While we had our laugh, it is statistically improbable that a successful corporation like Verizon can have so many people that fails grade school math. My guess is that they have been handing out A LOT of these 0.002cent/kb deal to users, and they will not admit to a single one of them. A mere $72 lost to a customer is nothing compare to paying up everyone who received this quote. Then again, I think 90% of us would not be so smart to ask the rep. to write a note when it was first quoted. This is a well-learned lesson for the a consumer like me.
First of all, contributions to many of not-so-controversial entries (and that's usually the majorities of entries anyway) are often written or being written by translation. See for example, this entry for Perturbation Theory. So The differences between the two wikipedia are often small for most of my search/contribution need (I study physics and mathematics, and often contributes to both of these subjects in English and Chinese).
Of course, there are also controversial topics such as Mao, representative government, and democracy. I tend to think that wikipedia (WP) is at its best at those issue precisely because of ability for each sides to edit the article because at the end of the day, it demands compromise from all side in order for a particular edit to stay. WP is at its worst with respect to obscure topics that nobody check and few people are knowledgable enough in a particular narrow direction to check. Then again, if you believe everything with a single source, be it WP or any other encyclopedia, you are not doing serious research anyway.
Finally. Is it really that shocking that different culture/political upbringing can reach a different conclusion on a topic? Grew up in China, I have heard both praising and condemnation of the ruling party (in private of course) as well as Western government/culture. Capitalism is perceived no more an foreign evil in China now a day than communism a savior of the nation. Educated class in China (consider how many were illiterate before the communist took over) has a much more critical eye for the government than many in the West give credit for.
After reading your comment, I have decided to do a little survey. Entries for (Mao), (CMP) are in simplified script. While other entries are in traditional. I read both and generally don't prefer one over the other. Today's opening page has links to entries written in both scripts. While I agree that most user are probably from non-censored TW and HK, there are still fair amount of simplified script articles. BTW, Singapore uses simplified Chinese as well.
Skype encrypts the communication by default I believe. So NSA may know who you called, but (unless they are also consealing such technology as a quantum computer) not what you talked about.
Remember when the confusion between SI and English unit cause a crash? I hope NASA won't contract their work to some company that use a different standard...
I think we should "ask" (or force?) OS maker (MS and other, but most Linux already doing what I am about to describe) to include an industry-standard package (presumably binary, but source can be available for techie whereever license allows) distribution tool. So when you install Windows, you have a choice of a list of software to install/uninstall/replace at will. These software includes both commericial/free. And Surely each software vendor can advertise the advantage (or even bash other equivalent software?) within the confine of this tool (so consumer only look at advertisement when they CHOOSE too). And software will be delivered over a the internet.
I suppose the bottom line is, I have no problem with MS if I have the choice of removing (not merely not using, even 1MB of software I don't desire is unacceptable in my computer) their software and replacing them with what I prefer. I used IE over netscape by choice because netscape was getting big and slow, and now I am using firefox by choice. My main IM client is MSN messenger partly because 70% of my friends are on it, and partly because I actually like it. I am testing out GAIM-WIN32 now, looking good so far...
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While we had our laugh, it is statistically improbable that a successful corporation like Verizon can have so many people that fails grade school math. My guess is that they have been handing out A LOT of these 0.002cent/kb deal to users, and they will not admit to a single one of them. A mere $72 lost to a customer is nothing compare to paying up everyone who received this quote. Then again, I think 90% of us would not be so smart to ask the rep. to write a note when it was first quoted. This is a well-learned lesson for the a consumer like me.
First of all, contributions to many of not-so-controversial entries (and that's usually the majorities of entries anyway) are often written or being written by translation. See for example, this entry for Perturbation Theory. So The differences between the two wikipedia are often small for most of my search/contribution need (I study physics and mathematics, and often contributes to both of these subjects in English and Chinese).
Of course, there are also controversial topics such as Mao, representative government, and democracy. I tend to think that wikipedia (WP) is at its best at those issue precisely because of ability for each sides to edit the article because at the end of the day, it demands compromise from all side in order for a particular edit to stay. WP is at its worst with respect to obscure topics that nobody check and few people are knowledgable enough in a particular narrow direction to check. Then again, if you believe everything with a single source, be it WP or any other encyclopedia, you are not doing serious research anyway.
Finally. Is it really that shocking that different culture/political upbringing can reach a different conclusion on a topic? Grew up in China, I have heard both praising and condemnation of the ruling party (in private of course) as well as Western government/culture. Capitalism is perceived no more an foreign evil in China now a day than communism a savior of the nation. Educated class in China (consider how many were illiterate before the communist took over) has a much more critical eye for the government than many in the West give credit for.
After reading your comment, I have decided to do a little survey. Entries for (Mao), (CMP) are in simplified script. While other entries are in traditional. I read both and generally don't prefer one over the other. Today's opening page has links to entries written in both scripts. While I agree that most user are probably from non-censored TW and HK, there are still fair amount of simplified script articles. BTW, Singapore uses simplified Chinese as well.
Skype encrypts the communication by default I believe. So NSA may know who you called, but (unless they are also consealing such technology as a quantum computer) not what you talked about.
Remember when the confusion between SI and English unit cause a crash? I hope NASA won't contract their work to some company that use a different standard...
I think we should "ask" (or force?) OS maker (MS and other, but most Linux already doing what I am about to describe) to include an industry-standard package (presumably binary, but source can be available for techie whereever license allows) distribution tool. So when you install Windows, you have a choice of a list of software to install/uninstall/replace at will. These software includes both commericial/free. And Surely each software vendor can advertise the advantage (or even bash other equivalent software?) within the confine of this tool (so consumer only look at advertisement when they CHOOSE too). And software will be delivered over a the internet.
I suppose the bottom line is, I have no problem with MS if I have the choice of removing (not merely not using, even 1MB of software I don't desire is unacceptable in my computer) their software and replacing them with what I prefer. I used IE over netscape by choice because netscape was getting big and slow, and now I am using firefox by choice. My main IM client is MSN messenger partly because 70% of my friends are on it, and partly because I actually like it. I am testing out GAIM-WIN32 now, looking good so far...