Not fake newspapers yet, but definitely fake articles. Advertisers do their best to purchase a whole page and "pretend" to be a news article by matching the font, headline structure, and overall composition you'd expect to see from a newspaper article. By masquerading as an actual piece they hope to win your trust in the absurd claims made in the article, with accompanying pictures of an honest-looking doctor (in lab coat, of course).
Not only are these a cheap shot, they're also very annoying, especially when they are every-other-page, as is often the case with my local paper, the D&C. I'm always being told that "scientists are amazed by the adhesiveness of new DentureBOND(tm) Maximum Strength Dental Adhesive. So strong it can hold a cow to the ceiling by means of only a few drops! A scientifical (sic) revolution!"
These "fake articles" are always rife with phony quotes, sources, pictures and media-esque mini-headlines. It was only a matter of time before this happened too. The moral is, advertisers will do anything, anything to get you to buy their crap.
This user-search crap is an advertising goldmine. The internet is so vast and intricate that you need a search engine to find just about anything (unless you happen to enjoy posting to random forums in hopes for a response...in a few days or so).
But when you search, it says something about you personally. Just like when you buy things at the grocery store (don't forget to use your Super Shopper Saver Discount Card, Mister 60917492!) searching online indicates what you are interested in and what you're likely to buy in the future. By hopefully pegging your wants, desires, hobbies, interests, tastes and preferences into a conveniently distributable file advertisers hope to beam you laser-targetted ads for crap that you (and only you) will simply HAVE to buy in order to feel complete as a human being.
Without the personal identiciation, they can't hope to learn every intricate detail of your life in order to suck more of your money from your pockets (or packets, as the case may be:-). *ducks*
Actually, as reported here the songs will be free to the user, with royalties being paid by Microsoft. In other words, you as the user get to move your songs over while MS re-buys them for you.
Albeit ostensibly benevolent, keep in mind Microsoft has a habit of trying to dump loads of money to gain initial market share. It'll be interesting to see how it turns out.
That's why the most common reason why people are put in gaol ( jail for Yanks ) is for non-payment of medical bills.
Don't make stuff up, it tanks the credibility of the rest of what you're saying. Violent offenses make up over 50% of those sentenced to prison as of 2004. I've never heard of *anyone* going to jail because of non-payment of medical bills; it's incredibly rare as the system has a bunch of "safety nets" built in. There's plenty you can do before jail becomes relevant.
The US system is what everyone else in the western world points at, and say "at least we're not that fucked up yet".
Now, this part has more truth to it. The WHO lists the US as 37th in Healthcare, well below most other developed nations and 72nd in overall health (that's right down there with Iraq at 75th, althogh in the US's case obesity is probably largely the issue). Of course, this data is from 1997 and healthcare has changed since then, but you get the picture. Many people in the US are starting to go to India to have medical procedures done (yes this is true) because it's cheaper to fly to India and have an Indian doctor perform the surgery or whatever procedure than have a US doctor do it. See here if you're interested.
This is so true. The USPTO often recruits near where I live and work. In college, they had a booth at the college career fair and were the only people with NO line whatsoever. They literally had to walk around and ask people to come talk to them. It was pretty sad.
It wasn't hard to figure out why, they were offering salaries nearly $15k lower than the competition. A CS/EE Master's degree and a 3.9-4.0 GPA would earn you something like $56k. In the DC area that's roughly $35k if you live somewhere with an average cost-of-living. Needless to say, most weren't too interested in the USPTO.
To make matters worse, the job is awful. You are given x number of patents a week, period. Whether or not you finish them you're still getting them piled on you. It's just one after the other, like sorting mail your whole life. They tried to make it sound exciting, but it just wasn't.
I spoke with some people who worked at the USPTO. They hated their lives. Their technical skills went completely to waste and they quickly learned you either become a patent lawyer or you flounder and die.
This grim picture is all the USPTO has to offer to incoming recruits, and no wonder they are understaffed. Lousy patents making it through the system makes sense when you're reduced to hiring the desperate and underqualified. That's why I'm excited about this program. It allows others to help make decisions and provide insight rather than placing the entire burden on an underpaid, understaffed government office. A much needed change.
He apparently got ahold of tons of super-secret information and mentions just enough in interviews to sound like a movie trailer, but when pressed for details he just contemptuously laughs and says something vague like "oh, the time is not right yet.."
Does he really know anything interesting or did he just find a bunch of documents on how a missile works?
Not only that, it's not going to help fight terrorists, just irritate the law-abiding.
You act like you've never heard of the TSA. Basically all they do is confiscate plastic bullets off of keychains and let people onboard with a pocket full of sharp metallic pens. As much as they try, their entire purpose is to be a purely psychological barrier to entry -- to scare away potential terrorists, and to appease the masses. If they think airline security is good (which it is not, it's pitiful) they will fly more.
Just recently, (sorry, can't find a link to the story) a man accidentally smuggled a pistol on board an aircraft. He didn't realize he had left it in his bag, and gave it to a flight attendant when he found it (which, to me, was stupid...I mean just keep quiet and no one will know, right?)
Basically you can sneak just about anything past the TSA if you're clever. And they know it, too.
Americans are generally unfulfilled, empty rageaholics. Don't believe it? Try driving next to one.
Why is this? Because modern conveniences and the availablility of goods and services means just about any middle-class schmo can have whatever (within reason) they want if they don't mind buying it at Wal-Mart. Getting what you want all the time just helps you realize how pointless it is to be grabbing at toys trying to fill your corner of the sandbox until you die.
Working is a way to distract you from ennui. If you're too busy to realize that your life is an empty hole, you must be important! So we forget who we are and become a simple collection of preferences for marketers to exploit. And that's the key -- never forget what you enjoy, and what makes you you. Never forget who you are. It's easier that you might think.
I'm afriad you're the one who didn't read the GP post, he said specifically that Germans will be incapable of pronouncing the English pronunciation, which is nonsense, since there is only one correct pronunciation, namely the one Nintendo has given it. The GP was very specific and so was I.
No, I don't think Germans are physically incapable but as a German I can tell you it takes years and years of training to sound even remotely close to the American 'w.' It's just a difficult sound to make for us, and I can say almost noone in Germany will be able to pronounce "Wii" correctly.
Nintendo has given it a specified spelling and pronunciation. This specified pronunciation has a sound which Germans cannot emulate. Therefore it is unpronounceable in Germany.
You should note that Germans won't be able to pronounce it at all. In Germany there is no "w" sound, only "v" (although the letter 'w' is used). This is traditionally lampooned by every WW2 movie and all episodes of Hogan's Heroes.
"Wie" is NOT pronounced "Wii", it's pronounced "vee."
Daredevil was suggesting firefox fit the surfer's lifestyle. Notice the words she uses could also easily describe firefox. It's supposed to be clever. The "my other browser is a surfboard" was supposed to be the lightbulb moment for everyone who didn't pick up on that during the commercial.
Remember they were not aiming for a technical audience necessarily, so they picked the one they thought everyone could most relate to (in other words, instead of targeting one audience's 100% mark they figured they'd shoot for everyone's 30% mark, or whatever).
Fox Fever was too geek-funny. Most people would just find it stupid.
Wheee! was an excellent and clever submission but requires users to be familiar with browser icons (besides the big blue "e" that non-tech people have synonymized with the Internet).
You're on target about "This is hot" and the soap entry would be borderline confusing to joe sixpack.
Haha -- don't take it so seriously. You got modded up to +5 and I got modded down as a result. People believed you because you sounded confident. Whether you were right or wrong didn't matter.
This doesn't mean he is wrong, just that he's no political scientist and you shouldn't just swallow his views because they're scary. There's a good chance he's just fear-mongering as well.
Offtopic, I know, but I wanted to point out that "Islamist" isn't just a word we made up to describe a follower of Islam, it's the actual accepted term for a fundamentalist Muslim.
It comes from Islamism, describing a fundamentalist Islamic revival movement characterized by a literal interpretation of the Qu'ran and application of Islamic ideals to all aspects of life. Islamist, then, is the term for a fundamentalist follower of Islam. Today it is used as an almost derogatory phrase, though, thanks to popularization and use from the current administration.
It's not, you're actually losing parallism here. The idea is to hide the multiple processors from the OS and make it think it is scheduling for only one. The OS is so good at single-processor scheduling that allowing the CPUs to take care of who does what will effect better performance than splitting up the tasks among the processors at the OS level.
At least that's the idea. Whether or not it works is yet to be seen.
I've often thought about this myself. Everyone on/. seems to be steaming mad about all the DRM and constant erosion of consumer rights, but it doesn't seem anyone really knows what to do about it all. The most common argument is "vote with your wallet," but people are and it's getting successfully blamed on pirates. So by voting with your wallet and not buying CDs/DVDs you are implicitly "proving" the **AA's point.
Clearly they are unfazed by studies showing piracy is good for them, or that they are blindly suing their best customers. So what do we do?
We need legal action, but what grounds do we have to stand on? Besides outrage, what of substance do we have? (I am not saying we don't have anything, I'm honestly asking the question.)
Plus there is this terrifying truth of capitalism -- whatever you refuse to do on moral grounds just opens the door for someone else to do it and take your place. Just look at the Fox network (ba-boom, ching!). Seriously though, comapnies want DRM because they want more control over the consumer. It's what they do, I mean hell, manipulation of public opinion is all they do. We should say no, we should be outraged, and we should get rid of this DRM nonsense once and for all -- but how? (I'm honestly asking, I don't have the answer).
Exactly -- this same kind of FUD came out with cell phones too, people were saying if you carry too nice of a cell phone, it'll be eyed by thugs who hang out in alleyways with various blunt metallic objects and you'll die. They'll completely ignore your Prada bag, fur coat, 5 carat diamong ring, and 24-karat gold watch.
My point here is, like the parent poster, you need to keep your eyes open when you reveal that you have something of worth. A wifi hotspot is just a better excuse to pull out your laptop in public.
Don't stare at the screen intently, keep your eyes out for anyone who doesn't look trustworthy. It's not that hard to spot, crimes like these are generally crimes of opportunity (in TFA it sounds organized, though, but note they still picked an easy target) Don't make yourself an easy target, stay in plain view of many people, watch your back (try to sit against a wall if possible, it makes you virtually impossible to sneak up on).
If someone shady approaches you, prepare yourself, if they continue and you don't trust them, make a scene. Even if you look like a jerk (or even insane) you'll be alive and keep your laptop. Most importantly, do NOT take a long, dark path to your car. This is key; many times criminals will "stake out" a place for customers carrying a thick wad or valuables, then mug them on their way to their car. Under your car, behind it, and behind nearby objects are favorite hiding places.
The number one thing criminals hate is attention. Keep in mind the thoughts of a criminal and you'll be fine:
* Quick grab, quick escape * No witnesses * They do not necessarily want to kill you or anyone else (most criminals try not to add time voluntarily) but are most likely armed
Your comments on slavery are spot-on. In America we've become willingly enslaved to the Almighty Dollar. Vacation time is considered precious and isn't offered nor taken as much as it should be anymore. Some think it's a bad sign to take vacation since it will give the impression you're somehow "lazy." Holidays are rarely paid for any reasonable period of time, and there's never such a thing as a "hiatus" (except maybe at Intel) where you can spend a few months of your life actually enjoying the money you're driving yourself into a grave to make. It's sad, it seems like Americans forgot how to live a long time ago, and other countries are catching up.
Please note I am not saying this problem is localized entirely within America, it is just the country I'm most familiar with and hence most qualified to speak about.
(Note to all those who have the idea of a "lazy" American: Americans are not lazy. They work too much and then watch TV until they fall asleep because their energy is gone, eat fast food because they're working too hard to have time to cook, and are generally always in a rush to do everything. Just try driving next to one;-) )
I have a feeling the "next generation" office suite will permit online collaboration. Imagine and online office suite that allows real-time collaboration between editors. With more and more laptops coming ready made with webcam/mic setups, I don't think it would be hard to imagine an online MS Word with a "teleconference" going on in a side-panel. Since many meeting s nowadays turn into little more than a romp in MS Word, this would save considerable travel time and permit simultaneous edits from contributors (a sort of "parallel processing", if you will).
Now, there are some issues with real-time editing of a document by multiple people, my idea would be to have color-coded cursors for each editor so you could see where everyone is in the document (you can see how Excel cell highlights would work in a similar fashion). Overall, I think it can work, and I envision this is going to be hitting the workplace sooner than we all may think.
The FDA is part of the Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is divided into five groups:
Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER)
Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH)
Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER)
Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN)
Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM)
This falls underthe CDRH's domain and they share information with the FCC regarding the health effects of cell phones and other RF devices.
"FDA" almost seems like a misnomer since they are much more than just food and drugs, but that's what they started as, so that's what they're called today. Nowadays they are almost like a much more generic "health cop."
Thank God, I can start using my cell phone again! Man, I'm glad someone criticized that study or I'd be in trouble.
So long as someone is advocating the viewpoint I'm more personally comfortable with regardless of the facts I'm happy!
Of course if no one is taking my side, then I have a foolproof plan -- I just say studies contradict each other too often and hence can't provide any reliable information about anything. Then I can do whatever I want, risk-free!
Slashdot Mirror
Not only are these a cheap shot, they're also very annoying, especially when they are every-other-page, as is often the case with my local paper, the D&C. I'm always being told that "scientists are amazed by the adhesiveness of new DentureBOND(tm) Maximum Strength Dental Adhesive. So strong it can hold a cow to the ceiling by means of only a few drops! A scientifical (sic) revolution!"
These "fake articles" are always rife with phony quotes, sources, pictures and media-esque mini-headlines. It was only a matter of time before this happened too. The moral is, advertisers will do anything, anything to get you to buy their crap.
This user-search crap is an advertising goldmine. The internet is so vast and intricate that you need a search engine to find just about anything (unless you happen to enjoy posting to random forums in hopes for a response...in a few days or so).
But when you search, it says something about you personally. Just like when you buy things at the grocery store (don't forget to use your Super Shopper Saver Discount Card, Mister 60917492!) searching online indicates what you are interested in and what you're likely to buy in the future. By hopefully pegging your wants, desires, hobbies, interests, tastes and preferences into a conveniently distributable file advertisers hope to beam you laser-targetted ads for crap that you (and only you) will simply HAVE to buy in order to feel complete as a human being.
Without the personal identiciation, they can't hope to learn every intricate detail of your life in order to suck more of your money from your pockets (or packets, as the case may be :-). *ducks*
Albeit ostensibly benevolent, keep in mind Microsoft has a habit of trying to dump loads of money to gain initial market share. It'll be interesting to see how it turns out.
Don't make stuff up, it tanks the credibility of the rest of what you're saying. Violent offenses make up over 50% of those sentenced to prison as of 2004. I've never heard of *anyone* going to jail because of non-payment of medical bills; it's incredibly rare as the system has a bunch of "safety nets" built in. There's plenty you can do before jail becomes relevant.
Now, this part has more truth to it. The WHO lists the US as 37th in Healthcare, well below most other developed nations and 72nd in overall health (that's right down there with Iraq at 75th, althogh in the US's case obesity is probably largely the issue). Of course, this data is from 1997 and healthcare has changed since then, but you get the picture. Many people in the US are starting to go to India to have medical procedures done (yes this is true) because it's cheaper to fly to India and have an Indian doctor perform the surgery or whatever procedure than have a US doctor do it. See here if you're interested.
It wasn't hard to figure out why, they were offering salaries nearly $15k lower than the competition. A CS/EE Master's degree and a 3.9-4.0 GPA would earn you something like $56k. In the DC area that's roughly $35k if you live somewhere with an average cost-of-living. Needless to say, most weren't too interested in the USPTO.
To make matters worse, the job is awful. You are given x number of patents a week, period. Whether or not you finish them you're still getting them piled on you. It's just one after the other, like sorting mail your whole life. They tried to make it sound exciting, but it just wasn't.
I spoke with some people who worked at the USPTO. They hated their lives. Their technical skills went completely to waste and they quickly learned you either become a patent lawyer or you flounder and die.
This grim picture is all the USPTO has to offer to incoming recruits, and no wonder they are understaffed. Lousy patents making it through the system makes sense when you're reduced to hiring the desperate and underqualified. That's why I'm excited about this program. It allows others to help make decisions and provide insight rather than placing the entire burden on an underpaid, understaffed government office. A much needed change.
Does he really know anything interesting or did he just find a bunch of documents on how a missile works?
You act like you've never heard of the TSA. Basically all they do is confiscate plastic bullets off of keychains and let people onboard with a pocket full of sharp metallic pens. As much as they try, their entire purpose is to be a purely psychological barrier to entry -- to scare away potential terrorists, and to appease the masses. If they think airline security is good (which it is not, it's pitiful) they will fly more.
Just recently, (sorry, can't find a link to the story) a man accidentally smuggled a pistol on board an aircraft. He didn't realize he had left it in his bag, and gave it to a flight attendant when he found it (which, to me, was stupid...I mean just keep quiet and no one will know, right?)
Basically you can sneak just about anything past the TSA if you're clever. And they know it, too.
Americans are generally unfulfilled, empty rageaholics. Don't believe it? Try driving next to one.
Why is this? Because modern conveniences and the availablility of goods and services means just about any middle-class schmo can have whatever (within reason) they want if they don't mind buying it at Wal-Mart. Getting what you want all the time just helps you realize how pointless it is to be grabbing at toys trying to fill your corner of the sandbox until you die.
Working is a way to distract you from ennui. If you're too busy to realize that your life is an empty hole, you must be important! So we forget who we are and become a simple collection of preferences for marketers to exploit. And that's the key -- never forget what you enjoy, and what makes you you. Never forget who you are. It's easier that you might think.
No, I don't think Germans are physically incapable but as a German I can tell you it takes years and years of training to sound even remotely close to the American 'w.' It's just a difficult sound to make for us, and I can say almost noone in Germany will be able to pronounce "Wii" correctly.
In conclusion, good job at trying to sound smart.
"Wie" is NOT pronounced "Wii", it's pronounced "vee."
So in Germany, "Wii" is simply unpronounceable.
See http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/artandlife/1404AP_B
Plus the case is in Britain, so I doubt they'd entertain such PC nonsense as basis for a retrial.
Remember they were not aiming for a technical audience necessarily, so they picked the one they thought everyone could most relate to (in other words, instead of targeting one audience's 100% mark they figured they'd shoot for everyone's 30% mark, or whatever).
Fox Fever was too geek-funny. Most people would just find it stupid.
Wheee! was an excellent and clever submission but requires users to be familiar with browser icons (besides the big blue "e" that non-tech people have synonymized with the Internet).
You're on target about "This is hot" and the soap entry would be borderline confusing to joe sixpack.
Daredevil6 8172379089&q=daredevil&pl=true
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-79258611
whee5 5266134260&q=wheee!&pl=true
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-65954868
Fox Fever
-couldn't find it, sorry-
This is Hot1 565393234&q=this+is+hot+firefox&pl=true
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=246691993
Give me the the soap
-couldn't find it, sorry-
I looked all over for mirrors of the two missing videos. Couldn't find any working ones, sorry.
It's a powerful tool, use it well.
He's a member of the Council for Secular Humanism and the article is available online . The article in question is from Volume 23, Number 2 of the Free Inquiry Magazine.
This doesn't mean he is wrong, just that he's no political scientist and you shouldn't just swallow his views because they're scary. There's a good chance he's just fear-mongering as well.
It comes from Islamism, describing a fundamentalist Islamic revival movement characterized by a literal interpretation of the Qu'ran and application of Islamic ideals to all aspects of life. Islamist, then, is the term for a fundamentalist follower of Islam. Today it is used as an almost derogatory phrase, though, thanks to popularization and use from the current administration.
In case anyone is curious, the letter can be found here.
At least that's the idea. Whether or not it works is yet to be seen.
Clearly they are unfazed by studies showing piracy is good for them, or that they are blindly suing their best customers. So what do we do?
We need legal action, but what grounds do we have to stand on? Besides outrage, what of substance do we have? (I am not saying we don't have anything, I'm honestly asking the question.)
Plus there is this terrifying truth of capitalism -- whatever you refuse to do on moral grounds just opens the door for someone else to do it and take your place. Just look at the Fox network (ba-boom, ching!). Seriously though, comapnies want DRM because they want more control over the consumer. It's what they do, I mean hell, manipulation of public opinion is all they do. We should say no, we should be outraged, and we should get rid of this DRM nonsense once and for all -- but how? (I'm honestly asking, I don't have the answer).
My point here is, like the parent poster, you need to keep your eyes open when you reveal that you have something of worth. A wifi hotspot is just a better excuse to pull out your laptop in public.
Don't stare at the screen intently, keep your eyes out for anyone who doesn't look trustworthy. It's not that hard to spot, crimes like these are generally crimes of opportunity (in TFA it sounds organized, though, but note they still picked an easy target) Don't make yourself an easy target, stay in plain view of many people, watch your back (try to sit against a wall if possible, it makes you virtually impossible to sneak up on).
If someone shady approaches you, prepare yourself, if they continue and you don't trust them, make a scene. Even if you look like a jerk (or even insane) you'll be alive and keep your laptop. Most importantly, do NOT take a long, dark path to your car. This is key; many times criminals will "stake out" a place for customers carrying a thick wad or valuables, then mug them on their way to their car. Under your car, behind it, and behind nearby objects are favorite hiding places.
The number one thing criminals hate is attention. Keep in mind the thoughts of a criminal and you'll be fine:
* Quick grab, quick escape
* No witnesses
* They do not necessarily want to kill you or anyone else (most criminals try not to add time voluntarily) but are most likely armed
Please note I am not saying this problem is localized entirely within America, it is just the country I'm most familiar with and hence most qualified to speak about.
(Note to all those who have the idea of a "lazy" American: Americans are not lazy. They work too much and then watch TV until they fall asleep because their energy is gone, eat fast food because they're working too hard to have time to cook, and are generally always in a rush to do everything. Just try driving next to one ;-) )
Now, there are some issues with real-time editing of a document by multiple people, my idea would be to have color-coded cursors for each editor so you could see where everyone is in the document (you can see how Excel cell highlights would work in a similar fashion). Overall, I think it can work, and I envision this is going to be hitting the workplace sooner than we all may think.
Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER)
Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH)
Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER)
Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN)
Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM)
This falls underthe CDRH's domain and they share information with the FCC regarding the health effects of cell phones and other RF devices.
"FDA" almost seems like a misnomer since they are much more than just food and drugs, but that's what they started as, so that's what they're called today. Nowadays they are almost like a much more generic "health cop."
So long as someone is advocating the viewpoint I'm more personally comfortable with regardless of the facts I'm happy!
Of course if no one is taking my side, then I have a foolproof plan -- I just say studies contradict each other too often and hence can't provide any reliable information about anything. Then I can do whatever I want, risk-free!