The problem with "planning" an economy for some ridiculously long period of time (say anything over 30 days) is not a lack of democracy. They didn't get a failure of planning because people couldn't "vote" on what the plan should be.
The problem with centralized planning is much more basic than that: with current science/technology it is impossible to predict future conditions with the degree of accuracy necessary for such planning to work. A "planned" economy cannot react to crises or the unforeseen with the same speed and efficiency as capitalism.
There are many failings in the capitalist system as currently implemented in the West, but centralized planning is not a solution to any of them.
Have you ever USED Sharepoint? It blows chunks like a 5-year-old after a 5th of Jack.
I can't for the life of me understand how Microsoft's marketing department does it, but the dichotomy between the mindless adoration I read on-line and the actual experience of using it could hardly be greater. It's like they've got Steve Job's RDF turned up to 11.
With conventional tires it's a trade off. Stickier tires are less efficient and last fewer miles. You can already buy VERY sticky tires, the kind dragsters use--the reasons that nobody puts these on their daily driver are 1)cost 2)gas mileage goes down 3)they have a shorter life.
I don't see how some outside force applied to the tire would provide much different characteristics in these areas than is possible with conventional materials science.
Anyway, as some other post already said, it's the driver, not the tires in most accidents. Traction accidents are relatively rare. And once you invent an idiot-proof tire, the world will just invent a "better" idiot.
The number of batteries eaten by a company set of AN/PVS-5's is incredible--I don't think the stupid things will go for more than a couple hours on a set of batteries.
I remember the company HMMMV carrying ammo cans full of AAs during a couple of two-week field exercises in Grafenwoehr. I also remember the company armorer (who I was sort of an "apprentice" to at the time) complaining about humping a couple dozen sets around.
If someone comes up with a realistic replacement for batteries for military equipment (like fuel cells or similar) it would really make a difference.
1. The "Apple Way"--where Apple controls it all, is the most likely way for casual users to get a "just works" experience, but even that isn't perfect or seamless. Case in point: My wife's MacBook has trouble staying connected to the wireless access point... that's located 15 feet away. And there's nothing I can do about it, because Apple controls it all.
2. The "Microsoft Way"--the "make things work by fiat" idea is indeed what Microsoft wishes for, but anyone who has dealt with driver issues, flaky 3rd party software, or the dreaded BSOD knows that this emperor has no clothes. Microsoft WISHES they were like Apple (where they control both software and hardware and about 95% of things "just work") but Bill G's no Steve J.
3. The "Open Source Way"--despite the fanatical rantings of RMS and other drinkers of the Koolaid, most people who are using computers aren't going to be able to "hack the code" even if all the specification are open and all the necessary information is available.
And in case you missed it, for 90+% of users, hacking the code or recompiling the kernel != "just works." In any event, just because such hacking is _possible_ doesn't mean it's going to happen. In fact, unless it scratches the itch of some particular geek, it's as unlikely to happen as Microsoft fixing buggy driver issues or Apple admitting to flaws in their wireless implementation.
I guess what I am essentially arguing here is that (for consumers) Apple's model is the most likely to produce something that "just works" (but if it doesn't, you're hosed) and Microsoft's model is the least likely to produce the same. FOSS is somewhere in the middle at the moment--I'm looking forward to a time when it can give Apple a run for their money in the consumer space.
I think all the cell phone manufacturers should get together and agree on a new "notification state" standard. Basically, all cell phones should listen for a (bluetooth) signal that tells them they're in a "quiet zone" and switch to vibrate mode while they're in range of the signal.
This resolves: the annoyance of phones ringing right when Jar-Jar Binks is about to be killed by Darth Sidious, the "danger" of missing a call because you turned your phone off, and the likelihood that some folks will forget to turn their phone ringers off.
As a kid, it was one of my favorite books, and I still re-read it occasionally. Tell him that just as the square was astounded by the sphere and unable to grasp the concept of "height", he'd be unable to grasp the 5th (assuming he agrees that time is the 4th)
Anyone who's read even a modicum of literature would be aware that misspelt is the older/English spelling of the "American" misspelled. Of course, for anyone educated in our school system who lacks the interest or motivation to go beyond the standard curriculum, 100% reliance on the spell-checking function of their browser would lead them to believe that misspelt is mispelled.:-)
I must say however, that your insistence on lumping everyone in this country into the "ignorant American" stereotype is also pretty annoying and reinforces negative aspects the snobby European stereotype.:-)
because you can't tell us how much of your tax money is spent (on top of th $35 you pay directly) on providing this bandwidth. Here's a hint: no government operated entity is ever as efficient, responsive, or agile as a private one. Period. Call me back when you can guarantee that you're not paying $100 a month in taxes (30 of which subsidies your connection and 70 of which is wasted on bureaucratic nonsense) the on top of your $35 a month fee.
Frankly, my ISP is bad, but not bad enough that I want to switch to getting my connection through the goverment. I'm not interested in having DMV-quality efficiency combined with IRS-level customer service and the mind-numbing bureaucratic pettiness of the city planning department. Especially when the system is serviced by the same kind of workers that DOT hires to lean on shovels on the side of the road.
And one of the games in the "arcade" was showing the BSOD. I really got a chuckle out of that one--what, are they building cabinets and installing the Windows version of MAME so they can charge you 75 cents to play Double Dragons, or something?
The REAL purpose of "deterrence" in a lot of cases is just to get the thief to move on to easier pickings. If you're on the make for a laptop to fence for a little crack money, do you grab the one with the cable lock in cube A, or the one just sitting there unsecured in cube B. Really, your stuff doesn't have to be "secure"--just more secure than the easiest-to-steal item in the same AO.
I think this applies to the software world, too. OSX and Ubuntu don't have to have "perfect" security, they just have to be more secure than Windows. Sure there are a lot more MS boxes out there, but even if the three had equal shares of the market, I'm guessing the script-kiddie hackable Windows is going to get the lion's share of attacks. It's that hacking Windows is easier, not that hacking OSX or Linux is impossible.
It's take some crazy amount of training to get a horse to stand quietly by when a.50 cal unexpectedly opens up from 10 feet away. Or maybe these genetically engineered super-horses are deaf?
In a few days, if come back and re-read this thread, I think you'll realize that generally you've come across as a self-righteous complainer. Frankly, until I read this post, I'd pretty much written you off as twerp with an entitlement mentality. Pays to keep reading, I guess.
If you take a moment to think about it, you'll realize that most people feel like they've gotten the short end of it--just like you do. Us whiney middle-aged guys had problems back in that day, too. Problems that seemed just as big to us as yours do to you.
Take it from someone just a few years older than yourself: stop worrying about what your life situation "should be" and dig in to make it what it can be. Strike out and find somewhere that your skills are appreciated, find a job you enjoy and can take pride in, and move on. Do your best to put aside your anger (however justified) and move on with your life. ANyone can complain about how life's unfair (and life IS unfair, there's no way around that) -- only a few can rise above their circumstances and choose to move on.
Slashdot Mirror
You could walk around the office shining ("darking"?) your ant-flash-light into people's eyes and freaking them out as the world does dark.
The problem with "planning" an economy for some ridiculously long period of time (say anything over 30 days) is not a lack of democracy. They didn't get a failure of planning because people couldn't "vote" on what the plan should be.
The problem with centralized planning is much more basic than that: with current science/technology it is impossible to predict future conditions with the degree of accuracy necessary for such planning to work. A "planned" economy cannot react to crises or the unforeseen with the same speed and efficiency as capitalism.
There are many failings in the capitalist system as currently implemented in the West, but centralized planning is not a solution to any of them.
Have you ever USED Sharepoint? It blows chunks like a 5-year-old after a 5th of Jack.
I can't for the life of me understand how Microsoft's marketing department does it, but the dichotomy between the mindless adoration I read on-line and the actual experience of using it could hardly be greater. It's like they've got Steve Job's RDF turned up to 11.
then that you subscribe to ID then? :-)
With conventional tires it's a trade off. Stickier tires are less efficient and last fewer miles. You can already buy VERY sticky tires, the kind dragsters use--the reasons that nobody puts these on their daily driver are 1)cost 2)gas mileage goes down 3)they have a shorter life.
I don't see how some outside force applied to the tire would provide much different characteristics in these areas than is possible with conventional materials science.
Anyway, as some other post already said, it's the driver, not the tires in most accidents. Traction accidents are relatively rare. And once you invent an idiot-proof tire, the world will just invent a "better" idiot.
You'd have to be a pretty good jumper... It's both geographically and chronologically a long way from where you are. :-)
Yeah, because BMEWS could always tell the guys at NORAD if the "missile" was manned or unmanned, right?
This is /. so we know that that's not the case. Probably #11 is something like "creating dupes for slashdot" or something similar.
I'm pretty sure all the Windows error message text is encrypted using Enigma before being displayed in a dialog box with an "OK" button
I do not think it means what you think it means
(My name is NOT Inago Montoya)
The number of batteries eaten by a company set of AN/PVS-5's is incredible--I don't think the stupid things will go for more than a couple hours on a set of batteries.
I remember the company HMMMV carrying ammo cans full of AAs during a couple of two-week field exercises in Grafenwoehr. I also remember the company armorer (who I was sort of an "apprentice" to at the time) complaining about humping a couple dozen sets around.
If someone comes up with a realistic replacement for batteries for military equipment (like fuel cells or similar) it would really make a difference.
printed on paper made from pulp created from endangered plant species and written with spotted owl quills.
Sorry, but they just don't:
1. The "Apple Way"--where Apple controls it all, is the most likely way for casual users to get a "just works" experience, but even that isn't perfect or seamless. Case in point: My wife's MacBook has trouble staying connected to the wireless access point... that's located 15 feet away. And there's nothing I can do about it, because Apple controls it all.
2. The "Microsoft Way"--the "make things work by fiat" idea is indeed what Microsoft wishes for, but anyone who has dealt with driver issues, flaky 3rd party software, or the dreaded BSOD knows that this emperor has no clothes. Microsoft WISHES they were like Apple (where they control both software and hardware and about 95% of things "just work") but Bill G's no Steve J.
3. The "Open Source Way"--despite the fanatical rantings of RMS and other drinkers of the Koolaid, most people who are using computers aren't going to be able to "hack the code" even if all the specification are open and all the necessary information is available.
And in case you missed it, for 90+% of users, hacking the code or recompiling the kernel != "just works." In any event, just because such hacking is _possible_ doesn't mean it's going to happen. In fact, unless it scratches the itch of some particular geek, it's as unlikely to happen as Microsoft fixing buggy driver issues or Apple admitting to flaws in their wireless implementation.
I guess what I am essentially arguing here is that (for consumers) Apple's model is the most likely to produce something that "just works" (but if it doesn't, you're hosed) and Microsoft's model is the least likely to produce the same. FOSS is somewhere in the middle at the moment--I'm looking forward to a time when it can give Apple a run for their money in the consumer space.
I think all the cell phone manufacturers should get together and agree on a new "notification state" standard. Basically, all cell phones should listen for a (bluetooth) signal that tells them they're in a "quiet zone" and switch to vibrate mode while they're in range of the signal.
This resolves: the annoyance of phones ringing right when Jar-Jar Binks is about to be killed by Darth Sidious, the "danger" of missing a call because you turned your phone off, and the likelihood that some folks will forget to turn their phone ringers off.
and he wants credit for his personally-paid chroniclers. Heck, Hammurabi called too.
Marketing is as old as mankind. I bet Grog was selling stone wheels out of his cave with FUD.
As a kid, it was one of my favorite books, and I still re-read it occasionally. Tell him that just as the square was astounded by the sphere and unable to grasp the concept of "height", he'd be unable to grasp the 5th (assuming he agrees that time is the 4th)
Anyone who's read even a modicum of literature would be aware that misspelt is the older/English spelling of the "American" misspelled. Of course, for anyone educated in our school system who lacks the interest or motivation to go beyond the standard curriculum, 100% reliance on the spell-checking function of their browser would lead them to believe that misspelt is mispelled. :-)
:-)
I must say however, that your insistence on lumping everyone in this country into the "ignorant American" stereotype is also pretty annoying and reinforces negative aspects the snobby European stereotype.
because you can't tell us how much of your tax money is spent (on top of th $35 you pay directly) on providing this bandwidth. Here's a hint: no government operated entity is ever as efficient, responsive, or agile as a private one. Period. Call me back when you can guarantee that you're not paying $100 a month in taxes (30 of which subsidies your connection and 70 of which is wasted on bureaucratic nonsense) the on top of your $35 a month fee.
Frankly, my ISP is bad, but not bad enough that I want to switch to getting my connection through the goverment. I'm not interested in having DMV-quality efficiency combined with IRS-level customer service and the mind-numbing bureaucratic pettiness of the city planning department. Especially when the system is serviced by the same kind of workers that DOT hires to lean on shovels on the side of the road.
I had a Netgear wireless router I used to cook eggs on
And one of the games in the "arcade" was showing the BSOD. I really got a chuckle out of that one--what, are they building cabinets and installing the Windows version of MAME so they can charge you 75 cents to play Double Dragons, or something?
The REAL purpose of "deterrence" in a lot of cases is just to get the thief to move on to easier pickings. If you're on the make for a laptop to fence for a little crack money, do you grab the one with the cable lock in cube A, or the one just sitting there unsecured in cube B. Really, your stuff doesn't have to be "secure"--just more secure than the easiest-to-steal item in the same AO.
I think this applies to the software world, too. OSX and Ubuntu don't have to have "perfect" security, they just have to be more secure than Windows. Sure there are a lot more MS boxes out there, but even if the three had equal shares of the market, I'm guessing the script-kiddie hackable Windows is going to get the lion's share of attacks. It's that hacking Windows is easier, not that hacking OSX or Linux is impossible.
There's no way Vista was coded by anyone sober
It's take some crazy amount of training to get a horse to stand quietly by when a .50 cal unexpectedly opens up from 10 feet away. Or maybe these genetically engineered super-horses are deaf?
I, for one, welcome our... oh forget it.
In a few days, if come back and re-read this thread, I think you'll realize that generally you've come across as a self-righteous complainer. Frankly, until I read this post, I'd pretty much written you off as twerp with an entitlement mentality. Pays to keep reading, I guess.
If you take a moment to think about it, you'll realize that most people feel like they've gotten the short end of it--just like you do. Us whiney middle-aged guys had problems back in that day, too. Problems that seemed just as big to us as yours do to you.
Take it from someone just a few years older than yourself: stop worrying about what your life situation "should be" and dig in to make it what it can be. Strike out and find somewhere that your skills are appreciated, find a job you enjoy and can take pride in, and move on. Do your best to put aside your anger (however justified) and move on with your life. ANyone can complain about how life's unfair (and life IS unfair, there's no way around that) -- only a few can rise above their circumstances and choose to move on.