>... so that they understand that the old p3 with 256M RAM is slower than the teacher's new G5 mac mostly because the old PC is, well, old?
...Y'know, that kind of hurt. My computer is a 7 year old Compaq Presario (she is not old, thank you), complete with a p3 and 256mb of RAM (was 128 until very recently, and a mere 98 for years before that).
SuSE 9.0 Personal running KDE works fine and dandy by the way. I project that Debian, when I receive my disks, will work just fine as well. Don't knock old hardware, especially when it gets the job done just fine.
Part of the beauty of the variety Linux has to offer is that there is something for both sets of users.
Like I've said before, my middle school and high school both switched from Windows 3.x/95 to Sun boxes with Solaris. The _biggest_ problem was getting students used to the new interface. Using KDE would avoid this problem entirely. It looks enough like Windows not to scare users off.
As far as configuring it goes, well, that's not terribly difficult either depending on which distribution you pick up. Indeed, SuSE (despite annoying package management) is rather easy in this respect as are other distros. The admin for my old school district, IIRC, was only moderately competent but still managed to get everything working just fine on Solaris...And he didn't even have to use WINE to do it.
I agree with the SuSE sentiment. SuSE + KDE is absoloutely perfect and looks enough like Windows not to scare away students/teachers used to Windows-looking GUIs. It has issues with package management (HATE HATE HATE YaST -cough-) and compiling is a pain in anything but Pro but these shouldn't be issues at all in most school environments. Also, AFAIK, SuSE still comes with a complete WINE software suite that _should_ allow them to set up whatever Windows programs they might need.
Speaking from experience here, my high school and middle school both went from Windows 3.x/95 boxes right to a bunch of Sun computers complete with Solaris (and all the usual programs like OpenOffice.org). Many/most of the students hated the drastic change from Windows to Solaris and resented using the computers from then on. They just weren't used to that kind of environment. The rule of thumb is to avoid drastic environment changes at all costs (which is why KDE is a good idea) while showing them what Linux has to offer in the way of programs, which is plenty:)
"As we all know, Spyware is a phrase within the public conscience that has a specific meaning..."
In my experience, spyware according to the average computer user is "stuff that slows my computer down and/or gives me popups". It seems they've grossly overestimated the average users' understanding of malware, and indeed narrowed it down quite a bit. Thank goodness they're there to enlighten us all.
CastleCops' response letter was right on. I hope iDownload sues so CastleCops can countersue. Utterly ridiculous.
It's hardly irrelevant considering the people the site is/was catering to. Mom thinks hey, there's a real market here, and as long as we tiptoe on the line without crossing it we'll be just fine! Bull. Oh yes, and if the kindergarten teacher was taking photographs of her students in their panties on the side as well, you are damned straight there is a problem with it.
I imagine you read in that same "two bit MSNBC story" her saying that she hadn't the slightest clue what sort of people are buying subscriptions to the site. As if. Do you really think she doesn't know what kind of pervert is subscribing to her site?
No, I don't think parading *children* (real children, not just legal children) around like that is okay. Perhaps if any of these children were at an age in which they could comprehend what they're doing it would be different, but they're really not. All they know is that all they have to do is run around half naked for people nicknamed "BigDaddy" and they'll get cool new stuff and some praise from mommy and daddy.
It's very easy to cry "OMG OPPRESSION CENSORSHIP" at this, but you're not looking at why people have a problem with it. You're not looking at why people think it is wrong and harmful on many levels for people to sexualize young children for money. All you can see is a perceived threat to your liberties. I feel sorry for you if the right to sexualizing your young child is that damned important to you.
Bra-fucking-O. Someone mod that anon comment up. THAT is something people browsing these comments need to read, not more lip-service to the "horrors and permanent scarring" of sexual abuse.
Kids in real life don't parade around in thongs, lingerie (that fans have bought for them) and other revealing attire for money.
Considering the mother of the original star of one of the most popular "child super model" sites (Lil Amber might ring a bell) was a porn star prior to settling down and getting her daughter started in the trade (of course, that didn't last long...she had to stop modelling because she was getting "too old" for her fans at age twelve) you might want to stop and reconsider your "OMG THOUGHT POLICE!!11eleven" parade.
There are virtually no female hackers. Pick whichever adverb you want. Don't throw a fscking bitch fit because you perceive, for whatever reason, that the males among us somehow don't "recognize" female hackers (or female geeks for that matter).
The simple truth is that we're such an extreme minority that it is no wonder we are overlooked in most texts. I have stopped being offended by the seemingly exclusionist behavior because I'm smart/mature/whatever enough to realize that isn't really what it is.
So in short, get over yourself. The injured-ego oppressed feminist act gets old real quick, especially among hackers (since you seem to be claiming to be one yourself).
And it's also well-known that your IP address is exposed to all those on the server.
Not necessarily true. Many servers support vhosts as well as the "+x" mode (which scrambles your address). In both of these cases, the only people that could have access to your IP are the people who run the server. Fat chance getting them to hand over o:lines to someone from the government.
Factor in extras like peppers and it still doesn't cost as much. And many of the things you mentioned (like various oils, noodles, butter and meats) are also buyable in bulk- Go Costco go!
Plus, good cookware is a one-time investment if you take care of it. Or if you're lucky and have a nice family you can persuade them to purchase you some for a sort of housewarming gift.
Though I admit it helps if you learn how to cook -before- you leave home and are therefore not monetarily responsible for any fuck-ups:) It's really a shame that there is such negativity associated in some places with men learning how to cook.
What kind of meals are you cooking, and what kind of food are you using to make them with? This is one of those occasions in which knowing how to shop smartly (for more than computer equipment) is necessary.
A trip to the nearest Costco, that friendly neighborhood wholesale warehouse, will cost me about 300 bucks (or more) in the short term but I'll be set on food for months, leaving only the short-term perishables (like milk, eggs, bread, etc) for me to buy from the more expensive local supermarkets like Safeway.
If you do the math, the long-term savings you garner this way become apparent. It's certainly cheaper than shelling out $2.50 for a microwavable pizza every night, or more realistically $5 or more for a meal from [insert fast food place of choice].
Add onto this the ability to make LARGE meals and you're set. Every now and then I set aside one day a week and make a dish or two of cheese manicotti or chicken enchiladas. What I can't eat I give to friends and the rest is easily microwaved for the next weak into a cheap, easy, and tasty meal.
So the trick does lie in cooking for yourself, but going about obtaining the food for it is where you need to be careful.
The prospects are still oddly disturbing to me and I'm not sure why- and I'm willing to bet I'm not the only one who feels this way. It's a notion one has to get used to...Something I'm sure will happen within the decade or so it'll take to refine this technology.
Re:teh living computer
on
Flying By Brain
·
· Score: 2, Insightful
I'm glad I'm not the only one that is slightly creeped out. I mean, I read about a lot of stuff that could fairly be considered "scifi-esque" that have people recoiling...Cloning (reproductive AND theraputic- that includes cloning organs), stem cell research, genetically engineering organisms like foods that resist pesticide or viruses and bacteria that eliminate certain diseases and cancers, no problem.
This just seems much creepier for some reason I can't pinpoint. Maybe for the very reasons you cited- human brains being a valuble commodity on some black market.
It raises some ethical concerns as well...What would be this brain's level of consciousness? What if it DID became self-aware and what it was being used for? Man, I gotta stop thinking about this now...
I hear it's quite a sight- if you can get out there to see it throwing up ash and steam and whatnot, I'd highly suggest it.
I wasn't around for the last eruption but my grandmother has pictures of it (including the inches of ash on her car's windshield) and even they are rather breathtaking. It's not every day you get to see a volcano erupting.
Of course they do. There's nothing really unusual about that. People are naturally fascinated by the forces of nature, particularly destructive ones.
There's nothing really wrong with it either. The area is evacuated, the chances of anybody being killed is close to nil, hell even the chances of people being hurt is pretty slim. If it ends up throwing up a massive ash plume like last time, there's the chance some folks with respiratory problems will have issues, but anybody with half a brain is already preparing for that possibility.
Of course, as one of my fellow Oregonian aquaintences says, it's not really an eruption until some foolhardy thrill-seeking mountaineer gets killed. We shall see.
I never said the devices are evil. I know they have uses, indeed, I acknowledge that there are good reasons for people to need to be avaliable 24/7, such as in the case of volunteer firefighters (of which we have many in my area). But why should one person's desire to be able to have their cellphone blast an annoying ring-tone and chitter chatter with their friends precede my desire to enjoy a show I have paid for?
They're not making a law against having cellphones in a theatre, they're granting theatres the right to prevent one person from bugging a roomful of other patrons because their (usually) unimportant conversation can't wait an hour. Theatres should have that right. Why the bloody hell not?
It's a shame people in the US are sue-happy, else I'd prefer seeing more theatres here with signs that say something along the lines of "Please shut off your cell phone or switch it to vibrate. We reserve the right to escort out anyone whose phone disrupts our other customers' enjoyment of the show."
People would bitcb bitch bitch though, which is a shame. If people would just be courteous and considerate of others, shit like this wouldn't even be necessary in the first place.
It wasn't too long ago that we all got by just fine as a society and as individuals without the convenience of having an obnoxious little chatterbox at our sides which allows us to be at the 24/7 beck and call of whichever bored twit happens to have our cell phone number.
Just for curiousity's sake, when was the last time your evening at a movie or the theatre was interrupted by a mother receiving a call about their comatose kid (or something comparable) versus someone who just wanted to chat it up with their friend about who got the clap from who's boyfriend (or something comparable)?
Also remember, there are less than 100,000 women with HIV in the United States.
Either your figures are outdated, just plain wrong, or I have the worst luck of anyone I have ever met.
I would agree there is a lot of fear-mongering, but it's better to be extra-cautious IMO than to go around screwing whomever carelessly because of the "it could never happen to me" and "it's not a huge deal anyway" (when it really could be) mentalities.
You bring up HPV, but what about the herpes virus? I heard from a few sources that nearly everybody also has some form of herpes and some show symptoms in the form of cold sores in the mouth, but these are not due to any sexual contact either. I myself have been getting cold sores since I was about 2, so barring any life-shattering repressed memories I'd have contracted it some other way, assuming it is in fact caused by some form of the herpes virus.
(speaking about America and other such countries here)
People have the knowledge- even in middle school we're taught about the dangers of sex and contracting STDs like HIV. People have the measures to prevent it- condoms are not hard to find, for free to boot, and despite what anyone may say it is not difficult to simply say no. There are programs, both for getting tested for free and examined for free.
And yet HIV is still being spread among people, rather well I may add, in these so-called enlightened countries, despite the knowledge being there as well as the means to protect themselves.
My theory is that if there is a God he's just killing off the stupid (exceptional circumstances aside). One can only hope.
Syphilis can be fatal and often was (eventually) before treatments for it were developed. If it isn't caught in its first stage it is no longer completely curable and will slowly progress to the brain, the tissue of which it gradually destroys over time.
You basically get to lose your mind (literally and figuratively) before you die. It's not a good way to go.
Then again, ever since being unknowingly exposed to (seriously) almost every single STD on that list including HIV due to a cheating spouse (who knew the other woman was infected) I've got very little pity for the people who go around fucking whomever despite knowing the risks.
Vectors of disease that knowingly spread these diseases (this goes double for ones like HIV) deserve to be shot. But maybe I'm a little too biased to be speaking on the matter, and now I've strayed off-topic...
If you're talking about Oregon, we do:) At least in some parts of the state. Especially the Salmon.
I remember being in 8th grade and taking trips with my science class making regular trips to local streams and creeks (I live in Florence) to perform tests on the water and keep the area clean for the fish. We even took trips to traps now and then to help out the folks working there. I know mine wasn't the only school that did it either.
Let no one tell you that Oregonians are not ecologically-sound people.
Slashdot Mirror
> ... so that they understand that the old p3 with 256M RAM is slower than the teacher's new G5 mac mostly because the old PC is, well, old?
...Y'know, that kind of hurt. My computer is a 7 year old Compaq Presario (she is not old, thank you), complete with a p3 and 256mb of RAM (was 128 until very recently, and a mere 98 for years before that).
SuSE 9.0 Personal running KDE works fine and dandy by the way. I project that Debian, when I receive my disks, will work just fine as well. Don't knock old hardware, especially when it gets the job done just fine.
Part of the beauty of the variety Linux has to offer is that there is something for both sets of users.
Like I've said before, my middle school and high school both switched from Windows 3.x/95 to Sun boxes with Solaris. The _biggest_ problem was getting students used to the new interface. Using KDE would avoid this problem entirely. It looks enough like Windows not to scare users off.
As far as configuring it goes, well, that's not terribly difficult either depending on which distribution you pick up. Indeed, SuSE (despite annoying package management) is rather easy in this respect as are other distros. The admin for my old school district, IIRC, was only moderately competent but still managed to get everything working just fine on Solaris...And he didn't even have to use WINE to do it.
I agree with the SuSE sentiment. SuSE + KDE is absoloutely perfect and looks enough like Windows not to scare away students/teachers used to Windows-looking GUIs. It has issues with package management (HATE HATE HATE YaST -cough-) and compiling is a pain in anything but Pro but these shouldn't be issues at all in most school environments. Also, AFAIK, SuSE still comes with a complete WINE software suite that _should_ allow them to set up whatever Windows programs they might need.
:)
Speaking from experience here, my high school and middle school both went from Windows 3.x/95 boxes right to a bunch of Sun computers complete with Solaris (and all the usual programs like OpenOffice.org). Many/most of the students hated the drastic change from Windows to Solaris and resented using the computers from then on. They just weren't used to that kind of environment. The rule of thumb is to avoid drastic environment changes at all costs (which is why KDE is a good idea) while showing them what Linux has to offer in the way of programs, which is plenty
"As we all know, Spyware is a phrase within the public conscience that has a specific meaning ..."
In my experience, spyware according to the average computer user is "stuff that slows my computer down and/or gives me popups". It seems they've grossly overestimated the average users' understanding of malware, and indeed narrowed it down quite a bit. Thank goodness they're there to enlighten us all.
CastleCops' response letter was right on. I hope iDownload sues so CastleCops can countersue. Utterly ridiculous.
It's hardly irrelevant considering the people the site is/was catering to. Mom thinks hey, there's a real market here, and as long as we tiptoe on the line without crossing it we'll be just fine! Bull. Oh yes, and if the kindergarten teacher was taking photographs of her students in their panties on the side as well, you are damned straight there is a problem with it.
I imagine you read in that same "two bit MSNBC story" her saying that she hadn't the slightest clue what sort of people are buying subscriptions to the site. As if. Do you really think she doesn't know what kind of pervert is subscribing to her site?
No, I don't think parading *children* (real children, not just legal children) around like that is okay. Perhaps if any of these children were at an age in which they could comprehend what they're doing it would be different, but they're really not. All they know is that all they have to do is run around half naked for people nicknamed "BigDaddy" and they'll get cool new stuff and some praise from mommy and daddy.
It's very easy to cry "OMG OPPRESSION CENSORSHIP" at this, but you're not looking at why people have a problem with it. You're not looking at why people think it is wrong and harmful on many levels for people to sexualize young children for money. All you can see is a perceived threat to your liberties. I feel sorry for you if the right to sexualizing your young child is that damned important to you.
Bra-fucking-O. Someone mod that anon comment up. THAT is something people browsing these comments need to read, not more lip-service to the "horrors and permanent scarring" of sexual abuse.
Kids in real life don't parade around in thongs, lingerie (that fans have bought for them) and other revealing attire for money.
Considering the mother of the original star of one of the most popular "child super model" sites (Lil Amber might ring a bell) was a porn star prior to settling down and getting her daughter started in the trade (of course, that didn't last long...she had to stop modelling because she was getting "too old" for her fans at age twelve) you might want to stop and reconsider your "OMG THOUGHT POLICE!!11eleven" parade.
There are virtually no female hackers. Pick whichever adverb you want. Don't throw a fscking bitch fit because you perceive, for whatever reason, that the males among us somehow don't "recognize" female hackers (or female geeks for that matter).
The simple truth is that we're such an extreme minority that it is no wonder we are overlooked in most texts. I have stopped being offended by the seemingly exclusionist behavior because I'm smart/mature/whatever enough to realize that isn't really what it is.
So in short, get over yourself. The injured-ego oppressed feminist act gets old real quick, especially among hackers (since you seem to be claiming to be one yourself).
And it's also well-known that your IP address is exposed to all those on the server.
Not necessarily true. Many servers support vhosts as well as the "+x" mode (which scrambles your address). In both of these cases, the only people that could have access to your IP are the people who run the server. Fat chance getting them to hand over o:lines to someone from the government.
I love the original. Miami ruined it for me. New York is a disaster.
I still watch the original CSI on SpikeTV every now and then, though. The show just lost its magic when it lost Grisham. He was geekalicious.
Factor in extras like peppers and it still doesn't cost as much. And many of the things you mentioned (like various oils, noodles, butter and meats) are also buyable in bulk- Go Costco go!
:) It's really a shame that there is such negativity associated in some places with men learning how to cook.
Plus, good cookware is a one-time investment if you take care of it. Or if you're lucky and have a nice family you can persuade them to purchase you some for a sort of housewarming gift.
Though I admit it helps if you learn how to cook -before- you leave home and are therefore not monetarily responsible for any fuck-ups
What kind of meals are you cooking, and what kind of food are you using to make them with? This is one of those occasions in which knowing how to shop smartly (for more than computer equipment) is necessary.
A trip to the nearest Costco, that friendly neighborhood wholesale warehouse, will cost me about 300 bucks (or more) in the short term but I'll be set on food for months, leaving only the short-term perishables (like milk, eggs, bread, etc) for me to buy from the more expensive local supermarkets like Safeway.
If you do the math, the long-term savings you garner this way become apparent. It's certainly cheaper than shelling out $2.50 for a microwavable pizza every night, or more realistically $5 or more for a meal from [insert fast food place of choice].
Add onto this the ability to make LARGE meals and you're set. Every now and then I set aside one day a week and make a dish or two of cheese manicotti or chicken enchiladas. What I can't eat I give to friends and the rest is easily microwaved for the next weak into a cheap, easy, and tasty meal.
So the trick does lie in cooking for yourself, but going about obtaining the food for it is where you need to be careful.
Fair point. I hadn't thought of that.
The prospects are still oddly disturbing to me and I'm not sure why- and I'm willing to bet I'm not the only one who feels this way. It's a notion one has to get used to...Something I'm sure will happen within the decade or so it'll take to refine this technology.
I'm glad I'm not the only one that is slightly creeped out. I mean, I read about a lot of stuff that could fairly be considered "scifi-esque" that have people recoiling...Cloning (reproductive AND theraputic- that includes cloning organs), stem cell research, genetically engineering organisms like foods that resist pesticide or viruses and bacteria that eliminate certain diseases and cancers, no problem.
This just seems much creepier for some reason I can't pinpoint. Maybe for the very reasons you cited- human brains being a valuble commodity on some black market.
It raises some ethical concerns as well...What would be this brain's level of consciousness? What if it DID became self-aware and what it was being used for? Man, I gotta stop thinking about this now...
I hear it's quite a sight- if you can get out there to see it throwing up ash and steam and whatnot, I'd highly suggest it.
I wasn't around for the last eruption but my grandmother has pictures of it (including the inches of ash on her car's windshield) and even they are rather breathtaking. It's not every day you get to see a volcano erupting.
Of course they do. There's nothing really unusual about that. People are naturally fascinated by the forces of nature, particularly destructive ones.
There's nothing really wrong with it either. The area is evacuated, the chances of anybody being killed is close to nil, hell even the chances of people being hurt is pretty slim. If it ends up throwing up a massive ash plume like last time, there's the chance some folks with respiratory problems will have issues, but anybody with half a brain is already preparing for that possibility.
Of course, as one of my fellow Oregonian aquaintences says, it's not really an eruption until some foolhardy thrill-seeking mountaineer gets killed. We shall see.
Every place has a natural disaster to match. Choose your poisen wisely.
Too true. But there's something really special about being able to say "Hurricanes? Tornados? Ha! We've got volcanoes!"
That's without even getting into the additional factor of tsunami risks for those of us who live on the coast.
The wonders of the Ring of Fire...:)
I never said the devices are evil. I know they have uses, indeed, I acknowledge that there are good reasons for people to need to be avaliable 24/7, such as in the case of volunteer firefighters (of which we have many in my area). But why should one person's desire to be able to have their cellphone blast an annoying ring-tone and chitter chatter with their friends precede my desire to enjoy a show I have paid for?
They're not making a law against having cellphones in a theatre, they're granting theatres the right to prevent one person from bugging a roomful of other patrons because their (usually) unimportant conversation can't wait an hour. Theatres should have that right. Why the bloody hell not?
It's a shame people in the US are sue-happy, else I'd prefer seeing more theatres here with signs that say something along the lines of "Please shut off your cell phone or switch it to vibrate. We reserve the right to escort out anyone whose phone disrupts our other customers' enjoyment of the show."
People would bitcb bitch bitch though, which is a shame. If people would just be courteous and considerate of others, shit like this wouldn't even be necessary in the first place.
Melodramatic much?
It wasn't too long ago that we all got by just fine as a society and as individuals without the convenience of having an obnoxious little chatterbox at our sides which allows us to be at the 24/7 beck and call of whichever bored twit happens to have our cell phone number.
Just for curiousity's sake, when was the last time your evening at a movie or the theatre was interrupted by a mother receiving a call about their comatose kid (or something comparable) versus someone who just wanted to chat it up with their friend about who got the clap from who's boyfriend (or something comparable)?
Internet Explorer 5 or better
Well that's okay then. Firefox should work just fine!...
this hopelessly inane joke brought to you by the letter q
Also remember, there are less than 100,000 women with HIV in the United States.
Either your figures are outdated, just plain wrong, or I have the worst luck of anyone I have ever met.
I would agree there is a lot of fear-mongering, but it's better to be extra-cautious IMO than to go around screwing whomever carelessly because of the "it could never happen to me" and "it's not a huge deal anyway" (when it really could be) mentalities.
You bring up HPV, but what about the herpes virus? I heard from a few sources that nearly everybody also has some form of herpes and some show symptoms in the form of cold sores in the mouth, but these are not due to any sexual contact either. I myself have been getting cold sores since I was about 2, so barring any life-shattering repressed memories I'd have contracted it some other way, assuming it is in fact caused by some form of the herpes virus.
(speaking about America and other such countries here)
People have the knowledge- even in middle school we're taught about the dangers of sex and contracting STDs like HIV. People have the measures to prevent it- condoms are not hard to find, for free to boot, and despite what anyone may say it is not difficult to simply say no. There are programs, both for getting tested for free and examined for free.
And yet HIV is still being spread among people, rather well I may add, in these so-called enlightened countries, despite the knowledge being there as well as the means to protect themselves.
My theory is that if there is a God he's just killing off the stupid (exceptional circumstances aside). One can only hope.
To be picky for a moment..
Syphilis can be fatal and often was (eventually) before treatments for it were developed. If it isn't caught in its first stage it is no longer completely curable and will slowly progress to the brain, the tissue of which it gradually destroys over time.
You basically get to lose your mind (literally and figuratively) before you die. It's not a good way to go.
Then again, ever since being unknowingly exposed to (seriously) almost every single STD on that list including HIV due to a cheating spouse (who knew the other woman was infected) I've got very little pity for the people who go around fucking whomever despite knowing the risks.
Vectors of disease that knowingly spread these diseases (this goes double for ones like HIV) deserve to be shot. But maybe I'm a little too biased to be speaking on the matter, and now I've strayed off-topic...
If you're talking about Oregon, we do :) At least in some parts of the state. Especially the Salmon.
I remember being in 8th grade and taking trips with my science class making regular trips to local streams and creeks (I live in Florence) to perform tests on the water and keep the area clean for the fish. We even took trips to traps now and then to help out the folks working there. I know mine wasn't the only school that did it either.
Let no one tell you that Oregonians are not ecologically-sound people.
Paranoid much?
Besides, you know they already have the meaning, they're still looking for that bloody question.