I entirely agree. The difference between the US and Russia is that while censorship (or, more precisely, self-censorship) exists in both, pretty much everybody in Russia knows not to trust either TV or the national radio. In the US, however, people are convinced they are getting the "real deal" on the news. In fact, they are so convinced of it, that they even feel the obligation to teach other countries (Russia one of the first among them) the meaning of the free press.
It only takes leaving the US for a few months and starting to read newspapers in any European country to realize that the illusion of the free American press is actually that - an illusion. Read Chomsky if you want a detailed explanation of how the whole thing works.
So, in some ways, the Russian system is more 'honest' - everybody knows the rules, people know how to take information they are given. The American system is a FAR more sinister one.
No, you're not the only one. I think it's one of the most unfortunate names for a lobbying group. Makes it sound like they are a bunch of old perverts.
Far from being a useless gadget, I think this could be used in several areas - including security. Especially if this thing could transmit the images, too. On the other hand, security and Microsoft probably don't mix so we'll have wait here
P.S. Yes, I know... People who trade freedom for security.. Blah-blah-blah
Most of what's written is written from the pointview of US-based employees. Now try to put yourself in executives' shoes. What are the most compelling reasons for NOT buying cheaper services?
Shareholders demand lower costs. VC's demand that, too. In fact, if I remember correctly, it was mentioned in the article that an outsourcing plan is the REQUIREMENT for raising VC money. American consumers want lower costs. Should all these categories of people who are all directly related to business be ignored? And for the sake of what?
When you cry that companies have no shame or loyalty to their employees, remember yourself 4-5 years ago - were you LOYAL to your company? If you're in the IT, chances are the you were not - you probably didn't give a rat's ass about it - you were hopping from one high-paid job to another that paid even more every 6-12 months.
So, let's not be hypocritical. We don't care about companies. We are not in the business of caring. We are hired guns and we get paid for our skills. Companies don't care about us. They don't and they shouldn't! They have other worries like meeting shareholders' expectations, developing new products (yes, CHEAPLY), beating wall street estimates and managing cashflow. Let them make their decisions. And let you make yours. It's called freedom.
it seems that the majority here doesn't feel guilty... well, i do...
i spent an entire year preaching Linux to all my friends but i have to admit that all the way i've been having tons of problems with it... USB devices were not working, attempts to switch keyboard layouts gave me XFree86 errors, trying to do accounting with Gnucash was a lunacy, and could XMMS be ANY UGLIER? Then i tried installing XD2 from Ximian (which I still consider the best "graphical shell" for Linux) and that just broke *everything* on my laptop... On that day i just got so mad i walked down the street and got a powerbook G4...
so, back to the guilt thing.... yes, i do feel guilty - probably because i kind of showed myself as a hypocrite - preaching linux to others then getting an Apple machine. i think the key with Linux happiness is to recognize whether it's APPROPRIATE for what you do. if you need email, web browsers and a shell then Linux IS perfeect... but if you try to use it the way i did (USB, Music, several business applications, multimedia), then you better know how to recompile things yourself (i don't).
Interesting term, "near-broadband".... If I am not mistaken, broadband is defined as a communications medium that can be divided into multiple segments that can be used for different purposes (e.g. voice, data, video, etc).
Isn't "nearbroadband" almost the same concept as being "almost pregnant"?
Doesn't seem too weird to me. If I am not mistaken, Bangalore already has more software engineers than Silicon Valley.
Re: Finland comment. A Finnish-based electronic musician Vladislav Delay once noted that Finland was a country where "like, 500 people listen to jazz".
Thank you (and thanks for typing that!). However, it still sounds that if they re-sell quickly enough, this clause doesn't protect you much.
Also, I noticed that many spamm... er.. marketers have pretty lax deadlines for themselves to take you off the list. "We received your unsubscription request. Please allow 5-7 business days for processing". (They might as well add "in those 5-7 business days we'll spam the hell out of you and rent your address to every spammer we know")
I don't rememeber the source (I think it was UK research), but I read a report somewhere that said that the biggest "source" of income for spammers is not even the money they receive from 0.001% who do respond to their messages, but what they make when they re-sell the list (less bouncebacks, of course).
It looks like some bizarre vicious circle: the spammer doesn't even care if you are going to respond to the "opt-out" clause in their mailings simply because by the time the opt-out reaches them, they wil already have sold your address to 5 other spammers and made their money on you.
Am I wrong or the bill simply doesn't address the list reselling practice? (Granted, I haven't read the actual legislation - just the press coverage).
Sorry, I just don't like the overall theme "we're all in favor in regulating it just a little bit". It seems that it's the same thing as being "a little" pregnant. You are either regulated or not.
As far as being able to dial 911 - Vonage does have this option (it is an option, not a requirement) without being regulated.
In general, I think the market should dictate what consumers need/want, not the government. Startup costs for VOIP are not that huge so nobody can use the "monopoly" argument (oh - if we don't regulate this one company is going to be the only game in town).
Interest from the government in this case is understandable, only I doubt it has anything to do with making it better for us (consumers) - they simply need to ensure that other agencies are able to intercept VOIP conversations with the same ease as "regular" phone conversation and yes, they're always on the lookout for more ways to collect taxes where there shouldn't be any....Hardly a reason to cheer
I am not sure a grand unified desktop is the ultimate goal. As long as one can run various "K"-named applications from GNOME and the other way around - what the heck is the difference?
In my opinion it's much better to have a KDE vs GNOME war instead of Linux vs Windows one.
I tend to view the fact that Linux is an operating system offering two completely different environments as its competitive advantage - again, as long as applications run on both.
Also, I am afraid that if somebody does "marry" (or forcefully cross-breed) those two, the end result will be a suspiciously GNOMEY-looking KDE that is likely going to be hated by both camps. Let's not make this mistake.
This is a little OT, but since they are so upbeat, I have to report that kernel used in Suse 9.0 has problems with IBM's own ThinkPads. Pressing the Fn button causes keventd() to go crazy eating up 100% CPU and the computer has to be painfully and slowly rebooted.
There's
another
article discussing this release and they bring up an interesting issue:
"At the same time Red Hat created the Enterprise Linux line, which changes slowly so hardware and software companies have time to adjust to changes and certify their products, it has given more free reign to its other version, now called Fedora, which is available for free. Because Red Hat doesn't have to worry about Fedora certification, support or retail sales, the company can rapidly move new technology into it so new features will mature faster.
The only hitch is that some customers had grown accustomed to a free version that was better adapted for serious use rather than just experimentation. "
I have to say I am not sure what my own opinion is
(except that I didn't realize Fedora was a distribution, but that's just my ignorance). Anybody else picking up the same (mixed) signal here?
I think at this point, Google's feeble attempts at e-commerce search are really not convincing enough to scare anybody (and particularly not Amazon) away from trying something along these lines.
I mean, realistically, Froogle.com aside, Google can really search very simple static content. Put a CGI form on your website and Google will stop there. Put anything on your website that ties into a complex request and Google won't touch it.
Therefore, I don't think that the spin "A9 is going to compete with Google - the leader in this space" makes much sense, since Google is (yet) not the leader in this space - it's the leader in the static page/document search space. Seem like two different things.
Perhaps, on a relevant note, yesterday's article in the "Internationa Herald Tribune" (reprinted from NYT) mentioned several reasons why these subpoenas may be counter-productive. One of them was that they will encourage people to move to more secure and anonymous networks (either Freenet-type or so-called "darknets")..
It was interesting to hear the response to this argument from the
"other side":
"The thing about darknets is that the users show more culpability than people who simply use peer-to-peer," said Randy Saaf, chief executive of MediaDefender, a music technology company that does work for the record industry. "When people are found to be using them, they will face stiffer penalties".
Now, from where I stand, this sounds like a threat. Also, I don't think there's any legal basis to threaten anyone with "stiffer penalties" simply for using a better technology to do the same thing.. What do you guys think?
So, they introduced their device in January 2002 and then went on redesigning it for almost 2 years? Isn't such a product development cycle just a little slow?
Also, am I the only one who's getting the impression that Linux-based PDA's fall behind the curve in terms of time to market and features?
"
You first have to get a visa, and guess what? Countries like India aren't too happy to give them out..... they didn't want competition from non-indian workers in their IT industry. You just have to laugh. "
There's nothing to laugh about. *Of course* he wouldn't get a working visa just for applying - I think no country in the world just gives out working visas for asking.
As far as traveling restrictions are concerned, Americans can travel to millions of places without the need of a visa, while Indians and other "3rd world" citizens can not even come to the U.S. for a holiday without going through a humiliating visa interview...
Also, you don't need to have a working visa in order to sit on the beach in Goa with your laptop. Just go there as a tourist! Spend 3 months in Goa go somewhere else for another 3 and you can come back without any restrictions on working... as long as you are working for somebody outside, via your laptop.
I think this issue is blown way out of proportion. We are talking about 65,000 H1-B's per year on one side and millions of outsourced jobs on the other side. These are simply in different weight categories.
Politicians talk about it because it's a way to show that they care (even if they don't). What I don't understand is how can IT workers (supposedly, logical people with math skills) be that upset about something that barely has any effect on the labor market.
More to the point and to respond to your question, though - I think enforcing any law is simply very expensive, but in this case defining what consitutes as abuse is quite difficult.
Much has been said about the problems that U.S. IT workers have experienced because of competition from foreign ones. We now read stories about them being depressed and even killing themselves (a recent case in California) - all, supposedly, because of those pesky Indians, Chineses and Russians that are stealing their jobs.
But what about them, foreigners? Why is it that nobody talks about the fact that getting a job at an outsourcing venture finally allowed many of them to live with "dignity"? Isn't that a positive effect of globalization?
Thanks for the Harvard link! Here are some more images from Space.com. This one is a
composite photo.
of the images picked up by the various types of telescopes.
Slashdot Mirror
I entirely agree. The difference between the US and Russia is that while censorship (or, more precisely, self-censorship) exists in both, pretty much everybody in Russia knows not to trust either TV or the national radio. In the US, however, people are convinced they are getting the "real deal" on the news. In fact, they are so convinced of it, that they even feel the obligation to teach other countries (Russia one of the first among them) the meaning of the free press.
It only takes leaving the US for a few months and starting to read newspapers in any European country to realize that the illusion of the free American press is actually that - an illusion. Read Chomsky if you want a detailed explanation of how the whole thing works.
So, in some ways, the Russian system is more 'honest' - everybody knows the rules, people know how to take information they are given. The American system is a FAR more sinister one.
No, you're not the only one. I think it's one of the most unfortunate names for a lobbying group. Makes it sound like they are a bunch of old perverts.
P.S. Yes, I know... People who trade freedom for security.. Blah-blah-blah
thanks, john! couldn't agree more.
I have! I think I've been getting both democratic and republican emails... Yet another reason to vote LIBERTARIAN!
Shareholders demand lower costs. VC's demand that, too. In fact, if I remember correctly, it was mentioned in the article that an outsourcing plan is the REQUIREMENT for raising VC money. American consumers want lower costs. Should all these categories of people who are all directly related to business be ignored? And for the sake of what?
When you cry that companies have no shame or loyalty to their employees, remember yourself 4-5 years ago - were you LOYAL to your company? If you're in the IT, chances are the you were not - you probably didn't give a rat's ass about it - you were hopping from one high-paid job to another that paid even more every 6-12 months.
So, let's not be hypocritical. We don't care about companies. We are not in the business of caring. We are hired guns and we get paid for our skills. Companies don't care about us. They don't and they shouldn't! They have other worries like meeting shareholders' expectations, developing new products (yes, CHEAPLY), beating wall street estimates and managing cashflow. Let them make their decisions. And let you make yours. It's called freedom.
i spent an entire year preaching Linux to all my friends but i have to admit that all the way i've been having tons of problems with it... USB devices were not working, attempts to switch keyboard layouts gave me XFree86 errors, trying to do accounting with Gnucash was a lunacy, and could XMMS be ANY UGLIER? Then i tried installing XD2 from Ximian (which I still consider the best "graphical shell" for Linux) and that just broke *everything* on my laptop... On that day i just got so mad i walked down the street and got a powerbook G4...
so, back to the guilt thing.... yes, i do feel guilty - probably because i kind of showed myself as a hypocrite - preaching linux to others then getting an Apple machine. i think the key with Linux happiness is to recognize whether it's APPROPRIATE for what you do. if you need email, web browsers and a shell then Linux IS perfeect... but if you try to use it the way i did (USB, Music, several business applications, multimedia), then you better know how to recompile things yourself (i don't).
... and I guess when this doesn't catch on, RIAA will sue people for NOT using their file-sharing system.
Isn't "nearbroadband" almost the same concept as being "almost pregnant"?
Re: Finland comment. A Finnish-based electronic musician Vladislav Delay once noted that Finland was a country where "like, 500 people listen to jazz".
Also, I noticed that many spamm... er.. marketers have pretty lax deadlines for themselves to take you off the list. "We received your unsubscription request. Please allow 5-7 business days for processing". (They might as well add "in those 5-7 business days we'll spam the hell out of you and rent your address to every spammer we know")
It looks like some bizarre vicious circle: the spammer doesn't even care if you are going to respond to the "opt-out" clause in their mailings simply because by the time the opt-out reaches them, they wil already have sold your address to 5 other spammers and made their money on you.
Am I wrong or the bill simply doesn't address the list reselling practice? (Granted, I haven't read the actual legislation - just the press coverage).
As far as being able to dial 911 - Vonage does have this option (it is an option, not a requirement) without being regulated.
In general, I think the market should dictate what consumers need/want, not the government. Startup costs for VOIP are not that huge so nobody can use the "monopoly" argument (oh - if we don't regulate this one company is going to be the only game in town).
Interest from the government in this case is understandable, only I doubt it has anything to do with making it better for us (consumers) - they simply need to ensure that other agencies are able to intercept VOIP conversations with the same ease as "regular" phone conversation and yes, they're always on the lookout for more ways to collect taxes where there shouldn't be any....Hardly a reason to cheer
In my opinion it's much better to have a KDE vs GNOME war instead of Linux vs Windows one.
I tend to view the fact that Linux is an operating system offering two completely different environments as its competitive advantage - again, as long as applications run on both.
Also, I am afraid that if somebody does "marry" (or forcefully cross-breed) those two, the end result will be a suspiciously GNOMEY-looking KDE that is likely going to be hated by both camps. Let's not make this mistake.
This is a little OT, but since they are so upbeat, I have to report that kernel used in Suse 9.0 has problems with IBM's own ThinkPads. Pressing the Fn button causes keventd() to go crazy eating up 100% CPU and the computer has to be painfully and slowly rebooted.
isn't funny they're listing SCO as a "heavy-hitter"?
thank you for your response. somebody else in my company expresses a similar opinion.
I mean, realistically, Froogle.com aside, Google can really search very simple static content. Put a CGI form on your website and Google will stop there. Put anything on your website that ties into a complex request and Google won't touch it.
Therefore, I don't think that the spin "A9 is going to compete with Google - the leader in this space" makes much sense, since Google is (yet) not the leader in this space - it's the leader in the static page/document search space. Seem like two different things.
Also, am I the only one who's getting the impression that Linux-based PDA's fall behind the curve in terms of time to market and features?
There's nothing to laugh about. *Of course* he wouldn't get a working visa just for applying - I think no country in the world just gives out working visas for asking.
As far as traveling restrictions are concerned, Americans can travel to millions of places without the need of a visa, while Indians and other "3rd world" citizens can not even come to the U.S. for a holiday without going through a humiliating visa interview...
Also, you don't need to have a working visa in order to sit on the beach in Goa with your laptop. Just go there as a tourist! Spend 3 months in Goa go somewhere else for another 3 and you can come back without any restrictions on working... as long as you are working for somebody outside, via your laptop.
I think this issue is blown way out of proportion. We are talking about 65,000 H1-B's per year on one side and millions of outsourced jobs on the other side. These are simply in different weight categories.
Politicians talk about it because it's a way to show that they care (even if they don't). What I don't understand is how can IT workers (supposedly, logical people with math skills) be that upset about something that barely has any effect on the labor market.
More to the point and to respond to your question, though - I think enforcing any law is simply very expensive, but in this case defining what consitutes as abuse is quite difficult.
But what about them, foreigners? Why is it that nobody talks about the fact that getting a job at an outsourcing venture finally allowed many of them to live with "dignity"? Isn't that a positive effect of globalization?
Thanks for the Harvard link! Here are some more images from Space.com. This one is a composite photo. of the images picked up by the various types of telescopes.