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User: DaMattster

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  1. Re:To summarize it on Ask Slashdot: Why Do We Still Commute? (citylab.com) · · Score: 1

    I work remotely, but I think most of the reasons have been given above, why this is not so common: 1) Many (Most?) people are incapable of working remotely, without slacking off. 2) Even if you don't slack off, it's harder to demonstrate value, remotely. You have to be much more active about calling attention to the work you are doing, as your boss can't just drop by your desk and see you working. 3) Remoting technology, especially in the Windows world, is still not great if you need a full, remote Windows session, over the internets. It is painfully slow and hard to configure to by multi-monitor in a reasonable fashion. 4) Lots of employees have crappy internet, which makes them highly unproductive. 5) Corporate inertia against change. Add all that up, and it's hard to make the case for full remote work. There are certain workers in certain locations which could easily make the hop, but then companies are worried about getting sued by offering those users, special privileges of working remotely, so they play it safe and force everyone to show up.

    Actually, studies have shown that employees working from home are more productive and sometimes actually work longer hours. Also, the employee is happier. There will always be those that abuse a system. There are employees at the workplace that slack off on their smartphones as well. Broadband speeds have gotten to the point where VPN is not so slow anymore, it is just like working in the office.

  2. Here's why on Ask Slashdot: Why Do We Still Commute? (citylab.com) · · Score: 1

    Because management feels threatened that their jobs might go away. Telecommuters are often happier and more productive making managers kind of redundant - they probably are anyway - but we cannot have that. Managers who are active sociopaths get frustrated because they cannot play people off of each other and, just for kicks, make people miserable. I have had my share of this type.

  3. Oh please on CNN Plans To Offer Subscriptions for Digital News Next Year (wsj.com) · · Score: 1

    Oh please let me hurry up and subscribe. I am so excited that it just might end my constipation and I just might be able to take a lavish shit.

  4. Re:Only two reasons on Another Million Subscribers Cut the Pay TV Cord Last Quarter (dslreports.com) · · Score: 1

    I have said it outloud more than once: " There is no way I would ever pay full price for this. "

    Agreed! Every week now, I get flyers hung on my door for Comcast Xfinity and Verizon FiOS. I already have Verizon FiOS for internet and I won't subscribe to their TV service. In fact, just yesterday I caught the Comcast dude hanging the flyer on my door and I told him to remove it. He asked me why and I simply and logically stated, "You might want to save Comcast some money on printed material because there is no way, even in the shady side of hell, that I would ever give Comcast any of my business." He picked up the flyer and moved on.

  5. Re:Netcraft corfirms: Cable is dead on Another Million Subscribers Cut the Pay TV Cord Last Quarter (dslreports.com) · · Score: 1

    The Cable TV Industry is one that is totally ripe for disruption. I only miss all of about two shows since cutting the cable cord and I am cheering falling subscriber numbers. IPTV is really the thing that will kill the cable duopolies. Once television becomes completely provider agnostic, we should see prices continue to fall to ones comparable to an individual line of cellular service.

  6. Re:Is this for real? on Timber Towers Are On the Rise in France (citylab.com) · · Score: 0

    Wood is a really scarce resource. In France? Or the rest of north Europe for that matter? Ever checked google earth? The rest of your comment is rather stupid, as growing wood and dying wood and rotting wood is a zero sum game. It does not affect the CO2 level at all.

    Hey fuck stick. Deforestation is a real problem world-wide. It's called the world ... damage a climate locally and there are still ripple and global effects. Who's the moron now?

  7. Is this for real? on Timber Towers Are On the Rise in France (citylab.com) · · Score: 1

    Wood is a really scarce resource. What are the French going to do, cut down even more trees to build tall buildings? Trees are a necessary part of the ecosystem as they do big things like help to reduce carbon dioxide and they provide shade. So cutting down trees to save the environment is like fucking for virginity.

  8. I wasn't aware Blackberry is even relevant anymore. Now I have even more reason to stay away ... as if there weren't enough reasons anywway.

  9. Re:Chicken shit move on Apple Fires Engineer After His Daughter's iPhone X Video Goes Viral (engadget.com) · · Score: 1

    Fuck you! You're an insensitive prick!

  10. Re:Chicken shit move on Apple Fires Engineer After His Daughter's iPhone X Video Goes Viral (engadget.com) · · Score: 0

    Oh and whomever modded me a troll is an Apple fanboi!

  11. Yes, they do! on TechCrunch Argues Social Media News Feeds 'Need to Die' (techcrunch.com) · · Score: 5, Informative

    Social Media Newsfeeds need to die an ugly death! They do distort reality and are really psychologically toxic.

  12. It seems to me that you could mitigate the exploit severity of the Intel Management Engine by simply using full disk encryption with the decryption key on a USB thumb drive. When you are not using your computer, shut it down and remove the USB thumb drive. Even if someone manages to remotely access your computer via the Management Engine, the most they might be able to do is wake it up. There will be no useful data that could be gleaned from it, and in some cases, the PC won't even boot. HAHA! NSA suckers.

  13. For the Win! on Purism Now Offers Laptops with Intel's 'Management Engine' Disabled (puri.sm) · · Score: 3, Informative

    I am in need of a new laptop now that my poor Lenovo T420 has completely died. I think I will go and buy one of these. Intel's Management Engine is spyware and exploitware and the fact that you cannot disable it is really and truly evil. AMD is no better.

  14. Chicken shit move on Apple Fires Engineer After His Daughter's iPhone X Video Goes Viral (engadget.com) · · Score: -1, Troll

    That's a chicken shit move by Apple. Punishing the father because the child makes an Iphone X video!? Fuck Apple. I am glad that I use open source operating systems and an Android Phone. Tim "The Tool" Cook can go straight to hell.

  15. Microsoft has a pretty solid history of developing poor quality devices. I almost think they should quit while they are not ahead. If they truly want to get into hardware, perhaps they should hire someone away from Apple. Microsoft is a software company, not a hardware company. Their Surface, Zune, Windows Phones, etc. were all flops. I honestly think Microsoft is better off fully embracing open source and working a similar model to that of Red Hat. I could see Microsoft doing well by simply open-sourcing the Windows OS and keep Exchange, SQL Server, and BizTalk proprietary. The Windows product would be arguably much better if open sourced because millions of developers could work on it and improve it. Microsoft's culture is just not equipped to design and deliver quality hardware. In my opinion the Windows Operating System is ill-equipped to deal with mobile devices. At its heart, Windows is a server and desktop OS. Microsoft is trying to make a square peg fit a round hole. Even Apple developed iOS from scratch knowing fully well that that a desktop OS just cannot be made to mobile.

  16. Re:The Year of the Linux Desktop on Linux Mint Is Killing the KDE Edition (betanews.com) · · Score: 1

    It's amazing how much some of the community still can't get over how KDE is a better, healthier project than any of their GNOME babies.

    And Captain Picard would totally kick Captain Kirk's ass.....

    Even Captain Nemo of the Nautilus would kick Captain Kirk's ass.

  17. CEOs love to make wild predictions and they're wrong most of the time. I seem to recall Bill Gates predicting that TCP/IP would fail to become the dominant networking protocol. Boy was he wrong!! That was an epic failure of foresight.

  18. Re:I'm never buying flagship phones again on Some Pixel 2 Users Are Complaining About A High-Pitched Whine and Clicking Noises (arstechnica.com) · · Score: 1

    "research" my ass. You just picked the stupid thing because it was cheap and had less of useless components like NFC, super charging, multiple stupid speakers, extra slim battery.

    What "research" really means - "it comprises "creative work undertaken on a systematic basis to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of humans, culture and society, and the use of this stock of knowledge to devise new applications."

    Did you increase any fucking culture by buying your stupid phones, you dumbfucking millennials?

    Mod this one up! The whole reason for me buying my higher-end budget phone is that I can dispense with the fucking useless NFC. All NFC does is look cool. I'll stick to cash and credit cards because the old fashioned way works just fine. For me a phone is for talking, text messages, weather, news, music, and occasionally for directions. I don't do social media anymore, and believe me, it felt good to tell Zuck to eat a dick by closing my facebook account. Really, smartphones do anything but make phone calls well.

  19. Re:Shit components assembled by the lowest bidder. on Some Pixel 2 Users Are Complaining About A High-Pitched Whine and Clicking Noises (arstechnica.com) · · Score: 1

    Absolutely. I only buy "middle tier" phone, unlocked. If I had to buy a phone right now it would be the Moto G5S Plus, saw it for $279 and can be on sale at 229. It has a 5.5" screen, 1080p, 5GHz wifi, SD card, NFC, quick charge, dual camera, fingerprint scanner, etc. The whole shebang, everything you need.

    I don't even buy the middle tier phone. I buy the higher-end budget phone. I honestly don't see the problem of paying for shit the old-fashioned way by whipping out a credit card or cash. NFC is an interesting fad which I really think people use to look cool. I would argue that it is insecure as hell and anyone with the right technology could simply intercept the exchange.

  20. Re:Shit components assembled by the lowest bidder. on Some Pixel 2 Users Are Complaining About A High-Pitched Whine and Clicking Noises (arstechnica.com) · · Score: 1

    The flagship level phones sell because they try to capitalize on the well known marketing psychology of Fear Of Missing Out. People that are insecure and vulnerable believe that they will somehow be the envy of their social circles if they just had the best bling on the block. Samsung and Apple love these types of people - they cost a whole lot less to retain during the life of a product line. All these people have to do is hear about the next iteration of the Galaxy S or iPhone lines and they're impossibly hooked. In order to squeeze the most profit out of this, manufacturing and components go to China. Basically, this is all proof that even a turd can be polished, due credit to Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman.

  21. Re:Shit components assembled by the lowest bidder. on Some Pixel 2 Users Are Complaining About A High-Pitched Whine and Clicking Noises (arstechnica.com) · · Score: 1

    I remember when Apple using quality DACs inside the iPod was a big fucking deal.

    These days, it's all disposable junk. All of it. Every single device is manufactured to accept whatever substitute components are available this week, and it's a total crap shoot as to whether or not you'll get something with issues or not. Apple, Google, HTC, Samsung, doesn't matter. You get to pay a premium for a handheld device that's designed to be obsolete in 2-3 years, AND you get to play the game where you're looking for a decent unit with no screen tinting, bad DACs or electrical interference, defective switches, connectors, etc, etc, etc. Companies aren't competing to build the best device anymore- they're competing to build the cheapest shittiest junk they can, and then they turn around and try to sell it for the highest possible price.

    Welcome to a digital world ruled by shareholders, where the only objective is to make more money. Gone are the days where people wanted to design a better product, and money was just a side effect of succeeding at that.

    This is exactly what happens when you have a brand worth more than the product itself. Samsung, Apple, and Google have developed their brand to the point where their names are what sells the shit. Furthermore, they discovered that they could create a vertical market off of people's dissatisfaction. They can introduce paid support to additionally monetize fixing said shitty product. Of course, this only goes so far because if the product is too shitty, they face backlash from government regulatory agencies. Yet even these fines are considered the cost of doing business and rarely do significant long term injury. Hell, Samsung's recent Galaxy Note snafu is but a distant, long-forgotten memory.

  22. OpenBSD is not vulnerable to this attack because it does not use ANSI X9.31. Therefore it is still "relatively" safe to use for hard-coded keys. That much said, the manual pages take pains to discourage people from using hard-coded keys at all. Since OpenBSD does not suffer many of the vulnerabilities, I just throw it on two (or more) systems when I need to spin up a VPN.

  23. The tech industry is long on grandiose ideas and VERY short on delivery. What does get delivered is usually a crappy, half-baked app written in India that crashes when you hit the menu button.

  24. Well, at least we'll have another bubble to form and expand once the bitcoin bursts. It seems like this is the way the stock market works. The few at the top profit heavily from the bubble, the bubble bursts, and the 99% are left to deal with the aftermath.

  25. Modern AI software isn't that complicated and not nearly as expensive to get people in. Look at job offers: $150k for AI research scientists in NYC. $65k in more rural areas. That's not well paid by definition at all. Sure, a pure AI scientist gets paid $500k just like a top neuroscience scientist gets paid $500k or a top biology researcher, but the majority of companies do not want to do the theoretical development of AI, any regular programmer can wrap their heads around the existing literature and build something.

    Here in my area, there are a number of employers looking for AI engineers/scientists. They pay about what I make as a non-AI IT sysadmin, which is given my experience on the higher scale but by no means exceptional.

    What Google and co wants is a glut of people 4-6 years from now that are "trained" in AI from college. You put out a report like this, you get massive amounts of people applying for the schools that offer programs and 5 years from now you have an over-abundance of people driving down overall wages. You also get to hire a bunch of people on H1B because the "US doesn't have the skillz" and you end up with a bunch of programmers on H1B under the guise of AI development.

    Methinks that you are spot on. They're trying to build a glut and drive salaries down. What's going to happen when AI becomes so simple that the home-based small business can do it? This is kind of a repeat of the days when companies were "scrambling" for people with MCSEs and Novell Certified Engineers. The good times lasted a short while, the bubble burst, and there was a glut of trained folks. For a while in the early 2000s, I remember that employers looking for mere help desk talent were requiring people with MCSEs and advanced Cisco Certs. I knew someone that went from earning a 100K a year job as a Sys Admin to scrambling to get a 12.00 per hour help desk position. Then comes the offshoring of jobs and the importation of labor, all so that a company can make 101 million instead of 100 million. Alas, I wish this problem were relegated to just the IT sector but we're seeing it in healthcare and other sectors as well.