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User: HangingChad

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  1. I can tell from the comments on NASA Scientists Paint Stark Picture of Accelerating Sea Level Rise · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I can tell from the comments most of you don't live near the ocean. Down here in South Florida it's already making an impact. There are storm drains that flow water during high tide up and down the coast and boat docks underwater. Miami is worse. Hallendale Beach has five of their seven fresh water pumps closed because of salt water intrusion.

    The real problem that no one is talking about is what happens when Miami gets nailed by a Cat 4 or 5 hurricane? We're going to have boats washing up on I-95. Do we spend the money to rebuild Miami just to have it flood 40 years later? Or when it gets nailed by another hurricane?

  2. They're going to lose this one on USC Vs. UC San Diego In Fight Over Alzheimer's Research · · Score: 2

    UC San Diego alleges that Aisen and at least eight colleagues (who have joined Aisen at USC) changed computer passwords to retain their custody and root control of the ADCS system, essentially locking out UCSD from administrative control of the Alzheimer’s study.

    Courts have traditionally taken a dim view of that strategy. Hostage taking is almost never the answer, regardless of the nature of the dispute. Had he taken a copy of the database, that would have been more palatable. Something is always hinky when one person sets themselves up as the lone guardian of data purity.

  3. Like we needed another reason to avoid Yahoo on Hackers Exploit Adobe Flash Vulnerability In Yahoo Ads · · Score: 1

    Their front page has turned into a mud pit of ads, it's all content from other sites, I can't see any compelling reason to go there in the first place and then they become an attack vector.

  4. That was just sad on Hitchhiking Robot's Cross-Country Trip Ends In Philadelphia · · Score: 1

    That was a douche move. Thanks, Philly, for showing the world how classy we are.

  5. Misleading headline on Kentucky Man Arrested After Shooting Down Drone · · Score: 5, Informative

    Hillview Police detective Charles McWhirter of says you can't fire your gun in the city.

    He wasn't charged for shooting a drone, he was charged to discharging a gun within city limits. Reckless endangerment doesn't have anything to do with drones it means he was being a risk to public safety.

  6. Nice on Criminal Inquiry Sought Over Hillary Clinton's Personal Email Server · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Dozens of the emails provided by Hillary Clinton have been retroactively classified as part of the review of her emails as they are screened for public release.

    Nice. Retroactively classify information, then open a criminal inquiry over the release of classified information.

    Absolutely no political motivation behind this witch hunt-- I mean investigation.

  7. Re:Crash Mitigation on Google Self-Driving Car Rear-Ended In First Injury Accident · · Score: 2

    A human will, for the forseeable future, be potentially far greater at this kind of improvisational disaster-avoidance than any computer when dealing with limited data in situations where no course of action is clearly favorable.

    That is a completely bogus argument. Machines don't have to match humans in every ridiculous driving scenario. Self-driving cars only have to be +1 better than the average human driver to take over. Google's self-driving cars are better than 90% of drivers on the road and that's good enough.

    The biggest obstacle to driverless cars isn't the technology, it's the arrogance of human beings with illusory superiority.

  8. Re:Finally the problem is clear on Google Self-Driving Car Rear-Ended In First Injury Accident · · Score: 1

    A human driver could easily make the decision to swerve up onto the sidewalk, or even to brake-check and nudge itself closer to the car in front, thus giving the car behind time to stop.

    Baloney. The car was stopped at a red light. Thinking a human driver is going to pull some amazing shit to avoid getting rear ended is just retarded.

    Machines are better drivers than humans. Get used to it.

  9. I used to see that all the time on Ask Slashdot: Dealing With Passwords Transmitted As Cleartext? · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Before NMCI came along, I was tasked with taking over a mapping application for the Navy and discovered the app was sending admin credentials in clear text in the URL string. Instead being of grateful I found the obvious sloppy coding they accused me of trying to pad my billing with make work and blaming the previous programmer. When I explained their application was crap and a giant security hole they would say, "Well, it works for us."

    So I totally understand how apps like that make it online.

  10. Re:Shocker... on Pew Survey Documents Gaps Between Public and Scientists · · Score: 2

    A segment of the population has views that are different from the average of the entire population.

    You don't get a "view" on conclusions that are supported by an overwhelming weight of facts and data. You are also not entitled to a "view" that comes from a coordinated and deliberate effort to mislead by news outlets with a political agenda.

    It boils down to the simple reality that one side of the debate thinks they're entitled to their own facts.

  11. Re: Tell me... on Amazon Is Only Going To Pay Authors When Each Page Is Read · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The 'purchaser' doesn't pay less, but the writer gets paid less because Amazon just wants to pay them less.

    That's it right there. If the reader turns the pages and you end up getting more at the end of the book, then I can work with that. But that's not what's happening. If someone buys your book and doesn't read it, you get squat but Amazon still gets paid.

    It's kind of a ripoff for authors.

  12. I guess I'm the only one on 210 Degree VR Headset With 5K Display Revealed By 'Payday' Developer Starbreeze · · Score: 1

    I'd just like to be able to watch movies on a headset and don't really care all that much about the VR aspects. I get it, for gamers it'll be awesome. I'm just not sure of the utility of VR for non-gaming entertainment.

  13. Why stop at drones? on Drone Racing Poised To Go Mainstream · · Score: 1

    Why not extend remote control to all kinds of racing, including full size cars? Or, better yet, autonomous vehicle racing.

    That might be what it takes to get it across how absurd auto racing is in the modern world. It's only a sport because of the spectacle of crashes. If robots are racing, there's no spectacle.

  14. I've used Ubuntu since it came out on Ubuntu Software Center Criticized For Mixing Free and Non-Free Software · · Score: 0

    And I have zero problems with the way they have Ubuntu Software Center set up. There are no issues separating free and non-free, all you have to do is look. Ubuntu is awesome and if they want to sell apps to bring in a little revenue, that's all good in my book. I've done 90% of work on Ubuntu now for years, so they're way in the plus column in my book.

  15. Demonizing for fun and profit on Bell Media President Says Canadians Are 'Stealing' US Netflix Content · · Score: 2

    We don't like Canadians VPNing Netflix content it but it's really not that bad. So, let's call it stealing and make it sound worse than it is. Like calling abortion murder. Demonize the things you don't like.

  16. Trying to work in an open office on Let's Take This Open Floor Plan To the Next Level · · Score: 1

    Trying to work in an open office is like trying to write music in a bus station.

  17. I'm sorry on Microsoft Study Finds Technology Hurting Attention Spans · · Score: 1

    What was the question?

  18. It just means you'll have to work harder on Editor-in-Chief of the Next Web: Adblockers Are Immoral · · Score: 1

    I haven't found display ads a particularly effective marketing tool. Ad blockers are not the only reason their effectiveness is diminishing. Ads are so ubiquitous that we don't even see them anymore. We have several billboards within blocks of our house, I drive past them every day and couldn't tell you what's on them. It's just noise and we tune it out after a while.

    At least when it comes to books, paid reviews and blogs are more effective than display ads. Even if the reviews aren't positive, they're useful if they can explain why they didn't like your book.It's more work but better results. That's also life without display ads. More work.

  19. Re:Treaty Violations on House Science Committee Approves Changes To Space Law · · Score: 2

    Who gave the US ownership of the universe.....

    God did. That's why when a white, humanoid alien from another planet comes to earth it's perfectly natural that they're going to fight for truth, justice and the American way. God likes us best and the rest of you fereners can suck it. Ha-ha!

  20. Re:Veto it on House Science Committee Approves Changes To Space Law · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Hey, I am fine with industry standing on its own and living or dying by the free market, but since when was letting the government own your liabilities part of the free market vision?

    They're just asking for the same deal the insurance industry, defense industry, agriculture, pharmaceutical and banking industries already enjoy. Who paid the tab for the last recession? That would be the government, as in we the people. Who paid to rebuild New Orleans after Katrina or Florida after the last set of hurricanes? It was partly the insurance industry, which threatened to claim bankruptcy if the government didn't pick up most of the tab. Who pays for bad weather that wipes out crops? And who pays when someone loses their job and can't make their mortgage payment? Who paid for broadband infrastructure and then gave it away to telecos to sell at a profit which then started to whine like bitches when it came time for upgrades?

    I actually agree that the government shouldn't be on the hook for any of that, at least not indefinitely. The government might have to be the buck of last resort for the private space industry until the risks are understood and private insurance has a structure for coverage. But then there's an accident and the insurance companies threaten to file bankruptcy if they have to shoulder the full burden of the claim and most re-insurers are located offshore, so they're not worried about paying up to the limit of coverage and saying, C' ya!

    If the government doesn't shoulder the burden of liability then the private space industry never gets off the ground. On the other hand, we the people deserve some payback if we're providing insurance.

  21. The windows need to stay on Will Robot Cars Need Windows? · · Score: 1

    A self-driving car will still need windows in case the human driver ever needs to take over. But the windows could certainly have privacy shades. Other things we'd no longer need for robot cars are street signs, stop lights, and lane markers. You might argue that we'd need to keep those things for the people choosing to drive themselves but my question would be how long should the rest of us finance billions in infrastructure for a diminishing number of holdouts?

    That's why I think self-driving cars are going to take over a lot faster than most people imagine. There are significant costs to maintain infrastructure for human drivers. Not to mention the insurance implications when it starts costing significantly more to drive yourself.

  22. Re:Not yet statistically significant on Self-Driving Cars In California: 4 Out of 48 Have Accidents, None Their Fault · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Yes, the data set is way to small to draw any conclusions,

    Not necessarily. Pick a pool of 48 cars at random and compare the accident rates. You also have to compare them by the accident rate per hour behind the wheel.

    This gets at the whole idea that self-driving cars have to meet some lofty standard of perfection to become the optimum choice. To replace people behind the wheel self-driving cars only need to be +1 better than human drivers.

    Self driving cars can't drive in the rain. Oh, really? Take a drive around Seattle in the rain, you'll discover human drivers suck in the rain, too. And that's in the rain capitol of the world where you'd expect people to be used to driving in the rain and they still suck (I lived there for 10 years so don't bother trying to deny it).

    The biggest obstacle to self-driving cars isn't rain or snow, it's something called Illusory Superiority. The vanity of humans who think they're better drivers than they really are.

  23. Re: Hauling goods is serious business on Texas Regulators Crack Down on App-Driven Hauling Service · · Score: 1

    Just a reasonable demand for proof of insurance.

    Too bad they didn't demand proof of adequate insurance from the chemical company storing mountains of explosive chemicals near residential housing.

    Texas advertises itself as a government intrusion free zone, then Texas government intrudes when companies actually take advantage of that environment. Seems kind of hypocritical.

    According to the letter, this includes not just professional or even regular haulers, but also people moving a piece of furniture bought at a garage sale for pay;

    Let the chemical company store mountains of fertilizer and the oil company pollute Galveston Bay but you better have commercial insurance for moving furniture from a garage sale! Maybe the no government intrusion rule only applies to companies big enough to bribe legislators.

  24. Re:So when will this actually happen? on Global Carbon Dioxide Levels Reach New Monthly Record · · Score: 4, Interesting

    >I distinctly recall hearing about how major cities along the U.S. eastern seaboard would be under water "within a decade" back in the mid 1970s. It didn't happen.

    That's good to know because, right now, parts of Miami are flooding at high tide and larger areas flood during king tides. There are huge projects going on all along the coastal areas of southern Florida to raise sewer lines and lift stations so toilets will continue flushing. We are spending tens of millions to try and protect the well casings that supply freshwater to Miami.

    There are trails in Palm Beach we grew up rollerblading when we were kids that flood twice a day now; the storm drains start flowing backwards. Then there are the underwater boat docks and places where the waves lap over the tide wall.

    That doesn't even touch beach erosion. It's funny as hell to watch cities pump sand back up on the beach.

    The next big hurricane that comes in from the wrong direction and you're going to see boats washed up on I-95. Miami's going to be dead long before the waters claim it for the last time but the water is coming and there's nothing we can do to stop it.

  25. Gadget security will fail on How the NSA Converts Spoken Words Into Searchable Text · · Score: 1

    The problem with gadget security is it will always let you down and is why mass surveillance is counter productive. The larger the dataset, the harder it is to extract any useful information. When you're trying to process billions and billions of records, gadget security is your only option. It's a huge waste of effort and, as the Boston Marathon Bombers and those dead idiots in Texas proved, it's still relatively easy to slip through.

    Terrorists are smart enough not to speak in plain language, so I don't get the NSA's addiction to mass surveillance. The tactics that work aren't sexy or easy.