Projecting from current CO2 trends this simplisticly assumes that there are no mechanisms that will absorb more CO2 at higher concentrations. This has already scuppered some earlier climate predictions (IIRC scientists didn't used to take into account how much CO2 algae could really sequester).
Climate change is a problem, and it needs to be addressed. But I think the idea that we need to choose between a nuclear power station per day or getting rid of industrial civilisation is not to be taken seriously.
Left wing government? No wonder you were modded flamebait. The government in the UK is right-wing, despite the Labour name. And protecting the profits of big business whilst suppressing the civil liberties of ordinary people is a clearly right-wing policy.
Personally, I like having tactile feedback when i press buttons - and the lack of it has kept me away from a pure touchscreen device. I bought a HTC Dream instead of an iPhone for this reason (and the fact I'm not a massive Apple fanboy)
Advertising on the netbook itself could not cover it, perhaps, but remember what Google are trying to do here is break on the desktop; if they make a loss getting their netbooks into peoples homes (and their lives) then they are getting more desktop users by default (because if you are keeping your documents on google docs, then you will still use it when you boot a windows machine). They can make the numbers work if they are banking on increasing their userbase elsewhere.
If Google can get a large enough userbase on their cloud applications to break the MS Office monopoly, then suddenly the reason 95% of the worlds desktop computers run Windows evaporates.
I myself don't like cloud computing for office work - I tend to use openoffice. This will still work out well for users like me though; Without an MS monopoly people will become more used to working between different office packages.
Its not outside the realms of possibility... you make a bit of malicious code that hides in a very meme-y bit of text, then it can as easily replicate by people typing it in or C+Ping it to each other.
The idea of a positronic brain was not inspired by science, it was inspired by picking a word from physics then doing whatever Asimov wanted with it. In reality, the brains of Asimov's robots would probably emit enough high energy gamma radiation to make people around them get sick.
How touchingly naive. I left behind the notion that I could change things a long time ago; I am not a billionaire, therefore I am powerless. Even working alongside other powerless people I am powerless; just look at the Iraq war protests. The largest protest march ever and it changed not one thing.
You are starting from a false assumption; that the election will result in a change of government. Don't get me wrong, the Tories are certain to win - but there will be no real change in government.
Consider that The Sun, owned by News International, has publicly changed its allegiance from Labour to Tory, indicating that the Tories are now in Murdoch's pocket; given that we know well the views News International have about the Internet, do you not think the next government will continue the same anti-freedom policies and abuse the laws that Mandelson is proposing?
Politicians are offered incentives to fuck over human beings, but face no consequences for doing so. Now, I'm not normally one to consider people as pure incentive-following machines - but politicians aren't people in the strictest sense. They are psychopaths.
Look at Tony Blair. He lied to start an illegal war which killed probably hundreds of thousands of people. He left office when he chose to, and is now living comfortably, despite what he did. Why wouldn't a British politician simply do as they will? They know they are fucking untouchable.
I'm trying to think of sane and enlightened ways the people can deal with this situation, but the only thing running through my mind is sic semper tyrannis. They need, somehow, to fear the consequences of their actions.
True. The plan takes zero account of the strength of the Google brand; if companies did desert them then people wouldn't stop finding companies in Google overnight. They would simply find other (suddenly very happy) companies.
'Fallacy' is a fairly specific word, that you can't just attach willy nilly to arguments you don't like.
The phrase 'information wants to be free' is not intended to anthropomorphise information; don't read it so literally. It is merely a comment on the way information tends to be exchanged in comparison to physical (and therefore necessarily scare) goods.
Since when is 'think of the children' an actually fallacy? In what way does having any consideration for child safety (in the context of 230v electrical outlets handily located at toddler height) automatically negate your argument? Maybe its because I'm growing up and starting a family is in my near future, that I sound so ridiculous to 18 year old slashdot trolls.
So if an adult doesn't replace the worn out receptacles (a problem which is amusingly alien to a UK reader, by the way) then their 4 year old child 'deserves' to be fatally electrocuted? Why don't you think before you bash your fists on the keyboard next time?
Wow, someone got a dictionary of logical fallacies for Christmas didn't they! How cute that you presume to pick me up on supposed instances of them.
Ad hominem (thats what us grow ups call a 'personal attack) only applies if an attack is part of your argument. If it isn't, it is logically irrelevant and just included to poke fun at those who deserve it.
As for the laughable claim of a strawman, its up to the one who presented his argument to claim I misrepresented it, not some pre-pubescent thread sniper whose got the notion he is intelligent and capable of taking part in a grown up debate.
Slashdot Mirror
Learn to fucking read. I do not think AGW is false; I think making shit up about it gives ammunition to the people who claim it is false.
What has coastal erosion got to do with higher CO2 levels? You seem confused.
This sounds like static analysis.
Projecting from current CO2 trends this simplisticly assumes that there are no mechanisms that will absorb more CO2 at higher concentrations. This has already scuppered some earlier climate predictions (IIRC scientists didn't used to take into account how much CO2 algae could really sequester).
Climate change is a problem, and it needs to be addressed. But I think the idea that we need to choose between a nuclear power station per day or getting rid of industrial civilisation is not to be taken seriously.
Left wing government? No wonder you were modded flamebait. The government in the UK is right-wing, despite the Labour name. And protecting the profits of big business whilst suppressing the civil liberties of ordinary people is a clearly right-wing policy.
Personally, I like having tactile feedback when i press buttons - and the lack of it has kept me away from a pure touchscreen device. I bought a HTC Dream instead of an iPhone for this reason (and the fact I'm not a massive Apple fanboy)
Advertising on the netbook itself could not cover it, perhaps, but remember what Google are trying to do here is break on the desktop; if they make a loss getting their netbooks into peoples homes (and their lives) then they are getting more desktop users by default (because if you are keeping your documents on google docs, then you will still use it when you boot a windows machine). They can make the numbers work if they are banking on increasing their userbase elsewhere.
If Google can get a large enough userbase on their cloud applications to break the MS Office monopoly, then suddenly the reason 95% of the worlds desktop computers run Windows evaporates.
I myself don't like cloud computing for office work - I tend to use openoffice. This will still work out well for users like me though; Without an MS monopoly people will become more used to working between different office packages.
Its not outside the realms of possibility... you make a bit of malicious code that hides in a very meme-y bit of text, then it can as easily replicate by people typing it in or C+Ping it to each other.
"Romanes eunt domus"? "People called Romanes they go the house"?
The idea of a positronic brain was not inspired by science, it was inspired by picking a word from physics then doing whatever Asimov wanted with it. In reality, the brains of Asimov's robots would probably emit enough high energy gamma radiation to make people around them get sick.
How touchingly naive. I left behind the notion that I could change things a long time ago; I am not a billionaire, therefore I am powerless. Even working alongside other powerless people I am powerless; just look at the Iraq war protests. The largest protest march ever and it changed not one thing.
Won't happen. Mandelsons allegiance has been, and always will be, to Satan himself.
Yes, but Blair didn't have to send British troops over there and participate in mass murder on behalf of corporate interests.
You are starting from a false assumption; that the election will result in a change of government. Don't get me wrong, the Tories are certain to win - but there will be no real change in government.
Consider that The Sun, owned by News International, has publicly changed its allegiance from Labour to Tory, indicating that the Tories are now in Murdoch's pocket; given that we know well the views News International have about the Internet, do you not think the next government will continue the same anti-freedom policies and abuse the laws that Mandelson is proposing?
Politicians are offered incentives to fuck over human beings, but face no consequences for doing so. Now, I'm not normally one to consider people as pure incentive-following machines - but politicians aren't people in the strictest sense. They are psychopaths.
Look at Tony Blair. He lied to start an illegal war which killed probably hundreds of thousands of people. He left office when he chose to, and is now living comfortably, despite what he did. Why wouldn't a British politician simply do as they will? They know they are fucking untouchable.
I'm trying to think of sane and enlightened ways the people can deal with this situation, but the only thing running through my mind is sic semper tyrannis. They need, somehow, to fear the consequences of their actions.
True. The plan takes zero account of the strength of the Google brand; if companies did desert them then people wouldn't stop finding companies in Google overnight. They would simply find other (suddenly very happy) companies.
And the subcontractors use metric now as well (seeing as they very much like remaining subcontractors)
I always thought a sudo-intellectual was someone who thinks they are smart enough to be given the root password...
This is the crux of the matter of course: his tree-mashing empire has been showing huge losses: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7873576.stm
Murdoch, having been born into money and thus seeing him as entitled to it, simply thinks he can take it off someone whose business isn't tanking.
'Fallacy' is a fairly specific word, that you can't just attach willy nilly to arguments you don't like.
The phrase 'information wants to be free' is not intended to anthropomorphise information; don't read it so literally. It is merely a comment on the way information tends to be exchanged in comparison to physical (and therefore necessarily scare) goods.
Since when is 'think of the children' an actually fallacy? In what way does having any consideration for child safety (in the context of 230v electrical outlets handily located at toddler height) automatically negate your argument? Maybe its because I'm growing up and starting a family is in my near future, that I sound so ridiculous to 18 year old slashdot trolls.
The Internet needs fewer obese basement dwellers callously advocating eugenics because they can't get a date.
So if an adult doesn't replace the worn out receptacles (a problem which is amusingly alien to a UK reader, by the way) then their 4 year old child 'deserves' to be fatally electrocuted? Why don't you think before you bash your fists on the keyboard next time?
Wow, someone got a dictionary of logical fallacies for Christmas didn't they! How cute that you presume to pick me up on supposed instances of them.
Ad hominem (thats what us grow ups call a 'personal attack) only applies if an attack is part of your argument. If it isn't, it is logically irrelevant and just included to poke fun at those who deserve it.
As for the laughable claim of a strawman, its up to the one who presented his argument to claim I misrepresented it, not some pre-pubescent thread sniper whose got the notion he is intelligent and capable of taking part in a grown up debate.
Someone modded me troll. Troll doesn't mean 'has a differing opinion' you know. Unless you are a libertarian of course :)
"Euro Arrogance"? Thats a chuckle.