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User: Neil+Watson

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  1. Up tight Americans on How the ESRB Rates Games · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I'm not saying that all Americans are uptight. However there is a certain skewed view of sexuality versus violence in America. GTA SA gets a M rating for shooting police officers but some think it should be rated OA because of sex? How can sex be more offensive than violence?

  2. Re:public transportation for the short term... on Ethanol More Trouble Than It's Worth? · · Score: 1
    hear people touting hybrid cars and have tried many times to explain that the energy in a gallon of gasoline is more efficiently used to drive the wheels than charge batteries and that it's impossible for regenerative braking to reclaim all the energy required to get the vehicle up to the speed you deccelerated from. You'd think I was talking to a wall sometimes ;-)

    Are you saying that hybrid cars are no more efficient than conventional internal combustion powered cars? If so, then why is the fuel comsumption so much less for hybrid cars?

  3. Re:school breakfast program on Improving Education? · · Score: 1

    The quality of the food is just as important. There was a series latey that involved Jamie Oliver trying to have schools prepare non-processed foods. There was a pilot project. After the kids adjusted and began eating the 'real' food grades and behaviour improved significantly.

  4. Re:pay the teachers and give them their dignity ba on Improving Education? · · Score: 1

    I believe that teachers work longer than normal hours. Also, the burn out level is quite high. Thus the months off are required.

  5. The First rule of RPGs on Dungeon Master's Guide II · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I believe it was the first DMG by EGG who wrote that all rules were optional. Too many rules and books get in the way of the true goal of RPGs: telling a good story.

  6. Re:Down with Intel on AMD Takes Case To Public, Japan · · Score: 5, Insightful

    We need both AMD and Intel in order for innovation and lower prices to remain. If AMD destroys Intel we'll just trade one alleged monopoly for another.

  7. Let the courts decide... on AMD Takes Case To Public, Japan · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Please, AMD do not use this in some SCO-like attempt to pump your stock price. Instead, advertise your products. Let the courts decide whether or not Intel has had an unfair advantage. Mud slinging just makes you look like you are hiding something.

  8. Re:Need a change of focus on Indian Call Centre Worker Sells Customer Details · · Score: 1

    Indeed. If the PIN and passwords were really aquired then there is something flawed in the system. Those types of things should be irreversible and stored as hashes.

  9. Re:Forgive my ignorance on MS Patch Train Leaves the Station · · Score: 1
    What you say is true. However, I can download the latest Linux kernel with all its patches and installed it with only one reboot and no addtional vulnerable Internet time.

    Windows comes with an older kernel that requires mutliple reboots and Internet downloads while still in a vulnerable state. While it true that I could probaly download all the patches prior it is still far more tedious than a single trip to ftp.kernel.org.

  10. Re:Steam Engine - Diesel on SW Weenies: Ready for CMT? · · Score: 1
    turgid:
    It's almost always cheaper to throw more hardware at a problem than invest in cleverer code.

    Cheap for the vendor but not for the customer who is constantly caught in the costly and wasteful upgrade cycle.

  11. Re:PHP vs JSP on A Decade of PHP · · Score: 2, Insightful

    The lack of rigid structure and thowing a page together are the very things make PHP a potentially dangerous language. When in the right hands PHP is a good tool. However, it does allow for sloppy work.

  12. MUA != calendar on Outlook, Evolution and Kontact Side-by-Side · · Score: 1

    I don't understand why managing email should be linked with a calendar. I beleive they are two separate functions. If you try to do both at the same time you loose productivity. Try using mutt versus any other MUA. I've found nothing faster for managing large amounts of email. Now if only I could find a calendar system that is just as efficient.

  13. managing cables on Creating a High-Tech Meeting/Conference Room? · · Score: 1

    How does one go about managing LAN cables? Specifically those needed for demo machines and laptops? We used the Deskspool by Teleadapt but, they are not very rebust. We've had to replace all 16. Wireless is not always the ideal solution either.

  14. Re:interesting attack on Virus Hold Computer Files 'Hostage' for $200 · · Score: 1

    When speaking to clients I've begun referring to backups as 'computer insurance'. When you compare backups as insurance and draw parallels to home or car insurance people tend to have a better understanding.

  15. Re:Reiser 4? on What to Expect from Linux 2.6.12 · · Score: 1

    I deployed a test Reiser4 server at work. The data is stable and I have not lost anything. However, the Reiser4 partition is also an NFS share. This share regulary stops working. Only a reboot of the system returns the NFS server to a working state.

  16. Re:What you don't see can't hurt you? on General Motor's EV1 Electric Cars Scrapped · · Score: 1
    Most people do not need a V8. Indeed, such engines should only be permitted to people that have just cause.

    Personally, I would not rely on GM for your future fuel efficient car. Toyota and Honda already have production hybrid cars that are selling out. Ford is so desparate to get into the hybrid game that they are licensing Toyota's hybrid technology for one of their trucks.

    Most people complain about the price of gasoline. I welcome it. Only when we pay the true cost (not just drill and refine but, clean up aswell) will people and industry seriously consider conservation and alternatives. Triple the price of gas and you'll see the gas guzzling SUVs fade from popularity.

  17. Google: Fix the top post reply method on Gmail Goes Public · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Please fix the interface so that replies do not top post. (Yes, I did submit this to Google when I first discovered it).

  18. Re:That sucks on Mozilla Foundation's Future: No Mozilla Suite 1.8 · · Score: 1

    From a configuration point of view I do not think Microsoft's UI is very usable. Clicking through a large number of small windows that show a portion of my configuration options is inefficient. Once I'm on screen three I can hardly recall what was on screen one. Now, I have to go back and start over. Mouse jockeys call the text configuration files of Unix 'primative'. I call them simple. The simple solution is often the best one. With single text file I can see all the options at once. Better yet, I can add my own documentation to help me remember why the settings are what they are. Finally, I can backup them for recovery or transfer them to another system. That is usable.

  19. Re:My optical mouse isn't going anywhere on RollerMouse Aims to Replace the Traditional Mouse · · Score: 1

    Something like a wearable laser pointer. Use a button on the keyboard for a 'click'. This doesn't seem that hard. It would rock for FPS games.

  20. Re:no solution on OSS Unix: Dividing & Conquering Itself · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Coporate leadership would be biased by greed. Standards are important but, the chaotic state things are in now breads innovation. Life couldn't evolve without genetic variation. Unix has evloved in giant leaps due to its competing formats.

  21. Buy offshore on Preparing for the Broadcast Flag? · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Can't you just by cards made offshore that will not honor the broadcast flag? If there is a market someone will build them.

  22. Re:Interesting on FL Court Rules Against Spouse-Installed Spyware · · Score: 1

    Generally what's yours is her's and what's her's is her's

  23. Request new Slashdot Section on MS Security Chief Says Windows is Safer Than Linux · · Score: 5, Funny

    I think we need a new section for these stories. I propose we call it 'Flamebait'.

  24. Re:I'll believe it when I see it on Prospects For the CELL Microprocessor Beyond Games · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I too, am skeptical. Especially when I see Rambus mentioned. I keep looking around expecting to see a school of their lawyers circling. Biding their time until before a patent law suit frenzy.

  25. Re:Immediately patch? Really? on Symantec Antivirus May Execute Virus Code · · Score: 1
    From TFA:

    Symantec product engineers have developed and released updates or Maintenance Releases for all impacted product versions that were not already upgraded in the latest product build release. Updates and Maintenance Releases are available either through Symantec's LiveUpdate for those products that have LiveUpdate capability or from the Symantec Product Support site at http://www.symantec.com/techsupp.