If you definitely want a computer solution, Android is the way to go for price and fuctionality. Pick a device that can be rooted (many no-name brands have same hardware - slatedroid.com might help you). Resistive is fine if you have a keyboard plugged in.
If you know some programming or know someone that can help, you can use a USB hub and have two or three keyboards per device... but i wouldn't suggest you start with that idea.
There are very cheap USB to PS/2 converters, which might help if you get second hand PS/2 keyboards donated.
JavaScript is not needed at all: an etag header can be used to track you across different sites by including say a.CSS or.GIF file served by using a shared "tracking url" at a known site.
Example:
run your favorite HTTP proxy debugger (FiddlerTool if using Windows)
In the first request, the response header has ETag: "97a-494505e0c46c0"
In the second request, the request header has If-None-Match: "97a-494505e0c46c0" - this acts like a cookie.
If the "tracking" server receives a request with no If-None-Match: header, it replies with the file and sets the ETag to a unique value (exactly equivalent to the "cookie" value). If the server receives a request with the If-None-Match:, the value can be used to track the user... for example the server takes the If-None-Match: value, and returns back the image with the same etag value, and *also* set a cookie with that value in the response header!
This particular study is a sub-study of one of the most complete longitudinal studies of its kind and it is still continuing. It is run by real scientists, some of whom have made it their life work.
It is a very rigourous study that has been going for nearly 40 years (now on phase 38), producing 900 papers, and a superb data set because they still have an amazing 96% of the original sample set (now aged about 40) getting regularly tested. They go to extreme lengths to continue keeping the original people coming back - e.g. organising flights for all the people that have elsewhere including a large number that are spread around the world.
But true scientific R&D, where you discover something new, forget about it for the most part.
Bollocks: that might be true for some scientific disciplines, but it is not true for all.
The difficulties with "scientific discoveries" is:
Are you just doing it for recognition?
Amateurs make discoveries all the time and publish on internet. Join an amateur scientist community. They often don't get much recognition for it though.
Do you want to be published? If so barriers depend upon your discipline. Probably unrealistic for hobby to expect to get published in major journals.
In highly competitive fields, you need to devote a lot of time to it. All the great scientists did.
Have a look at biology: the smaller you go the less we know - crap-loads of stuff waiting to be discovered. And if you have hard science or software skills, all the better!
a large percentage of insect species have not been catalogued (you can even get a species named after you if you become part of the entomological community)
bacteria, mycologia, viruses, etc: pick an ecology that is not popular: you *will* find new discoveries. Requires some expense, but acheivable if you are keen.
Sociology/Anthropology: heaps of opportunities here. Ooooodles of free data available if you want to process information from internet. OR watch a group of people and follow your nose on something interesting.
If we do a histogram of that data we get:
Bin . . . Frequency
02.5 . . . 1
05.0 . . . 3
07.5 . . . 3
10.0 . . . 3
12.5 . . . 5
15.0 . . . 7
More . . . 4
If we have trouble finding "dimmer" stars, there could be a lot of them (Bunch of presumptions, including that the "more" category is small because we are having trouble finding dim stars!!!).
Being paid to do nothing is how unemployment works
Actually, when unemployed ones' job is to seek work. This is because seeking work is "useful" to the economy (even though one is not working).
Government economic policy wants enough people actively seeking jobs, such that the wages for those jobs is not increasing (or increase is limited, say to a couple of %). The theory is that keeping wages from increasing is one factor that keeps inflation under control.
> I'm interested in buying access to hosts within OWN_IP_BLOCK, anybody have some?
Can this be mitigated? Is it realistic? Will you know how it was compromised?
A primary means black hats use to measure trust for purchases is repeat sales to the same buyer (for differing needs) and maybe some illegal activity e.g. paid via illegal means (to filter out anyone that is constrained to only legal means). Passing those tests is difficult (although possible by professional white-hat-consultants, however white hats want to remain undetected by the black hats so have constraints).
It is also dependent on the price you are willing to pay. Obviously you need to pay the botnet herder more than the sum of: worth of the machine to them, cost of the risk to them due to transaction, cost of sales, their normal profit margin.
If you offer a little, all you will find is bottom feeders and liars - i.e. information value is low.
If you offer a lot, you are giving an incentive to get your network compromised.
We have a free state health care system, and a private health care system, and they both work (from my own anecdotes, and our health stats mostly rank better than the US).
Private health care (i.e. health care beyond what the state provides) is cheap (unless you are below average income), available and it also works. An 'expensive' all-options private plan for a single 40 year old with an unhealthy lifestyle but no pre-conditions is about USD30 per week - try out the calculator http://wellbeingcalculator.southerncross.co.nz/OnlineQuote.aspx (I hope that it is accessable from a non-NZ IP address). You can get a quote by selecting a plan and answering 4 questions:
Are you a non-smoker? ie. have not smoked at all over the past 12 months.
Do you eat five servings or more of fruit and vegetables per day?
Do you exercise three or more times a week?
Do you drink: Female - two or less glasses of alcohol a day (14 per week)? Male - three or less glasses of alcohol a day (21 per week)?
Disclaimer: I am from NZ and I do want US immigrants because those that move tend to be smart and motivated and that helps our economy!. Don't take my word for it - ask other US citizens that have moved here.
Re:Was it a cause of his legal trouble?
on
Our Low-Tech Tax Code
·
· Score: 2, Interesting
Have a tax code that's short enough for a single person to read completely through in less than 2000 hours of reading (leaving two weeks for actual work)
I am now a part owner of a business, and I find tax simpler now I am not a normal tax payer.
If you are a normal tax earner, the process is simple (and extremely simple if you get a tax consultant to do it - although most people don't bother).
It is a great place to live. Most stats confirm that.
The New Zealand IRD (IRS equivalent) has a very good online system where you can review your personal or business IRD account and details i.e. tax payments, tax due, etc etc.
A downside is that you will have to learn parts of three other languages: Maori, Credulous and Monty.
Our IRD usually just want to sort out problems, with the minimum of hassle. I personally have sorted out some complex back-dated issues.
New Zealanders generally like Americans (your government hasn't done anything obviously nasty to us).
The IRD have a call centre, and when I used it I have always been treated well, and I have talked to competent staff that answered questions (or that passed me to relevant managers, or otherwise they got information correct). I have also emailed the IRD (on their web system) and they gave back correct and helpful information. The call centre has a toll-free number, and if it is busy, the phone system tells you how long the wait is, and asks you if you want a call back.
New Zealand is not a police state.
Fundamentally, it seems like the New Zealand IRD is really interested in not wasting your time. I cringe at the stories about the IRS, and the dealing personal friends have had with it.
PS: Our state and private health care systems work too (from experience. Also our health stats mostly rank better than the US). If you want to pay for private health care (i.e. health care beyond what your taxes pay for) it is cheap, available and it also works.An expensive all-options private plan for an unhealthy 40 year old is about USD30 per week. http://wellbeingcalculator.southerncross.co.nz/OnlineQuote.aspx (I hope accessable from a non-NZ IP address). Get a quote by selecting a plan and answering 4 questions: (Q1) Are you a non-smoker? ie. have not smoked at all over the past 12 months, (Q2) Do you eat five servings or more of fruit and vegetables per day? (Q3) Do you exercise three or more times a week? (Q4) Do you drink: Female - two or less glasses of alcohol a day (14 per week)? Male - three or less glasses of alcohol a day (21 per week)?
You mention advantages of RAID. I didn't discover some of the disadvantages of software RAID until I had converted over (Disclaimer: I am not a power Linux user, but I do have IT skills beyond the average user).
There was no clear warning if a drive had failed (Ubuntu 8.04). There needs to be a UI that shouts at the user to replace a drive, preferably before logging in (I set up a repeating beep script with a unique tone, but no average user could do that).
Difficult to convert over from an existing install.
In the time I had, I couldn't get it to boot from the RAID drive I had set up (I ended up using a separate partition for/boot.. For me it that was just more complexity.)
Your average "I can change a hard drive" user will still have trouble knowing which drive has failed. Rack mount RAID drives or server PC RAID drives usually have a lovely user interface with a nice red flashing X dead-drive-icon on the failed drive.
gparted doesn't know about software RAID drives (Ubuntu 8.04). I presume that is fixed now, but there are still plenty of tools that don't understand RAIDed drives. Hardware RAID will work better with tools.
Can a "non-techie windows user" do multi-boot with Windows and a software RAIDed drive? Some Live CDs would also be problematic.
I need to resize my RAIDed partitions, and it is going to require extra work and risk.
My difficulties showed me that I could recommend software RAID only to a very particular subset of Linux users. I can't imagine using it for a "non-techie windows user" or an average user. I personally will continue to use RAID, but I have already sunk time into learning how to, and I have abnormal reasons which mean that I am happy to continue to waste time working around the downsides and managing my RAIDed system.
I far prefer speaking with foreigners that have a something different from a US accent or BBC accent. Irish, Ozzie, Jordie, whatever.
It is usually a good sign that they have learnt the language by immersion, rather than by reading.
I find that when I speak with people that have learnt english by using books, they never recover from the errors that occur (many errors are grossly obvious that they are due to thinking, rather than listening).
I agree with other posters that singing, watching vids, watching movies, internet chat or anying so long as it is learning by ear is preferable than by mind. Be like a child, learn like a child, and speak a language properly.
I suspect geeks are especially susceptible to trying to learn via other unnatural cerebral routes and stuffing it up!
The problem is, without literacy there is generally very, very, very little aptitude for learning
So if you can't read you are a thick hopeless lost cause? Condescending you are.
Of the illiterate people I know (I admit I am in the first world so not heaps), the best technique for getting them to read and write has been the computer. It doesn't judge and it is patient. And they are motivated to learn because there is *something* of interest to them. Trying to read the rules about a game. Surfing pron. Racing the typing tutor. Whatever. Try it with any illiterate friends or their children and find something that interests them that needs them to read some simple words.
We use events, but only register them via DOM addEventListener or attachEvent. We don't use traditional style element."onxxx" event handlers.
From today I have decided that various non-essential (but desirable!) UI features will only be supported on IE8 to help our clients want to change. Also I have just spent more hours on an IE6 workaround, and I have had enough!
Yes, I've been considering moving all HTML rendering to the browser, but some apps that work that way tend to annoy me.
Advantages:
Fast response even on slow connection.
Low bandwidth.
Potentially off-line (we don't need that, but could do it).
Low bandwidth.
Offload rendering and UI work to client.
Dis-advantages
Limited choice of components. Often need to rewrite or author your own. No single popular library - incompatible components.
Much slower to develop - hard to build on top of other's work.
Difficult to make user friendly (few common user experiences, incompatible with some normal browser user behaviours).
Memory leaks: Ugggh. IEJSLeaksDetector v2 is great to detect them (and we wrote a custom tool to detect "deleted" Javascript components that were still referenced). Rules for component framework: must not use element.onxxx, must track all attachEvent calls, must detachEvent when component destroyed. On unload framework: must detach all events, must set all global window.xxx to null, must set any document.xxx variables to null. Elements must never reference javascript objects (Object, Function, or Array). Unfortunately most libraries don't get it right ( to prevent leaks we had to develop various custom memory leak prevention code, edit control code, and completely replace event registration code).
XMLHttp communication issues - ugly.
Cruftiness - dirty workarounds, reliability problems, usually must support IE6 so often limited to what that can do.
For us, the pain has been worth it. Our clients just buy our service with very low deployment issues, fast pilot and training, fast rollout, nasty dependencies are avoided, and political involvement by IT departments is minimised.
Building HTML documents by concatenating strings or outputting at random places in code (ex. 90% of the PHP code out there) is a horrendous idea that should have died in the 90s.
100% agree. We use browser side controls and all HTML rendering is done on the browser. We avoid manipulating strings except where required for performance (pure DOM is too slow and we have to support IE6. Easy to avoid script injection by careful design). Solves a bunch of problems - the biggest problem is the lack of good libraries and controls. It feels like programming for DOS.
Amen. JavaScript is following Lisp's footsteps: no common community, incompatible libraries, incompatible implementations, and a lack of common goals. CommonJS is a perfect example.
Server side requirements are grossly incompatible with browser side requirements.
IMHO unless you have peculiar needs, preferring a serverside JavaScript framework over an existing server language and framework is for fools.
PS: disclaimer: I develop a browser based application using JavaScript (with an application server using JSON - not an HTML/CSS generating web server)
PPS: I would like to see HTML split into two standards: a static form for documents (zero script, no dynamic CSS3 etc), and a dynamic form for applications (JavaScript, DOM, Libraries). I hate the trend towards flash-like HTML documents. I do like browser deployed applications though.
I have an Asus 520GU running OpenWRT. The current limitation is you have a choice of running the 2.4 kernel and getting wifi but there are some USB issues (although USB is working fine for me - YMMV), or the 2.6 kernel and getting no wifi.
Apparently the closed braodcom driver has now been reverse engineered for 2.6, but it isn't yet in the main branch so you have to do your own build and patch of the kernel.
The latest memory leak tools for IE6/IE7 are actually pretty slick. Version 2 of IEJSLeaksDetector tells you the line the leak occurred at. And sIEve is good for finding in page leaks (i.e. leaks when you are constructing and destructing components within a single page Ajax app). Before those tools, I spent months trying to resolve IE leaks.
Also I have written my own tool to check that "destroyed" JS objects (components on our Ajax page) are not reachable from window i.e. objects will be garbage collected. Code was a fairly simple traversal of objects and arrays - one day's coding.
If you want "real" classes you can use a JavaScript implementation that supports the proposed standard. Or choose a library - they do make prototyping look and smell like OO. Sure there are quirks, but all languages have their own quirks. Or are you complaining about current browser implementations?
and proper error handling.
Not sure of your gripe. Never had a problem.
Debugging JS [snip] is a nightmare.
The Microsoft Studio JavaScript debugger works fantastically well. I prefer not to use MS tools, but I use the best tool available to me. Other in-browser JS debuggers have their advantages.
maintaining a large JS codebase is a nightmare.
What's your problem? JavaScript wasn't designed to be an "enterprise" language and mostly does not have enterprise tools. However, it is not much more difficult to manage than most other dynamic languages. Pick the right tool for the job.
I'm not confusing anything with anything.
Definitely sounds like you *are* confusing the language JavaScript, with the implementations you know.
Slashdot Mirror
Let me sell you this copy of Photoshop for $10.
It is OK because I give 90% to Adobe.
Let me sell you this perfectly forged $1 note for 90 cents. It is OK because I give the government 81 cents.
If you definitely want a computer solution, Android is the way to go for price and fuctionality. Pick a device that can be rooted (many no-name brands have same hardware - slatedroid.com might help you). Resistive is fine if you have a keyboard plugged in.
You can even put bangli on it - see http://androidbangladesh.wordpress.com/2012/05/15/bangla-on-android/ also the comments mention some tablets, and the guys at the link might know what is cheap and works if you talk to them.
If you know some programming or know someone that can help, you can use a USB hub and have two or three keyboards per device... but i wouldn't suggest you start with that idea.
There are very cheap USB to PS/2 converters, which might help if you get second hand PS/2 keyboards donated.
JavaScript is not needed at all: an etag header can be used to track you across different sites by including say a .CSS or .GIF file served by using a shared "tracking url" at a known site.
Example:
In the first request, the response header has ETag: "97a-494505e0c46c0"
In the second request, the request header has If-None-Match: "97a-494505e0c46c0" - this acts like a cookie.
If the "tracking" server receives a request with no If-None-Match: header, it replies with the file and sets the ETag to a unique value (exactly equivalent to the "cookie" value). If the server receives a request with the If-None-Match:, the value can be used to track the user... for example the server takes the If-None-Match: value, and returns back the image with the same etag value, and *also* set a cookie with that value in the response header!
You are talking complete bollocks.
This particular study is a sub-study of one of the most complete longitudinal studies of its kind and it is still continuing. It is run by real scientists, some of whom have made it their life work.
Here is an interview about this in particular (not sure if available outside NZ!): http://www.radiolive.co.nz/Children-with-more-self-control-turn-into-healthier-and-wealthier-adults/tabid/506/articleID/18253/Default.aspx or google http://www.google.com/search?q=Dunedin+Longitudinal+Study for background information.
It is a very rigourous study that has been going for nearly 40 years (now on phase 38), producing 900 papers, and a superb data set because they still have an amazing 96% of the original sample set (now aged about 40) getting regularly tested. They go to extreme lengths to continue keeping the original people coming back - e.g. organising flights for all the people that have elsewhere including a large number that are spread around the world.
It's not like anything could go wrong with this.
Tomato Firmware is still stuck on Linux 2.4 because Broadcom's driver blob
The Beta Tomato firmware uses 2.6 and supports many broadcom devices using the open source b43 driver. e.g. from my Asus520GU:
Tomato Firmware v1.28.9048 MIPSR1-beta18 K26 USB Lite
USB support integration and GUI,
Linux kernel 2.6.22.19 and Broadcom Wireless Driver 5.10.56.46 updates
Thanks heaps for that information. I am involved with a software company in NZ so this affects me directly.
But true scientific R&D, where you discover something new, forget about it for the most part.
Bollocks: that might be true for some scientific disciplines, but it is not true for all.
The difficulties with "scientific discoveries" is:
Have a look at biology: the smaller you go the less we know - crap-loads of stuff waiting to be discovered. And if you have hard science or software skills, all the better!
Sociology/Anthropology: heaps of opportunities here. Ooooodles of free data available if you want to process information from internet. OR watch a group of people and follow your nose on something interesting.
If we do a histogram of that data we get:
Bin . . . Frequency
02.5 . . . 1
05.0 . . . 3
07.5 . . . 3
10.0 . . . 3
12.5 . . . 5
15.0 . . . 7
More . . . 4
If we have trouble finding "dimmer" stars, there could be a lot of them (Bunch of presumptions, including that the "more" category is small because we are having trouble finding dim stars!!!).
Being paid to do nothing is how unemployment works
Actually, when unemployed ones' job is to seek work. This is because seeking work is "useful" to the economy (even though one is not working).
Government economic policy wants enough people actively seeking jobs, such that the wages for those jobs is not increasing (or increase is limited, say to a couple of %). The theory is that keeping wages from increasing is one factor that keeps inflation under control.
Can this be mitigated? Is it realistic? Will you know how it was compromised?
A primary means black hats use to measure trust for purchases is repeat sales to the same buyer (for differing needs) and maybe some illegal activity e.g. paid via illegal means (to filter out anyone that is constrained to only legal means). Passing those tests is difficult (although possible by professional white-hat-consultants, however white hats want to remain undetected by the black hats so have constraints).
It is also dependent on the price you are willing to pay. Obviously you need to pay the botnet herder more than the sum of: worth of the machine to them, cost of the risk to them due to transaction, cost of sales, their normal profit margin.
If you offer a little, all you will find is bottom feeders and liars - i.e. information value is low.
If you offer a lot, you are giving an incentive to get your network compromised.
We have a free state health care system, and a private health care system, and they both work (from my own anecdotes, and our health stats mostly rank better than the US).
Private health care (i.e. health care beyond what the state provides) is cheap (unless you are below average income), available and it also works. An 'expensive' all-options private plan for a single 40 year old with an unhealthy lifestyle but no pre-conditions is about USD30 per week - try out the calculator http://wellbeingcalculator.southerncross.co.nz/OnlineQuote.aspx (I hope that it is accessable from a non-NZ IP address). You can get a quote by selecting a plan and answering 4 questions:
PS: We have a simple tax system too: http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=1558016&cid=31225696
Disclaimer: I am from NZ and I do want US immigrants because those that move tend to be smart and motivated and that helps our economy!. Don't take my word for it - ask other US citizens that have moved here.
Have a tax code that's short enough for a single person to read completely through in less than 2000 hours of reading (leaving two weeks for actual work)
Become a New Zealand citizen... seriously.
Our tax code is 3408 (PDF) pages long: http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2007/0097/latest/viewpdf.aspx . Most of that is irrelevant and can be skimmed (contents: http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2007/0097/latest/DLM1512301.html). You would need to revoke your US citizenship: "If you are a U.S. citizen or resident alien, the rules for filing income, estate, and gift tax returns and paying estimated tax are generally the same whether you are in the United States or abroad." as per http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/international/article/0,,id=97324,00.html
Other reasons:
Fundamentally, it seems like the New Zealand IRD is really interested in not wasting your time. I cringe at the stories about the IRS, and the dealing personal friends have had with it.
PS: Our state and private health care systems work too (from experience. Also our health stats mostly rank better than the US). If you want to pay for private health care (i.e. health care beyond what your taxes pay for) it is cheap, available and it also works.An expensive all-options private plan for an unhealthy 40 year old is about USD30 per week. http://wellbeingcalculator.southerncross.co.nz/OnlineQuote.aspx (I hope accessable from a non-NZ IP address). Get a quote by selecting a plan and answering 4 questions: (Q1) Are you a non-smoker? ie. have not smoked at all over the past 12 months, (Q2) Do you eat five servings or more of fruit and vegetables per day? (Q3) Do you exercise three or more times a week? (Q4) Do you drink: Female - two or less glasses of alcohol a day (14 per week)? Male - three or less glasses of alcohol a day (21 per week)?
You mention advantages of RAID. I didn't discover some of the disadvantages of software RAID until I had converted over (Disclaimer: I am not a power Linux user, but I do have IT skills beyond the average user).
My difficulties showed me that I could recommend software RAID only to a very particular subset of Linux users. I can't imagine using it for a "non-techie windows user" or an average user. I personally will continue to use RAID, but I have already sunk time into learning how to, and I have abnormal reasons which mean that I am happy to continue to waste time working around the downsides and managing my RAIDed system.
I far prefer speaking with foreigners that have a something different from a US accent or BBC accent. Irish, Ozzie, Jordie, whatever.
It is usually a good sign that they have learnt the language by immersion, rather than by reading.
I find that when I speak with people that have learnt english by using books, they never recover from the errors that occur (many errors are grossly obvious that they are due to thinking, rather than listening).
I agree with other posters that singing, watching vids, watching movies, internet chat or anying so long as it is learning by ear is preferable than by mind. Be like a child, learn like a child, and speak a language properly.
I suspect geeks are especially susceptible to trying to learn via other unnatural cerebral routes and stuffing it up!
The problem is, without literacy there is generally very, very, very little aptitude for learning
So if you can't read you are a thick hopeless lost cause? Condescending you are.
Of the illiterate people I know (I admit I am in the first world so not heaps), the best technique for getting them to read and write has been the computer. It doesn't judge and it is patient. And they are motivated to learn because there is *something* of interest to them. Trying to read the rules about a game. Surfing pron. Racing the typing tutor. Whatever. Try it with any illiterate friends or their children and find something that interests them that needs them to read some simple words.
We use events, but only register them via DOM addEventListener or attachEvent. We don't use traditional style element."onxxx" event handlers.
From today I have decided that various non-essential (but desirable!) UI features will only be supported on IE8 to help our clients want to change. Also I have just spent more hours on an IE6 workaround, and I have had enough!
The last para is really the key point - we go through the pain, because the result is that client want our service enough to pay good money for it.
2nd "low bandwith" should be "low latency". UI can be made responsive and it is noticable.
Yes, I've been considering moving all HTML rendering to the browser, but some apps that work that way tend to annoy me.
Advantages:
Dis-advantages
For us, the pain has been worth it. Our clients just buy our service with very low deployment issues, fast pilot and training, fast rollout, nasty dependencies are avoided, and political involvement by IT departments is minimised.
Building HTML documents by concatenating strings or outputting at random places in code (ex. 90% of the PHP code out there) is a horrendous idea that should have died in the 90s.
100% agree. We use browser side controls and all HTML rendering is done on the browser. We avoid manipulating strings except where required for performance (pure DOM is too slow and we have to support IE6. Easy to avoid script injection by careful design). Solves a bunch of problems - the biggest problem is the lack of good libraries and controls. It feels like programming for DOS.
Amen. JavaScript is following Lisp's footsteps: no common community, incompatible libraries, incompatible implementations, and a lack of common goals. CommonJS is a perfect example.
Server side requirements are grossly incompatible with browser side requirements.
IMHO unless you have peculiar needs, preferring a serverside JavaScript framework over an existing server language and framework is for fools.
PS: disclaimer: I develop a browser based application using JavaScript (with an application server using JSON - not an HTML/CSS generating web server)
PPS: I would like to see HTML split into two standards: a static form for documents (zero script, no dynamic CSS3 etc), and a dynamic form for applications (JavaScript, DOM, Libraries). I hate the trend towards flash-like HTML documents. I do like browser deployed applications though.
I have an Asus 520GU running OpenWRT. The current limitation is you have a choice of running the 2.4 kernel and getting wifi but there are some USB issues (although USB is working fine for me - YMMV), or the 2.6 kernel and getting no wifi.
Apparently the closed braodcom driver has now been reverse engineered for 2.6, but it isn't yet in the main branch so you have to do your own build and patch of the kernel.
The latest memory leak tools for IE6/IE7 are actually pretty slick. Version 2 of IEJSLeaksDetector tells you the line the leak occurred at. And sIEve is good for finding in page leaks (i.e. leaks when you are constructing and destructing components within a single page Ajax app). Before those tools, I spent months trying to resolve IE leaks.
Also I have written my own tool to check that "destroyed" JS objects (components on our Ajax page) are not reachable from window i.e. objects will be garbage collected. Code was a fairly simple traversal of objects and arrays - one day's coding.
I'd like to have real OO syntax
If you want "real" classes you can use a JavaScript implementation that supports the proposed standard. Or choose a library - they do make prototyping look and smell like OO. Sure there are quirks, but all languages have their own quirks. Or are you complaining about current browser implementations?
and proper error handling.
Not sure of your gripe. Never had a problem.
Debugging JS [snip] is a nightmare.
The Microsoft Studio JavaScript debugger works fantastically well. I prefer not to use MS tools, but I use the best tool available to me. Other in-browser JS debuggers have their advantages.
maintaining a large JS codebase is a nightmare.
What's your problem? JavaScript wasn't designed to be an "enterprise" language and mostly does not have enterprise tools. However, it is not much more difficult to manage than most other dynamic languages. Pick the right tool for the job.
I'm not confusing anything with anything.
Definitely sounds like you *are* confusing the language JavaScript, with the implementations you know.