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User: QuantumBeep

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Comments · 381

  1. Re:When you have a bad driver ... on Is the Porsche Carrera GT Too Dangerous? · · Score: 2

    As a specific example of intentionally slowing cars down in racing, consider F1 - they removed the turbos from F1 cars because they were just too damn fast. The body counts were getting pretty high and they needed to make it safer.

  2. Cost vs. Benefits on Ask Slashdot: Best Laptops For Fans Of Pre-Retina MacBook Pro? · · Score: 2

    I like having a slim laptop (mine's a non-Apple ultrabook, but same build tradeoffs). The specs are adequate, it's fairly cheap, and failure rates are acceptably low.

    I'm not firmly against the end of upgradability/repairability for laptops. It was always kinda spotty anyway.

  3. Re:20x faster on SSDs: The New King of the Data Center? · · Score: 2

    Modern SSDs offer under-provisioning for just this reason.

  4. Re:Tax Breaks on German IT Firm Seeks Autistic Workers · · Score: 1

    Since 5% of people do not have disabilities, how is that supposed to work?

  5. Re:Cross country? on Transporting a 15-Meter-Wide, 600-Ton Magnet Cross Country · · Score: 1

    The problem with a large barge with a radio antenna on it is that it could charge up a discharge,

  6. Re:You know.. on Speeding Ticket Robots — Laws As Algorithms · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Less sweepingly, I propose that all traffic fines be pooled on a state level and distributed by population proportion - this will be easier to get passed, but will prevent shitty little townships from funding themselves entirely through farming their nearby interstate highway for tickets.

    The fact that enforcing traffic law is wildly profitable means that the system is naturally and automatically corrupt and attracts corrupt people to run it. When you uncouple the action from the reward, bad behaviour tends to stop.

  7. Re:Raspberry or Pork? Raspberry on Google Gives 15,000 Raspberry Pis To UK Schools · · Score: 2

    The idea that all corporate money eventually winds up being spent by a tax-paying consumer somewhere breaks down under these circumstances:

    - The corporation just sits on the cash
    - The corporation sends the money overseas to a tax haven somewhere
    - The corporation outsources jobs.

    It seems fair - if a corporation wants to have free speech like a person, have rights like a person, and own assets like a person, it should pay taxes like a person. Otherwise, people would be forming communal corporations ("financial guilds", if you will), and running all of their income through them in order to reduce their tax rate to zero.

  8. Re:Fuck Secure Boot on New Secure Boot Patches Break Hibernation · · Score: 1

    The shift is, sadly but truly, because the original Slashdot "how should I mod this post" logic has been overloaded by Reddit's: "UPVOTE DOWNVOTE LOL" version of user moderation.

  9. Re:What happened? on Lenovo Could Take Over RIM · · Score: 1

    and they don't seem any worse or better than any other big brand OEM call center.

    This is not the yardstick of customer support. IBM Thinkpad support used to be miles ahead of everyone else.

    In general, the customer support in the PC industry is stupendously bad. Now Lenovo's support is also horrible.

  10. Too Late on PayPal Preparing To Address Frozen Funds Policy · · Score: 5, Insightful

    After over ten years of destroying businesses and hurting people while hiding behind a blank gray wall of "policy", Paypal are kidding themselves if they think that they can ever recover the goodwill that they've burned.

  11. No Chrome on W7 on Windows 8 RTM Benchmarked · · Score: 4, Informative

    The sly omission of Chrome on Windows 7 from the browser benchmark is face-meltingly biased.

  12. Re:Thanks gcc! on GCC Turns 25 · · Score: 2

    This could not possibly be more patently false. The use of the GCC compilers has no effect of any kind on the licensing of the resulting output.

  13. Re:oblig on Microsoft Counts Down To XP Death · · Score: 2

    And that's because the software world moves on, too. Newer, better frameworks that let you deliver more per developer-hour are not evil.

    A computer that will run Windows 7 can be had on Craislist for $50. I shed not a single tear.

  14. Re:Are you with one of the **AA's? on Ask Slashdot: Huge Digital Media Libraries · · Score: 1

    Just because some greedy bastard says you're stealing doesn't make it true.

    In general, stuff only has to be bought once. Any more and it's the bastard that's stealing from you.

  15. A thing about reviews on New Apple MacBook Pro Reviewed · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I'm no Mac fanboy. I'd probably attract criticism for being a Mac hater. In any case, I think some negatives are just unfair.

    TFS says that Light Peak doesn't have peripherals yet, and paints this as a negative on the MacBook Pro. Why do all reviewers feel a compulsion to make up shit if they can't think of anything negative? That's like some video game reviews I've seen, where they can' t find anything to complain about, so they take a star off because they just don't like the genre. That's a good reason to fire a reviewer, in my opinion.

  16. Re:Because consumers are stupid on Activists Seek Repeal of Ban On Incandescent Bulbs · · Score: 1

    Go get a conclusive study proving that you aren't having psychosomatic symptoms or eye disease and I'll be interested.

  17. Re:How the worm (PopeRatzo) turns... on Ubuntu: Where Did the Love Go? · · Score: 1

    Holy shit. I think we just witnessed a bipolar transition from sane to teabagger in 30 seconds.

  18. Re:What's going on? on Ubuntu: Where Did the Love Go? · · Score: 0

    It's not incredible, it's just good.

    You're too used to bloodsucking modern corporate behavior. Our grandparents would not have been surprised at an inflation-adjust 20k pension.

  19. Re:What's going on? on Ubuntu: Where Did the Love Go? · · Score: 1

    You have to assume things. I assume there is solid ground under my desk chair. I don't stare at the ground nonstop for confirmation.

    I assume my family loves me. I don't act like an insecure teenager and seek confirmation every day.

    I assume the people around me act in good faith unless demonstrated otherwise. That way I don't come off as a paranoid bastard.

    I assume my car will start, my PC will boot, and my health will continue to be good. I can't function otherwise.

    Sometimes I make an ass of myself and others. It's better than being stodgy and difficult.

  20. Re:Funny... on Last.Fm Founder Criticizes Apple Over Music Subscription Fees · · Score: 1

    I like professional-quality creativity. It ain't the only kind, but most of my favorite things were made by people who were paid to make it.

  21. Not bad. on Police Chief Teaches Parents To Keylog Kids · · Score: 1

    I can't see a damned thing wrong with keylogging your kid's computer.

    The place where it would go wrong is if you act on every little thing. And many dumbass parents would.

    A keylogger that got filtered through some software that would alert the parent if their 11-year-old was cybering on IRC or their 15-year-old was making travel plans to Russia would be useful.

  22. Re:Good grief... on Judge Rules Against China In 'Green Dam' Suit · · Score: 1

    There is a deep bottom line that is only now becoming apparent:

    The Chinese have had more than enough access to better technology. They've shown what they're capable of. That is, not much. China does not have competent engineers, and the minute they're off the US's tit they will being to shrink again. All their muscle is pure manufacturing muscle, not brainpower.

    You know, the kind of work we build machines to do here.

  23. Re:What about encrypted communications? on FBI Complains About Wiretapping Difficulties Due To Web Services · · Score: 3, Funny

    Yes, th...

    Naw, dead serious. I swear to god.

  24. Re:Funny... on Last.Fm Founder Criticizes Apple Over Music Subscription Fees · · Score: 1

    Creative people have to be paid, or they can't/won't create.

    If you think that somehow musicians need to come up with loads of great songs (intead of a few good songs), you aren't thinking straight.

  25. Re:Dear MS trolls: on Remote Bug Found In Ubuntu Kerberos · · Score: 1

    OH MY GOD not you again.

    Why do I cower? What am I afraid of? When I close my eyes I see your dumb ass asking what I'm cowering about.