If you accelerate towards your destination then you keep accelerating without limitation. Thus, you'll get to wherever you're going in ever shorter amount of time for you. While you can never make it to light speed w.r.t. any matter in the universe, it doesn't mean you can't squash the amount of space between you and the destination.
As you accelerate, the distance left to travel also becomes less and less. Assuming you could accelerate very, very, very quickly, then you could conceivably close the distance between you and the destination to within, say, a few inches also very quickly -- from a standstill to high acceleration from Earth.
Now traveling what was 1,000 light years over those few inches is very fast in your time, but for observers in your old frame of reference, they'll be long gone upon returning to your original frame of ref. But other than that..
I guess my biggest questions are, is anything I said true? and if not, where did it all go horribly wrong?
I agree with the compromise in the grandparent (?) post because I don't think it's stressed enough. But, I don't think it goes far enough. I'd gladly pay for information (journals, books, multimedia,..) with a few catches (to protect things that already have gone wrong when information-based things are treated like consumable resources):
the payment shouldn't be for each access to new info
rights to freely copy, share, exchange, print, discuss, record, reverse engineer, etc. should never be infringed upon (exceptions w.r.t. things that are personal/private (medical records, etc.), or cause imminent danger, etc.)
Now to support such unlimited freedom some form of payment system must be organized. Say it takes the form of a yearly payment around tax time and permits the person the ability to access all information produced the world over (or at least nationwide extending to implementing nations) legally, and to share it legally to those who also did the same. Now taxes are still inevitable, this only tacks on an additional amount for accessibility of information. All in a lump sum, then you're free to run round through the park as you like. Like paying to use the roads or city parks (?), etc.
The contributors have a say over where part of the contributions go and can alter this through the year to use the Darwinist control element so information is still unique and fresh. Categorized so that popular opinion doesn't pervade everything. Scientific journals are still in control over their content, and funded according to uniqueness, usefulness, interest, etc. determined by elected boards that have certain qualifications in their respected fields, etc. How the lobbyists are kept out, and the organization methods are problems for another day. This new Republic of Information composed by the people, and for the people..
Now for a reassurance, this doesn't prevent the old style of pay for access (books, journals, CD, DVD, misc) media for those who didn't contribute, etc. It also doesn't require people to freely distribute information they have. But it does require that for the information distributed already, there are no applicable laws to punish/impede those who share it. Only if people opt out of the information access and go the old route and then illegally distribute would a hefty fine be levied to make up for the non-payment of initial funds to the mix.
Finally, a Bill of Rights amendment: "congress shall make no law prohibiting the sharing of information to consenting parties." And put it up there in the 0th slot (post spelling/grammar checks, etc.).
Then we can see how it works over a few years while we learn/create the controls, and check who'd like to go back to the old system. I think since the information producers (writers, artists, coders, etc.) can now maximize their audience and consumers have maximized their ability to access such a tremendous information collection, then very few will want to go back. The greatest library generated by mankind at everyone's fingertips riding on the Internet, categorized, interlinked, w/ commentary, opinion, discussion -- a golden age of information surpassing all others. EULAs destroyed, DMCA a smoking relic, and everybody who counts is happy...
Slashdot Mirror
If you accelerate towards your destination then you keep accelerating without limitation. Thus, you'll get to wherever you're going in ever shorter amount of time for you. While you can never make it to light speed w.r.t. any matter in the universe, it doesn't mean you can't squash the amount of space between you and the destination.
..
As you accelerate, the distance left to travel also becomes less and less. Assuming you could accelerate very, very, very quickly, then you could conceivably close the distance between you and the destination to within, say, a few inches also very quickly -- from a standstill to high acceleration from Earth.
Now traveling what was 1,000 light years over those few inches is very fast in your time, but for observers in your old frame of reference, they'll be long gone upon returning to your original frame of ref. But other than that
I guess my biggest questions are, is anything I said true? and if not, where did it all go horribly wrong?
I'd gladly pay for information (journals, books, multimedia,
(to protect things that already have gone wrong when information-based things are treated like consumable resources):
the payment shouldn't be for each access to new info
rights to freely copy, share, exchange, print, discuss, record, reverse engineer, etc. should never be infringed upon
(exceptions w.r.t. things that are personal/private (medical records, etc.), or cause imminent danger, etc.)
Now to support such unlimited freedom some form of payment system must be organized. Say it takes the form of a yearly payment around tax time and permits the person the ability to access all information produced the world over (or at least nationwide extending to implementing nations) legally, and to share it legally to those who also did the same. Now taxes are still inevitable, this only tacks on an additional amount for accessibility of information. All in a lump sum, then you're free to run round through the park as you like. Like paying to use the roads or city parks (?), etc.
The contributors have a say over where part of the contributions go and can alter this through the year to use the Darwinist control element so information is still unique and fresh. Categorized so that popular opinion doesn't pervade everything. Scientific journals are still in control over their content, and funded according to uniqueness, usefulness, interest, etc. determined by elected boards that have certain qualifications in their respected fields, etc. How the lobbyists are kept out, and the organization methods are problems for another day. This new Republic of Information composed by the people, and for the people..
Now for a reassurance, this doesn't prevent the old style of pay for access (books, journals, CD, DVD, misc) media for those who didn't contribute, etc. It also doesn't require people to freely distribute information they have. But it does require that for the information distributed already, there are no applicable laws to punish/impede those who share it. Only if people opt out of the information access and go the old route and then illegally distribute would a hefty fine be levied to make up for the non-payment of initial funds to the mix.
Finally, a Bill of Rights amendment: "congress shall make no law prohibiting the sharing of information to consenting parties."
And put it up there in the 0th slot (post spelling/grammar checks, etc.).
Then we can see how it works over a few years while we learn/create the controls, and check who'd like to go back to the old system. I think since the information producers (writers, artists, coders, etc.) can now maximize their audience and consumers have maximized their ability to access such a tremendous information collection, then very few will want to go back. The greatest library generated by mankind at everyone's fingertips riding on the Internet, categorized, interlinked, w/ commentary, opinion, discussion -- a golden age of information surpassing all others. EULAs destroyed, DMCA a smoking relic, and everybody who counts is happy...
CSR