Re:keep it anonymous and private.
on
Privacy in the Woods?
·
· Score: 3, Interesting
So, what happens when a herd of deer pass a certain motion sensor, and a group of hikers... don't, because they ran into the grizzly bear that the deer were running from?
Erm, no offense intended, but... do you have any information as to the validity of the statistical process and sampling used in those polls, or are you simply believing what you read?
Let's extend this argument a step further, and risk a fallacy.
There are books out there that teach people to code. These people, with that knowledge, can then code a harmful program--a virus, for example. IF the virus does damage, should the authors be held accountable for presenting text which was used to create damage?
The book was a tool with multiple uses, just as a peer-to-peer program is. The fact that it can be used to create ("hidden" monetary) damage is irrelevant; that so many people do so through sharing/transferring/hosting copywritten files is an indication of a tendency of human behavior, as this behavior is "universal." That is to say, it extends past cultural borders.
And the rest, I think, should be left to competant sociologists, psychologists, and men and women of the law... in addition to "the masses."
Just to reinforce this, see the movie A (A: Bokura wa ano jiken kara mada nanimo manabete inai), released in 1998. It's an excellent documentary, well-made, interesting, and informative.
There's one scene in particular I'm thinking of, where a member of the cult is walking down the street, looking very presentable, and is stopped by a police officer. The officer calls in backup, and things get tense... the other members with him are not allowed to go anywhere, being restrained by the other officers. The senior officer won't let the first cult member walk down the street, and is very much trying to provoke him. Keep in mind, none of these cult members have done anything wrong; the cult member does not allow himself to be provoked, and the senior officer eventually throws the first cult member down on the pavement, bashing his head on the cement, and going down, himself, because he trips over his own legs and puts too much momentum over his center of gravity.
What happens? The officer feigns injury, charges the first cult member with assault, and has him arrested. The poor guy sits in jail for a couple of days (I think), and it almost ends up making it to court (once a case makes it to court, there's almost no chance of not being convicted).
You seem very hesitant to name this organization, yet you've said that you've "gone public." I'm curious (and making an assumption)... but what is the reason you do not wish to name your organization?
Just to make it absolutely clear, I'm not set against you... I'm just curious (and low on sleep, so please pardon me if this makes little-to-no sense and/or comes across as being aggressive).
If you want information that could be used in an extremely bad way, be prepared to be harrassed about getting that information.
Define "bad," please. (Therein lies the problem... if the sovereignty lies with the people, and the people cannot come to a concensus as to what "bad" is and is not, where do the law-enforcement agents draw the line?)
So... between reading this blurb (haven't gotten to the actual paper yet, and I'm not sure I'll understand it when I do) and the article about the shape of the universe, I'm starting to form a hare-brained idea of my own.
What if the entire damn universe consists of matter and energy trapped within an unimaginably large black hole? I mean, it's probably just wishful thinking, but it might make sense... the shape of the universe, if roughly true in the article about it, would make sense if the universe as we see it formed the portion of the black hole not lumped(?) at the relative "bottom." All the energy is going back to the source (the main part of the black hole), all the mass returns to that source, etc. The stuff "below us" seems to be accelerating away, and the stuff "above" us is blue-shifted because it's coming toward us from the edge of the universe, so to speak. All this "extra" gravity stuff would just be the gravitational effects of the main mass of the black hole drawing everything back in; whenever everything went back to being lumped together, there would be an explosion, again (so much energy & mass, with no place to go!), and another black hole universe gets started, again. Given the way water, when caught by gravity, goes down a drain (in that spiraling motion), it may explain the proportions of red-shifting galaxies to blue-shifting ones.
Anyhow, like I said, it's another hare-brained idea... and I'm probably not the first to come up with it.
(One last thing--I'm a history major, not an astrophysics major, which is why I say it's a hare-brained idea. I have relatively little knowledge and understanding of astrophysics and the universe, when compared to those who've been and studied the field for so long (the guys who write papers like these, or papers discrediting the theories made by the guys who write papers like this one.)
Please take the time to read HG Well's The Time Machine; I think you will find it beneficial.
Also, you have to understand that by using Eugenics (which, let's face it, is essentially what we're talking about, here), you are stating that only some people have the right to live. Who are those people? Well, that depends on who you are, and who has the power to play god. Should people who do not have six fingers on each hand be killed off? Maybe you, a ten-fingered person, don't think so, but maybe the guy who's playing god with nanotech (or any other technology) thinks otherwise.
The world fought a war over this issue, among others, not too awful long ago. The victors decided that every life is invaluable, no matter how well its body or brain works.
Guilt and shame are necessary, but that doesn't mean we should go around doing things to cause them, even if it does seem to be for the benefit of the species.
Games such as 'Enter the Matrix' from Atari, and 'The Lord of the Rings' by Electronic Arts, both released [in Japan] last year, often vanish... without leaving a trace.
There's a fairly obvious reason why both games vanished without a trace; the former found a Hardline, and the latter put the One Ring on its finger.
I stared at that for a while, and I think I have an idea of how it might work... well, if the spiral can actually create lift, and then if it can create enough lift to overcome the weight of the rest of the contraption, that is. (And I'm by no means certain of this.)
IRC clients are incredibly easy to block with the hardware and software already out there. If your sys admin knows what s/he is doing, IRC can be completely blocked.
Lost all of my rebellious nature? Nope. I'll fight tooth and nail to prevent my uni from even considering purchasing one of these things, if I get a chance.
(And, unfortunately, they probably will; the MPAA came down on our IT department, a few years ago, because someone -- not necessarily a student, as it was summer and there are a lot more summer camp-goers than students here, during the summer -- was allegedly trading a movie that hadn't been released, yet. My uni's response was to immediately fold, shutting down internet service, then blocking some ports and bringing it back up just in time for students to arrive, and finally buying a packet-shaper a couple of months later. This last step has been the worst, since not one person in our IT department knows how to use the thing, no less use it right. It is currently being used to block gnutella, kazaa, and the other 'usual suspects'... as well as every computer game known to man. I'm not only assumed to be guilty, I can't even be a gamer, anymore, because it's "not an academic use of the university's resources." Sorry for the rant.)
Now, if you can get me a shotgun, shells, a kevlar vest, leather gloves, a hairnet, rock-climbing shoes, and a couple of alibis, I'll not only make sure that the students rebellious nature is not lost, I'll prove it by taking care of the packet-shaper and any other intrusive or offensive hardware/software!;-)
(Note to the FBI and Homeland Security: I'm joking.)
Would someone mind telling me how this guy avoids burning his legs off? It seems to me that a rocket powerful enough to lift all that weight would have to be pretty hot, and being that close to the human body....
Let me use some numbers I just pulled out of my arse to demonstrate a point:
Indian Help Desk Support Technician Cost: 19,000/year (USD) Abilities: troubleshooting Windows, Office, etc. over the phone, speaks English.
American Help Desk Support Technician Cost : 25,500/year (USD) Abilities: troubleshooting Windows, Office, etc. over the phone and in person, speaks English natively, took a course in interpersonal communications in order to be able to better understand and convey information.
Would 6,500 more be worth it for the above for in-house troubleshooting? What about for customer support, where the "in person" part does not apply?
If I were a boss (and I'm not), I'd opt for the American. Because s/he is able to communicate more effectively and efficiently, I know that the job has a higher chance of getting done right, AND that it'll get done faster, thus saving me money on phone bills/delays in production and possibly give me a higher customer satisfaction number, which might just increase the number of customers I have.
Now, we technicians/programmers/etc. may know this intuitively, but the probem is that the PHBs of the world don't, and so this needs to be communicated to them. When you're applying at a business that you think might outsource your job in the next five or ten years, make sure you put a point about your communications abilities in your resume. Not only will it help you by giving the boss more of a reason to hire you, but it might send a message if geeks everywhere start making a point of putting it on their resumes.:-)
Dave: Let me out, HAL! I have to get to work! HAL: I'm sorry, I can't do that, Dave. A fatal exception 0E has occured at 0428:C000A313 in VXD VMM(01) 00009313. The current occupant will be terminated. Dave: Oh, crap.
I don't know for sure, but I've heard of this great massively multiplayer online game. You write responses and answers based upon semi-random blurbs of information and questions, and each answer has the possibility of either giving you points or taking away some of your points. The only detractors I've run into are the recent exiting of the point-tracking system for each user and the fact that the humor-logic seems to be a tiny bit out of whack. But other than that, it's just fine, and it works on every platform!
I think it was called Slashdot, but I'm not sure. It could have been dashdot.org, because I remember something about morse code on it, a while back.
Anyhow, it's a great game, and hopefully everyone out there will realize that this comment is to be taken in jest.:-)
This is a good idea, but it omits the text-based strategy games out there.
Right now, I've found a good one Solar Conflict, and though it's still in the beta stages, it's very fun to play. Just make sure you get involved with your planet as soon as you can, so you can get into the teamwork aspect.
I'm sure that this has been posited before, but what if there's a blackhole of phenomenal size at one end of the universe? The whole damn thing could be in the process of being sucked into one massive lump (Big Crunch, anyone? It's not just for breakfast, anymore!), with the flare at one end being at or near the event horizon, and everything below being infinitely stretched (relatively, at least) toward the core of the blackhole (or whatnot).
Of course, when everything does finally get sucked up, and with nothing else to suck up, there could be another big bang.
It explains the trumpet shape and the infinite appearance, at least.
I'd like to see how this would compare to the electric engine the Dutch inventor came up with... I thought I remembered that he claimed something like 95% energy efficiency, but all I can find now claims a 60% increase in efficiency or whatnot.
It is highly unlikely that the monopolists are doing this themselves because they have too much to lose by carrying out such an attack.
Like what? Money? They're already making cash hand over fist; a fine by the FTC or a lawsuit would hardly dent their income. Reputation? I think that was trashed when they sued the 12 (?) year old girl... and didn't drop the case.
So what do they have to lose that they haven't already lost?
Personally, I'm not so convinced that it's that far-fetched. A long time ago, banks and states/provinces used to have their own currencies, in some parts of the world. Those currencies were usually backed up with reserves of gold or silver, such that the notes could be exchanged for gold or silver at any time (in theory, at least). Google would only have to do the same--secure a large enough ammount of precious metals to back up their currency, and then attatch their new currency to the worth of that currency cache.
Seeing as it'd probably be an e-currency, Google wouldn't have to issue printed bank notes. All they'd have to do is offer it as a paypal-esque solution, only better (since there wouldn't be any international currency conversions with fees attatched). Stores could decide to use or not use the Google currency at their whim.
The venture would, of course, be extremely risky, and I am having a hard time trying to figure out what Google would gain from it, but I don't think that the logistics of it are so improbable.
Slashdot Mirror
So, what happens when a herd of deer pass a certain motion sensor, and a group of hikers... don't, because they ran into the grizzly bear that the deer were running from?
~UP
Erm, no offense intended, but... do you have any information as to the validity of the statistical process and sampling used in those polls, or are you simply believing what you read?
~UP
Let's extend this argument a step further, and risk a fallacy.
There are books out there that teach people to code. These people, with that knowledge, can then code a harmful program--a virus, for example. IF the virus does damage, should the authors be held accountable for presenting text which was used to create damage?
The book was a tool with multiple uses, just as a peer-to-peer program is. The fact that it can be used to create ("hidden" monetary) damage is irrelevant; that so many people do so through sharing/transferring/hosting copywritten files is an indication of a tendency of human behavior, as this behavior is "universal." That is to say, it extends past cultural borders.
And the rest, I think, should be left to competant sociologists, psychologists, and men and women of the law... in addition to "the masses."
~UP
Just to reinforce this, see the movie A (A: Bokura wa ano jiken kara mada nanimo manabete inai), released in 1998. It's an excellent documentary, well-made, interesting, and informative.
There's one scene in particular I'm thinking of, where a member of the cult is walking down the street, looking very presentable, and is stopped by a police officer. The officer calls in backup, and things get tense... the other members with him are not allowed to go anywhere, being restrained by the other officers. The senior officer won't let the first cult member walk down the street, and is very much trying to provoke him. Keep in mind, none of these cult members have done anything wrong; the cult member does not allow himself to be provoked, and the senior officer eventually throws the first cult member down on the pavement, bashing his head on the cement, and going down, himself, because he trips over his own legs and puts too much momentum over his center of gravity.
What happens? The officer feigns injury, charges the first cult member with assault, and has him arrested. The poor guy sits in jail for a couple of days (I think), and it almost ends up making it to court (once a case makes it to court, there's almost no chance of not being convicted).
~UP
You seem very hesitant to name this organization, yet you've said that you've "gone public." I'm curious (and making an assumption)... but what is the reason you do not wish to name your organization?
Just to make it absolutely clear, I'm not set against you... I'm just curious (and low on sleep, so please pardon me if this makes little-to-no sense and/or comes across as being aggressive).
Sincerely,
Undefined Parameter
If you want information that could be used in an extremely bad way, be prepared to be harrassed about getting that information.
Define "bad," please. (Therein lies the problem... if the sovereignty lies with the people, and the people cannot come to a concensus as to what "bad" is and is not, where do the law-enforcement agents draw the line?)
~UP
Then is a pretty damn strange black hole since all the evidence so far indicates that the Universe's expansion is accelerating not slowing down[....]
That still fits in my scenario--who says that the Universe isn't accelerating back toward the main part of the black hole?
~UP
So... between reading this blurb (haven't gotten to the actual paper yet, and I'm not sure I'll understand it when I do) and the article about the shape of the universe, I'm starting to form a hare-brained idea of my own.
What if the entire damn universe consists of matter and energy trapped within an unimaginably large black hole? I mean, it's probably just wishful thinking, but it might make sense... the shape of the universe, if roughly true in the article about it, would make sense if the universe as we see it formed the portion of the black hole not lumped(?) at the relative "bottom." All the energy is going back to the source (the main part of the black hole), all the mass returns to that source, etc. The stuff "below us" seems to be accelerating away, and the stuff "above" us is blue-shifted because it's coming toward us from the edge of the universe, so to speak. All this "extra" gravity stuff would just be the gravitational effects of the main mass of the black hole drawing everything back in; whenever everything went back to being lumped together, there would be an explosion, again (so much energy & mass, with no place to go!), and another black hole universe gets started, again. Given the way water, when caught by gravity, goes down a drain (in that spiraling motion), it may explain the proportions of red-shifting galaxies to blue-shifting ones.
Anyhow, like I said, it's another hare-brained idea... and I'm probably not the first to come up with it.
(One last thing--I'm a history major, not an astrophysics major, which is why I say it's a hare-brained idea. I have relatively little knowledge and understanding of astrophysics and the universe, when compared to those who've been and studied the field for so long (the guys who write papers like these, or papers discrediting the theories made by the guys who write papers like this one.)
~UP
Please take the time to read HG Well's The Time Machine; I think you will find it beneficial.
Also, you have to understand that by using Eugenics (which, let's face it, is essentially what we're talking about, here), you are stating that only some people have the right to live. Who are those people? Well, that depends on who you are, and who has the power to play god. Should people who do not have six fingers on each hand be killed off? Maybe you, a ten-fingered person, don't think so, but maybe the guy who's playing god with nanotech (or any other technology) thinks otherwise.
The world fought a war over this issue, among others, not too awful long ago. The victors decided that every life is invaluable, no matter how well its body or brain works.
Guilt and shame are necessary, but that doesn't mean we should go around doing things to cause them, even if it does seem to be for the benefit of the species.
~UP
Games such as 'Enter the Matrix' from Atari, and 'The Lord of the Rings' by Electronic Arts, both released [in Japan] last year, often vanish... without leaving a trace.
There's a fairly obvious reason why both games vanished without a trace; the former found a Hardline, and the latter put the One Ring on its finger.
[/bad humor]
~UP
I stared at that for a while, and I think I have an idea of how it might work... well, if the spiral can actually create lift, and then if it can create enough lift to overcome the weight of the rest of the contraption, that is. (And I'm by no means certain of this.)
~UP
IRC clients are incredibly easy to block with the hardware and software already out there. If your sys admin knows what s/he is doing, IRC can be completely blocked.
~UP
Lost all of my rebellious nature? Nope. I'll fight tooth and nail to prevent my uni from even considering purchasing one of these things, if I get a chance.
;-)
(And, unfortunately, they probably will; the MPAA came down on our IT department, a few years ago, because someone -- not necessarily a student, as it was summer and there are a lot more summer camp-goers than students here, during the summer -- was allegedly trading a movie that hadn't been released, yet. My uni's response was to immediately fold, shutting down internet service, then blocking some ports and bringing it back up just in time for students to arrive, and finally buying a packet-shaper a couple of months later. This last step has been the worst, since not one person in our IT department knows how to use the thing, no less use it right. It is currently being used to block gnutella, kazaa, and the other 'usual suspects'... as well as every computer game known to man. I'm not only assumed to be guilty, I can't even be a gamer, anymore, because it's "not an academic use of the university's resources." Sorry for the rant.)
Now, if you can get me a shotgun, shells, a kevlar vest, leather gloves, a hairnet, rock-climbing shoes, and a couple of alibis, I'll not only make sure that the students rebellious nature is not lost, I'll prove it by taking care of the packet-shaper and any other intrusive or offensive hardware/software!
(Note to the FBI and Homeland Security: I'm joking.)
~UP
Would someone mind telling me how this guy avoids burning his legs off? It seems to me that a rocket powerful enough to lift all that weight would have to be pretty hot, and being that close to the human body....
~UP
Perhaps intelligent road studs with assault weaponry to take out bad drivers would be more useful!
:-P
I believe we've had those for a while. They're called "mines."
~UP
Let me use some numbers I just pulled out of my arse to demonstrate a point:
:-)
.02 USD.
Indian Help Desk Support Technician
Cost: 19,000/year (USD)
Abilities: troubleshooting Windows, Office, etc. over the phone, speaks English.
American Help Desk Support Technician
Cost : 25,500/year (USD)
Abilities: troubleshooting Windows, Office, etc. over the phone and in person, speaks English natively, took a course in interpersonal communications in order to be able to better understand and convey information.
Would 6,500 more be worth it for the above for in-house troubleshooting? What about for customer support, where the "in person" part does not apply?
If I were a boss (and I'm not), I'd opt for the American. Because s/he is able to communicate more effectively and efficiently, I know that the job has a higher chance of getting done right, AND that it'll get done faster, thus saving me money on phone bills/delays in production and possibly give me a higher customer satisfaction number, which might just increase the number of customers I have.
Now, we technicians/programmers/etc. may know this intuitively, but the probem is that the PHBs of the world don't, and so this needs to be communicated to them. When you're applying at a business that you think might outsource your job in the next five or ten years, make sure you put a point about your communications abilities in your resume. Not only will it help you by giving the boss more of a reason to hire you, but it might send a message if geeks everywhere start making a point of putting it on their resumes.
Just my
~UP
Dave: Let me out, HAL! I have to get to work!
HAL: I'm sorry, I can't do that, Dave. A fatal exception 0E has occured at 0428:C000A313 in VXD VMM(01) 00009313. The current occupant will be terminated.
Dave: Oh, crap.
~UP
I don't know for sure, but I've heard of this great massively multiplayer online game. You write responses and answers based upon semi-random blurbs of information and questions, and each answer has the possibility of either giving you points or taking away some of your points. The only detractors I've run into are the recent exiting of the point-tracking system for each user and the fact that the humor-logic seems to be a tiny bit out of whack. But other than that, it's just fine, and it works on every platform!
:-)
I think it was called Slashdot, but I'm not sure. It could have been dashdot.org, because I remember something about morse code on it, a while back.
Anyhow, it's a great game, and hopefully everyone out there will realize that this comment is to be taken in jest.
~UP
This is a good idea, but it omits the text-based strategy games out there.
Right now, I've found a good one Solar Conflict, and though it's still in the beta stages, it's very fun to play. Just make sure you get involved with your planet as soon as you can, so you can get into the teamwork aspect.
~UP
I'm sure that this has been posited before, but what if there's a blackhole of phenomenal size at one end of the universe? The whole damn thing could be in the process of being sucked into one massive lump (Big Crunch, anyone? It's not just for breakfast, anymore!), with the flare at one end being at or near the event horizon, and everything below being infinitely stretched (relatively, at least) toward the core of the blackhole (or whatnot).
Of course, when everything does finally get sucked up, and with nothing else to suck up, there could be another big bang.
It explains the trumpet shape and the infinite appearance, at least.
~UP
I knew it! Picard's been playing God, all along!
~UP
I'd like to see how this would compare to the electric engine the Dutch inventor came up with... I thought I remembered that he claimed something like 95% energy efficiency, but all I can find now claims a 60% increase in efficiency or whatnot.
~UP
It is highly unlikely that the monopolists are doing this themselves because they have too much to lose by carrying out such an attack.
Like what? Money? They're already making cash hand over fist; a fine by the FTC or a lawsuit would hardly dent their income. Reputation? I think that was trashed when they sued the 12 (?) year old girl... and didn't drop the case.
So what do they have to lose that they haven't already lost?
~UP
You joke, therefore you are?
~Void
Personally, I'm not so convinced that it's that far-fetched. A long time ago, banks and states/provinces used to have their own currencies, in some parts of the world. Those currencies were usually backed up with reserves of gold or silver, such that the notes could be exchanged for gold or silver at any time (in theory, at least). Google would only have to do the same--secure a large enough ammount of precious metals to back up their currency, and then attatch their new currency to the worth of that currency cache.
Seeing as it'd probably be an e-currency, Google wouldn't have to issue printed bank notes. All they'd have to do is offer it as a paypal-esque solution, only better (since there wouldn't be any international currency conversions with fees attatched). Stores could decide to use or not use the Google currency at their whim.
The venture would, of course, be extremely risky, and I am having a hard time trying to figure out what Google would gain from it, but I don't think that the logistics of it are so improbable.
~UP