Yes, but consider that it should be already possible (never tried it) to put multiple WiFi cards into your router and bundle the bandwidth! Probably, soon everyone needs such a card to shout loud enough between all the other people in your neighbourhood who have already such a thing.
If the cards are smart enough to not completely cease to work if there is a wifi traffic jam - if they scale back on the number of channels occupied, everything should be ok(?)
IMHO, you're right. Partly. Partly, because there *ARE* still the power users, nerds and developers out there who want a functional desktop and like much information and like being able to tweak the desktop to their needs. Don't annoy these. That's really important. For example, do not remove dialog undo buttons from a widely used linux desktop environment because (it is assumed that) the avg. user is too stupid to use them!
So, yes, I'd like to switch off many fancy things for my grandma/-pa. But I also want to use the rarer features. And the command line.
What I'm trying to say is: Computers are complex. More complex than saws, screwdrivers, pencils, sheets of paper etc. You can't hide all that complexity behind an interface that fits everyone.
ACK (again). Too often I hear people taking about "C" if they really mean C++. It's still hard to believe for me, but it seems that C++ is considered old and impractical and C++ programs full of nasty pointers. But... the only relation of C++ to C is that C is more or less a subset of C++. Also, if you know java: C++ is a superset. Also, if you know C#: C++ is a superset.
Yes, C++ has pointers and all the stuff C has. But you need not to use them - you have, you can use the STL. Garbage collection is there in the form of libraries, if you need it. ETC.PP.
After all, all the languages discussed are turing-complete, so why the fuss?:)
ACK. And another thing unrelated to that: Why is gnome now focussing on *one* language if one of the main purposes was language independence? (I.e. bonobo and stuff...)
I'm still using gnome, but I'm not so confident that it will stay the right desktop for me if "they" continue to - remove user features 'which are only for nerds'. Most prominent example: The missing undo button. - remove developer features from the foundation of gnome. I.e. language-independence.
And I still think it's a bit different with computers. They are turing machines! Heck, some even argue that humans TMs! (Which I don't think is true bw..). They are not only cars!
I know that responding to to oneself is considered a bad habit:)
But another thought came into my mind which is related to this:
Because it obvious that there must be some way to pay the artists for their work if there is no copyright enforcement in the living room, (I am not talking about professional piracy or piracy in the professional area here!), why is putting fees on blank media/recorders/networking connections considered as such a bad idea?
I mean... all the privacy problems and criminalization of large parts of the population one gets with the current model... why is that considered less important than the (maybe) negative impact of fees?
With about the same argument, you can justify slavery by letting the slave sign a contract with his/her master.
Not that it is about slavery here, but there are certain areas which should IMHO not be the subject of a contract.
Included here is/should be the right to do whatever you want with your music in your own four walls! This is elementary, I think.
Going further, you may ask if eavesdropping private communications (i.e. filesharing) should be allowed to find file sharers. Or, put in another way, if privately swapping files should be simply allowed/not considered a crime severe enough to allow eavesdropping by the government (or worse, the RIAA).
My personal answer here would also be a clear "privacy is vastly more important than the profits of the music companies".
Not that you are wrong, but IMHO a survey should not require 'out of the box' thinking to be able to give a correct answer. It should ask questions in a straight forward way and should also not (as other posters pointed out) be used to carry opinions in the questions.
I once heard that there was a case in the UK where one was successfully sued for subconscious copyright infringement(*) for a piece of music.
Now this raises several questions for me (not asking for legal advice here, only informed opinions):
- Does this apply at all to the software world? If it does: - If one codes similar things for different employers - would that constitute a copyright violation if there is even subconscious violation? - Is it possible to do FOSS work and being an employee at the same time?
(*) - It's somwhere on the web - I can't find it now but google should show it up.
Hehe.. yes. And it's even better. You'd be giving the right answer by selecting anything on that page. The ones who would use the 5% answer are a subset of the ones for the 10% choice and so on. So, this question is somewhat pointless.
I wrote these two complaints into their feedback box.
I disagree. Aggregated money is aggregated power (which is not democratically legitimated) and there are taxes which should have prevented such excessive aggregation.
But I can asure you that all the EU states are quickly moving to US-like radical free-market 'societies'. And, in germany at least, these things also happen, albeit on a smaller scale.
I think it's mainly the agglomeration of power by the agglomeration of wealth that causes all the present problems.
Using the money/wealth/power to change the rules (and this topic fits in there) of a market or even politics (for the bigger 'global player's) is the main problem here. Too much power in non-democratically elected hands.
Yes, and IMHO 'taxes' on blank media and/or recorders is the best way to cope with the problem of filesharing without - massive invasion of privacy, with the far-reaching arms of the media industry right in your living room - starving artists or art financed by wealthy patrons alone (who would define what's art and what not).
Probably, the eco-libertarian part of slashdot will now whine about this 'unjust punishment' done by such fees. But what other options are there?
Before telling me about freedom and stuff: Is DRM but no taxes more 'free' for you?!
Re:color me ignorant, but...
on
Titanic Saturn
·
· Score: 2, Insightful
> Would somebody please explain to me why each of these things is important?
Because it's just interesting. That's all. People want to know. Why do you read post on slashdot? Probably because of the same reason.
Re:A thick atmosphere in low gravity?
on
Titanic Saturn
·
· Score: 4, Interesting
Yes, that's a good question. IANAPS (planetary scientist) but studying physics and should be able to give you a rough answer: It's because titan is much farther away from the sun than earth and therefore much colder.
The point at which the loss of atmosphere becomes significant is when a sizeable amount of the atmosphere's molecules have escape velocity due to their temperature. Maybe mars lost it's atmosphere that way.
Try, e.g. "celestia" a free universe simulator to get a picture of the distances in the solar system.
Slashdot Mirror
Rofl. +5 Informative for this! :)
Yes, but consider that it should be already possible (never tried it) to put multiple WiFi cards into your router and bundle the bandwidth!
Probably, soon everyone needs such a card to shout loud enough between all the other people in your neighbourhood who have already such a thing.
If the cards are smart enough to not completely cease to work if there is a wifi traffic jam - if they scale back on the number of channels occupied, everything should be ok(?)
IMHO, you're right. Partly. Partly, because there *ARE* still the power users, nerds and developers out there who want a functional desktop and like much information and like being able to tweak the desktop to their needs. Don't annoy these. That's really important. For example, do not remove dialog undo buttons from a widely used linux desktop environment because (it is assumed that) the avg. user is too stupid to use them!
So, yes, I'd like to switch off many fancy things for my grandma/-pa. But I also want to use the rarer features. And the command line.
What I'm trying to say is: Computers are complex. More complex than saws, screwdrivers, pencils, sheets of paper etc. You can't hide all that complexity behind an interface that fits everyone.
ACK (again). Too often I hear people taking about "C" if they really mean C++. It's still hard to believe for me, but it seems that C++ is considered old and impractical and C++ programs full of nasty pointers. But... the only relation of C++ to C is that C is more or less a subset of C++.
:)
Also, if you know java: C++ is a superset.
Also, if you know C#: C++ is a superset.
Yes, C++ has pointers and all the stuff C has. But you need not to use them - you have, you can use the STL. Garbage collection is there in the form of libraries, if you need it. ETC.PP.
After all, all the languages discussed are turing-complete, so why the fuss?
ACK. And another thing unrelated to that: Why is gnome now focussing on *one* language if one of the main purposes was language independence? (I.e. bonobo and stuff...)
I'm still using gnome, but I'm not so confident that it will stay the right desktop for me if "they" continue to
- remove user features 'which are only for nerds'. Most prominent example: The missing undo button.
- remove developer features from the foundation of gnome. I.e. language-independence.
And I still think it's a bit different with computers. They are turing machines! Heck, some even argue that humans TMs! (Which I don't think is true bw..). They are not only cars!
I know that responding to to oneself is considered a bad habit :)
But another thought came into my mind which is related to this:
Because it obvious that there must be some way to pay the artists for their work if there is no copyright enforcement in the living room, (I am not talking about professional piracy or piracy in the professional area here!), why is putting fees on blank media/recorders/networking connections considered as such a bad idea?
I mean... all the privacy problems and criminalization of large parts of the population one gets with the current model... why is that considered less important than the (maybe) negative impact of fees?
With about the same argument, you can justify slavery by letting the slave sign a contract with his/her master.
Not that it is about slavery here, but there are certain areas which should IMHO not be the subject of a contract.
Included here is/should be the right to do whatever you want with your music in your own four walls! This is elementary, I think.
Going further, you may ask if eavesdropping private communications (i.e. filesharing) should be allowed to find file sharers. Or, put in another way, if privately swapping files should be simply allowed/not considered a crime severe enough to allow eavesdropping by the government (or worse, the RIAA).
My personal answer here would also be a clear "privacy is vastly more important than the profits of the music companies".
No, no, the price went up by 300%! Really!
Ok, but this is hair splitting, isn't it?
Not that you are wrong, but IMHO a survey should not require 'out of the box' thinking to be able to give a correct answer. It should ask questions in a straight forward way and should also not (as other posters pointed out) be used to carry opinions in the questions.
... the matter is interesting enough to discuss!
I once heard that there was a case in the UK where one was successfully sued for subconscious copyright infringement(*) for a piece of music.
Now this raises several questions for me (not asking for legal advice here, only informed opinions):
- Does this apply at all to the software world?
If it does:
- If one codes similar things for different employers - would that constitute a copyright violation if there is even subconscious violation?
- Is it possible to do FOSS work and being an employee at the same time?
(*) - It's somwhere on the web - I can't find it now but google should show it up.
Hehe.. yes. And it's even better. You'd be giving the right answer by selecting anything on that page. The ones who would use the 5% answer are a subset of the ones for the 10% choice and so on. So, this question is somewhat pointless.
I wrote these two complaints into their feedback box.
This program has apparently some flaws (faster than light asteroids) but the most important thing i noted is the "probabilty of impact".
I thought the probability that an object with the mass of *exactly* an 100m rock would be zero?!
Discl.: This is not a troll, I just think more explanations/bounds checking would be helpful...
Emmm. Just got this question in the survey:
6. Would you re-use blocks of code written elsewhere
a) ( ) Only if you were confident that nobody would find out
b) ( ) Whether it would be found out or not
Where is 'c) I won't'?
According to the article:
> [...] while a van with a large, rotating antennas on top measures the radio waves.
It seems that they look for that particular cause.
I disagree. Aggregated money is aggregated power (which is not democratically legitimated) and there are taxes which should have prevented such excessive aggregation.
For this reason, in germany there is the proverb "Sport ist Mord" which translates to "sport is murder".
Well said. IMHO this is the biggest threat to FOSS nowadays.
The gpl analogy is clearly wrong.
The GPL states what I have or have not to do with 'the data' *in the public*.
The (EU)DMCA with the accompanying, usually restrictive license and DRM, states what I have or have not to do with 'the data' *in my private rooms*.
Now I think there's a big difference. Law or not, but this is just not acceptable for me.
If the drivers for I/O are there ... well, it's an ARM based thingy, it should! :)
Well said.
But I can asure you that all the EU states are quickly moving to US-like radical free-market 'societies'. And, in germany at least, these things also happen, albeit on a smaller scale.
I think it's mainly the agglomeration of power by the agglomeration of wealth that causes all the present problems.
Using the money/wealth/power to change the rules (and this topic fits in there) of a market or even politics (for the bigger 'global player's) is the main problem here. Too much power in non-democratically elected hands.
Yes, and IMHO 'taxes' on blank media and/or recorders is the best way to cope with the problem of filesharing without
- massive invasion of privacy, with the far-reaching arms of the media industry right in your living room
- starving artists or art financed by wealthy patrons alone (who would define what's art and what not).
Probably, the eco-libertarian part of slashdot will now whine about this 'unjust punishment' done by such fees.
But what other options are there?
Before telling me about freedom and stuff:
Is DRM but no taxes more 'free' for you?!
> Would somebody please explain to me why each of these things is important?
Because it's just interesting. That's all. People want to know. Why do you read post on slashdot? Probably because of the same reason.
Yes, that's a good question. IANAPS (planetary scientist) but studying physics and should be able to give you a rough answer:
It's because titan is much farther away from the sun than earth and therefore much colder.
The point at which the loss of atmosphere becomes significant is when a sizeable amount of the atmosphere's molecules have escape velocity due to their temperature. Maybe mars lost it's atmosphere that way.
Try, e.g. "celestia" a free universe simulator to get a picture of the distances in the solar system.
In former times, one would call you a zealot :)