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User: gorfie

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  1. Why not believe in God and evolution together? on New Study Shows One-Third of Americans Don't Believe In Evolution · · Score: 1

    I don't see why more folks don't believe in God and evolution at the same time. I always interpreted the 7 day thing as figurative meaning each day was a phase and could have taken thousands or millions of years. The concept of an almighty being is also feasible and every single computer science major should believe that. Just ask yourself whether or not it is possible to create a world with millions of sentient beings that you can interact with and control? Maybe not today but how about 100 or 200 years from now? I find the people who argue vehemently against either idea (evolution or God) to be severely misguided.

  2. Re:Windows Phone on Hands On With the Nokia Lumia 1020 · · Score: 1

    To quell the "anonymous cowards are paid by Microsoft" folks, I too own a Windows phone (Lumia 900) and prefer it over my wife's iPhone 5 and my old Samsung Galaxy (the original). It's great for email, Web, phone calls, and music. I only use free apps and the selection for WP7 is acceptable (not as much variety as I saw in Google's marketplace but I'm not aware of any "killer" apps that I cannot have). The OS makes it easy to launch apps and configure the phone (the tile customization really helps). The search integration is fantastic - I haven't touched Google search/maps in a year. The device itself is very rugged - I've dropped/tossed it several times without damage to the unit. My only complaint about it is the camera - it's lousy - but I hear they've improved that in more recent versions.

  3. Re:big on Bill Gates Says Windows Phone Strategy Was Inadequate · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I have a Lumia 900 (after owning a Captivate/Galaxy) and I haven't had any problems with the apps. Some of the apps are significantly better than the Android counterparts in terms of polish and reliability. I know the marketplace isn't as mature as iPhone/Android but it's not dismal either. My "biggest" problem with the Lumia 900? I'd say it's that I paid $100 for it a month before they knocked it down to $50.

  4. Clancy covered this on Missile Defense's Real Enemy: Math · · Score: 1

    In an old 1980's book by Tom Clancy (Red Storm Rising), he covered the scenario where an attacker launched a barrage of missiles against an aircraft carrier and the carrier deployed counter measures against what was essentially a wave of decoys. The aircraft carrier had nothing left to stop the second wave. I'd say this is an old problem and the military has probably already thought about it.

  5. Might be incentive to buy American? on Supreme Court To Decide Whether Or Not You Own What You Own · · Score: 3, Insightful

    That would certainly deter me from buying products that were manufactured or contained parts that were manufactured abroad. People would be determined to buy domestic products (assuming they even exist these days). That said, it was clear that I could sell my car without permission when I bought it - changing the terms after the sale seems very wrong. If they implement this rule, they should specify that it applies to sales after a point in time in the future.

  6. Re:So from here on out ... on Supreme Court: Affordable Care Act Is Constitutional · · Score: 1

    Why stop with obesity? What about other risky behaviors (sunbathing, dangerous sports, promiscuity, alcohol, etc.)? I think we'd all love to have the government monitoring our behaviors and sending us a monthly bill for every deviation from what they deem "good and normal".

    For what it's worth, I don't think this health plan will work (i.e. I think premiums will go up).

  7. Lumia 900 better than Samsung Galaxy on Ask Slashdot: What's Your Beef With Windows Phone? · · Score: 1

    I upgraded from a Samsung Galaxy to a Lumia 900 and I haven't looked back. Let's just say it is very easy to use and I don't have to constantly tweak it. The apps also seem much more polished (not to mention I have all the apps I had on my old phone with the exception of certain games). I also like it better than my wife's iPhone 4S but that doesn't mean it's a better device, I just never got used to that one button does all concept (I really like having a back key and a way to lock the phone).

  8. Different world back in 1990 on Microsoft Passed On iPhone-Like Device In 1991 · · Score: 1

    I'm sorry, but the technology was very different back in 1990. I remember a world with gray-scale gameboys and $2000 386 machines with 40MB hard drives boasting a screen resolution of 640x480. Phones were mounted to cars or carried around in bags.

    Imagine a hand-held touch-screen device using technology from 1990. It would be bulky and heavy. It would run very hot. It would have terrible graphics capabilities and you wouldn't have a popular market place for developers to share their work.

    It would have failed miserably.

  9. It's True on Does Telecommuting Make You Invisible? · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I've telecommuted before, one day a week, and I found that my presence as a valuable employee was diminished. Things would happen at the office that I couldn't be a part of. My contributions to the team were less evident - especially that immeasurable contribution you make when you participate in discussions and help your peers. If you are competing with your peers for advancement (or simply to keep your job) then you shouldn't be working from home. If you are satisfied with your current role and pay rate, then it's a good deal.

  10. Perceptions Change on Siri Envy? Iris Brings Some Voice-Assistant Features to Android · · Score: 1

    So I've been submitting audible search requests on my Android for over a year now. Every time I do it, my wife (an iPhone fan) would comment about how stupid that feature was. I wonder if her tone will change now that the almighty Apple is telling everyone it's hip and trendy.

  11. Re:Will it make a difference? on House Websites Jammed After Obama Debt Speech · · Score: 1

    But what about those who don't trust Obama? Charisma != Honesty.

  12. Re:Will it make a difference? on House Websites Jammed After Obama Debt Speech · · Score: 0

    I'd be all for the government taxing the top 5% in that manner. The problem is that I don't trust any of our current politicians to enact such taxes. Republicans are obvious - not so much liars as they are pathetic in their justification for tax breaks for the wealthy. Democrats appear to be more subtle in that they advertise it one way (i.e. increase taxes for people making more than $250,000 per year) yet implement it in another way (i.e. people making millions can afford to exploit loop holes, people making $100,000 per year have an increase because they own a small business or have assets exceeding a certain amount or something like that).

    Just consider Reid's debt plan. On the surface, it appears to be a legitimate compromise. Yet in the details, it is obviously a clever ploy to give the appearance of making cuts without actually making cuts (i.e. the cuts were already assumed to be made).

    I would just like to see someone step up and announce a clear and concise plan that is truly a compromise. Raise taxes on the top 5% of individual incomes. Publicly ensure that the other 95% will not be impacted. Fix the entitlement programs to prevent/discourage abuse (and simultaneously cut costs). Stop throwing money at unnecessary wars.

  13. Re:Will it make a difference? on House Websites Jammed After Obama Debt Speech · · Score: 1

    the less you earn, the higher the tax rate you want

    This isn't snarky / sarcasm - I am not familiar with this concept. Can you explain how a person might benefit from paying 30% taxes instead of 25%?

  14. Re:Money on Expensify CEO On 'Why We Won't Hire .NET Developers' · · Score: 1

    I had to work with ASP.NET for a few years and I always found myself fighting against it (coming from a Web background). If you have a chance, I would suggest trying out ASP.NET MVC - it respects Web concepts while giving you access to .NET libraries with C#.

  15. Compete without money on Zynga Aiming To Conquer Mobile Next · · Score: 1

    I hope their mobile games allow you to compete without having to spend money.

    "Okay guys, listen up. All of you start this round with pitch forks. Except for Dan over here. He paid $50 so he gets a rocket launcher. Have fun everyone!"

  16. Security is about reducing, not eliminating, risk on Are You Sure SHA-1+Salt Is Enough For Passwords? · · Score: 1

    Think about a car. You can install an alarm, tint the windows, deploy the Club(tm), lock the doors, and point a camera at it. However, no matter how many security precautions you take your vehicle can still be broken into and/or stolen. Security is about deterring criminal behavior. There is no way to completely eliminate that risk - it can merely be reduced. The same concept applies to Web application security. I'm not saying you shouldn't bother encrypting (that would be unwise), but you shouldn't assume that encryption will protect you.

  17. Services implicitly purchased on Pay Or Else, News Site Threatens · · Score: 1

    Maybe one could reply to their request for money stating that you charge $1,000 per minute of your time when it comes to responding to legal inquiries and that they now owe you $10,000 for services rendered (i.e. you reading and responding to their request).

  18. Sizzle vs. Proper on Microsoft Silverlight 4 vs. Adobe Flash 10.1 · · Score: 1

    A number of years ago the question was whether or not to use Flash. Flash may have become more ubiquitous since then but those arguments are still relevant. Do you favor pop/sizzle over accessibility/compatibility. Should you have valid reasons to go with pop/sizzle, then the question becomes one of Flash or Silverlight.

    My hope is that HTML5 will render the pop/sizzle question meaningless as you could have sufficient pop/sizzle with something that is both accessible and compatible.

    As it stands, if you need something richer than HTML/JavaScript, then you would want to go with the toolset that you know or that is easiest for you to learn with your current skillset. Microsoft developers would likely be better off with Silverlight. Everyone else...?

  19. Re:Pseudoscience in 3, 2, 1... on A Million Kids Misdiagnosed with ADHD? · · Score: 1

    Aside: What is it about certain I.T. types? Dubious brilliance in one tiny area of the (I.T.) world leads them to believe that they'd be logical experts in wholly different fields.

    Logic can be applied to any field. And IT folks are typically very logical. If we didn't work with computers, we would probably be mechanics, doctors, or lawyers.

  20. Re:Sigh on A Million Kids Misdiagnosed with ADHD? · · Score: 2, Insightful

    At least accept the fact that kids will often act like kids. The article is dead right in that some kids are more likely to misbehave than others due to a variety of factors including age, sex, life experience, and physical problems like ADHD.

  21. Re:It should be: 4+3+2=x+2 (Solve for x) on US Students Struggle With Understanding of the 'Equal' Sign · · Score: 1

    Sarcasm doesn't convey well in written text...

  22. Re:It should be: 4+3+2=x+2 (Solve for x) on US Students Struggle With Understanding of the 'Equal' Sign · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Everyone knows (2) equals -2, so the answer is...

    4 + 3 + 2 = ( ) + 2
    => 4 + 3 + 2 = (x) + 2 (solve for x)
    => 9 = (x) + 2
    => 9 = (-7) + 2
    => 9 = 7 + 2
    => 9 = 9

    I can't wait for my daughter to argue math with me because the schools are teaching her in a confusing manner. I agree with the "solve for x" guy - why reinvent the standard for equation formatting.

  23. Re:Wrong on US Students Struggle With Understanding of the 'Equal' Sign · · Score: 1

    In terms of equality...

    math = mathematics

    The abbreviation of mathematics to math must surely be linked to efficiency and/or laziness, but either way it makes more sense to abbreviate to the shorter math and not maths.

  24. Re:Wrong on US Students Struggle With Understanding of the 'Equal' Sign · · Score: 2, Interesting

    In third grade I wrote a BASIC program that rendered a flying saucer landing. The assignment was to draw a static picture with pixel output. That experience probably guided me to my current profession. I didn't own a computer until the 90's so I would not have gotten that experience any other way.

    It would be a shame if they weren't still exposing children to programming in school.

    Of course, I did get a similar "how do things work" experience by disassembling Omega Supreme and a number of other toys. :)

  25. Re:But is it caused by humans? on Global Warming 'Undeniable,' Report Says · · Score: 1

    The consequences are the same whether the cause is mankind, natural forces, or some alien kid's science project.

    To put it in Slashdot terms... let's say you have an application hosted on a third-party server and that application starts showing signs of performance problems as usage increases. You don't know much about the third-party server, you can't control it, and support is non-existent.

    Don't you think your solution would be dependent on what you think the problem is? Is the app poorly written or is there another app interfering with yours? Is there a hardware problem or does the junk data need to be cleaned out? Maybe there are just too many users...