What's new about this? Hearing aids have been embedded in glasses for years.
The first time I got hearing aids (about 4 or 5 years old) they tried to sell hearing aids that were embedded in the thick, 50's style glasses, which is essentially what they're pushing here.
That was 30 years ago. Sorry. This isn't remotely news, or even high tech.
You insentive clod! I am deaf. "Hearing impaired" is an offensive term:)
Many libraries are lending eBookos now. However much PR we try, we can't get patrons to use eBooks.
Why?
Picking up a dead tree book to read it requires no technical skill at all. ANYONE can checkout a book, and read it.
eBooks (at least the ones through NetLibrary) require: You download and install NetLibrary eBook reader on your computer Then you download the book from NetLibrary site Then you install the book into NetLibrary Reader Then it deletes the books if you don't read it within 14 days.
Your costs are way off. It's a school, and it can get a discount on Windows software and license 14 pc's for about $25/per. That's barely $350 for the 14 PC's.
Regardless... that's $350 more than Ubuntu would cost for much less software.
I apologize for using loose language and assumptions... allow me to clarify:
"legally obscene" is something "legally obscene". As legal obscenity is barely quantified, we're left to guess (really). Does that suck? You bet it does. Do tight bikinis on MySpace.com count? Bare beaver rugs? Full penetration? simulated barbie dolls with super glued genitals?
In general, if a naked woman is on screen, and there's 10 years old near by... that's obscene. BUT... if there aren't kids around, we're not going to make a big deal out of it UNLESS the person is engaging in the "whacking off".
We haven't dealt with the "whacking off" part, if only because our computers are in a very public area... however, who knows what they're doing in the private study rooms with wireless access?
The idiots in reference were the US gestapo (Homeland Security) who marched into a Library and did something that was just flat out, 100% wrong. I'm happy the police escorted them from the building. However, in Dubbya's world, the police were wrong and Librarian's are evil (except his wife).
All this being said... part of this is just my job. My personal opinion is that they should be able to look at whatever they want... WITHIN REASON. Viewing, say, hardcore sex in a Library filled with 10 year olds is just wrong. It's the reason all the "porno" mags ended up behind the counter at part stores. I also work very hard to make sure we do NOT filter ANYTHING. However, the law says I have to prevent people from looking at anything "legally obscene", without defining what obscenity is, it's a terrible part of my job. Sooner or later, someone objects... exactly as you've stated... "What is porn?".
Anyone looking at porn in a library filled with kids is bad. No one wants to be the Library where that guy was caught whacking off under the desk, and no one wants the janitor to tap you on the shoulder and say "Dude, you wouldn't BELIEVE what I had to clean up under the desk..."
That being said... I work in a Library. In Michigan there's a law called PA 212, which more or less requires that every Library have a "system" in place to prevent the viewing of "legally obscene" images on the internet. This doesn't have to be a program. More often than not, it takes the place of many warnings and the ever popular "tap on the shoulder" method... which incidentally is a way you can discover the true look of fear. If your library is stupid enough to accept federal grants for computer equipment, you saddle yourself with the cost of a filtering system (read that again: accept grants for computer? you're REQUIRED to filter them at Federal Level).
If these idiots came into my library and did that... well, the Police HQ is right behind us. We'd hear the goose steps before they got here.
I always felt my early addiction to Pong and the Atari 2600 led to needing a computer. So my father had a POng unit way back when... then we got the Atari 2600... shortly afterwards, I snagged a Vic 20, which my father hated and kept on using the Atari 2600. We used the Vic 20 and discovered the magic of BBS's and modems... I invested a summers worth of yard work into a 120 baud modem. (might have been slower...). We figure dout the Vic 209 was too slow and limited... then another summers worth of yard work went into a Commodore 64 with a blazzing 300 baud modem.
Shortly afterwards, we discovered the reality of phone bills while running up $500 in phone bills calling something called "Quantum BBS" and the "Twilight Zone"... I can't remember the full name. By the next summer, we started running a BBS (The Power Outlet) on a second C-64 with 3 1541's and 3 1581's hooked up to a blazzing 2400 baud modem. Oh yes... we wuz 3l33t.
As the "computer geek" for several libraries, I can state without doubt that they only did what they're supposed to do.
Libraries are governed in part by the Library Privacy Act. The Library Privacy Act states in no uncertain terms that Libraries are REQUIRED BY LAW to protect any and all personally identifiable information. This means, we can't even tell you if your 10 year old kid used the computers or checked out a book UNLESS you have a warrant or Patriot Act Summons.
If the FBI, CIA, NCIS, or Dubbya showed up unannounced and demanded we hand over our computers WITHOUT a warrant or summons... we'd tell them to go fetch said warrant or summons. It's a simple check and balance system.
All this article illustrates is the failure of the FBI agents to follow the letter of law: you can't look up someones personal information (which every computer used for public internet access may or may not have on it) without the proper paperwork.
Incidentally, if the FBI or whomever showed up at any of the Libraries I work for and asked for computers... they'd be SOL, even with a warrant: there IS no information stored on our computers thanks to software like Deep Freeze.
Vision? No. Back problems, yes. Of ocurse, I was already predisposed to back problems. In any case, it can also simply be your biological clock firing off stating "Okay... now the eyes must go... soon, the mind will follow and he'll forget he can't see... then we get the babes."
I wonder if the RIAA gives any consideration to deaf people and music. Since we cannot HEAR the music, often our only exposure to music is the lyrics. If they withhold the lyrics, they prevents deaf people from enjoying music.
They're stomping on my rights, dammit!
Here's a myth I'd like to see sorted out...
In movies, the heroes always find torches in those forbidding caves in the middle of the planet. They always appear to light right away, and burn for the duration of their requirment. Convenient plot device, or reality?
Also, a serious question: How exactly does one become a Mythbuster? From what we see on the shows, you guys have the greatest jobs in the world.
Slashdot Mirror
What's new about this? Hearing aids have been embedded in glasses for years. The first time I got hearing aids (about 4 or 5 years old) they tried to sell hearing aids that were embedded in the thick, 50's style glasses, which is essentially what they're pushing here. That was 30 years ago. Sorry. This isn't remotely news, or even high tech. You insentive clod! I am deaf. "Hearing impaired" is an offensive term :)
Many libraries are lending eBookos now. However much PR we try, we can't get patrons to use eBooks.
Why?
Picking up a dead tree book to read it requires no technical skill at all. ANYONE can checkout a book, and read it.
eBooks (at least the ones through NetLibrary) require:
You download and install NetLibrary eBook reader on your computer
Then you download the book from NetLibrary site
Then you install the book into NetLibrary Reader
Then it deletes the books if you don't read it within 14 days.
Plain and simple: eBooks are unfriendly.
Your costs are way off. It's a school, and it can get a discount on Windows software and license 14 pc's for about $25/per. That's barely $350 for the 14 PC's. Regardless... that's $350 more than Ubuntu would cost for much less software.
I apologize for using loose language and assumptions... allow me to clarify:
"legally obscene" is something "legally obscene". As legal obscenity is barely quantified, we're left to guess (really). Does that suck? You bet it does. Do tight bikinis on MySpace.com count? Bare beaver rugs? Full penetration? simulated barbie dolls with super glued genitals?
In general, if a naked woman is on screen, and there's 10 years old near by... that's obscene. BUT... if there aren't kids around, we're not going to make a big deal out of it UNLESS the person is engaging in the "whacking off".
We haven't dealt with the "whacking off" part, if only because our computers are in a very public area... however, who knows what they're doing in the private study rooms with wireless access?
The idiots in reference were the US gestapo (Homeland Security) who marched into a Library and did something that was just flat out, 100% wrong. I'm happy the police escorted them from the building. However, in Dubbya's world, the police were wrong and Librarian's are evil (except his wife).
All this being said... part of this is just my job. My personal opinion is that they should be able to look at whatever they want... WITHIN REASON. Viewing, say, hardcore sex in a Library filled with 10 year olds is just wrong. It's the reason all the "porno" mags ended up behind the counter at part stores. I also work very hard to make sure we do NOT filter ANYTHING. However, the law says I have to prevent people from looking at anything "legally obscene", without defining what obscenity is, it's a terrible part of my job. Sooner or later, someone objects... exactly as you've stated... "What is porn?".
Anyone looking at porn in a library filled with kids is bad. No one wants to be the Library where that guy was caught whacking off under the desk, and no one wants the janitor to tap you on the shoulder and say "Dude, you wouldn't BELIEVE what I had to clean up under the desk..."
That being said... I work in a Library. In Michigan there's a law called PA 212, which more or less requires that every Library have a "system" in place to prevent the viewing of "legally obscene" images on the internet. This doesn't have to be a program. More often than not, it takes the place of many warnings and the ever popular "tap on the shoulder" method... which incidentally is a way you can discover the true look of fear. If your library is stupid enough to accept federal grants for computer equipment, you saddle yourself with the cost of a filtering system (read that again: accept grants for computer? you're REQUIRED to filter them at Federal Level).
If these idiots came into my library and did that... well, the Police HQ is right behind us. We'd hear the goose steps before they got here.
I always felt my early addiction to Pong and the Atari 2600 led to needing a computer. So my father had a POng unit way back when... then we got the Atari 2600... shortly afterwards, I snagged a Vic 20, which my father hated and kept on using the Atari 2600. We used the Vic 20 and discovered the magic of BBS's and modems... I invested a summers worth of yard work into a 120 baud modem. (might have been slower...). We figure dout the Vic 209 was too slow and limited... then another summers worth of yard work went into a Commodore 64 with a blazzing 300 baud modem. Shortly afterwards, we discovered the reality of phone bills while running up $500 in phone bills calling something called "Quantum BBS" and the "Twilight Zone"... I can't remember the full name. By the next summer, we started running a BBS (The Power Outlet) on a second C-64 with 3 1541's and 3 1581's hooked up to a blazzing 2400 baud modem. Oh yes... we wuz 3l33t.
As the "computer geek" for several libraries, I can state without doubt that they only did what they're supposed to do. Libraries are governed in part by the Library Privacy Act. The Library Privacy Act states in no uncertain terms that Libraries are REQUIRED BY LAW to protect any and all personally identifiable information. This means, we can't even tell you if your 10 year old kid used the computers or checked out a book UNLESS you have a warrant or Patriot Act Summons. If the FBI, CIA, NCIS, or Dubbya showed up unannounced and demanded we hand over our computers WITHOUT a warrant or summons... we'd tell them to go fetch said warrant or summons. It's a simple check and balance system. All this article illustrates is the failure of the FBI agents to follow the letter of law: you can't look up someones personal information (which every computer used for public internet access may or may not have on it) without the proper paperwork. Incidentally, if the FBI or whomever showed up at any of the Libraries I work for and asked for computers... they'd be SOL, even with a warrant: there IS no information stored on our computers thanks to software like Deep Freeze.
Vision? No. Back problems, yes. Of ocurse, I was already predisposed to back problems. In any case, it can also simply be your biological clock firing off stating "Okay... now the eyes must go... soon, the mind will follow and he'll forget he can't see... then we get the babes."
No, it's a "blogosphere", but it does provide small independant bands and filmmakers with the ability to post files to their "blog".
I wonder if the RIAA gives any consideration to deaf people and music. Since we cannot HEAR the music, often our only exposure to music is the lyrics. If they withhold the lyrics, they prevents deaf people from enjoying music. They're stomping on my rights, dammit!
Horse pucky. Ask anyone: What does WWF mean?
World Wrestling Federation
Only tree huggers have a problem with that. Regardless, check the patents now and see WHO owns WWF.
Hint: it's NOT the World Wildlife Fund anymore.
Here's a myth I'd like to see sorted out... In movies, the heroes always find torches in those forbidding caves in the middle of the planet. They always appear to light right away, and burn for the duration of their requirment. Convenient plot device, or reality? Also, a serious question: How exactly does one become a Mythbuster? From what we see on the shows, you guys have the greatest jobs in the world.