I'm working on something like this right now with Chris Johnson - a review site. It might actually end up being a lot like slashdot. I'm only interested in doing the code; right now, I can't afford to host the sucker. We'll see how it goes.
I'm not sure I get it, but okay. *grin* One of these days it'll click. By the way, I think it's awesome that you're involving yourself in regular postings here on Slashdot. Try not to let the trolls get you down.
Part of the job of a scientist is to explain his views to the rest of the world. Some don't do very well at this. Dr. Wallace, on the other hand, writes extremely well, bringing up all sorts of fascinating tangental points to increase the reader's understanding, even going so far as to put these points in terms that will make sense even to an AI layman. It is his ability to associate these tangental points with the subject at hand which makes his writing interesting, and at the same time points out how very different a human being is from ALICE. I seriously admire this man, and I'd like to think that with this expansive interview I've gained a better understanding of him, his theories, and the concepts of AI.
function checkDOB() { var intMonth=Request.Form("DOB_Month"); var intDay=Request.Form("DOB_Day"); var intYear=Request.Form("DOB_Year"); /*Thanks to JS's non-required typing, the code above doesn't error out if the items involved weren't entered as an integer.*/ if (isNaN(intMonth)||isNaN(intDay)||isNaN(intYear)) { strError="You entered your birthdate incorrectly. Please try again."; /*Note - if you use select boxes for the DOB fields, you won't have to worry about this TOO much - but be sure to secure your application so that it only accepts connections from itself or other pages on your site. Even then, it's a good idea to perform the above check.*/ return false; } var datCurrentYear=new Date().GetFullYear(); if (datCurrentYear-intYear<21) { strError="You are too young to apply for this loan."; return false; } else if (datCurrentYear-intYear>125) { strError="You seem to have entered the date of your birth incorrectly. Please correct this."; return false; } //Go on and do other stuff. }
function Page_Load() { checkDOB(); //Do other stuff. }
And best of all, this code can be reused with only minor changes (make Request.Form() into document.FormName.FieldName.Value, change the display of strError) on the client side, since it's Jscript ASP. Javascript is good for more than the client side.
I realize the post above was commending Javascript. I'd like to point out, though, that JS has its strong and weak points. It IS best when used with server-side code, and I believe this will help make that point.
Actually, Javascript now supports class declaration, package declaration, variable and function modifiers (public, private, etc), try/catch/finally, and so forth. This probably has to do with it being turned into a compiled language for.NET. It can and has been used to create compiled programs, web services, all Windows stuff, and some very truly unique things thanks to its integration with Windows Scripting Host and with IE. One of the most impressive JS coders I know is Essam Ahmed - look him up here. Like anything else, Javascript is a tool and can be used for good or evil. The rightness or wrongness of its functions is dependant on the wielder. Simply because it's different from what you know does not make it bad.
Ey Mods. This is NOT offtopic. Someone who's not yet used their metamoderation for the day up, boot whoever modded this 'offtopic'. Geeze, people. It's a joke. Read the thing, read the title of the post. At best it should get "Funny" and at worst no moderation at all. But offtopic? Gimme a break. Now THIS post, this is offtopic.
If you actually let these people bother you, doesn't that say something? It isn't as though they're passing out tracts and knocking on your front door.:)
Minor thought on efficiency: Was I the only one who, seeing Yoda dangle that giant pillar, thought, "If it's such an effort to hold it up, why doesn't he just move the two Jedi beneath it out of the way? Then it wouldn't take so long, and Dooku wouldn't have a chance to get away." It was dramatic, yeah, but... oh well.
What happens when you take this to an extreme? Not only will users end up rating validity of a file - they could very well end up rating content. Then you end up with no real need for the RIAA to help you find good music; you just look for people with tastes like your own. It'll be entirely possible for a musician to post a song, figure out what demographic it appeals to (maybe), then gather a following and start putting on live shows, all without RIAA for anything except perhaps the money for the equipment, which, well, relegates them to the status of a very specialized bank giving out a small loan.
Then again, that's all theory. God only knows what will actually happen. I like the land of theory, though. Everything works there.
I can imagine it is an important thing to respond to direct questions, especially when the person involved is a web developer. The whole point of the mail I sent them was to ask them whether or not they did this, not to accuse or condemn, though it does seem rather likely that they did do it and I made that very clear. But like I said, I'm still waiting patiently to find out for sure. If I get no response whatsoever, it seems like I have good reason not to develop for Opera, and to warn my friends and business away from it - if they aren't even willing to face up to a serious request for information, doesn't that seem a bit lacking anyway? Bad business practices mean I avoid them to the best of my ability.
Anyway... the goal of this post was to see if anyone else had a similar experience, and let them know mine, which was so incredibly bad that I do indeed have bad feelings towards Opera. In that, I think this has been a successful enough inquest. I still don't trust Opera, but I'm not quite throwing the book at them yet. I hope that in the end you guys who like them so much are proven right. I used to feel that way about them too.
Good to hear. I really would appreciate it if they'd get back to me with this too, though. They really were the only place I put that email address. Maybe I need to wait a few more weeks for a reply? We'll see.
Oh. To the troll: No. I don't work for Microsoft. I'm also a girl. Kindly take your flaming somewhere that cares.
Hate to say this, because I used to love Opera as much as anyone could love such an underdog. Opera, however, as far as I can tell, engages in the deplorable practice of spamming. I used an untouched address to send them a bug report. Within days I was receiving 6-10 spam mails per day - and this was a business address, which had never received spam before and was not used for any other online activity save for legitimate email receiving. It's died down since I started reporting them all to Spamcop, but it still surprised the hell out of me. I sent Opera another note protesting the whole thing and asking for an explanation, but I haven't yet heard back from them. If anyone knows contrary, please post - I'd love to stop thinking they'd do such things and go back to supporting them.
Bad news, though. You let them do this one thing, and they will take that as implicit consent to have a piece of your life. You want some ads, right? That must mean you're willing to spend time out of your busy day looking at these ads, that you really do want your favorite TV show interrupted with advertisements for products you're interested in - nevermind if you're planning on researching that new car, and wouldn't buy it from a 30-second ad spot anyhow, or if you want your time in front of the TV to be veg-out relaxation. Once you've given them 30 seconds of your time and attention, they'll demand that same time and attention from everyone else, and they'll take more if they can get it.
How long before television shows are nothing but 5 minute skits interspersed with 8 minutes of commercials, rather than the reverse? How long before it becomes a law that you must register your commercial preferences in the same way you get a SSN? Granted, this is the extreme view, but it's one more than a few marketers would love to see occur. I say, give 'em an inch and they'll take a mile - and my time is worth money. No thanks.
Slashdot Mirror
I'm working on something like this right now with Chris Johnson - a review site. It might actually end up being a lot like slashdot. I'm only interested in doing the code; right now, I can't afford to host the sucker. We'll see how it goes.
Ahhhh. Scary. Useful, too. Wonder when the Luddites are going to come after you with pitchforks and torches?
I'm not sure I get it, but okay. *grin* One of these days it'll click. By the way, I think it's awesome that you're involving yourself in regular postings here on Slashdot. Try not to let the trolls get you down.
Part of the job of a scientist is to explain his views to the rest of the world. Some don't do very well at this. Dr. Wallace, on the other hand, writes extremely well, bringing up all sorts of fascinating tangental points to increase the reader's understanding, even going so far as to put these points in terms that will make sense even to an AI layman. It is his ability to associate these tangental points with the subject at hand which makes his writing interesting, and at the same time points out how very different a human being is from ALICE. I seriously admire this man, and I'd like to think that with this expansive interview I've gained a better understanding of him, his theories, and the concepts of AI.
Thank you, Dr. Wallace.
How 'bout this?
//Other global variables
/*Thanks to JS's non-required typing,
/*Note - if you use select boxes for the DOB
//Go on and do other stuff.
//Do other stuff.
var strError='';
function checkDOB() {
var intMonth=Request.Form("DOB_Month");
var intDay=Request.Form("DOB_Day");
var intYear=Request.Form("DOB_Year");
the code above doesn't error out if the items
involved weren't entered as an integer.*/
if (isNaN(intMonth)||isNaN(intDay)||isNaN(intYear)) {
strError="You entered your birthdate incorrectly. Please try again.";
fields, you won't have to worry about this
TOO much - but be sure to secure your application
so that it only accepts connections from itself
or other pages on your site. Even then, it's a
good idea to perform the above check.*/
return false;
}
var datCurrentYear=new Date().GetFullYear();
if (datCurrentYear-intYear<21) {
strError="You are too young to apply for this loan.";
return false;
}
else if (datCurrentYear-intYear>125) {
strError="You seem to have entered the date of your birth incorrectly. Please correct this.";
return false;
}
}
function Page_Load() {
checkDOB();
}
And best of all, this code can be reused with only minor changes (make Request.Form() into document.FormName.FieldName.Value, change the display of strError) on the client side, since it's Jscript ASP. Javascript is good for more than the client side.
I realize the post above was commending Javascript. I'd like to point out, though, that JS has its strong and weak points. It IS best when used with server-side code, and I believe this will help make that point.
Actually, Javascript now supports class declaration, package declaration, variable and function modifiers (public, private, etc), try/catch/finally, and so forth. This probably has to do with it being turned into a compiled language for .NET. It can and has been used to create compiled programs, web services, all Windows stuff, and some very truly unique things thanks to its integration with Windows Scripting Host and with IE. One of the most impressive JS coders I know is Essam Ahmed - look him up here. Like anything else, Javascript is a tool and can be used for good or evil. The rightness or wrongness of its functions is dependant on the wielder. Simply because it's different from what you know does not make it bad.
Ey Mods. This is NOT offtopic. Someone who's not yet used their metamoderation for the day up, boot whoever modded this 'offtopic'. Geeze, people. It's a joke. Read the thing, read the title of the post. At best it should get "Funny" and at worst no moderation at all. But offtopic? Gimme a break. Now THIS post, this is offtopic.
If you actually let these people bother you, doesn't that say something? It isn't as though they're passing out tracts and knocking on your front door. :)
Minor thought on efficiency: Was I the only one who, seeing Yoda dangle that giant pillar, thought, "If it's such an effort to hold it up, why doesn't he just move the two Jedi beneath it out of the way? Then it wouldn't take so long, and Dooku wouldn't have a chance to get away." It was dramatic, yeah, but... oh well.
What happens when you take this to an extreme? Not only will users end up rating validity of a file - they could very well end up rating content. Then you end up with no real need for the RIAA to help you find good music; you just look for people with tastes like your own. It'll be entirely possible for a musician to post a song, figure out what demographic it appeals to (maybe), then gather a following and start putting on live shows, all without RIAA for anything except perhaps the money for the equipment, which, well, relegates them to the status of a very specialized bank giving out a small loan.
Then again, that's all theory. God only knows what will actually happen. I like the land of theory, though. Everything works there.
I can imagine it is an important thing to respond to direct questions, especially when the person involved is a web developer. The whole point of the mail I sent them was to ask them whether or not they did this, not to accuse or condemn, though it does seem rather likely that they did do it and I made that very clear. But like I said, I'm still waiting patiently to find out for sure. If I get no response whatsoever, it seems like I have good reason not to develop for Opera, and to warn my friends and business away from it - if they aren't even willing to face up to a serious request for information, doesn't that seem a bit lacking anyway? Bad business practices mean I avoid them to the best of my ability.
Anyway... the goal of this post was to see if anyone else had a similar experience, and let them know mine, which was so incredibly bad that I do indeed have bad feelings towards Opera. In that, I think this has been a successful enough inquest. I still don't trust Opera, but I'm not quite throwing the book at them yet. I hope that in the end you guys who like them so much are proven right. I used to feel that way about them too.
Good to hear. I really would appreciate it if they'd get back to me with this too, though. They really were the only place I put that email address. Maybe I need to wait a few more weeks for a reply? We'll see.
Oh. To the troll: No. I don't work for Microsoft. I'm also a girl. Kindly take your flaming somewhere that cares.
Hate to say this, because I used to love Opera as much as anyone could love such an underdog. Opera, however, as far as I can tell, engages in the deplorable practice of spamming. I used an untouched address to send them a bug report. Within days I was receiving 6-10 spam mails per day - and this was a business address, which had never received spam before and was not used for any other online activity save for legitimate email receiving. It's died down since I started reporting them all to Spamcop, but it still surprised the hell out of me. I sent Opera another note protesting the whole thing and asking for an explanation, but I haven't yet heard back from them. If anyone knows contrary, please post - I'd love to stop thinking they'd do such things and go back to supporting them.
Bad news, though. You let them do this one thing, and they will take that as implicit consent to have a piece of your life. You want some ads, right? That must mean you're willing to spend time out of your busy day looking at these ads, that you really do want your favorite TV show interrupted with advertisements for products you're interested in - nevermind if you're planning on researching that new car, and wouldn't buy it from a 30-second ad spot anyhow, or if you want your time in front of the TV to be veg-out relaxation. Once you've given them 30 seconds of your time and attention, they'll demand that same time and attention from everyone else, and they'll take more if they can get it.
How long before television shows are nothing but 5 minute skits interspersed with 8 minutes of commercials, rather than the reverse? How long before it becomes a law that you must register your commercial preferences in the same way you get a SSN? Granted, this is the extreme view, but it's one more than a few marketers would love to see occur. I say, give 'em an inch and they'll take a mile - and my time is worth money. No thanks.