Any aliens sufficiently advanced to make the trip here probably already have a much better idea of the socio-political implications of first contact. They will send in advanced scouts to collect information about us, including studies relating to how such contact will be received by various political and economic factions. And they will control the terms of such contact.
In fact, I suspect they will look for a progressive, politically neutral group for initial contact. And after meeting with their representatives, they will put together a plan to reveal themselves gradually. I'd bet on a country like Switzerland or Sweden. And full public revelation would occur years after the first contact with the selected group so that they will understand our culture and be able to protect themselves and their hosts from groups that would exploit them.
In fact, they may already be here. If things get out of hand in Europe (Russia, Ukraine, etc.) and another World War breaks out, the Swiss may be defending their borders with advanced plasma weapons and shields.
Probably because Apple has not yet been made aware of the legality of this application.
And then there's the issue of exactly what is legal/illegal. In my example, its the use of a transit parking lot for non transit business. The app is a minor part of it. Pull in, park your car and hold a cardboard sign offering your spot for $100 and the transit cops will go to work with batons.
This app might in fact be legal in some jurisdictions. In which case, Apple might let it ride.
4. Tell him you aren't moving until 8:51 unless you're paid.
So its a park-and-ride lot? Transit cops spot you playing this game. Arrest you. Car gone. Maybe even jail. Park-and-ride lots are for the use of commuters. Not much enforced until the people you ask $100 from just forward your message to police.
Our transit system has their own police, so they don't get the attitude that they have better things to do. They live for this shit.
Completely different set of people. The people riding tech busses aren't driving. If they were, they could easily get out of the most congested parts of SF and transfer to a bus. Or just drive to work.
The people who are "shitting down peoples throats" do this whenever they see someone with property or a job that they don't have, want, and are not willing to work for. Old news.
Can you explain this concept of tying up a public parking slot for 8 hours? On-street parking is limited to 2 hours in most cases where I live (a few 4 hour slots, but these are rare). All day parking is typicaly provided in lots or garages, operated by private companies, typically mob associated.
Our city politicians take great pains in ensuring that long term (all day) parking can only be provided by these operators. We lost nearly an entire city council when a private business tried to expand their own parking lot (on their own property). Thinking they were dealing with the parking mafia, the council members extended their hands under the table for 'considration' in exchange for a permit to paint a few extra white lines. And they got caught.
I don't know about SF, but in my town, I can see this pay for parking slots go terribly wrong as people named Guido and Dimitri compete for the bidding business.
... is something like this. A better form factor would be nice, as would longer battery life. But one advantage this one has is that the GSM/GPRS module does not have direct acess to the processor busses. No provisioning your phone with malware/crapware by your network operator.
A few years ago, I attended a talk by a psychology researcher who had done work on 'kinesthetic learning'. She had come to the conclusion that people who wrote long hand, or better yet sketched diagrams longhand, had much better understanding of subjects. Particularly where there was some diagramatic (is that a word?) aspect to the material.
What about Q&A sessions following the lecture? If you are not present, you don't get the oportunity to have the instructor clarify some points. Even using some sort of messaging or discussion board, the issues are not as clear in your head as immediately following the lecture. Good lecturers can gauge the mood of their audience (class) and adjust their delivery to reinforce confusing points if they sense comprehension problems. Some even take questions in mid lecture.
And then there's the really bad professors who won't even take questions from the class. I had one in an EE class that would turn his back on the class, scribbling equations on the board for an hour. Halfway through one lecure, he got a sign wrong and continued on, muttering to a few students with questions to hold them until the end of the lecure. Half an hour later, his results were not correct and he just stood there looking back for his mistake.
... peer-to-peer connections. Classify the connection between me and my broadband provider as a common carrier service as well and then maybe we can work with that.
... to get a vehicle off of a railroad crossing or out of an intersection when the engine dies? Can you get moving from a standing stop when the clutch linkage breaks?
I don't know about that. Vegetarians are pretty stringy and chewey. And they tend to stampede in panic whenever they read an inciteful article in Mother Jones.
Slashdot Mirror
"have access to" or "can independantly build new systeml from source"?
I wouldn't trust Microsoft to provide the complete or even correct source, NDA or not.
Any aliens sufficiently advanced to make the trip here probably already have a much better idea of the socio-political implications of first contact. They will send in advanced scouts to collect information about us, including studies relating to how such contact will be received by various political and economic factions. And they will control the terms of such contact.
In fact, I suspect they will look for a progressive, politically neutral group for initial contact. And after meeting with their representatives, they will put together a plan to reveal themselves gradually. I'd bet on a country like Switzerland or Sweden. And full public revelation would occur years after the first contact with the selected group so that they will understand our culture and be able to protect themselves and their hosts from groups that would exploit them.
In fact, they may already be here. If things get out of hand in Europe (Russia, Ukraine, etc.) and another World War breaks out, the Swiss may be defending their borders with advanced plasma weapons and shields.
still in the app store?
Probably because Apple has not yet been made aware of the legality of this application.
And then there's the issue of exactly what is legal/illegal. In my example, its the use of a transit parking lot for non transit business. The app is a minor part of it. Pull in, park your car and hold a cardboard sign offering your spot for $100 and the transit cops will go to work with batons.
This app might in fact be legal in some jurisdictions. In which case, Apple might let it ride.
1. Get a spot at 8:30 AM,
4. Tell him you aren't moving until 8:51 unless you're paid.
So its a park-and-ride lot? Transit cops spot you playing this game. Arrest you. Car gone. Maybe even jail. Park-and-ride lots are for the use of commuters. Not much enforced until the people you ask $100 from just forward your message to police.
Our transit system has their own police, so they don't get the attitude that they have better things to do. They live for this shit.
Completely different set of people. The people riding tech busses aren't driving. If they were, they could easily get out of the most congested parts of SF and transfer to a bus. Or just drive to work.
The people who are "shitting down peoples throats" do this whenever they see someone with property or a job that they don't have, want, and are not willing to work for. Old news.
So, somebody can take a 9-to-5 worker's slot
Can you explain this concept of tying up a public parking slot for 8 hours? On-street parking is limited to 2 hours in most cases where I live (a few 4 hour slots, but these are rare). All day parking is typicaly provided in lots or garages, operated by private companies, typically mob associated.
Our city politicians take great pains in ensuring that long term (all day) parking can only be provided by these operators. We lost nearly an entire city council when a private business tried to expand their own parking lot (on their own property). Thinking they were dealing with the parking mafia, the council members extended their hands under the table for 'considration' in exchange for a permit to paint a few extra white lines. And they got caught.
I don't know about SF, but in my town, I can see this pay for parking slots go terribly wrong as people named Guido and Dimitri compete for the bidding business.
AT&T and Verizon will be dissapointed to hear this.
How is this different than me parking in front of someone, backing up until I'm 2cm from their bumper,
Engage four wheel drive, low range. Move your car, whether you like it or not. Leave.
In this case, I have options.
Damn! Not another Slashdot poll.
An oncomming truck has just swerved into your lane. What do we do?
Where the hell did that CowboyNeal option go?
Wear a burqa. I could pack my 12 gauge riot gun under one of those.
Florida. November 7th 2000. No, wait ......
A few years ago, I attended a talk by a psychology researcher who had done work on 'kinesthetic learning'. She had come to the conclusion that people who wrote long hand, or better yet sketched diagrams longhand, had much better understanding of subjects. Particularly where there was some diagramatic (is that a word?) aspect to the material.
What about Q&A sessions following the lecture? If you are not present, you don't get the oportunity to have the instructor clarify some points. Even using some sort of messaging or discussion board, the issues are not as clear in your head as immediately following the lecture. Good lecturers can gauge the mood of their audience (class) and adjust their delivery to reinforce confusing points if they sense comprehension problems. Some even take questions in mid lecture.
And then there's the really bad professors who won't even take questions from the class. I had one in an EE class that would turn his back on the class, scribbling equations on the board for an hour. Halfway through one lecure, he got a sign wrong and continued on, muttering to a few students with questions to hold them until the end of the lecure. Half an hour later, his results were not correct and he just stood there looking back for his mistake.
Push start? My truck has a socket for a hand crank in the front crankshaft pulley.
On second thought, come on over and play.
Muhaaahaaahaaa!
In the beginning, there was nothing.
And God said, "Let there be Light."
And there was still nothing, but you could see it.
I don't know any such elected people. All of our legislators were purchased.
Switch to vegetarian,
I don't know about that. Vegetarians are pretty stringy and chewey. And they tend to stampede in panic whenever they read an inciteful article in Mother Jones.
the thief wins,
And this is why the cops need to act. If the thief wins, maybe next time, he'll kill someone for their phone (happened recently in Seattle).