somebody with brains & imagination needs to step up to the plate and kick Apple's ass for a change...
Google are already doing so with Android. Their business model isn't exactly sunshine and puppies, but they do make good products. But really it isn't any one tech company that is doing us good (though I'd give bonus points to Mozilla, Ubuntu and Google for their contributions in the 00s). Given a monopoly they would eventually screw us over out of laziness, or greed. The great thing is having everyone try to outdo each other.
FWIW, I still think he's a douche. It seems that Microsoft has actually improved since he left, and if you were in the top 10 richest people in the world, it wouldn't take much to do "incredible philanthropy efforts" while still having more money left over for yourself than you know what to do with.
Well, search engines would need a list of sites known for copyright violation. So if you really wanted to go to one of those sites, just check the list. It would have to be public for all search engines to be able to comply. If only the large search engines are allowed access to the list, you can use lesser known search engines that still include those sites.
I don't mind so much them trying to block sites that intentionally infringe copyright, but the "accused of copyright infringement" bit is what worries me. It's like being wrongly put onto a spam blacklist - act first, ask questions later.. or possibly never.
I thought the whole thing was rather obviously pointless as a teenager, so have never bothered to vote. You may agree with some of a politician's proposed policies, but it's also likely that somewhere you really disagree with them. You also can't be sure that they will even do what they say they are going to do.
Why is there nothing that can be done about the Patriot act? Can't somebody sue the government or something? As JCR said, it is clearly in breach of the 4th and 5th amendments.
I wasn't talking about random thoughts per se, I was talking about the idea that the random behaviour of quantum effects would make choices any more meaningful. If you then want to say that the quantum effects are directed somehow, you're back to some kind of deterministic behaviour again, exactly the same as if you are "just" using your brain.
Yes, "quantum" makes everything magic. If it's random, it is not a choice, and therefore not will. Computers can be given intelligence and the appearance of "free will" to make decisions from their own learning. It's not magic. It is however very cool.
I believe consciousness is a separate issue, but again, throwing "quantum" at everything you don't understand (or don't want to understand) is as bad as saying "must be God", as if there is no further explanation needed, or even possible.
At some point you just have to accept responsibility for your decisions. It is your grain that is making those decisions, whether it is being predictable or not. You still make informed choices. You are still responsible.
Random decisions are no more "free" than rational ones. I'd say they're even less so, as they don't take your personal experience into account. People want to believe that we're made of magic, but we're not.
I didn't say it doesn't help sometimes, but it's still pretty barbaric/crude/simplistic. As the page you link to says: "its mode of action is unknown". It's kind of like the generic IT fix - have you tried turning it off and on again? It might fix the problem, but it would be nice to know what the original cause was to make sure it won't happen again.
At the same time, this research shows that we have a long way to go before we get to that point, in that there's a lot happening with these cells that was unexpected and adds to the long list of things about the brain and neurons that we don't understand.
Exactly.
I think it's pretty funny seeing studies which talk about which areas of the brain being having more blood flow under certain conditions (using fMRI to measure), then the authors of the study trying to made grand statements about what is happening using just that information, when they really have very little clue what is happening. It's like judging a computer by saying "look, now this area is drawing more power!". You might be able to figure out that one part does graphics, one does sound, one does disk IO, and that one is a general processor that is active pretty much all the time, etc, but you have no idea how they all actually work, what they're actually doing. That's where we are with the brain just now.
With more complex studies like this, it seems like we've barely even figured out the instruction set, let alone being anywhere near able to understand the processor design (don't complain about the analogies, you know what I mean!). We're at the stage of "we fried a bunch of neurons for a while". It's like trying to cure mental problems by giving someone a bunch of electric shocks rather than actually dealing with the root problem. Pretty barbaric. Of course at this stage, it's also necessary until we find out more. I don't know how much we'll understand in my lifetime, but it's exciting to see things advance:)
Well, there were insurance payouts, but my mum received all of that and used it to look after my 3 younger siblings. I think I also got something like £600 a year bursary from the University in first year I think.
It was pretty horrible timing yep - my first time living away from home at a time when I probably needed my family's support more than ever. They only lived 30 miles out of the city where I went to Uni though, so I did see them fairly regularly. I still ended up pretty depressed, which I'd say is a large part of the reason I dropped out rather than finish 4th year.
For every person in the world, I believe there will be words that will make them snap eventually.
Speech has to be backed up by action. The law would have no worth without promise of action behind it. People act like assholes when they don't think there will be any physical retribution. I'm not saying that I would punch someone just simply because he was calling me names or something, but there are people who would do such things, and there is a point where presumably I would snap if someone was threatening my family or something like that.
The PATRIOT act is just a bunch of words, yet words that have given the government access to a whole bunch of words that people don't want them to know. There are a lot of Slashdotters screaming blue murder, more words, while not actually taking any action. The PATRIOT act should be "fightin words" for a country that has always prided itself on freedom.
I did a lot more self study before I went to University. When I went, it kind of sucked away my enjoyment of learning somewhat. It's only now, 6 years after finishing Uni, that I've seriously considered doing programming for fun again, rather than just as my job.
Slashdot Mirror
somebody with brains & imagination needs to step up to the plate and kick Apple's ass for a change...
Google are already doing so with Android. Their business model isn't exactly sunshine and puppies, but they do make good products. But really it isn't any one tech company that is doing us good (though I'd give bonus points to Mozilla, Ubuntu and Google for their contributions in the 00s). Given a monopoly they would eventually screw us over out of laziness, or greed. The great thing is having everyone try to outdo each other.
FWIW, I still think he's a douche. It seems that Microsoft has actually improved since he left, and if you were in the top 10 richest people in the world, it wouldn't take much to do "incredible philanthropy efforts" while still having more money left over for yourself than you know what to do with.
Guess I missed the "internet service providers" bit. For that, you use something like TOR or some other encrypted proxy.
Well, search engines would need a list of sites known for copyright violation. So if you really wanted to go to one of those sites, just check the list. It would have to be public for all search engines to be able to comply. If only the large search engines are allowed access to the list, you can use lesser known search engines that still include those sites.
I don't mind so much them trying to block sites that intentionally infringe copyright, but the "accused of copyright infringement" bit is what worries me. It's like being wrongly put onto a spam blacklist - act first, ask questions later.. or possibly never.
find candidates that are not sociopaths
What? Is there any other type of person that would actually want to be a politician these days?
I thought the whole thing was rather obviously pointless as a teenager, so have never bothered to vote. You may agree with some of a politician's proposed policies, but it's also likely that somewhere you really disagree with them. You also can't be sure that they will even do what they say they are going to do.
Why is there nothing that can be done about the Patriot act? Can't somebody sue the government or something? As JCR said, it is clearly in breach of the 4th and 5th amendments.
I wasn't talking about random thoughts per se, I was talking about the idea that the random behaviour of quantum effects would make choices any more meaningful. If you then want to say that the quantum effects are directed somehow, you're back to some kind of deterministic behaviour again, exactly the same as if you are "just" using your brain.
Touche.
Oops. My comment was unnecessary, you made the point much better.
Yes, "quantum" makes everything magic. If it's random, it is not a choice, and therefore not will. Computers can be given intelligence and the appearance of "free will" to make decisions from their own learning. It's not magic. It is however very cool.
I believe consciousness is a separate issue, but again, throwing "quantum" at everything you don't understand (or don't want to understand) is as bad as saying "must be God", as if there is no further explanation needed, or even possible.
At some point you just have to accept responsibility for your decisions. It is your grain that is making those decisions, whether it is being predictable or not. You still make informed choices. You are still responsible.
Random decisions are no more "free" than rational ones. I'd say they're even less so, as they don't take your personal experience into account. People want to believe that we're made of magic, but we're not.
I was going to mod you Underrated, but instead I'd just like to say that whoever wrote the article is dumb as shit. And not that high grade shit.
It's hardly "newly rich" - it's been rich for quite some time. I'd call this more a "desperate grab for relevance".
"Speach"?
I didn't say it doesn't help sometimes, but it's still pretty barbaric/crude/simplistic. As the page you link to says: "its mode of action is unknown". It's kind of like the generic IT fix - have you tried turning it off and on again? It might fix the problem, but it would be nice to know what the original cause was to make sure it won't happen again.
Not enough bugs.
That's what Google Images is for.
"Those who giveth a fuck what Ben Franklin thinks are idiots."
-- Benjamin Franklin (1817)
Missed! The! REFEREEEEEENCE! *kicks h4rr4r down a well*
being having = have*
My fault for going back and changing the wording of my sentences.
At the same time, this research shows that we have a long way to go before we get to that point, in that there's a lot happening with these cells that was unexpected and adds to the long list of things about the brain and neurons that we don't understand.
Exactly.
I think it's pretty funny seeing studies which talk about which areas of the brain being having more blood flow under certain conditions (using fMRI to measure), then the authors of the study trying to made grand statements about what is happening using just that information, when they really have very little clue what is happening. It's like judging a computer by saying "look, now this area is drawing more power!". You might be able to figure out that one part does graphics, one does sound, one does disk IO, and that one is a general processor that is active pretty much all the time, etc, but you have no idea how they all actually work, what they're actually doing. That's where we are with the brain just now.
With more complex studies like this, it seems like we've barely even figured out the instruction set, let alone being anywhere near able to understand the processor design (don't complain about the analogies, you know what I mean!). We're at the stage of "we fried a bunch of neurons for a while". It's like trying to cure mental problems by giving someone a bunch of electric shocks rather than actually dealing with the root problem. Pretty barbaric. Of course at this stage, it's also necessary until we find out more. I don't know how much we'll understand in my lifetime, but it's exciting to see things advance :)
Well, there were insurance payouts, but my mum received all of that and used it to look after my 3 younger siblings. I think I also got something like £600 a year bursary from the University in first year I think.
It was pretty horrible timing yep - my first time living away from home at a time when I probably needed my family's support more than ever. They only lived 30 miles out of the city where I went to Uni though, so I did see them fairly regularly. I still ended up pretty depressed, which I'd say is a large part of the reason I dropped out rather than finish 4th year.
For every person in the world, I believe there will be words that will make them snap eventually.
Speech has to be backed up by action. The law would have no worth without promise of action behind it. People act like assholes when they don't think there will be any physical retribution. I'm not saying that I would punch someone just simply because he was calling me names or something, but there are people who would do such things, and there is a point where presumably I would snap if someone was threatening my family or something like that.
The PATRIOT act is just a bunch of words, yet words that have given the government access to a whole bunch of words that people don't want them to know. There are a lot of Slashdotters screaming blue murder, more words, while not actually taking any action. The PATRIOT act should be "fightin words" for a country that has always prided itself on freedom.
I did a lot more self study before I went to University. When I went, it kind of sucked away my enjoyment of learning somewhat. It's only now, 6 years after finishing Uni, that I've seriously considered doing programming for fun again, rather than just as my job.
the next Bill Gates or Mark Zuckerberg. We need a whole lot more of the former and a whole lot less of the latter.
I'd be happy with neither tbh.