The worst conflict I ever had with a sysadmin was when I was doing Perl for a small company in New Jersey. They had a development group in Manhattan which used VB 6 extensively. Some idiot in that group floated a suggestion that ALL programming at the company use Hungarian Notation. So this sysadmin informs me that as a matter of policy, from now on all of my Perl variables will use Hungarian notation.
But, I pointed out, in Perl a variable's type depends on context.
"Huh?" He asked.
"Ok, I read in a number as a string. Then I use it as a number. Then I format it using a regexp. Then I print it as a string. What is it, a number, or a string?
"Use two variables, one integer with an "i" prefix and one string with an "str" prefix." he said.
"Well, now that you're using double the memory to perform the same task, let's consider. How will this scale when we've got thousands, or tens of thousands, of hits?" (this was going to be a CGI app). I crossed my arms and waited.
"Doesn't matter. Use Hungarian Notation. It'll make it easier to read your code."
"But it's fucking stupid."
"No it's not! DO IT!" (and so on, ad infinitum).
I called a friend of mine, who had taught me a lot of my Perl knowledge, and I asked him, point blank, what he thought of all this.
Actually, the iBook only costs about 1600 bucks, with a nice, medium-level setup (640MB ram, 60GB hard drive, extra battery, DVD/CD-R drive). And it has a ruggedized hard disk (rubber mounted) and a polycarbonate shell, with a magnesium frame.
They're nice. Not as tough as what you're talking about, but then, they are much more powerful.
And, ruggedized laptops don't let you use iTunes and an iPod to manage your music collection.
Well, you don't HAVE to check books out. You can do all your research right at the library. That's more neighborly anyway, because it doesn't take the books you're using out of circulation. If you check them out, no one can use them until you return them.
Anyway, as long as you don't check books out of the library, you can't be tracked based on what books you're using. If you need to reference some of the material, photocopy the copyright page of the book, the author/title page, and the pages you need to reference. All of this is covered under fair use, retains all the info you need to make a citation to that book, and leaves the book safely in the library for others to use.
The government has been tracking library use for decades, it didn't start with the Patriot act. But as long as you don't use your library card, you're safe from the snoops.
Idea: get a library card, and in between photocopying pages of whatever strange literature you're interested in, keep checking out deliberately innocuous stuff. "Uh, Mr. Ashcroft, sir? It seems Mr. Philman has been checking out a large number of books about rose gardening and interior decoration. I think we can drop him, he's a little too fru-fru to worry about..."
You know how you can buy fine steel mesh, which is so thin it can be folded like cloth? Sew it into a cubish shape and line your backpack with that. Layer it. Build yourself a nice little faraday cage with it. You can even put a zipper in the top of it, so it's like a backpack within a backpack.
If you're really an overachiever, contact one of the zillion or so armor smiths currently doing chainmail by mail order, and order a chainmail kit. Make a chainmail sack to put inside your backpack. The steel would conduct charge very well, and it would DESTROY the reception of the RFIDs the same way the rebar in concrete walls does.
More durable than tinfoil, and very presentable, too!;)
"The Bioweapons division of the Weyland-Yutani corporation is proud to release its new Predalien-model drone! This beautiful marvel of roving mayhem is capable of a forty foot vertical or horizontal pounce, can head-bite your enemies from up to several feet away, can sneak up on competing executives along ceilings, walls, and through air ducts, and is armed with a six-foot barbed tail, nine inch claws, four inch fangs, and a sixteen inch extensible subjaw with three inch fangs! Optional Architect remote control not included. Satisfaction guaranteed!"
BUT, of course, you should read the disclaimer (it's in very tiny print at the back of the catalog):
"Weyland-Yutani corporation makes all AlienTech(tm) available on an As-Is basis, with no warranty whatsoever. Additionally, customer agrees to fully indemnify Weyland-Yutani corporation from any and all legal repurcussions that may result from customer's use of AlienTech(tm) products, including (but not limited to) impregnation by larval AlienTech, deaths of coworkers, family, pets, entire community, or detonation of spacecraft or Atmospheric Processor Units. Use AlienTech wisely."
Typical Slashdot silliness. Go ahead and attack me because I state the obvious. Why should I sympathize with someone whose research is already obsolete? Perhaps he should have realized "Oh! They've released tiny little PDAs which outclass and unman my device. Perhaps I should switch gears and change with the times!" These people have just kept doggedly pursuing an idea which is already dead, and you claim fatuously that I'm just "an uninformed nincompoop". God, whatta maroon. What a pidgeon you are.
I've checked out a lot more pages on this subject than I'd guess you have, as it's a secret hobby of mine. And, I know something about the needs a person with a portable device must consider. Let me clue you in on a few things:
1. A single, compact, ruggedized device is far superior to a bunch of non-ruggedized devices hooked up with several feet of wiring. Why? Because every connection in their wiring is another failure point. Another place where water may get into the system, shorting it out. Another place where strain hardening will eventually break the wiring, breaking the system. Another place where the wiring itself might get hung up and torn. Another place where the connection might loosen and separate, causing the device to fail. Should I go on? Or do you get the point?
2. One single compact device is superior to a collection of connected devices because it can be ported quickly from one set of clothing to another, for example when you get soaked in a downpour or fall in some mud and want to change clothes.
3. One single compact device is superior to a collection of connected devices because it is easier to clean when something nasty gets on it, something that would be of interest to the surgeons mentioned in another post.
4. One single compact device is easier to upgrade.
5. One single compact device is more portable, smaller, easier to store, and easier to SELL because it can be packaged in a smaller, neater package.
Should I go on, you uninformed and overconfident noob? You're a schmuck hiding behind your geek fetishes. The vast majority of people will react in EXACTLY the same way as I have when presented with this idiotic technology. No one will buy it. They'll already have converged PDAs. They'll laugh at your silly tech, and it'll flop. Hard.
Live with it. Deal. And, quit picking on the messenger. It isn't MY fault your pet interest is already obsolete. It isn't MY fault you can't change gears and adapt. You and everyone like you is an evolutionary dead end waiting to happen.
Everything you're suggesting can be done in a PDA without sewing it into an article of clothing (just tuck it in a shirt pocket, and plug in a HUD shaped like a pair of headphones). Binding computers to clothing IS kinda dumb. Using Augmented reality has nothing to do with the act of sewing a computer into a coat, ok? They're two separate things. Augmented Reality => smart, Computer Clothing => stupid. Just my opinion, of course, but I'd bet dollars to doughnuts that computer clothing would flop in the market harder than a fat man diving into an empty pool.
I'll tell you what everyone and their mothers are going to buy: convergence -- combination PDAs, GPS receivers, and Cell Phones. But you can fit all that in a case the size of a small paperback book. Why sew it into a jacket??? See what I mean?
I agree. I look at the wearable computers people are putting together, and all I see is a rats nest of cabling and parts, just hanging all over the place. It's bulky, it's messy, and it doesn't do as much as a garden-variety PDA you can buy for under five hundred dollars. Wearables totally leave me cold; I think they're already obsolete, and they're not even a "mature technology" yet!
Here's what I think is going to find its way into wide use: combination PDA/Cell Phone systems with a heads-up display that works like a set of slim walkman earphones. Basically, you'd have your PDA/Cell in the vest pocket of your jacket, and a clip-on display would be hooked to your glasses. Just like an old walkman, a form factor people are already accustomed to.
Think about it: cell phone and PDA convergence is already happening, the technology is already almost as good as that in laptops, and the clip-on heads up displays are already on the market.
Why would anyone want to buy clothing that contained electronics, which you couldn't wash normally, and which couldn't be changed from year to year as fashions change? Clothing and computers just don't mix. No one is ever going to buy it.
Nah, my money is on hybrid cell phones and PDAs run by fuel cell, with onboard GPS and a slick heads up display modeled like walkman headphones. They're smaller, you can waterproof and shockproof them, and they'll look cool when you show them to your friends.
I loved your post, and of course, you're right, but I find the BSOD vaguely unsatisfying. It's just blue. I think they should trick it out a little, you know? Jazz it up. Add some loud noises and maybe a surprising and startling display, like the goatse guy in a flash animation turning himself inside out and disappearing into a singularity.
So you didn't insult me first? And, call me a troll? Thus trolling me? Equally classic.
If you had responded like the other poster, and discussed the matter with me without namecalling, we would have arrived at the conclusion that the librarian MEANT that the holdings of the library of congress were matched *when it comes to federal documents and publications* but not when it comes to private publications. And, I would have said "my bad" and it would have been dropped. But, in fine Slashdotter form, you called me a troll (everyone on this freaky board seems to call posts they don't like trolls or flamebait; the terms are becoming impotent from overuse).
And, I CAN remember where the library is. The first one I visited was in Phoenix, Arizona, on the ASU campus. The second one was in Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. At what point did I say I can't remember where the library is? I BELIEVE what I said was, I don't remember which library I had the conversation in. But, I think it was at SIUC.
Finally, I think I pointed out that their holdings were mostly on microfiche and microfilm (at the time, now it's all electronic), which take up much less space than the original books. SO, the physical size of the library has nothing whatsoever to do with the data it contains. Of course, you would have had to actually visualize a microfiche to understand what I meant, and you were too busy calling me a troll. Or, in this post, calling what I'm saying preposterous and ridiculous. Again, in typical slashdot-creep fashion, you missed the whole point of my post which was that the federal repositories tend to be really good places to do research because of their strong holdings. A point that is neither ridiculous or preposterous. Maybe you should actually GO TO ONE before you attempt to insult me further.
Don't call people names, and they won't call you names. Especially waving around loaded terms like "troll". Like, duh.
Your first comment makes sense; I had the impression a state would apply to have its library be used, but in retrospect it makes sense that Congress would choose. That's cool.
Second, about the library of congress, that makes sense, too; I understand how I got that wrong. Thanks for telling me politely. So in terms of federal materials, a federal repository matches the library of congress's holdings, but only in terms of federal materials. Non-federal materials aren't represented. Well, that's a misunderstanding on my part. My bad...;)
Finally, I wasn't aware that non-public colleges and libraries were designated as repositories, but that makes sense too. Interesting. Well, I should have realized a place like Harvard would have one.
Interestingly enough, the troll did post a good link. I had no idea there were so many! I thought it was a couple per state. Apparently there are over 1200. Kinda cool though.
The best part about JSRF is that you don't have to do missions if you're not in the mood; you can just skate around Shibuya, do stunts, slide along the bannisters, and so on. It's a hell of a lot of fun after work when you don't really want to get wrapped up in something, and just want to fool around a little...
A clarification, because the trolls are already coming out of the woodwork (and it's been what, half an hour?):
Ok, "verbatim copies of the library of congress" seems to be attracting attention from the literal minded and the anally retentive. So, let me rephrase that. One of the librarians at one of the depositories/repositories (I've heard them called both terms) told me that the library contained just about every single document, paper, etc that was stored in the library of congress, either as a microfilm or a microfiche. That, combined with the library's other extensive holdings made it a very interesting place. The person showed me military topographical maps of the region, and let me know with a wink that federal documents weren't the ONLY thing stored in a depository library -- many limited-access things are too. If I remember, they had a pretty extensive patent-search setup, too.
I went to the link posted by the creepy fucker who called me a troll. It was informative, I'll grant him that. And, it listed the vast resources made available through this program, which backed up some of what I was trying to say. But it didn't exactly negate what I had said. Far from it.
What I can't figure out is, IF some of my post was factually incorrect or slightly exaggerated, (the jury's still out on that one) it would have been more appropriate to inform me of it without insulting me.
Perhaps the words "Nice Troll" were a cautionary warning on HIS post, rather than an editorial on mine...
Actually, someone I was talking to in one of the two libraries (I don't remember which, I think it was Carbondale) told me that they had either microfilm or microfiche copies (or both in some cases) of every document in the library of congress. Plus, of course, their own holdings which were very extensive. So take your "troll" insult and shove it up your pasty fat ass. Schmuck.
I usually do quickie searches on the web, and compare as many citations as I can find (to build consensus). However, I take everything I see on the web with a huge grain of salt. If I'm really interested in something, I find a university library that's open to the public and I research my topic.
Having said this, the very best possible place to do research is in one of your state's Federal Repositories.
Every state in the Union designates at least a couple of its largest state university libraries as Federal Repositories. These contain verbatim copies of the library of congress. The idea behind them is that if the library of congress were ever to be destroyed, it could be reproduced in short order from one of the hundred or so Federal Repositories scattered all over the nation.
Because the repositories are generally in the largest, most fully stocked research libraries in a given state, they're a great place to get the best info available on most subjects. And, as far as I know, they are available to the public because they're part of a public institution (i.e. the research university they're a part of).
I learned about them a number of years ago, when I attended a college that had an enormous repository -- Arizona State University in Phoenix. Later, I spent a few months in Carbondale, Illinois, and checked out their repository. Nice!
Anyway, for research, you can't beat it. And, the facilities are usually top-notch.
Not scary enough... I was thinking something more along the lines of the "facehugger pounces on you" effect from Aliens Vs. predator, combined with angry cat noises and a barf sound...
1. If the user doesn't have to stop what he's doing to solve an inexplicable puzzle every few minutes, he'll be done waaaay too fast.
2. Obey the principle of most astonishment. Surprise the user as often as possible! Preferably with something terrifying that makes him literally fling himself out of his chair (example: the aliens in Alien Vs. Predator love to sneak up on you along walls and ceilings and suddenly let you have it from three directions -- a guaranteed excuse to press "pause" and go put on a new pair of underwear).
3. If the user screws something up, HE MUST BE PUNISHED. Usually, this means his onscreen persona (resume, spreadsheet, etc) should die a wretched, gory death, scaring the crap out of the user (see #2) and he should have to start whatever he was doing over from his last save point. This of course encourages saving documents frequently, always a good thing with Microsoft software.
4. If the software includes networking features, you MUST include a "taunt" feature. Allow preformatted taunts and on-the-fly taunts; both are equally fun for all. "Hey, BILL! Your powerpoint SUCKS!"
5. And, finally, you have to include a few easter eggs and hidden areas. These should include a "must-have" that isn't granted to ordinary users (like, say, print preview).
And, people said video gaming wouldn't ever get me anywhere!
Consider this from the point of view of the Indian government. They can:
A) Let Microsoft come in with low initial prices, taking over the Indian software market and then exerting absolute control later on, or
B) Assign teams at whichever Indian college has the best research facilities, provide them copies of Linux and the BSDs, and have them roll out a purely Indian Linux and/or BSD that can be used across the board as an Indian National O/S. It could be completely pre-vetted for security holes, OpenBSD style, and it could be engineered to support all Indian languages natively alongside English, instead of having them as add-ons. Also it could be used throughout the entire Indian infrastructure, freeing them from any reliance on foreign concerns. Updates could come from the team that rolled it out in the first place. Couple this with a cheap homegrown computer, of course...
Seriously. If you were in the Indian government, what would YOU do?
I'm no expert, and I'm strictly talking "off the top of my head" here, but I have a couple of ideas for you.
First of all, I never understood why people who were serving up something static like news articles would want to store them in a database, fetching them dynamically with Java. They usually say "to permit searching" but there are other ways to do that (i.e. store some metadata and URLs in the database, and the actual articles in the filesystem). I think most people who write database apps do it because "that's how you're supposed to do it"; they follow the herd and play it safe. Others are building whatever is going to look good on their consultant resumes.
Consider this: what if you were to store your text articles as xml flat files in a web-accessible filesystem on a server? The xml files would contain tagging for all of the metadata for the articles, plus the article content. You could work out a scheme in which the actual path to the article xml file was related to the article metadata, to ease searching and lookup (you could search based on metadata, article text, paths, or whatever). If you have media files related to the article, give it a "media" directory, and work out a tagging scheme for the xml file which allows you to place the media's URL in the file. You could use an XSLT stylesheet to convert the file for display in a browser, on the fly, when a user requests it. Maybe minimize your use of the database, using it more for user/permissions management than actual article management. Use Perl scripts and PHP web pages to actually interact with the system.
Benefits: You're spending a whole lot less money on your tools, you can back up your whole system by burning chunks of the flat-file directory to CD-Rom, Your scripts aren't going to be memory hogs because they'll probably only be a couple of K each, load balancing is going to be a piece of cake because you'll be mirroring your filesystem on each server (all the calls will be the same), you can use any inexpensive/free O/S you want (Linux, FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, etc), you can go with a basic Apache system so it won't be that hard to administer...
I know it's old fashioned and totally unsexy, but it worked pretty well for the old-timers. Or, if you want it to be sexy, pick up some of those fru-fru Apple rack servers. They're pretty, and they seem easy enough to admin.
You've got lots of options, just get your own coders. If you hire consultants, they'll go for maxing out their billable hours and their expense sheet. In-house guys are generally on salary and don't have much in the way of conflicts of interest (umm... IF, that is, you don't hire any fanatics).
Anyway, like I said, I'm no expert but here are a few ideas to chew over. Free Advice, no warranty, YMMV, etc.
Slashdot Commentator said: "The French Foreign Legion is manned by foreigners. If you want to inflict a lethal level of attitude, you must send French citizens."
DOH! Umm... How about Parisian philosophy students? I'm thinking nihilists... I'd say, "send German nihilists" but the French would be afraid of those...
"MPAA/RIAA personnel are cockroaches. And like cockroaches, its going to take more than hatred to get them to drop dead. Sad, but true."
Yes, but aren't almost all Hollywood types totally neurotic? If you believe their self-referential fiction, that is... So abuse heaped from a direction from which they're used to sycophantic adoration might put a dent in 'em. But I see your point. It's kind of a tough call, though; how WOULD you mess with someone who's already universally hated? It'd be like bombing a crater. Hmm... Back to the drawing board on THAT one...;)
Maybe the French can infiltrate their "Au Pair" services instead. Picture it: all the little rock and movie producer's kids start wearing black turtlenecks, smoking Galoise and cloves, wearing way too much eye makeup and complaining continuously about the producer's "Bourgeois bullsheeit" (in a thick, french accent, of course). THEN, they stop bathing! Eeewwww...
Well, I don't think science fiction authors are going for "satisfying". I think they're trying to show us just how bad things could get if we let them go on like this. For example, if most work ends up being done by machines except for creative and scientific work, almost everyone is going to be out of a job. They're not going to be living lives of leisure -- they're going to be POOR. The rich are going to take all the money they save by hiring robots and stick it in their swiss bank accounts, ok? The rest of us will be more or less screwed.
I don't think that this revelation is meant to be satisfying.
Step 1: Wealthy techies start using deep-sea robots purchased with their stock-options money to cut the trans-pacific and trans-atlantic data cables at random times and random locations, approximately once a week. This in turn prevents the offshoring/outsourcing industry from communicating with their sweatshops overseas, resulting in the hiring of thousands of local programmers to pick up the slack. The economy sees a slight rebound. Some companies continue to offshore using satellite technology. So...
2. Even wealthier techies finish designing a space plane which can cheaply get up into orbit and back down to earth. They build a fleet of twenty, hide them in widely-spaced mountain retreats staffed with Linux geeks, stock them with thousands of pounds of ramen noodles, coffee, videogames, and porno, and start sending missions up into orbit to de-orbit satellites used by offshoring companies. Bored teenagers pilot the space planes, marvelling that "Man, it's even better than Descent -- Freespace!" The economy rebounds a little more. But, then -- damnnit! -- the offshoring companies start using sneakernet and mules to courier work back and forth. So...
3. The two groups of techies, determined to save the economy, begin to resort to black-bag techniques to foil the mule's attempts. Some switch bags on the couriers, replacing the suitcases full of cd-roms with suitcases full of scat-fetish pr0n. Others simply mug the couriers, dragging them into the airport restrooms for a quick beating and a swirly. Some, truly getting carried away, have a Quake III flashback and detonate the couriers. This, unfortunately, is misinterpereted by the Office of Homeland Security and all hell breaks loose. America declares war on France. By the time it is revealed that the Quake III fanatic was actually Belgian, it is too late... Paris is in ruins, its people reduced to eating air-dropped big macs. Millions commit suicide. So then...
Despondent at having caused the big-mac-induced suicides of millions of people and wishing for some good to come out of it, the belgian Quake III fanatic issues a statement that he did it all for the MPAA/RIAA. The remaining French declare war on those two organizations and send the French Foreign legion to the U.S. to retaliate. They infiltrate coffee shops throughout L.A. It becomes impossible for record-company execs to get a decent cup of coffee without a heaping helping of attitude. Unable to understand why the waitstaff isn't nice to them anymore, the entire recording industry commits suicide en mass. LA is briefly caught in a panic, but when they realize just what has happened, ten million people shrug and go about their business.
I've worked at a tech startup or two, and it seems as though they all think the same way. They flatter themselves into thinking that they're "visionaries" who are going to change a whole industry (utter madness of course). Their egos swell up, they puff out their chests, they start walking around like they're geniuses (a legend in their own mind!) and before you know it, even the secretaries are signing NDAs, noncompetes, etc ad nauseum. It's generally total horseshit, of course, but what can you do? People are silly, shallow creatures and they love to puff themselves up. It makes 'em feel like bigshots.
What's worse than NDAs, though, is IP agreements which lay claim to all work a programmer does, whether on company time or off. The incredible arrogance of dot-bomb founders is apparent here. They think they have a right to "monetize" everything done by every one of their employees -- to co-opt not only their own stinky ideas, but the ideas all of their wage-slaves have too!
The world would be a whole lot better if some of these people would catch a clue or two and realize they're just small businessmen trying to start up a small outfit and behave accordingly: appreciate their employees, work hard, show a little humility, and build their business. Of course, that'll never happen...
Chess club dork #1: "Hey, I just heard one of those IBM guys talking in their huddle..."
Chess club dork #2: "Which one? That giant one with spikes on his shoulder pads?"
Chess club dork #1: "No, the other one, the one that keeps pointing at you and growling."
Chess club dork #2: "Ok, ok. What did he say?"
Chess club dork #1: "They were talking about something called a blitz."
Chess club dork #2: "A blintz?"
Chess club dork #1: "No, a BLITZ. No 'N'".
Chess club dork #3: "Huh. I wonder what that means?"
Chess club dork #2: "Who knows. Ok, look. When Charley passes me the ball, I'll run back a few steps like they always do and I'll throw it that way. Hey, doug, you run like hell and make a touchdown, ok? How hard could it be? These guys are all big, lumbering idiots."
(A minute later, on the line).
IBM Football Jock: "Grr... DEATH TO CHESS CLUB DORKS!"
Chess club dork leader: "Talk is cheap. I think you'll find..."
(one of the other chess club kids, I can't tell 'em apart, can you?): "Um... 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, HIKE"
RUMMMMBBLLLLLLLLEEEEEEEE!
(the dust clears).
Referee: "I can't look, it's too horrible. My god, the football team ran straight over them, their poor little dorky heads are all crushed, cleat marks... (SOB) I can't look!"
Janitor: "And, just who the hell do you think is going to clean this mess up? This is some major repugnant shit. Matter of fact, why the hell am I on brain detail? Hey, coach, get your ass down here and start picking up these here brain chunks!"
Coach: "I'm like a race car, and I'm running in the red. And, all I'm saying is, it's not safe to run a race car in the red. I'm ready to blow."
Janitor: "Oh, you're ready to blow, eh? Well, I'm a mushroom cloud laying motherfucker, motherfucker! Take this bucket and mop, I'm going home. Screw this job, I'm moving to L.A. and becoming a hit man."
Slashdot Mirror
The worst conflict I ever had with a sysadmin was when I was doing Perl for a small company in New Jersey. They had a development group in Manhattan which used VB 6 extensively. Some idiot in that group floated a suggestion that ALL programming at the company use Hungarian Notation. So this sysadmin informs me that as a matter of policy, from now on all of my Perl variables will use Hungarian notation.
;)
But, I pointed out, in Perl a variable's type depends on context.
"Huh?" He asked.
"Ok, I read in a number as a string. Then I use it as a number. Then I format it using a regexp. Then I print it as a string. What is it, a number, or a string?
"Use two variables, one integer with an "i" prefix and one string with an "str" prefix." he said.
"Well, now that you're using double the memory to perform the same task, let's consider. How will this scale when we've got thousands, or tens of thousands, of hits?" (this was going to be a CGI app). I crossed my arms and waited.
"Doesn't matter. Use Hungarian Notation. It'll make it easier to read your code."
"But it's fucking stupid."
"No it's not! DO IT!" (and so on, ad infinitum).
I called a friend of mine, who had taught me a lot of my Perl knowledge, and I asked him, point blank, what he thought of all this.
"Your sysadmin's a re-re." He said.
"A what?" I asked.
"A re-re. A retard. Freshen your resume."
And, so I did...
Actually, the iBook only costs about 1600 bucks, with a nice, medium-level setup (640MB ram, 60GB hard drive, extra battery, DVD/CD-R drive). And it has a ruggedized hard disk (rubber mounted) and a polycarbonate shell, with a magnesium frame.
They're nice. Not as tough as what you're talking about, but then, they are much more powerful.
And, ruggedized laptops don't let you use iTunes and an iPod to manage your music collection.
Well, you don't HAVE to check books out. You can do all your research right at the library. That's more neighborly anyway, because it doesn't take the books you're using out of circulation. If you check them out, no one can use them until you return them.
Anyway, as long as you don't check books out of the library, you can't be tracked based on what books you're using. If you need to reference some of the material, photocopy the copyright page of the book, the author/title page, and the pages you need to reference. All of this is covered under fair use, retains all the info you need to make a citation to that book, and leaves the book safely in the library for others to use.
The government has been tracking library use for decades, it didn't start with the Patriot act. But as long as you don't use your library card, you're safe from the snoops.
Idea: get a library card, and in between photocopying pages of whatever strange literature you're interested in, keep checking out deliberately innocuous stuff. "Uh, Mr. Ashcroft, sir? It seems Mr. Philman has been checking out a large number of books about rose gardening and interior decoration. I think we can drop him, he's a little too fru-fru to worry about..."
Here's a better idea:
;)
You know how you can buy fine steel mesh, which is so thin it can be folded like cloth? Sew it into a cubish shape and line your backpack with that. Layer it. Build yourself a nice little faraday cage with it. You can even put a zipper in the top of it, so it's like a backpack within a backpack.
If you're really an overachiever, contact one of the zillion or so armor smiths currently doing chainmail by mail order, and order a chainmail kit. Make a chainmail sack to put inside your backpack. The steel would conduct charge very well, and it would DESTROY the reception of the RFIDs the same way the rebar in concrete walls does.
More durable than tinfoil, and very presentable, too!
From their product catalog:
"The Bioweapons division of the Weyland-Yutani corporation is proud to release its new Predalien-model drone! This beautiful marvel of roving mayhem is capable of a forty foot vertical or horizontal pounce, can head-bite your enemies from up to several feet away, can sneak up on competing executives along ceilings, walls, and through air ducts, and is armed with a six-foot barbed tail, nine inch claws, four inch fangs, and a sixteen inch extensible subjaw with three inch fangs! Optional Architect remote control not included. Satisfaction guaranteed!"
BUT, of course, you should read the disclaimer (it's in very tiny print at the back of the catalog):
"Weyland-Yutani corporation makes all AlienTech(tm) available on an As-Is basis, with no warranty whatsoever. Additionally, customer agrees to fully indemnify Weyland-Yutani corporation from any and all legal repurcussions that may result from customer's use of AlienTech(tm) products, including (but not limited to) impregnation by larval AlienTech, deaths of coworkers, family, pets, entire community, or detonation of spacecraft or Atmospheric Processor Units. Use AlienTech wisely."
Sigh...
Typical Slashdot silliness. Go ahead and attack me because I state the obvious. Why should I sympathize with someone whose research is already obsolete? Perhaps he should have realized "Oh! They've released tiny little PDAs which outclass and unman my device. Perhaps I should switch gears and change with the times!" These people have just kept doggedly pursuing an idea which is already dead, and you claim fatuously that I'm just "an uninformed nincompoop". God, whatta maroon. What a pidgeon you are.
I've checked out a lot more pages on this subject than I'd guess you have, as it's a secret hobby of mine. And, I know something about the needs a person with a portable device must consider. Let me clue you in on a few things:
1. A single, compact, ruggedized device is far superior to a bunch of non-ruggedized devices hooked up with several feet of wiring. Why? Because every connection in their wiring is another failure point. Another place where water may get into the system, shorting it out. Another place where strain hardening will eventually break the wiring, breaking the system. Another place where the wiring itself might get hung up and torn. Another place where the connection might loosen and separate, causing the device to fail. Should I go on? Or do you get the point?
2. One single compact device is superior to a collection of connected devices because it can be ported quickly from one set of clothing to another, for example when you get soaked in a downpour or fall in some mud and want to change clothes.
3. One single compact device is superior to a collection of connected devices because it is easier to clean when something nasty gets on it, something that would be of interest to the surgeons mentioned in another post.
4. One single compact device is easier to upgrade.
5. One single compact device is more portable, smaller, easier to store, and easier to SELL because it can be packaged in a smaller, neater package.
Should I go on, you uninformed and overconfident noob? You're a schmuck hiding behind your geek fetishes. The vast majority of people will react in EXACTLY the same way as I have when presented with this idiotic technology. No one will buy it. They'll already have converged PDAs. They'll laugh at your silly tech, and it'll flop. Hard.
Live with it. Deal. And, quit picking on the messenger. It isn't MY fault your pet interest is already obsolete. It isn't MY fault you can't change gears and adapt. You and everyone like you is an evolutionary dead end waiting to happen.
Good luck with that.
Everything you're suggesting can be done in a PDA without sewing it into an article of clothing (just tuck it in a shirt pocket, and plug in a HUD shaped like a pair of headphones). Binding computers to clothing IS kinda dumb. Using Augmented reality has nothing to do with the act of sewing a computer into a coat, ok? They're two separate things. Augmented Reality => smart, Computer Clothing => stupid. Just my opinion, of course, but I'd bet dollars to doughnuts that computer clothing would flop in the market harder than a fat man diving into an empty pool.
I'll tell you what everyone and their mothers are going to buy: convergence -- combination PDAs, GPS receivers, and Cell Phones. But you can fit all that in a case the size of a small paperback book. Why sew it into a jacket??? See what I mean?
I agree. I look at the wearable computers people are putting together, and all I see is a rats nest of cabling and parts, just hanging all over the place. It's bulky, it's messy, and it doesn't do as much as a garden-variety PDA you can buy for under five hundred dollars. Wearables totally leave me cold; I think they're already obsolete, and they're not even a "mature technology" yet!
Here's what I think is going to find its way into wide use: combination PDA/Cell Phone systems with a heads-up display that works like a set of slim walkman earphones. Basically, you'd have your PDA/Cell in the vest pocket of your jacket, and a clip-on display would be hooked to your glasses. Just like an old walkman, a form factor people are already accustomed to.
Think about it: cell phone and PDA convergence is already happening, the technology is already almost as good as that in laptops, and the clip-on heads up displays are already on the market.
Why would anyone want to buy clothing that contained electronics, which you couldn't wash normally, and which couldn't be changed from year to year as fashions change? Clothing and computers just don't mix. No one is ever going to buy it.
Nah, my money is on hybrid cell phones and PDAs run by fuel cell, with onboard GPS and a slick heads up display modeled like walkman headphones. They're smaller, you can waterproof and shockproof them, and they'll look cool when you show them to your friends.
Common sense, isn't it?
I loved your post, and of course, you're right, but I find the BSOD vaguely unsatisfying. It's just blue. I think they should trick it out a little, you know? Jazz it up. Add some loud noises and maybe a surprising and startling display, like the goatse guy in a flash animation turning himself inside out and disappearing into a singularity.
That'd be kinda cool, wouldn't it?
User: "AAAAH! MY EYES! MY EYES!!!"
So you didn't insult me first? And, call me a troll? Thus trolling me? Equally classic.
If you had responded like the other poster, and discussed the matter with me without namecalling, we would have arrived at the conclusion that the librarian MEANT that the holdings of the library of congress were matched *when it comes to federal documents and publications* but not when it comes to private publications. And, I would have said "my bad" and it would have been dropped. But, in fine Slashdotter form, you called me a troll (everyone on this freaky board seems to call posts they don't like trolls or flamebait; the terms are becoming impotent from overuse).
And, I CAN remember where the library is. The first one I visited was in Phoenix, Arizona, on the ASU campus. The second one was in Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. At what point did I say I can't remember where the library is? I BELIEVE what I said was, I don't remember which library I had the conversation in. But, I think it was at SIUC.
Finally, I think I pointed out that their holdings were mostly on microfiche and microfilm (at the time, now it's all electronic), which take up much less space than the original books. SO, the physical size of the library has nothing whatsoever to do with the data it contains. Of course, you would have had to actually visualize a microfiche to understand what I meant, and you were too busy calling me a troll. Or, in this post, calling what I'm saying preposterous and ridiculous. Again, in typical slashdot-creep fashion, you missed the whole point of my post which was that the federal repositories tend to be really good places to do research because of their strong holdings. A point that is neither ridiculous or preposterous. Maybe you should actually GO TO ONE before you attempt to insult me further.
Don't call people names, and they won't call you names. Especially waving around loaded terms like "troll". Like, duh.
Your first comment makes sense; I had the impression a state would apply to have its library be used, but in retrospect it makes sense that Congress would choose. That's cool.
;)
Second, about the library of congress, that makes sense, too; I understand how I got that wrong. Thanks for telling me politely. So in terms of federal materials, a federal repository matches the library of congress's holdings, but only in terms of federal materials. Non-federal materials aren't represented. Well, that's a misunderstanding on my part. My bad...
Finally, I wasn't aware that non-public colleges and libraries were designated as repositories, but that makes sense too. Interesting. Well, I should have realized a place like Harvard would have one.
Interestingly enough, the troll did post a good link. I had no idea there were so many! I thought it was a couple per state. Apparently there are over 1200. Kinda cool though.
The best part about JSRF is that you don't have to do missions if you're not in the mood; you can just skate around Shibuya, do stunts, slide along the bannisters, and so on. It's a hell of a lot of fun after work when you don't really want to get wrapped up in something, and just want to fool around a little...
A clarification, because the trolls are already coming out of the woodwork (and it's been what, half an hour?):
Ok, "verbatim copies of the library of congress" seems to be attracting attention from the literal minded and the anally retentive. So, let me rephrase that. One of the librarians at one of the depositories/repositories (I've heard them called both terms) told me that the library contained just about every single document, paper, etc that was stored in the library of congress, either as a microfilm or a microfiche. That, combined with the library's other extensive holdings made it a very interesting place. The person showed me military topographical maps of the region, and let me know with a wink that federal documents weren't the ONLY thing stored in a depository library -- many limited-access things are too. If I remember, they had a pretty extensive patent-search setup, too.
I went to the link posted by the creepy fucker who called me a troll. It was informative, I'll grant him that. And, it listed the vast resources made available through this program, which backed up some of what I was trying to say. But it didn't exactly negate what I had said. Far from it.
What I can't figure out is, IF some of my post was factually incorrect or slightly exaggerated, (the jury's still out on that one) it would have been more appropriate to inform me of it without insulting me.
Perhaps the words "Nice Troll" were a cautionary warning on HIS post, rather than an editorial on mine...
Actually, someone I was talking to in one of the two libraries (I don't remember which, I think it was Carbondale) told me that they had either microfilm or microfiche copies (or both in some cases) of every document in the library of congress. Plus, of course, their own holdings which were very extensive. So take your "troll" insult and shove it up your pasty fat ass. Schmuck.
I usually do quickie searches on the web, and compare as many citations as I can find (to build consensus). However, I take everything I see on the web with a huge grain of salt. If I'm really interested in something, I find a university library that's open to the public and I research my topic.
Having said this, the very best possible place to do research is in one of your state's Federal Repositories.
Every state in the Union designates at least a couple of its largest state university libraries as Federal Repositories. These contain verbatim copies of the library of congress. The idea behind them is that if the library of congress were ever to be destroyed, it could be reproduced in short order from one of the hundred or so Federal Repositories scattered all over the nation.
Because the repositories are generally in the largest, most fully stocked research libraries in a given state, they're a great place to get the best info available on most subjects. And, as far as I know, they are available to the public because they're part of a public institution (i.e. the research university they're a part of).
I learned about them a number of years ago, when I attended a college that had an enormous repository -- Arizona State University in Phoenix. Later, I spent a few months in Carbondale, Illinois, and checked out their repository. Nice!
Anyway, for research, you can't beat it. And, the facilities are usually top-notch.
Not scary enough... I was thinking something more along the lines of the "facehugger pounces on you" effect from Aliens Vs. predator, combined with angry cat noises and a barf sound...
Sssh! Quiet! If a rumor like that gets around, I'll never get laid again!
GAMES:
1. If the user doesn't have to stop what he's doing to solve an inexplicable puzzle every few minutes, he'll be done waaaay too fast.
2. Obey the principle of most astonishment. Surprise the user as often as possible! Preferably with something terrifying that makes him literally fling himself out of his chair (example: the aliens in Alien Vs. Predator love to sneak up on you along walls and ceilings and suddenly let you have it from three directions -- a guaranteed excuse to press "pause" and go put on a new pair of underwear).
3. If the user screws something up, HE MUST BE PUNISHED. Usually, this means his onscreen persona (resume, spreadsheet, etc) should die a wretched, gory death, scaring the crap out of the user (see #2) and he should have to start whatever he was doing over from his last save point. This of course encourages saving documents frequently, always a good thing with Microsoft software.
4. If the software includes networking features, you MUST include a "taunt" feature. Allow preformatted taunts and on-the-fly taunts; both are equally fun for all. "Hey, BILL! Your powerpoint SUCKS!"
5. And, finally, you have to include a few easter eggs and hidden areas. These should include a "must-have" that isn't granted to ordinary users (like, say, print preview).
And, people said video gaming wouldn't ever get me anywhere!
Would you go with Microsoft? Probably not.
Consider this from the point of view of the Indian government. They can:
A) Let Microsoft come in with low initial prices, taking over the Indian software market and then exerting absolute control later on, or
B) Assign teams at whichever Indian college has the best research facilities, provide them copies of Linux and the BSDs, and have them roll out a purely Indian Linux and/or BSD that can be used across the board as an Indian National O/S. It could be completely pre-vetted for security holes, OpenBSD style, and it could be engineered to support all Indian languages natively alongside English, instead of having them as add-ons. Also it could be used throughout the entire Indian infrastructure, freeing them from any reliance on foreign concerns. Updates could come from the team that rolled it out in the first place. Couple this with a cheap homegrown computer, of course...
Seriously. If you were in the Indian government, what would YOU do?
I'm no expert, and I'm strictly talking "off the top of my head" here, but I have a couple of ideas for you.
First of all, I never understood why people who were serving up something static like news articles would want to store them in a database, fetching them dynamically with Java. They usually say "to permit searching" but there are other ways to do that (i.e. store some metadata and URLs in the database, and the actual articles in the filesystem). I think most people who write database apps do it because "that's how you're supposed to do it"; they follow the herd and play it safe. Others are building whatever is going to look good on their consultant resumes.
Consider this: what if you were to store your text articles as xml flat files in a web-accessible filesystem on a server? The xml files would contain tagging for all of the metadata for the articles, plus the article content. You could work out a scheme in which the actual path to the article xml file was related to the article metadata, to ease searching and lookup (you could search based on metadata, article text, paths, or whatever). If you have media files related to the article, give it a "media" directory, and work out a tagging scheme for the xml file which allows you to place the media's URL in the file. You could use an XSLT stylesheet to convert the file for display in a browser, on the fly, when a user requests it. Maybe minimize your use of the database, using it more for user/permissions management than actual article management. Use Perl scripts and PHP web pages to actually interact with the system.
Benefits: You're spending a whole lot less money on your tools, you can back up your whole system by burning chunks of the flat-file directory to CD-Rom, Your scripts aren't going to be memory hogs because they'll probably only be a couple of K each, load balancing is going to be a piece of cake because you'll be mirroring your filesystem on each server (all the calls will be the same), you can use any inexpensive/free O/S you want (Linux, FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, etc), you can go with a basic Apache system so it won't be that hard to administer...
I know it's old fashioned and totally unsexy, but it worked pretty well for the old-timers. Or, if you want it to be sexy, pick up some of those fru-fru Apple rack servers. They're pretty, and they seem easy enough to admin.
You've got lots of options, just get your own coders. If you hire consultants, they'll go for maxing out their billable hours and their expense sheet. In-house guys are generally on salary and don't have much in the way of conflicts of interest (umm... IF, that is, you don't hire any fanatics).
Anyway, like I said, I'm no expert but here are a few ideas to chew over. Free Advice, no warranty, YMMV, etc.
Slashdot Commentator said: "The French Foreign Legion is manned by foreigners. If you want to inflict a lethal level of attitude, you must send French citizens."
;)
DOH! Umm... How about Parisian philosophy students? I'm thinking nihilists... I'd say, "send German nihilists" but the French would be afraid of those...
"MPAA/RIAA personnel are cockroaches. And like cockroaches, its going to take more than hatred to get them to drop dead. Sad, but true."
Yes, but aren't almost all Hollywood types totally neurotic? If you believe their self-referential fiction, that is... So abuse heaped from a direction from which they're used to sycophantic adoration might put a dent in 'em. But I see your point. It's kind of a tough call, though; how WOULD you mess with someone who's already universally hated? It'd be like bombing a crater. Hmm... Back to the drawing board on THAT one...
Maybe the French can infiltrate their "Au Pair" services instead. Picture it: all the little rock and movie producer's kids start wearing black turtlenecks, smoking Galoise and cloves, wearing way too much eye makeup and complaining continuously about the producer's "Bourgeois bullsheeit" (in a thick, french accent, of course). THEN, they stop bathing! Eeewwww...
Well, I don't think science fiction authors are going for "satisfying". I think they're trying to show us just how bad things could get if we let them go on like this. For example, if most work ends up being done by machines except for creative and scientific work, almost everyone is going to be out of a job. They're not going to be living lives of leisure -- they're going to be POOR. The rich are going to take all the money they save by hiring robots and stick it in their swiss bank accounts, ok? The rest of us will be more or less screwed.
I don't think that this revelation is meant to be satisfying.
Step 1: Wealthy techies start using deep-sea robots purchased with their stock-options money to cut the trans-pacific and trans-atlantic data cables at random times and random locations, approximately once a week. This in turn prevents the offshoring/outsourcing industry from communicating with their sweatshops overseas, resulting in the hiring of thousands of local programmers to pick up the slack. The economy sees a slight rebound. Some companies continue to offshore using satellite technology. So...
2. Even wealthier techies finish designing a space plane which can cheaply get up into orbit and back down to earth. They build a fleet of twenty, hide them in widely-spaced mountain retreats staffed with Linux geeks, stock them with thousands of pounds of ramen noodles, coffee, videogames, and porno, and start sending missions up into orbit to de-orbit satellites used by offshoring companies. Bored teenagers pilot the space planes, marvelling that "Man, it's even better than Descent -- Freespace!" The economy rebounds a little more. But, then -- damnnit! -- the offshoring companies start using sneakernet and mules to courier work back and forth. So...
3. The two groups of techies, determined to save the economy, begin to resort to black-bag techniques to foil the mule's attempts. Some switch bags on the couriers, replacing the suitcases full of cd-roms with suitcases full of scat-fetish pr0n. Others simply mug the couriers, dragging them into the airport restrooms for a quick beating and a swirly. Some, truly getting carried away, have a Quake III flashback and detonate the couriers. This, unfortunately, is misinterpereted by the Office of Homeland Security and all hell breaks loose. America declares war on France. By the time it is revealed that the Quake III fanatic was actually Belgian, it is too late... Paris is in ruins, its people reduced to eating air-dropped big macs. Millions commit suicide. So then...
Despondent at having caused the big-mac-induced suicides of millions of people and wishing for some good to come out of it, the belgian Quake III fanatic issues a statement that he did it all for the MPAA/RIAA. The remaining French declare war on those two organizations and send the French Foreign legion to the U.S. to retaliate. They infiltrate coffee shops throughout L.A. It becomes impossible for record-company execs to get a decent cup of coffee without a heaping helping of attitude. Unable to understand why the waitstaff isn't nice to them anymore, the entire recording industry commits suicide en mass. LA is briefly caught in a panic, but when they realize just what has happened, ten million people shrug and go about their business.
End result: things are kinda cool again! Hooray!
So get busy, techie geeks! We're counting on you!
I've worked at a tech startup or two, and it seems as though they all think the same way. They flatter themselves into thinking that they're "visionaries" who are going to change a whole industry (utter madness of course). Their egos swell up, they puff out their chests, they start walking around like they're geniuses (a legend in their own mind!) and before you know it, even the secretaries are signing NDAs, noncompetes, etc ad nauseum. It's generally total horseshit, of course, but what can you do? People are silly, shallow creatures and they love to puff themselves up. It makes 'em feel like bigshots.
What's worse than NDAs, though, is IP agreements which lay claim to all work a programmer does, whether on company time or off. The incredible arrogance of dot-bomb founders is apparent here. They think they have a right to "monetize" everything done by every one of their employees -- to co-opt not only their own stinky ideas, but the ideas all of their wage-slaves have too!
The world would be a whole lot better if some of these people would catch a clue or two and realize they're just small businessmen trying to start up a small outfit and behave accordingly: appreciate their employees, work hard, show a little humility, and build their business. Of course, that'll never happen...
Chess club dork #1: "Hey, I just heard one of those IBM guys talking in their huddle..."
;)
Chess club dork #2: "Which one? That giant one with spikes on his shoulder pads?"
Chess club dork #1: "No, the other one, the one that keeps pointing at you and growling."
Chess club dork #2: "Ok, ok. What did he say?"
Chess club dork #1: "They were talking about something called a blitz."
Chess club dork #2: "A blintz?"
Chess club dork #1: "No, a BLITZ. No 'N'".
Chess club dork #3: "Huh. I wonder what that means?"
Chess club dork #2: "Who knows. Ok, look. When Charley passes me the ball, I'll run back a few steps like they always do and I'll throw it that way. Hey, doug, you run like hell and make a touchdown, ok? How hard could it be? These guys are all big, lumbering idiots."
(A minute later, on the line).
IBM Football Jock: "Grr... DEATH TO CHESS CLUB DORKS!"
Chess club dork leader: "Talk is cheap. I think you'll find..."
(one of the other chess club kids, I can't tell 'em apart, can you?): "Um... 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, HIKE"
RUMMMMBBLLLLLLLLEEEEEEEE!
(the dust clears).
Referee: "I can't look, it's too horrible. My god, the football team ran straight over them, their poor little dorky heads are all crushed, cleat marks... (SOB) I can't look!"
Janitor: "And, just who the hell do you think is going to clean this mess up? This is some major repugnant shit. Matter of fact, why the hell am I on brain detail? Hey, coach, get your ass down here and start picking up these here brain chunks!"
Coach: "I'm like a race car, and I'm running in the red. And, all I'm saying is, it's not safe to run a race car in the red. I'm ready to blow."
Janitor: "Oh, you're ready to blow, eh? Well, I'm a mushroom cloud laying motherfucker, motherfucker! Take this bucket and mop, I'm going home. Screw this job, I'm moving to L.A. and becoming a hit man."
Fade to black...