Well, no, they were using that before. The money from M$ only funded research for a math formula recongnizer for the Tablet PC, and it created a course in C#...VERY controversial, but most of the engineers could care less, it's only us CSers that really cared about it, and it doesn't affect us. The day the Math faculty (or School of Computer Science) sells out to M$ is the day the entire University will be in revolt.
Don't get me wrong, I agree...I do the same, I stay home and work in Linux. Hence, Linux has makes my life easier:-)
I've run into several issues lately with them not having installed things properly...IST isn't all it's cracked up to be, but it's FAR better than the Nexus or *gasp* old Polaris system they got everywhere else on campus.
I don't know, personally I think violent games help REDUCE the violence in society by reducing stress. Come home from a hard day at school or the office, feel like blowing something up? Well turn on Vice City and go nuts, instead of building a pipe bomb. Yes, there are always going to be those morons out there that get ideas from these things, but these are usually the people that would have done it anyways, perhaps using different methods, but ultimately the same deal.
Don't blame violent games or violent movies for the actions of crazy people. As Michael Moore points out in Bowling for Columbine, we see the same movies and play the same games here in Canada and in the rest of the world as you do in the States, but there's nowhere near the violence (generally speaking of course), so there MUST be something else at play here.
of course you fail to notice, that unlike the US (and a lot of other countries in the world), you can actually get a JOB here....hmmm? not so bad now is it?
As far as quality of life, you need to decide what's most important for you, not what the UN tells you...if you prefer USA or Sweden or Norway or whatever, that's up to you.
For a bit more information on the UN rankings, try this article, from a little more reliable source.
Yes, isn't it grand? Here at the University of Waterloo, the Math (including Computer Science) computers all run UNIX (SOLARIS to be exact, I use Linux at home), the artsies and engineers use a Win2k-based networks. Why? The steeper learning curve is too much for the artsies who just want to type their essays, while the more technical students find it much more efficient to work in a *NIX-based system. I have no idea what the engineers are doing with windoze.
Anyways, they're also building up a campus-wide wireless network for students and staff to use. This makes it so much easier to play online games during lectures:-)
I must say, Linux and WiFi have made my life easier and I hope it spreads even further.
Please do, I would guess about 90% of drivers (including myself) would feel a helluva lot safer out there. I watched somebody try to PULL IN to a parking space one day for about 15 mins, nearly taking out the two cars beside her on several occasions, finally to give up and park sideways in the space...scared the bejeezus out of me thinking that she was just on the same road I drive on every day.
To tie this back to the automobile parallel, I'm sorry, but if you don't know what a "steering wheel," or a "shifter," or a "signal lever," "gas pedal," "brake," or any number of other controls in the car are BY NAME (and how to use them for that matter), you shouldn't be driving a car.
The terms that refer to the user interface are usually very simple, but if not known, can lead to hours of miscommunication and frustration.
The problem is that people these days want to take something and just use it, without any training whatsoever, expecting it to just work and not hurt them. This might be okay for things like radios and simple televisions, but what about a table saw? Cars and computers and just about everything else is more complex than that. If you want to use it, first learn how, don't just get it and whine about it not working for you.
Also, with an automobile, how many people who don't know the more complex terms try to fix their own car? I'd say none (successfully at least), yet these people try to fix their computers with no knowledge of what things are called and they wonder why they get frustrated with instructions or tech support when they screw up.
Have some common sense here. Yes, there needs to be an easier way to communicate ideas in the common language, but don't expect to be able to convert every concept into something the general public can understand...this would be neither possible nor desirable.
Re: Don't overestimate quality of food inspection
on
SARS Contained
·
· Score: 1
It's misleading to high-five Canada's food inspection system over that infected cow found in Alberta
Maybe so, but it's also misleading ot suggest it's entirely ineffective.
Sure the public over-reacts, and often with valid reason
That makes no sense, to over-react is to react more strongly than reason would allow
It is reasonable to think that many other animals may have been infected by that one animal, or co-infected by whatever source infected that one animal.
How many more herds need to be slaughtered and tested before everyone's convinced? What happens if they discover the cow came from the U.S.? Note that "infected by that animal" isn't an option -- it's only spread by one animal eating an infected animal, something that's outlawed for cows -- it's also entirely possible (though rare) for it to develop spontaneously in a given cow.
Act with the best possible means to ensure health and safety for all? Certainly. Panic to the point where an entire industry dies out and the economy suffers drastically? No! Same goes with SARS.
Everybody just needs a Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy lying around the house.
Re:One down...
on
SARS Contained
·
· Score: 2, Insightful
Since when are Canada and China third world nations?
Re:Some perspective on SARS.
on
SARS Contained
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· Score: 3, Interesting
Take is seriously? Sure. Panic? Not justified.
The real harm is that the attention on SARS has drawn attention away from things like West Nile Virus.
I remember watching CNN showing pictures from China and Toronto with everybody wearing masks as they walk down the street (in TO, anyways, it was clearly staged, or else from a VERY small sampling of the city). We know how the media can blow a lot of things out of proportion. Also, look at that one loopy cow out in Alberta, suddenly none of our Canadian beef is acceptable in the US and many other countries. Once people get an idea in their heads, it's nearly impossible to change their minds.
West Nile is probably a bigger problem than SARS ever was (and even it's not as bad as most people make out), and though it gets some attention, it's nothing compared to the energy put towards SARS and Mad Cow. We can't control the spread of West Nile unless we can kill all them mosquitos (please???!?!?!), for the others we have systems in place.
SARS is contained now...let's not forget about it, but let's make sure we're prepared for West Nile. As far as the Mad Cow goes...there's nothing wrong with Canadian beef -- you'll note that the ONE SINGLE case was CAUGHT by food inspection so it never entered the food chain -- says something about the quality of our systems. Not to mention, even if you eat an infected piece of meat, the odds of getting K-Y are slim-to-none.
Then, if a plane flies in that particular no-fly zone it would just be shot down
No, the soft walls are not a limit for people to decide when to shoot...the idea is the plane would steer itself away from the object.
Think about it: "Gee, huge jumbo jet loaded with fuel over the middle of my city...hmmm....let's shoot it down." Anyone see a problem here? The last thing any city needs is thousands of chunks of burning fuselage and flesh raining down on their city...not to mention the bad PR.
they're suggesting putting it in European planes
Two things: EU planes fly to North America too, and this clearly further proves my point that this shouldn't be labelled "anti-terrorist" but rather the next step in auto-pilot technology. Eventually the planes may fly themselves entirely, without allowing human intervention.
Of course, they could hijack the plane before it LEAVES the city of departure, before it gets to the soft wall limits...
One solution would be to allow very narrow alleys for takeoff and landing...since the system uses GPS, it could easily keep the plane in a fairly narrow path.
Seems to me, though, that there is a lot of research in the U.S. for "protection," which doesn't contribute economically at all, nor does the fear you are constantly being bombarded with...no wonder things are slow down there.
While this is neat technology that could lead to big things for aircraft, imho, it's less an anti-terrorist device than the next step in automation. They're just marketing it as "anti-terrorist" because that's the big buzz-word right now for you yankees, and they'll get you talking about it...sounds more interesting that "advanced auto pilot"
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Well, no, they were using that before. The money from M$ only funded research for a math formula recongnizer for the Tablet PC, and it created a course in C#...VERY controversial, but most of the engineers could care less, it's only us CSers that really cared about it, and it doesn't affect us. The day the Math faculty (or School of Computer Science) sells out to M$ is the day the entire University will be in revolt.
Don't get me wrong, I agree...I do the same, I stay home and work in Linux. Hence, Linux has makes my life easier :-)
I've run into several issues lately with them not having installed things properly...IST isn't all it's cracked up to be, but it's FAR better than the Nexus or *gasp* old Polaris system they got everywhere else on campus.
Don't blame violent games or violent movies for the actions of crazy people. As Michael Moore points out in Bowling for Columbine, we see the same movies and play the same games here in Canada and in the rest of the world as you do in the States, but there's nowhere near the violence (generally speaking of course), so there MUST be something else at play here.
As far as quality of life, you need to decide what's most important for you, not what the UN tells you...if you prefer USA or Sweden or Norway or whatever, that's up to you.
For a bit more information on the UN rankings, try this article, from a little more reliable source.
Anyways, they're also building up a campus-wide wireless network for students and staff to use. This makes it so much easier to play online games during lectures :-)
I must say, Linux and WiFi have made my life easier and I hope it spreads even further.
Please do, I would guess about 90% of drivers (including myself) would feel a helluva lot safer out there. I watched somebody try to PULL IN to a parking space one day for about 15 mins, nearly taking out the two cars beside her on several occasions, finally to give up and park sideways in the space...scared the bejeezus out of me thinking that she was just on the same road I drive on every day.
The terms that refer to the user interface are usually very simple, but if not known, can lead to hours of miscommunication and frustration.
The problem is that people these days want to take something and just use it, without any training whatsoever, expecting it to just work and not hurt them. This might be okay for things like radios and simple televisions, but what about a table saw? Cars and computers and just about everything else is more complex than that. If you want to use it, first learn how, don't just get it and whine about it not working for you.
Also, with an automobile, how many people who don't know the more complex terms try to fix their own car? I'd say none (successfully at least), yet these people try to fix their computers with no knowledge of what things are called and they wonder why they get frustrated with instructions or tech support when they screw up.
Have some common sense here. Yes, there needs to be an easier way to communicate ideas in the common language, but don't expect to be able to convert every concept into something the general public can understand...this would be neither possible nor desirable.
Maybe so, but it's also misleading ot suggest it's entirely ineffective.
Sure the public over-reacts, and often with valid reason
That makes no sense, to over-react is to react more strongly than reason would allow
It is reasonable to think that many other animals may have been infected by that one animal, or co-infected by whatever source infected that one animal.
How many more herds need to be slaughtered and tested before everyone's convinced? What happens if they discover the cow came from the U.S.? Note that "infected by that animal" isn't an option -- it's only spread by one animal eating an infected animal, something that's outlawed for cows -- it's also entirely possible (though rare) for it to develop spontaneously in a given cow.
Act with the best possible means to ensure health and safety for all? Certainly. Panic to the point where an entire industry dies out and the economy suffers drastically? No! Same goes with SARS.
Everybody just needs a Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy lying around the house.
Since when are Canada and China third world nations?
The real harm is that the attention on SARS has drawn attention away from things like West Nile Virus.
I remember watching CNN showing pictures from China and Toronto with everybody wearing masks as they walk down the street (in TO, anyways, it was clearly staged, or else from a VERY small sampling of the city). We know how the media can blow a lot of things out of proportion. Also, look at that one loopy cow out in Alberta, suddenly none of our Canadian beef is acceptable in the US and many other countries. Once people get an idea in their heads, it's nearly impossible to change their minds.
West Nile is probably a bigger problem than SARS ever was (and even it's not as bad as most people make out), and though it gets some attention, it's nothing compared to the energy put towards SARS and Mad Cow. We can't control the spread of West Nile unless we can kill all them mosquitos (please???!?!?!), for the others we have systems in place.
SARS is contained now...let's not forget about it, but let's make sure we're prepared for West Nile. As far as the Mad Cow goes...there's nothing wrong with Canadian beef -- you'll note that the ONE SINGLE case was CAUGHT by food inspection so it never entered the food chain -- says something about the quality of our systems. Not to mention, even if you eat an infected piece of meat, the odds of getting K-Y are slim-to-none.
Making it perfect for viewing through the rear-view mirror. :-) Haven't you ever seen an ambulance?
But I agree, laptops, pdas, etc would be a better use, perhaps televisions, maps...you name it, if you can look at it, you can use this for it.
No, the soft walls are not a limit for people to decide when to shoot...the idea is the plane would steer itself away from the object.
Think about it: "Gee, huge jumbo jet loaded with fuel over the middle of my city...hmmm....let's shoot it down." Anyone see a problem here? The last thing any city needs is thousands of chunks of burning fuselage and flesh raining down on their city...not to mention the bad PR.
they're suggesting putting it in European planes
Two things: EU planes fly to North America too, and this clearly further proves my point that this shouldn't be labelled "anti-terrorist" but rather the next step in auto-pilot technology. Eventually the planes may fly themselves entirely, without allowing human intervention.
Of course, they could hijack the plane before it LEAVES the city of departure, before it gets to the soft wall limits...
One solution would be to allow very narrow alleys for takeoff and landing...since the system uses GPS, it could easily keep the plane in a fairly narrow path.
Seems to me, though, that there is a lot of research in the U.S. for "protection," which doesn't contribute economically at all, nor does the fear you are constantly being bombarded with...no wonder things are slow down there.
While this is neat technology that could lead to big things for aircraft, imho, it's less an anti-terrorist device than the next step in automation. They're just marketing it as "anti-terrorist" because that's the big buzz-word right now for you yankees, and they'll get you talking about it...sounds more interesting that "advanced auto pilot"