Jeebus people. Perhaps the SSNs weren't being used simply as identifiers but were used to help learn more about the research subjects. Maybe that would allow the researchers to do a, you know, *more complete and thorough analysis.*
The numbers in the story on the libertarians page, here, are from all accidents by reason or contributing factors. Is anyone surprised that more accidents involved fiddling with the stereo than talking on a phone? If more people change radio stations than use cell phones while driving, which I'm betting is true, then this pretty much goes to follow.
The real question, and let's just narrow it down to these two groups radio users vs. cell phone users, which group had a higher accident rate (e.g. number of accidents / number of users)? Research tends to indicate that cell phone users are *more likely* to be involved in accidents than Big Mac eaters, cd changers, etc.
And really, this isn't an issue that I'm all that worked up over. I'm just taking issue with what are obviously the wrong numbers being bandied about as if they're meaningful.
Please give some sources for the numbers quoted above.
Until then, I think a recent study at the University of Utah is getting to the heart of the matter. In short, they found that it's the interactive nature of conversation that's the real distraction. Tuning the radio, eating fries, etc, are just fundamentally different than
talking to people.
I think you're missing the point on privacy considerations. Simply going out in public does not equal a loss of privacy. Even in public you should be able to respect a reasonable amount of privacy. The modern idea of privacy is based on the idea that you can move about fairly anonymously in public, not that you give up all privacy simply by appearing in public. Your examples would be better like this:
Giving up one's privacy for the sake of getting to and from the grocery store;
If...when you do this the GPS unit that's part of your car transmits your whereabouts to a central data warehouse.
Giving up one's privacy to let light stream into your house through the window;
If...this light provided enough illumination for the webcams in your house to send meaningful images to the central data warehouse.
Giving up one's privacy to go to the hospital and have that broken leg set in a cast;
If...when you went to the hospital your medical records were updated and sent to the central data warehouse. (Oh wait...isn't that already happening? Nah, couldn't be....)
Giving up one's privacy by walking across the street to greet your new neighbor;
If...you provide your new neighbor an exhaustive list of everything you do, where you go, what you buy, who your friends are, your income (gasp!), etc.
Giving up one's privacy to enjoy a night at the bar with a group of good friends...
If...again your location would be beamed to a central data warehouse, along with the list of drinks you bought, and hey, just for good measure they'll collect what you're wearing and who you talked to.
Granted, using Opera is your choice so none of this is being inflicted upon you without your "consent," but if we're going to talk about issues of privacy let's not say you can't have privacy if you leave your house...
I'm as happy as anyone that Napster is still up and running on campuses across the nation, but I've just got to point out that it's not the "campus admins and sysadmins" that are calling the shots. It's the campus lawyers. I'm sure the admins have their own feelings on the matter, but the lawyers are the ones making decisions here.
If there isn't a shortage of qualified tech-industry workers, I'm very much at a loss to explain exactly why it is that the vast majority of companies I have personally had experience with are staffed by peopel that don't have any clue what they're doing.
One would imagine that in a situation where there was even anywhere near enough workers in a given field, there would not be half as many completely knowledgeless people running around with "certifications" and "experience".
Ummmm...I'm afraid there's something we need to tell you about your fellow humans...I mean, just think about *other people* for a minute... Now, slightly more seriously, let's think about who's hiring these clue impaired folks. Management. Probably a guy who skims _Information_Week_. You come in with the right buzzwords and a
slightly inflated resume and viola, you've got a new job!
Of course this isn't the way it is everywhere, but let's not think that just because we're talking about the tech industry that we're free from the management and organizational issues that trouble a frighteningly large number of employers.
Okay, congratulations to Jon for getting a linux machine up and running. That's great, really. I have no reason not to want anyone to use linux.
However, this post, like all those of Jon's contains little substance. What's the point? Jon's got a working linux box - nyehhh! (That's the only point I can gather.)
I think the anti-Katz reaction can be summed up thusly: The people that don't like Katz' posts don't like them because he seems to insist on being heard even when he's got nothing to say. (Find me a Katz post with a high signal-to-noise ratio and I'll show you a post Katz didn't write.)
He's like the pushy, presumptuous new guy who's suddenly best friends with everyone eventhough he's only been around for a week. There might not be anything really wrong with him, but his boundry over-stepping and clinginess to the group just feels wrong.
It was the lack of easing into the group that alienated a lot of folks, and recovering from that first impression will be a tough row to hoe.
I'd second that. Why change the penguin? If there's concern about including Hurd, a Gnu drawn in similar style would be a nice way to keep the Debian 'brand' visible across it's product line.
Slashdot Mirror
Encryption also won't do what the submitter asks: bricking the device.
How is the device not bricked when stolen if it's encrypted with TrueCrypt or another FDE product?
Lots of these services require a SSN: http://tinyurl.com/4wc4u
Crypto-gram 108 especially has some good stuff.
Links: here for good DMCA analysis.
Bruce has called the entertainment industry the single biggest threat to the computer industry, and I think he's right.
The numbers in the story on the libertarians page, here, are from all accidents by reason or contributing factors. Is anyone surprised that more accidents involved fiddling with the stereo than talking on a phone? If more people change radio stations than use cell phones while driving, which I'm betting is true, then this pretty much goes to follow.
The real question, and let's just narrow it down to these two groups radio users vs. cell phone users, which group had a higher accident rate (e.g. number of accidents / number of users)? Research tends to indicate that cell phone users are *more likely* to be involved in accidents than Big Mac eaters, cd changers, etc.
And really, this isn't an issue that I'm all that worked up over. I'm just taking issue with what are obviously the wrong numbers being bandied about as if they're meaningful.
Please give some sources for the numbers quoted above.
Until then, I think a recent study at the University of Utah is getting to the heart of the matter. In short, they found that it's the interactive nature of conversation that's the real distraction. Tuning the radio, eating fries, etc, are just fundamentally different than
talking to people.
That said, the new Treo looks damn cool.
You might want to check out this link at kuro5shin. Lots of good stuff
there.
Or, if you've read Infinite Jest, it's perhaps no improvement at all...
-
Giving up one's privacy for the sake of getting to and from the grocery store;
-
Giving up one's privacy to let light stream into your house through the window;
-
Giving up one's privacy to go to the hospital and have that broken leg set in a cast;
-
Giving up one's privacy by walking across the street to greet your new neighbor;
-
Giving up one's privacy to enjoy a night at the bar with a group of good friends...
Granted, using Opera is your choice so none of this is being inflicted upon you without your "consent," but if we're going to talk about issues of privacy let's not say you can't have privacy if you leave your house...If...when you do this the GPS unit that's part of your car transmits your whereabouts to a central data warehouse.
If...this light provided enough illumination for the webcams in your house to send meaningful images to the central data warehouse.
If...when you went to the hospital your medical records were updated and sent to the central data warehouse. (Oh wait...isn't that already happening? Nah, couldn't be....)
If...you provide your new neighbor an exhaustive list of everything you do, where you go, what you buy, who your friends are, your income (gasp!), etc.
If...again your location would be beamed to a central data warehouse, along with the list of drinks you bought, and hey, just for good measure they'll collect what you're wearing and who you talked to.
Is it an accident that I first read this headline as "Cubicle Blues Blamed on NT"?
I'm as happy as anyone that Napster is still up and running on campuses across the nation, but I've just got to point out that it's not the "campus admins and sysadmins" that are calling the shots. It's the campus lawyers. I'm sure the admins have their own feelings on the matter, but the lawyers are the ones making decisions here.
One would imagine that in a situation where there was even anywhere near enough workers in a given field, there would not be half as many completely knowledgeless people running around with "certifications" and "experience".
However, this post, like all those of Jon's contains little substance. What's the point? Jon's got a working linux box - nyehhh! (That's the only point I can gather.)
I think the anti-Katz reaction can be summed up thusly: The people that don't like Katz' posts don't like them because he seems to insist on being heard even when he's got nothing to say. (Find me a Katz post with a high signal-to-noise ratio and I'll show you a post Katz didn't write.)
He's like the pushy, presumptuous new guy who's suddenly best friends with everyone eventhough he's only been around for a week. There might not be anything really wrong with him, but his boundry over-stepping and clinginess to the group just feels wrong.
It was the lack of easing into the group that alienated a lot of folks, and recovering from that first impression will be a tough row to hoe.
I'd second that. Why change the penguin? If there's concern about including Hurd, a Gnu drawn in similar style would be a nice way to keep the Debian 'brand' visible across it's product line.