I still cannot understand why all Americans are driving farmer's vehicles (pickups).
What europeans never realize is that our only currency is hay. Therefore, everyone must drive around a pickup truck filled with bales of hay. It's kind of like a wallet.
Obviously, there is no use for a pickup truck other than hauling hay bales around. All other large objects are transported by catapult.
Egyptian papyrus from 3000 years ago is still more or less intact.
I read an article once in that hotbed of liberal thinking, readers digest, about book deterioration. Older books were printed with a different method, and will last a couple hundred years. Newer books will only last maybe 50 years.
This begs the question : how long will computer printouts last?
Actually, a lot more (even-handed, I think) reports are coming out about this today.
Although no one may read this, I had to post it because I thought it was humorous.
About the Airbus incident : I guess the U.S. government has kind of admitted it eavesdropped on negotiations. *BUT* (this is the funny part) they overheard Airbus Offering Bribes to Saudi Officals. So good ole' U.S. intelligence said to the saudi government "Oh, by the way, that company competing with that U.S. company is offering your guys bribes." And whoops, Airbus lost the deal.
So, it might be kind of unethical that they (U.S. intel) were eavesdropping, but it does appear that the french are complaining largely due to circumstances resulting from their own pants being down. (U.S. government contractors have to pay huge fines if they get caught offering bribes to foreign governments -- I know because my company got caught once a couple years before I started. I and every other employee have to take special training as part of the sentence.)
The ex-head of the CIA has some comments about it in this nytimes article right here. Mostly that they couldn't tell a U.S. company that they were about to lose, but could inform other governments if someone was cheating. Hee hee.
Here in the UK, environmental protestors who sabotage property during protest (e.g. anti-roads protestors sabotaging diggers) are about to be brought under the umbrella of the anti-terrorism laws originally invented to combat the IRA and other *real* terrorist organisations.
Yeah, that stinks. In the states racketeering charges originally invented for the sake of fighting organized crime are being brought to bear against pro-life groups. (whether you love them or hate them, think of the affect this kind of thinking might have had on the civil rights movement).
About encryption keys, I would suggest that they should be permitted to be handed over with a warrant, but pretty much not otherwise. UK probably says hand it over regardless (don't know if that'd go over in the states)... and of course this brings up problems if the proof's in the pudding (the only incriminating evidence is encrypted). Oh well. Cops not being able to arrest a party they know is guilty isn't new, and I suppose it will exist forever:P . Silly innocence.
Governments doing corporate espionage is probably a bad thing.
However, I would expect that some of these reports are fallacious. The one french guy (look at that reference -- that's why I'm a programmer and not a journalist) who claimed all these corporate espionage things also claimed that the NSA collaborated with a large american chipmaker (a veiled reference to intel's ID #'s on chips, which seems unlikely to be inspired by anybody other than worth.3 something trillion dollars intel), has hidden traps in microsoft software (although, somehow, several hundred million users of microsoft products have been unable to find these), and forced IBM to use microsoft products (?)
Yeah, that's kind of faulty logic. My brain is still reeling from the effects of loss of sleep from reading hitchikers guide (for the first time, man) and too much raspberry mocha.
I guess my point is that just because the allegations are made doesn't mean they are true. And just because allegations are made doesn't mean that intelligence agencies will respond to them. It is impossible for them to prove their innocence anyway. And I would suspect that they don't answer any questions about their operations if they can help it.
Well, I kind of left foreign citizens out for a reason.
There is nothing I'm aware of that keeps the NSA from spying on you. Nothing that protects your privacy...
Except your unimportance. If the NSA tried to track the 5.75 billion people in the world they would no doubt do a lousy job. There are lots of terrorists and foreign governments to surveil. Of course, if for some errant reason they think you are a terrorist when you aren't, it is reasonable to assume they might spy on you. However, it isn't in their best interest to assume you are a terrorist if you, in fact, aren't.
Therefore, we can assume logically that they probably won't spy on you. And, even if they did, for what purpose? Unless you suggest that CIA hitmen run around killing europeans? (not that they don't, I would just hate to have to try and prove it.)
Because J. Edgar Hoover existed, or because the government stepped beyond its bounds (perhaps -- I don't pay much attention) at ruby ridge and waco, and killed thousands of native americans up to and including the last century, etc. does not logically infer that these things will continue to happen, nor that they are exceptions rather than the rule of government operation.
As for the whole "democratically elected and accountable government..." This is crap. Would you want intelligence agencies run by popular vote? There is professional government, and political government. Compare your borough manager and your mayor. There's a place for both, but perhaps what I'm trying to say is that the people that best understand the intelligence game are *in* the intelligence game. Not politicians, voters, or even geeks.:)
I hate to be inflammatory, but lets suppose that all the folks at the NSA do all day is invade our (U.S. citizen's) privacy, despite the fact that they say they don't, and intelligence agencies usually don't lie (the correct response to any question is to Say Nothing).
Is someone actually reading our mail? With terrorists, hostile governments, nuclear weapons, chemical weapons and biological weapons, does the government really care about anything you say?
If they are thoroughly reading your mail (suppose), are you suggesting that men in black suits come and oppress you? Because if not...
You must be suggesting that this evidence will be used in a court case against you. However, since it was obtained illegally, and the way in which it was obtained is classified (there was a case like this a while back), there is no way it can be used against you in a court of law.
As for the industrial espionage allegations, I could see someone doing that, but would suggest that it isn't commonplace. The government keeps a Very tight rein on its contractors, in terms of what they are allowed and not allowed to do, and it seems unlikely that it would make a *habit* of breaking similar rules itself, with the complicity of one of its contractors.
Also, do you think that microsoft and the nsa could slip something like that under our noses? Under several hundred million of our noses?
When the brits used to have that tower to listen to all the traffic between ireland and england, they didn't have workable speech recognition, but used what I thought was a pretty cool hack.
Speech recognition is hard. However, taking a voice print is really really easy. So they (british intel or whoever) would automatically take a voice-print of every call, and tape the calls that matched voice-prints of criminals, or whoever they listened to (I'll give them the benefit of the doubt).
You have said that backwards compatibility (to the extent C++ provides) with C was a must.
Now, however, as opposed to back then, you are quite an important figure in programming languages and the computing field as a whole. You advocate using C *only* if a platform does not provide a working C++ compiler.
Have you considered making another language with all all the features of C++, without the backwards compatibility to C? While there would be more of a learning curve, you certainly have the importance to be taken very seriously, and a tighter language could possibly result.
garth brooks the showman?
on
Muppets Sold
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· Score: 1
I believe Garth Brooks hosted SNL two times. He was a riot.
Wrist strength is *not* the only factor in typing pain. In fact, it's quite possible to not be the problem at all.
Carpal tunnel, for example, is caused by (please don't fault me because I don't know the correct terminology) friction between your tendons and the sleeves that encase them. The friction causes wounds, the wounds scar, and that's bad.
You can have the strongest wrists in the world (try one of those martial arts that involves grabbing people. Wow!) and you can still get carpal tunnel. It's a friction thing (corrected, I believe, by better posture -- but see my advice below).
Basically, consult a physician if you want a physical solution rather than a hardware solution. Wrist strength wouldn't help you if have carpal tunnel, better posture wouldn't help you if you had weak wrists. Only one good way to find out.
Most people in the linux community are bothered only by software patents. I would guess that if they had 450 patents, and we've heard of none of them, that they're primarily hardware.
And they do have some pretty cool hardware. They're based in my current hometown, and had a little demo at the fairfax county fair, which I saw before seeing They Might Be Giants. There are no screens like 1-inch screens that nobody else can see. "Sure boss, I'm working. (slashdot slashdot slashdot)"
If I remember correctly, last time I heard about xybernaut they were in hot financial waters. Part of the peril of being ahead of your time -- wearable computers will be efficient and affordable at some point, but they sure aren't now.
So how much of this is just speculation to increase their stock valuation (if they have stock) or to get more vc?
Anyway, they do need a web admin with minimal experience, and they're in my hometown. Hmmm... Employee Discount?
The FBI can also tap your phones, search your house, throw you into jail, and seize your property.
But it ain't bloody likely unless you enjoy attacking e-commerce sites or something else horribly deviant. They're pretty much flooded with cases and paperwork all the time, or so I've heard from my one federal law enforcement friend;)
It changes not every decade like some sciences, not every year like others, not every month like others, it changes each and every single moment of the day and night. Computer science sits still for no man to standardize or stagnate into simplification...
I think you're referring to technology. Technology zips along, but this affects all scientific fields. Is a 20 year-old computer manual still relevant today? Probably not. Is one of Knuth's 20 year-old (30 years old?) volumes of The Art of Computer Programming irrelevant? Nope.
The manual is representative of technology, TAOCP of computer science. Little of what an undergrad cs major will study (not use) has changed in the last 20 years.
Am I missing something here? Doesn't it seem strange that, after finding out two of their closest allies have been spying on them, France decides to sue over civil matters? Sounds like they're taking it pretty damned well.
Every nation spies on its allies. While this doesn't scale well to personal relations, you need to know what they're doing so you know that they *are* still your allies. This Is Not something that the U.S. just invented ten years ago.
I was kind of under the impression that one of the points of science fiction was to have some sort of moral relevance. Which is why, IMHO, say, brave new world (horribly gadgetless) is sf, and star wars is nearly fantasy.
That religious leaders have the right to lead their followers? Really, if they're so strict they don't have TV, I can't imagine them having the internet either.
So, why get mad at them? They aren't taking anything from you. They're not trying, they don't want to. Do you realize how morally egotistical it is to suggest that they shouldn't adhere to their own religious beliefs?
Profound Revelation : If you want to keep reading slashdot, Don't Become (Stay) an Ultra-Orthodox Jew!
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What europeans never realize is that our only currency is hay. Therefore, everyone must drive around a pickup truck filled with bales of hay. It's kind of like a wallet.
Obviously, there is no use for a pickup truck other than hauling hay bales around. All other large objects are transported by catapult.
Just checking -- that was sarcasm, right?
As a man far wiser than me once said, "You bet your asteroids, kid."
I read an article once in that hotbed of liberal thinking, readers digest, about book deterioration. Older books were printed with a different method, and will last a couple hundred years. Newer books will only last maybe 50 years.
This begs the question : how long will computer printouts last?
Although no one may read this, I had to post it because I thought it was humorous.
About the Airbus incident : I guess the U.S. government has kind of admitted it eavesdropped on negotiations. *BUT* (this is the funny part) they overheard Airbus Offering Bribes to Saudi Officals. So good ole' U.S. intelligence said to the saudi government "Oh, by the way, that company competing with that U.S. company is offering your guys bribes." And whoops, Airbus lost the deal.
So, it might be kind of unethical that they (U.S. intel) were eavesdropping, but it does appear that the french are complaining largely due to circumstances resulting from their own pants being down. (U.S. government contractors have to pay huge fines if they get caught offering bribes to foreign governments -- I know because my company got caught once a couple years before I started. I and every other employee have to take special training as part of the sentence.)
The ex-head of the CIA has some comments about it in this nytimes article right here. Mostly that they couldn't tell a U.S. company that they were about to lose, but could inform other governments if someone was cheating. Hee hee.
And to remind moderators that this is on topic :)
Yeah, that stinks. In the states racketeering charges originally invented for the sake of fighting organized crime are being brought to bear against pro-life groups. (whether you love them or hate them, think of the affect this kind of thinking might have had on the civil rights movement).
About encryption keys, I would suggest that they should be permitted to be handed over with a warrant, but pretty much not otherwise. UK probably says hand it over regardless (don't know if that'd go over in the states) ... and of course this brings up problems if the proof's in the pudding (the only incriminating evidence is encrypted). Oh well. Cops not being able to arrest a party they know is guilty isn't new, and I suppose it will exist forever :P . Silly innocence.
Governments doing corporate espionage is probably a bad thing.
However, I would expect that some of these reports are fallacious. The one french guy (look at that reference -- that's why I'm a programmer and not a journalist) who claimed all these corporate espionage things also claimed that the NSA collaborated with a large american chipmaker (a veiled reference to intel's ID #'s on chips, which seems unlikely to be inspired by anybody other than worth .3 something trillion dollars intel), has hidden traps in microsoft software (although, somehow, several hundred million users of microsoft products have been unable to find these), and forced IBM to use microsoft products (?)
Yeah, that's kind of faulty logic. My brain is still reeling from the effects of loss of sleep from reading hitchikers guide (for the first time, man) and too much raspberry mocha.
I guess my point is that just because the allegations are made doesn't mean they are true. And just because allegations are made doesn't mean that intelligence agencies will respond to them. It is impossible for them to prove their innocence anyway. And I would suspect that they don't answer any questions about their operations if they can help it.
There is nothing I'm aware of that keeps the NSA from spying on you. Nothing that protects your privacy...
Except your unimportance. If the NSA tried to track the 5.75 billion people in the world they would no doubt do a lousy job. There are lots of terrorists and foreign governments to surveil. Of course, if for some errant reason they think you are a terrorist when you aren't, it is reasonable to assume they might spy on you. However, it isn't in their best interest to assume you are a terrorist if you, in fact, aren't.
Therefore, we can assume logically that they probably won't spy on you. And, even if they did, for what purpose? Unless you suggest that CIA hitmen run around killing europeans? (not that they don't, I would just hate to have to try and prove it.)
As for the whole "democratically elected and accountable government..." This is crap. Would you want intelligence agencies run by popular vote? There is professional government, and political government. Compare your borough manager and your mayor. There's a place for both, but perhaps what I'm trying to say is that the people that best understand the intelligence game are *in* the intelligence game. Not politicians, voters, or even geeks. :)
Is someone actually reading our mail? With terrorists, hostile governments, nuclear weapons, chemical weapons and biological weapons, does the government really care about anything you say?
If they are thoroughly reading your mail (suppose), are you suggesting that men in black suits come and oppress you? Because if not...
You must be suggesting that this evidence will be used in a court case against you. However, since it was obtained illegally, and the way in which it was obtained is classified (there was a case like this a while back), there is no way it can be used against you in a court of law.
As for the industrial espionage allegations, I could see someone doing that, but would suggest that it isn't commonplace. The government keeps a Very tight rein on its contractors, in terms of what they are allowed and not allowed to do, and it seems unlikely that it would make a *habit* of breaking similar rules itself, with the complicity of one of its contractors.
Also, do you think that microsoft and the nsa could slip something like that under our noses? Under several hundred million of our noses?
Speech recognition is hard. However, taking a voice print is really really easy. So they (british intel or whoever) would automatically take a voice-print of every call, and tape the calls that matched voice-prints of criminals, or whoever they listened to (I'll give them the benefit of the doubt).
Now, however, as opposed to back then, you are quite an important figure in programming languages and the computing field as a whole. You advocate using C *only* if a platform does not provide a working C++ compiler.
Have you considered making another language with all all the features of C++, without the backwards compatibility to C? While there would be more of a learning curve, you certainly have the importance to be taken very seriously, and a tighter language could possibly result.
I believe Garth Brooks hosted SNL two times. He was a riot.
Carpal tunnel, for example, is caused by (please don't fault me because I don't know the correct terminology) friction between your tendons and the sleeves that encase them. The friction causes wounds, the wounds scar, and that's bad.
You can have the strongest wrists in the world (try one of those martial arts that involves grabbing people. Wow!) and you can still get carpal tunnel. It's a friction thing (corrected, I believe, by better posture -- but see my advice below).
Basically, consult a physician if you want a physical solution rather than a hardware solution. Wrist strength wouldn't help you if have carpal tunnel, better posture wouldn't help you if you had weak wrists. Only one good way to find out.
And they do have some pretty cool hardware. They're based in my current hometown, and had a little demo at the fairfax county fair, which I saw before seeing They Might Be Giants. There are no screens like 1-inch screens that nobody else can see. "Sure boss, I'm working. (slashdot slashdot slashdot)"
If I remember correctly, last time I heard about xybernaut they were in hot financial waters. Part of the peril of being ahead of your time -- wearable computers will be efficient and affordable at some point, but they sure aren't now.
So how much of this is just speculation to increase their stock valuation (if they have stock) or to get more vc?
Anyway, they do need a web admin with minimal experience, and they're in my hometown. Hmmm... Employee Discount?
But it ain't bloody likely unless you enjoy attacking e-commerce sites or something else horribly deviant. They're pretty much flooded with cases and paperwork all the time, or so I've heard from my one federal law enforcement friend ;)
I think you're referring to technology. Technology zips along, but this affects all scientific fields. Is a 20 year-old computer manual still relevant today? Probably not. Is one of Knuth's 20 year-old (30 years old?) volumes of The Art of Computer Programming irrelevant? Nope.
The manual is representative of technology, TAOCP of computer science. Little of what an undergrad cs major will study (not use) has changed in the last 20 years.
Every nation spies on its allies. While this doesn't scale well to personal relations, you need to know what they're doing so you know that they *are* still your allies. This Is Not something that the U.S. just invented ten years ago.
When she whines, everybody hears it. And Mom and Dad are none to happy with you.
They'll be 80 lb computers called "portable" because they have a handle. And they'll only be operated in space. Or on very high mountains.
Your duty is clear. To complain about lack of linux software on them. [all geeks everywhere cheer as one]
I was kind of under the impression that one of the points of science fiction was to have some sort of moral relevance. Which is why, IMHO, say, brave new world (horribly gadgetless) is sf, and star wars is nearly fantasy.
government agencies when replaced
In related news, Commander Taco announced the newest Andover.net venture : www.slashdot.gov.
Linus was heard to say "I pity those SeriousDomain suckas."
So, why get mad at them? They aren't taking anything from you. They're not trying, they don't want to. Do you realize how morally egotistical it is to suggest that they shouldn't adhere to their own religious beliefs?
Profound Revelation : If you want to keep reading slashdot, Don't Become (Stay) an Ultra-Orthodox Jew!