Re:One thing I haven't succumbed to ...
on
Meet The Life Hackers
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· Score: 5, Insightful
Where I work, we use IM quite a lot. Both locally and overseas.
In the overseas case, it's often easier to understand folks via typed English so it's better than using the phone while still being more immediate than email.
In the local case, IM works well because
It's not as disruptive as a phone call. You don't have to answer a newly initiated conversation immediately if you're really busy (or just set your client to give a busy message).
It's faster than email when the person is there, but if you see that they're away, then you can fall back to sending email (the IM version of the answering machine message).
Unlike email, IM doesn't clutter your Inbox and Sent folders with myriad little messages resulting in a long thread to get rid of. IM's transient nature is an important feature so it's best used for communication of transient information, ideas, requests, etc. Of course you can always save the conversation if you need to keep it.
Tired of getting the cord caught when dragging around the pointing device? Stop dragging the pointing device around. Use a trackball--takes up less real estate on the desk than a mouse and you don't have to pick it up either.
Abort terminates the program. Fail could potentially continue with whatever comes next (i.e. just fail the current action) and/or simply terminate with an error/failure code.
The EULA says that MS is not liable for anything, even if they know something's wrong and even if you inform them of the problem. Check it out. It's a hoot.
Yeah, they get work done: Posting false news about being first and thus looking like absolute dolts. I guess that's better than being up to date on current events in your industry.
Well, burying the privacy policy in the TOS isn't very user-friendly. And it's more than just personal information in signing up. It's also any information in the stored emails.
For most users (i.e. non-Slashdot readers), seeing a warning message about the connection's validity doesn't bode well for their comfort level and/or acceptance of the service. They don't know the ins and outs of SSL, just that your server gives them a security warning.
If your browser doesn't, or is set not to, cache documents retrieved over an encrypted (i.e. SSL) connection, then you'll likely get an error message that appears to indicate that the form is not available on the server. In reality, the problem is that a copy of the generated claim form isn't in the cache and thus can't be opened.
Turning on caching of encrypted pages (a security issue) solves the problem (how Microsoft!) but what percentage of web surfers would know this? They would more likely say to themselves, "Bah! Microsoft probably has something to do with the form being missing."
Unfortunately, neither the FAQ nor any other page at the settlement web site address this issue. I only found out after taking the time to call the toll-free number. Incidentally, I asked the guy who answered why the info wasn't online and he said he'd make a note or something about it.
Does this mean that MS is endorsing the use of outdated OSes to create yet more zombie machines ready to be hacked into? Or does it mean that Win98 will continue to get patches as long as third-world countries are using it?
I'll go along with this ONLY if a spotlight also illuminates the offending car
LOL! In Singapore, dealing with speeders is pretty close to that. Commercial vehicles are fitted with a yellow light that flashes when exceeding the freeway speed limit so everyone (cops included) knows you're speeding. Taxis have a chime that goes off when the driver is speeding so you know that he's misbehaving.
What's even funnier is that I asked a taxi driver about the flashing lights and chime when I first encountered them and he happily explained it to me. So much for it being an effective deterrent.
I drive a stick shift in the US and always put the transmission out of gear at a traffic light. It's no big deal to get it back in gear in a reasonable amount of time.
If that's the reason Europe shows a yellow before green, I'd hate to see how long it takes those drivers to shift gears!
Making SP2 a new version of Windows would just be too much to bear. Windows 2000 is NT 5.0 and XP is NT 5.1. Microsoft is already making money on 0.1 version upgrades. Should they make money on 0.01 upgrades now too?
Well, you can get close to this by running a live Linux CD such as Knoppix on a PC with no hard disk or other permanent storage. Boot the CD, do what you need to do online, then shut it off. If you happen to catch something while online, it'll be gone when you shut down (unless it finds some way to hide in NVRAM). Sounds pretty close to a network appliance doesn't it?
a blog/discussion forum aimed at improving communication with outside developers
What they're really saying: "Hey guys, we need to innovate. Come on in and help us innovate something. If you tell us what to do, then you'll better like what we license and charge you for."
We must start the Open Source Car (OSCar) movement before it's too late. Vehicles must be built with all code stored in NVRAM and source code in a CVS tree at SourceForge.
The only problem is that Windows XPe installed in gasoline pumps may either refuse to deliver fuel to or reformulate the fuel to work less efficiently for an OSCar than for a vehicle that's running Windows. *snicker*
1994, Mik Lamming and Mike Flynn develop "Forget-Me-Not," a continuous personal recording system [Xerox EuroPARC]
The Forget-Me-Not was a wearable device that would record interactions with people and devices and store this information in a database for later query. It interacted via wireless transmitters in rooms and with equipment in the area to remember who was there, who was being talked to on the telephone, and what objects were in the room, allowing queries like "Who came by my office while I was on the phone to Mark?"
1994, Steve Mann starts transmitting images from a head-mounted camera to the Web [MIT]
In December 1994, Steve Mann developed the "Wearable Wireless Webcam." Webcam transmitted images point-to-point from a head-mounted analog camera to an SGI base station via amateur TV frequencies. The images were processed by the base station and displayed on a webpage in near real-time. (The system was later extended to transmit processed video back from the base station to a heads-up display and was used in augmented reality experiments performed with Thad Starner.)
Steve Mann has a web site with more info on wearable cameras.
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In the overseas case, it's often easier to understand folks via typed English so it's better than using the phone while still being more immediate than email.
In the local case, IM works well because
IM falls nicely between the telephone and email.
Check out this implementation: The Cool Cube. All fans. Shiny metal. Cool lighting.
Just needs a handle somewhere...ouch!
Tired of getting the cord caught when dragging around the pointing device? Stop dragging the pointing device around. Use a trackball--takes up less real estate on the desk than a mouse and you don't have to pick it up either.
Abort terminates the program. Fail could potentially continue with whatever comes next (i.e. just fail the current action) and/or simply terminate with an error/failure code.
The EULA says that MS is not liable for anything, even if they know something's wrong and even if you inform them of the problem. Check it out. It's a hoot.
Interesting concept.
Bob: "You've got two CPUs in your computer? What on Earth for?"
Neo: "One's for getting work done."
Bob: "What about the other one?"
Neo: "Oh, that's for Windows."
Microsoft will get raided by the government for abusing monopoly power...in Japan!
Oh, wait. That already happened. "In Japan" even works retroactively!
Well, they didn't call it "wince" for nothing.
wince: v. To flinch, as in pain or distress.
Ah, but since the overwhelming percentage of the websurfing population does not use Mozilla, advertisers won't use proper overlays. :o)
Yeah, they get work done: Posting false news about being first and thus looking like absolute dolts. I guess that's better than being up to date on current events in your industry.
For most users (i.e. non-Slashdot readers), seeing a warning message about the connection's validity doesn't bode well for their comfort level and/or acceptance of the service. They don't know the ins and outs of SSL, just that your server gives them a security warning.
Or they would've known about Spymac long ago. Why would you want to use email from a company that doesn't read /.?
Some people might be wary that your SSL certificate is self-verified and you have no privacy policy.
If your browser doesn't, or is set not to, cache documents retrieved over an encrypted (i.e. SSL) connection, then you'll likely get an error message that appears to indicate that the form is not available on the server. In reality, the problem is that a copy of the generated claim form isn't in the cache and thus can't be opened.
Turning on caching of encrypted pages (a security issue) solves the problem (how Microsoft!) but what percentage of web surfers would know this? They would more likely say to themselves, "Bah! Microsoft probably has something to do with the form being missing."
Unfortunately, neither the FAQ nor any other page at the settlement web site address this issue. I only found out after taking the time to call the toll-free number. Incidentally, I asked the guy who answered why the info wasn't online and he said he'd make a note or something about it.
Does this mean that MS is endorsing the use of outdated OSes to create yet more zombie machines ready to be hacked into? Or does it mean that Win98 will continue to get patches as long as third-world countries are using it?
I'll go along with this ONLY if a spotlight also illuminates the offending car
LOL! In Singapore, dealing with speeders is pretty close to that. Commercial vehicles are fitted with a yellow light that flashes when exceeding the freeway speed limit so everyone (cops included) knows you're speeding. Taxis have a chime that goes off when the driver is speeding so you know that he's misbehaving.
What's even funnier is that I asked a taxi driver about the flashing lights and chime when I first encountered them and he happily explained it to me. So much for it being an effective deterrent.
I drive a stick shift in the US and always put the transmission out of gear at a traffic light. It's no big deal to get it back in gear in a reasonable amount of time.
If that's the reason Europe shows a yellow before green, I'd hate to see how long it takes those drivers to shift gears!
vroooom...grind...grind..grind...vroom..vroooom.
Making SP2 a new version of Windows would just be too much to bear. Windows 2000 is NT 5.0 and XP is NT 5.1. Microsoft is already making money on 0.1 version upgrades. Should they make money on 0.01 upgrades now too?
Well, you can get close to this by running a live Linux CD such as Knoppix on a PC with no hard disk or other permanent storage. Boot the CD, do what you need to do online, then shut it off. If you happen to catch something while online, it'll be gone when you shut down (unless it finds some way to hide in NVRAM). Sounds pretty close to a network appliance doesn't it?
a blog/discussion forum aimed at improving communication with outside developers
What they're really saying: "Hey guys, we need to innovate. Come on in and help us innovate something. If you tell us what to do, then you'll better like what we license and charge you for."
That's good news. Someone should make sure they stop running Windows too.
We must start the Open Source Car (OSCar) movement before it's too late. Vehicles must be built with all code stored in NVRAM and source code in a CVS tree at SourceForge.
The only problem is that Windows XPe installed in gasoline pumps may either refuse to deliver fuel to or reformulate the fuel to work less efficiently for an OSCar than for a vehicle that's running Windows. *snicker*
I remember that episode. And here's some more related tech from the MIT Media Lab's wearable computing timeline:
1994, Mik Lamming and Mike Flynn develop "Forget-Me-Not," a continuous personal recording system [Xerox EuroPARC] The Forget-Me-Not was a wearable device that would record interactions with people and devices and store this information in a database for later query. It interacted via wireless transmitters in rooms and with equipment in the area to remember who was there, who was being talked to on the telephone, and what objects were in the room, allowing queries like "Who came by my office while I was on the phone to Mark?" 1994, Steve Mann starts transmitting images from a head-mounted camera to the Web [MIT] In December 1994, Steve Mann developed the "Wearable Wireless Webcam." Webcam transmitted images point-to-point from a head-mounted analog camera to an SGI base station via amateur TV frequencies. The images were processed by the base station and displayed on a webpage in near real-time. (The system was later extended to transmit processed video back from the base station to a heads-up display and was used in augmented reality experiments performed with Thad Starner.)Steve Mann has a web site with more info on wearable cameras.
ufos would never be missed
Ah, but you forgot that electronics always fail when UFO's are in proximity.