An example of correlation does not equal causation would be:
If Happiness catches, so must sadness, anger, and every other emotion. I Always feel pissy when people bitch and complain about stupid things...
In this single example, the correlation made, is that when other people are angry, I get angry. This is not actually the direct cause of my anger though. The reason for my anger is actually the incessant nature of the people complaining, and how silly the things they talk about actually are. Their anger doesn't actually bother me, it's the WAY they argue, and WHAT they argue about. Thus my correlation, albeit related to the cause, is not the cause itself.
Having said that... If someone tracks my behaviors, and statistically, when people get angry at something and start bitching, I actually start getting angry myself and bitch back, every time for different reasons each time, then they have proven their point with me.
If they can statistically prove this for hundreds of people, then they have a good theory.
If they can prove that regardless of what makes people angry initially, angry people make other people angry regardless... they have identified a phenomenon.
If they can prove that anger from one person, can cause someone else's anger inderectly through the people they come in contact with, then they have a significant phenomenon. For example, If they can prove that the anger caused, lets say by people bitching about stupid things on Slashdot, affects people who don't read Slashdot, a significant phenomenon has been tracked.
And if their statistics and theories can back up that significant phenomenon, then you have a significantly reliable theory. You will never be able to prove this theory 100%, but you will have something that is almost as good as 100% proof. A reliable theory (such as the theory of relativity) is useful until someone can prove it wrong... and even then, it gives us a damn good explanation so we can go on to move on to more important things instead of STUPID SHIT like this.
The original article did all these things. Except the slashdot-specific thing of course...
Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to stop talking now, because apparently this study just proved that it's very likely that I'm just pissing off all your friends, neighbors and children. And I don't think they did anything wrong in this argument...
Programming can be learned by book.... It just requires a computer to practice on as well. Hands on experience along side a good book can teach anyone. The fact is, most people CAN start to think in simple, logical and sequential steps already, and once you write out your idea, you can translate it into code. from there, you optimize.
Likewise, you can take code in the book and tinker with it. Reuse concepts until you understand it... In the end, you will be able to read code, Mimic the code, and eventually write your own code. All this can start from a book, then progress into a strong understanding of code.... Having never been taught by a human being. Programming theory is very similar to practical coding... ie: What is a loop? Code that repeats. How do I do it? for (x=0;x < y;x++) { }; Theory and skill taught, now go adapt.
Uhh, with code like that, you'll never get ahead... You at least need a gosub and return for that little plan of yours to work..
Geez, people really don't know their BASIC anymore...
Your analogy is flawed. It implies Microsoft did something wrong. Had Microsoft "Killed in cold blood", they would have used GPL code, and tried to fight it with a patent infringement lawsuit. In this case there is nothing to defend... Microsoft was (Surprisingly) proactive in saying to themselves - "We F*#$ed up and used GPL code. Now we have to release it to the world", which is the responsible thing to do. Just because they didn't announce the "We F*#$ed up" bit, doesn't mean they didn't do the right thing.
I prefer to think of it as someone going shopping, and putting something in your pocket to hold onto, forgetting about it, then accidentally stealing it. Once they get home, they realize what they've done, so they return to the store and pay for the item before the store realized they took the item in the first place. They prevented a damage control situation because they ponied up and released the code before someone caught them.
Just because they announce that they paid for the item without the back story isn't dishonest... It just isn't relevant - because they did the right thing and released the code... As a result everyone benefits should the code be suitable for use.
Nothing would have given the FOSS crowd greater pleasure than seeing a GPL infringement claim defeat Microsoft.... It would have been bitter irony. Instead Microsoft took that prospect away from the FOSS crowd, and played by the GPL rules. Now the FOSS people are angry they couldn't wage their war. Microsoft has made a very smart political move by releasing it, regardless of what spin you put on it.
Microsoft has gained popularity through theft of technology(GUI From Apple, their defense was "We stole it from Xerox, not Apple), Backdoor licensing agreements (IBM PC-DOS/MS-Dos), and anti-trust in general (How many competitors has Microsoft bought out or used "creative innovations" that break the original software [java, Internet explorer/HTML Standardization], in order to remove competitors?). They continue to use shady business practices to force PC manufacturers into selling windows licenses with every pre-built PC, regardless of what the user wants on their machine.
On the other hand, Apple has been releasing proprietary, non-upgradeable hardware, forcing their users to pay a premium for the hardware, then forcing an upgrade to the customer, causing them to buy all new hardware, for most of the company's history since the Mac was invented. Apple's Proprietary business deals have stagnated their platform several times, but their "creative marketing' has always managed to create enough fanboys to turn almost every Mac user into a smug elitist bastard who points the flaws out in everyone else's product except their own. Microsoft has also been making progress in that marketing strategy, but has yet to achieve Apple's market share in holier-than-thou egotistical bastards.
In recent years, they have both been proponents of DRM at some point, both support their own proprietary formats (Microsoft with WMA/WMV/ASF, Apple with Quicktime, and AAC), and are both patent whores.
In other words, both companies have had their evil dealings, and I'd say brainwashing and gouging end users is just as bad as dirty business tactics. When people finally realize that a computer is a computer is a computer, the Operating system wars will end, and the world will be happy with it's interoperable bliss.
Of course I think that day will come when I start blowing sunshine out my ass. Business is too cutthroat to allow that level of convergence.
I was playing games on home computers back around 1982... The Commodore 64 even had a cartridge slot. And the games were better - There was more innovation in games those days.
The fact remains, that Home Computer gaming has been at the forefront of gaming for the truly hard core gamers for over 20 years, and the only advantage many of them had over PC gaming was simplicity of controls. But the hardcore gamer on a PC was playing "realistic" flight sims, Sub simulators, and various other games that you can't control with just a joystick and 1 or 2 buttons.
... Because I certainly wouldn't think an entire architecture change would cause any hiccups, especially when this system is being used n a production environment. Besides, Data migration is just copying all the files from one hard disk to another. A base install of CentOS and SAMBA is exactly what every company needs, regardless of what other tasks were running on the original machine at the time. 2 Weeks for ensuring that your employees have relatively uninterrupted services through a server migration is entirely too long. What were you thinking??!?
If the chip were properly socketed, and easy to replace, it would be...
Tell, me - is replacing a Battery for your CMOS more intimidating then having a loud beep and something regarding corruption show up on your screen every time you turn your computer on?
If implemented correctly, Chip replacement is simple, and reversable. Bios flashes are more intimidating, because when the power goes out during your BIOS flash, there's a good chance you've just bricked your system, and will likely require a chip replacement...
What about a second BIOS stored in ROM? (no flash or PROM) I'm assuming an EEPROM on the motherboard has all the hardware required to work like an external programmer, with the exception of the code required to do that sort of thing. If you had a way to pre-empt the normal BIOS with a reprogramming ROM, which has only the code to wipe the BIOS and install stock firmware, you should be relatively protected from this sort of mess, Right?
This is only a useful technique providing your workers have ACCESS TO THE INFORMATION. Far too many companies have adequate training or the proper tools to let users figure out some SIMPLE things by themselves, out of security fears. Unfortunately, your ticket method goes against the "If we tell them how it works, they'll figure out how to abuse it" mentality of your management.
As a result your new policy just created a second bottleneck, likely much closer to the front lines, thereby impacting customer transactions. Knowingly inconveniencing front-line staff is NOT something you should take lightly. The answer is to train your staff, simplify processes, Provide the required tools, and have an effective, and expedient escalation path. Your phone help desk people are there to answer the "dumb questions" and common fixes. Your tier 2 should be there to figure out the more complicated long term stuff, or stuff requiring restricted access. Finally, your Tier 2 should be able to escalate to various levels of management, should a breakdown in the internal system be the problem.
In other words, design your system so people don't have to ask dumb questions. When a couple dumb questions occur, have them answered by people who can handle the smart questions - because you never know when you'll get a smart one. Finally, when your smart person can't answer it, have a way to get that question answered by an even smarter person with more tooks, or by management. Spend the money to make this happen. It'll save you in the long run.
So you want people to be able to call the shelter, whom also blocks their number? Show up with a nice "XXX Women's Shelter" On call display so that the women can be hunted down? Real smart.... Not everyone has access to cheap disposable cell phone plans.
Actually, Yes, Really. The HD channel you pick up with a set of Bunny ears looks and sounds no different than the HD Signal you receive with a so-called "HD Antenna". An "HD Antenna" picks up the same frequencies as the bunny ears. The difference, is that the HD antenna costs more because it has the words HD in it. Just because it is a better designed antenna doesn't mean it's HD... Likewise, if it improves an HD signal it will also improve an analog signal. HD Antenna is a marketing Gimmick. Boost the Antenna gain and directionalize the antenna to give it better range. That's all an "HD Antenna" does....
Lets face it - the ads were not compelling enough. Stations should have broadcast an analog feed and a digital feed. A Half-screen ticker on the analog feed stating "To get rid of this message, Pick up a digital converter, Switch to cable/Sattelite, or switch to our digital feed on Channel XX.X. Tune to channel 2 for more information." over top of people's programs (not during commercials) would have been the only suitable option. An FCC produced channel on channel 2 should have been broadcast in ALL locations explaining the whole process of switching to Digital, and been on a continual loop. 10 minutes explaining who needs the upgrade, when the change occurs, and what TV's are affected. 10 minutes for generic hookup instructions, and 10 minutes on how and why this change was occurring. Every half hour the cycle would repeat.
The nice thing is, with a simultaneous Analog and digital feed, and with cable operators already converting the digital signal to Analog cable, they wouldn't get the interruption message. if you target people with the message, and REALLY interfere with their viewing 6 months before the change, most people will switch to avoid being annoyed.
sure you might piss a lot of people off, and yes you incur a huge cost in broadcasting the education information, as well as saturate the airwaves with duplicate feeds... But at least people would be forced to get educated. Some people I'm sure, don't know there's a switchover happening or what it required to keep watching TV, or aren't sure it applies to them.
Just wait until August 31, 2011. That's when Canada switches over...
Likewise, The US switch affects border towns. I'm sure there's a lot of people south of Toronto, that can't get FOX through their antenna anymore.
In Fact, Canada has no proposed coupon/Digital TV upgrade offer. Canadians pay full price for the box, and that's the end of it... So, thanks to the US transition not being in sync with the Canadian Transition, Canadians are affected twice. BOHICA
That's still your signature.... It may look different, but it is your unique mark. In a court of law, if you were asked "Did you do this?" it would be perjury to say you didn't make that mark.
Actually, what they don't want is hundreds of lawyers on the internet picking apart their case and e-mailing their findings to Harvard.... Because, even the RIAA can't stand a chance of an entire army of lawyers working pro bono.
my step-son used to earn a pretty good chunk of change knocking those bullies out for the kids that had been picked on.
So, he was taking money from people weaker than himself, because if they didn't pay up, they'd get their ass beat? That sounds like bullying the victims by proxy. At the very least it's exploitation.
Should every citizen have the right to kill a shoplifter? No, that would still be murder. So should you allow your kid to exploit victims AND bully them, under the pretense of protecting them from other bullies? I think not. Kudos to anyone who helps someone stand up to a bully... but to charge money for it is just crooked and wrong. It's like teaching your kids to pay protection to the mob.
It's ok to safeguard the kids in your house. Just don't try to safeguard the kids in my house or anyone else's house. Where I might teach my kids what's good and bad for them, you might keep your kids away from something instead. Don't interfere with how I raise my kids just because you'd do it differently
Likewise, if you have visiting kids, and aren't sure your house is prepared for it, don't let them out of the sight of an adult. It's not a difficult concept. If your guests are not capable after looking after their own children, they shouldn't have brought them.
Just because Best Buy doesn't have your info from you today, doesn't mean they never acquired it before. Saving your credit card data to do marketing research and for these types of things "For your convenience" is simple if you've entered your info into a database at some point or another... Further, it doesn't need to be Best Buy themselves who collected it, just someone from a larger parent company. 5-10 years ago before you were security conscious is probably when they got the info from you, and now you can't get it off their records.
Slashdot Mirror
no, you have us Canadians all wrong... They had to send it via unmanned weather balloon. Do you know how hard it is to control one of those things?
An example of correlation does not equal causation would be:
If Happiness catches, so must sadness, anger, and every other emotion. I Always feel pissy when people bitch and complain about stupid things...
In this single example, the correlation made, is that when other people are angry, I get angry. This is not actually the direct cause of my anger though. The reason for my anger is actually the incessant nature of the people complaining, and how silly the things they talk about actually are. Their anger doesn't actually bother me, it's the WAY they argue, and WHAT they argue about. Thus my correlation, albeit related to the cause, is not the cause itself.
Having said that... If someone tracks my behaviors, and statistically, when people get angry at something and start bitching, I actually start getting angry myself and bitch back, every time for different reasons each time, then they have proven their point with me.
If they can statistically prove this for hundreds of people, then they have a good theory.
If they can prove that regardless of what makes people angry initially, angry people make other people angry regardless... they have identified a phenomenon.
If they can prove that anger from one person, can cause someone else's anger inderectly through the people they come in contact with, then they have a significant phenomenon. For example, If they can prove that the anger caused, lets say by people bitching about stupid things on Slashdot, affects people who don't read Slashdot, a significant phenomenon has been tracked.
And if their statistics and theories can back up that significant phenomenon, then you have a significantly reliable theory. You will never be able to prove this theory 100%, but you will have something that is almost as good as 100% proof. A reliable theory (such as the theory of relativity) is useful until someone can prove it wrong... and even then, it gives us a damn good explanation so we can go on to move on to more important things instead of STUPID SHIT like this.
The original article did all these things. Except the slashdot-specific thing of course...
Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to stop talking now, because apparently this study just proved that it's very likely that I'm just pissing off all your friends, neighbors and children. And I don't think they did anything wrong in this argument...
Programming can be learned by book.... It just requires a computer to practice on as well. Hands on experience along side a good book can teach anyone. The fact is, most people CAN start to think in simple, logical and sequential steps already, and once you write out your idea, you can translate it into code. from there, you optimize.
Likewise, you can take code in the book and tinker with it. Reuse concepts until you understand it... In the end, you will be able to read code, Mimic the code, and eventually write your own code. All this can start from a book, then progress into a strong understanding of code.... Having never been taught by a human being. Programming theory is very similar to practical coding... ie: What is a loop? Code that repeats. How do I do it? for (x=0;x < y;x++) { }; Theory and skill taught, now go adapt.
Uhh, with code like that, you'll never get ahead... You at least need a gosub and return for that little plan of yours to work.. Geez, people really don't know their BASIC anymore...
Uhh, yeah, but if you load it on industrial drilling equipment, you're really going to get screwed...
Yeah, you never know what kind of damage you're going to do when you crash your racer... Life insurance might be handy....
Your analogy is flawed. It implies Microsoft did something wrong. Had Microsoft "Killed in cold blood", they would have used GPL code, and tried to fight it with a patent infringement lawsuit. In this case there is nothing to defend... Microsoft was (Surprisingly) proactive in saying to themselves - "We F*#$ed up and used GPL code. Now we have to release it to the world", which is the responsible thing to do. Just because they didn't announce the "We F*#$ed up" bit, doesn't mean they didn't do the right thing.
I prefer to think of it as someone going shopping, and putting something in your pocket to hold onto, forgetting about it, then accidentally stealing it. Once they get home, they realize what they've done, so they return to the store and pay for the item before the store realized they took the item in the first place. They prevented a damage control situation because they ponied up and released the code before someone caught them.
Just because they announce that they paid for the item without the back story isn't dishonest... It just isn't relevant - because they did the right thing and released the code... As a result everyone benefits should the code be suitable for use.
Nothing would have given the FOSS crowd greater pleasure than seeing a GPL infringement claim defeat Microsoft.... It would have been bitter irony. Instead Microsoft took that prospect away from the FOSS crowd, and played by the GPL rules. Now the FOSS people are angry they couldn't wage their war. Microsoft has made a very smart political move by releasing it, regardless of what spin you put on it.
I do... Here's a rundown:
Microsoft has gained popularity through theft of technology(GUI From Apple, their defense was "We stole it from Xerox, not Apple), Backdoor licensing agreements (IBM PC-DOS/MS-Dos), and anti-trust in general (How many competitors has Microsoft bought out or used "creative innovations" that break the original software [java, Internet explorer/HTML Standardization], in order to remove competitors?). They continue to use shady business practices to force PC manufacturers into selling windows licenses with every pre-built PC, regardless of what the user wants on their machine.
On the other hand, Apple has been releasing proprietary, non-upgradeable hardware, forcing their users to pay a premium for the hardware, then forcing an upgrade to the customer, causing them to buy all new hardware, for most of the company's history since the Mac was invented. Apple's Proprietary business deals have stagnated their platform several times, but their "creative marketing' has always managed to create enough fanboys to turn almost every Mac user into a smug elitist bastard who points the flaws out in everyone else's product except their own. Microsoft has also been making progress in that marketing strategy, but has yet to achieve Apple's market share in holier-than-thou egotistical bastards.
In recent years, they have both been proponents of DRM at some point, both support their own proprietary formats (Microsoft with WMA/WMV/ASF, Apple with Quicktime, and AAC), and are both patent whores.
In other words, both companies have had their evil dealings, and I'd say brainwashing and gouging end users is just as bad as dirty business tactics. When people finally realize that a computer is a computer is a computer, the Operating system wars will end, and the world will be happy with it's interoperable bliss.
Of course I think that day will come when I start blowing sunshine out my ass. Business is too cutthroat to allow that level of convergence.
Will it blend?
I was playing games on home computers back around 1982... The Commodore 64 even had a cartridge slot. And the games were better - There was more innovation in games those days. The fact remains, that Home Computer gaming has been at the forefront of gaming for the truly hard core gamers for over 20 years, and the only advantage many of them had over PC gaming was simplicity of controls. But the hardcore gamer on a PC was playing "realistic" flight sims, Sub simulators, and various other games that you can't control with just a joystick and 1 or 2 buttons.
VM's are a long term viable solution for backwards compatibility... Just ask the designers of Windows 7.... :P
... Because I certainly wouldn't think an entire architecture change would cause any hiccups, especially when this system is being used n a production environment. Besides, Data migration is just copying all the files from one hard disk to another. A base install of CentOS and SAMBA is exactly what every company needs, regardless of what other tasks were running on the original machine at the time. 2 Weeks for ensuring that your employees have relatively uninterrupted services through a server migration is entirely too long. What were you thinking??!?
+1 Sarcasm
If the chip were properly socketed, and easy to replace, it would be...
Tell, me - is replacing a Battery for your CMOS more intimidating then having a loud beep and something regarding corruption show up on your screen every time you turn your computer on?
If implemented correctly, Chip replacement is simple, and reversable. Bios flashes are more intimidating, because when the power goes out during your BIOS flash, there's a good chance you've just bricked your system, and will likely require a chip replacement...
What about a second BIOS stored in ROM? (no flash or PROM) I'm assuming an EEPROM on the motherboard has all the hardware required to work like an external programmer, with the exception of the code required to do that sort of thing. If you had a way to pre-empt the normal BIOS with a reprogramming ROM, which has only the code to wipe the BIOS and install stock firmware, you should be relatively protected from this sort of mess, Right?
This is only a useful technique providing your workers have ACCESS TO THE INFORMATION. Far too many companies have adequate training or the proper tools to let users figure out some SIMPLE things by themselves, out of security fears. Unfortunately, your ticket method goes against the "If we tell them how it works, they'll figure out how to abuse it" mentality of your management.
As a result your new policy just created a second bottleneck, likely much closer to the front lines, thereby impacting customer transactions. Knowingly inconveniencing front-line staff is NOT something you should take lightly. The answer is to train your staff, simplify processes, Provide the required tools, and have an effective, and expedient escalation path. Your phone help desk people are there to answer the "dumb questions" and common fixes. Your tier 2 should be there to figure out the more complicated long term stuff, or stuff requiring restricted access. Finally, your Tier 2 should be able to escalate to various levels of management, should a breakdown in the internal system be the problem.
In other words, design your system so people don't have to ask dumb questions. When a couple dumb questions occur, have them answered by people who can handle the smart questions - because you never know when you'll get a smart one. Finally, when your smart person can't answer it, have a way to get that question answered by an even smarter person with more tooks, or by management. Spend the money to make this happen. It'll save you in the long run.
So you want people to be able to call the shelter, whom also blocks their number? Show up with a nice "XXX Women's Shelter" On call display so that the women can be hunted down? Real smart.... Not everyone has access to cheap disposable cell phone plans.
Actually, Yes, Really. The HD channel you pick up with a set of Bunny ears looks and sounds no different than the HD Signal you receive with a so-called "HD Antenna". An "HD Antenna" picks up the same frequencies as the bunny ears. The difference, is that the HD antenna costs more because it has the words HD in it. Just because it is a better designed antenna doesn't mean it's HD... Likewise, if it improves an HD signal it will also improve an analog signal. HD Antenna is a marketing Gimmick. Boost the Antenna gain and directionalize the antenna to give it better range. That's all an "HD Antenna" does....
Lets face it - the ads were not compelling enough. Stations should have broadcast an analog feed and a digital feed. A Half-screen ticker on the analog feed stating "To get rid of this message, Pick up a digital converter, Switch to cable/Sattelite, or switch to our digital feed on Channel XX.X. Tune to channel 2 for more information." over top of people's programs (not during commercials) would have been the only suitable option. An FCC produced channel on channel 2 should have been broadcast in ALL locations explaining the whole process of switching to Digital, and been on a continual loop. 10 minutes explaining who needs the upgrade, when the change occurs, and what TV's are affected. 10 minutes for generic hookup instructions, and 10 minutes on how and why this change was occurring. Every half hour the cycle would repeat.
The nice thing is, with a simultaneous Analog and digital feed, and with cable operators already converting the digital signal to Analog cable, they wouldn't get the interruption message. if you target people with the message, and REALLY interfere with their viewing 6 months before the change, most people will switch to avoid being annoyed.
sure you might piss a lot of people off, and yes you incur a huge cost in broadcasting the education information, as well as saturate the airwaves with duplicate feeds... But at least people would be forced to get educated. Some people I'm sure, don't know there's a switchover happening or what it required to keep watching TV, or aren't sure it applies to them.
Just wait until August 31, 2011. That's when Canada switches over...
Likewise, The US switch affects border towns. I'm sure there's a lot of people south of Toronto, that can't get FOX through their antenna anymore.
In Fact, Canada has no proposed coupon/Digital TV upgrade offer. Canadians pay full price for the box, and that's the end of it... So, thanks to the US transition not being in sync with the Canadian Transition, Canadians are affected twice. BOHICA
That's still your signature.... It may look different, but it is your unique mark. In a court of law, if you were asked "Did you do this?" it would be perjury to say you didn't make that mark.
Actually, what they don't want is hundreds of lawyers on the internet picking apart their case and e-mailing their findings to Harvard.... Because, even the RIAA can't stand a chance of an entire army of lawyers working pro bono.
my step-son used to earn a pretty good chunk of change knocking those bullies out for the kids that had been picked on.
So, he was taking money from people weaker than himself, because if they didn't pay up, they'd get their ass beat? That sounds like bullying the victims by proxy. At the very least it's exploitation.
Should every citizen have the right to kill a shoplifter? No, that would still be murder. So should you allow your kid to exploit victims AND bully them, under the pretense of protecting them from other bullies? I think not. Kudos to anyone who helps someone stand up to a bully... but to charge money for it is just crooked and wrong. It's like teaching your kids to pay protection to the mob.
It's ok to safeguard the kids in your house. Just don't try to safeguard the kids in my house or anyone else's house. Where I might teach my kids what's good and bad for them, you might keep your kids away from something instead. Don't interfere with how I raise my kids just because you'd do it differently
Likewise, if you have visiting kids, and aren't sure your house is prepared for it, don't let them out of the sight of an adult. It's not a difficult concept. If your guests are not capable after looking after their own children, they shouldn't have brought them.
I Believe he was just hallucinating.... Coffee Drinking freak.... :P
Just because Best Buy doesn't have your info from you today, doesn't mean they never acquired it before. Saving your credit card data to do marketing research and for these types of things "For your convenience" is simple if you've entered your info into a database at some point or another... Further, it doesn't need to be Best Buy themselves who collected it, just someone from a larger parent company. 5-10 years ago before you were security conscious is probably when they got the info from you, and now you can't get it off their records.