Billions of dollars to spare? We must not be talking about the same NASA. NASA could never have enough money, and even if they could get a proper amount, they wouldn't know how to spend it properly. NASA is an agency that was created to solve problems by throwing money at them, which simply won't work for the US right now. Their strategic plan doesn't leave much room for lawsuits. Sure, this is a stunt by Sci Fi, but the FOIA can be used to properly leverage information. At least in situations where the government sees it as more of a hassle to put up a fight.
Compression, good point. I was thinking about that myself, since I mentioned the whole XML bit. I was thinking on my way to 7-11 and avoiding the bums that perhaps the best system would indeed be something already implemented. Jabber perhaps, or something based on the SIP protocol, or one of the currently more obscure- but- promising projects out there. Whatever the spec, what needs to be done is a big group of techies to agree on it and descend upon it like so many ravenous mosquitos to poke and pick at it and to modify it and hew it into something that's the new "killer app" (I cringe to use buzz words..) when it comes to internet communication, something with very few flaws, that can be used on everything from the consumer level to high level official use for sensitive subjects... The geek grail of communication is what I seek, I suppose. Whatever it is, it needs to get the community support behind it as a whole, something that the "nerds" can pretty much universally love, akin to Linux in that aspect, that the rest of the world will follow (and no doubt adulterate and ruin as time goes on). Obviously a lot would have to be dedicated to the client side of things to make it feel right, but a whole lot of emphasis needs to be on the protocol itself in my mind. What if it could replace e-mail, get rid of or reduce our current SPAM woes? What if it could work down on a level to eventually replace SMS? What if the same protocol could eventually be implemented for voice and replace the antiquidated telephone system (SIP is already working towards this, from what I understand, by being the major VOIP) and bringing communication utopia to the world.
I'm getting a bit far-fetched, aren't I? Communication is my passion, I suppose, so you'll have to pardon if it goes to my head.
I'll have to give Jabber another trial and see what left such a bad taste in my mouth some time.
IRC isn't exactly it either. See my above message for what I really want. IRC is too vulnerable to a central server being taken down. My "ideal" protocol would function between two clients, nearly no matter what's betwen them.
Good question, shame you posted AC. I like to know the people who post worthwhile questions.
It's been a while since I used it and didn't like it, but let's see if I can recall.
XML's fine and all, and indeed, it is open. That is good, and that leaves it flexible. If I recall, however, I didn't really get along with the transport system. I'd much rather not have to rely on a remote computer for communicating through other mediums.
That's still not really the problem I have with it, however, because my ideal medium wouldn't require communication with any of the other mediums... It would be popular and desireable enough that I wouldn't have any friends on the other mediums to bother with. Here's what I'd really like in a messaging platform:
1. Decentralized message transfer. I don't want my message going in whole form off across the network, to run into any old stumbling block like a central server or network outage.
2. I want it to be encrypted (by default and as part of the protocol, so my non-techie friends don't have to touch it to be done properly.. Plenty of worthwhile stuff goes unused by the uninitiated [XP's firewall...] to later detriment). It would be encrypted and sent across the network to it's destination in packets, similar to e-mail, but a bit quicker due to the message protocol itself, which is vague in my head, but starting to form.
3. Easily integrated other types of data through use of a paralell decentralized stream (sounds contradictory, doesn't it?). I want to be able to easily put files across to the other user, streamed if I'd like to, for webcam use. Something of an IRC blend in that latter aspect of it. Also, this avenue could be used to bolster security, sort of a second pipeline to be used for other uses, like the emergency tunnel in the Chunnel.
4. Obviously open source. Not even a question. I want people tinkering with this constantly, making it better and harder to interfere with.
I'm not feeling really clear about this. Long day at work muddled my head (you want the Citrix server to do WHAT?!). Maybe I'll be clearer later on.
Ah, yes... I remember so fondly the pioneering days of Trillian, when I'd patch two, three times a day to maintain AIM connection. How excited I would get, coming back from classes and wondering if yet another release due to "flap error" was going to be necessary!
It made Trillian that much more exciting to use, all the more so because I loathed (and continue to loathe) AOL so much. Of course, I always had ICQ to fall back on. Then AOL bought them and drove them into the ground.
What we need is an open source, secure protocol for chatting, newly implemented for today's uses. I'm getting tired of chatting over AIM, just because it has something to do with AOL. Yahoo I don't like either, nor MSN, or ICQ for above mentioned reasons. And other chat programs with half-standards aren't at all what we need at all. There are more than enough able geeks out there, some solution shouldn't be too difficult to organize a consortium to address the situation. Mayhap I smell an Ask Slashdot in the future.
Once upon a time, there was a portable PC. It was called a laptop. The laptop became more and more powerful, got a larger screen, a more functional, almost desktop like keyboard, and the price began competeing with the desktop. People started to say that it could replace the desktop.
Funny thing, that. You wouldn't beleive how many people I know and have worked for that don't have main systems anymore. Just laptops. More and more people are buying desktop replacement laptops that just sit around on the desk, but take up less space and do just as much as the tower system they could have gotten instead.
Lots of people have skipped getting tower systems lately. They get a brick of a laptop, thinking, "Hey, it's nearly as powerful, and I can carry it around!" Then they realize that lugging around 8 lbs of computing wonder isn't all they conceptualized it to be.
Of course, I wouldn't say that the laptop has replaced the desktop... Entirely. If you need a lot of power, a desktop is still the way to go, and as of yet, it's no simple matter to build your own laptop... The fact of the matter is, however, that laptops have come a long way, to the point where they are nearly as plentiful as desktop systems... It's not unthinkable that palmtop systems could advance to such a state that they could take up a lot of the functionality of main computers, either through internal resources or calling upon the resources of another, more powerful computer over an as- of- yet- not- present- wonderous suprely fast, globally available wireless connection.
Heh, that didn't take long at all. We haven't known who this guy is for more than 24 hours and already we hate Mitch. I admit it, my away message for the past half day or so has contained his name and a few of the reasons we shouldn't like him, inspiring those around me to ask questions, and causing them to learn of the situation. Ms. Rosen, our familiar foe, had to work for her hatred, introducing and/or facilitating much of what we fight against today. Mr. Bainwol just gets the hatred automatically.
I'd nearly think about kind of almost feeling a wee bit sorry for the guy if he weren't now my arch-enemy and target of my passionate anti-RIAA discourse.
I'll comment on gaming and direct P2P. I'm behind a NAT box currently and it turns gaming into something of a mild disaster. It would be nice to host on one box and play on another, but with a NAT router, if the other computers aren't on your network, it can be an extreme hassle, especially if you're introducing third-party servers for the connection.
Yes, direct P2P is a hassle as well. I have trouble getting and sending AIM file transfers, which is the source of infinite consternation on the behalf of people who like to send and get things from me. Also, Direct Connect and a few other such programs are severely hampered by being behind a NAT firewall, cutting the amount of files accessible by half or more.
IPv6 would increase the feasibility of individual, permenant IP's by several orders of magnitude, and I eagerly await it's adoption. The possibilities so wide, it really could change the paradigm of networking (which, after all, is the point). It's going to be interesting to see what it takes to thrust it into the mainstream.
Well, I'm afraid if NASA is involved, we're going to have to skip that last step... They're not so good at the whole "profit" bit. The problem is, they were created in a time where "Throw money at it" was a viable solution to many of the problems of the day, and nearly any expenditure was worth winning the space race. Now they're mired in a financial web so thick it would take years of integration with IRS accountants to get anything straightened out, as NASA can't really estimate costs for anything at all accurately.
Really what is needed is reform. Or a total departure from the current administration organization entirely. That would take some convincing, I'm afraid.
First off, the title of the article is somewhat sensationalist, as the premise isn't really "Is Google God?", it's more of a "How should we Americans adjust now that 9/11 is over and done with and the world is in it's changing paradigm?"
But that's not my point. My point is the comparison is quite ludicrous.
Says Alan Cohen, a V.P. of Airespace, a new Wi-Fi provider: "If I can operate Google, I can find anything. And with wireless, it means I will be able to find anything, anywhere, anytime. Which is why I say that Google, combined with Wi-Fi, is a little bit like God. God is wireless, God is everywhere and God sees and knows everything. Throughout history, people connected to God without wires. Now, for many questions in the world, you ask Google, and increasingly, you can do it without wires, too."
There is the disclaimer "little bit" in there, but even so, it feels a lot like Beowulfian "flyting" in the nasty "pay attention to me!" sense. Google may be wireless, but only when it piggy-backs on another, even vaster service, and even so, it's only such part of the time. Not to mention, as ability goes, it's not exactly omnipotent. And anyone who worships Google in more than a "Hey, I've got the toolbar" kind of way should probably reconsider their choice of deity. As dieties go, Google is probably a bit more deserving than some other common choices today, of course, but is still on the "Not such a great idea" side of the choices of "things, Things, dieties, and God's to worship."
I found the perfect mix for me.. I built my own computer for less than $500, and it's not shabby.. (AMD giving me the Athlon XP 2200+ didn't hurt the price at all). That takes care of all my resource-intensive computing like graphics and sound, etc. It stays running in the dorm 24/7 (and glows nicely, thank you very much. The dual monitors facinate people. "So, you can move the mouse from one screen to the other!? Lemme see again!) and streams necessary downloads, ISOs, runs Trillian, etc.
Then I have my Sony Vaio R505 for taking to class.. Now, it wasn't exactly cheap, but it's thin and light. No problem to haul to class (most people with laptops around here don't carry them due to the weight factor) and it runs any productivity app I happen to need, wherever I need it. Wireless is my sanity's savior in class, not only can I browse Slashdot, but googling the answers to a dead- in- the- air question helps recover some of the lost respect from the prof that instantly comes tied to having a laptop in class.
Taking notes is fantastic on the laptop.. Everything can be clean and organized, with charts you can toss together in class, editing is a breeze, and I regularly circulate my notes to peers who request them. I also managed to cut the amount I spend on books in half, as I'm able to look up a fair amount of the material while in class. Having a totally wireless campus doesn't hurt in that aspect.
My next "productivity utility" will be a Zaurus 5600, but I don't have the cash for that.. Ever since I drove my last palmtop into the ground, I've been a little lost...
Using the Linux server I keep under the bed for UT2k3 games makes my fellow gamers happy, and it's a handy fileserver to keep things organized data-wise.. But that's just tossed together from spare parts.
A main computer for more intense things is good, and a light laptop to handle the mobile stuff is what I suggest. Yes, the laptop and wireless can be a distraction, but I pulled all A's last quarter, so it's a matter of moderation.
Heh, gimme a break.. It's been a long week. Things like 4^4-F happen when you've spent too much time around engineers. Or maybe going to the beach on (cold, damp)Memorial day is a symptom of something more..
:-)
Is this a troll? Fearing a quarter of the world's people because they share a vague similiarity in skin colour, culture and religion (as if there were no diversity in the Middle East!) is unwittingly ignorant and primitive.
Appearantly you didn't bother to read past the word "things". You're misconstruing my statement. I'm not condoning it, but I'm also saying it's somewhat understandable, or to make an analogy,
It isn't to say that we should be afraid, but if you get bitten by your neighbor's dog, you're bound to be a bit wary of your neighbor and dogs in general for a while, especially if you see them regularly going after each-other's throats.
As has been over examined earlier, I mean nothing derogatory by using dogs as a analogy. Just the first thing that came to mind. Don't go hunting for ethnocentric bigotry or mindless hate in my posts. If you find them, you're twisting my words further than logic allows and merely projecting your world view on to me, in a weird little subconcious ploy to make things work in the your own particular version of the universe.
Which isn't to say I have an issue with living in your own version of reality. Just don't make me play there.
Heh, I knew someone was going to latch on to that. I would have come up with a better analogy, but time constraints prevented it. Anyway, what's wrong with dogs? I'm not particularly fond of them, but they are considered "Man's Best Friend" and all. My point is, there are good dogs, and there are bad dogs, and there are dogs whose nature can be mistaken.
I only wish I were in the most audible group. I've got some unique opinions that I would just lo-ove to voice.:-)
You must remember that you are speaking with an American. In their eyes, if you don't live in the "Good Ol' US of A" then you are living in a gutter and probably a terrorist.
Oh, come on now, no need to be vicious. Certainly, as Americans we tend to be somewhat elitist, ethnocentric, and globally unaware, but don't confuse the thoughts of the most audible with the thoughts of the less vocal majority.. Most Americans don't think that just because someone is a foreigner that they are a terrorist, up to no good, or are a drag on the economy. Certainly, they have some fear of people of middle-Eastern descent, but you can't really begrudge them that, due to the current state of things. It isn't to say that we should be afraid, but if you get bitten by your neighbor's dog, you're bound to be a bit wary of your neighbor and dogs in general for a while, especially if you see them regularly going after each-other's throats. Not to go on a diatribe here, and I certainly thinkg Americans could stand to be a bit more globally concious, but the time will come when we don't have a choice, and that statement up there just comes across as being bitter. Your posting history doesn't indicate you as being trollish or having a particular appetite for flamebait, so I'll assume you're just having a bad day.. Hope that improves for you.
Yeah, waiting a bit is smart.. I make certain never to install updates on my machines until a week or so has gone by.. The potential for mishap is outweighed by my lack of trust for MS. Errata updates, however, I install as soon as I get the RH e-mail.
As for understanding ^H^H, many probably understand, many many more most likely assume or just pick up on the context clues. After reading about the Hacker Writing Style, I figured out why I do a lot of what I do when writing, even though I'm not much of a programmer, appearantly I think like one. The file I linked to isn't exactly the one I read originally, but it's got about the same stuff. I think the one I found originally was in the wikipedia, or linked from it.
Because they aren't equally powerful. Think about it. Thanks to the internet, I can get just about anything I could get in a library, and then some, as quickly as I can google, beaucoup, or dogpile. The stuff I can't get, I'm typically not very interested in anyway.
Don't get me wrong. I'm a bibliophile, and love to read a good book, and I hate to admit it but I do prefer a paper book over the PDF (Disclaimer! This is only because I haven't found a PDA that handles PDA's in a more pleasing manner! I really DO hate paper! A LOT!), but libraries really cater nothing to me anymore but a certain atmosphere, an atmosphere which is vaguely coffeehouse-esque without any of the benefits of the caffeine. So I go to the coffee houses instead.
The thing about it is, trust is built up out of online relationships and people eventually do find out who other people are. Except for some of the real losers, who nobody would want to know in real life anyway.
See, that's just the thing. Your Usenet relationships are pleasantly unique. Sure, there are some internet communities that the intereaction with offline life is possible or even welcome, and that will work out. But you have to take into mind that usenet isn't mainstream internet anymore, for most internet users (the/. crowd exist as one big an exception to most tech rules) and in it's creation and existence, it allowed for more "intimate" relationships online than what exists in the vast majority of vaguely-bbs-esque communication today.
By "hiding" behind a screen name, totally unidentifiable, I can keep people's perceptions about me what I want them to be. They don't need to know that my name is Scott and I'm a professor, that I like to hang out with authors, that I visited such- and- such websites today, and that I like this sort of pudding. Even if this information is available to webmasters alone, I still don't like it.
The thing is, you have something unique in your usenet relationships. They are more trustworthy than most internet relationships today. Now- a- days, I can communicate casually by replying to posts, commenting on a/. journal, or replying to someone's blog, without really knowing the person, just adding my insight breifly and moving on. If they don't like it, that's fine, and they have a screen- name to direct the wrath against. If they do, that's nice too, and maybe they'll send off an e-mail. But they can only get as far as I allow them to get.
I have friends that I have met that I wouldn't have had it not been for meeting them online. That's fine. But the only reason they know who I am, who I really am, is because I allowed them through that gateway. Making each person directly associated to their online personas would be a bad, bad thing. It would stifle creativity, kill some of the free-thinking of the internet, and usher in some nasty big-brother sort of stuff that needn't be pursued here.
Are you kidding? I mean, seriously, if it weren't for annonymity on the internet, there is no way it could be what it is today. Once you introduce a way to identify the online persona(s) with the actual person, the person is immediately limited to what is socially acceptable for them. Things can be traced all too easily, and all of a sudden, all the things that Mr. X was participating in that were kinda fun but not something he would do normally (like posting and reading/. at work or visiting in Role Playing forums) become impossible to do, because people will know it was him.
Do you really want people to know that you were cruising the thread "What are the signs I have prostate cancer?" on healthsite.com? One of the reasons the internet is so amazing is that it allows people to get information on nearly ANYTHING at will, and without anyone knowing about it. Sometimes we crave weird information, and sometimes we like to discuss said weird information. Big Brother reasons aside, there are plenty of examples that could be provided for remaining anonymous.
Slashdot was a bad example for you to use. Look at it: Without forcing people to be identifiable, a system has come into use that allows people to remain unknown without sacrificing the quality of the discussion: Moderation. Unless I'm moderating, very rarely do I see obnoxious "frist psost suxorz!" messages or goatse links. Amazon issues could be assuaged, if they really wanted to. As for Usenet... well, that's the fundamental nature, and I'm fairly positive that most users wouldn't want their true identities revealed.
Oh, that's easy. I'm a freelance BOFH. A currently out of work BOFH, looking for a summer job in the Philadelphia area, actually. Anyway, I have more time to see movies that way. I thought Reloaded warranted the $7 rather than just seeing it on my computer a couple of days early. As I said, I didn't have time to go to anything but the 1AM showing, so my time IS precious.. I just don't sleep, heh.
Well, minus the little hellians and the beeper, that's me. Sometimes I bring my laptop along in anticipation that there are going to be a few dull scenes. Though I try to keep conference calls on my phone with tons of flashy multicolored lights to a minimum after credits, sometimes it just happens, ya know?
Also, I always always carry bang-snaps to movies. They're to throw at people who complain. The firecrackers are for people who complain twice. Roman candles for anyone who dares go beyond that.
Well, I have to admit, I wasn't at all used to it a while ago when I moved into the city. I come from a relatively small town and unless people were laughing, audience participation was minimal... Which I didn't mind at all. Then I moved here to the city and it seems people are much more "in" to what they watch.. They cheer during fight scenes, or even previews which excite them. It caught me off guard at first, but I really don't mind anymore, so long as they aren't drowning out anything important.
Slashdot Mirror
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=34+Cilley+Hill+Road, +weare+nh&spn=0.040688,0.081050&t=k&hl=en
I can't imagine a nicer place to stay in New Hampshire... That looks like a perfect place for a hotel to me, being so close to both Everett Lake and Clough State Park.
I wonder if crow would be on the menu at the Just Desserts Cafe?
Billions of dollars to spare? We must not be talking about the same NASA. NASA could never have enough money, and even if they could get a proper amount, they wouldn't know how to spend it properly. NASA is an agency that was created to solve problems by throwing money at them, which simply won't work for the US right now.
Their strategic plan doesn't leave much room for lawsuits. Sure, this is a stunt by Sci Fi, but the FOIA can be used to properly leverage information. At least in situations where the government sees it as more of a hassle to put up a fight.
Compression, good point. I was thinking about that myself, since I mentioned the whole XML bit. I was thinking on my way to 7-11 and avoiding the bums that perhaps the best system would indeed be something already implemented. Jabber perhaps, or something based on the SIP protocol, or one of the currently more obscure- but- promising projects out there. Whatever the spec, what needs to be done is a big group of techies to agree on it and descend upon it like so many ravenous mosquitos to poke and pick at it and to modify it and hew it into something that's the new "killer app" (I cringe to use buzz words..) when it comes to internet communication, something with very few flaws, that can be used on everything from the consumer level to high level official use for sensitive subjects... The geek grail of communication is what I seek, I suppose. Whatever it is, it needs to get the community support behind it as a whole, something that the "nerds" can pretty much universally love, akin to Linux in that aspect, that the rest of the world will follow (and no doubt adulterate and ruin as time goes on). Obviously a lot would have to be dedicated to the client side of things to make it feel right, but a whole lot of emphasis needs to be on the protocol itself in my mind. What if it could replace e-mail, get rid of or reduce our current SPAM woes? What if it could work down on a level to eventually replace SMS? What if the same protocol could eventually be implemented for voice and replace the antiquidated telephone system (SIP is already working towards this, from what I understand, by being the major VOIP) and bringing communication utopia to the world.
I'm getting a bit far-fetched, aren't I? Communication is my passion, I suppose, so you'll have to pardon if it goes to my head.
I'll have to give Jabber another trial and see what left such a bad taste in my mouth some time.
IRC isn't exactly it either. See my above message for what I really want. IRC is too vulnerable to a central server being taken down. My "ideal" protocol would function between two clients, nearly no matter what's betwen them.
Good question, shame you posted AC. I like to know the people who post worthwhile questions.
It's been a while since I used it and didn't like it, but let's see if I can recall.
XML's fine and all, and indeed, it is open. That is good, and that leaves it flexible. If I recall, however, I didn't really get along with the transport system. I'd much rather not have to rely on a remote computer for communicating through other mediums.
That's still not really the problem I have with it, however, because my ideal medium wouldn't require communication with any of the other mediums... It would be popular and desireable enough that I wouldn't have any friends on the other mediums to bother with. Here's what I'd really like in a messaging platform:
1. Decentralized message transfer. I don't want my message going in whole form off across the network, to run into any old stumbling block like a central server or network outage.
2. I want it to be encrypted (by default and as part of the protocol, so my non-techie friends don't have to touch it to be done properly.. Plenty of worthwhile stuff goes unused by the uninitiated [XP's firewall...] to later detriment). It would be encrypted and sent across the network to it's destination in packets, similar to e-mail, but a bit quicker due to the message protocol itself, which is vague in my head, but starting to form.
3. Easily integrated other types of data through use of a paralell decentralized stream (sounds contradictory, doesn't it?). I want to be able to easily put files across to the other user, streamed if I'd like to, for webcam use. Something of an IRC blend in that latter aspect of it. Also, this avenue could be used to bolster security, sort of a second pipeline to be used for other uses, like the emergency tunnel in the Chunnel.
4. Obviously open source. Not even a question. I want people tinkering with this constantly, making it better and harder to interfere with.
I'm not feeling really clear about this. Long day at work muddled my head (you want the Citrix server to do WHAT?!). Maybe I'll be clearer later on.
Ah, yes... I remember so fondly the pioneering days of Trillian, when I'd patch two, three times a day to maintain AIM connection. How excited I would get, coming back from classes and wondering if yet another release due to "flap error" was going to be necessary!
It made Trillian that much more exciting to use, all the more so because I loathed (and continue to loathe) AOL so much. Of course, I always had ICQ to fall back on. Then AOL bought them and drove them into the ground.
What we need is an open source, secure protocol for chatting, newly implemented for today's uses. I'm getting tired of chatting over AIM, just because it has something to do with AOL. Yahoo I don't like either, nor MSN, or ICQ for above mentioned reasons. And other chat programs with half-standards aren't at all what we need at all. There are more than enough able geeks out there, some solution shouldn't be too difficult to organize a consortium to address the situation. Mayhap I smell an Ask Slashdot in the future.
Envy? Is that what that is?
Oh. And here I thought it was just loathing, bile, and contempt. Silly me.
Lots of people have skipped getting tower systems lately. They get a brick of a laptop, thinking, "Hey, it's nearly as powerful, and I can carry it around!" Then they realize that lugging around 8 lbs of computing wonder isn't all they conceptualized it to be.
Of course, I wouldn't say that the laptop has replaced the desktop... Entirely. If you need a lot of power, a desktop is still the way to go, and as of yet, it's no simple matter to build your own laptop... The fact of the matter is, however, that laptops have come a long way, to the point where they are nearly as plentiful as desktop systems... It's not unthinkable that palmtop systems could advance to such a state that they could take up a lot of the functionality of main computers, either through internal resources or calling upon the resources of another, more powerful computer over an as- of- yet- not- present- wonderous suprely fast, globally available wireless connection.
A lot can change in ten years.
"I'm sorry, but the Escape function is disabled during reboot. Instead, you can change what I look like! Click F1 for more options."
I'd nearly think about kind of almost feeling a wee bit sorry for the guy if he weren't now my arch-enemy and target of my passionate anti-RIAA discourse.
I'll comment on gaming and direct P2P. I'm behind a NAT box currently and it turns gaming into something of a mild disaster. It would be nice to host on one box and play on another, but with a NAT router, if the other computers aren't on your network, it can be an extreme hassle, especially if you're introducing third-party servers for the connection.
Yes, direct P2P is a hassle as well. I have trouble getting and sending AIM file transfers, which is the source of infinite consternation on the behalf of people who like to send and get things from me. Also, Direct Connect and a few other such programs are severely hampered by being behind a NAT firewall, cutting the amount of files accessible by half or more.
IPv6 would increase the feasibility of individual, permenant IP's by several orders of magnitude, and I eagerly await it's adoption. The possibilities so wide, it really could change the paradigm of networking (which, after all, is the point). It's going to be interesting to see what it takes to thrust it into the mainstream.
Well, I'm afraid if NASA is involved, we're going to have to skip that last step... They're not so good at the whole "profit" bit. The problem is, they were created in a time where "Throw money at it" was a viable solution to many of the problems of the day, and nearly any expenditure was worth winning the space race. Now they're mired in a financial web so thick it would take years of integration with IRS accountants to get anything straightened out, as NASA can't really estimate costs for anything at all accurately.
Really what is needed is reform. Or a total departure from the current administration organization entirely. That would take some convincing, I'm afraid.
But that's not my point. My point is the comparison is quite ludicrous.
There is the disclaimer "little bit" in there, but even so, it feels a lot like Beowulfian "flyting" in the nasty "pay attention to me!" sense. Google may be wireless, but only when it piggy-backs on another, even vaster service, and even so, it's only such part of the time. Not to mention, as ability goes, it's not exactly omnipotent. And anyone who worships Google in more than a "Hey, I've got the toolbar" kind of way should probably reconsider their choice of deity. As dieties go, Google is probably a bit more deserving than some other common choices today, of course, but is still on the "Not such a great idea" side of the choices of "things, Things, dieties, and God's to worship."
I found the perfect mix for me.. I built my own computer for less than $500, and it's not shabby.. (AMD giving me the Athlon XP 2200+ didn't hurt the price at all). That takes care of all my resource-intensive computing like graphics and sound, etc. It stays running in the dorm 24/7 (and glows nicely, thank you very much. The dual monitors facinate people. "So, you can move the mouse from one screen to the other!? Lemme see again!) and streams necessary downloads, ISOs, runs Trillian, etc.
Then I have my Sony Vaio R505 for taking to class.. Now, it wasn't exactly cheap, but it's thin and light. No problem to haul to class (most people with laptops around here don't carry them due to the weight factor) and it runs any productivity app I happen to need, wherever I need it. Wireless is my sanity's savior in class, not only can I browse Slashdot, but googling the answers to a dead- in- the- air question helps recover some of the lost respect from the prof that instantly comes tied to having a laptop in class.
Taking notes is fantastic on the laptop.. Everything can be clean and organized, with charts you can toss together in class, editing is a breeze, and I regularly circulate my notes to peers who request them. I also managed to cut the amount I spend on books in half, as I'm able to look up a fair amount of the material while in class. Having a totally wireless campus doesn't hurt in that aspect. My next "productivity utility" will be a Zaurus 5600, but I don't have the cash for that.. Ever since I drove my last palmtop into the ground, I've been a little lost...
Using the Linux server I keep under the bed for UT2k3 games makes my fellow gamers happy, and it's a handy fileserver to keep things organized data-wise.. But that's just tossed together from spare parts.
A main computer for more intense things is good, and a light laptop to handle the mobile stuff is what I suggest. Yes, the laptop and wireless can be a distraction, but I pulled all A's last quarter, so it's a matter of moderation.
Heh, gimme a break.. It's been a long week. Things like 4^4-F happen when you've spent too much time around engineers. Or maybe going to the beach on (cold, damp)Memorial day is a symptom of something more..
:-)
Appearantly you didn't bother to read past the word "things". You're misconstruing my statement. I'm not condoning it, but I'm also saying it's somewhat understandable, or to make an analogy,
As has been over examined earlier, I mean nothing derogatory by using dogs as a analogy. Just the first thing that came to mind. Don't go hunting for ethnocentric bigotry or mindless hate in my posts. If you find them, you're twisting my words further than logic allows and merely projecting your world view on to me, in a weird little subconcious ploy to make things work in the your own particular version of the universe.
Which isn't to say I have an issue with living in your own version of reality. Just don't make me play there.
Heh, I knew someone was going to latch on to that. I would have come up with a better analogy, but time constraints prevented it. Anyway, what's wrong with dogs? I'm not particularly fond of them, but they are considered "Man's Best Friend" and all. My point is, there are good dogs, and there are bad dogs, and there are dogs whose nature can be mistaken. :-)
I only wish I were in the most audible group. I've got some unique opinions that I would just lo-ove to voice.
Oh, come on now, no need to be vicious. Certainly, as Americans we tend to be somewhat elitist, ethnocentric, and globally unaware, but don't confuse the thoughts of the most audible with the thoughts of the less vocal majority.. Most Americans don't think that just because someone is a foreigner that they are a terrorist, up to no good, or are a drag on the economy. Certainly, they have some fear of people of middle-Eastern descent, but you can't really begrudge them that, due to the current state of things. It isn't to say that we should be afraid, but if you get bitten by your neighbor's dog, you're bound to be a bit wary of your neighbor and dogs in general for a while, especially if you see them regularly going after each-other's throats. Not to go on a diatribe here, and I certainly thinkg Americans could stand to be a bit more globally concious, but the time will come when we don't have a choice, and that statement up there just comes across as being bitter. Your posting history doesn't indicate you as being trollish or having a particular appetite for flamebait, so I'll assume you're just having a bad day.. Hope that improves for you.
Yeah, waiting a bit is smart.. I make certain never to install updates on my machines until a week or so has gone by.. The potential for mishap is outweighed by my lack of trust for MS. Errata updates, however, I install as soon as I get the RH e-mail.
As for understanding ^H^H, many probably understand, many many more most likely assume or just pick up on the context clues. After reading about the Hacker Writing Style, I figured out why I do a lot of what I do when writing, even though I'm not much of a programmer, appearantly I think like one. The file I linked to isn't exactly the one I read originally, but it's got about the same stuff. I think the one I found originally was in the wikipedia, or linked from it.
Because they aren't equally powerful. Think about it. Thanks to the internet, I can get just about anything I could get in a library, and then some, as quickly as I can google, beaucoup, or dogpile. The stuff I can't get, I'm typically not very interested in anyway.
Don't get me wrong. I'm a bibliophile, and love to read a good book, and I hate to admit it but I do prefer a paper book over the PDF (Disclaimer! This is only because I haven't found a PDA that handles PDA's in a more pleasing manner! I really DO hate paper! A LOT!), but libraries really cater nothing to me anymore but a certain atmosphere, an atmosphere which is vaguely coffeehouse-esque without any of the benefits of the caffeine. So I go to the coffee houses instead.
See, that's just the thing. Your Usenet relationships are pleasantly unique. Sure, there are some internet communities that the intereaction with offline life is possible or even welcome, and that will work out. But you have to take into mind that usenet isn't mainstream internet anymore, for most internet users (the
By "hiding" behind a screen name, totally unidentifiable, I can keep people's perceptions about me what I want them to be. They don't need to know that my name is Scott and I'm a professor, that I like to hang out with authors, that I visited such- and- such websites today, and that I like this sort of pudding. Even if this information is available to webmasters alone, I still don't like it.
The thing is, you have something unique in your usenet relationships. They are more trustworthy than most internet relationships today. Now- a- days, I can communicate casually by replying to posts, commenting on a
I have friends that I have met that I wouldn't have had it not been for meeting them online. That's fine. But the only reason they know who I am, who I really am, is because I allowed them through that gateway. Making each person directly associated to their online personas would be a bad, bad thing. It would stifle creativity, kill some of the free-thinking of the internet, and usher in some nasty big-brother sort of stuff that needn't be pursued here.
Are you kidding? I mean, seriously, if it weren't for annonymity on the internet, there is no way it could be what it is today. Once you introduce a way to identify the online persona(s) with the actual person, the person is immediately limited to what is socially acceptable for them. Things can be traced all too easily, and all of a sudden, all the things that Mr. X was participating in that were kinda fun but not something he would do normally (like posting and reading /. at work or visiting in Role Playing forums) become impossible to do, because people will know it was him.
Do you really want people to know that you were cruising the thread "What are the signs I have prostate cancer?" on healthsite.com? One of the reasons the internet is so amazing is that it allows people to get information on nearly ANYTHING at will, and without anyone knowing about it. Sometimes we crave weird information, and sometimes we like to discuss said weird information. Big Brother reasons aside, there are plenty of examples that could be provided for remaining anonymous.
Slashdot was a bad example for you to use. Look at it: Without forcing people to be identifiable, a system has come into use that allows people to remain unknown without sacrificing the quality of the discussion: Moderation. Unless I'm moderating, very rarely do I see obnoxious "frist psost suxorz!" messages or goatse links. Amazon issues could be assuaged, if they really wanted to. As for Usenet... well, that's the fundamental nature, and I'm fairly positive that most users wouldn't want their true identities revealed.
Oh, that's easy. I'm a freelance BOFH. A currently out of work BOFH, looking for a summer job in the Philadelphia area, actually. Anyway, I have more time to see movies that way. I thought Reloaded warranted the $7 rather than just seeing it on my computer a couple of days early. As I said, I didn't have time to go to anything but the 1AM showing, so my time IS precious.. I just don't sleep, heh.
Well, minus the little hellians and the beeper, that's me. Sometimes I bring my laptop along in anticipation that there are going to be a few dull scenes. Though I try to keep conference calls on my phone with tons of flashy multicolored lights to a minimum after credits, sometimes it just happens, ya know? Also, I always always carry bang-snaps to movies. They're to throw at people who complain. The firecrackers are for people who complain twice. Roman candles for anyone who dares go beyond that.
Well, I have to admit, I wasn't at all used to it a while ago when I moved into the city. I come from a relatively small town and unless people were laughing, audience participation was minimal... Which I didn't mind at all. Then I moved here to the city and it seems people are much more "in" to what they watch.. They cheer during fight scenes, or even previews which excite them. It caught me off guard at first, but I really don't mind anymore, so long as they aren't drowning out anything important.