These are great ideas (though I don't like the US bias:| ). But! $100M is a lot of money. It'll earn you a lot of annual interest. And academic books become dated quickly. Wouln't it be wize to buy updated copy each year, than as much as you possibly could all at once?
"I've never heard of this retina scan business. Can you point to a source that talks about it?"
Gladly. The source is my wife. And yes I'd rather they record her on CCTV. You can go somewhere and not be seen by CCTV. You can change your appearance. Indeed her appearence will change with time. But her scan will remain "their" posession wherever and whenever, indefinately... CCTV footage is not (or is rarely) stored indefinately. Nore is it so easily transmitted around the globe, copied, or stored. CCTV footage is seen as significantly falibale, where as retina scans will not be treated as such in a court. i.e. from now on she is whoever they says she is, and they can 'prove' it. But again, to what benifit? The benefit of CCTV is clear (as is its intrution). Not so for the scan. A DNA swab from her mouth, IF found after being lost, could confirm her as my child. A retina scan could not.
And far from demonizing your entire nation, I tirelessly point out that I married an American. Indeed my daughter held a US passport at the time.
So to recap: No its not the same, no I didn't demonize Americans, and if you'd read what I'd said, you would know that it was my daughter who got scanned, so pulling me on my source was either stupidity or something worse?
RTFP
I think the fact the parent hasn't been marked troll or flamabait, when similar coments about M$ even usually would, says a great deal about these two products (I know each has more than one product... ). They are awful. They alter the way your browser interacts with the web in ways that DO NOT improve security but DO hinder your browseing, AND WITHOUT ASKING YOU!!! Sorry for the caps, but really, they're bad. Yet they make so much cash.
We're supposed to feel sorry for them? Urm... no. They will not be missed. And whats their argument? They can't hack Vista, like they used to hack XP? In which case there's nothing for them to do - right?
Either you've not had to watch your own child get scanned, or you are a VERY different person to me (and frankly, any parent I know).
Its just gut wrenchingly wrong. And why is this nessessary? It clearly isn't. Like I say, its the last time I'll be spending my well earned cash in the States (the only thing the US Govt seems to care about). You may think this is not the end of the world. But I have inlaws there who I'd actually like to see more often than I do. Soon they will be too old to travel. That will be the last time I will see them.
I've been to Africa, Asia, all over Europe, and North America was BY FAR the most over policed, and security mad. And as mentioned above in another thread, there is no benifit to show for this. The crime rates there are terrible. It's only place I've had a gun pulled on me (by a policeman!), and the only place to which I will never return. Again I ask, why should I have to declare my political leaning before entering a coutry? Spreading democracy around the opressed world could start a lot closer to home than you think. Why should my child's retina be scanned and recorded, for God knows how long, and to be passed to God knows who? 5! Passport not good enough? The kind of experiment in the OP is to find out if there is benefit to the lesser, voluntry intrusion described. Was there such a trial to see if scanning my kids eyes is of any benifit?
Frankly I don't care if you think they are regarding her as Osama mini Laden, they are treating her as though she may be. I'm gobsmacked that anyone could try to defend this.
I don't know. What I do know is that on a visit to the US my 5 year old had her retina scanned. It is not hypocritical for me to find this aborant and yet be interrested to see the out come of such an experiment as described in the OP. For one my 5 yearold was not intoxicated. Secondly she was a 5 year old. Thirdly she was in the care and custardy of a guardian, whose retina you can scan. It means I won't visit the US again, but feel free to scan adult retinas.
But a 5 yearold! (I know, I know - think of the...). But seriously, fingerprinting an adult before they consume an intoxicant proven to lead to violence (or rather increase the likelyhood thereof) is one thing. Even watching us via CCTV, is not an entirely bad thing. It has reduced violent crime. But the insane tactics being touted in the States (ID cards, agents visiting you for joking about killing the Pres on the internet, retina scans for 5 year olds, asking me to state what my political affiliations are BEFORE I enter the country...) If you can't see the difference between these then you are not very far sighted, and/or you don't know a great deal of about the practices already in place in the States, and how eerily they compare to those used by the Nazis, to control their own population. Why do people in Europe winge on about the Nazis, because they made death factories. They industrialized murder. What more reason do you want? And they couldn't have done it without ID cards, and a terrified populous. CCTV actually makes me safer, and feel safer. ID cards do not. Fingerprints are an invasion of my privacy, but so is someone taking my photo. You going to ban that in the name of personal freedom?
Not trying to start a flame war here, but maybe its not them that are so stupid. They keep getting these grants, for these ludicrous ideas... They (FBI et al) have good health care and wages... Maybe its the general public who allow this crap to be paid for through their taxes that are the 'less well informed'. Time to stop griping and start telling the zombie nation, that they're bein taken for, well, zombies.
I want to thnk you for pointing to this vid. It is a glorious effort! Seriously thank you. Funny, informative, clever, and to the point. It deserves as many prizes as can be given. Think it might even go on my sig.
The FF R&D may be missing on the R. I think there needs to be more of a 'think tank' / means of focussing creative debate and input from the comunity in to targets for development. I know there are endless forums, and communities, and... But is there a useful means of focussing the plethera of new ideas, into features? Not easy, I know...
I'm afraid its you who are "a real and genuine threat." in their eyes. As well as mine I have to say! You are responsible for what you say. Thank you for noting that you over emphasized your statement. But wow what a statement.
Sure you can say that they are a financial threat. Culturally though, America is in a glass house right now. Throw stones and you may find you get a draft. Obviously critisizing a culture is a dangerous thing. At the very least you risk getting unfairly modded down. But what's far worse is having your comments read by a chinese reader. And they go away thinking that Americans have them next on their 'list'. And then he/she goes away and post fear ridden missinformation about Americans being the next big threat to China. And the cultures end up hating eatch other BEFORE THEY'VE HAD CHANCE TO MEET!
I may be wrong but I'd put good money on you not having been to China. Let alone haveing lived there long enough to know just how true you statements are.
For example, would you see it as true that Americans shoot school children? Yes it happens, but how often? Out of how many....
"Loose talk costs lives", they used to say in the war. I believe it true in peace time, if you can call this that.
I couldn't possible disagree more. The scariest people in the world are, ironically enough, people like you. Demonizing leads to improper, irrational decisions being made. You think missinformation is going to help solve something? Or destabalize it? Being second in a peacful world, is better than being first in a burning ball of shit. No?
IF you're a troll, then I'm sadned a little that there seem to be so many turning to trolling as a pass time. If you're honestly suggesting that demonizing an entire nation (a very big powerful nation at that) is a good idea, because it could keep America in the lead financially, simply illustrates the naivite of the right of politics.
Re you're sig, a war on terror is like fucking for virginity!
Thank you! You're the first person to offer constructive critsim re my spelling. Or dare I say it help even! Thank you very much. I'm dyslexic, and thus my posts are a mess. I've had the gramma nazi debate so many times I ignore all comments about spelling. Well untill now.
infact the unhelpful grama nazis are the reason I gave up using a spell checker (as I'd always miss the odd homophone and still get grief). There should be a (+5 Helpful)! I'd give you informative if I currently had any points.
Sadly the idealism of pretecting yourself from your government is a long lost cause.... They could destroy your country in a second. But! as long as you don't loose your society, the goverment knows its got something to loose by mistreating you.
And I am posting to slashdot from prison because of what my.sig here says.
lol fair point. But again its the threat. You are not a threat to the presedent, with your sig. Sadly. But some nut case actually training/talking to those willing and able to train for violent action, is. So HE will get shoved in the back of a van, and not seen for a while. Even if all he did was talk....
Shooting your mouth off on a website, especially one in which you have zero reputation or credibility, is not going to do much more than piss off a few people on that site.
I think you greatly under estimate the threat of this guys actions. According to TFA he actually suggested the burning of his family. Again this would be illegal regardless of race issues. And although it would more likely be a civil case to be answered, the damage he has caused to the family and friends of the teenage who was brutally murdered, without motive, is considerable. It is niave to dismiss it. As well as morally reprehensable (though morals do not figure in the rest of my disagreement with what you've said here).
As found further down the threads re Swedish Laws. Its not what is hate, but what is threat that is judged. And its judged by the courts, not the government. I can say what I like about what I personally think of any given culture or 'race'. But I must not threaten. Threatening bahaviour is elegal. As it incites violence. If I told you in all seriousness the I withed harm to you and your family, IF it were seen as an actual statement of intent, then that would be illegal, here in the UK or in the states. Race need not (and you could argue, should not) come into it. Though due to its escalatory nature, race threats ARE a greater danger to a greater number of people. And so should be treated as such. i.e. Threats of that nature should be prosecuted with harsher enforcement and punishment. Again, many of those who were crrying threatening plackards at rellies, depicted in tabloids, WERE prosecuted! many will still be under surveilance (just as those in the BNP will have been). So it is more even handed than the media makes out.
Yes - I agree it must be even handed. Seeing banners stating the pope must be killed, etc.. isn't making me feel comfortable, and I'm not catholic (or religious). But what you don't see in the same tabloids that you saw that in, is that many of these people ARE on charges, and ending up in the dock, or being watched by various agenceis. So its actually more even handed than the papers would have you believe.
Thats fine until one of them is charismatic, and ritch, and the counries in a bit of slump, and theres just been a large increase in imergration, and then bang! what might normal be a preasure rease valve for nut case, becomes the reason your neighbourhood is getting rounded up by death squads.... The worset thing about the second world war, is that it wasn't whitnessed by the whole world. My Grandad's still alive to tell me what it was like to see storm troopers march through a town killing as they went. My street still bares the marks of Nazi bombs.
If I lived in America, this wouldn't be the case (or is much less likely). So please take it from me, crushing race hate is worth losing some smaller liberties. I don't mind tastless, unPC jokes even. But inciting violence is bad, is wrong, is more dangerous than your perceived loss of free speech (like I posted just now - you do not have free speech in America!)
Try makeing any untoward comments about your almighty presedent, and how to depose him (violently or otherwise) and then see where your constitution gets you....
Inciting crimes is illegal here (in the UK), as it is in the US. And sedition is a thorny one both side of the pond.
yer the print protection sounds like a fairly stupid claim too far.
FTFA I REALLY like the lazer listener idea though. How clever is that! I want one now. But I'm not going to falk out 50,000USD for it. I'm quite sure that I could build one for less than a grand.
will it? Obviously I hope so. but will it... Just as a lot of posters (like yourself) want 'the media' to stop bashing the US, we (the other 95% of the world) would like the US to 1) stop bashing us and our world and 2) accept critism without winging on about 'flamebaiting'. Provocative discussion is not to be avoided.
You're all missing one perspective, with is the geeks peverse atraction to the perverse. As soon as AJAX became a "buzz-word" there were geeks lining up to slate it, and claim that they had always thought Python to be the real solution. Until python become cool in the board rooms, at which point.... and so on.
We could all do with being a little less reactionary IMO.
Slashdot Mirror
These are great ideas (though I don't like the US bias :| ). But! $100M is a lot of money. It'll earn you a lot of annual interest. And academic books become dated quickly. Wouln't it be wize to buy updated copy each year, than as much as you possibly could all at once?
"I've never heard of this retina scan business. Can you point to a source that talks about it?" Gladly. The source is my wife. And yes I'd rather they record her on CCTV. You can go somewhere and not be seen by CCTV. You can change your appearance. Indeed her appearence will change with time. But her scan will remain "their" posession wherever and whenever, indefinately... CCTV footage is not (or is rarely) stored indefinately. Nore is it so easily transmitted around the globe, copied, or stored. CCTV footage is seen as significantly falibale, where as retina scans will not be treated as such in a court. i.e. from now on she is whoever they says she is, and they can 'prove' it. But again, to what benifit? The benefit of CCTV is clear (as is its intrution). Not so for the scan. A DNA swab from her mouth, IF found after being lost, could confirm her as my child. A retina scan could not.
And far from demonizing your entire nation, I tirelessly point out that I married an American. Indeed my daughter held a US passport at the time.
So to recap: No its not the same, no I didn't demonize Americans, and if you'd read what I'd said, you would know that it was my daughter who got scanned, so pulling me on my source was either stupidity or something worse? RTFP
I think the fact the parent hasn't been marked troll or flamabait, when similar coments about M$ even usually would, says a great deal about these two products (I know each has more than one product... ). They are awful. They alter the way your browser interacts with the web in ways that DO NOT improve security but DO hinder your browseing, AND WITHOUT ASKING YOU!!! Sorry for the caps, but really, they're bad. Yet they make so much cash.
We're supposed to feel sorry for them? Urm... no. They will not be missed. And whats their argument? They can't hack Vista, like they used to hack XP? In which case there's nothing for them to do - right?
Either you've not had to watch your own child get scanned, or you are a VERY different person to me (and frankly, any parent I know).
Its just gut wrenchingly wrong. And why is this nessessary? It clearly isn't. Like I say, its the last time I'll be spending my well earned cash in the States (the only thing the US Govt seems to care about). You may think this is not the end of the world. But I have inlaws there who I'd actually like to see more often than I do. Soon they will be too old to travel. That will be the last time I will see them.
I've been to Africa, Asia, all over Europe, and North America was BY FAR the most over policed, and security mad. And as mentioned above in another thread, there is no benifit to show for this. The crime rates there are terrible. It's only place I've had a gun pulled on me (by a policeman!), and the only place to which I will never return. Again I ask, why should I have to declare my political leaning before entering a coutry? Spreading democracy around the opressed world could start a lot closer to home than you think. Why should my child's retina be scanned and recorded, for God knows how long, and to be passed to God knows who? 5! Passport not good enough? The kind of experiment in the OP is to find out if there is benefit to the lesser, voluntry intrusion described. Was there such a trial to see if scanning my kids eyes is of any benifit?
Frankly I don't care if you think they are regarding her as Osama mini Laden, they are treating her as though she may be. I'm gobsmacked that anyone could try to defend this.
I don't know. What I do know is that on a visit to the US my 5 year old had her retina scanned. It is not hypocritical for me to find this aborant and yet be interrested to see the out come of such an experiment as described in the OP. For one my 5 yearold was not intoxicated. Secondly she was a 5 year old. Thirdly she was in the care and custardy of a guardian, whose retina you can scan. It means I won't visit the US again, but feel free to scan adult retinas.
But a 5 yearold! (I know, I know - think of the...). But seriously, fingerprinting an adult before they consume an intoxicant proven to lead to violence (or rather increase the likelyhood thereof) is one thing. Even watching us via CCTV, is not an entirely bad thing. It has reduced violent crime. But the insane tactics being touted in the States (ID cards, agents visiting you for joking about killing the Pres on the internet, retina scans for 5 year olds, asking me to state what my political affiliations are BEFORE I enter the country...) If you can't see the difference between these then you are not very far sighted, and/or you don't know a great deal of about the practices already in place in the States, and how eerily they compare to those used by the Nazis, to control their own population. Why do people in Europe winge on about the Nazis, because they made death factories. They industrialized murder. What more reason do you want? And they couldn't have done it without ID cards, and a terrified populous. CCTV actually makes me safer, and feel safer. ID cards do not. Fingerprints are an invasion of my privacy, but so is someone taking my photo. You going to ban that in the name of personal freedom?
"A broken solution for a non-existent problem."
Then I hope they checked for patent infringement...
Not trying to start a flame war here, but maybe its not them that are so stupid. They keep getting these grants, for these ludicrous ideas... They (FBI et al) have good health care and wages... Maybe its the general public who allow this crap to be paid for through their taxes that are the 'less well informed'. Time to stop griping and start telling the zombie nation, that they're bein taken for, well, zombies.
Mouse Wants More Cheese!
I want to thnk you for pointing to this vid. It is a glorious effort! Seriously thank you. Funny, informative, clever, and to the point. It deserves as many prizes as can be given. Think it might even go on my sig.
The FF R&D may be missing on the R. I think there needs to be more of a 'think tank' / means of focussing creative debate and input from the comunity in to targets for development. I know there are endless forums, and communities, and ... But is there a useful means of focussing the plethera of new ideas, into features? Not easy, I know...
I'm afraid its you who are "a real and genuine threat." in their eyes. As well as mine I have to say! You are responsible for what you say. Thank you for noting that you over emphasized your statement. But wow what a statement.
Sure you can say that they are a financial threat. Culturally though, America is in a glass house right now. Throw stones and you may find you get a draft. Obviously critisizing a culture is a dangerous thing. At the very least you risk getting unfairly modded down. But what's far worse is having your comments read by a chinese reader. And they go away thinking that Americans have them next on their 'list'. And then he/she goes away and post fear ridden missinformation about Americans being the next big threat to China. And the cultures end up hating eatch other BEFORE THEY'VE HAD CHANCE TO MEET!
I may be wrong but I'd put good money on you not having been to China. Let alone haveing lived there long enough to know just how true you statements are.
For example, would you see it as true that Americans shoot school children? Yes it happens, but how often? Out of how many....
"Loose talk costs lives", they used to say in the war. I believe it true in peace time, if you can call this that.
I couldn't possible disagree more. The scariest people in the world are, ironically enough, people like you. Demonizing leads to improper, irrational decisions being made. You think missinformation is going to help solve something? Or destabalize it? Being second in a peacful world, is better than being first in a burning ball of shit. No?
IF you're a troll, then I'm sadned a little that there seem to be so many turning to trolling as a pass time. If you're honestly suggesting that demonizing an entire nation (a very big powerful nation at that) is a good idea, because it could keep America in the lead financially, simply illustrates the naivite of the right of politics.
Re you're sig, a war on terror is like fucking for virginity!
Thank you! You're the first person to offer constructive critsim re my spelling. Or dare I say it help even! Thank you very much. I'm dyslexic, and thus my posts are a mess. I've had the gramma nazi debate so many times I ignore all comments about spelling. Well untill now.
infact the unhelpful grama nazis are the reason I gave up using a spell checker (as I'd always miss the odd homophone and still get grief). There should be a (+5 Helpful)! I'd give you informative if I currently had any points.
Cheers.
Read some Plato!
Sadly the idealism of pretecting yourself from your government is a long lost cause.... They could destroy your country in a second. But! as long as you don't loose your society, the goverment knows its got something to loose by mistreating you.
And I am posting to slashdot from prison because of what my .sig here says.
lol fair point. But again its the threat. You are not a threat to the presedent, with your sig. Sadly. But some nut case actually training/talking to those willing and able to train for violent action, is. So HE will get shoved in the back of a van, and not seen for a while. Even if all he did was talk....
Shooting your mouth off on a website, especially one in which you have zero reputation or credibility, is not going to do much more than piss off a few people on that site.
I think you greatly under estimate the threat of this guys actions. According to TFA he actually suggested the burning of his family. Again this would be illegal regardless of race issues. And although it would more likely be a civil case to be answered, the damage he has caused to the family and friends of the teenage who was brutally murdered, without motive, is considerable. It is niave to dismiss it. As well as morally reprehensable (though morals do not figure in the rest of my disagreement with what you've said here).
As found further down the threads re Swedish Laws. Its not what is hate, but what is threat that is judged. And its judged by the courts, not the government. I can say what I like about what I personally think of any given culture or 'race'. But I must not threaten. Threatening bahaviour is elegal. As it incites violence. If I told you in all seriousness the I withed harm to you and your family, IF it were seen as an actual statement of intent, then that would be illegal, here in the UK or in the states. Race need not (and you could argue, should not) come into it. Though due to its escalatory nature, race threats ARE a greater danger to a greater number of people. And so should be treated as such. i.e. Threats of that nature should be prosecuted with harsher enforcement and punishment. Again, many of those who were crrying threatening plackards at rellies, depicted in tabloids, WERE prosecuted! many will still be under surveilance (just as those in the BNP will have been). So it is more even handed than the media makes out.
Yes - I agree it must be even handed. Seeing banners stating the pope must be killed, etc.. isn't making me feel comfortable, and I'm not catholic (or religious). But what you don't see in the same tabloids that you saw that in, is that many of these people ARE on charges, and ending up in the dock, or being watched by various agenceis. So its actually more even handed than the papers would have you believe.
Thats fine until one of them is charismatic, and ritch, and the counries in a bit of slump, and theres just been a large increase in imergration, and then bang! what might normal be a preasure rease valve for nut case, becomes the reason your neighbourhood is getting rounded up by death squads.... The worset thing about the second world war, is that it wasn't whitnessed by the whole world. My Grandad's still alive to tell me what it was like to see storm troopers march through a town killing as they went. My street still bares the marks of Nazi bombs. If I lived in America, this wouldn't be the case (or is much less likely). So please take it from me, crushing race hate is worth losing some smaller liberties. I don't mind tastless, unPC jokes even. But inciting violence is bad, is wrong, is more dangerous than your perceived loss of free speech (like I posted just now - you do not have free speech in America!)
Try makeing any untoward comments about your almighty presedent, and how to depose him (violently or otherwise) and then see where your constitution gets you.... Inciting crimes is illegal here (in the UK), as it is in the US. And sedition is a thorny one both side of the pond.
Server 986762 has red flaggged the following sir. It's a little old but I think it may be highly relevent: Top Secret Report
yer the print protection sounds like a fairly stupid claim too far.
FTFA I REALLY like the lazer listener idea though. How clever is that! I want one now. But I'm not going to falk out 50,000USD for it. I'm quite sure that I could build one for less than a grand.
The US will manage it just fine.
will it? Obviously I hope so. but will it... Just as a lot of posters (like yourself) want 'the media' to stop bashing the US, we (the other 95% of the world) would like the US to 1) stop bashing us and our world and 2) accept critism without winging on about 'flamebaiting'. Provocative discussion is not to be avoided.
Muse all you like about what a robot can be considered as being. But a drummer is not a musician.
;)
You're all missing one perspective, with is the geeks peverse atraction to the perverse. As soon as AJAX became a "buzz-word" there were geeks lining up to slate it, and claim that they had always thought Python to be the real solution. Until python become cool in the board rooms, at which point .... and so on.
We could all do with being a little less reactionary IMO.
lol. Yes... Dyslexic moment. My apologies.
Still, I didn't succeed. Which is/was the point.
and yes, I used VPC not server.
Still to get sound playing on any virtual set up though. Any hints anyone? Other than be less lame...