* Posts by jake

26584 publicly visible posts • joined 7 Jun 2007

Page:

Website fined by German court for leaking visitor's IP address via Google Fonts

jake Silver badge
Pint

Re: ...to get the point across

::snort::

Have a beer or I'll beat on you with my composing stick :-)

jake Silver badge

Re: Yes

Short and to the point. I like it.

One suggestion ... change this line:

"it would make a lot of the pages more readable."

to

"it would make the pages a lot more readable."

jake Silver badge

I'm a printer. I own a Heidelburg Windmill, and use it quite regularly. I used to collect typefaces, and own many, many trays, some quite esoteric and rare.

But I quit collecting. Do you know why? Because I found myself only using three or four on a regular basis. In addition, I almost never change the matricies on my linotype machine.

Why? Because the three or four are all that are needed to get the point across. Sure, I can use a zillion different typefaces if I choose. Yes, it says "more than just the semantics" ... it says "The looks are far more important (to me) than the actual content I am trying to convey! I'm here for art's sake, not information transfer! Need info? Look elsewhere!".

The WWW is a billion monkeys with a billion typefaces producing cut & paste copy from the Ransom Note School of Design.

Sometimes less is more.

jake Silver badge

Re: Will google have to remove

Of course! When the Court demands it, alphagoo will quite happily remove all the gathered information from every single production and development system! And they will be equally happy for the court-appointed auditors to verify the removal!

During the meanwhile, at the carefully curated off-site backup location ...

jake Silver badge

Re: At Cornetman...

Use your knee to steer, of course, just like everybody else.

There was one gal I used to see on a regular basis on the North bound 101 on-ramp from East bound San Antonio in Palo Alto ... Almost every morning, she'd be drinking coffee, eating a bagel, reading the WSJ, putting on her makeup, and cranking KOME[0] ... steering with her knee, One morning when I was running a trifle late I watched a tow service winching her car out of Adobe Creek.

When you are driving, drive. It's kind of important.

[0] Dating myself ... this was around 30 years ago.

Tesla to disable 'self-driving' feature that allowed vehicles to roll past stop signs at junctions

jake Silver badge

The problem with that argument is that the unpredictable humans are supposed to share the roads with the supposedly near-perfect self-driving cars (which aren't, not by a long-shot). Obviously, things will go wrong ... and because there are more variables involved when you introduce something new, there is automatically more that will go wrong.

jake Silver badge

"If the law is more commonly broken than complied with, then it suggests it's a really bad law."

That is an entirely different kettle o' worms. If you (that's the royal "you") don't like a law, or laws, there are mechanisms to change it or them.

"the US doesn't use give-way lines."

Absolutely incorrect.

jake Silver badge

Re: California roll

San Francisco is a bad example. The anti-car nazis are in charge of the place.

jake Silver badge

"The trouble is, from many other people's perspectives, it's not a matter of do or don't. It's do or starve. Dying in a crash would likely be preferable to people like them because they lack any kind of alternative (and no, they can't really afford or have access to anything else)."

That's a whole 'nuther kettle o' worms, and outside the scope of this discussion ... however, I'll point out the obvious: Not a single one of those people could afford a Tesla.

jake Silver badge

Re: California roll

You haven't traveled much, then. I've encountered 4-way stops in every country I've ever been in.

jake Silver badge

Alex, I;m a biker too ... and what you say is absolutely true. Most humans have not been properly trained to drive their cars. That doesn't alter the fact that these pseudo-autonomous vehicles don't belong on the street with human drivers.

Yes, a computer COULD beat a human. But they don't. Not yet, anyway ... and possibly never will. But until they do, this kind of thing should not be allowed on the road.

jake Silver badge

More likely it was the other way around ... you remembered grass snakes existed, and then your brain found one that you would have otherwise missed completely, just like you likely missed many others in the days/months/years since you had last remembered grass snakes existed.

Humans have a unique ability to tune out things that we deem unimportant.

I'm a hunter (mostly with a camera now), so I tend to see wildlife everywhere. Used to drive my Wife nuts because I'd always see the lizard, snake, racoon/possum in a tree, deer on the far hillside, birds everywhere, the odd feral European honey bee colony (which I often repatriated) ... to say nothing of mushrooms (edible and poisonous), and all kinds of edible plants. Now, after many years of walking in the wild with me, she sees these things by herself.

A couple of years ago, when I was walking the dawgs downtown I watched a young Redtail Hawk take a pigeon in mid-air. It landed in a muddle, obviously shaken up by the hit. It leaned against a car tire on the curb, wings covering its prey, shaking its head and trying to get its bearings. I stopped a couple from walking past it ... but they couldn't see it, just 15 feet away, even when I pointed it out to them! To them, it was a pile of leaves drifted up against the tire. When the bird took off with its prey a few seconds later, the woman let out a little screech and the man jumped ...

ANYway, keep your eyes and your mind open, you never know what you might see :-)

jake Silver badge

Re: California roll

In Quebec it's either ARRÊT or STOP ... or both. From what I've seen, the locals seem to pretty much ignore them, regardless.

jake Silver badge

Re: Rolling stop my arse

"Jake: What areas did you drive around?"

Pretty much all of the UK (including NI and all of the larger outlying islands, and quite a few of the smaller ones[0]). It's not like it's a big place, and I was a tourist quite interested in pre-Roman history (actually, I'm easily distracted by anything newly discovered from the middle ages back). A tourist with a work visa, but a tourist nonetheless.

[0] Obviously I walked or biked on many of the islands, sans car or motorcycle.

jake Silver badge

Re: California roll

Who goes now?

FIFO, it's not exactly rocket science. Nor is it guesswork.

In the event of a tie, the person on the right has right of way (on the left in the UK? I honestly don't remember!) --or-- the person going straight, not turning across traffic.

jake Silver badge
Pint

Then come up with a better name that describes it properly. Calling it "renewable" is a blatant lie. Or fuzzy thinking or outright ignorance, depending on who is using the term. Regardless, it does not endear itself to the literal, scientific set.

Thee typoes in mine were because the new pup in the house was insisting on helping. My sincere apologies for any inconvenience they caused you. Beer?

jake Silver badge

Re: Rule following isn't always practical

"and if they get it wrong, kill or maim hoola and then take the consequences, should they survive."

FTFY

jake Silver badge

Blah, blah, blah.

It's still not emission free. And never will be. That is a lie, pure and simple.

And yes, it is NIMBYism ... all y'all want the fossil fuel burned elsewhere to power your ever-so righteous so-called clean cars where you are now. Me, me, me. Listen to yourself.

jake Silver badge

Re: California roll..30 plus year CA driver here

"Try getting above 25mph while driving in the Sunset or Noe Valley in SF. Or 20 mph for that matter."

Nah. The only reason I drive in any of those is when I take Sunset[0] to avoid 19th between the Bridge and 280 ... Otherwise I avoid San Francisco entirely. Hell-hole of a city.

[0] The lights are timed for approximately 37 MPH, the speed limit is 35. Go figure.

jake Silver badge

Re: Autopilot self ticketing

"Tesla expect to be able to carry out their own investigation into collisions and just tell the police their results. This wouldn't wash over here."

That won't wash here, either ... not outside Musk's pot inspired dreams, anyway.

jake Silver badge

Re: One benefit for the fuel companies...?

Could it be that the people causing the chaos were tourists, seeing as you were obviously in a hotel district?

One thing I've discovered to be quite universal, world-wide, is that locals are always very aware of local traffic peculiarities.

jake Silver badge

Re: Not a "bug"

The video is not an example of Real Life, and was shot on an under-construction roundabout that wasn't yet open to the general public. You can call the company for yourself and ask ... Walker Construction of Kentucky.

jake Silver badge

Humans are remarkably good at spotting food wildlife, even peripherally and in low light conditions.

jake Silver badge

Re: One benefit for the fuel companies...?

They put up the light poles as a convenient place to hang your nanny cams.

jake Silver badge

Re: California roll

You mean the red octagon with the word STOP in it, just like those used in a large portion of the rest of the planet? It's not exactly unique to the UK, you know.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stop_sign#/media/File:World_stop_sign_shapes.svg

jake Silver badge

Re: When did the regulators lose control? (Oh, wait...Boeing 737 MAX...)

Musk, using the "my daddy can beat up your daddy" tactic?

Somehow, that sounds fitting ...

jake Silver badge

Yes. That's exactly how it was done when I was one of many subjects "picked at random" by one department or another at Stanford (psychology?).

I do not remember what the test parameters were, or perhaps I never knew. Lotta water under the ol' bridge since then.

jake Silver badge

As I said, entitlement.

jake Silver badge

Re: Not a "bug"

Cop salaries are NOT paid with traffic fines. Common misconception (or urban myth, perhaps?).

Several years ago, the local rag ("The Sonoma Sun") interviewed the City of Sonoma's Police Chief. One of the burning topics was (and still is) automobiles ignoring traffic rules around the pedestrian-heavy, tourist-centric Sonoma Plaza.

Specifically the reporter asked (paraphrasing) "Why don't you post a couple cops around The Plaza and ticket violators?". The Top Cop answered "Because we lose money for each citation issued. After the Court System takes their cut, we receive approximately $7 per citation ... which doesn't even pay the time it takes the officer to write the ticket and file the paperwork that follows".

See our local scoff-laws in action here. Note that this was a four-way stop before the street to the lower left was converted to outdoor dining (because Covid). Also note that the restaurant under the camera (Maya) is one of the best places to eat in Sonoma County. Highly recommended.

jake Silver badge

In this context it's a difference in movement, not aggregate movement, that matters. You don't need to track it, per se, but rather become aware that it is there. Once aware, then you take further action. Or ignore it.

jake Silver badge

"The technology should be set up in such a way that, if the driver does not respond to a potential problem in time, the software will do it for you. It should also be dialled down so some features are disabled/enabled as I prefer, lane assist on narrow roads as an example."

From my perspective, if you can't drive ... DON'T!

jake Silver badge

Re: California roll

"as other have pointed out we have 'give way' signs"

And we have Yield signs, which are pretty much the same thing.

"sounds like the US is going overboard with them a tad."

Not from my perspective, and I've driven all over both countries.

jake Silver badge

Re: One benefit for the fuel companies...?

Traffic lights here (California) are trending towards being more sensible ... during commute hours (school run, whatever), they move traffic in the direction of the commute at the expense of slowing traffic going other places just a bit. During times of lighter traffic and on weekends, they work on a more as needed basis, sometimes erroneously called "Sunday lights".

Frankly, I wish we had more roundabouts in logical places. We're getting there, if slowly, but as with people all over the world we are in the throws of an epidemic called NIH.

jake Silver badge

Re: Rolling stop my arse

"There are a fair few STOP signs in the UK but mainly outside of urban areas."

Do you guys ignore stop signs so often you no longer even realize they are there? I've spent almost 20% of my life in the British Isles, and I remember plenty of stop signs, all over the place.

jake Silver badge

"Sure, some people are clutching their pearls about the lawbreakers who roll through stop signs."

Last time I checked, "stop" had a very simple meaning in law.

Complaining about people breaking the law is considered "clutching at pearls" these days?

I believe the word we're looking for here is "entitled".

You agreed to abide by the rules of the road when you signed for your license.

jake Silver badge

Re: California roll

"I live and drive in the UK and I cannot think or recall a place where there is a stop sign equivalent to the ones in the US. Or even a stop sign at all."

Oh, bullshit. Here's one. Took me well under a minute a minute to find. Want me to dig up a couple thousand more?

jake Silver badge

Re: California roll

Same here. Stop signs seem to be ubiquitous.

jake Silver badge

NIMBY, then?

Nice.

jake Silver badge

"I don't understand the hostility towards Teslas by some contributors to this site."

Being a car guy, and a computer guy, and a guy who knows how sensors, servos, actuators and the like work and can be combined, I know how much can go wrong. Frankly,the concept of self-driving vehicles sharing the road with actual human drivers scares the shit out of me. Far, far too much to go wrong.

Couple that with the out-right lie of a so-called "emission-free" vehicle that is powered by electricity ...which as any fool can see is generated primarily from fossil fuels. Emmision-free my pasty white butt.

To say nothing of the entire "renewable energy" lie ... Thee is no such thing as renewable energy, entropy says no.

"Its a rare person that can accurately track a moving object with just their peripheral vision."

Thankfully, most humans can detect very, very slight movement in their peripheral vision, making your point rather pointless in this context.

50 lines of Bash to bring a Wordle fan out of their shell

jake Silver badge

And then we'll move the Rockies and all parts West back to where it belongs ... you lot can keep the East Coast, with our compliments,

jake Silver badge

Re: 50 lines of Bash

As long as necessary, of course.

jake Silver badge

Re: Prior art?

"the glamorous East Asian lady was, after all, the real genius/assassin behind the operation…"

Don't be silly. The real genius/assassin was the cat.

jake Silver badge

Re: Quit vim

Or, for you Windows converts using the GUI version:

Click File on the menu, then Exit. The keyboard shortcut also works:

<alt>F x

Ever so difficult, that.

Intel R&D spending surges after years of neglect as Gelsinger pledges to make Chipzilla great again

jake Silver badge

I agree that whimsy has no place in science. I do not agree that whimsical names should not exist in science.

Besides, renaming up, down, charm, strange, top, and bottom would balls up all the textbooks.

jake Silver badge

Re: It's almost like there is a direct correlation!

How else are you supposed to find the money to hire a gazillion sales dweebs who are young enough to be taken advantage of?

jake Silver badge

Like many such things, it was never a "law" in the legal or scientific sense. More properly, it should probably be called "Moore's Observation".

But it's called what it's called, we all know what it means, and it's unlikely to change.

jake Silver badge

"they're only in it to make a larger profit by Friday"

FTFY

When forgetting to set a password for root is the least of your woes

jake Silver badge

"And it's also in /etc so it's specifically not in $PATH$"

That's "supposed to not be in your $PATH" ... I strongly suggest double checking this, do not assume, I got bit once at a place where you'd think they'd know better.

::grumble:: ::bitch:: ::gripe:: ::moan:: ; Hey you kids, ger orf me lawn!

Machine learning the hard way: IBM Watson's fatal misdiagnosis

jake Silver badge

Re: One doesn't imply the other

"It solved a problem that nobody had."

That would describe most of today's pointy-clicky-webby world, no? And yet here people are making gobs of money doing it. Except IBM, it would seem.

jake Silver badge

Re: Elementary my dear Watson...

Hey! I resemble that remark! Er, I mean I don't resemble that remark ... damn, What do I mean?

Watson, come here, I need you.

Page: