I don't know if chess playing really qualifies as AI. The game gets broken down numerically such that the computer's job is just to crunch through the myriad possible moves and select the best one. All the intelligence goes into the algorithm that rates various positions, and the calculation scheme by which possibilities are evaluated, which are the human inputs. It just sounds like too narrowly focused a task to be considered AI.
The problem was that during the boom, there weren't any reasonable financials to look at. Many of these ventures were speculative plays, and investors were taking a big risk while hoping for a big payoff. While some have survived, like eBay, Yahoo, and Amazon, others flamed out spectacularly (pets.com, etc.). But I don't think that the survivor's financials were necessarily more legitimate - it's that they executed their business plan and won the race...
You forgot the other target market - having a good WiFi infrastructure in place makes it much easier on conquering armies as they establish positions throughout the city.
It's interesting, particularly in this post-.com, "oh my god their outsourcing!" environment to see a historical perspective that ends just when the madness started spreading. While the technical issues may have changed over the years, the overall industry trends often seem to come back time and again in familiar form. I think too often those involved with tech business fail to take a long-term historical view of things, but are instead focused solely on the few steps that appear ahead in the road...
That's why you're seeing a trend towards Business Systems Analysts, who work on both the IS and business sides. They (myself included) are responsible for identifying and anticipating the systems requirements for their particular business area (mine is Logistics), and facilitating the fulfillment of those requirements via the IS technical staff.
It's all a matter of degree - the development and support staff need some exposure to business users and environments, but of course their primary focus has to be on the applications. It's the analyst's job to act as the go-between, working with the business side to determine what is feasible/beneficial, and the IS side to make it happen.
I remember downloading the original Sim City off a BBS in the days of yore, then getting sucked into that first game. Before I knew it, the sun came up and I'd been at it for 12 hours...
The game is far better for its lack of visual realism - that leaves room for imagination to take over. I've played Nethack for years, and it never seems to get old...
Crashing the OS? I didn't see that in the article, and when I tried it on my machine, it only killed the browser. In fact, it only killed the new window that I'd opened up, leaving my other Explorer windows functioning normally.
They've gotta develop this for home use - I have 3 kids under the age of 14 months. I barely have time to go get the mail, let alone stay outside long enough to mow the lawn and take care of weeds...
You could also make a case for the Frankenstein monster, as well - who says robots have to be strictly mechanical, as opposed to biological? Of course that opens the door to a Six Million Dollar Man/Bionic Woman exhibit...
Not quite correct - a lowering of production costs does indeed push the supply curve down and to the right (in traditional graphs). The problem is, CD's aren't a competitive market to which this sort of simple analysis applies. Nobody goes into the store and says "hmmm... Band X's new CD is $10.99, but Band Y's is only $10.49. I'll choose Band Y!"
Re:ProTools is a large reason modern music sucks
on
Cheap Audio Production
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· Score: 2, Informative
lifelessness resulting from using the "best" parts of a recording session (a riff here, a drum fill there, a bassline there) to collage together a song. the resultant music is (surprise!) devoid of the life which comes from musicians interacting with each other
This isn't a new phenomenon. There was a recent show on VH1 discussing how this was done on the old KISS double-live album from the 70's. They went into the studio and overdubbed certain parts to tighten up the music and gloss over mistakes.
Production savings will only get passed to the consumer when other producers are willing to compete on price - but if Band X produces their next album for $200,000 less than the previous one, why should they cut the price at all?
Where's the shame in that? The fact is that these firms are working hard to provide therapies that could only be dreamt of years ago - they should be rewarded, along with the shareholders that provide the resources to make it happen. Are the altruistic volunteers getting taken advantage of in any way? Not that I see - all that happens in your scenario is that a solution gets developed, lives are saved, and a firm gets financially rewarded for doing so. That is a good thing.
Either that or they got him out with a mop and bucket afterwards...
Re:Got a whole lotta hype
on
Brain Privacy
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· Score: 3, Insightful
Since I've worked in warehouse/distribution environments for the last several years, I heartily disagree. Put plain & simple, you don't want some crackhead/stoner/junkie driving a forklift around your warehouse. From the employer's perspective, it's common sense to try and screen users out ahead of time.
Now, whether this argument extends to non-equipment operating personnel is potentially another matter. The main motivation there is probably insurance related. Now don't get me wrong - personally, I think pot should be legalized. But drug users do represent a higher risk in terms of attendance and health care issues, so from the employers perspective that makes them expendable...
Re:Got a whole lotta hype
on
Brain Privacy
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· Score: 3, Insightful
You can sit around and hate whoever you like, it's when you act on it by assaulting others that it becomes a crime. Try another swing..
Got a whole lotta hype
on
Brain Privacy
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· Score: 5, Insightful
There's a major difference between a drug screen and having your brain scanned as a condition of employment. A drug screen is meant to pick up illegal activity which poses a tangible safety and liability issue to a potential employer. There's nothing illegal about thinking anything (at least in the developed democracies), so I don't see brain scans becoming accepted practice during my lifetime (knock on wood).
Slashdot Mirror
I don't know if chess playing really qualifies as AI. The game gets broken down numerically such that the computer's job is just to crunch through the myriad possible moves and select the best one. All the intelligence goes into the algorithm that rates various positions, and the calculation scheme by which possibilities are evaluated, which are the human inputs. It just sounds like too narrowly focused a task to be considered AI.
The problem was that during the boom, there weren't any reasonable financials to look at. Many of these ventures were speculative plays, and investors were taking a big risk while hoping for a big payoff. While some have survived, like eBay, Yahoo, and Amazon, others flamed out spectacularly (pets.com, etc.). But I don't think that the survivor's financials were necessarily more legitimate - it's that they executed their business plan and won the race...
You forgot the other target market - having a good WiFi infrastructure in place makes it much easier on conquering armies as they establish positions throughout the city.
It's interesting, particularly in this post-.com, "oh my god their outsourcing!" environment to see a historical perspective that ends just when the madness started spreading. While the technical issues may have changed over the years, the overall industry trends often seem to come back time and again in familiar form. I think too often those involved with tech business fail to take a long-term historical view of things, but are instead focused solely on the few steps that appear ahead in the road...
Did you even take a casual look at this??? The book is about the period before 1995, dumba$$!
It's all a matter of degree - the development and support staff need some exposure to business users and environments, but of course their primary focus has to be on the applications. It's the analyst's job to act as the go-between, working with the business side to determine what is feasible/beneficial, and the IS side to make it happen.
And don't forget your P2P (which could be redubbed as Planet-to-Planet) networks. Your search for illicit Saturnian pr0n could take days...
This commentary from eWeek nicely dissects Ellison's troll...
Thanks for starting off my Monday morning with a good joke! Free software! Innovation! That's hilarious...
I remember downloading the original Sim City off a BBS in the days of yore, then getting sucked into that first game. Before I knew it, the sun came up and I'd been at it for 12 hours...
The game is far better for its lack of visual realism - that leaves room for imagination to take over. I've played Nethack for years, and it never seems to get old...
Sorry, but this just ain't that big a deal...
They've gotta develop this for home use - I have 3 kids under the age of 14 months. I barely have time to go get the mail, let alone stay outside long enough to mow the lawn and take care of weeds...
What about "Inna gotta davida"(sp)? It's often considered a forerunner of Goth...
You could also make a case for the Frankenstein monster, as well - who says robots have to be strictly mechanical, as opposed to biological?
Of course that opens the door to a Six Million Dollar Man/Bionic Woman exhibit...
Not quite correct - a lowering of production costs does indeed push the supply curve down and to the right (in traditional graphs). The problem is, CD's aren't a competitive market to which this sort of simple analysis applies. Nobody goes into the store and says "hmmm... Band X's new CD is $10.99, but Band Y's is only $10.49. I'll choose Band Y!"
This isn't a new phenomenon. There was a recent show on VH1 discussing how this was done on the old KISS double-live album from the 70's. They went into the studio and overdubbed certain parts to tighten up the music and gloss over mistakes.
Production savings will only get passed to the consumer when other producers are willing to compete on price - but if Band X produces their next album for $200,000 less than the previous one, why should they cut the price at all?
Where's the shame in that? The fact is that these firms are working hard to provide therapies that could only be dreamt of years ago - they should be rewarded, along with the shareholders that provide the resources to make it happen. Are the altruistic volunteers getting taken advantage of in any way? Not that I see - all that happens in your scenario is that a solution gets developed, lives are saved, and a firm gets financially rewarded for doing so. That is a good thing.
This is so old hat...
MISTERHOUSE: I'm sorry, Dave, I can't do that...
Yikes!
Either that or they got him out with a mop and bucket afterwards...
Now, whether this argument extends to non-equipment operating personnel is potentially another matter. The main motivation there is probably insurance related. Now don't get me wrong - personally, I think pot should be legalized. But drug users do represent a higher risk in terms of attendance and health care issues, so from the employers perspective that makes them expendable...
You can sit around and hate whoever you like, it's when you act on it by assaulting others that it becomes a crime. Try another swing..
There's a major difference between a drug screen and having your brain scanned as a condition of employment. A drug screen is meant to pick up illegal activity which poses a tangible safety and liability issue to a potential employer. There's nothing illegal about thinking anything (at least in the developed democracies), so I don't see brain scans becoming accepted practice during my lifetime (knock on wood).