"Why should I allow my body or my children to be filled with man-made chemicals, when I don't know what the health effects of these substances will be."
I think this is a reasonable and well rounded comment. She doesn't say all chemical are bad, she doesn't even say all ''man-made chemicals' are bad. She exercises a health scepticism and an implied demand for more information.
I think the BBC using her comment is a poor example. It _is_ entirely consistent with what the expert says and good of example of what Sense About Science are trying to achieve. That Celebrities have been asked to check their facts before lending support to scientific research and campaigns, rather than risk misleading people.
Experts understand the subtle nuances of a subject and therefore qualify their position with lots of 'if' or 'buts'. An informed observer appreciates these nuances. An uninformed observer does not, it appears less precise and less clear.
The less competent see fewer nuances and therefore make more straight forward assertions, they qualify their position less, therefore it looks clearer to an uninformed observer.
first of all, he's an evolutionary theorist at the London School of Economics. I simply can't believe the BBC is printing such garbage. I mean, I like sci-fi as much as the next guy, but this is pure fantasy.
His credentials are first class. A first degree in Natural History and a PhD on the interaction between evolution and morality.
If your MMOG company provides a mechanism for converting in-game money back into real money then, yes, that's going to be illegal when the President puts pen to paper.
Selling game currency for real cash is against the EULA for a lot of MMOGs, but EBay provide this facility anyway.
Perhaps this will give games like Eve-Online the weapon they need to eradicate these cheaters.
The Network Effect would be reduced. The internet would lose traction. The Internet promotes international co-operation and understanding. The Internet will do more for World Peace in the next 20 years than the UN did in half a century.
Don't assume that everybody posting in the English language Internet is American/Canadian/English.
The article in question is discussing letting the police read your email and abolishing anonymity.
And how does this differ in any principled way from them using their existing powers to monitor snail mail ? The point is the Australian Police have no power to enforce a warrant on a overseas ISP, so they are seeking to ensure they act responsibly anyway.
You're standing on the slippery slope, so yeah, you implied it.
I would counter that you are standing on a slippery slope to anarchy, or purposefully miss-representing the situation for trolling purposes. Never forget Liberty comes with commensurate responsibilities, and the people that form the biggest threat to liberty are those that abuse it.
If you are genuinely interested in protecting liberties, direct your attention at your own countries NSA's ECHELON project which is a far bigger threat because it is *absolutely* unaccountable.
If you read the article carefully you will find it is not the publicly accessible data that is 'secret'. It is the thesis and associated software that analyses the data to find the most vulnerable points of the various networks that is 'secret'. Even so, the article leaks enough information about this this thesis to judge that it is based on the application of weighted graph theory.
What I found interesting is that a 30 year old CS theory is leading edge Cartography.
This is certainly a crime under the UK Computer Misuse Act 1990. The fact that fact this guy is Dutch and opperated from the Netherlands is likely little protection since this law is besed on EU Treaty obligations and therefore very similar laws will exist throught the EU. In addition the EU has very comprehensive extradition policy.
Alternative you could take 'natures' own solution, grind and oxidise the core, mix with silicate (sand) and bury in deep holes (disused gold and diamond mines).
Kingston Interactive Television have been doing this for over 3 years in the UK and each development has been submitted to slashdot only to rejected. (I wonder why ?)
Kingston are the world leaders in real Interactive DTV and nobody has come even close to duplicating the same range of services. As well as PVR, it is the only system in the world to offer user directed content, true VOD, DTV, Internet to the TV, Broadband Internet to the PC and webmail, all for ~£30 (50 USD/EURO)pcm.
As for the fact AOL have been developing this system in secret. Well I'll settle to call it an open secret in the DTV Industry. They tried to sell ourselves their system/technology and stated it would be ready for launch within months, however they had no STB, no content and few details; this was two years ago.
We then demonstrated our live system, already superior to what they offered and they went white, literally.
The BBC has an interesting article about a 2,200 year old battery... ... how this priceless artifact as well as many others... ... threatened by the impending war.
This are is undoughtedly a hoax or a fake, If it was a battery it would show signs of electrolysis not corrosion, it does not it is also rather pointless without something to apply the power to, a light, motor, a transistor radio. It is probably an early 20th Century hoax or propaganda aimed at the appeasenicks and is to be expected from Saddam really.
However you don't expect this type of sloppyness from the BBC. The article makes the automatic assumption that the West will be bombing museums, and by implication, schools hospitals etc. This is just plainly absurd. The BBC seem to have dropped their usual impartiality and integrity on this whole issue and adopted a pro-appeasenick position.
It's promoting victimhood and marginalise competence. It is miss-using the word 'discrimination' to presume a negative connotation and automatically associates a negative moral imperative to it. Discrimination is the process where a determination between states is made. There is nothing inherently imoral or wrong with discrimination providing it is based on objective criteria.
Yep programmers do generally look down on scripters and managers too and yep this is discrimination, however to assume this is wrong as the article suggests is to fall for crude double think.
What differentiates programmers from scripters is not the language used but the scope of the languages available for use. If you can develop software independent of language then you are by definition a programmer and also by definition more skilled that a scripter who can only develop software in scripts. Programmers are by definition more widely skilled that scripters.
AIH I consider myself a software engineer, because I am competent in wide range of skill I can system engineer, analyse, design in multiple paridigms, I can program in half a dozen languages from multiple paridigms. Oh and yes I can script. I can also construct a cost benefit analysis to see which is the best approach to utilise, a quick a dirty script that will be used once or a well designed and engineered system that is robust and flexible.
They did the same thing to Stacker with it's disc compression software. Joint arrangement, Small Capital Investment as a sign of good faith, poached the best staff and deserted the deal after launching there own software.
They've pulled a similar stunts with Apple and games company who's name escapes me for the moment.
Slashdot Mirror
The executive summary...
"Why should I allow my body or my children to be filled with man-made chemicals, when I don't know what the health effects of these substances will be."
I think this is a reasonable and well rounded comment. She doesn't say all chemical are bad, she doesn't even say all ''man-made chemicals' are bad. She exercises a health scepticism and an implied demand for more information.
I think the BBC using her comment is a poor example. It _is_ entirely consistent with what the expert says and good of example of what Sense About Science are trying to achieve. That Celebrities have been asked to check their facts before lending support to scientific research and campaigns, rather than risk misleading people.
Experts understand the subtle nuances of a subject and therefore qualify their position with lots of 'if' or 'buts'. An informed observer appreciates these nuances. An uninformed observer does not, it appears less precise and less clear.
The less competent see fewer nuances and therefore make more straight forward assertions, they qualify their position less, therefore it looks clearer to an uninformed observer.
The analogy to your view would imply that just because I drive a car, I'm interested in doing the maintenance myself.
Why buy a car designed in 2001 with the 2007 paint scheme so I can recycle the tyres; when I can buy a 2007 car which comes with brand new tyres!
"A lie can get halfway around the world before the truth even gets its boots on..." Mark Twain
first of all, he's an evolutionary theorist at the London School of Economics. I simply can't believe the BBC is printing such garbage. I mean, I like sci-fi as much as the next guy, but this is pure fantasy.
His credentials are first class. A first degree in Natural History and a PhD on the interaction between evolution and morality.
The LSE is one of the best universities in the world and is the home of the Darwin collection.
What's a Tory?
A Tory is a member of the Conservative party. The party of old money, the monarchy, hereditary privilege; the establishment.
In the past they would be described are right wing, but all three parties in the UK are economically right wing.
If your MMOG company provides a mechanism for converting in-game money back into real money then, yes, that's going to be illegal when the President puts pen to paper.
Selling game currency for real cash is against the EULA for a lot of MMOGs, but EBay provide this facility anyway.
Perhaps this will give games like Eve-Online the weapon they need to eradicate these cheaters.
Mono is a fifth column which is why it's shown in grey and lagging behind the real front line.
The Network Effect would be reduced. The internet would lose traction. The Internet promotes international co-operation and understanding. The Internet will do more for World Peace in the next 20 years than the UN did in half a century.
Don't assume that everybody posting in the English language Internet is American/Canadian/English.
Stop Ritalin
Agreed, Ritalin has never been properly tested for use with children. I suggest reading The evil practice of Narcotherapy for attention Deficit and Drugged Obedience in the School by Dr. David Keirsey one of the world's leading clinical psychologists.
The article in question is discussing letting the police read your email and abolishing anonymity.
And how does this differ in any principled way from them using their existing powers to monitor snail mail ? The point is the Australian Police have no power to enforce a warrant on a overseas ISP, so they are seeking to ensure they act responsibly anyway.
You're standing on the slippery slope, so yeah, you implied it.
I would counter that you are standing on a slippery slope to anarchy, or purposefully miss-representing the situation for trolling purposes. Never forget Liberty comes with commensurate responsibilities, and the people that form the biggest threat to liberty are those that abuse it.
If you are genuinely interested in protecting liberties, direct your attention at your own countries NSA's ECHELON project which is a far bigger threat because it is *absolutely* unaccountable.
What I found interesting is that a 30 year old CS theory is leading edge Cartography.
This is certainly a crime under the UK Computer Misuse Act 1990. The fact that fact this guy is Dutch and opperated from the Netherlands is likely little protection since this law is besed on EU Treaty obligations and therefore very similar laws will exist throught the EU. In addition the EU has very comprehensive extradition policy.
Yes in UK. Local government is usually know as the 'corporation'.
What most Americans think of as a Corporation we call a [Public|Private] Limited Company.
Yet another ecample being divided by a common language.
Alternative you could take 'natures' own solution, grind and oxidise the core, mix with silicate (sand) and bury in deep holes (disused gold and diamond mines).
Mirrow
Kingston Interactive Television have been doing this for over 3 years in the UK and each development has been submitted to slashdot only to rejected. (I wonder why ?)
Kingston are the world leaders in real Interactive DTV and nobody has come even close to duplicating the same range of services. As well as PVR, it is the only system in the world to offer user directed content, true VOD, DTV, Internet to the TV, Broadband Internet to the PC and webmail, all for ~£30 (50 USD/EURO)pcm.
As for the fact AOL have been developing this system in secret. Well I'll settle to call it an open secret in the DTV Industry. They tried to sell ourselves their system/technology and stated it would be ready for launch within months, however they had no STB, no content and few details; this was two years ago.
We then demonstrated our live system, already superior to what they offered and they went white, literally.
So perhaps you shouldn't break the law and install pirated software.
Does not imply the that...
if you can't afford the license price for XP
It is not uncommon in free markets to pay full retail price for s/w only for the BSA to claim it is an illegal pirate copy because it is a import.
The BBC has an interesting article about a 2,200 year old battery ...
... how this priceless artifact as well as many others...
... threatened by the impending war.
This are is undoughtedly a hoax or a fake, If it was a battery it would show signs of electrolysis not corrosion, it does not it is also rather pointless without something to apply the power to, a light, motor, a transistor radio. It is probably an early 20th Century hoax or propaganda aimed at the appeasenicks and is to be expected from Saddam really.
However you don't expect this type of sloppyness from the BBC. The article makes the automatic assumption that the West will be bombing museums, and by implication, schools hospitals etc. This is just plainly absurd. The BBC seem to have dropped their usual impartiality and integrity on this whole issue and adopted a pro-appeasenick position.
The article should be moderated as Flamebait.
It's promoting victimhood and marginalise competence. It is miss-using the word 'discrimination' to presume a negative connotation and automatically associates a negative moral imperative to it. Discrimination is the process where a determination between states is made. There is nothing inherently imoral or wrong with discrimination providing it is based on objective criteria.
Yep programmers do generally look down on scripters and managers too and yep this is discrimination, however to assume this is wrong as the article suggests is to fall for crude double think.
What differentiates programmers from scripters is not the language used but the scope of the languages available for use. If you can develop software independent of language then you are by definition a programmer and also by definition more skilled that a scripter who can only develop software in scripts. Programmers are by definition more widely skilled that scripters.
AIH I consider myself a software engineer, because I am competent in wide range of skill I can system engineer, analyse, design in multiple paridigms, I can program in half a dozen languages from multiple paridigms. Oh and yes I can script. I can also construct a cost benefit analysis to see which is the best approach to utilise, a quick a dirty script that will be used once or a well designed and engineered system that is robust and flexible.
if they follow the law, no matter what the laws says, then they're not "corrupt"
Evil persists when good men stand by.
Catholics with rhythm are never born.
They did the same thing to Stacker with it's disc compression software. Joint arrangement, Small Capital Investment as a sign of good faith, poached the best staff and deserted the deal after launching there own software.
They've pulled a similar stunts with Apple and games company who's name escapes me for the moment.
1. Sendo sues MS.
2. MS stalls for a long, long time. Judge is too wimpy to issue an injunction.
3. Microsoft refuses to settle. Sendo goes bankrupt from the legal fees.
4. The Sendo's Creditors including the Accountants and Lawyers gain Sendo assets including the right to sue Microsoft.
5. (Even more) profit for Accountants and Lawyers
6. Microsoft now have no choice but to settle in order to cap the legal fees.