...that the caste system has done for the Indian economy (though I jest---see my last paragraph)!
In fact, if you read TFA, you'll find that the author writes of Google's 'caste system' in negative tones (unsuprising, given that the article is from Business Week!). Western culture may not be perfect, but one real advantage it has over traditional subcontinental culture is that it has dispensed with this particular anachronism. At any rate, the point the article makes is that people with book smarts are typically terrible at running businesses. If you really want to feel superior, then feel superior because you have the freedom to indulge your intellectual curiosity, and not because you're running the show. In my opinion, intellectuals don't need to feel as though they are 'better' than business people. It is just that we find joy in different ways.
Further, if you really want to make a comparision with the Indian caste system, there are two fundamental differences with the Google approach:
You are born into your caste. All your descendants will be of the same caste. This doesn't really seem to fit with the sentiment of the US Declaration of Independence ('all men are created equal', etc.).
In the Indian caste system, Brahmins (the intellectual caste) typically do not run the show. This is left to the Kshatriyas, who are kings, princes and warriors.
No women I know think that this is somehow a male plot to slowly eat away at their confidence, but maybe my friends are a little more secure than you.
Oh and my Algebra and Geometry lecturer (at Cambridge, England) refers to plurals of students and mathematicians in general as female. Haven't seen any men complaining yet...
Perhaps your friends are more secure. But unlike you, my colleagues are not in Michaelmas term of their first year, but rather are senior mathematicians at an older English university.
I completely agree with your comment. As a (male) professional mathematician, I see outrageous overt sexism in the academic commmunity, but whenever anyone suggests the use of gender-neutral terms they are often lambasted (largely by the older generation) as politally correct weenies.
The point that many science geeks completely fail to realize is that 'labels' are important. Our use of language deeply affects our relationship with the world and the manner in which we perceive our environment and fellow human beings.
At a certain very old university, I've known a number of mathematicians who were extremely distressed by the display of a "Men of Mathematics" poster. Yes, our current use of the English language allows us to describe any collection of workers as male, but this is an anachronism, harking back to a time when only men did "real" work. In the same manner, it used to be commonplace, well into the 20th century, to refer to someone who drove a hard bargain as a Jew. Now tell me is it mere 'political correctness' which prevents us from using the word Jew in this way, or is it that we have become a more enlightened species?
This is a brilliant idea. Does anyone have contact information for the right people at Sony, so that we can let them know why we aren't buying their products?
This is another great example of why we should be able to moderate articles! Really, it is quite beyond me why we should take any interest in the freebies that this tech editor has been presented with by publicity-seeking manufacturers.
Dude, is your comment meant as a joke? I started programming at 10 and have a wide range of interests (including being a professional number theorist), but certainly do not consider myself a "pure genius". Also, one would have to be working in more than just technology to be considered a Renaisssance man. Does he have any artistic achievements to speak of?
Perhaps more interesting is that the article mentions Gates' predictions regarding input devices of the future. He believes that the keyboard, pen, and voice recognition will form the basis for input, and than handwriting recognition will advance to the level at which we'll be able to enter data such as molecular diagrams and music. This seems not too different from Star Trek's PADD
Of course, it's up to the reader to determine whether their goals are truly philanthropic or whether they serve to extend the agendas of Bill and Steve. More to the point, is any philanthropic organisation ever agenda-free?
Rollin's noncommittal comment that they have 'fairly good technology' certainly stands out. It confirms the impression he's trying to convey that Dell would only be interested in going with AMD if the customers really want it.
Perhaps he intends to use this as a bargaining chip not with Intel, but with AMD!
I disagree. The proposed solution is really more akin to having another UNIX out on the market. To most users, Linux isn't just the kernel, but the group of free applications (mainly GNU apps) built on top, *and* a certain way of thinking about what software is and how one should use a computer.
Linux drivers are becoming better every day. Most users should have no problems running a modern machine on a modern Linux. Thus, there is little motivation to switch to MS-Linux. On the other hand, existing Windows users would need a lot of persuation to switch from Windows to Linux, even if it is MS-Linux.
Hmm, maybe Miller denied any connection at the time of writing to avoid getting into hotter water than necessary (maybe), but in more recent writings, he certainly makes the relationship explicit. Take this quote from a June 2000 interview with the Guardian, for example:
It would probably never have occurred to me to write a play about the Salem witch trials of 1692 had I not seen some astonishing correspondences with that calamity in the America of the late 40s and early 50s. My basic need was to respond to a phenomenon which, with only small exaggeration, one could say paralysed a whole generation and in a short time dried up the habits of trust and toleration in public discourse.
Or, for that matter, get children to read The Crucible by our dear departed Arthur Miller. I read this play at school and it simultaneously scared and angered me with its depiction of normal people committing monstrous acts when driven by the fear of demons within their community.
Miller's play was, of course, an allusion to the McCarthy era witch-hunts, which at one point blacklisted Miller himself. These events are not far-off history or fiction, but relatively recent fact. If we aren't on our guard, hysteria can easily overcome even the most rational amongst us. It is up to each individual to confront their own fears and prejudices, for no one else can perform that task for you.
I've a question for the parent, and something of a riddle, so not entirely off-topic!
The Chairman of the Mathematical Institute at Oxford posed the question: which part of Great Britain is not part of the United Kingdom?
We both agreed that the Isle of Man is not in the UK, but it seems unclear whether or not it's in Britain. Do you know what the official answer is? Is the Isle of Man part of Great Britain?
Millan is developing robotics that can be controlled using EEG signals from the brain. He hopes eventually to enable disabled and paralyzed people to control robotic wheelchairs or prosthetics in this way.
Looks like Professor Xavier may follow shortly!
But seriously, this does seem to be a real potential benefit for all humans. We will effectively be able to extend our own bodies using robotic technology, perhaps controlling figher aircraft and other complex machinery with our minds.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, perjury is:
The crime of wilfully uttering a false statement or testimony in reference to a matter material to the issue involved, while under an oath or affirmation to tell the truth, administered by a competent authority; the wilful utterance of false evidence while on oath.
Bits of Freedom were not under oath, hence could not have committed the crime of perjury.
Perhaps their false claim is in contravention of some law, but as I'm not a lawyer, I can't confirm or deny this.
Slashdot Mirror
...that the caste system has done for the Indian economy (though I jest---see my last paragraph)!
In fact, if you read TFA, you'll find that the author writes of Google's 'caste system' in negative tones (unsuprising, given that the article is from Business Week!). Western culture may not be perfect, but one real advantage it has over traditional subcontinental culture is that it has dispensed with this particular anachronism. At any rate, the point the article makes is that people with book smarts are typically terrible at running businesses. If you really want to feel superior, then feel superior because you have the freedom to indulge your intellectual curiosity, and not because you're running the show. In my opinion, intellectuals don't need to feel as though they are 'better' than business people. It is just that we find joy in different ways.
Further, if you really want to make a comparision with the Indian caste system, there are two fundamental differences with the Google approach:
I completely agree with your comment. As a (male) professional mathematician, I see outrageous overt sexism in the academic commmunity, but whenever anyone suggests the use of gender-neutral terms they are often lambasted (largely by the older generation) as politally correct weenies.
The point that many science geeks completely fail to realize is that 'labels' are important. Our use of language deeply affects our relationship with the world and the manner in which we perceive our environment and fellow human beings.
At a certain very old university, I've known a number of mathematicians who were extremely distressed by the display of a "Men of Mathematics" poster. Yes, our current use of the English language allows us to describe any collection of workers as male, but this is an anachronism, harking back to a time when only men did "real" work. In the same manner, it used to be commonplace, well into the 20th century, to refer to someone who drove a hard bargain as a Jew. Now tell me is it mere 'political correctness' which prevents us from using the word Jew in this way, or is it that we have become a more enlightened species?
This is a brilliant idea. Does anyone have contact information for the right people at Sony, so that we can let them know why we aren't buying their products?
Maybe GORM will make GNOME and KDE obsolete, but first their server will have to withstand a righteous Slashdotting!
This is another great example of why we should be able to moderate articles! Really, it is quite beyond me why we should take any interest in the freebies that this tech editor has been presented with by publicity-seeking manufacturers.
In fact, you can fly a MiG-23 for only $5,100. See the FlyMiG site.
Dude, is your comment meant as a joke? I started programming at 10 and have a wide range of interests (including being a professional number theorist), but certainly do not consider myself a "pure genius". Also, one would have to be working in more than just technology to be considered a Renaisssance man. Does he have any artistic achievements to speak of?
Perhaps more interesting is that the article mentions Gates' predictions regarding input devices of the future. He believes that the keyboard, pen, and voice recognition will form the basis for input, and than handwriting recognition will advance to the level at which we'll be able to enter data such as molecular diagrams and music. This seems not too different from Star Trek's PADD
Sorry, meant to say:
Only saves me 639 bytes!
gihan@gauss:/tmp$ ls -l true && ls -l-rwxr-xr-x 1 gihan gihan 11401 2005-06-07 21:55 true
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 11640 2004-07-16 12:37
With reference to the sig: Only saves my 639 bytes! (gcc version 3.3.5, true version 5.2.1)
Though much maligned in our community, Bill and Melinda Gates and Steve Case have also set up charitable foundations.
Of course, it's up to the reader to determine whether their goals are truly philanthropic or whether they serve to extend the agendas of Bill and Steve. More to the point, is any philanthropic organisation ever agenda-free?
Damn straight --- but it should be "The Finns don't take no crap." I should know, I share an office with one.
An honest question here --- could someone please explain to me why the action of EnCirca is in transgression of the "spirit of name restrictions"?
I don't see the problem myself, and would be grateful if someone could explain the situation.
Rollin's noncommittal comment that they have 'fairly good technology' certainly stands out. It confirms the impression he's trying to convey that Dell would only be interested in going with AMD if the customers really want it.
Perhaps he intends to use this as a bargaining chip not with Intel, but with AMD!
I disagree. The proposed solution is really more akin to having another UNIX out on the market. To most users, Linux isn't just the kernel, but the group of free applications (mainly GNU apps) built on top, *and* a certain way of thinking about what software is and how one should use a computer.
Linux drivers are becoming better every day. Most users should have no problems running a modern machine on a modern Linux. Thus, there is little motivation to switch to MS-Linux. On the other hand, existing Windows users would need a lot of persuation to switch from Windows to Linux, even if it is MS-Linux.
Hmm, maybe Miller denied any connection at the time of writing to avoid getting into hotter water than necessary (maybe), but in more recent writings, he certainly makes the relationship explicit. Take this quote from a June 2000 interview with the Guardian, for example:
Or, for that matter, get children to read The Crucible by our dear departed Arthur Miller. I read this play at school and it simultaneously scared and angered me with its depiction of normal people committing monstrous acts when driven by the fear of demons within their community.
Miller's play was, of course, an allusion to the McCarthy era witch-hunts, which at one point blacklisted Miller himself. These events are not far-off history or fiction, but relatively recent fact. If we aren't on our guard, hysteria can easily overcome even the most rational amongst us. It is up to each individual to confront their own fears and prejudices, for no one else can perform that task for you.
The name of the Slovenian emigre in question is Dusan Lajovic, and the database of Slovenian 'spies' can be found here.
Though they keep us hanging, Debian Sarge cannot be considered vapourware as Debian don't give release dates till they're good and ready.
(But I still want it now!)
Is it just me, or did anyone else think this read "Flashing bottoms"?
I've a question for the parent, and something of a riddle, so not entirely off-topic!
The Chairman of the Mathematical Institute at Oxford posed the question: which part of Great Britain is not part of the United Kingdom?
We both agreed that the Isle of Man is not in the UK, but it seems unclear whether or not it's in Britain. Do you know what the official answer is? Is the Isle of Man part of Great Britain?
From TFA:
Looks like Professor Xavier may follow shortly!
But seriously, this does seem to be a real potential benefit for all humans. We will effectively be able to extend our own bodies using robotic technology, perhaps controlling figher aircraft and other complex machinery with our minds.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, perjury is:
Bits of Freedom were not under oath, hence could not have committed the crime of perjury.
Perhaps their false claim is in contravention of some law, but as I'm not a lawyer, I can't confirm or deny this.