdened by your supposed ownership of ideas (as in patents) when I develop my software, even if I come up with the ideas independently?"
Software patents only apply in the USA so is of no interest to me anyway.
"Also, why should programmers, unlike 90% of the people be paid not for working but for the product, in perpetuity? Are their efforts really that valuable?"
If thats how they want to sell the software then they're entitled to. Should an author simply get paid a flat fee and get nothing from individual sales? Why should a programmer be any different?
Don't make the same mistake as RMS and assume that everyone agrees with your left of centre world view.
Well apparently you've learned fuck all in those 20 years. Now run along and read The Guardian or Indie or whatever half witted left wing propaganda sheet floats your boat.
He seems to believe that software has some special place in the world rather than it just being another type of end result of human effort. Why should I give away my source code if I don't want to? I put my time and effort into creating it so it is MY choice. His opinion is irrelevant.
I don't know his opinions on copyright in general but would he suggest an author give away his manuscript for free then hope for a few coins to be tossed his way as virtual charity? Or ditto a painter?
If people want to give away their code then good for them - I've done it myself at times. But it should be MY choice to do it , it should not be some political ideal that everyone should be expected to conform to.
And if I have personal freedom I can choose to buy and use an iPhone if I want (I don't, but not for the same reason as RMS).
While much of what he says is right wrt software, unfortunately he has a bad dose of myopia or tunnel vision, call if what you like, about the wider world and how software interacts with it at the personal and societal level.
"If you spent a little less time on ad hominems and attacking straw men, you might open up some space to actually learn something about the world. But then, learning's a scary thing."
When you've graduated then you can start telling me about learning about the world. In the meantime save your fuckwitted opinions for the student debating society.
Bitcoin mining is only possible because it was designed that way. If you don't build this into the currency then you can't do it and any virtual coins you do manage to "mint" will simply been see as counterfeit. You can gaurantee that any government central bank using these will keep a central list to verify against - it won't just be in the block chain.
... but if you don't like governments monopolising money supplies you can hardly turn around and insist that only bitcoin can monopolise the use of the block chain algorithm. Freedom is a 2 way street.
Slashdot Mirror
"using the n- word on camera etc"
He didn't actually. But that didn't stop the liberal left making out that he did.
And no , I'm not a particularly clarkson fan - he can be funny but generally the man is an oaf. However there were agendas on both sides in this.
I'm not sure what height you'd count as a mountain but most people would imagine its more than the few fathoms you'd have in a coastal bay.
Clearly you've never heard of breakwaters.
"A wall is much thinner than an artificial island"
And much longer.
"for the crazy idea you mention"
I didn't mention any idea. Can't you even read poster names?
"I think I even drove on a road that was more than 250 miles long before."
Congratulations. Do you want a medal or something for driving along that road? Or perhaps for that miserable attempt at irony?
"Japan gives not one tenth of one fuck about environmental impact, so long as it doesn't affect them, just like everyone else."
Actually they don't even give a fuck when it WILL eventually affect them. If it wasn't for international law they'd have probably fished whales to extinction by now.
"You're going to need to move an extraordinary amount of dirt."
And you think the raw material for building a 250 mile concrete wall is just going to be lying around nearby do you?
" myself imagine that the "square root of fuck all" is masturbation"
GTFU.
You sure you're 45 because you're coming across like a student and not a particularly smart one at that.
"A good reason why they should vote? Because they are humans and citizens."
Oh boo hoo. Where's my violin?
"Firefox is open source right? If it has gotten out of control, why can't the good pieces be carried over to something better, and the old Firefox be shut down?"
Thats pretty much what happened with Netscape Navigator - and it became Firefox. Thing is, rewriting code may free up some cruft and get rid of some bugs and make the devs feel like their doing something more productive than simply firefighting, but in general it simply replaces like for like - you simply get new cruft (after a few revisions) and new bugs to deal with. Rince and repeat.
Welcome to the world of the Millenial.
... getting their code airtight and less time constantly fucking about with GUI and javascript interpreter - sorry, "engine" - changes perhaps these exploits could become less of an issue.
"look at where only allowing those with "mature" brains vote has gotten us. "
And you think letting kids who know the square root of fuck all about the world having a vote will improve things? Get a grip.
"Why shouldn't felons get to vote either? Who better them has insight into how our current criminal justice system is or isn't fair. Are they no longer human just because they have been put in prison?"
They opted out of the rules of society when they broke them. Give us a good reason why they SHOULD get the vote?
" There are reasons for why I think this should be the case"
Because you're 12 or 13?
... and those responsible for it at Intel should have been brought to book about it. There is NO good technical reason for its existence and it introduces a multitude of issues and not only security ones. eg: timing issues for realtime OS's, buggy firmware causing sudden crashes. Sure, it makes some things such as emulating hardware simpler but that is hardly a compelling reason to have this barn door of a security hole in every Intel motherboard.
"He probably won't be able to enforce this rule in the long run and he knows it..."
If its put into law the companies will have no option but to pay up or close their UK operations.
"Give up those `rights' "
I don't want to. Next...
"Why should I be burdened by your supposed ownership of ideas (as in patents) when I develop my software, even if I come up with the ideas independently?"
Software patents only apply in the USA so is of no interest to me anyway.
"Also, why should programmers, unlike 90% of the people be paid not for working but for the product, in perpetuity? Are their efforts really that valuable?"
If thats how they want to sell the software then they're entitled to. Should an author simply get paid a flat fee and get nothing from individual sales? Why should a programmer be any different?
Don't make the same mistake as RMS and assume that everyone agrees with your left of centre world view.
Well apparently you've learned fuck all in those 20 years. Now run along and read The Guardian or Indie or whatever half witted left wing propaganda sheet floats your boat.
"You may have paid for your iphone but Apple controls it and you are forbidden to control your iphone."
When you buy a house or flat in most countries you arn't allowed to absolutely anything you please with it. So what? Its just a phone.
"Or he's a visionary and what he says will come to pass,"
He's had 30 years. I won't hold my breath.
He seems to believe that software has some special place in the world rather than it just being another type of end result of human effort. Why should I give away my source code if I don't want to? I put my time and effort into creating it so it is MY choice. His opinion is irrelevant.
I don't know his opinions on copyright in general but would he suggest an author give away his manuscript for free then hope for a few coins to be tossed his way as virtual charity? Or ditto a painter?
If people want to give away their code then good for them - I've done it myself at times. But it should be MY choice to do it , it should not be some political ideal that everyone should be expected to conform to.
And if I have personal freedom I can choose to buy and use an iPhone if I want (I don't, but not for the same reason as RMS).
While much of what he says is right wrt software, unfortunately he has a bad dose of myopia or tunnel vision, call if what you like, about the wider world and how software interacts with it at the personal and societal level.
"If you spent a little less time on ad hominems and attacking straw men, you might open up some space to actually learn something about the world. But then, learning's a scary thing."
When you've graduated then you can start telling me about learning about the world. In the meantime save your fuckwitted opinions for the student debating society.
"Condescension and ad hominem attacks really, honestly, truly, aren't substitutes for actual argument."
In most cases. But in yours I think an exception can be justified.
"Or ask the presenters with regional accents on the BBC, none of whom would have had a look in only twenty years ago."
Right, because everyone with a regional accent is t'working class. Or maybe they're all black?
Idiot.
"is just code for racism and classism."
Ah there we go , there's always some silly little liberal who has to chuck an "ism" into any argument. Do grow up sonny.
Bitcoin mining is only possible because it was designed that way. If you don't build this into the currency then you can't do it and any virtual coins you do manage to "mint" will simply been see as counterfeit. You can gaurantee that any government central bank using these will keep a central list to verify against - it won't just be in the block chain.
... but if you don't like governments monopolising money supplies you can hardly turn around and insist that only bitcoin can monopolise the use of the block chain algorithm. Freedom is a 2 way street.
Yeah, or you could just tattoo the cover.