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User: stinerman

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Comments · 2,645

  1. They know not what they do on French Conservatives Push Law To Ban Strong Encryption (dailydot.com) · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The new French bill briefly praises encryption’s role in protecting user data but immediately pivots to criticizing the effects of strong encryption on state security forces.

    While water is great at quenching thirst, it also can kill a person if drawn into their lungs. Therefore, we demand that bottled water manufacturers make their water such that it can no longer drown someone.

  2. Re:Missing credibility right now on A Push To Ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty? (thebulletin.org) · · Score: 0

    Just about what I was going to say. Really it's a matter of if Obama wants it, a majority of Republicans will vote against it.

  3. It's dangerous to evaluate foreign countries on the American political spectrum

    That's only because we don't have a scale that calibrates that far left.

    Conservatives = Democrats
    Liberals = What kind of Commie bastards are you?
    NDP = Heads literally explode

    The closest thing they have to our Republicans is the Christian Heritage party, if they even exist anymore.

  4. Re:Lessig is hard to listen to on Larry Lessig Reaches Funding Goal and Is Running For President · · Score: 2

    Why isn't he creating a political party rather than running for President? This must be the only-two-parties rule again? I heard once that there are more than just Dems and Reps in the US political system but I never hear much about them.

    The reason why is because it's dead easy to run as one of the major parties and use their ballot line. In some states it is practically too late to try to start a new party or run as an independent; it's an incredibly time-consuming and resource-draining process. If he runs as a Democrat, he's on the ballot in all 50 states and DC. If he runs as an indy, he might be able to reach somewhere in the 30-40 state range.

    Unlike the UK (which I'm assuming you're from just because that's the easiest assumption), where a few signatures and a deposit gets you on the ballot, here each state has different rules, and most states unabashedly try to keep independents or minor party candidates off the ballots with unequal laws.

  5. Re:Just what we need... on Researchers Find That Queen Bees Vaccinate Their Offspring · · Score: 1

    Yep. That's what really caused colony collapse disorder.

  6. Re:Good on 2014 Was Earth's Warmest Year On Record · · Score: 1

    Not a problem. I live in the north and don't eat crops. I buy vegetables from the supermarket.

  7. Re:Sit down, shut up, and do your work... until... on Ask Slashdot: Opinions on the State Breaking Its Own Law Against Employee Misclassification? · · Score: 1

    Was just going to say. We've got a guy at work that isn't a contractor by any definition of the word, but he likes it that way for everything you just said.

  8. Re:Freedom of Speech? on Reddit Will 'Hide' Vile Content After Policy Change · · Score: 1

    You'd figure if people believe the CEO is such a hypocrite, they'd quit using the service. For some reason they believe that the website is somehow theirs. It isn't. They're just providing free content.

    The real issue here is that people who want to discuss controversial topics are pissed that their megaphone is being taken away and they incorrectly believe that because the dude gave them a megaphone one day, he can't take it away the next. It all boils down to "my ideas are unpopular and its unfair that someone will not continue to subsidize them."

  9. Re:It's all about the routes, dummy on Ask Slashdot: If Public Transport Was Free, Would You Leave Your Car At Home? · · Score: 1

    That's the thing. A lot of the routes are useful to only a small amount of people at any given time. For people to give up their cars, we'd need armies of buses that run past stops every 5 minutes and covered about 95% of the city. That simply isn't cost effective.

    Trains are only effective because they can be (but are not always) faster than driving. Buses almost by definition can't be faster than driving.

  10. Re:The song of the Lotus-Eaters on A 'Star Trek' Economic System May Be Closer Than You Think · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Not so sure about that.

    The reason why birthrates are low in wealthier societies is due to children becoming a financial liability rather than an asset. In agrarian cultures, children are basically free labor.

    When everything is "free", children will not be a financial liability anymore, leaving many folks to breed like rabbits.

  11. Re:Casper is Concerned on Google Apologises For Photos App's Racist Blunder · · Score: 1

    I looked at my pictures. It labeled my cat as a dog. I'm outraged.

  12. Re:Accepting Responsibility on Google Apologises For Photos App's Racist Blunder · · Score: 1

    I wouldn't go as far as to say they are saying that black people aren't smart enough to understand the situation, but I will readily agree that people are trying to work this up into something that it really isn't.

    News flash, given their skin color, it is easier for black folks to be mistaken for apes in an image processing algorithm than white people. This just shows the algorithm isn't perfect. Write up a bug and make a test case.

    Now that I think of it, I wonder how non-technical folks think that image recognition works. Maybe if you were ignorant on the subject, you might immediately think "OMG, they have racist programmers at Google." Of course, this is where responsible media outlets would point out that computers have zero prejudice and that image recognition is hard work.

  13. Re:Drone It on Test Pilot: the F-35 Can't Dogfight · · Score: 1

    We can go back to civil-war era marching in straight lines and box formations. That's apparently incredibly brave.

  14. Re:political speech on Illinois Supreme Court: Comcast Must Identify Anonymous Internet Commenter · · Score: 1

    Or the defensive person knows how unreasonable and impressionable people are.

    Granted the guy has totally went off the deep end and Striesand Effect-ed himself, but have you ever read the comments section on a local newspaper or TV station's website (or read /. at -1)? It's amazing we still have electricity and running water given those geniuses.

    I agree that is what a reasonable person would do, but I would charge that most people aren't reasonable.

  15. Re:Government subsidies increase prices on FCC Votes To Subsidize Broadband Connections For Low-Income Households · · Score: 1

    Crap. My wife and I make a combined 6 figures, but we both have federally-subsidized student loans and went to state colleges.

    Back to the lower class I go.

  16. Re:FYI on FDA Bans Trans Fat · · Score: 1

    That's a load off my mind.

  17. Re:Don't give money to your alma mater. on Everyone Hates Harvard · · Score: 1

    I can't help doing so. I went to a state school, and I pay state income tax.

  18. Re:Why? on Everyone Hates Harvard · · Score: 1

    This.

    You don't get rich by working anymore. You get rich through carried interest and stashing worthless stock in a company you own in your IRA.

  19. Re:I just got my cord back on Cable Companies Hate Cord-Cutting, but It's Not Going Away (Video) · · Score: 1

    Yep. I had just an antenna and was happy with it. And then I started following a local sports team. And for that reason alone I got cable TV. I would give it up tomorrow if I could just buy the games I wanted to watch a la carte. You can usually buy a special sports package for out of market games and then use a VPN to convince the servers you really are out of market, but I don't want to have to fool with that. Can't you just let me buy the games? Please????

    That is really the last reason to have cable TV -- live sports.

  20. Re:thank god for mississippi on Mississippi - the Nation's Leader In Vaccination Rates · · Score: 1

    I'd say it has a bit more to do with the distrust of big pharma than science per se. It isn't too far to go from "there is more money in treatment than in prevention" to "vaccines are bunk".

  21. Re:ISP choice? on Confirmed: FCC Will Try To Regulate Internet Under Title II · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Um...yes! I do get a choice for electricity and gas provider at least.

    The old monopoly (AEP/Columbia Gas) is in charge of maintaining the physical infrastructure, but I can buy the actual electrons/gas from anyone who wants to provide them. Sounds like exactly what we need in terms of infrastructure. The old monopoly handles the wiring, but anyone can provide services over the wires.

  22. Re:Also take aim at... on WA Bill Takes Aim at Boys' Dominance In Computer Classes · · Score: 1

    Heh. I made this argument in reply to another of your posts in this thread. Looks like we're on the same page! :-)

  23. Re:That's like ... on WA Bill Takes Aim at Boys' Dominance In Computer Classes · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I think that is right, actually.

    We know that women generally are under-represented in the STEM fields. Is that because women generally are simply less interested in those type of jobs due to genetics or is it because of environmental factors? I think there's a bit of both, but I have a hard time believing it's all nurture and no nature.

    We know that women are over-represented in primary school education positions. Its the same thing reversed. I don't think men (on average) want to teach a bunch of 8 year olds, but there's probably some environmental factors there as well (you want to be around a bunch of little girls all day, what are you a pedophile?).

    There is only a problem here to the extent that people are choosing not to study a particular field because they feel like they'll be a nerd or pedophile or whatever for choosing that field.

  24. Re:How does deflating even help? on NFL Asks Columbia University For Help With Deflate-Gate · · Score: 1

    When a football is under-inflated it becomes easier to grip. There is more "give" to the ball. This would help in throwing more accurately and making catching easier. The effect on a ball-carrier fumbling is negligible.

    In the NFL (and probably lower levels -- I know when I was in high school it was this way), each team supplies its own balls for when it is on offense. When the other team gains possession, the other team's balls come in play. In fact, one of the reasons this was detected is because the defense intercepted a pass and the player noticed that the ball was under-inflated. He gave the ball to his own equipment manager when he noticed it was not quite right.

  25. Re:his name is Nayirah al-aba ? on North Korean Defector Spills Details On the Country's Elite Hacking Force · · Score: 1

    I wouldn't bet on it. North Korea wouldn't be able to take us in a conventional war, but they would inflict pretty severe casualties on us and our South Korean allies.