I've had Blockbuster Total Access since right before they started the in-store exchanges. Which I love, by the way - I get to watch the movies I can't get in store, and when I want to rent a movie last-minute, all I have to do is take the envelope into the store and get any rental for free. They even give out a coupon every month for a free in-store rental - or a free game rental, which is what I always use it on. But anyway...
When Blockbuster started limiting the number of in-store rentals, it was for new customers only. I got a nice letter from them saying hey, we are upping our prices, and putting a limit on in-store rentals, but since you already had an account with us, your price doesn't go up and you get to keep your unlimited rentals.
So anyway, thats why I like Blockbuster over Netflix, and why the parent poster should have kept his/her account, since it wasn't affected by the new policy.
It really is the learning curve. I have my dad using Fedora, and he doesn't have any problems with it. He usually has an easy time finding whatever he is looking for - the only thing he's ever missed is that he can't install a certain Windows-only picture program. Granted, he only transfers simple Office documents over, and uses the computer mainly for email, the internet, printing, and simple games. But my dad is a very non-techie person. He hates computers and before getting this computer when my parents got divorced, never really used one. So when I installed linux for him, he wasn't yet familiar with Windows. I've led my dad though setting up a user account, installing his (not-natively-supported) printer, and it has been easy and painless. So this experience has really convinced me that a lot of the problems people face is based in their familiarity with Windows.
At the Illinois Institute of Technology, where I go to school, you can't use Wikipedia as a reference for any class. It isn't a "formal" rule, but nonetheless I don't know of any teacher that allows it to be used. It is considered to be potentially incorrect since it can be edited by anybody. And by not allowed, I do mean that we are specifically told at the beginning of class that we can't use it in any way in our papers.
And given that there is no proof of such a being, apart from events and instances attributed to it, it is a matter of faith, and thus not of science. ...and there is no proof of gravity apart from events and instances attributed to it. Ask any quantum physicist. Insert any other scientific fact into that statement and it will still be true, especially when you get down to the quantum level...
I don't know, but it doesn't seem likely to me. It would be a stupid idea for other reasons then money - seems to me it would be a very attractive opportunity for hackers! Just imagine, a warehouse full of them going off in the warehouse...
Does it really matter? Maybe a company that is willing to defend Linux is worth loyalty. If they weren't backing us up, where would we be? This is one battle of many that can only be fought by large companies - a group of Linux geeks could never defend Linux by themselves. Big companies have too much experience using dirty tactics, and in general if they think they can get away with it they will use them. Why would they hesitate to do it to any group of Linux people that stand up to them alone? They wouldn't.
This "robot" is not even new. I went on a mission trip this spring and while working in a used-clothing store I used one of these. I guarantee it didn't have the amount of options (or the price tag) but it is certainly the same thing. You put the shirt on, it blows up with hot air, removing all wrinkles, wala its done. There really is no "ironing" involved. And seeing as how I am sure the clothing store could not afford top-of-the line items, and it looked fairly old, I wonder how this could even remotely be considered new?
is how many people have dialup from one year to the next. I'd bet that a pretty good percentage of the dialup people this year are broadband people next year. My house was dialup for years, because my parents were happy with dialup - mostly because of the price. My mom works for a university, so we get unlimited dialup free. It was only after my parents got a divorce that we finally got broadband. And man, I could NEVER go back...even my computer-illiterate dad after actually getting a chance to use it sees the advantages over dialup, and thats saying something.
You just have to realize that most of the people that are satisfied with dialup either never use it or are like my dad and don't know anything about it. Just the other day my dad accidently minimized the window he had open and had a fit because it "crashed on him and deleted it". Thats when my 12-year old sister walked in and "fixed" it for him. He has no desire to learn anything about money, and he controlled the household funds - I wonder how many of the people polled are like that, with they being the money controllers but in fact everyone else in the house is dissatisfied with dialup.
The station is not only intended for putting things in orbit or for cargo purposes, but also for experimentation. The space elevator can only get the stuff/people up into space, but without a place to put them they arn't much use. Therefore, the ISS is still just as important as it was before, maybe more so. With the ability to more cheaply and easily get experimentation materials to the station, experimentation in space will become cheaper and more widely available. Perhaps with this new space elevator students can even go beyond the "vomit comet" and actually go into space. One easily accesible space station will inevidabley lead to others, soon.
With the competition that all of this new technology is/will be producing, a commom point like the ISS is important to unite the major countries.
Realistically, it wouldn't be all that hard to protect it I wouldn't think. If the cable is strong enough to be able to act as an "elevator" and support tons of weight, it should be strong enough to resist much of what terrorists can get their hands on. Especially since with the security that I'm sure will be there, the terrorists will have limited time in which to work, which in turn limits their options. So therefore, the space elevator _should_ be relatively safe, at least in theory.
Although the US will probably not allow it, sharing the code between countries would be benificial, for both sides. it would probably help other countries develop or improve their space programs, and the feedback that these countries would give the US would help to make it even better. Not only that, but even if it did not benifit the US in any way, it is in the best interests of humanity to develop a good space program.
If we keep working on this independently, we will have a much harder time of accomplishing our goals than we will if we all work together. But like i said, its not likely to happen. not only will the US want to keep the upper hand in everything, but there is the chance that the code could be used by the wrong countries for malicious purposes - or even possibly independent terrorists. 9/11 #2 anyone? It may be far-fetched, but i'm sure the authorities are taking stuff like that into consideration, because once released the code cannot be unreleased. If only the different countries could for once look for the common good of all the world and work on a collective space program...
The SWIPE Toolkit is a collection of web-based tools that sheds light on personal data collection and usage practices in the United States. The tools demonstrate the value of personal information on the open market and enable people to access information encoded on a driver's license or stored in some of the many commercial data warehouses.
Decode Your Barcode
This application unveils the mystery of the 2D barcode. Currently 39 states use 2D barcodes to digitally store personal information on the backside of drivers' licenses. What information is encoded on your license that machines can read and you cannot?
Request Your Data
Send away for your information that commercial data warehouses collect about you and sell to third party clients. What does this information look like, how accurate is it, and who is buying it? Take a look at your data files and find out for yourself. Currently we can help you send away for information from ChoicePoint, Acxiom, LocatePlus and Experian. Report back here when you receive your data and help us keep track of the companies' response times and accuracy.
Data Calculator
How much is your personal information worth? Why are you just giving it away whenever it is requested? Use this handy calculator to determine the fair market value of your data bits so you can demand proper monetary compensation. Now when you release information that will later be sold for a profit, at least you'll be getting a cut. Use this calculator here online or download it to your PDA and make calculations "on the go."
The SWIPE Toolkit is part of a larger project titled SWIPE that includes a performance, installation, and workshop. For more information about SWIPE, visit www.we-swipe.us or contact info@we-swipe.us. SWIPE is produced by Beatriz da Costa, Jamie Schulte, and Brooke Singer.
The SWIPE Toolkit is a 2003 commission of New Radio and Performing Arts, Inc. (aka Ether-Ore) for its Turbulence web site. It was made possible with funding from the Jerome Foundation. And special thanks to Chris Hoofnagle for his advice and support.
Privacy Notice: We collect information only to provide the online barcode decoder service, and do not maintain the information afterwards. You will be prompted to delete your image from our server immediately after a successful decode or we do so automatically within ten minutes of service. In addition we provide a downloadable version so that you can use the "Decode Your Barcode" tool on your personal computer without any transfer of personal information at all.
Ok, question - has anyone outside of wikipedia actually noticed? I added a couple geek friendly Featured articles to the main page in anticipation of a slashdotting (for the record, my submission was shot down in 2 minutes flat). Raul654 08:04, Feb 2, 2004 (UTC)
Please don't - that would kill the second hand server that we are now using. Things are slow enough as it is. We should concentrate on the project-wide 500,000 press release instead. By the time we hit that milestone, the new server farm should be up and running. --mav 08:08, 2 Feb 2004 (UTC)
OK, keep slashdot out. For the benefit of the lazy, [here are the stats for the combined wikipedia projects. We're at 300,000 combined. Which means we're still looking at years before we hit a half-mill
it seems they forgot to take their own advice:) slashdotted, anyone?
While your points are very true, there is a flaw in your outlook on this. The point of remote testing the scramjet is to ensure it is safe for humans to take it up and out - would you really risk someone's life just to "strike the public's imagination and generate sympathy"?
I can see where a human flight would create these things. But i personally consider it worth even a single person's life to remote test these things for safety. Once they are tested by remote, then humans can fly them too! and no one will die.
The same results (getting public attention and getting money) would be achieved by a successful man(or woman)-powered flight. While a death on a maiden flight often provokes sympathy, it is short lived. A successful flight, one achieved after the testing, createds longer lasting funding and interest. For instance, you recall the "old crappy 1969 b/w pictures of the first man on the moon". when asked about spaceflight this is what most people will recall - not the challenger blowing up. the man on the moon is our inspiration.
Therefore, to get to the point, if we can use a scramjet to do something awe-inspiring, like going higher cheaper than ever before and perhaps leading the way to cheap earth-to-space travel. sometimes safe isn't always exciting at first, but the end results are always the most spectacular.
Boys play with traditional toys up until the age of eight or 10, and it is in the zero to seven age range that Lego has its niche.
so what about the girls? i have always loved legos, my best girl buddy in elementary school and i would build things for hours on end. i would think that especially now as the boundaries fade between "boy toys" and "girl toys" legos will become even more gender neutral. i personally thought they already were but it appears i was wrong.
they got one thing right when they wrote it - Billy Gates why do you make this possible? Stop making money and fix your software!! . yea, its a huge pain now, but think of it this way - either microsoft realizes it needs to fix its problems and does so, or microsoft dies due to the worm. it's a win-win situation:)
to this all is to use this new bomb to overtake, threaten, or otherwise overpower all other governments so that there is one, count it, one government on earth. once this is accomplished with these fancy new bombs, there will be little civilian life lost, the bombers will be applauded for it, and life will slowly get better. well, okay, so thats the utopia theory. but seriously, this is what needs to be done, and these new bombs make it easier to get civilian support because they are "safer". and if there was only one government, the money spent on overtaking the world and on various military stuff wouldn't be needed. more money for poor people as mentioned above that was a problem. but it'll never happen, right?
Although i can see this as a good thing as far as weight loss and diebetics, it could also be a bad thing. people who are anorexic or bulimic could now eat whatever they wanted and still lose the weight. they wouldn't have to work out, throw up, and they could eat constantly. and also, if everybody could eat whatever they wanted whenever they wanted, the demand on our economy for certain foods would increase tenfold. imagine if everybody bought pringles, ice cream, cakes, cookies, you name it, whatever your fav. food is, it would always be out of stock. while this would give our economy a boost for a short period, it would soon become a liability. not only would there be a shortage of all the good food, there would be many health problems too. i imagine people would sell the power their body produced, so if those people are desperate enough, they could kill themselves by depriving their bodies of glucose. the ramifications of this, when put in this light, are severe, especially on our society today which focuses on skinny girls and is also very power-hungry. i think, even if it donsn't create a Matrix for real, it could still ruin the world as we know it.
Slashdot Mirror
I've had Blockbuster Total Access since right before they started the in-store exchanges. Which I love, by the way - I get to watch the movies I can't get in store, and when I want to rent a movie last-minute, all I have to do is take the envelope into the store and get any rental for free. They even give out a coupon every month for a free in-store rental - or a free game rental, which is what I always use it on. But anyway... When Blockbuster started limiting the number of in-store rentals, it was for new customers only. I got a nice letter from them saying hey, we are upping our prices, and putting a limit on in-store rentals, but since you already had an account with us, your price doesn't go up and you get to keep your unlimited rentals. So anyway, thats why I like Blockbuster over Netflix, and why the parent poster should have kept his/her account, since it wasn't affected by the new policy.
It really is the learning curve. I have my dad using Fedora, and he doesn't have any problems with it. He usually has an easy time finding whatever he is looking for - the only thing he's ever missed is that he can't install a certain Windows-only picture program. Granted, he only transfers simple Office documents over, and uses the computer mainly for email, the internet, printing, and simple games. But my dad is a very non-techie person. He hates computers and before getting this computer when my parents got divorced, never really used one. So when I installed linux for him, he wasn't yet familiar with Windows. I've led my dad though setting up a user account, installing his (not-natively-supported) printer, and it has been easy and painless. So this experience has really convinced me that a lot of the problems people face is based in their familiarity with Windows.
At the Illinois Institute of Technology, where I go to school, you can't use Wikipedia as a reference for any class. It isn't a "formal" rule, but nonetheless I don't know of any teacher that allows it to be used. It is considered to be potentially incorrect since it can be edited by anybody. And by not allowed, I do mean that we are specifically told at the beginning of class that we can't use it in any way in our papers.
From the article:
The planet, a gas giant slightly larger than Jupiter, orbits the main star of a triple-star system known as HD 188753 in the constellation Cygnus.
Unless I missed something major when watching the movies, Tatooine isn't a gas giant...
And given that there is no proof of such a being, apart from events and instances attributed to it, it is a matter of faith, and thus not of science.
...and there is no proof of gravity apart from events and instances attributed to it. Ask any quantum physicist. Insert any other scientific fact into that statement and it will still be true, especially when you get down to the quantum level...
I don't know, but it doesn't seem likely to me. It would be a stupid idea for other reasons then money - seems to me it would be a very attractive opportunity for hackers! Just imagine, a warehouse full of them going off in the warehouse...
Does it really matter? Maybe a company that is willing to defend Linux is worth loyalty. If they weren't backing us up, where would we be? This is one battle of many that can only be fought by large companies - a group of Linux geeks could never defend Linux by themselves. Big companies have too much experience using dirty tactics, and in general if they think they can get away with it they will use them. Why would they hesitate to do it to any group of Linux people that stand up to them alone?
They wouldn't.
This "robot" is not even new. I went on a mission trip this spring and while working in a used-clothing store I used one of these. I guarantee it didn't have the amount of options (or the price tag) but it is certainly the same thing. You put the shirt on, it blows up with hot air, removing all wrinkles, wala its done. There really is no "ironing" involved. And seeing as how I am sure the clothing store could not afford top-of-the line items, and it looked fairly old, I wonder how this could even remotely be considered new?
You just have to realize that most of the people that are satisfied with dialup either never use it or are like my dad and don't know anything about it. Just the other day my dad accidently minimized the window he had open and had a fit because it "crashed on him and deleted it". Thats when my 12-year old sister walked in and "fixed" it for him. He has no desire to learn anything about money, and he controlled the household funds - I wonder how many of the people polled are like that, with they being the money controllers but in fact everyone else in the house is dissatisfied with dialup.
thats why lighters and matches were invented. how many candles do you light with electricity? wait...dont answer that one...:)
The station is not only intended for putting things in orbit or for cargo purposes, but also for experimentation. The space elevator can only get the stuff/people up into space, but without a place to put them they arn't much use. Therefore, the ISS is still just as important as it was before, maybe more so. With the ability to more cheaply and easily get experimentation materials to the station, experimentation in space will become cheaper and more widely available. Perhaps with this new space elevator students can even go beyond the "vomit comet" and actually go into space. One easily accesible space station will inevidabley lead to others, soon.
With the competition that all of this new technology is/will be producing, a commom point like the ISS is important to unite the major countries.
Realistically, it wouldn't be all that hard to protect it I wouldn't think. If the cable is strong enough to be able to act as an "elevator" and support tons of weight, it should be strong enough to resist much of what terrorists can get their hands on. Especially since with the security that I'm sure will be there, the terrorists will have limited time in which to work, which in turn limits their options. So therefore, the space elevator _should_ be relatively safe, at least in theory.
If we keep working on this independently, we will have a much harder time of accomplishing our goals than we will if we all work together. But like i said, its not likely to happen. not only will the US want to keep the upper hand in everything, but there is the chance that the code could be used by the wrong countries for malicious purposes - or even possibly independent terrorists. 9/11 #2 anyone? It may be far-fetched, but i'm sure the authorities are taking stuff like that into consideration, because once released the code cannot be unreleased. If only the different countries could for once look for the common good of all the world and work on a collective space program...
The SWIPE Toolkit is a collection of web-based tools that sheds light on personal data collection and usage practices in the United States. The tools demonstrate the value of personal information on the open market and enable people to access information encoded on a driver's license or stored in some of the many commercial data warehouses.
Decode Your Barcode
This application unveils the mystery of the 2D barcode. Currently 39 states use 2D barcodes to digitally store personal information on the backside of drivers' licenses. What information is encoded on your license that machines can read and you cannot?
Request Your Data
Send away for your information that commercial data warehouses collect about you and sell to third party clients. What does this information look like, how accurate is it, and who is buying it? Take a look at your data files and find out for yourself. Currently we can help you send away for information from ChoicePoint, Acxiom, LocatePlus and Experian. Report back here when you receive your data and help us keep track of the companies' response times and accuracy.
Data Calculator
How much is your personal information worth? Why are you just giving it away whenever it is requested? Use this handy calculator to determine the fair market value of your data bits so you can demand proper monetary compensation. Now when you release information that will later be sold for a profit, at least you'll be getting a cut. Use this calculator here online or download it to your PDA and make calculations "on the go."
The SWIPE Toolkit is part of a larger project titled SWIPE that includes a performance, installation, and workshop. For more information about SWIPE, visit www.we-swipe.us or contact info@we-swipe.us. SWIPE is produced by Beatriz da Costa, Jamie Schulte, and Brooke Singer.
The SWIPE Toolkit is a 2003 commission of New Radio and Performing Arts, Inc. (aka Ether-Ore) for its Turbulence web site. It was made possible with funding from the Jerome Foundation. And special thanks to Chris Hoofnagle for his advice and support.
Privacy Notice: We collect information only to provide the online barcode decoder service, and do not maintain the information afterwards. You will be prompted to delete your image from our server immediately after a successful decode or we do so automatically within ten minutes of service. In addition we provide a downloadable version so that you can use the "Decode Your Barcode" tool on your personal computer without any transfer of personal information at all.
link to the 38 states supported here
...well, mandrakelinux.com may have "just found out about it" but slashdot knew way back on January 22nd...
Ok, question - has anyone outside of wikipedia actually noticed? I added a couple geek friendly Featured articles to the main page in anticipation of a slashdotting (for the record, my submission was shot down in 2 minutes flat). Raul654 08:04, Feb 2, 2004 (UTC)
Please don't - that would kill the second hand server that we are now using. Things are slow enough as it is. We should concentrate on the project-wide 500,000 press release instead. By the time we hit that milestone, the new server farm should be up and running. --mav 08:08, 2 Feb 2004 (UTC)
OK, keep slashdot out. For the benefit of the lazy, [here are the stats for the combined wikipedia projects. We're at 300,000 combined. Which means we're still looking at years before we hit a half-mill
it seems they forgot to take their own advice :) slashdotted, anyone?
I can see where a human flight would create these things. But i personally consider it worth even a single person's life to remote test these things for safety. Once they are tested by remote, then humans can fly them too! and no one will die.
The same results (getting public attention and getting money) would be achieved by a successful man(or woman)-powered flight. While a death on a maiden flight often provokes sympathy, it is short lived. A successful flight, one achieved after the testing, createds longer lasting funding and interest. For instance, you recall the "old crappy 1969 b/w pictures of the first man on the moon". when asked about spaceflight this is what most people will recall - not the challenger blowing up. the man on the moon is our inspiration.
Therefore, to get to the point, if we can use a scramjet to do something awe-inspiring, like going higher cheaper than ever before and perhaps leading the way to cheap earth-to-space travel. sometimes safe isn't always exciting at first, but the end results are always the most spectacular.
and the tides of /.ers roll over the site and immedietly /. it...bwahahahahaha! we will take over the world site by site!
so what about the girls? i have always loved legos, my best girl buddy in elementary school and i would build things for hours on end. i would think that especially now as the boundaries fade between "boy toys" and "girl toys" legos will become even more gender neutral. i personally thought they already were but it appears i was wrong.
they got one thing right when they wrote it - Billy Gates why do you make this possible? Stop making money and fix your software!! . yea, its a huge pain now, but think of it this way - either microsoft realizes it needs to fix its problems and does so, or microsoft dies due to the worm. it's a win-win situation :)
donesn't it strike you as odd that they put together a paper on historic money technology to bring to a conference about the future of money?
to this all is to use this new bomb to overtake, threaten, or otherwise overpower all other governments so that there is one, count it, one government on earth. once this is accomplished with these fancy new bombs, there will be little civilian life lost, the bombers will be applauded for it, and life will slowly get better. well, okay, so thats the utopia theory. but seriously, this is what needs to be done, and these new bombs make it easier to get civilian support because they are "safer". and if there was only one government, the money spent on overtaking the world and on various military stuff wouldn't be needed. more money for poor people as mentioned above that was a problem. but it'll never happen, right?
Although i can see this as a good thing as far as weight loss and diebetics, it could also be a bad thing. people who are anorexic or bulimic could now eat whatever they wanted and still lose the weight. they wouldn't have to work out, throw up, and they could eat constantly. and also, if everybody could eat whatever they wanted whenever they wanted, the demand on our economy for certain foods would increase tenfold. imagine if everybody bought pringles, ice cream, cakes, cookies, you name it, whatever your fav. food is, it would always be out of stock. while this would give our economy a boost for a short period, it would soon become a liability. not only would there be a shortage of all the good food, there would be many health problems too. i imagine people would sell the power their body produced, so if those people are desperate enough, they could kill themselves by depriving their bodies of glucose. the ramifications of this, when put in this light, are severe, especially on our society today which focuses on skinny girls and is also very power-hungry. i think, even if it donsn't create a Matrix for real, it could still ruin the world as we know it.