Anyone trying to do school assignments?
Seriously, I've recently adotped linux and started using OpenOffice on both linux and XP (dual boot system) and for some school assignments OpenOffice just doesn't cut it. For writing papers and such its fine, but for one assignment in which instructions were given specifically for Excel, I eventually had to give up and borrow a friends computer for a few minutes so I could get it done right.
While I agree OpenOffice is a great utility, Microsoft DOES have an incredible hold over the world, especially the academic world, and when Microsoft Office is required, sometimes you just need Microsoft Office.
Some colleges (such as mine) require students to have computers that meet certain minumum requirements. These things are apparent PRIOR to enrolling in that school. I buy a computer, bring it, plub it into the ethernet jack, and log in. I didn't chose to pay for any of that, it was required. I also paid for about 125 channels that I hardly ever watch. There are several other services that are available to me because I paid for them that I don't use. In the grand scheme of things, $5.00 isn't very much to pay for a service that would probably be widely used.
I use a chat program called Trillian (many of you may be familiar with it) and it has a feature where it copies when you select text. At first i thought this was odd, but it is very effective, since you can't edit text that has already been sent.
Of course if every program on my computer did the same thing, I'd be pissed, but it does have some uses...
If the electronic voting system can't be trusted beyond 1 tally, why use it at all? I'm all about integrating new technology into society, but it just seems like what we will end up with is a touchscreen that prints a ballot and counts the votes. If anyone suggests a recount, the paper balltos will be counted, and we will be back to square one.
You never had me really convinced that you were open-minded, but I gave you the benefit of the doubt until you stated:
It's not a stereotype, it's a statistical reality. A large portion of Americans believe it.
Saying something is true because statistics show that something to be true most of the time is, in fact, a stereotype. What you are saying is that because a vast majority of the african-american people at my school are loud-mouthed and annoying, I have the right to say that (please noone take offense, I don't believe this at all) blacks being big-mouthed fucktards is a statistical reality.
One more thing, you seem to be trying to say that noone's answers are any more real than others, so why should I listen to you? Also, does this mean every person ever should recreate ever experiment required to *prove* something to be true, because we shouldn't believe that anyone has the credentials to tell us what's true and what's not? Thats an awful waste of time if you ask me.
Well, while its true that everyone probably uses e-mail, but everyone probably has easy access to a phone as well.
A lot of the time, many people forget that there are ways of communicating OTHER than the internet, but I think that if push came to shove, internet users could deal without.
I figured that the only people with the strength to tie a noose would be the ones who had to drag a moused cable around. I suppose those of you who use battery powered mice could do it as well.
Sure there would be problems, but I think most people would opt for watching TV or going outside. Some businesses would stall, and slashdot users would probably try and hang themselves with their mice, but I think a relatively large part of the world would continue to operate.
Just because you rely on the internet, doesn't mean the entire world does too.
Just because you don't make eye contact with someone, doesn't mean you aren't having an important conversation. Some people are shy and don't make very much eye contact, so it would be really hard to auto-detect something like that.
And besides, we all know that the only people who would want this are geeks, and the only people who could use this would not be people with friends. *coughMutualy Exclusive?cough*
I used to watch anime that had been ripped to DIVX, which I "aquired" a copy of a while back.
One day I started to play an episode and it said I didn't have the required codec, so I d/l'ed XVID, and I have to say, its one of those things that help me realize that there are open source (read, legally free) solutions to replace closed source (read, illegaly free) software.
Reminds me of the day I downloaded the Gimp 2 and decided to stop using Photoshop.
Re:Great, like traffic isn't bad enough as it is..
on
Nano Body Building
·
· Score: 2, Insightful
Fsck that, people will get bored long before they live that long, and suicide rates will skyrocket. Or people will just stop ordering the pill when they are done with life. Seriously.
Also, theres a good chance that people will wait a lot longer to have kids if they live to be 200. And, if advances can grow replacement organs and the like, why can't they grow more food to feed the masses? Perhaps nanobots could turn people into plants, so you just soak up some rays and, BAM! There's your meal!
Ok, so that probably isn't going to happen, but if there are so many huge advances coming our way, *coughVapor-anyone?cough* whose to say we can't come up with ways to take care of the longer living people?
You're assuming that social security works, there is plenty of houseing, land is cheap, and the environment is in good shape.
On a more serious note, if people start living longer, who's to say they will still have children young? A long time ago, girls would have kids at the age of 14-15, and that was the norm, because people didn't live long. Nowadays, if a girl has a kid under the age of 20-something, it's frowned upon. Whose to say that people won't start having kids later, meaning there would be about the same amount of people living at the same time, generations would just space themselves out accordingly.
I might be wrong about all this, but hey, "if you don't like it, go to Russia!";)
It is possible to combat, actually, its very easy.
All you have to do to stop people like this from robbing you blind is have strict, if not favorable, security policies. If you have accurate records of every hardware move, if you have gaurds that actually check your badges, and if you have a policy of not holding a keycard entry door open for someone, that will stop 99.9% of the problem. You'd have to be really good to get around all of that.
The problem is that none of that is polite or convenient...
Once me and some of my friends were staying in a hotel in Hilton Head, and we stopped by the local mall. We found a camera store and they gave us a box full of disposable cameras for free. We took a bunch of them apart, and in the name of science, I donated my to be shocked. We ran some copper wires from one of the flash units, and used pennies as contacts. I taped one penny to the back of my hand, and one to my palm. It wasn't working, so I pressed on the pennies, and they got close enough to run a current through my hand, making my whole arm tingle, and leaving circular burn on my palm and the back of my hand.
Re:This is *almost* a wonderful thing
on
A Worm's Worm
·
· Score: 2, Insightful
I think this has been discussed before on slashdot, is it a good idea to write worms to take out worms?
There are a few problems with this, the main one being noone is taking responsibility for protecting their own machines. Another problem is that with people accepting certain worms to clean their computer, it would open up a (hate to say it, no pun intended) whole new can of worms. Some people would think "my computer has spyware on it, a worm is attacking me that says it will clean it up, ok!" Script kiddies would jump at a new header for e-mail viruses and such...
You are forgeting the slashdot-effect itself. Someone would link to mapquest and all traffic in that area would stall out with the sheer number of cars. The whole transit system surrounding the location of the fight would be to congested for there to even be a fight.
Slashdot Mirror
Anyone trying to do school assignments? Seriously, I've recently adotped linux and started using OpenOffice on both linux and XP (dual boot system) and for some school assignments OpenOffice just doesn't cut it. For writing papers and such its fine, but for one assignment in which instructions were given specifically for Excel, I eventually had to give up and borrow a friends computer for a few minutes so I could get it done right. While I agree OpenOffice is a great utility, Microsoft DOES have an incredible hold over the world, especially the academic world, and when Microsoft Office is required, sometimes you just need Microsoft Office.
Hey, just because your inferior eyes can't see the difference, doesn't mean you can make fun of me.
Of course if every program on my computer did the same thing, I'd be pissed, but it does have some uses...
If the electronic voting system can't be trusted beyond 1 tally, why use it at all? I'm all about integrating new technology into society, but it just seems like what we will end up with is a touchscreen that prints a ballot and counts the votes. If anyone suggests a recount, the paper balltos will be counted, and we will be back to square one.
Not trying to make a flame war here, I was just wondering how you know that the youth of the earth is a mainstream Christian idea?
One more thing, you seem to be trying to say that noone's answers are any more real than others, so why should I listen to you? Also, does this mean every person ever should recreate ever experiment required to *prove* something to be true, because we shouldn't believe that anyone has the credentials to tell us what's true and what's not? Thats an awful waste of time if you ask me.
Once again, I'm sorry if anyone is offended.
My guess is that when you can carry 24,000 gallons (90000L) of water, you don't have to refill very often.
Nevermind, that would just be too easy. ;)
(no offense to my "foreign" freinds!)
A lot of the time, many people forget that there are ways of communicating OTHER than the internet, but I think that if push came to shove, internet users could deal without.
I figured that the only people with the strength to tie a noose would be the ones who had to drag a moused cable around. I suppose those of you who use battery powered mice could do it as well.
Just because you rely on the internet, doesn't mean the entire world does too.
And besides, we all know that the only people who would want this are geeks, and the only people who could use this would not be people with friends. *coughMutualy Exclusive?cough*
One day I started to play an episode and it said I didn't have the required codec, so I d/l'ed XVID, and I have to say, its one of those things that help me realize that there are open source (read, legally free) solutions to replace closed source (read, illegaly free) software.
Reminds me of the day I downloaded the Gimp 2 and decided to stop using Photoshop.
NO GMAIL FOR YOU!
Also, theres a good chance that people will wait a lot longer to have kids if they live to be 200. And, if advances can grow replacement organs and the like, why can't they grow more food to feed the masses? Perhaps nanobots could turn people into plants, so you just soak up some rays and, BAM! There's your meal!
Ok, so that probably isn't going to happen, but if there are so many huge advances coming our way, *coughVapor-anyone?cough* whose to say we can't come up with ways to take care of the longer living people?
On a more serious note, if people start living longer, who's to say they will still have children young? A long time ago, girls would have kids at the age of 14-15, and that was the norm, because people didn't live long. Nowadays, if a girl has a kid under the age of 20-something, it's frowned upon. Whose to say that people won't start having kids later, meaning there would be about the same amount of people living at the same time, generations would just space themselves out accordingly.
I might be wrong about all this, but hey, "if you don't like it, go to Russia!" ;)
All you have to do to stop people like this from robbing you blind is have strict, if not favorable, security policies. If you have accurate records of every hardware move, if you have gaurds that actually check your badges, and if you have a policy of not holding a keycard entry door open for someone, that will stop 99.9% of the problem. You'd have to be really good to get around all of that.
The problem is that none of that is polite or convenient...
Yes, it did hurt.
The term IANAL has never been so heartbreaking...
There are a few problems with this, the main one being noone is taking responsibility for protecting their own machines. Another problem is that with people accepting certain worms to clean their computer, it would open up a (hate to say it, no pun intended) whole new can of worms. Some people would think "my computer has spyware on it, a worm is attacking me that says it will clean it up, ok!" Script kiddies would jump at a new header for e-mail viruses and such...
I for one welcome our keg-dispensing overlords...
I live in the south, I know some kids who's relatives still make moonshine. I know a lot of kids who like to go "muddin'".
I'd say Americans are a lot more innovative than tolerant.
You are forgeting the slashdot-effect itself. Someone would link to mapquest and all traffic in that area would stall out with the sheer number of cars. The whole transit system surrounding the location of the fight would be to congested for there to even be a fight.