But despite the fact that it is, these greedy Godless bastards had damned well better watch their backs. If they don't loosen up, there's going to be violence (see the link for a short history).
Actually I think the democratic institutions in America are strong enough that we can get through this without (much) violence. Right now there's a widespread recognition that national parties are in the pockets of corporate interests, but in order for that to change, we don't even need to abolish the two-party system. A change in party leadership would suffice. Now that is something that might actually happen.
The average user doesn't want to program their computer.
Have you ever noticed that whenever anyone in IT speaks of the "average user," it is always with more than a hint of contempt?
And so we throw the exceptional user under the bus because (we claim) the "average user" doesn't want to think. I did not know we were in the business of promoting mediocrity.
I'm not going to delude myself into thinking that "what I like" is "what everyone wants and needs"; there are enough people here already doing that.
Amen to that! However has it occurred to you that users might not only be different from "us," but also different from one another? I think there is a lot more diversity in the computer-using population than we tend to think there is: diversity in expertise, diversity in needs, diversity in preferences.
So what you're saying seem to be simply that the project needs capable management and some independence from political meddling. In that case I certainly agree. But I would also say that's another way of phrasing the answer to why this is hard: to manage a project well, and to resist political meddling, is inherently hard.
If you stick with it a while it grows on you. I think being a DM is more fun than being a player. I guess it depends on how creative you are and maybe how much you like being the center of attention.:-)
The biggest problem with tabletop games (especially obscure or new ones) is that it can be hard to track down people to actually play with.
The solution to this problem is to learn to be a Dungeon Master. Once a DM sets aside time to plan and run a game, all he has to do is get the word out and people show up.
Unfortunately local hobby shops (at least the ones that carry tabletop RPGs) are dying out. Too many people prefer to buy from Amazon rather than support local businesses, and the neighborhood game store can't survive the contraction of the customer base.
From your Web site it looks like you've worn a number of hats. How do you mainly earn your living -- by penetration testing, developing software as a contractor, or what? Or do you have a day job? (I won't ask where). Do you have any advice for software engineers seeking an independent career?
The use of force in this circumstance is completely unwarranted, and people will do hard time for using it.
Methinks you have too much faith in the "justice' system. For example, the National Guardsmen who fired on unarmed protesters at Kent State (Ohio) in 1970, killing four, were all acquitted. Rodney King's attackers were acquitted of assault charges, as another example.
In practice, while I wouldn't say police and other authorities are totally above the law, there is abundant evidence that the law has much less force when applied to them than when applied to "little people" (citizens like you and me). Police get away with murder all the time.
You've got this totally wrong - Greece has a HUGE government, AND low taxes. I'm pretty sure no US party is advocating that.
Actually, the Democrats are advocating a big government, and the Republicans and advocating low taxes, and they are both getting pretty much what they want.
I would be amazed if a private company managed, by 2020, so much as to land a man on the Moon, let alone build a permanent base there. But no, I'm too skeptical. No one would ever exaggerate the feasibility of such a venture just to bilk money from credulous investors. Especially not a much of middle-aged former NASA engineers who just got laid off due to the end of the shuttle program.
I see a lot of comments in this threat that Doctor Who has already jumped the shark. I concur, and I haven't even seen anything later than David Tennant. When in your opinion did Doctor Who go irrevocably off track?
In my opinion it was way back with Sylvester McCoy when the seventh Doctor blew up Skaro's sun with something-or-other of Omega. I just can't handle the idea of The Doctor committing genocide -- and smirking while he does it. Contrast with the fourth Doctor's moral dilemma in the Genesis of the Daleks, and you can see the quality of the writing had already sunk very from from its peak.
At this point I would rather let it die and remember it fondly, the way it was.
With Tom Baker brought back in full youth and form
via the miracle of CGI.
I wish. More likely, some 25-year-old pretty boy who walked straight out of an Abercrombie and Fitch catalog and can't act his way out of a wet paper bag.
The total megatonnage of the deployed nuclear arsenal is about 1,430 Mt (but this is influenced by the choice of deployed weapons for bombers); for the entire active arsenal it is 2,330 Mt. The all-time high point in explosive yield was in 1960 when the U.S. held 20,491 Mt in its stockpile.
So the U.S. arsenal has already been slashed by about 89%, in terms of megatons, from its Cold War peak.
The US currently has enough warheads to destroy the world several hundred times over.
About 20 seconds of effort yields the following: The total number of warheads of all levels of readiness stands at 9,962 warheads (with another 589 in "inactive stockpile" waiting to be dismantled). That is plenty to lay waste to any major country but hardly enough to destroy the world's military forces, let alone the world itself.
The 2% of the stockpile you recommend would be about 200 warheads, which might be enough to deter Iran, but not (in my opinion) China -- and certainly not both at once.
But action movies with violence, blood, heavy drug use and other such things are much more better than watching someone making love?
Those are also inappropriate to watch in public. Not everyone wants to see "Texas Chainsaw Massacre," including, very possibly, ME in the next seat. Thanks.
Talking to a device is just awkward. You try popping out your iPhone 4s in public transport and start giving voice commands to the thing. People will look funny at you.
That could be because talking to your phone in public is as annoying to bystanders as talking on your phone in public. So, it's more a problem of trying to use the voice interface in a socially inappropriate context, than an inherent problem with voice interfaces.
I don't have an iPhone 4 but it sounds like it would be a design mistake to make the device over-dependent on a voice interface. I don't know whether that's what they've done. As a public transport passenger, I hope not.;-)
Slashdot Mirror
Actually I think the democratic institutions in America are strong enough that we can get through this without (much) violence. Right now there's a widespread recognition that national parties are in the pockets of corporate interests, but in order for that to change, we don't even need to abolish the two-party system. A change in party leadership would suffice. Now that is something that might actually happen.
Have you ever noticed that whenever anyone in IT speaks of the "average user," it is always with more than a hint of contempt?
And so we throw the exceptional user under the bus because (we claim) the "average user" doesn't want to think. I did not know we were in the business of promoting mediocrity.
Amen to that! However has it occurred to you that users might not only be different from "us," but also different from one another? I think there is a lot more diversity in the computer-using population than we tend to think there is: diversity in expertise, diversity in needs, diversity in preferences.
So what you're saying seem to be simply that the project needs capable management and some independence from political meddling. In that case I certainly agree. But I would also say that's another way of phrasing the answer to why this is hard: to manage a project well, and to resist political meddling, is inherently hard.
Yeah, software would be easy to design if it weren't for all those pesky stakeholders.
Whose purpose, exactly, does it serve if the stakeholders are disappointed?
Oops. I earned that. The taste of this foot is ... strangely familiar.
Whoosh. And for a second whoosh, look up "jackass."
If WOW is trying to be a dup of PnP games then WOW did it wrong.
If you stick with it a while it grows on you. I think being a DM is more fun than being a player. I guess it depends on how creative you are and maybe how much you like being the center of attention. :-)
The solution to this problem is to learn to be a Dungeon Master. Once a DM sets aside time to plan and run a game, all he has to do is get the word out and people show up.
Funny, I met my wife at a tabletop RPG, but no one has ever gotten laid by trolling on Slashdot.
Unfortunately local hobby shops (at least the ones that carry tabletop RPGs) are dying out. Too many people prefer to buy from Amazon rather than support local businesses, and the neighborhood game store can't survive the contraction of the customer base.
From your Web site it looks like you've worn a number of hats. How do you mainly earn your living -- by penetration testing, developing software as a contractor, or what? Or do you have a day job? (I won't ask where). Do you have any advice for software engineers seeking an independent career?
Methinks you have too much faith in the "justice' system. For example, the National Guardsmen who fired on unarmed protesters at Kent State (Ohio) in 1970, killing four, were all acquitted. Rodney King's attackers were acquitted of assault charges, as another example.
In practice, while I wouldn't say police and other authorities are totally above the law, there is abundant evidence that the law has much less force when applied to them than when applied to "little people" (citizens like you and me). Police get away with murder all the time.
And people wonder why I don't trust authority.
Actually, the Democrats are advocating a big government, and the Republicans and advocating low taxes, and they are both getting pretty much what they want.
I would be amazed if a private company managed, by 2020, so much as to land a man on the Moon, let alone build a permanent base there. But no, I'm too skeptical. No one would ever exaggerate the feasibility of such a venture just to bilk money from credulous investors. Especially not a much of middle-aged former NASA engineers who just got laid off due to the end of the shuttle program.
Fixed that for you.
I see a lot of comments in this threat that Doctor Who has already jumped the shark. I concur, and I haven't even seen anything later than David Tennant. When in your opinion did Doctor Who go irrevocably off track?
In my opinion it was way back with Sylvester McCoy when the seventh Doctor blew up Skaro's sun with something-or-other of Omega. I just can't handle the idea of The Doctor committing genocide -- and smirking while he does it. Contrast with the fourth Doctor's moral dilemma in the Genesis of the Daleks, and you can see the quality of the writing had already sunk very from from its peak.
At this point I would rather let it die and remember it fondly, the way it was.
With Tom Baker brought back in full youth and form via the miracle of CGI.
I wish. More likely, some 25-year-old pretty boy who walked straight out of an Abercrombie and Fitch catalog and can't act his way out of a wet paper bag.
The last thing Doctor Who needs is the Hollywood treatment. Please tell me this is a bad dream.
And giving corporations more power is definitely a conservative concept. Which is the lesser evil?
So the U.S. arsenal has already been slashed by about 89%, in terms of megatons, from its Cold War peak.
About 20 seconds of effort yields the following: The total number of warheads of all levels of readiness stands at 9,962 warheads (with another 589 in "inactive stockpile" waiting to be dismantled). That is plenty to lay waste to any major country but hardly enough to destroy the world's military forces, let alone the world itself.
The 2% of the stockpile you recommend would be about 200 warheads, which might be enough to deter Iran, but not (in my opinion) China -- and certainly not both at once.
But action movies with violence, blood, heavy drug use and other such things are much more better than watching someone making love?
Those are also inappropriate to watch in public. Not everyone wants to see "Texas Chainsaw Massacre," including, very possibly, ME in the next seat. Thanks.
Have you considered contacting your ISP and asking them to filter that sender domain?
That could be because talking to your phone in public is as annoying to bystanders as talking on your phone in public. So, it's more a problem of trying to use the voice interface in a socially inappropriate context, than an inherent problem with voice interfaces.
I don't have an iPhone 4 but it sounds like it would be a design mistake to make the device over-dependent on a voice interface. I don't know whether that's what they've done. As a public transport passenger, I hope not. ;-)