Fools. Don't start a new "dows" project. You're asking for trouble.
Since Lindows lost its case to Microsoft, is now Lin---s. I don't see how you can have any hope to even use the word windows in a new project [I assume X-Windows is grandfathered in?]
Or maybe the Windows problem only apply to operating systems?
I am afraid the new windowing system will just have to be called "Y Win---s" [pronounced wince]
"Applicant agrees to exchange a minimum of $250 in Federal Reserve Notes (USD) with NORFED for the Standard Order of $100 face value of ALD and Silver Libertys, $100 referral fee to Applicant's referrer and a $50 one time administration fee."
Nice idea - but $100 referral fee? Sheesh - that is one of the most expensive pyramid schemes I've ever been pitched.
Also - you lose coins (although I don't because I am anal, I even pick up ugly pennies out of the parking lot - I figure that is about $35/hr) precisly becuase they are not worth much.
I bet you would find a secure method of carrying 100 dollars worth of coins around - ever hear of a "coin purse"?
If you could easily walk up to a stranger, and both swipe cards at a reader to see if they were worth the same - it could become a social norm to "swap cards" to confuse a trail of ownership.
Of course that also marks you for the the swappers partner to whack you in the alley...
I never carry more than a couple of hundred dollars in cash anyhow - so lugging 1/2 oz [15g] of gold isn't that much of a burden to carry around.
I suppose you could still fool the clerks with gold plated tungsten, but hey, you wouldn't have to alter software to protect against conterfeiting.
Side [OT] question - how much do you spend in cash? I am sure I am less than 10%, judging by ATM withdrawls vs my tax filings... [credit cards and checks, then automatic debits, and finally cash is "where it all goes" in my house].
I can anonymously buy cash cards at any mall around here, with Visa and MC logos...
They cost $1 (no matter the amount you buy - so a $500 card is.2%) - The vendors hate it, because it costs them even more (and, by extension, the consumer).
So, the question is - don't you all think it will come down to point where the Government issues cash cards?
It saves them money (vs printing money) AND It (should) be harder to conterfeit than paper money (e.g. cryptologically secure).
It will piss off the credit card companies, but wouldn't it be a solution?
Along these lines - would coins be any harder to fake? I wouldn't mind carrying more change, if, say $20 coins were the size of dimes...
It goes without saying, that I wouldn't buy such a card if it weren't anonymous...
Could it be that some languages just aren't as useful [for whatever reason] as others?
There seems to be an underlaying tone that loss of diversity in languages is a bad thing? Why? I don't get it - if the native speakers of a language find it more useful to learn another language isn't that prima facia proof that the new language is better, again, for whatever reason? If a whole freaking culture disappears, who cares? Cultures are like any other living system - got a niche, good. Need a niche? Find one or die!
Don't worry, if the planet gets smacked by a meteor and we get sent back to the stone age, diverse languages will evolve again, but as long as the world is ever more connected, doesn't it stand to reason, that eventually, all the connected people will converge on a common lingua franca?
BTW, I am a non-linguistic nerd, and even I recognise several language roots in my previous couple of sentences.
I don't speak any of the languages that my ancestors spoke, and I don't expect my kids to know COBOL, either.
I know Cross had some sort of pen/paper set that could later be downloaded into a PC. But I wasn't that interested, at the time.
I was breifly excited about the current Logitec IO pen - until I found out it needs "special paper" with little dots all over it. [why? to know its absolute xy postion? - I know optical mice don't need special surfaces, but you don't generally pick them up and set them down again...]
Anyone have any input on this? It seems like maybe [even with "special paper"] something like a Logictec IO pen could fulfill the "tablet" notetaking function + you get a "real" notebook to download it to and have the best of both, with an extra step?
My personal interest is that I keep "engineering" logs in cheapo composition books and I would love to be able to dump it to a PC - make PDF's whatever, rather than keep the chicken scratch hardcopies forever... [although, truth be known, I could probably transcribe the "good stuff" in an hour or so, per book, If I weren't so lazy.]
I am to busy at the moment, but the template to craft such a law, in reasonable terms has already been done. Follow the outline of the classic argument against water.
Just search google for Dihydrogen Monoxide and you should get the gist - think how easy it would be to write a similar diatribe against software
I think synthetic emeralds, rubies, and saphires look better than the natural ones - they are chemically identical, but without imperfections.
Soon I will get cheap diamonds. Sweet!
I understand and appreciate the amount of labor involved in digging "real" gems out of the ground - and this adds to the intrinsic value of those things. [Of course there is some monoplistic markup, too, but that is not the point.] At the end of the day, the utility of a material good is what counts. Just about any other kind of stuff you can think of gets cheaper all the time [adjusted for inflation] - why shouldn't diamonds? [Boo Hoo, De Beers... Boo Hoo RIAA... both of you have distribution models being upset by technology]
In general, I like machine-made, manufactured goods anyhow. I don't really care for artsy-crafty things.
Would you rather have a robot-built flow-soldered TV, or some hand-made thing made by the local hobbiest?
"Fake" diamonds are still diamonds - just without all the human toil to get them (and without natural imperfections!)
Why should my gems be any different? [Even most "art" - I can enjoy and appreciate copies. Why do I need the original? Heh, if you like some of my programming, I'll sell you the original bits if you like.] How long before they manufacture gems with imperfections so that they seem more natural?
Here is a question I have always had - if you have something that is atomically/chemically/perfectly identical to something else - why isn't it the same? Where do you draw the line? Mfg carbon crystal = diamond. Why is a conterfeit gold coin worth less than a "real" gold coin, if they are both made out of gold and struck with the same dies? Makes you wonder about printed currency. What if you fake the bits that represent my bank account? Now I am getting waaay OT...
... like that kind that can turn obvious Martian pyramids and faces into "shadows".
If we give it to network broadcasters, maybe they can process their television shows, to enhance^H^H^H^H^H^H^H blur inadvertant nipple showings due to costume malfunctions.
Obviously there is more to it than that (3D, as others have pointed out), but from a practical point of view there is an upper limit, beyond which resolution is "wasted" on a display device.
But if I am a one-eyed man with my head in a vice I shouldn't be able to tell the difference between looking out a window or looking at a display 1 foot away, with, say 400 dpi. As well I shouldn't, I think I'd be much more woried about why my head is clamped down, than whether the view out the "window" is real...
So, I shouldn't be able to tell the difference between my 300 dpi and 600 dpi laser output - at 1 foot.
I think I saw this somewhere before, but can't remember the numbers...
What kind of dpi would I need to be looking at on a display before I couldn't tell it was a display? E.g. what is the resolving power of the typical person's eyes?
This isn't flamebait (well, maybe the stinkfist part is...).
I had the same thought - I could vote either way; a) Nobody is watching because noone is paying to have it monitored, or b) mini-carnivore is cranked right up to the max looking for interesting traffic that might indicate an imminent threat.
If you want to spend $1K, you might consider spending only $500-600. Like many things digital, this year's $600 model IS last year's $1K model.
Use it. Figure out what you don't like about it. Sell it on eBay for a couple of hundred and repeat every couple years, rather than "keeping for several years". Keep all of the original boxes and stuff - makes the eBay offering look better.
I am going thru the same issues right now with digital still cameras - many of which now also do digital video. All solid state. Quality sucks on the movies, but hey, it is a still camera. This example is also relevant, since you can see where it is going. Many current still models also do 640x480 30fps "movie" modes now. Last year's were mostly 320x240 12-15fps... you will probably want some sort of tapeless dv camera in a couple of years...
Just tell the wife up front that you are saving hundreds of dollars now, so you can spend it again in 24 months. [The guys version of look how much I saved on these shoes.]
Selling your used-but-in-good-condition cameras other gear is similar to the how-long-do-I-keep-the-car question. Buying new certainly costs more, but in the case of electronic gear, IMHO, the utility is greater [cars, by-and-large, do the same thing, cool gear really does get better.] If you are going to drive it into the ground where the resale value is nil, get something decent now. If you follow the good-enough plan, just get good enough.
Slashdot Mirror
Other suggestions: Find someone with a surname of Houdini to endorse the project...
Since Lindows lost its case to Microsoft, is now Lin---s. I don't see how you can have any hope to even use the word windows in a new project [I assume X-Windows is grandfathered in?]
Or maybe the Windows problem only apply to operating systems?
I am afraid the new windowing system will just have to be called "Y Win---s" [pronounced wince]
That will leave more jobs for the rest of us!
Nice idea - but $100 referral fee? Sheesh - that is one of the most expensive pyramid schemes I've ever been pitched.
... so anal, I'll post to say I know I mis-spelled "precisely", by leaving off an "e".
I bet you would find a secure method of carrying 100 dollars worth of coins around - ever hear of a "coin purse"?
Of course that also marks you for the the swappers partner to whack you in the alley...
Hmmm. I buy my cards in cash... but if there were no cash... I am starting to think of some problems here.
...unlike that $5 I sent thru the wash too many times...
I suppose you could still fool the clerks with gold plated tungsten, but hey, you wouldn't have to alter software to protect against conterfeiting.
Side [OT] question - how much do you spend in cash? I am sure I am less than 10%, judging by ATM withdrawls vs my tax filings... [credit cards and checks, then automatic debits, and finally cash is "where it all goes" in my house].
So, the question is - don't you all think it will come down to point where the Government issues cash cards?
It saves them money (vs printing money) AND It (should) be harder to conterfeit than paper money (e.g. cryptologically secure).
It will piss off the credit card companies, but wouldn't it be a solution?
Along these lines - would coins be any harder to fake? I wouldn't mind carrying more change, if, say $20 coins were the size of dimes...
It goes without saying, that I wouldn't buy such a card if it weren't anonymous...
There seems to be an underlaying tone that loss of diversity in languages is a bad thing? Why? I don't get it - if the native speakers of a language find it more useful to learn another language isn't that prima facia proof that the new language is better, again, for whatever reason? If a whole freaking culture disappears, who cares? Cultures are like any other living system - got a niche, good. Need a niche? Find one or die!
Don't worry, if the planet gets smacked by a meteor and we get sent back to the stone age, diverse languages will evolve again, but as long as the world is ever more connected, doesn't it stand to reason, that eventually, all the connected people will converge on a common lingua franca?
BTW, I am a non-linguistic nerd, and even I recognise several language roots in my previous couple of sentences.
I don't speak any of the languages that my ancestors spoke, and I don't expect my kids to know COBOL, either.
I was breifly excited about the current Logitec IO pen - until I found out it needs "special paper" with little dots all over it. [why? to know its absolute xy postion? - I know optical mice don't need special surfaces, but you don't generally pick them up and set them down again...]
Anyone have any input on this? It seems like maybe [even with "special paper"] something like a Logictec IO pen could fulfill the "tablet" notetaking function + you get a "real" notebook to download it to and have the best of both, with an extra step?
My personal interest is that I keep "engineering" logs in cheapo composition books and I would love to be able to dump it to a PC - make PDF's whatever, rather than keep the chicken scratch hardcopies forever... [although, truth be known, I could probably transcribe the "good stuff" in an hour or so, per book, If I weren't so lazy.]
I am to busy at the moment, but the template to craft such a law, in reasonable terms has already been done. Follow the outline of the classic argument against water. Just search google for Dihydrogen Monoxide and you should get the gist - think how easy it would be to write a similar diatribe against software
comp.risks ought to get you started.
If you did get some growth, you'd be lucky if it were benign. One-eyed trouser trout - ha! Think three-eyed fish from the Simpons!
Just wondering...
I understand and appreciate the amount of labor involved in digging "real" gems out of the ground - and this adds to the intrinsic value of those things. [Of course there is some monoplistic markup, too, but that is not the point.] At the end of the day, the utility of a material good is what counts. Just about any other kind of stuff you can think of gets cheaper all the time [adjusted for inflation] - why shouldn't diamonds? [Boo Hoo, De Beers... Boo Hoo RIAA... both of you have distribution models being upset by technology]
In general, I like machine-made, manufactured goods anyhow. I don't really care for artsy-crafty things. Would you rather have a robot-built flow-soldered TV, or some hand-made thing made by the local hobbiest?
"Fake" diamonds are still diamonds - just without all the human toil to get them (and without natural imperfections!) Why should my gems be any different? [Even most "art" - I can enjoy and appreciate copies. Why do I need the original? Heh, if you like some of my programming, I'll sell you the original bits if you like.] How long before they manufacture gems with imperfections so that they seem more natural?
Here is a question I have always had - if you have something that is atomically/chemically/perfectly identical to something else - why isn't it the same? Where do you draw the line? Mfg carbon crystal = diamond. Why is a conterfeit gold coin worth less than a "real" gold coin, if they are both made out of gold and struck with the same dies? Makes you wonder about printed currency. What if you fake the bits that represent my bank account? Now I am getting waaay OT...
If we give it to network broadcasters, maybe they can process their television shows, to enhance^H^H^H^H^H^H^H blur inadvertant nipple showings due to costume malfunctions.
An oldie, but a goodie [scroll up to the code].
... looks "good", but not, wow! My eyes are shot, for distance, but I can still almost see the individual pixels on my display from 24" away.
But if I am a one-eyed man with my head in a vice I shouldn't be able to tell the difference between looking out a window or looking at a display 1 foot away, with, say 400 dpi. As well I shouldn't, I think I'd be much more woried about why my head is clamped down, than whether the view out the "window" is real...
So, I shouldn't be able to tell the difference between my 300 dpi and 600 dpi laser output - at 1 foot.
What kind of dpi would I need to be looking at on a display before I couldn't tell it was a display? E.g. what is the resolving power of the typical person's eyes?
[Assume it is before beer-o'clock]
Check your Sunday ad insert - "$5999.00 List, Our Price $5799.00 before mail-in-rebate of $2000.00 - Your Final Price: $3799.00"
You'll see. Don't lose that UPC code.
I had the same thought - I could vote either way; a) Nobody is watching because noone is paying to have it monitored, or b) mini-carnivore is cranked right up to the max looking for interesting traffic that might indicate an imminent threat.
Use it. Figure out what you don't like about it. Sell it on eBay for a couple of hundred and repeat every couple years, rather than "keeping for several years". Keep all of the original boxes and stuff - makes the eBay offering look better.
I am going thru the same issues right now with digital still cameras - many of which now also do digital video. All solid state. Quality sucks on the movies, but hey, it is a still camera. This example is also relevant, since you can see where it is going. Many current still models also do 640x480 30fps "movie" modes now. Last year's were mostly 320x240 12-15fps... you will probably want some sort of tapeless dv camera in a couple of years...
Just tell the wife up front that you are saving hundreds of dollars now, so you can spend it again in 24 months. [The guys version of look how much I saved on these shoes.]
Selling your used-but-in-good-condition cameras other gear is similar to the how-long-do-I-keep-the-car question. Buying new certainly costs more, but in the case of electronic gear, IMHO, the utility is greater [cars, by-and-large, do the same thing, cool gear really does get better.] If you are going to drive it into the ground where the resale value is nil, get something decent now. If you follow the good-enough plan, just get good enough.