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User: john83

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Comments · 469

  1. Re:Roommates.com on Appeals Court Denies Safe Harbor for Roommates.com · · Score: 2, Informative

    1. Were these fields optional?... I realise that no one reads TFA, but even the summary says, "...the Court did find that it lost Section 230 immunity because it required users to enter that information in order to proceed."
  2. Re:FUD on 26 Common Climate Myths Debunked · · Score: 5, Insightful

    So maybe if it gets warmer the agriculturalists can grow crops in Iceland, Ireland etc.. because currently it's too COLD there to do so consistently ! Ireland has been an agrarian society for thousands of years and has a temperate climate. Even Iceland has a healthy farming industry, though the growing season is short. I realise ignorance isn't much fun, but there's no need to share it.
  3. Re:I'm confused... on 40M Vista Licenses in 100 Days · · Score: 1

    I though the Only Good Microsoft OS(tm) was Windows 2000? Nah, the Only Good Microsoft OS(tm) is a dead Microsoft OS.

    At the moment, that makes it Longhorn.
  4. Re:Wow! on MIT Hacks XKCD Talk With AACS key · · Score: 1

    They chose velociraptors for a reason. Yes indeed.
  5. Re:Toolbar looks cool and all... on Students Embarrass eBay With Firefox Add-On · · Score: 1

    More importantly, Euler has prior art on the number 173.

  6. Re:"No Future" on Study Says No Future for Video iTunes · · Score: 1

    I love the DVD box set. It's redefined how I watch television. However, I'm finding anti-piracy ads and copyright notices (few of which are skippable) increasingly annoying. Why do commercial companies keep hurting their legitimate customers' user experience? It's enough to drive one to torrents.

  7. Re:I hate PDF on Norway Moves Towards Mandatory Use of ODF and PDF · · Score: 1

    First, let me say that I like the concept of a single file format that can be read by any computer and displays in a consistent manner. From that aspect, I applaud PDF. I agree wholeheartedly.

    However, the current implementation requires that I have a bloated reader that typically includes Additional Crap (tm) in the installation which installs by default (if even given the option). The reader insists in "improving performance" by running a program in my system tray for which I must remove the configuration myself (no option). I return my nerd badge unconditionally. How do I do this?

    This is also the same reason that I hate Quick Time, so it isn't limited to a single file type. Everyone hates Quick Time.
  8. Re:Life Recorders on The Shape of the Future · · Score: 2, Insightful

    With the proper ironclad legal protections, Life Recorders will be a massive boon. Accused of a crime? No problem, just open up the datafile, fastforward to the time of the event, and see that we were actually sitting in the basement surfing alt.binaries.pictures.erotica.midgets.

    All of which would be great if it wasn't for the fact that if we can read it, sooner or later, someone will figure out how to write to it.
  9. Re:Artificial blood for my cat on Scientists Create Artificial Blood · · Score: 1

    Your cat has been in training and is out looking for that damn raccoon to exact vengeance. There may even have been a montage at some point.
  10. Re:lasting effects? on Scientists Create Artificial Blood · · Score: 1

    IANAD, so, can any harm happen with an excess of red blood cells? Maybe this will lead to a future where some could supercharge their blood to maximize oxygen carrying ability.

    It's called "blood doping" and people already do it.

    As for the rest of your question, IANAD either, and I'm curious about that too.

    I think it can cause blood clots, but I don't know how likely this is, how much over normal you have to be to have and/much trouble - IANAD either.
  11. Re:RTS on Long Range Eye Tracking for Advertisers · · Score: 1

    Try it; it's very hard to hold your eye perfectly still though. Not only is it very hard, it's impossible to do it yourself! The muscle twitches that continuously "jiggle" your eyeball are involuntary. It's called ocular microtremor.
  12. Re:Solo and Chewbacca on Lucas To Make New Live Action Star Wars Films · · Score: 1

    I have always thought that Pat Mastroianni would make a good Han Solo (since Harrison Ford is getting a little on the old side). A few rollicking Solo and Chewbacca adventures (and I mean adventures, not soap operas) geared more for the grown up crowd might just hit the spot. George just needs to get a competent author to put together the right script and he could conceivably get the Star Wars train wreck back on the tracks. I think Nathan Fillion would be awesome in the role. I don't see Lucas doing anything as clever as getting in a competent author though.
  13. Re:I have always said on Lucas To Make New Live Action Star Wars Films · · Score: 1

    Having read both, I disagree. Zahn's not a great writer, but he's competent, and I've enjoyed his books. Anderson & B Herbert's are very much weaker, imo.

    Perhaps Zahn's benefiting from following on from Lucas rather than Frank Herbert though!

  14. Re:Justification? on Earth Bacteria May Hitch A Ride To The Stars · · Score: 1

    In a pure two-body situation it can't happen at all: the approaching body will either hit the primary body or zing by it in a hyperbola... Why not? Sorry if I'm being dense here, but if an object is travelling at the right speed to begin with... or does it accelerate in some sort of (argh, resorting to star trek terminology) sling shot manoeuvre?
  15. Re:Well, then on Disney Says, You WILL Watch the Ads · · Score: 1

    Somewhere in China, a night-shift manager in an electronics factory that supplies PCI cablecard adapters to the USA, just thought of a new business opportunity.

    The Chinese OEM builds for the legit export market, not to see product rusting in containers on the L.A. docks because it has have been tagged for return by customs and is of no use to Dell, HP or Walmart.

    The Chinese OEM might want to sue their night shift manager so.
  16. Re:Switch to lawyers. on Soldiers Bond With Bots, Take Them Fishing · · Score: 2, Insightful

    If they had mine-clearing politicians, we'd probably have a lot less mines.

  17. Re:Microsoft's internal spam on Users Being Migrated To New Version of Hotmail · · Score: 1

    Do these desktop application have the microsoft useless celebrity gossip as the main page when you load them? Is it possible to stay logged in and bookmark the inbox?
  18. From the article on Users Being Migrated To New Version of Hotmail · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    "However, at some point, everyone will be unilaterally migrated over to Windows Live Hotmail, she said."

    Nice.

  19. Re:Here's the NASA page. on Powerful Supernova May Be Related To Death Spasms of First Stars · · Score: 2, Informative

    Here's the paper about it.

    From the abstract:
    We report our discovery and early observations of the peculiar Type IIn supernova SN 2006gy... It is not yet clear what powers the enormous luminosity ... but we argue that any known mechanism ... requires a very massive progenitor star... SN 2006gy is the first supernova for which we have good reason to suspect a pair-instability explosion... SN 2006gy also suggests that the most massive stars can create brilliant supernovae instead of dying ignominious deaths through direct collapse to a black hole. If such a fate is common among the most massive stars, then supernovae from Population III stars in the early universe will be more numerous than previously believed.

    Interesting stuff!
  20. Re:Who modded parent informative? on Sun Says, "Compensate OSS Developers" · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    What's next, modding the parent insightful? What's next would be slashdot recognising that some of its community wish to give karma for funny posts.
  21. Re:Step 2? on Breakpoints have now been patented · · Score: 1

    "patent this, patent that etc.."

    Ok, I've just patented The Big Bang ... now you all have to pay up or I can exclude you from my reality.
    I reject your reality and substitute my own.
  22. Re:I can't believe CmdrTaco ... on PC World Editor Resigns When Ordered Not to Criticize Advertisers · · Score: 1

    It's sad that the most informative comment in this whole damned story hasn't been modded up. Unfortunately, I've no mod points.

  23. Re:Old News on New AACS Crack Called "Undefeatable" · · Score: 1

    It took them that long to crack the encryption on it. ;)

  24. Re:some one has to say it on Lip-Reading Surveillance Cameras · · Score: 1

    " Rotate the Pod please HAL " Yes, well unfortunately the British government already seems to have thought of a Beowulf cluster of these.
  25. Re:Useless on Home Secretary Requests Fingerprint-Activated iPods · · Score: 1

    Wipe the flash. Force a reload on the firmware etc etc etc etc. You can not secure a device when the theif has physical access to it. Anyone that has worked with ATM's knows this. Correction, anyone who has worked with ATMs and JCBs knows this.