"Unless we kill ourselves, mankind will probably exist in 1 million years."
Mankind could become extinct and a whole new form of intelligent life could evolve and surpass us. Then they could go extinct and the cycle starts again. Rinse lather repeat. A million years in incomprehensible.
Unfortunately I would be surprised if mankind doesn't kill themselves off in the next couple of hundred years.
If it helps the blind then what is the big deal. In Canada we have $1 and $2 coins that replaced paper bills years ago. Everyone hated the idea back then but now nobody cares. The looney and the twooney are a part of Canadian culture now. We still use them an nobody thinks twice about it. There was talk about a $5 coin and people were rolling their eyes. If it happened nobody would ever think twice about it ten years down the road. They are more economical then paper money (last for decades) and are easier to distinguish for blind people.
No matter what form money takes, people will still love having it in their pocket.
First line; "A new IBM-sponsored study on Linux...."
I thought ZDNET only believed the Microsoft sponsored studies. Either way any article that touts something and starts with a line like that loses any credibility regardless of which "army" you are a part of.
I agree 100%. In all the talk about evoting I have not seen one good reason to switch to it. The paper ballot is reliable and delivers the will of the people. That is all that matters. I couldn't care less if some company wants to cash in with a useless solution that doesn't solve any problems but creates a whole mess of them. Even if evoting systems are perfected they need to be beyond reproach. Even the slightest doubt is unacceptable. Todays electronic solutions are just not ready for primetime. They are a solution in search of a problem that does not exist.
"It is sad to see electronic voting being thrown out with the bathwater."
I have to disagree with this. I think it is more sad to throw out a tried and tested method (paper ballot) that leaves no doubt of the democratic outcome of an election and is accountable and allows recounts and reliable audits. Democracy is more important then changing in the name of technological advance. Federal elections in Canada for instance still use paper ballots and the results are still known on the same day (usually within an hour or two). It's made possible by an army of dedicated people ensuring that the will of the people is properly recorded.
Once the technology is bullet proof and accountable it would be OK but it is unacceptable to test out these systems and work out the kinks during democratic elections.
3. How safe should I feel about uploading files with sensitive personal info?
I am surprised there is so little discussion here about this. Lots of "ooooing and aaaahhing" over "save as pdf" (which is kinda cool) but little about the fact that if you want to use as your main office suite then you need to upload your personal information.
It would be really cool if they distributed the program for installation on my own web server.
Very nice in a pinch though and will probably use it, even if in a somewhat limited fashion.
Why can't a company just release something? Hype the crap out of it and then underdeliver. Death of plasma? I still have rabbit ears on my 27" $300 TV.
No kidding, but my point is that there are a million other people who can help old Martha out with Windows or OSX. With Linux there would not be and you then become the centre of her support universe. Do you honestly think that if you install Linux for her she will quietly go about what she needs to do and not require any help?
I'm with you on OSX btw.
How do you deal with the increased amount of support calls for all these people you are converting? It's unlikely that they know anyone else who knows anything about Linux so you are now the "go to guy". How do you maintain your patience when you're watching a movie at 11pm and old Martha calls asking why she can't connect to the Net or that she can't install that software from work?
I mean, as you convert more people how do you deal with being front line support for everyone because you can't just stick them on Linux and then say RTFM. Just curious because that is the main reason I don't install Linux unless someone comes begging to me to want to learn. Honest questions here because I can see converting just a dozen people being a real pain in the ass. I love Linux but the things I love about it are not the things that the average user really wants out of their system.
thanks
The only way they will get clue is if the situation becomes an embarassement. That's the way government works. Just the fact that a high ranking public servant had to explain will stir the pot somewhat. Right now they are in damage control mode. Now they will wait and see if the story subsides. If it does they will note that this method was successful for keeping things calm. If the shit really hits the fan then high level committees will be struck to discuss the issue and attack the problem. The problem will not be the breach of security but how to not look stupid in the future. They will do this by developing broad new policies for IT security that will take months to implement and will be for the most part unworkable. A big part of the plan will also deal with "risk management", which is a nice way of saying how to "not look stupid when the shit hits the fan next time".
I have been a public servant for too long and maybe I am a little jaded but when you see this scenario over and over it becomes really easy to predict.
The first rule of public service, don't look stupid and don't embarass anyone. Incompetence is fine just keep it quiet. I can guarantee that there will be some 'splainin to do because the big guy had to address this publicly.
"All of the equipment that was lost or stolen contained protections to prevent a breach of personal information," said Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez. "The amount of missing computers is high, but fortunately, the vulnerability for data misuse is low."
Ya, OK, I know I feel better. My bet is that they all had some kind of encryption software installed on them that very little to none of the users actually use.
"..stating that about half of users surveyed across the globe are now looking to get downloadable videos, movies and other content onto their TV"
...and the other half want it when they see someone else do it. I have XBMC on my network and people can't believe that I stream video from my pc to the tv. First thing they say is....."I want it!".
Actually economists do this all the time. Natural disasters (man made ones too for that matter) stimulate GDP growth. Whether the cause was positive or negative is usually overlooked. I once recall an Finance professor in University stating that what this economy needs is a good war. His tongue was firmly planted in his cheek but the point was made.
Hey, that was an awesome post and a really interesting look at the history of childhood. Oh, and thanks for taking me back to the 70's. That's pretty much how I remember it too.
cheers
Parents who give their kids plenty of time and attention don't have to worry about "new-fangled" technologies hurting their kids. It's all about balance. If you let your kid play video games endlessly because you are too lazy as a parent to get involved then yes it's bad. If you are unwilling to bolster you kids self-esteem without the help of $300 running shoes then you suck as a parent and the kid loses out.
I would say none of that other stuff is to blame as much as detached, indifferent parenting.
If email is so important to you then why not purchase email service from another provider? I have an account with Simplicato. for $2/month I get IMAP access and 25Mb storage (and ten email forward addresses to my main one). You can purchase more if needed but this is tonnes of space for what I do. I couldn't imagine ever using my ISP email address for anything. Of course you need to register your own domain but big deal.
Personally I'd love to see us progress to the point where it was possible to grow just the meat itself without the animal. That would end all the ethical issues with raising an animal for food..."
If someone has an ethical issue with eating meat then they should be a vegetarian. Otherwise that would make one a hypocrite wouldn't it? I used to have that issue until one day I realized that I am what I am. I am human which means I take from this planet to survive. Humans are much more parasitic then they let on. This is what we do and to deny it while chomping down on a burger is hypocritical. If you want to take the high road then I commend you but Go ahead, eat your headless lab grown meat, just get it the hell off my plate.
TFA doesn't mention anything about if you can watch on a regular TV. Does it still have to be watched only on an ipod. I've never owned an ipod and fall smack in the middle of the I love'em and hate'em crowds but is this really something that ipod owners want?
I can't imagine watching movies on it unless I can plug it into my tv.
Well, we aren't the first to have this discussion on whether it's gambling or not. I hear what you are saying, and I guess that if you are not everestimating your abilities (playing games you can beat) and you take the long term view then you are right that it's not gambling. However that is the case with a small minority of players. Ask a winning player going through a 300-500BB downswing due to normal variance how they feel. It takes a pretty big set of stones to keep focused and realize that the long term really means the "long long" term. I would say that for the majority of players it is gambling but if you are one of those players that keep meticulous records and manage their bankroll and game selection like a business, not to mention working on their games continuously then you will have taken much of the long term risk out of it. Also, I will try and avoid sitting at your table.:-)
Cheers.
You missed the important point, that poker is a game that is not played against the house. Players play against each other and therefore the good players have a positive expectation. Too busy name calling I guess. Too bad he said he was not a gambler because it overshadowed a good post that plainly explains why poker is different from regular gambling games. Poker is gambling but instead of getting butt raped by the house you get to be the house.
It's easy to shit on others ideas but until he comes up with an affordable alternative who cares what he thinks. I suppose Jobs has his shorts in a knot too because they aren't bundled with an Ipod. Sheesh doesn't he understand the whole electricity issue in poorer areas of the world?
At the risk of being modded redundant (since I would mod this DELL\Linux issue redundant if I could anyway)....the real reason is that it just isn't worth the time. They are a hardware company and they sell a shit load of hardware with Windows on it. The majority of the money comes from the low end user and that user wants the same thing their brother has or their cousin or their grandkid and that's Windows. I have never been a huge fan of MS or Linux on the desktop, I use both and they both work well enough for me. In fact Windows is not that horrendous once you've installed Firefox and Thunderbird on it. It works "good enough" and that's what people want.
If Dell really wants to serve the Linux community then they should ensure their hardware is compatiple and they apply pressure to those they buy their components from to write good Linux drivers which they can make available for download.
I don't need them to preinstall Linux and I don't need some dude in India to tell me how to chmod this or that. Just give us hardware that works. This whole thing about not wanting to offend the Linux community by choosing a distro...I call bullshit. Grow a set of balls and tell everyone your certifying Debian to work on Dell hardware. So many distros seem to be based on Debian that it seems to be a safe choice. Throw in Suse and RHEL too for good measure and who cares if the folks down at ObscureLinux get their shorts in a knot. No matter what you do you will insult people in the Linux community so no harm done.
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Mankind could become extinct and a whole new form of intelligent life could evolve and surpass us. Then they could go extinct and the cycle starts again. Rinse lather repeat. A million years in incomprehensible.
Unfortunately I would be surprised if mankind doesn't kill themselves off in the next couple of hundred years.
If it helps the blind then what is the big deal. In Canada we have $1 and $2 coins that replaced paper bills years ago. Everyone hated the idea back then but now nobody cares. The looney and the twooney are a part of Canadian culture now. We still use them an nobody thinks twice about it. There was talk about a $5 coin and people were rolling their eyes. If it happened nobody would ever think twice about it ten years down the road. They are more economical then paper money (last for decades) and are easier to distinguish for blind people. No matter what form money takes, people will still love having it in their pocket.
War, what is it good for?
I agree 100%. In all the talk about evoting I have not seen one good reason to switch to it. The paper ballot is reliable and delivers the will of the people. That is all that matters. I couldn't care less if some company wants to cash in with a useless solution that doesn't solve any problems but creates a whole mess of them. Even if evoting systems are perfected they need to be beyond reproach. Even the slightest doubt is unacceptable. Todays electronic solutions are just not ready for primetime. They are a solution in search of a problem that does not exist.
I have to disagree with this. I think it is more sad to throw out a tried and tested method (paper ballot) that leaves no doubt of the democratic outcome of an election and is accountable and allows recounts and reliable audits. Democracy is more important then changing in the name of technological advance. Federal elections in Canada for instance still use paper ballots and the results are still known on the same day (usually within an hour or two). It's made possible by an army of dedicated people ensuring that the will of the people is properly recorded. Once the technology is bullet proof and accountable it would be OK but it is unacceptable to test out these systems and work out the kinks during democratic elections.
Except they we're really hot. -1 lame.......sorry
I am surprised there is so little discussion here about this. Lots of "ooooing and aaaahhing" over "save as pdf" (which is kinda cool) but little about the fact that if you want to use as your main office suite then you need to upload your personal information. It would be really cool if they distributed the program for installation on my own web server.
Very nice in a pinch though and will probably use it, even if in a somewhat limited fashion.
Why can't a company just release something? Hype the crap out of it and then underdeliver. Death of plasma? I still have rabbit ears on my 27" $300 TV.
No kidding, but my point is that there are a million other people who can help old Martha out with Windows or OSX. With Linux there would not be and you then become the centre of her support universe. Do you honestly think that if you install Linux for her she will quietly go about what she needs to do and not require any help? I'm with you on OSX btw.
How do you deal with the increased amount of support calls for all these people you are converting? It's unlikely that they know anyone else who knows anything about Linux so you are now the "go to guy". How do you maintain your patience when you're watching a movie at 11pm and old Martha calls asking why she can't connect to the Net or that she can't install that software from work? I mean, as you convert more people how do you deal with being front line support for everyone because you can't just stick them on Linux and then say RTFM. Just curious because that is the main reason I don't install Linux unless someone comes begging to me to want to learn. Honest questions here because I can see converting just a dozen people being a real pain in the ass. I love Linux but the things I love about it are not the things that the average user really wants out of their system. thanks
The only way they will get clue is if the situation becomes an embarassement. That's the way government works. Just the fact that a high ranking public servant had to explain will stir the pot somewhat. Right now they are in damage control mode. Now they will wait and see if the story subsides. If it does they will note that this method was successful for keeping things calm. If the shit really hits the fan then high level committees will be struck to discuss the issue and attack the problem. The problem will not be the breach of security but how to not look stupid in the future. They will do this by developing broad new policies for IT security that will take months to implement and will be for the most part unworkable. A big part of the plan will also deal with "risk management", which is a nice way of saying how to "not look stupid when the shit hits the fan next time". I have been a public servant for too long and maybe I am a little jaded but when you see this scenario over and over it becomes really easy to predict. The first rule of public service, don't look stupid and don't embarass anyone. Incompetence is fine just keep it quiet. I can guarantee that there will be some 'splainin to do because the big guy had to address this publicly.
From TFA:
"All of the equipment that was lost or stolen contained protections to prevent a breach of personal information," said Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez. "The amount of missing computers is high, but fortunately, the vulnerability for data misuse is low."
Ya, OK, I know I feel better. My bet is that they all had some kind of encryption software installed on them that very little to none of the users actually use.
Actually economists do this all the time. Natural disasters (man made ones too for that matter) stimulate GDP growth. Whether the cause was positive or negative is usually overlooked. I once recall an Finance professor in University stating that what this economy needs is a good war. His tongue was firmly planted in his cheek but the point was made.
Hey, that was an awesome post and a really interesting look at the history of childhood. Oh, and thanks for taking me back to the 70's. That's pretty much how I remember it too. cheers
Parents who give their kids plenty of time and attention don't have to worry about "new-fangled" technologies hurting their kids. It's all about balance. If you let your kid play video games endlessly because you are too lazy as a parent to get involved then yes it's bad. If you are unwilling to bolster you kids self-esteem without the help of $300 running shoes then you suck as a parent and the kid loses out. I would say none of that other stuff is to blame as much as detached, indifferent parenting.
If email is so important to you then why not purchase email service from another provider? I have an account with Simplicato. for $2/month I get IMAP access and 25Mb storage (and ten email forward addresses to my main one). You can purchase more if needed but this is tonnes of space for what I do. I couldn't imagine ever using my ISP email address for anything. Of course you need to register your own domain but big deal.
If someone has an ethical issue with eating meat then they should be a vegetarian. Otherwise that would make one a hypocrite wouldn't it? I used to have that issue until one day I realized that I am what I am. I am human which means I take from this planet to survive. Humans are much more parasitic then they let on. This is what we do and to deny it while chomping down on a burger is hypocritical. If you want to take the high road then I commend you but Go ahead, eat your headless lab grown meat, just get it the hell off my plate.
Oh OK. I misunderstood. Thanks for clarifying. Sounds like a sweet setup.
TFA doesn't mention anything about if you can watch on a regular TV. Does it still have to be watched only on an ipod. I've never owned an ipod and fall smack in the middle of the I love'em and hate'em crowds but is this really something that ipod owners want? I can't imagine watching movies on it unless I can plug it into my tv.
Well, we aren't the first to have this discussion on whether it's gambling or not. I hear what you are saying, and I guess that if you are not everestimating your abilities (playing games you can beat) and you take the long term view then you are right that it's not gambling. However that is the case with a small minority of players. Ask a winning player going through a 300-500BB downswing due to normal variance how they feel. It takes a pretty big set of stones to keep focused and realize that the long term really means the "long long" term. I would say that for the majority of players it is gambling but if you are one of those players that keep meticulous records and manage their bankroll and game selection like a business, not to mention working on their games continuously then you will have taken much of the long term risk out of it. Also, I will try and avoid sitting at your table. :-)
Cheers.
You missed the important point, that poker is a game that is not played against the house. Players play against each other and therefore the good players have a positive expectation. Too busy name calling I guess.
Too bad he said he was not a gambler because it overshadowed a good post that plainly explains why poker is different from regular gambling games. Poker is gambling but instead of getting butt raped by the house you get to be the house.
It's easy to shit on others ideas but until he comes up with an affordable alternative who cares what he thinks. I suppose Jobs has his shorts in a knot too because they aren't bundled with an Ipod. Sheesh doesn't he understand the whole electricity issue in poorer areas of the world?
Spend $100 and get decent document shredder. I don't throw anything in the trash with my name and address on it period.
If Dell really wants to serve the Linux community then they should ensure their hardware is compatiple and they apply pressure to those they buy their components from to write good Linux drivers which they can make available for download.
I don't need them to preinstall Linux and I don't need some dude in India to tell me how to chmod this or that. Just give us hardware that works. This whole thing about not wanting to offend the Linux community by choosing a distro...I call bullshit. Grow a set of balls and tell everyone your certifying Debian to work on Dell hardware. So many distros seem to be based on Debian that it seems to be a safe choice. Throw in Suse and RHEL too for good measure and who cares if the folks down at ObscureLinux get their shorts in a knot. No matter what you do you will insult people in the Linux community so no harm done.