Its more like "do what we demand, or things will stay the same." I don't think anyone is suffering that they can't buy a DVD today instead of next month.
Please mod parent down -- this is neither "informative" nor "insightful"... Enron had nothing to do with the rolling blackouts in California; as the fine article mentioned, the problem was that retail rates were capped, while wholesale rates were deregulated. All it took was a relatively sustained spike in prices, and the retail suppliers were swimming in red ink; this led to even higher prices (because energy prices depend on a whole bundle of factors, including credit risk -- once the retailers were swamped, prices went even higher, as wholesalers (reasonably) suspected that retailers couldn't survive, paying hundreds while charging pennies... (I was in the industry at the time, and was sent to a client site in the aftermath of the blackouts...)
So we all just imagined Death Star, Fat Boy and Richocette huh? You worked in the industry, thus you're comments are highly suspect. I know scores of people that can't accept that their company would EVER do something wrong. That doesn't make it reality though.
Now, once California's blackouts happened, people started questioning deregulation in general. The increased attention may have been what led to the sniffing around Enron, and the discovery of their accounting shenanigans. It's not the other way around, though...!
Ya cuz its not like the power companies wouldn't want to create problems and then blame deregulation right? Its amazing that deregulation happened in many other states too (NY, PA, NH, etc) and blackouts never became a problem, isn't it?
Do I really have to go the "correlation doesn't imply causation" route? Enron =/= California meltdown. Some Enron traders worked to artificially inflate rates, but the blackouts would have happened without their attempt to game generator down-time...
Yes, but in this case its been shown they actually DID cause blackouts and shortages to drive up rates. But please contine with your head in the sand if it makes you feel better.
Note that Edison =/= Enron...
Ya, no shit. But the article was whining that poor poor Edison who was only trying to usher in a new era with his electricity had to actually convience government that ripping up streets to do this was a good idea. Ya know, I can understand why someone at the time might not be convienced that would be a good use of time and effort, so I don't blame officials for not just rubber stamping something that was going to cause major damage to existing infrastructure.
The article you linked to is just plain ridiculous, and I have a hard time taking anything you say seriously if THATS something you accept.
If you're happy w/OOo good for you, but it still largely fails for most people.
I ran Linux for a few years on the desktop and my server, and that experience has left me more than happy to pay for MS software. But a Mac? More money, less apps, less upgradablity, and contrary to their ads that "it just works" it doesn't just work.
So enjoy paying double for the same Intel hardware you could have for much cheaper, and if you're definition of "it just works" is that the three applications available for it work, thats fine I guess.
A quick look at the keyboard and you'll see that the function keys are already out of reach, so you need to reposition your hands to hit CTRL + Fkey. Where as CTRL or ALT + letter or maybe number doens't require me to move my hands out of postition.
Then I'm pretty glad I don't live in the US - having an antenna or dish does not constitute probable cause since there is no legal expectation that you remove a disused antenna.
In the US you wouldn't have the nonsense of paying a tax just to watch TV to begin with. Also, the vans used to detect violaters would be illegal also. We had a case that said using EM to detect inside your home something which would otherwise be private is an illegal search.
No, they have a few vans, many of which probably don't have any actual equipment in them.
If that's your assertion, please provide something to back it up. I've only seen articles on the BBC discussing the vans, but nothing along your line of thinking.
The original post can be summarised by "you can't tax something when you can't prove how much tax someone should be paying". My response can be summarised as basically "yes you can, there are many many examples of such taxes" and I cited income tax as an example. The fact that you have just stated that evading income tax is very common does nothing but re-enforce my original point.
No, evasion doesn't prove your point.
How would you get me to pay tax on an income you can't even prove I received? Please explain how that proves your point, because that was my point... if you don't even know about my income, you can't force me to pay a tax on said income.
Actually, I think there are more people here from outside of the US (mainly Europe) than you think. I think it's closer to a 50-50 ratio.
I would tend to doubt that.
Exhibit A) If you look at this poll you'll see that 43% of all voters chose the option "I Use Celsius, You Insensitive Clod!", which would obviously imply that they are not from the States.
Using celsius doesn't imply they are outside the US. They could be scientists. Also, you wrongly assume a majority of/.ers even bothered with the poll. 58,000 votes, and we're up to what user id? Nevermind the fact that I'm sure some voted just to pick the C option.
Exhibit B) I'm Finnish (been browsing/. actively for a couple of years now) and I know I'm by far not the only Finn lurking around here. Moreover, if you look at, for example, the stories that have something to do with the US healthcare system there always seems to be an abundance of Swedes, Brits, Canadians and (more rarely though) us Finns trying to explain how "socialist healthcare" really isn't such an infernal thing as some of you Americans think it is.
First, I didn't say there WEREN'T any foreigners using the site, I said you're probably not anywhere near the majority.
Also, because Americans are bashing something close to you and of course you think YOUR system is best, so foreigners come out of the woodwork to defend it (and get in their US bashing).
I don't think you're examples really show anything, sorry.
Well, I guess if you want to pay double for the same computer that doesn't run as many applications. But enjoy your overpriced hardware and Office 2008 for mac. Lets hope your iPod doesn't catch fire and burn down your house.
Actually it was Enron illegally manipulating the market which lead to the rolling blackouts. Notice they stopped shortly after the collapse of Enron and the arrest of those that hatched the schemes.
I read that link; appearly you think companies should be able to do whatever they want to public resources without restriction. I don't buy that nonsense, nor do I think corporations care about anything but squeezing money out of people. We allow them exist to serve a public good, not because they have any right to existence.
The "bribing" described in the article was Eddison trying to convience the local government that it would be worth it to install an electric grid. He proved to be right, but not every idea that comes along would pan out like that. The government is supposed to represent the people, and the people shouldn't have the roads they paid for torn up at the whim of a corporation, so the corporration (or Eddison) needs to convince OUR representives that there's something in it for us.
Slashdot is a US site. Most posters are also probably US based. I know people from other countries post here, but please be realistic... the focus seems to be on the US.
What if, and please don't be shocked, the porn was actually put there by the district attorney, anxious to get re-elected next year because he's "tough on crime" or "protects the children", so he frames a bunch of people by filling their machines with child images. It's happened before.
You really don't get it, do you? I'm not saying it CAN'T happen, I'm saying it DOESN'T HAPPEN OFTEN. There's a huge difference. If there's child porn on a computer, its not unreasonble to suspect the computers owner. The owner then can't say "well I might have been framed".. yes, its possible, but without reasonable evidence they were framed, the fact that it could happen isn't a reasonable argument that it DID happen like that.
Or what if the accused thinks 'Maybe it was a virus,' but has no way to prove it because the PC is locked-up in police custody. That could have EASILY happened in the linked case, with the result of that man being stuck in jail for 5+ years, since he couldn't prove his innocence.
The defense is entitled to ALL of the evidence the prosecution has. They should be able to get a clone of the hard drive to examine. If they fail to do so, or there's evidence of tampering, that's a good way to get the case thrown out.
And then there's the simple "my friend's a creep" factor. I've used friends' computers. It would be extremely easy for me to download some child porn during that time. And then THEY get the blame for it, even though they are innocent of wrongdoing. ----- Ye are too quick to presume "he's guilty" on extremely flimsy evidence (yes images on a Windoze computer, which can be easily hijacked, is flimsy).
Its the same thing as lending your car to your friend. If he gets a parking ticket, YOU'LL be the one responsible to pay. You'd have to prove it was your friend driving the car to get out of it (even then though, traffic laws are such that you're still responsible, its up to you to make sure you trust the person you lend your car to).
I'm not presuming he's guilty. I have a reasonable belief he is based on the evidence at hand. You say its flimsy, but its not. Just like the owner of a car would be the first one questioned about a hit and run where someone only got the plate, you'd have to actually show that your story is true, because we have REASONABLE evidence that you've done something. If it is how you say, then there should be something that at least says your story is reasonable as well.
What you say those media outlets do is not in any way different than what Fox "News" does. I would also suggest that birthers, racists and others like you also get stuffed.
Stop with straw man arguments; the OP isn't a public figure, so there's nothing to parody that would serve a public good. Glen Beck on the other hand is a very public and very polarizing figure, parody is one way to show people what a dunce he is.
An exception does not prove a rule. You can't assert that a virus did it and not expect to be able to show you had a virus. Simply throwing out that it COULD happen doesn't mean it did.
Yes, in this case that's exactly what happened. A reasonable person would conclude he did it based on the fact that only he had access to the computer. Its fine to say "I'm innocent" in that case, but you need to show your story is in fact reasonable.
Otherwise you might as well say the FSM downloaded it.
Slashdot Mirror
Its more like "do what we demand, or things will stay the same." I don't think anyone is suffering that they can't buy a DVD today instead of next month.
I thought only astronomers used K. All the science done at college seems to be C (except astronomy).
Please mod parent down -- this is neither "informative" nor "insightful"... Enron had nothing to do with the rolling blackouts in California; as the fine article mentioned, the problem was that retail rates were capped, while wholesale rates were deregulated. All it took was a relatively sustained spike in prices, and the retail suppliers were swimming in red ink; this led to even higher prices (because energy prices depend on a whole bundle of factors, including credit risk -- once the retailers were swamped, prices went even higher, as wholesalers (reasonably) suspected that retailers couldn't survive, paying hundreds while charging pennies... (I was in the industry at the time, and was sent to a client site in the aftermath of the blackouts...)
So we all just imagined Death Star, Fat Boy and Richocette huh? You worked in the industry, thus you're comments are highly suspect. I know scores of people that can't accept that their company would EVER do something wrong. That doesn't make it reality though.
Now, once California's blackouts happened, people started questioning deregulation in general. The increased attention may have been what led to the sniffing around Enron, and the discovery of their accounting shenanigans. It's not the other way around, though...!
Ya cuz its not like the power companies wouldn't want to create problems and then blame deregulation right? Its amazing that deregulation happened in many other states too (NY, PA, NH, etc) and blackouts never became a problem, isn't it?
Do I really have to go the "correlation doesn't imply causation" route? Enron =/= California meltdown. Some Enron traders worked to artificially inflate rates, but the blackouts would have happened without their attempt to game generator down-time...
Yes, but in this case its been shown they actually DID cause blackouts and shortages to drive up rates. But please contine with your head in the sand if it makes you feel better.
Note that Edison =/= Enron...
Ya, no shit. But the article was whining that poor poor Edison who was only trying to usher in a new era with his electricity had to actually convience government that ripping up streets to do this was a good idea. Ya know, I can understand why someone at the time might not be convienced that would be a good use of time and effort, so I don't blame officials for not just rubber stamping something that was going to cause major damage to existing infrastructure.
The article you linked to is just plain ridiculous, and I have a hard time taking anything you say seriously if THATS something you accept.
If you're happy w/OOo good for you, but it still largely fails for most people.
I ran Linux for a few years on the desktop and my server, and that experience has left me more than happy to pay for MS software. But a Mac? More money, less apps, less upgradablity, and contrary to their ads that "it just works" it doesn't just work.
So enjoy paying double for the same Intel hardware you could have for much cheaper, and if you're definition of "it just works" is that the three applications available for it work, thats fine I guess.
It's been in kernel space for a while. I think in 7 they may have changed it though, but GDI has been part of the kernel since NT4.
A quick look at the keyboard and you'll see that the function keys are already out of reach, so you need to reposition your hands to hit CTRL + Fkey. Where as CTRL or ALT + letter or maybe number doens't require me to move my hands out of postition.
How is that simpler than having a second mouse button to click?
No, its not. Unless it looks identical or almost identical, and feels identical or almost identical, there's no infringement.
Then I'm pretty glad I don't live in the US - having an antenna or dish does not constitute probable cause since there is no legal expectation that you remove a disused antenna.
In the US you wouldn't have the nonsense of paying a tax just to watch TV to begin with. Also, the vans used to detect violaters would be illegal also. We had a case that said using EM to detect inside your home something which would otherwise be private is an illegal search.
No, they have a few vans, many of which probably don't have any actual equipment in them.
If that's your assertion, please provide something to back it up. I've only seen articles on the BBC discussing the vans, but nothing along your line of thinking.
The original post can be summarised by "you can't tax something when you can't prove how much tax someone should be paying". My response can be summarised as basically "yes you can, there are many many examples of such taxes" and I cited income tax as an example. The fact that you have just stated that evading income tax is very common does nothing but re-enforce my original point.
No, evasion doesn't prove your point.
How would you get me to pay tax on an income you can't even prove I received? Please explain how that proves your point, because that was my point... if you don't even know about my income, you can't force me to pay a tax on said income.
Actually, I think there are more people here from outside of the US (mainly Europe) than you think. I think it's closer to a 50-50 ratio.
I would tend to doubt that.
Exhibit A) If you look at this poll you'll see that 43% of all voters chose the option "I Use Celsius, You Insensitive Clod!", which would obviously imply that they are not from the States.
Using celsius doesn't imply they are outside the US. They could be scientists. Also, you wrongly assume a majority of /.ers even bothered with the poll. 58,000 votes, and we're up to what user id? Nevermind the fact that I'm sure some voted just to pick the C option.
Exhibit B) I'm Finnish (been browsing /. actively for a couple of years now) and I know I'm by far not the only Finn lurking around here. Moreover, if you look at, for example, the stories that have something to do with the US healthcare system there always seems to be an abundance of Swedes, Brits, Canadians and (more rarely though) us Finns trying to explain how "socialist healthcare" really isn't such an infernal thing as some of you Americans think it is.
First, I didn't say there WEREN'T any foreigners using the site, I said you're probably not anywhere near the majority.
Also, because Americans are bashing something close to you and of course you think YOUR system is best, so foreigners come out of the woodwork to defend it (and get in their US bashing).
I don't think you're examples really show anything, sorry.
Well, I guess if you want to pay double for the same computer that doesn't run as many applications. But enjoy your overpriced hardware and Office 2008 for mac. Lets hope your iPod doesn't catch fire and burn down your house.
Perhaps to draw them on the screen when rendering text?
Ya, ok, they already do that. So what exactly is your point?
Not fixing would backfire. Would you buy a product from a company that totally abandons the existing product as soon as they release a new one?
If you don't believe in gun rights you support facism in the US.
I'd rather deal with a hypothetical lone nut than deal with actual Soviet style government.
Hmm... interesting. Could be feasible.
Any other insights about living in Brazil? Dangerous, or is that exaggerated? Are most of the women hot? ;-)
Actually it was Enron illegally manipulating the market which lead to the rolling blackouts. Notice they stopped shortly after the collapse of Enron and the arrest of those that hatched the schemes.
I read that link; appearly you think companies should be able to do whatever they want to public resources without restriction. I don't buy that nonsense, nor do I think corporations care about anything but squeezing money out of people. We allow them exist to serve a public good, not because they have any right to existence.
The "bribing" described in the article was Eddison trying to convience the local government that it would be worth it to install an electric grid. He proved to be right, but not every idea that comes along would pan out like that. The government is supposed to represent the people, and the people shouldn't have the roads they paid for torn up at the whim of a corporation, so the corporration (or Eddison) needs to convince OUR representives that there's something in it for us.
Slashdot is a US site. Most posters are also probably US based. I know people from other countries post here, but please be realistic... the focus seems to be on the US.
What if, and please don't be shocked, the porn was actually put there by the district attorney, anxious to get re-elected next year because he's "tough on crime" or "protects the children", so he frames a bunch of people by filling their machines with child images. It's happened before.
You really don't get it, do you? I'm not saying it CAN'T happen, I'm saying it DOESN'T HAPPEN OFTEN. There's a huge difference. If there's child porn on a computer, its not unreasonble to suspect the computers owner. The owner then can't say "well I might have been framed".. yes, its possible, but without reasonable evidence they were framed, the fact that it could happen isn't a reasonable argument that it DID happen like that.
Or what if the accused thinks 'Maybe it was a virus,' but has no way to prove it because the PC is locked-up in police custody. That could have EASILY happened in the linked case, with the result of that man being stuck in jail for 5+ years, since he couldn't prove his innocence.
The defense is entitled to ALL of the evidence the prosecution has. They should be able to get a clone of the hard drive to examine. If they fail to do so, or there's evidence of tampering, that's a good way to get the case thrown out.
And then there's the simple "my friend's a creep" factor. I've used friends' computers. It would be extremely easy for me to download some child porn during that time. And then THEY get the blame for it, even though they are innocent of wrongdoing. ----- Ye are too quick to presume "he's guilty" on extremely flimsy evidence (yes images on a Windoze computer, which can be easily hijacked, is flimsy).
Its the same thing as lending your car to your friend. If he gets a parking ticket, YOU'LL be the one responsible to pay. You'd have to prove it was your friend driving the car to get out of it (even then though, traffic laws are such that you're still responsible, its up to you to make sure you trust the person you lend your car to).
I'm not presuming he's guilty. I have a reasonable belief he is based on the evidence at hand. You say its flimsy, but its not. Just like the owner of a car would be the first one questioned about a hit and run where someone only got the plate, you'd have to actually show that your story is true, because we have REASONABLE evidence that you've done something. If it is how you say, then there should be something that at least says your story is reasonable as well.
Well if the alternative is to destory the habitate in which we live, I think the extra cost would be justifiable.
What you say those media outlets do is not in any way different than what Fox "News" does. I would also suggest that birthers, racists and others like you also get stuffed.
So, if you have a problem with what Glenn Beck says, refute it. Don't simply hurl personal insults as it only proves him right.
Hurling insults at someone doesn't prove that they are right; it doesn't prove anything except that Beck is hated by some.
So you admit you're an idiot!
Stop with straw man arguments; the OP isn't a public figure, so there's nothing to parody that would serve a public good. Glen Beck on the other hand is a very public and very polarizing figure, parody is one way to show people what a dunce he is.
An exception does not prove a rule. You can't assert that a virus did it and not expect to be able to show you had a virus. Simply throwing out that it COULD happen doesn't mean it did.
Yes, in this case that's exactly what happened. A reasonable person would conclude he did it based on the fact that only he had access to the computer. Its fine to say "I'm innocent" in that case, but you need to show your story is in fact reasonable.
Otherwise you might as well say the FSM downloaded it.