Slashdot Mirror


User: spare.dave

spare.dave's activity in the archive.

Stories
0
Comments
49
First seen
Last seen
Profile
(view on slashdot.org)

Comments · 49

  1. plain english on Morse Code Faster Than SMS · · Score: 1

    "...despite Devlin's 'liberal use of texting slang..."

    There you have it. With the current level of text prediction on phones, she could have entered the text in a fraction of the time if she'd stuck with plain English.

    These kids cry that they can't be bothered, or use the slang to save time, when it's honestly harder and more time consuming to compose such a message.

  2. Re:Sigh, Freedom of speech out the window on Chinese Force Mass Closure Of Net Cafes · · Score: 1

    Go talk to your average mainland Chinese on the street about history, politics, and current events. For a laugh, ask them about Tibet or Taiwan.

    Then tell me how hopeless it is to try and contain information.

  3. In other news... on MS Security Chief Says Windows is Safer Than Linux · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    In other news, Iraq had WMD's and Saddam and Osama played golf every weekend. In addition, Social Security will self-destruct this weekend in a massive explosion and kill the baby Jesus.

  4. Re:My recent LAN party on Anatomy of a LAN Party? · · Score: 1

    Old-scool? I remember fondly the times we played 4-way M.U.L.E. on a C-64. Is that paleo-school?

    No, that's just plain old fun gaming. I think we used to do it on an atari though.

    Fucking wampus was a bitch.

  5. withdrawal on Experiment Cuts Off Online Junkies from Internet · · Score: 1

    The dormitory I live in lost internet access to the individual rooms a little while ago. (Not surprising. The spaghetti network had been gradually built up over five years by a man that knows nothing about networking. I took one look at it and walked away. It shouldn't even be working in the first place). It's something that would have really bothered me about five years ago, but this time I kind of enjoyed it.

    I got more reading done than I usually do, and had a good excuse to leave my computer for a while. A lot of people actually sat around after dinner and chatted, which they don't usually do.

    I think I was the only one who appreciated it though. There was one machine with access in the building, and people clung to it like glue all day. When someone brought down a spare hub, there were five people sitting around with laptops, visibly irritated, while it was being set up.

    The thing is, when these people finally got connected again, they didn't really do anything. The logged onto messenger and chatted a bit, they checked their blogs for comments, and then browsed around aimlessly. It was the simple fact that they were disconnected that irritated them.

  6. Re:Virgins, Get your opinions started! on Star Wars DVD Set Previews/Reviews · · Score: 1

    Which leads to the obvious question, how much do these women weigh?

  7. New implementation of an old system. on Electromagnetic Suspension System · · Score: 1

    Like other posters have pointed out, active suspension like this is nothing new. Toyota had an active suspension version of their Soarer (lexus sc400 for you americans) something like ten years ago.

    There's an article at planetsoarer about it.

  8. Re:the truly rebellious among us on The IOC's 'Clean Venue' Policy · · Score: 1

    nah, that's on the banned list as well

  9. Makes no sense on More Details on Cut-Rate Windows OS For Asia · · Score: 1

    In most of Asia, pirate CDs generally sell at a market for about $1-5US depending on the country. People are used to this, and buying an actual version is generally considered a waste of money.

    What puzzles me is that Microsoft would know this. They're not stupid. So why would they even go though the effort of releasing this crippled version that nobody, absolutely nobody, will buy?

  10. Re:I'm gonna get modded down for this, but... on 10 Years of Beowulf Clustering · · Score: 1

    it does... in Japan!

  11. a breakthrough... on Segway Revolutionizes Polo · · Score: -1, Redundant

    And just the other day I was wondering if it were possible for Segway users to look even more rediculous...

    Amazing.

  12. A pizza... on 3D Sound by Creator of MP3 · · Score: 4, Funny

    The first person to tie this to a worldwide conspiracy against OGG gets a pizza.

  13. Re:RIAA Criminally At Fault? on RIAA Dumps Unsold Inventory to Settle Anti-Trust Case · · Score: 1

    Perhaps I should introduce you to the group of home schooled children in the town I grew up. They were, for the most part, your stereotypical socially inept, coddled, and shielded kids. They were also really scary religious fundamentalists.

    Do I get a +1, Was Home Schooled?

    Not that public school is any better. The harassment I received there was the reason I was home schooled in the first place.

    The schooling has NOTHING to do with it. It all comes down to the parents and environment the kid is raised in.

    I'm tired of hearing home schooling as some amazing system producing brilliant kids. It's a system like any other, and dependent on many factors.

    My best friend was also taught at home. We both ended up doing okay. I'm studying design in Japan, and he's a scuba instructor in Thailand. Little Katie got pregnant at 18 and moved in with the dude from the gas station. The same story could be told about any form of schooling.

  14. Re:Pizzaboxes on Apple Previewing New Power Mac? · · Score: 1

    The design you're talking about was considered, and rejected, by Jobs several ago. The idea being that making a LCD bulky like that defeated the whole point of the LCD (at least aesthetically). Thus the current design of the imac...

    It was however implemented in the 20th anniversary Mac, several years before that.

  15. the short version on NTT DoCoMo's 4G Tests Hit 300Mbps · · Score: 1

    Since this is an article on Japanese cell phones, let me save people reading the comments a little time. These articles pop up about once a month and they don't seem to deviate much.

    - Someone posts question of why US is so far behind.
    - Americans get pissed off and post that they don't need these newfangled gadgets. A thousand descriptions of beaten up seven year old phones follows...
    - Godzilla joke
    - Giant robot joke
    - People living in Japan post long comments, but really just want to show off their phones
    - Soviet Russia Godzilla joke

  16. DECam? on Fermilab Builds 500-Megapixel Camera · · Score: 2, Funny

    Time to dig up the old Digital icon?

  17. Re:Pah! I laugh! on 13 Energy Drinks In 3 Sessions · · Score: 1

    I'm kind of curious how many shashdotters actually have any respect for their own bodies.

  18. Re:Energy Drinks Vs. Sleep on 13 Energy Drinks In 3 Sessions · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Yours seems a common work habit among programmers. It's just sort of taken for granted that that's how programming works. But it's one I've never been able to follow.

    I always found that when working on a complex problem, sleep gives me a perspective that I just didn't have the night before. Coding for an hour in the morning, I can probably accomplish work that would have taken me three hours during the blurry zombie-like state that accompanies an all-nighter.

    But then I also like sunlight...

  19. most. useless. thread. ever. on Apple Files Patent for Translucent Windows · · Score: 1

    I'd like to nominate this for most USELESS DISCUSSION in a slashdot thread. The first few posts post the normal 'software patents suck' deal (which i agree with, but anyway),
    then i see FIFTY +5 posts, all with some variation of "RTFP, it really says bla bla bla bla bla bla bla".
    Did the previous forty-nine posts miss some small nuance that just had to be posted?

  20. Re:Practical Features: on Japanese Cell Phones Offer a Glimpse of the Future · · Score: 1

    A lot of the newer phones in Japan already have a built in flashlight. Not amazingly strong, but enough to be useful.

    And I keep a weather site as the first item in my bookmarks. I find it quicker than waiting for a radio forecast.

  21. Re:depends on your playing style on The Trouble With Using D&D Rules In Videogames? · · Score: 1

    Agreed The best fun I had playing D&D was with the old box sets from the 80's (and later when they all got stuck together into the rules cyclopedia).

    We never had huge grand multiyear adventures. Most of our gaming sessions were just like you mentioned. We sat around the table with pizza and coke, telling really stupid jokes, and killing monsters.

    I did try and get into second edition, with long complicated grand adventures once. My players must have disagreed; The dwarf got drunk and fell out the window, the power-gamer fighter threw a tantrum and went off to kill kobolds, and the brilliant charismatic wizard with a novel length back-story got himself stabbed by a goblin. By that time the pizza had arrived...

  22. Re:Its all about aesthetics on Linux for iPod Matures · · Score: 1

    Jesus man, you're right. After reading this post I just had to act.

    I went straight back to the store to return my iPod.
    On the way I stopped off at a trade show/anime convention and replaced my whole wardrobe with t-shirts picturing corporate logo's and naked cartoon girls. I also picked up an old c64 case and some other parts to mod into my own homebrew ogg player (it's running a custom linux dist).

    All of my GAP clothes are now in a large bonfire, so I'm naked as I type this.

    Do i "get it" now?

  23. Re:similar thing posted already on HP Experiments with 'Always On' Camera · · Score: 1

    "I would say that, in about a year, there are approximately 10 minutes worth even recording."

    You must have had a really shit year.

  24. Re:This really sucks on US Expands Fingerprint and Mugshot Program for Visitors · · Score: 1

    Even though with a green card she goes through the same immigration line as US citizens?

    I'm actually asking for my own reasons. I also have a green card, and since I spend long periods out of the country (study abroad), they always give me trouble when I go through immigration. Not looking forward to the next time...

  25. Re:Methinks the modder doth protest overmuch on Mod Chips Up, Game Industry Revenues Down? · · Score: 1

    Is it legal to sell games to an ex-pat who's ps2 has a different region code?

    What about me importing games from the country I used to live in and bought my PS2 in?

    Or, in summary, please tell me how to continue buying games (as in giving these companies my money) without paying sony again for something i already own.