I did a climate modeling project for my dissertation at university. These guys have a good idea - throw massive computing power at it - but it's not that simple. Compared to SETI or protein folding, climate modeling is not as highly parallelisable. Plus what's holding back the state of the art right now is the quality of the algorithms we're using - they loose accuracy pretty fast as the result of feedback between multiple iterations of a process that introduces quantisation noise each time.
IMHO this project will produce the same quantisation noise-ruined results we have now, just more finely ovesampled
Still, they might get some useful insights into how to tackle the problems of parallel dynamic system simulation
Re:Upcoming Open Source Alternative to Google...
on
Google Files for IPO
·
· Score: 5, Interesting
I'm not trolling, I'm just a pessimist...
I'm sorry, but it's not going to beat Google.
You see, the open source community is capable of some amazing feats, but half of the most skilled search engineers in the world work for Google. They have an obscene collection of fantastically talented people working on theory that few others understand.
As others realise the money in search try and compete with Google the premium on employing search experts will go up so high that there won't be many with the principles to work on open source.
There's a search history viewable to the user. So just when various senators, the EFF and half of/. were getting uppety about Gmail's ability to connect a name with a search history, Amazon do the exactly the same.
In fact, they go one step further - with Google's email you can always lie about your detals, but with Amazon's history feature you can't - it's tied to your Amazon account, credit card and all.
Of course, I Have Nothing To Hide, but I still think that comapnies shouldn't put themselves in a position where they have a load of juicy data that the police only need a warrant to get at.
It would have been smart for Amazon to keep this feature offline for a few weeks to get a better idea of how well google deals with the criticism.
It wasn't a ploy to get teenagers hooked on cheap fags - they didn't even cost any less.
They did that because 19 fags fit into a smaller packet. It was a marketing ploy to get the classy women on board ("reduce the unsightly bulge en votre handbag"). Didn't work very well if I recall correctly...
Do'nt you just hate it when people cant' use punctuation? It's not difficult or time consuming to learn the difference between " Gate's " and " Gates' ".
Today, the FAT File system has become the ubiquitous format used for interchange of media between computers. ...
Microsoft is offering to license its FAT file system specification and associated intellectual property. With this license, other companies have the opportunity to standardize the FAT file system implementation in their products. ... If you are interested in obtaining a license, please contact...
(my emphasis added)
You know, they don't have any of the usual SCO-style 'people are using our property without paying us' gripe. I think they're just selling the right to use their specification, not insisting that everybody pays up or get sued.
I've found that IRC makes it worse, not better - it just allows you to have even less real contact with people.
Work regular hours, and take a lunch break - always leave the house and take a full break, even if you're self employed so you don't really have working hours. It helps keep you sane. If you work longer, call it overtime and treat yourself for it.
You have to register to get most papers from ACM (the Association for Computing Machinery who published "GOTO considered harmful"). However, the full text can be found free in their classics series.
Everybody should read this paper, then read Linus Torvalds et. al. discussing the matter on kernaltrap.org
Observing my siblings and their friends grow up I have noticed something - stricter parenting doesn't make children misbehave less, it just makes them better at lying. You have two options -
earn the respect of your children by giving them unfettered access to the web (and risk the obvious consequences)
decide to restrict their access by setting up restrictions / uninstalling chat apps (and risk reducing the value of the web to your children)
Which one all depends on how street-wise you think your kids are. If you think that they are going get influenced by what they see or talk to the wrong people (like paedophiles or Irish people), the dangers are too great so you have to restrict them. If you are just simply uncomfortable with them seeing inappropriate images, bear in mind they'll see them elsewhere if not at home, so what's the point in stopping them?
...this scheme would only enforce the law, if you don't like the law, you should try and change it, not fight against its effective enforcement...
or like me, ride a bike.
Slashdot Mirror
Have you noticed how every case mod story gets put on a flimsy hosting setup and gets slashdotted in 2 minutes?
USE FREECACHE!
Then we might actually be able to look at itI did a climate modeling project for my dissertation at university. These guys have a good idea - throw massive computing power at it - but it's not that simple. Compared to SETI or protein folding, climate modeling is not as highly parallelisable. Plus what's holding back the state of the art right now is the quality of the algorithms we're using - they loose accuracy pretty fast as the result of feedback between multiple iterations of a process that introduces quantisation noise each time.
IMHO this project will produce the same quantisation noise-ruined results we have now, just more finely ovesampled
Still, they might get some useful insights into how to tackle the problems of parallel dynamic system simulation
I'm not trolling, I'm just a pessimist...
I'm sorry, but it's not going to beat Google.
You see, the open source community is capable of some amazing feats, but half of the most skilled search engineers in the world work for Google. They have an obscene collection of fantastically talented people working on theory that few others understand.
As others realise the money in search try and compete with Google the premium on employing search experts will go up so high that there won't be many with the principles to work on open source.
It's sad but true.There's a search history viewable to the user. So just when various senators, the EFF and half of /. were getting uppety about Gmail's ability to connect a name with a search history, Amazon do the exactly the same.
In fact, they go one step further - with Google's email you can always lie about your detals, but with Amazon's history feature you can't - it's tied to your Amazon account, credit card and all.
Of course, I Have Nothing To Hide, but I still think that comapnies shouldn't put themselves in a position where they have a load of juicy data that the police only need a warrant to get at.
It would have been smart for Amazon to keep this feature offline for a few weeks to get a better idea of how well google deals with the criticism.
What next? Sexual Enjoyment Tax??
No, I think most /.ers would be immune from that one...
Bernie :o)
of the April fools jokes... 5 in one day is excessive.
Erm...
It wasn't a ploy to get teenagers hooked on cheap fags - they didn't even cost any less.
They did that because 19 fags fit into a smaller packet. It was a marketing ploy to get the classy women on board ("reduce the unsightly bulge en votre handbag"). Didn't work very well if I recall correctly...
Do'nt you just hate it when people cant' use punctuation? It's not difficult or time consuming to learn the difference between " Gate's " and " Gates' ".
This is golden. Right off the survey, written by microsoft employee(s), suggested reasons you might not like M$!
Today, the FAT File system has become the ubiquitous format used for interchange of media between computers.
...
...
Microsoft is offering to license its FAT file system specification and associated intellectual property. With this license, other companies have the opportunity to standardize the FAT file system implementation in their products.
If you are interested in obtaining a license, please contact...
(my emphasis added)
You know, they don't have any of the usual SCO-style 'people are using our property without paying us' gripe. I think they're just selling the right to use their specification, not insisting that everybody pays up or get sued.
Well not yet anyway...
... they'd be laughed off the stage.
Seriously, there's a chance that a big planet might have cleared enough space so as to not preclude the existence of a planet the same size as ours
CALL THE PRESIDENT! THE ALIENS ARE COMING!!
I've found that IRC makes it worse, not better - it just allows you to have even less real contact with people.
Work regular hours, and take a lunch break - always leave the house and take a full break, even if you're self employed so you don't really have working hours. It helps keep you sane. If you work longer, call it overtime and treat yourself for it.
You have to register to get most papers from ACM (the Association for Computing Machinery who published "GOTO considered harmful"). However, the full text can be found free in their classics series.
Everybody should read this paper, then read Linus Torvalds et. al. discussing the matter on kernaltrap.org
What's wrong with the Irish?
I stand by my comment. If me and my family are anything to go by, there's plenty wrong with the Irish ;o)
I rest on the rule that it's not racism if it's also self-deprecation/P
Observing my siblings and their friends grow up I have noticed something - stricter parenting doesn't make children misbehave less, it just makes them better at lying. You have two options -
Which one all depends on how street-wise you think your kids are. If you think that they are going get influenced by what they see or talk to the wrong people (like paedophiles or Irish people), the dangers are too great so you have to restrict them. If you are just simply uncomfortable with them seeing inappropriate images, bear in mind they'll see them elsewhere if not at home, so what's the point in stopping them?
NO! This is *not* a patent "covering the Internet installation of any software or settings on new computers".
This is a patent covering backing up preferences on a remote server so that someone can safely upgrade their OS or move computers.
To recap:
I wish /.ers would check their facts before screaming how the sky is going to fall on our heads every time the USPTO grants a patent.
Evesham supply a preloaded, supported, all nicely configured system.
mmmmm... taste the preloaded goodness...
...this scheme would only enforce the law, if you don't like the law, you should try and change it, not fight against its effective enforcement... or like me, ride a bike.