I'm always amazed by posters who seem to be unable to decide whether a patent or copyright fight is good or bad based on the merits of the case. I know that this particular post is done largely in jest, but still - there's a ton of people out there who seem to think that if one patent fight is bad, all patent fights are. Did that many people really lose their ability to see more than two colors?
Similarly, Heinlein also thought that AI was going to arrive purely by accident in "The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress". Personally, I think that the computer in the novel is one of its more interesting aspects. Yes, its a story about civil freedoms, but the AI aspect of it is very well thought out as well.
The only reason the main character discovers that the computer he is dealing with might be sentient is because it asks questions that it should have no business asking - like, "What's funny?". Sentience by accident, essentially. The other interesting part is the fate of the computer - it dies, or simply goes into hiding. The moon colonists could only achieve their final freedom when the omniscient architect of the revolution and benevolent dictator of the transition phase went away. What is our fate if somewhere in the midst of the internet, a computer becomes sentient? It could potentially know everything about anybody. It could have access to anything and everything. Would we still be truly free? Or would be just at the mercy of that sentience in the mist of the Internet?
An interesting question for sure. And to some extent, even more interesting than the question of when and how a true AI will emerge.
Here's the problem with the Chinese Room: it assumes right off the bat that only a human can be intelligent. Anything that acts like a human, but is found to lack the human characteristic of being a fleshy bag of water, is not intelligent. If you disregard a preformed notion of what can be intelligent, you'll realize that the intelligence is in the book - or, in the case of AskG, in the machine.
This focus on"real" intelligence versus "faked" intelligence will be the reason why we will realize only years, possibly decades after the fact that a machine will have become intelligent.
The point of AskG is not to advance knowledge, but to turn information floating around in some dark corner of the internet into somebody's knowledge. That, indeed, would be damn near revolutionary. All you need to have the same knowledge as a pre-eminent expert is a computer and a connection to AskG. It will not turn you into Einstein, but it will help you get there.
I wish there were more types of mod points. Such as "+1, read it, memorize it, stick to your forehead and sleep with it." This perfectly sums up why Bush is destroying the country like no outside force could.
What really scares me is that a lot of Republicans spew the same exact crap as you.
Saddam an "Islamofascist"? Iraq attacked the US? Iraq is thriving? Wow. The mind just boggles at what caused such a distortion of facts. Note that Islamofascist means absolutely nothing, and is just a clever word play to scare the masses, like Axis of Evil before. No one, not even Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld or Rove is claiming anymore that Iraq was behind 9/11. And no one in his right mind can claim that Iraq is on its way to "thriving". It is possible that it will, but a lot of things have to happen (none of which are automatic) before Iraq "thrives".
You know what scares me the most about the US right now? It really isn't so much that Bush is a nitwit. He'll be gone in 3 years. It is that about 50% of the population of the US believes in things that are blatantly wrong, believes them simply because they were told so by the right people and finally is willing to use massive force based on incredibly bad information.
It is my very strong suspicion that historians will pinpoint GWB presidency as the turning point when the US lost its superpower mojo. Bad decisions on this scale will not go unpunished.
All very good points. Personally, I'd like to know what personal data is being collected, and also be given the chance to opt-in rather than opt-out. However, the parent poster was implying some sort of irrational Apple bias. All I'm pointing out is that the Apple bias might be rational rather than irrational, considering the habits of the companies Apple is being compared to.
This wasn't about apologizing for Apple, this was about pointing out that Apple might really be a better company than Sony or MS - even if that doesn't make it perfect or even just Good (Google TM).
Maybe because it can be disabled? Maybe because it doesn't root your computer? Maybe because it just isn't as bad as the stuff Sony and MS pull on a regular basis? Maybe there is no conspiracy?
Have you ever worked in the service industry? You'd be amazed at some of the abusive crap they have to deal with. Insults, yelling, attitudes that are reminiscent of slavery... it's all there. After a day of dealing with jerks like that, it is an intense relief to deal with someone who is actually nice and even just pretends to care that you are a human being doing a tough job. At that point, you are so grateful that you want to help them - go above and beyond what you are supposed to do to do what the customer actually needs you to do.
In short, being nice to someone is not a symptom of a you-scratch-me-i-scratch-you mentality, or even of ingrate customer service people. It is a way to get more out of them than they are paid to give you.
No, but if you were a small-time blogger just scraping by on ad revenue, you might need protection from people making your comment system utterly useless with continued abuse.
So what about the small-time blogger who got pissed off because I didn't fawn over his idiotic comment, and decides to sue me? Furthermore, assume that I didn't call him names or anything, but just that he decided to sue me for the heck of it? Will there be a law that protects me from abusive bloggers? Who will pay for the money it takes to defend myself from this lawsuit? The only people who will use this law are assholes with nothing better to do than sue people in small claims court, and rich people with a bone to pick who can write off the 100K or more it takes to have a good lawsuit fight.
It has become a fashionable trend to look for downsides to all new solutions,
I'd much rather have a discussion about downsides than someone decreeing that a solution is good because it is unimaginable that it is bad. There might be some trolls in the discussion, but at least it gives people a chance to educate themselves and come to a better understanding of the situation. Without a discussion, this chance does not exist.
Tell you what. Instead of just sitting there in your armchair, sipping on your Bud Light and cheering every little bit of propaganda that fits your world view, why don't you enroll? Why don't you go kick that ass you want everyone to kick for you? I'm sure you would find out firsthand how well taken care of your unit is. I hear you might want to bring your own body armor though. Just as a precaution, you know. In case those filthy Iraqis steal yours. Cuz, you know, the US of A would never fail to give its valiant protectors of freedom everything they need and want.
Luckily, the bombers in Iraq are not committed nationalists, and they have little support in the population. This is at least partially thanks to the fact that everyone gets bombed, including everyday Iraqis. As a matter of fact, more Iraqis have died from bombings than Americans. So there's still hope that Iraq can be stabilized until the committed nationalists can take over. You know, the people voting for their representatives and stuff
Thankfully, in the US it is illegal for law-enforcement to spy with gizmos into people's houses without a warrant. This was originally done to prevent the abuse of infrared imaging, but I think it would apply here too.
And in other countries.... freedom fighters rarely hang out near the local police station. If the army (which is what is generally chasing them) can get close enough to use imaging technologies to look for hidden weapons, they are already close enough to shoot them.
Ancient Mayas ate Qinoa (Quenoa, etc - damn transliterations of glyph languages), a grain that has about 5 times the amount of protein found in corn or wheat. Furthermore, their grain and bean combination provided them the ingredients for nearly all amino acids - which means they didn't have to ingest them. Don't know about the Aztecs or the Toltecs, but I suspect that they as well didn't eat their people as a matter of regular diet. Especially the Aztecs had much more a tradition of sacrificial killings, and no records (at least that I know of) of humans in their diet.
As always, Wikipedia is your reference friend.
Re:Too much lockdown costs money too
on
Insider Threat
·
· Score: 2, Informative
The problem really isn't the IT Admin. Largely, they implement rules handed down to them by management. In your case (and I have first hand experience of your problem as well), the problem is far more likely to reside with management, who are unable to do a cost-benefit analyis of a given situation. How much could it cost to give you access versus how much does it cost not to give you access? Personally, I try to make this as crystal clear as possible to management, and sometimes, I get through. Sometimes though, I don't. And then I sit on my hands and post to Slashdot.
Re:Oblivious to the problem, or resigned to it?
on
Insider Threat
·
· Score: 2, Insightful
In short, treat your employees like you would want them to treat you, and you'll be better off. I know this definitely applies to me. If my boss doesn't trust me and makes my life difficult because of that, I not only will not trust him, but will also make sure that something balances out the bad work atmosphere.
You don't want me to do some personal emailing from the work account? Fine, I'll make sure that I work exactly 8 hours a day, so that I get to have enough time to email from home. You expect me to do my work without having admin access to my machine? Be ready for a flood of requests to the IT department, and me waiting for the IT department to do the work for me. You time my bathroom breaks? Be ready for me to time my lunch breaks and bath room breaks as well - regardless of whether there's a fire somewhere or not.
The problem with enforcing rules is that you run the risk of drowning in them. Give your employees some leeway in interpreting them, and the majority will repay you with loyalty and good work. Those who don't - feel free to fire them. This isn't France or Germany where firing someone can sink your company.
Yes, but no one leaves a hair dryer on for 16 hours a day.... and I know some of my gaming sessions have lasted that long. Let's see - 1kW* an average of 4 hours a day for a year (yeah, I pulled those numbers out of my butt - sue me) and a price of $0.12/kwh and we get.... a whopping $182 a year to use that sucker. This is assuming you switch the thing off from time to time, and that you have another machine in the wings for your low-intensity computing.
Sigh. A 15-year old with a chip on his shoulder. Alright, some quick info.
It's ageism, not age racism. I indeed deduced that you are 15 years old. And, like all 15 year olds past, present and future, I deduced that you think you have a pretty good grasp about how the world works. Nothing wrong about that, everyone goes through that phase. I just thought I'd point out that the only thing that happens if you claim to know a lot is people chuckling to themselves and ignoring you. Especially if you claim in the same breath things that are incorrect.
Remember - respect is not deserved, it is given. I don't care if you are a 1st level twirling dervish who claims he can bend spacetime with his mind. If you can bend space time, I'll give you props. If you can't....
Ah, the infallability of youth. Wait until you start College, then you really know everything. Sadly enough though, that will be the high point of your ego. After that, it's just one big slide downhill where you realize that you know less and less and that what you don't know just keeps on growing and growing. You don't actually die, you just realize that you don't even know whether you're alive, at which point your body just throws up its hands and gives up.
In the meantime, I'll refer you to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/String_theory/ as just one example of multiple dimensions being possible. Maybe that'll get you started early on your knowledge implosion.
Sigh. I should have known somebody would point out the one condition where I had trouble with ABS - fresh snow. At least 2 inches of it. That's the only instance I've ever seen where ABS had problems. Not sure what it is - probably the fact that traction comes and goes there, and ABS has problems properly adjusting to the change. At any other time though, you are safer with ABS. I agree you can learn properly modulating your brakes, but it is very unlikely you'll actually get better than ABS.
I see. You are probably part of the 90% of the population who considers themselves better drivers than the other 90% of the population. Congratulations.
And Combat Flight Sims make you more aware of your surroundings? Sure they do. And my Mario skills have trained my brain for rescuing princesses and evading green turtles.
I think your jock strap is pulled a little too tight. Might wanna losen it up before it does permanent damage.
Slashdot Mirror
I'm always amazed by posters who seem to be unable to decide whether a patent or copyright fight is good or bad based on the merits of the case. I know that this particular post is done largely in jest, but still - there's a ton of people out there who seem to think that if one patent fight is bad, all patent fights are. Did that many people really lose their ability to see more than two colors?
Similarly, Heinlein also thought that AI was going to arrive purely by accident in "The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress". Personally, I think that the computer in the novel is one of its more interesting aspects. Yes, its a story about civil freedoms, but the AI aspect of it is very well thought out as well.
The only reason the main character discovers that the computer he is dealing with might be sentient is because it asks questions that it should have no business asking - like, "What's funny?". Sentience by accident, essentially. The other interesting part is the fate of the computer - it dies, or simply goes into hiding. The moon colonists could only achieve their final freedom when the omniscient architect of the revolution and benevolent dictator of the transition phase went away. What is our fate if somewhere in the midst of the internet, a computer becomes sentient? It could potentially know everything about anybody. It could have access to anything and everything. Would we still be truly free? Or would be just at the mercy of that sentience in the mist of the Internet?
An interesting question for sure. And to some extent, even more interesting than the question of when and how a true AI will emerge.
Here's the problem with the Chinese Room: it assumes right off the bat that only a human can be intelligent. Anything that acts like a human, but is found to lack the human characteristic of being a fleshy bag of water, is not intelligent. If you disregard a preformed notion of what can be intelligent, you'll realize that the intelligence is in the book - or, in the case of AskG, in the machine.
This focus on"real" intelligence versus "faked" intelligence will be the reason why we will realize only years, possibly decades after the fact that a machine will have become intelligent.
The point of AskG is not to advance knowledge, but to turn information floating around in some dark corner of the internet into somebody's knowledge. That, indeed, would be damn near revolutionary. All you need to have the same knowledge as a pre-eminent expert is a computer and a connection to AskG. It will not turn you into Einstein, but it will help you get there.
I wish there were more types of mod points. Such as "+1, read it, memorize it, stick to your forehead and sleep with it." This perfectly sums up why Bush is destroying the country like no outside force could.
What really scares me is that a lot of Republicans spew the same exact crap as you.
Saddam an "Islamofascist"? Iraq attacked the US? Iraq is thriving? Wow. The mind just boggles at what caused such a distortion of facts. Note that Islamofascist means absolutely nothing, and is just a clever word play to scare the masses, like Axis of Evil before. No one, not even Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld or Rove is claiming anymore that Iraq was behind 9/11. And no one in his right mind can claim that Iraq is on its way to "thriving". It is possible that it will, but a lot of things have to happen (none of which are automatic) before Iraq "thrives".
You know what scares me the most about the US right now? It really isn't so much that Bush is a nitwit. He'll be gone in 3 years. It is that about 50% of the population of the US believes in things that are blatantly wrong, believes them simply because they were told so by the right people and finally is willing to use massive force based on incredibly bad information.
It is my very strong suspicion that historians will pinpoint GWB presidency as the turning point when the US lost its superpower mojo. Bad decisions on this scale will not go unpunished.
All very good points. Personally, I'd like to know what personal data is being collected, and also be given the chance to opt-in rather than opt-out. However, the parent poster was implying some sort of irrational Apple bias. All I'm pointing out is that the Apple bias might be rational rather than irrational, considering the habits of the companies Apple is being compared to.
This wasn't about apologizing for Apple, this was about pointing out that Apple might really be a better company than Sony or MS - even if that doesn't make it perfect or even just Good (Google TM).
Maybe because it can be disabled? Maybe because it doesn't root your computer? Maybe because it just isn't as bad as the stuff Sony and MS pull on a regular basis? Maybe there is no conspiracy?
So how do I know you're not lying now?
Karma is underrated, if anything.
Have you ever worked in the service industry? You'd be amazed at some of the abusive crap they have to deal with. Insults, yelling, attitudes that are reminiscent of slavery... it's all there. After a day of dealing with jerks like that, it is an intense relief to deal with someone who is actually nice and even just pretends to care that you are a human being doing a tough job. At that point, you are so grateful that you want to help them - go above and beyond what you are supposed to do to do what the customer actually needs you to do.
In short, being nice to someone is not a symptom of a you-scratch-me-i-scratch-you mentality, or even of ingrate customer service people. It is a way to get more out of them than they are paid to give you.
In short, you're advocating controlling people. Nice. Remind me not to vote for you if you ever decide to run for president.
So what about the small-time blogger who got pissed off because I didn't fawn over his idiotic comment, and decides to sue me? Furthermore, assume that I didn't call him names or anything, but just that he decided to sue me for the heck of it? Will there be a law that protects me from abusive bloggers? Who will pay for the money it takes to defend myself from this lawsuit? The only people who will use this law are assholes with nothing better to do than sue people in small claims court, and rich people with a bone to pick who can write off the 100K or more it takes to have a good lawsuit fight.
We need less of this, not more.
I'd much rather have a discussion about downsides than someone decreeing that a solution is good because it is unimaginable that it is bad. There might be some trolls in the discussion, but at least it gives people a chance to educate themselves and come to a better understanding of the situation. Without a discussion, this chance does not exist.
Tell you what. Instead of just sitting there in your armchair, sipping on your Bud Light and cheering every little bit of propaganda that fits your world view, why don't you enroll? Why don't you go kick that ass you want everyone to kick for you? I'm sure you would find out firsthand how well taken care of your unit is. I hear you might want to bring your own body armor though. Just as a precaution, you know. In case those filthy Iraqis steal yours. Cuz, you know, the US of A would never fail to give its valiant protectors of freedom everything they need and want.
Luckily, the bombers in Iraq are not committed nationalists, and they have little support in the population. This is at least partially thanks to the fact that everyone gets bombed, including everyday Iraqis. As a matter of fact, more Iraqis have died from bombings than Americans. So there's still hope that Iraq can be stabilized until the committed nationalists can take over. You know, the people voting for their representatives and stuff
Thankfully, in the US it is illegal for law-enforcement to spy with gizmos into people's houses without a warrant. This was originally done to prevent the abuse of infrared imaging, but I think it would apply here too.
And in other countries.... freedom fighters rarely hang out near the local police station. If the army (which is what is generally chasing them) can get close enough to use imaging technologies to look for hidden weapons, they are already close enough to shoot them.
Ancient Mayas ate Qinoa (Quenoa, etc - damn transliterations of glyph languages), a grain that has about 5 times the amount of protein found in corn or wheat. Furthermore, their grain and bean combination provided them the ingredients for nearly all amino acids - which means they didn't have to ingest them. Don't know about the Aztecs or the Toltecs, but I suspect that they as well didn't eat their people as a matter of regular diet. Especially the Aztecs had much more a tradition of sacrificial killings, and no records (at least that I know of) of humans in their diet.
As always, Wikipedia is your reference friend.
The problem really isn't the IT Admin. Largely, they implement rules handed down to them by management. In your case (and I have first hand experience of your problem as well), the problem is far more likely to reside with management, who are unable to do a cost-benefit analyis of a given situation. How much could it cost to give you access versus how much does it cost not to give you access? Personally, I try to make this as crystal clear as possible to management, and sometimes, I get through. Sometimes though, I don't. And then I sit on my hands and post to Slashdot.
In short, treat your employees like you would want them to treat you, and you'll be better off. I know this definitely applies to me. If my boss doesn't trust me and makes my life difficult because of that, I not only will not trust him, but will also make sure that something balances out the bad work atmosphere.
You don't want me to do some personal emailing from the work account? Fine, I'll make sure that I work exactly 8 hours a day, so that I get to have enough time to email from home. You expect me to do my work without having admin access to my machine? Be ready for a flood of requests to the IT department, and me waiting for the IT department to do the work for me. You time my bathroom breaks? Be ready for me to time my lunch breaks and bath room breaks as well - regardless of whether there's a fire somewhere or not.
The problem with enforcing rules is that you run the risk of drowning in them. Give your employees some leeway in interpreting them, and the majority will repay you with loyalty and good work. Those who don't - feel free to fire them. This isn't France or Germany where firing someone can sink your company.
Yes, but no one leaves a hair dryer on for 16 hours a day.... and I know some of my gaming sessions have lasted that long. Let's see - 1kW* an average of 4 hours a day for a year (yeah, I pulled those numbers out of my butt - sue me) and a price of $0.12/kwh and we get.... a whopping $182 a year to use that sucker. This is assuming you switch the thing off from time to time, and that you have another machine in the wings for your low-intensity computing.
Sigh. A 15-year old with a chip on his shoulder. Alright, some quick info.
It's ageism, not age racism.
I indeed deduced that you are 15 years old. And, like all 15 year olds past, present and future, I deduced that you think you have a pretty good grasp about how the world works. Nothing wrong about that, everyone goes through that phase. I just thought I'd point out that the only thing that happens if you claim to know a lot is people chuckling to themselves and ignoring you. Especially if you claim in the same breath things that are incorrect.
Remember - respect is not deserved, it is given. I don't care if you are a 1st level twirling dervish who claims he can bend spacetime with his mind. If you can bend space time, I'll give you props. If you can't....
In the meantime, I'll refer you to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/String_theory/ as just one example of multiple dimensions being possible. Maybe that'll get you started early on your knowledge implosion.
Good points that I completely missed. ABS has improved dramatically in effectiveness since its inception.
Sigh. I should have known somebody would point out the one condition where I had trouble with ABS - fresh snow. At least 2 inches of it. That's the only instance I've ever seen where ABS had problems. Not sure what it is - probably the fact that traction comes and goes there, and ABS has problems properly adjusting to the change. At any other time though, you are safer with ABS. I agree you can learn properly modulating your brakes, but it is very unlikely you'll actually get better than ABS.
I see. You are probably part of the 90% of the population who considers themselves better drivers than the other 90% of the population. Congratulations.
And Combat Flight Sims make you more aware of your surroundings? Sure they do. And my Mario skills have trained my brain for rescuing princesses and evading green turtles.
I think your jock strap is pulled a little too tight. Might wanna losen it up before it does permanent damage.