Wow, I'm not even sure where to begin. This site runs into problems with civility at times but, compared to the bloodbath that is Reddit or god forbid YouTube, it's usually down right tame. Now some of the articles lend themselves to trouble (an article about Trump, what were you expecting editors?!) and that is the maintainers fault.
You complain that people have the option to register and possibly build up a reputation. It's optional as your AC status confirms so, I don't see your issue there. As long as registration isn't forced, I am fine with it. People can choose whether or not they are recognized. Though it seemed to be part of your complaint is that people with high reputations (karma) receive a posting score bonus and thus every comment's score isn't 100% based off its merit. Though I can acknowledge the argument, it seems reasonable that one of the best ways to anticipate the quality of a post is the history of past posts; thus the initial karma bonus if you have a high karma rating. Is it perfect? No. Is any system? No. So, the reward for good behavior doesn't seem to be a real problem. I've still been modded down to -1 if I deserved it. It just means that I start at a higher score.
The real bitch I've had about Slashdot is the article choices. Some lead to trouble as their designed to cause a fight as that gets more clicks, therefore more money and others are just crappy quality. The community isn't perfect, no community of this size is, but, to me, it's really the quality of articles that has been choking the life out of here.
I must say, for all my gripes about Slashdot, the lack of Unicode support is pretty far down the list. If they have to spend a limited time on their code, the JavaScript issues on their mobile site should take priority. It is very hard to moderate or read my messages using Firefox mobile on Android. The Chrome and Adblock browsers don't fare much better.
They cost more to install, that is not in dispute. The question is whether or not they provide enough energy and secondary benefits such as ice removal and obstruction warnings to warrant the investment. The panel makes say they will and the fossil fuel companies say they won't. Neither side can truly be taken at their word so the only way to know for sure is to install some in real world conditions and watch the numbers.
Actually, we don't "know" if they will or will not pay for themselves. We have two, or more sets of numbers, some from the makers of the solar products and some from companies such as BP and Shell. There's really no one involved that can be considered impartial so the best way to solve it is lay some down, get the numbers and see if anyone is right. With the ones here in the US (I'm not familiar with the French design) the panels may be still be worthwhile even if all they do is break even due to their ability to deice and detect and report road hazards as well as lay cable and piping without having to redig every time.
Well, this falls under the "further research" category. Both this and the US project have reached the stage of they just need to lay down a stip of it and see how it works over time under real world conditions.
Yes, the companies do this all the time but, rarely do their employees or customers drink the company Kool-Aid. I've worked at multiple large companies and never have I seen employees or customers have the same blind devotion to the company like I saw working at Apple.
This is one of the big areas that Apple got right. They understood that different types of devices require different UIs and they never attempted the one UI to rule them all that has been the downfall of so many other projects. Just look at the colossal failures of Windows 8, Gnome 3 and Unity. You'd think that after so many glaring failures at this that they'd learn.
You actually like that UI? I've hated it all the way back to when it was the UI for the Zune. You have to keep scrolling left and right for everything. It drove me nuts.
You can use electrical devices to make a dead animal move but, that doesn't change the fact it's dead. Same applies to Windows phone. Just replace electricity with money.
That's part of what has killed Windows phone is that Microsoft cannot agree with itself on branding, app design or API functionality. Every couple of years, there's a new name requiring a new device as the old ones can't upgrade, despite promises to the contrary, and Apps have to be rewritten as well. Everyone has had enough. Microsoft can't seem to remember what made them successful on desktops and make it stick on mobile. What most Microsoft customers want is consistency, not a redesign every few years.
The ability to record calls being disabled may be because of where you live. Here in California, recording calls in most cases is illegal with the only exception being both parties giving verbal or written consent before the recording begins. Though obviously you want to restate the consent on the recording if it was verbal.
You have to realize that the Nexus is the only Android iPhone equivalent where one company has control of both the hardware and the software. If the Android user base was better informed, the Nexus phones would be the only ones they buy. Instead they fall prey to advertising and the phone carrier stooges in the stores.
You usually have one of two types that post like that. One is the paid shill who job it is to defend their brand and put down other brands online. The motivation here is simple: money. Both Apple and Microsoft are known to employ them. I don't know if Google does or not. The second group is the fanboys. These tend to fall heavily on Apple's side but, Google and Microsoft have them too. They wrap their own identities into brands they use making them part of their metaphorical tribe. Similar to how people get wrapped up into sports teams and take any attack on their team like it was an attack an themselves and respond accordingly. Apple has a larger group of these as a lot of Apple employees and customers share a lot of cult-like traits. I worked for Apple for 18 months and it was one of the surreal organizations I ever worked for. It was part company and part religion. I was never able to wrap my head around it either.
Adobe. They have always done crap like this. The older PDF viewer software did things like auto launch an embedded binary with admin privileges and system access. Crap like this is actually an improvement from the old days.
I delt with this problem a lot actually. Some out there made a browser string check that would modify the layout and code of the page. It became very popular and got dropped in to so many pages. The problem is that browsers updated and the code didn't and it started breaking more pages than solving issues. I've seen ones still in use that reference Netscape navigator and ancient IE versions but, no current browser. What's worse is that they don't leave things alone on a non-recognized browser, it does a non-supported mode that breaks most modern code. I have no idea where these webdorks get this code as none of the reputable code repositories seem to have these ancient code samples. Thankfully this happens less now but, I still run into government sites with truly ancient code.
Gnome 3, I have to give you. The previous version worked well (even though it wasn't my preference) with few issues. Its only flaw was that it wasn't 'pretty'. To solve the 'pretty' problem, they threw everything away and tried to force a buggy and virtually unusable replacement.
Systemd though, I can't give you. It was a solution to real problems with initv. You may not like the solution they chose but, you can't deny that it was trying to solve real problems. When your dealing with something as low level as the init system, it's unrealistic for most projects to support more than one solution. So, they picked what they considered the lesser of the evils, systemd. You may not like the choice but, it's been made.
Firefox is mixed. I understand the complaint that they're Chromifying Firefox. Most Firefox users used it because it wasn't Chrome. The problem here is that Mozilla is a business and they wanted a larger userbase than the anti-chrome crowd and that means adopting Chrome's design as that is what a majority of users prefer. It sucks but, it's reality.
The PDF security problems stem from its early days when they were trying to get their adoption rates up. In order to try and get every business to adopt it, they asked people at the companies what features they would like to see in Acrobat. And they got mostly marketing managers replying with every bell and whistle they could think up: scripting support with system and drve access, embedded binaries, ability to connect and send commands to Outlook, etc. I'm not sure anyone at Adobe cared if they were a good idea, much less secure. All they cared about was adoption. They've been trying to clean up the mess ever since. Many of these features have had to be removed or severely restricted just to try and put their fingers in the gaping holes that is Acrobat security.
We so need a corporate death penalty. This isn't quite the case for it to be used but, it should certainly exist. Also, if the corporation is sentenced to death, all of the C-level executives should have an automatic prison sentence that can be enhanced for their crimes.
But, a large part of the problem is that Sun, the creators and owners of Java at the time, didn't object to Google creating their own version of the API. The problem Oracle is having in court is they are trying to say that since they bought Java with Sun that they can go back to the beginning when Sun still owned Java and change their decision on how Google could use the API and charge them all the back fees from when they didn't even own the company. They may have a much better argument by saying that the terms were changed when they purchased Java and they have to pay the fees from that point forward if they wish to continue using the API as they have. But, that is not the argument Oracle is making and they don't want to make this argument as Google has moved Andriod to the Java open API that there are no license fees for so they would only be able to collect fees for a small window, not the billions Oracle wants out of Google (rumor is these anticipated billions from Google over Java was one of the only reasons they purchased Sun). That's why one of the judgements was that Google did violate copyright but, owed Oracle $0. Oracle is in a nasty uphill fight here that Ellison didn't anticipate and I hope he gets burned.
Bad analogy. Barbers, plumbers and gardeners have published advertised rates or they don't stay in business long. This is more like how much you pay your crack dealer down the street (though even they have published advertised rates sometimes).
Umm... did you fail civics? She is a member of the US Senate, not the California Senate. This is a California state bill. She has no official say in the matter.
Slashdot Mirror
I so would love to have an achievement for that! If you are that masterful of a troll, you've earned it.
Wow, I'm not even sure where to begin. This site runs into problems with civility at times but, compared to the bloodbath that is Reddit or god forbid YouTube, it's usually down right tame. Now some of the articles lend themselves to trouble (an article about Trump, what were you expecting editors?!) and that is the maintainers fault.
You complain that people have the option to register and possibly build up a reputation. It's optional as your AC status confirms so, I don't see your issue there. As long as registration isn't forced, I am fine with it. People can choose whether or not they are recognized. Though it seemed to be part of your complaint is that people with high reputations (karma) receive a posting score bonus and thus every comment's score isn't 100% based off its merit. Though I can acknowledge the argument, it seems reasonable that one of the best ways to anticipate the quality of a post is the history of past posts; thus the initial karma bonus if you have a high karma rating. Is it perfect? No. Is any system? No. So, the reward for good behavior doesn't seem to be a real problem. I've still been modded down to -1 if I deserved it. It just means that I start at a higher score.
The real bitch I've had about Slashdot is the article choices. Some lead to trouble as their designed to cause a fight as that gets more clicks, therefore more money and others are just crappy quality. The community isn't perfect, no community of this size is, but, to me, it's really the quality of articles that has been choking the life out of here.
I must say, for all my gripes about Slashdot, the lack of Unicode support is pretty far down the list. If they have to spend a limited time on their code, the JavaScript issues on their mobile site should take priority. It is very hard to moderate or read my messages using Firefox mobile on Android. The Chrome and Adblock browsers don't fare much better.
I do my best to keep them at -1 if they deserve it.
They cost more to install, that is not in dispute. The question is whether or not they provide enough energy and secondary benefits such as ice removal and obstruction warnings to warrant the investment. The panel makes say they will and the fossil fuel companies say they won't. Neither side can truly be taken at their word so the only way to know for sure is to install some in real world conditions and watch the numbers.
Actually, we don't "know" if they will or will not pay for themselves. We have two, or more sets of numbers, some from the makers of the solar products and some from companies such as BP and Shell. There's really no one involved that can be considered impartial so the best way to solve it is lay some down, get the numbers and see if anyone is right. With the ones here in the US (I'm not familiar with the French design) the panels may be still be worthwhile even if all they do is break even due to their ability to deice and detect and report road hazards as well as lay cable and piping without having to redig every time.
Well, this falls under the "further research" category. Both this and the US project have reached the stage of they just need to lay down a stip of it and see how it works over time under real world conditions.
Please report to the office of your robotic overlords for processing.
Yes, the companies do this all the time but, rarely do their employees or customers drink the company Kool-Aid. I've worked at multiple large companies and never have I seen employees or customers have the same blind devotion to the company like I saw working at Apple.
I've never understood the majority of human's need for a throwback to our tribalistic days.
This is one of the big areas that Apple got right. They understood that different types of devices require different UIs and they never attempted the one UI to rule them all that has been the downfall of so many other projects. Just look at the colossal failures of Windows 8, Gnome 3 and Unity. You'd think that after so many glaring failures at this that they'd learn.
You actually like that UI? I've hated it all the way back to when it was the UI for the Zune. You have to keep scrolling left and right for everything. It drove me nuts.
You can use electrical devices to make a dead animal move but, that doesn't change the fact it's dead. Same applies to Windows phone. Just replace electricity with money.
That's part of what has killed Windows phone is that Microsoft cannot agree with itself on branding, app design or API functionality. Every couple of years, there's a new name requiring a new device as the old ones can't upgrade, despite promises to the contrary, and Apps have to be rewritten as well. Everyone has had enough. Microsoft can't seem to remember what made them successful on desktops and make it stick on mobile. What most Microsoft customers want is consistency, not a redesign every few years.
The ability to record calls being disabled may be because of where you live. Here in California, recording calls in most cases is illegal with the only exception being both parties giving verbal or written consent before the recording begins. Though obviously you want to restate the consent on the recording if it was verbal.
You have to realize that the Nexus is the only Android iPhone equivalent where one company has control of both the hardware and the software. If the Android user base was better informed, the Nexus phones would be the only ones they buy. Instead they fall prey to advertising and the phone carrier stooges in the stores.
You usually have one of two types that post like that. One is the paid shill who job it is to defend their brand and put down other brands online. The motivation here is simple: money. Both Apple and Microsoft are known to employ them. I don't know if Google does or not. The second group is the fanboys. These tend to fall heavily on Apple's side but, Google and Microsoft have them too. They wrap their own identities into brands they use making them part of their metaphorical tribe. Similar to how people get wrapped up into sports teams and take any attack on their team like it was an attack an themselves and respond accordingly. Apple has a larger group of these as a lot of Apple employees and customers share a lot of cult-like traits. I worked for Apple for 18 months and it was one of the surreal organizations I ever worked for. It was part company and part religion. I was never able to wrap my head around it either.
Adobe. They have always done crap like this. The older PDF viewer software did things like auto launch an embedded binary with admin privileges and system access. Crap like this is actually an improvement from the old days.
I delt with this problem a lot actually. Some out there made a browser string check that would modify the layout and code of the page. It became very popular and got dropped in to so many pages. The problem is that browsers updated and the code didn't and it started breaking more pages than solving issues. I've seen ones still in use that reference Netscape navigator and ancient IE versions but, no current browser. What's worse is that they don't leave things alone on a non-recognized browser, it does a non-supported mode that breaks most modern code. I have no idea where these webdorks get this code as none of the reputable code repositories seem to have these ancient code samples. Thankfully this happens less now but, I still run into government sites with truly ancient code.
Gnome 3, I have to give you. The previous version worked well (even though it wasn't my preference) with few issues. Its only flaw was that it wasn't 'pretty'. To solve the 'pretty' problem, they threw everything away and tried to force a buggy and virtually unusable replacement.
Systemd though, I can't give you. It was a solution to real problems with initv. You may not like the solution they chose but, you can't deny that it was trying to solve real problems. When your dealing with something as low level as the init system, it's unrealistic for most projects to support more than one solution. So, they picked what they considered the lesser of the evils, systemd. You may not like the choice but, it's been made.
Firefox is mixed. I understand the complaint that they're Chromifying Firefox. Most Firefox users used it because it wasn't Chrome. The problem here is that Mozilla is a business and they wanted a larger userbase than the anti-chrome crowd and that means adopting Chrome's design as that is what a majority of users prefer. It sucks but, it's reality.
The PDF security problems stem from its early days when they were trying to get their adoption rates up. In order to try and get every business to adopt it, they asked people at the companies what features they would like to see in Acrobat. And they got mostly marketing managers replying with every bell and whistle they could think up: scripting support with system and drve access, embedded binaries, ability to connect and send commands to Outlook, etc. I'm not sure anyone at Adobe cared if they were a good idea, much less secure. All they cared about was adoption. They've been trying to clean up the mess ever since. Many of these features have had to be removed or severely restricted just to try and put their fingers in the gaping holes that is Acrobat security.
We so need a corporate death penalty. This isn't quite the case for it to be used but, it should certainly exist. Also, if the corporation is sentenced to death, all of the C-level executives should have an automatic prison sentence that can be enhanced for their crimes.
But, a large part of the problem is that Sun, the creators and owners of Java at the time, didn't object to Google creating their own version of the API. The problem Oracle is having in court is they are trying to say that since they bought Java with Sun that they can go back to the beginning when Sun still owned Java and change their decision on how Google could use the API and charge them all the back fees from when they didn't even own the company. They may have a much better argument by saying that the terms were changed when they purchased Java and they have to pay the fees from that point forward if they wish to continue using the API as they have. But, that is not the argument Oracle is making and they don't want to make this argument as Google has moved Andriod to the Java open API that there are no license fees for so they would only be able to collect fees for a small window, not the billions Oracle wants out of Google (rumor is these anticipated billions from Google over Java was one of the only reasons they purchased Sun). That's why one of the judgements was that Google did violate copyright but, owed Oracle $0. Oracle is in a nasty uphill fight here that Ellison didn't anticipate and I hope he gets burned.
Bad analogy. Barbers, plumbers and gardeners have published advertised rates or they don't stay in business long. This is more like how much you pay your crack dealer down the street (though even they have published advertised rates sometimes).
Umm... did you fail civics? She is a member of the US Senate, not the California Senate. This is a California state bill. She has no official say in the matter.