Capital punishment for career offenders -- maybe cutting off their index finger for the second offense...
In reality, copyright is a *CIVIL* crime and should only be pursued in civil courts (e.g. sue the person/site operator for damages as a party to an infringment).
If these "out of control" corporate weenies get their way, we will start seeing debtor's prisons for credit card deadbeats, whippings for adultery, tongues cut off for slander...
Just my $0.02
Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get me!
And I figured this was a case of armed thugs coming up and stealing your shiny new 60gb iPod video with every episode of Fantasy Island loaded on it...
Um, could we call it PodPhishing or PodPharming? I really like the 'ph' thing we had going for all the 'security issues' that an ounce of "paying attention" would avoid/fix...
The issue isn't the technology. There is a lot of technology out there that really can secure credit card transactions.
First off, the card issuers (credit card co. and banks) will never spend the per card costs to implement such a "smart card". I mean we still don't have any of the euro style smartcard tech in the US and that's been around for years...
Merchants (and online operators) will never spend the money to implement the types of point of sale terminals and online tech required for such a system.
Chalk this one up to a wishful thinking...
By the way, the current "big deal" at a card technology conference held recently was "Contactless Transactions". Don't even bother taking the card out of your wallet walk up to the cash register, wave your wallet at the sensor and keep walking...
In our "get it now" society, we will never stand patiently in line while a little old lady keeps repeating "my voice is my password" over and over into a microphone. Just think back to paying for your groceries with a check and two forms of ID...
Incidentally, a newer technology that addes a signature verification into the mag stripe is one I personally like...
Luckily the rot hasn't spread to the national Googles yet, so you can still use Google UK if you need it.. at least until they ruin that too.
Don't you mean IMPROVE...
In a new effort to improve customer service and overall site usability we have trasitioned our traditional black text/white background to our IMPROVED black text/black background...
There was a paper trail in Florida -- just a real obfuscated one. The only real paper trail was the sign in/confirmation sheets
Here's Interesting Fact #1 -- many people I know who participated in early voting were still listed as available to vote on those sign-in sheets.
Interesting Fact #2 -- many people were sent to different polling places or totally confused as to their polling place because of strange changes just before the election.
Interesting Fact #3 -- most of the absentee ballots never got to the people who requested them...
Interesting Fact #4 -- I happened to be a poll watcher in a South Florida precinct and I noticed (and complained about) the fact that there were 771 signatures recorded in those books yet 796 votes cast for President...
Incidentally, the independent "clicker" counted about 769ish. As further backup, there was 771 votes (exactly) cast for a hotly contested senate seat...
An interesting concept -- that's 3% more votes. Another precinct pollwatcher told be they were off by 7%.
If all that is true -- and those EXTRA votes all went to W -- it is no wonder that the close Florida election went to Bush, by 5% (according to CNN) that would be about the average difference between 3-7%.
If you pulled that in democratic counties, noone would even notice. Anyone looking would just attribute it to the increased turn-out and say "hey, the democrats won that county; just not as much as we thought". In the republican strongholds noone was even looking...
Thanks to his brother -- Gov. Jeb Bush -- putting in these GREAT machines and systems good ole' W will be around for another 4 -- say 'goodnight' gracie...
"Okay, so ten out of ten for style, but minus several million for good thinking, yeah?"
George W. Gems...
"They misunderestimated me."
"See, free nations are peaceful nations. Free nations don't attack each other. Free nations don't develop weapons of mass destruction." [Oct. 3, 2003]
"The legislature's job is to write law. It's the executive branch's job to interpret law."
"I am mindful of the difference between the executive branch and the legislative branch. I assured all four of these leaders that I know the difference, and that difference is they pass the laws and I execute them."
"Education is not my top priority"
"I think the American people--I hope the American--I don't think, let me--I hope the American people trust me."
I have been playing this game since 1996. Worked for great companies and lousy ones. Regardless of the company, whilst things are going well there are "no worries". When things dip (like revenue, stock price, etc.) you and the rest of the contractors will be the first out the door. Then the cleaning crew gets cut. Then they start in on the employee benefits.
Face it, contractors make the most money, they have the best schedules, and they are first on the firing line...
If they put out an ad for full-time and then "sprung" this little thing on you, how could you consider counting anything they say as truth.
As was mentioned, you are being brought in for the simple reason it is easier to hire (AND FIRE) a contract. Moreover, as someone else pointed out, it costs YOU more -- which, by a strange twist of fate, it costs the company LESS to bring on a contractor.
The next thing they will ask you to do "blow off" the hourly thing and move over to a "per project rate".
It is all about keeping the corp. liability down and the profit up -- if you get in the way, you're gone...
Sorry, but I would pass on this, unless they would put the whole thing in a contract -- and even then I would think twice.
This has been a problem since my first Toshiba 486DX50 laptop with the 7in active matrix screen (price $3,200 with the 20MB hard drive and the 2mb of RAM - whoo hooo).
The idea of a portable computer should be that you could use it without a desk or table. Mmm, 'portable' like...
After working on many different laptops over the years and using them on, duh, my lap; I got sick my choices:
A) heat and pain due to the aforeomentioned inability of computer manufactures to engineer airflow OR anything even remotely akin to comfort into any laptop.
(b) the makeshift phone book lap desk with related newsprint transfer unto laptop, clothing and anything else!
(c) find a desk or table in an airport or in the park (sure).
Then I saw a computer case by Shaun Jackson Design:
http://sjdesign.com/
They make the LAP TRAP and the LAP DOG computer cases and both are similar in operation.
They use velcro to secure your laptop to the bottom of the case and little riser pads to get a bit of air flow - then the bottom surface is sturdy and insulated.
Oh, **pre-flame-warning** I don't work for, nor do I own sjdesign -- I simply got one of 'em and am a happy customer...
Just my $0.02...
The International Brotherhood of Robots, Automatons, and Intelligent Devices - local 00110000111 (underwater workers), announced today that they will be working to organize the robots involved into a collective bargaining unit.
In a related story, a huge outcry from the environmental lobby about the increased lead, nickle and lithium in the National water supply due to leaky robot batteries.
Slashdot Mirror
Let's take this to the next logical level...
Capital punishment for career offenders -- maybe cutting off their index finger for the second offense...
In reality, copyright is a *CIVIL* crime and should only be pursued in civil courts (e.g. sue the person/site operator for damages as a party to an infringment).
If these "out of control" corporate weenies get their way, we will start seeing debtor's prisons for credit card deadbeats, whippings for adultery, tongues cut off for slander...
Just my $0.02
Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get me!
And I figured this was a case of armed thugs coming up and stealing your shiny new 60gb iPod video with every episode of Fantasy Island loaded on it...
Um, could we call it PodPhishing or PodPharming? I really like the 'ph' thing we had going for all the 'security issues' that an ounce of "paying attention" would avoid/fix...
* ducks *
The issue isn't the technology. There is a lot of technology out there that really can secure credit card transactions.
First off, the card issuers (credit card co. and banks) will never spend the per card costs to implement such a "smart card". I mean we still don't have any of the euro style smartcard tech in the US and that's been around for years...
Merchants (and online operators) will never spend the money to implement the types of point of sale terminals and online tech required for such a system.
Chalk this one up to a wishful thinking...
By the way, the current "big deal" at a card technology conference held recently was "Contactless Transactions". Don't even bother taking the card out of your wallet walk up to the cash register, wave your wallet at the sensor and keep walking...
In our "get it now" society, we will never stand patiently in line while a little old lady keeps repeating "my voice is my password" over and over into a microphone. Just think back to paying for your groceries with a check and two forms of ID...
Incidentally, a newer technology that addes a signature verification into the mag stripe is one I personally like...
~The Gadget Geek.
at least until they ruin that too.
Don't you mean IMPROVE...
Here's Interesting Fact #1 -- many people I know who participated in early voting were still listed as available to vote on those sign-in sheets.
Interesting Fact #2 -- many people were sent to different polling places or totally confused as to their polling place because of strange changes just before the election.
Interesting Fact #3 -- most of the absentee ballots never got to the people who requested them ...
Interesting Fact #4 -- I happened to be a poll watcher in a South Florida precinct and I noticed (and complained about) the fact that there were 771 signatures recorded in those books yet 796 votes cast for President...
Incidentally, the independent "clicker" counted about 769ish. As further backup, there was 771 votes (exactly) cast for a hotly contested senate seat...
An interesting concept -- that's 3% more votes. Another precinct pollwatcher told be they were off by 7%.
If all that is true -- and those EXTRA votes all went to W -- it is no wonder that the close Florida election went to Bush, by 5% (according to CNN) that would be about the average difference between 3-7%.
If you pulled that in democratic counties, noone would even notice. Anyone looking would just attribute it to the increased turn-out and say "hey, the democrats won that county; just not as much as we thought". In the republican strongholds noone was even looking...
Thanks to his brother -- Gov. Jeb Bush -- putting in these GREAT machines and systems good ole' W will be around for another 4 -- say 'goodnight' gracie...
George W. Gems...
"They misunderestimated me."
"See, free nations are peaceful nations. Free nations don't attack each other. Free nations don't develop weapons of mass destruction." [Oct. 3, 2003]
"The legislature's job is to write law. It's the executive branch's job to interpret law."
"I am mindful of the difference between the executive branch and the legislative branch. I assured all four of these leaders that I know the difference, and that difference is they pass the laws and I execute them."
"Education is not my top priority"
"I think the American people--I hope the American--I don't think, let me--I hope the American people trust me."
Oh boy...
Hey Kids,
I have been playing this game since 1996. Worked for great companies and lousy ones. Regardless of the company, whilst things are going well there are "no worries". When things dip (like revenue, stock price, etc.) you and the rest of the contractors will be the first out the door. Then the cleaning crew gets cut. Then they start in on the employee benefits.
Face it, contractors make the most money, they have the best schedules, and they are first on the firing line...
If they put out an ad for full-time and then "sprung" this little thing on you, how could you consider counting anything they say as truth.
As was mentioned, you are being brought in for the simple reason it is easier to hire (AND FIRE) a contract. Moreover, as someone else pointed out, it costs YOU more -- which, by a strange twist of fate, it costs the company LESS to bring on a contractor.
The next thing they will ask you to do "blow off" the hourly thing and move over to a "per project rate".
It is all about keeping the corp. liability down and the profit up -- if you get in the way, you're gone...
Sorry, but I would pass on this, unless they would put the whole thing in a contract -- and even then I would think twice.
Include the following features:
- an XM radio
- an FM radio
- includes a real car connection kit that doesn't sound like junk!
- bluetooth (for headphones, pc connection, and car connection - that would be cool)
- ability to be a 'tivo-like' device for XM and FM radio
- ability to record and encode audio at good bitrates
- built in voice recorder / mic
- and small enough to fit in all the cool ipod cases
- sync voice memos with my computer
- includes a real desktop sync program with the ability to update and catergorize content...
- can access shoutcast streams from the Internet using my cellphone or pc - via bluetooth
Oh, yeah -- it needs to be under $400!This has been a problem since my first Toshiba 486DX50 laptop with the 7in active matrix screen (price $3,200 with the 20MB hard drive and the 2mb of RAM - whoo hooo). The idea of a portable computer should be that you could use it without a desk or table. Mmm, 'portable' like... After working on many different laptops over the years and using them on, duh, my lap; I got sick my choices: A) heat and pain due to the aforeomentioned inability of computer manufactures to engineer airflow OR anything even remotely akin to comfort into any laptop. (b) the makeshift phone book lap desk with related newsprint transfer unto laptop, clothing and anything else! (c) find a desk or table in an airport or in the park (sure). Then I saw a computer case by Shaun Jackson Design: http://sjdesign.com/ They make the LAP TRAP and the LAP DOG computer cases and both are similar in operation. They use velcro to secure your laptop to the bottom of the case and little riser pads to get a bit of air flow - then the bottom surface is sturdy and insulated. Oh, **pre-flame-warning** I don't work for, nor do I own sjdesign -- I simply got one of 'em and am a happy customer... Just my $0.02...
The International Brotherhood of Robots, Automatons, and Intelligent Devices - local 00110000111 (underwater workers), announced today that they will be working to organize the robots involved into a collective bargaining unit.
In a related story, a huge outcry from the environmental lobby about the increased lead, nickle and lithium in the National water supply due to leaky robot batteries.
Robots can pee