Posts by Scott 39

Fukushima is a triumph for nuke power: Build more reactors now!

Nice Propaganda Piece

I am pro-nuclear, for many reasons.

All the same, this article is tripe. It is also premature, which seems to indicate a rather slavering anxiousness to get on the soapbox.

Facebook set to unveil 'Gmail killer'

Alarmist Tripe

It is apparent from both the spewing misinformation about how Facebook works and the apocalyptic alarmism that the majority of posters don't actually use Facebook.

This won't end the online world as we know it.

Virtually all of the implications made here about how Facebook works are false.

I use Facebook. I don't, gasp, share or post things that I am not comfortable sharing. What a concept! I don't friend people whose comments I do not want on my wall. Wow! I don't set my privacy to allow strangers to see my posts. I, despite my intentional exclusion of coworkers, would not be the least bit concerned if the president of our company read every tidbit in my Facebook account. That's because I don't do stupid things and then blame others when it doesn't work out. I am, however, continually amazed at how the product has reconnected me to family and friends that I simply haven't had time to keep in touch with over the decades. I have a busy life. I don't spend excessive time online. Yet, my life is much, much richer for having used this product. The ease with which this has happened is the killer feature. Now, with the smart phone making it that much easier, it is perfect for me. And no, I am not vapid, self absorbed, arrogant, or exhibitionist. I spend my time in the real world. I understand the technical nature of the product. I understand the privacy implications. It is a tool.

I don't plan to use FB email. If sufficient numbers of friends, family, and colleagues use it, and there are compelling tie-ins to make it useful, I may use it after all. If it is a dumbed down and restrictive product, I probably won't. That's my objection to the iphone and gmail's conversation view, after all.

Danube sludge peril: Brown trouser time or not?

Ignorant propaganda much?

Ignorant, as in ignoring that this has a deleterious effect on the ecosystem it is passing through.

Imagine that, there is more to life than economics, which is the study of arbitrary factors. Simply because you have not decided to take into account some costs, does not mean they aren't there. This is the same kind of arrogant and dismissive analysis that leads people to conclude that there really is no pollution problem if it doesn't appear on the balance sheets. Well, you've swayed me. Lets start taxing carbon emissions and any other waste we can think of. That appears to be the only way to get some people to consider factors that don't fit into their narrow "economic" view. Otherwise, it's just more businesses freeloading on the backs of the public.

This is my admittedly conservative view. I'm not for picking up the check for the lazy and irresponsible elements of society.

And no, I'm not an activist. I just don't care for terrible analysis.

Google shocks world with unthreaded Gmail

reply

I need to move or delete messages individually, regardless of the thread they are attached to. I need to be able to deal with entirely separate conversations that may have originated from one group email. I may have BCCed someone in a thread. That BCC contact and subsequent conversation may need to be kept ENTIRELY separate from the primary conversation. I may receive many and varied responses to one group message. These messages need to be immediately visible to me, and dealt with separately if needed.

Essentially, I need to be completely free to organize and conceptualize my correspondence as necessary, and not be tied into one particular vision of email "conversations".

Threading is a fantastic feature, I agree. it is, however, entirely inappropriate for some email users. In fact, it makes the product unusable, even dangerous and irresponsible, for some of us.

US prosecution of McKinnon 'spiteful', says ex-top cop

Two Separate Issues

Every time the subject of McKinnon comes up, there are reams of posts decrying the treatment of the well meaning, harmless lad who was able to break in to these systems "only" because they weren't secure.

Why does that even matter? The man willfully and knowledgeably compromised government computer systems. His curiosity and lack of ill intent are mitigating factors, at best. The lack of adequate security is shameful, but shouldn't be mitigating.

Whether or not he should be extradited is a thornier subject, but if it is obvious that the UK government is not willing to treat this as a serious crime, then it is perfectly reasonable for the US government to attempt to do so.

All the posturing about the "Special Relationship" should be kept separate, not used to pretend McKinnon didn't cross a very serious line. For the most part, it comes off as an ad hominem (ad res publicem?) attack on the US, deflecting attention away from the perpetrator of the offense.

NASA tests amazing bailout rocket which will never be used

A Few points

This would NOT have saved the astronauts in Columbia or Challenger. This device is designed to jettison the astronauts while the rocket is still on the launchpad. It is jettisoned once in space. Columbia came apart on reentry and Challenger was already launched when it exploded. This escape method is simply not designed to address those failures.

As to the G Force, look at the link above for John Stapp. A human can survive considerably more than 14 Gs for brief periods of time.

Also, the cost of development is sunk cost, true. The cost of continued development and operation is still a tremendous amount. I don't agree with the decision to cancel the project, but lets not kid ourselves that it doesn't save money. It does.

I'm still rooting for this guy:

http://www.bigelowaerospace.com/news/

Apple voids warranties over cigarette smoke, users say

Warranty Violation

Considering the way cigarette smoke residue coats parts and finds its way in everywhere, I'd think that a heavily contaminated system should constitute a violated warranty -- not because of the health risk but because it is harmful abuse of the system.

Too many smokers don't realize quite how bad that stuff is. I don't care what you do to your own health, but jeebus. Quit smoking for a year then walk into a smokers house. Its amazing. Maybe tar and smoke residue isn't as damaging as water, but it sure as hell isn't good for electronics.