How about every bill being publicly posted without alteration for 90 days before any voting is allowed? That would stop a lot of bad legislation from being pushed through congress.
Then, it would fall in the hands of the lobbyists.
I don't think it's enough; It is my opinion that nothing (big) will happen.
I got this description (from someone who lived in the states) that if you don't like how your congressman votes, you can call him at home and ask him why; If you don't like his answer, you can put it in the newspaper and maybe, get him to resign.
I think it was an oversimplification, but I also think that with all the American democracy(TM) nothing will happen this time.
I get the feeling (I've never been to the states so I may be wrong) that what you're starting to see here is a well-oiled leadership machine, changing it's public figure every four (or eight years), but with the same system behind, with the same small group of people amassing power (how is that for representing the people?).
There may be a scandal and that's it (when he started his speech no major news agencies even touched the subject, and that in itself might be bigger news that what the president did: it's part of the system for covering it up).
I'm not entirely sure what your point is, and if it's supposed to be a good or a bad thing.
It's a good thing: due to the open nature of the torrent protocol, I think we will see changes in the torrent clients, that will make the current sabotage attempts obsolete.
This just highlights the evolving nature of open... protocols? (it's more than the software). I believe new software will appear that works around the next attempt to block torrents, and new software to go arround the one after that... If there is a big-enough interest in code/protocol changes, and the code / protocol is open, you can't "put a stop" to it.
If there is no actual child involved is the law merely protecting against the possibility of offenders committing future crimes against real children?"
It's like the proliferation of guns: the fact that you have them easily available all the time, will make violent people simply reach for them in an access of fury (instead of using something less lethal).
IANAS ( I am not a shrink:) ) but I think that going towards something like pedophilia is a gradual process, and having pictures (even if computer-generated) involving children readily available would make it easier for would-be pedophiles to go to the next step (whatever that might be).
Continua are so much prettier mathematically though. [...] Quantum theory is so damn *ugly* compared to GR and its extensions (Kaluza-Klein, Einstein-Cartan). Sigh.
I wouldn't call quantum theory ugly, just counter-intuitive, and that, I think, comes from the fact that at our magnification level, we don't see anything that behaves quite like anything at quantum level.
The most insightful thing I've ever read on that is Feynman's introduction to quantum theory:
On the other hand, I think I can safely say that nobody understands quantum mechanics. So do not take the lecture too seriously, feeling that you really have to understand in terms of some model what I am going to describe, but just relax and enjoy it. I am going to tell you what nature behaves like. If you will simply admit that maybe she does behave like this, you will find her a delightful, entrancing thing. Do not keep saying to yourself, if you can possible avoid it, "But how can it be like that?" because you will get 'down the drain', into a blind alley from which nobody has escaped. Nobody knows how it can be like that.
...by and large the population [of China] is content with their government.
I have lived under a comunist regime for a while, and the official news (especially those exitting the country) were about how most people were content with their government
In china, the situation is not about people being content, it's about them being too affraid to say they aren't.
You have two kinds of people:
On one side, you have the ones that live a relatively decent life (compared to the ones around them). These, you will find in the large cities, in restaurants, universities and so on.
On the other hand, you have the people the chinese government won't let you interview (as a foreign reporter). Wonder why that is...
By the way, I don't think the ones in the first category are that many (being china, they may be, but proportionally, they should still be a minority).
Well... somebody should probably explain the court that they did much more than the blogger, to undermine the prestige of the state (and to show the national morale as lacking), by simply convicting him.
Just an idiot with a political agenda and authority on his hands:
The Nazis used to burn books if I'm not mistaking.
Also, if I remember correctly, there was some pasha or other in the ottoman empire who said that either the kuran is the only truth and then other books have no purpose, or the kuran is not the only truth, and then the fact that there are other truths must be hidden; thus, he burned the library.
1440x90
Whoa! Really? That is one weird monitor you got.
That's not the issue (not from the user's perspective). Even more, saying to a user "Well it's not ubuntu's fault that you have a weird monitor" will not exactly improve ubuntu's usability.
I just got a new computer and the monitor (1440x900 also) stayed from my old one.
The first thing I did was install kubuntu; the second thing I did, was take it down, as I didn't want to make the time to look on the net again, on how to generate the x11 config file for my monitor.
In windows, for comparision, I just used the CD that came with the monitor and it worked.
One could argue that the monitor supplier shouldn't only provide the settings for one OS family, but in the end, I'm running windows, with 160 Gb non-allocated HDD space, for when I will have the time to reinstall (and manually configure) kubuntu.
Until I take that time, this can sadly be seen as one reason (k)ubuntu failed, from a usability perspective, for another user (me).
I will still take the time to install it... eventually.
Not that I don't agree with you that all that is bad (extortion, blackmail, etc.), but they are not "terrorist patterns" in any way shape or form: they're not really producing terror, in the name of a political agenda (that is what I understand terrorism to be).
Did someone steal the balls of every American politician and ship them overseas or something? It would explain quite a bit...
It's not that; more like, as a politician in the US, you can't get far, unless you have corporate backing (corporations control the media, thus public opinion, among other things). As such, you (Americans) don't elect people as much as do the corporations.
Disclaimer: Not to bash Americans or anything, you can see the same in Romania (where I'm from) where as a politician, you can't get very far unless you're willing to bribe and receive bribes - among other things - as everybody in the political system expects bribes, and the system eliminates those who don't, by design.
Of course you can. Just don't expect it to still execute.
If we're talking here about steganography (stegano-[something else?]), you can still carry the file as an.exe file and go: "I don't know why it doesn't execute... I guess it's corrupted!"
Slashdot Mirror
Then, it would fall in the hands of the lobbyists.
I don't think it's enough; It is my opinion that nothing (big) will happen.
I got this description (from someone who lived in the states) that if you don't like how your congressman votes, you can call him at home and ask him why; If you don't like his answer, you can put it in the newspaper and maybe, get him to resign.
I think it was an oversimplification, but I also think that with all the American democracy(TM) nothing will happen this time.
I get the feeling (I've never been to the states so I may be wrong) that what you're starting to see here is a well-oiled leadership machine, changing it's public figure every four (or eight years), but with the same system behind, with the same small group of people amassing power (how is that for representing the people?).
There may be a scandal and that's it (when he started his speech no major news agencies even touched the subject, and that in itself might be bigger news that what the president did: it's part of the system for covering it up).
I hope I'm too cynical about this.
It's a good thing: due to the open nature of the torrent protocol, I think we will see changes in the torrent clients, that will make the current sabotage attempts obsolete.
This just highlights the evolving nature of open ... protocols? (it's more than the software). ...
... not for long.
I believe new software will appear that works around the next attempt to block torrents, and new software to go arround the one after that
If there is a big-enough interest in code/protocol changes, and the code / protocol is open, you can't "put a stop" to it.
Well
Mono.
So ... I realize that this will ultimately be adapted to humans, but could it be adapted to something else?
...
...
Specifically, I'm thinking of adapting a laser prosthetic arm, to be used by the poor, armless sharks
It's just an idea
It's like the proliferation of guns: the fact that you have them easily available all the time, will make violent people simply reach for them in an access of fury (instead of using something less lethal).
IANAS ( I am not a shrink
So, can it detect glycerin? I think it's found in many skin care products.
Then again, is there any information on the number of false positives of this thing?
I wouldn't call quantum theory ugly, just counter-intuitive, and that, I think, comes from the fact that at our magnification level, we don't see anything that behaves quite like anything at quantum level.
The most insightful thing I've ever read on that is Feynman's introduction to quantum theory:
I have lived under a comunist regime for a while, and the official news (especially those exitting the country) were about how most people were content with their government
In china, the situation is not about people being content, it's about them being too affraid to say they aren't.
You have two kinds of people:
On one side, you have the ones that live a relatively decent life (compared to the ones around them). These, you will find in the large cities, in restaurants, universities and so on.
On the other hand, you have the people the chinese government won't let you interview (as a foreign reporter). Wonder why that is ...
By the way, I don't think the ones in the first category are that many (being china, they may be, but proportionally, they should still be a minority).
Well ... somebody should probably explain the court that they did much more than the blogger, to undermine the prestige of the state (and to show the national morale as lacking), by simply convicting him.
He didn't. He just wrote that and everyone else assumes that's what's actually stated at the end of TFA.
What?!? The White House? ( couldn't resist that one :( ).
>> Two wrongs don't make a right... or do they?
No, but three lefts do.
What was that quote about never ascribing to malice?
It's a well put-together story (plausible enough) but I'm still skeptic though.
Maybe we've just seen too many lies :)
I think everybody knows by now that Vista sales are not going as Microsoft initially envisioned, whatever Steve Balmer might be saying.
You don't need a supertermite :)
Just an idiot with a political agenda and authority on his hands:
The Nazis used to burn books if I'm not mistaking.
Also, if I remember correctly, there was some pasha or other in the ottoman empire who said that either the kuran is the only truth and then other books have no purpose, or the kuran is not the only truth, and then the fact that there are other truths must be hidden; thus, he burned the library.
It only takes a bunch of idiots.
... afterall, to patent them, they would need to describe them :)
... patch based security is also the model linux uses (as far as I understand).
Furthermore, for Linux access to the unpatched code is also easy to obtain.
Somebody please correct me if I'm mistaken.
Yes, but will it run with Flashblock?
That's not the issue (not from the user's perspective). Even more, saying to a user "Well it's not ubuntu's fault that you have a weird monitor" will not exactly improve ubuntu's usability.
I just got a new computer and the monitor (1440x900 also) stayed from my old one.
The first thing I did was install kubuntu; the second thing I did, was take it down, as I didn't want to make the time to look on the net again, on how to generate the x11 config file for my monitor.
In windows, for comparision, I just used the CD that came with the monitor and it worked.
One could argue that the monitor supplier shouldn't only provide the settings for one OS family, but in the end, I'm running windows, with 160 Gb non-allocated HDD space, for when I will have the time to reinstall (and manually configure) kubuntu.
Until I take that time, this can sadly be seen as one reason (k)ubuntu failed, from a usability perspective, for another user (me).
I will still take the time to install it ... eventually.
Not that I don't agree with you that all that is bad (extortion, blackmail, etc.), but they are not "terrorist patterns" in any way shape or form: they're not really producing terror, in the name of a political agenda (that is what I understand terrorism to be).
</pedantic>
It's not that; more like, as a politician in the US, you can't get far, unless you have corporate backing (corporations control the media, thus public opinion, among other things). As such, you (Americans) don't elect people as much as do the corporations.
Disclaimer: Not to bash Americans or anything, you can see the same in Romania (where I'm from) where as a politician, you can't get very far unless you're willing to bribe and receive bribes - among other things - as everybody in the political system expects bribes, and the system eliminates those who don't, by design.
Of course you can. Just don't expect it to still execute. If we're talking here about steganography (stegano-[something else?]), you can still carry the file as an .exe file and go: "I don't know why it doesn't execute ... I guess it's corrupted!"