Krishna Bharat, chief scientist for Google News, said he was puzzled by reports that the service has been skewing politically in one direction.
I'll risk being modded offtopic and mention that Krishna Bharat happens to be a graduate of the GVU (Graphics Visualization and Usability) lab at the College of Computing at Georgia Tech. I happened to meet him on one of his visits to the school, and he being the first (and only) rep from Google I've met, I found him to fit the Google stereotype pretty snugly. His old webpage at GaTech is here
In any case, I did manage to flunk the Google interview, though I got a TShirt in return, so I guess it's okay.
with one IT Director saying doing so would be like hiring serial-killing doctor Harold Shipman to treat your ailing and aged mother.
The problem with this analogy is that the doctor in question has not demonstrated extraordinary skills or aptitude in his chosen career and would not necessarily benefit the ailing mother.
The hacker, on the other hand, has clearly demonstrated skill (not a typical script kiddie), interest and aptitude in his (decidedly skewed) hobby.
So it's not a question of hiring *just* a (hopefully occasional) "wr0ngdoer". It's about hiring a proven highly-skilled one who could benefit you with his skillset.
Field Reporter: Tom, people from all over the- [chokes] Sorry. [gets back on track] People from all over the country are coming to see the ladder, feeling a connection to its symbolism, and beauty. Even country singer Alan Jackson has shown up with a song he has written about the ladder. [camera pulls back to show Jackson to the reporter's left, strumming a guitar] Alan Jackson is, of course, the man who wrote the song, "Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning," about the tragedies on September 11. And now he's here once again to capitalize on people's emotions. Let's listen in. [focus shifts to Jackson]
Alan Jackson: Where were you when they built the ladder to heaven?
Did it make you feel like cryin', or did you think it was kind of gay?
Well I, for one, believe in the ladder to heaven.
Oh yeah yeah yeah. 9-11 [the townsfolk begin to cry]
I said 9-11, 9-11, 9-11, Ni-hi, hi-hine___
Where were you when they ran out of stuff to build the ladder to heaven?
Where were you when they saved that ladder to heaven?
Where were you when they decided heaven was a more intangible idea 'n you couldn't, you couldn't really get there?
[walks up to the boys] You little bastards ruined my latest song! [drives his guitar into the snow, breaking it, then walks away]
Its Java-heavy inteface reminds me of Gmail, which is nice.
with that statement. I don't entirely agree with using "heavy" JavaScript/etc for simple webpage based applications like search engines, which should be as lightweight and minimalistic as much as possible, allowing me to access results without having to rely on helper applications or specific interfaces
I should be able to use lynx or other interfaces (Google API) to access results without undue overhead, if I so desire.
It's sad lynx comes up with the following when pointed to http://www.a9.com:
Alert!: Unable to connect to remote host.
lynx: Can't access startfile http://www.a9.com/
I got 2 Windows users to download and install it. I would've liked to do more, but something's better than nothing. I followed up ofcourse, with a short demo of the "essential" features and setting up the homepage, importing bookmarks, etc.
Things that impressed them the most over their first ~5 mins.
1. Tabbed Browsing
2. Ability to set multiple pages as home pages.
3. Sleek look.
4. Small download size.
I guess the popup blocker didn't make as much of an impact because of 3rd party blockers/etc that they had installed and functional.
I believe that in the long run, open source software does have the potential to be more secure than closed systems, since open source projects can do everything commercial projects can. When high-quality analysis tools become more common, hopefully the "many eyeballs" phenomenon will work. Still, when it comes to security, money looks like it will be a big catalyst for positive change--and the open source community is largely insulated from it.
the article is a balanced and well-written one. From the title and summary, I concluded that this was possibly one of those "Rob Enderle" type Microsoft FUD, but surprisingly the author seems to know what he's talking about and comes up with a pretty balanced argument - the above excerpt is one of the examples.
I agree with some of the conclusions/suggestions like a more structured approach and software engineering techniques, but the fact remains that most software hobbyists (the principal contributors to open source software) *firmly* dislike process and red-tape. And they're right, since they're pursuing a hobby, they should be able to do what they like as they see fit.
But then, he's obviously more qualified than the other Microsoft apologists which've written "knowledgeable" articles about open source insecurity.
John Viega is Chief Scientist of Secure Software, and the coauthor of "Building Secure Software" (Addison-Wesley) and "Network Security with OpenSSL" (O'Reilly).
Monday, July 12, 2004
Warning: We Brake For Number Theory
If any Silicon Valley drivers have found that traffic is moving more slowly than usual these days on the southbound 101 right around Ralston, you may have us to blame. Last week we unveiled a billboard that's a bit unusual in that it promotes Google only to one very narrow constituency: engineers who are geeky enough to be annoyed at the very existence of a math problem they haven't solved, and smart enough to rectify the situation.
Google Billboard
In other words, the billboard (which offers problem-solvers the URL to, sorry, a page containing an even harder problem), is a recruiting campaign. We've always worked hard to hire the smartest engineers we can find, and we thought this would be a cool way to find a few more. Perhaps including you. If you're a math or computer whiz who doesn't happen to live within shouting distance of Palo Alto -- good luck, and we're looking forward to hearing from you.
except for the new fangled low-carb beers like Michelob Ultra.
In the process of trying to lose weight, I've done a lot of reading lately on why low-carb diets work, and most of thee details seem pretty logical and convincing to me. Here in a nutshell, is why I think high-carb beers cannot be healthier than (usually) low-carb wines for people trying to lose weight:
High carb and sugar diets cause the release of Insulin in the body, which is a signal to the body that more than adequate nutrition is available as a result of which, the survival mechanism kicks in and stores any fat consumed thereafter as body fat, with the carbs being used for energy. When carb consumption is lowered, however, Insulin is absent from the bloodstream, and fat is burnt instead for energy.
Hence, from this standpoint, the food pyramid (which suggests low fat instead of low carbs) as well as high carb beers are unhealthier, since they encourage storage of more fat in the body, leading to obesity.
In any case, I'm not a biologist, and I've found this way of eating quite health and effective. Thought I'd chip in with my $0.02.
For those interested in more details, look up Slashdot's earlier coverage of the subject:Hackera on Atkins".
The experiment was controlled by a PC/104 computer system that had to survive temperatures down to -85C...The computer, running Linux, communicated with the outside world using an Iridium phone.
I would have to say Linux was the ideal choice in this case. Penguins are polar creatures. you know. I wonder how the Microsoft Rainbow-bee-man would've fared under such conditions.
Microsoft Research Asia hopes Google-surpassing technology comes from a group of '10 researchers... working on new ways to drill deep into the Internet and select and organize the information found there.
...have no business hiding deep inside the Intarweb's bowels. They think they can look all doe-eyed and innocent and get away, but it won't work. I, for one, welcome Microsoft's earnest efforts in trying to drill them out.
This daring retrieval method will protect the samples and sensitive instruments during reentry. A crash landing, even at the capsule's relatively slow speed of 9 mph, could ruin some of the data collected during the mission.
Considering the fact that it hit the ground at about a 100mph, when a crash landing at even 9mph was considered dangerous, it is very likely that most of the instrumentation and data is ruined.
Hopefully the canisters (or the like) containing the samples survived the ride. The helicopter "snatch" strategy sounded hit-and-go to me anyway, but then I'm just an ignorant computer scientist.
TODO: Privacy policy goes here". Most certainly an honest mistake
Coming from a MegaCorp, I would expect something more like...Whoops, sorry, we accidentally sold your information to interested third parties including the DHS. We sincerely apologize for the honest mistake.
But you're right, this does look like an honest mistake. But it's more like a sign of the future to come.
Slashdot Mirror
If you've been in any chain book store this month, you've seen its emblem--the raven in flight, the big swirling ampersand.
Z ZZZZZZ.jpg
Screenshot of book cover below:
--------
| & |
| |
| -v- |
--------
J/K...:)
actual image here: http://images.amazon.com/images/P/1582344167.01.L
I'll risk being modded offtopic and mention that Krishna Bharat happens to be a graduate of the GVU (Graphics Visualization and Usability) lab at the College of Computing at Georgia Tech. I happened to meet him on one of his visits to the school, and he being the first (and only) rep from Google I've met, I found him to fit the Google stereotype pretty snugly. His old webpage at GaTech is here
In any case, I did manage to flunk the Google interview, though I got a TShirt in return, so I guess it's okay.
Viruses are a universal problems with "computers". Ofcourse, that's to be expected when most people relate computers to Windows.
It's not a "computer world" you're living in, it's a "Windows world".
ass kicks YOU!
The problem with this analogy is that the doctor in question has not demonstrated extraordinary skills or aptitude in his chosen career and would not necessarily benefit the ailing mother.
The hacker, on the other hand, has clearly demonstrated skill (not a typical script kiddie), interest and aptitude in his (decidedly skewed) hobby.
So it's not a question of hiring *just* a (hopefully occasional) "wr0ngdoer". It's about hiring a proven highly-skilled one who could benefit you with his skillset.
Alan Jackson: Where were you when they built the ladder to heaven?
Did it make you feel like cryin', or did you think it was kind of gay?
Well I, for one, believe in the ladder to heaven. Oh yeah yeah yeah. 9-11
[the townsfolk begin to cry]
I said 9-11, 9-11, 9-11, Ni-hi, hi-hine___
Where were you when they ran out of stuff to build the ladder to heaven?
Where were you when they saved that ladder to heaven?
Where were you when they decided heaven was a more intangible idea 'n you couldn't, you couldn't really get there?
[walks up to the boys] You little bastards ruined my latest song! [drives his guitar into the snow, breaking it, then walks away]
Short answer: No.
Long answer : Yes.
My brain already runs on HPOS - the human-powered Operating System.
with that statement. I don't entirely agree with using "heavy" JavaScript/etc for simple webpage based applications like search engines, which should be as lightweight and minimalistic as much as possible, allowing me to access results without having to rely on helper applications or specific interfaces
I should be able to use lynx or other interfaces (Google API) to access results without undue overhead, if I so desire.
It's sad lynx comes up with the following when pointed to http://www.a9.com:
Alert!: Unable to connect to remote host.
lynx: Can't access startfile http://www.a9.com/
Things that impressed them the most over their first ~5 mins.
1. Tabbed Browsing
2. Ability to set multiple pages as home pages.
3. Sleek look.
4. Small download size.
I guess the popup blocker didn't make as much of an impact because of 3rd party blockers/etc that they had installed and functional.
Go Firefox!
My l33t hax0r student just 0wn3d your honor student's Windoze boxen.
RTFM for starters.
SCO, don't try and claim that IBM has your code. That's impossible. Instead, realize the truth. There is no SCO code.
the article is a balanced and well-written one. From the title and summary, I concluded that this was possibly one of those "Rob Enderle" type Microsoft FUD, but surprisingly the author seems to know what he's talking about and comes up with a pretty balanced argument - the above excerpt is one of the examples.
I agree with some of the conclusions/suggestions like a more structured approach and software engineering techniques, but the fact remains that most software hobbyists (the principal contributors to open source software) *firmly* dislike process and red-tape. And they're right, since they're pursuing a hobby, they should be able to do what they like as they see fit.
But then, he's obviously more qualified than the other Microsoft apologists which've written "knowledgeable" articles about open source insecurity.
John Viega is Chief Scientist of Secure Software, and the coauthor of "Building Secure Software" (Addison-Wesley) and "Network Security with OpenSSL" (O'Reilly).
bash$ ps -aux |grep gsview
USER PID %CPU %MEM VSZ RSS TTY STAT START TIME COMMAND
root 1009 0.0 0.0 1384 448 ? S Sep14 0:10 gsview
bash$ kill -9 1009
That'll also make it more fun when Windows crashes, because I'll have something more cuddly/furry to bang on instead of the keyboard.
Monday, July 12, 2004 Warning: We Brake For Number Theory
If any Silicon Valley drivers have found that traffic is moving more slowly than usual these days on the southbound 101 right around Ralston, you may have us to blame. Last week we unveiled a billboard that's a bit unusual in that it promotes Google only to one very narrow constituency: engineers who are geeky enough to be annoyed at the very existence of a math problem they haven't solved, and smart enough to rectify the situation.
Google Billboard
In other words, the billboard (which offers problem-solvers the URL to, sorry, a page containing an even harder problem), is a recruiting campaign. We've always worked hard to hire the smartest engineers we can find, and we thought this would be a cool way to find a few more. Perhaps including you. If you're a math or computer whiz who doesn't happen to live within shouting distance of Palo Alto -- good luck, and we're looking forward to hearing from you.
- A. Googler
In the process of trying to lose weight, I've done a lot of reading lately on why low-carb diets work, and most of thee details seem pretty logical and convincing to me. Here in a nutshell, is why I think high-carb beers cannot be healthier than (usually) low-carb wines for people trying to lose weight:
High carb and sugar diets cause the release of Insulin in the body, which is a signal to the body that more than adequate nutrition is available as a result of which, the survival mechanism kicks in and stores any fat consumed thereafter as body fat, with the carbs being used for energy. When carb consumption is lowered, however, Insulin is absent from the bloodstream, and fat is burnt instead for energy.
Hence, from this standpoint, the food pyramid (which suggests low fat instead of low carbs) as well as high carb beers are unhealthier, since they encourage storage of more fat in the body, leading to obesity.
In any case, I'm not a biologist, and I've found this way of eating quite health and effective. Thought I'd chip in with my $0.02.
For those interested in more details, look up Slashdot's earlier coverage of the subject:Hackera on Atkins".
I would have to say Linux was the ideal choice in this case. Penguins are polar creatures. you know. I wonder how the Microsoft Rainbow-bee-man would've fared under such conditions.
That's why I store and transmit all my data as plain text.
Seriously, though I know what the answer is likely to be. Politicians probably have bigger things to care about, But this is /.
1. Goto store
2. Insert 12, eggs, cart
3. Insert 1lb, butter, cart
4. Mov $5.00, wallet, store_clerk
5. Goto home
6. Mov pan, grill
7. heating = 05
8. Mov 1oz, butter, pan
9. Mov 2, eggs, pan
10. sleep (1000)
11. Mov product, oral_cavity
12. end
This daring retrieval method will protect the samples and sensitive instruments during reentry. A crash landing, even at the capsule's relatively slow speed of 9 mph, could ruin some of the data collected during the mission.
Considering the fact that it hit the ground at about a 100mph, when a crash landing at even 9mph was considered dangerous, it is very likely that most of the instrumentation and data is ruined.
Hopefully the canisters (or the like) containing the samples survived the ride. The helicopter "snatch" strategy sounded hit-and-go to me anyway, but then I'm just an ignorant computer scientist.
Coming from a MegaCorp, I would expect something more like...Whoops, sorry, we accidentally sold your information to interested third parties including the DHS. We sincerely apologize for the honest mistake.
But you're right, this does look like an honest mistake. But it's more like a sign of the future to come.