* Posts by jake

26584 publicly visible posts • joined 7 Jun 2007

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Perl's Community Affairs Team chair quits as org put on ice by code language's foundation

jake Silver badge

Re: Software Communism

"WHY DON'T YOU TRY WRITING SOME FUCKING SOFTWARE?"

Those who can, code (or write documentation, run an email list, etc.).

Those who can't, try to administrate. Usually quite poorly.

FOSS projects are by their very nature a meritocracy. Either contribute to the project in a useful mannor or get the fuck out of the way so the rest of us can. Quite honestly, we don't need your self-serving governance. Go away and stay away. Thank you.

jake Silver badge

Re: FFS

It's not decrepit, it still does exactly what it is designed to do with no loss of ability whatsoever.

However, if you don't know how to admin a network without a mouse, perhaps you should find a language more suited to your abilities and/or temperament.

jake Silver badge

Dont go away mad, don't go away sad. just go away.

"Even if imperfect," McVey said, "it is important to have some kind of Charter to work with!"

Paraphrasing: "Something needs to be done, and this is something! We must do it! If you refuse, I shall hold my breath until I turn blue, and then I shall make myself sick!"

During the meanwhile, my Daughter and I have continued reporting the odd bug, and sometimes submitting patches, and generally helping to keep perl going without petty office politics and drama-queens getting under foot. Isn't that kind of the point?

jake Silver badge

Re: FFS

If you want to be a modern cool kid, try Raku.

AI algorithms uncannily good at spotting your race from medical scans, boffins warn

jake Silver badge

Re: Why are we so focused on the symptoms and not the root cause.

Indeed. There are without a doubt genetic differences between various groups of humans (look up haplogroup population genetics, for example). These differences are very real ... and if they can be used to help folks in a medical context, Shirley it makes sense to do so?

Running away and hiding from this reality is, IMO, doing people (potentially ALL of us!) a disservice.

That's not to say I trust the AI algorithms (I do not, at least not at this point in time) ... but simply saying it is inherently evil is, in all likelihood, throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

Needs more research.

jake Silver badge

Re: Warn?

"And why is it a problem?"

Because a very few, very loud-mouthed idiots have taken the philosophical phrase "We are all the same under the skin" to be literal. So whenever somebody points out that this just plain isn't true (even for trivial things), they get all loud and bossy until the people pointing out the obvious grow weary of the ruckus and shut up again.

jake Silver badge

Re: Can't let a dollar go by, can they?

Aussie Doc writes: "Sure WE IT FOLK all know it's bad for <heaps of reasons here> but for many in the 'real world' they simply don't care about privacy issues, security and tracking and the like and as long as they want to give me money, then I'm happy to take it and put it in my coat pocket."

So instead of doing what I do, explaining the situation to them and showing them safe, effective alternatives (I even offer them space on one of my servers for free), instead you actually help the Global Advertising Industry invade their privacy ... and you take money from the suckers for this?

I'll bet yer DearOldMum is ever so proud to have raised a judas goat.

jake Silver badge
Pint

Re: Deep Fake

Bad. Really, really bad. You should be ashamed of yourself.

Have a beer :-)

jake Silver badge

Why do I suspect ...

... that Facebook thinks it is close to being able to decrypt such communications, and is planting this as a cover story to answer the inevitable questions that will start cropping up?

jake Silver badge

Re: Can't let a dollar go by, can they?

Easier answer: Don't have anything to do with facebook. It's hardly necessary.

Russian Arm SoC now shipping in Russian PCs running Russian Linux

jake Silver badge
Pint

Re: Interesting question ...

Congratulations, Comrade. You have no need for humo(u)r transplant.

jake Silver badge

Re: The Model T from Bailkal

Gawd/ess, I hope so!

jake Silver badge

Interesting question ...

"How much work can you do with eight Arm Cortex-A57 cores?"

Depends. Are you trying to emulate a Система Малых ЭВМ to run code lifted from DEC 40-odd years ago? Or are you more modern and up to date, running pirated copies of Windows 3.1?

Wireless powersats promise clean, permanent, abundant energy. Sound familiar?

jake Silver badge

Re: Modern, safe nuclear power as a baseload / backstop is a possibility

How much hydro do you think you'll have after the current dams silt up and the greenaholics refuse to allow more to be built?

jake Silver badge

Re: Tesla scams.

"It's a shame they can't physically be made to be better than 100% efficient. Ye canna break the laws of physics!"

In fact, they can't even manage 100% ... Entropy says no.

jake Silver badge

"If you don't know that one it's another American crackpot theory."

Nope. Charles Nelson Pogue was Canadian.

"Did you ever hear the story of the hundred year lightbulb?"

Over 120 years old, you mean. I've seen it in person. Here's it's webcam.

jake Silver badge

Re: who go batty at a few milliwatts...

Don't resist, we have the capacity and won't choke.

jake Silver badge

Re: Tesla scams.

Not just American. It's common world-wide, alas.

jake Silver badge

Re: The effectiveness of such a device...

Oh, I dunno .... it'd be kind of fun to read a robot's version of "Ninety-five Theses", don't you think?

jake Silver badge

Re: Whenever I hear these lunatics

Shirley all those crystals turn her Okra into a shield against all that kind of stuff?

Or was that Buckra? This type all look the same to me ...

jake Silver badge

Re: Whenever I hear these lunatics

Same thing happened in Santa Clara County over an early Cell tower.

The protestors observing in Court (North County, Palo Alto) were said to have slunk out with their tails between their legs when their poster child for the evil affects of the cell tower was so thoroughly debunked by $TELCO's lawyers ... late '70s or early '80s or thereabouts.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

jake Silver badge

Re: Casual reference to 5G sceptics as 'wingnuts': author already is on wrong side of history

That's OK, the beer goggles cover that problem.

For splinters, I use and recommend Bugz.

Note that they aren't a Faraday cage, so be careful out there!

jake Silver badge

Re: Casual reference to 5G sceptics as 'wingnuts': author already is on wrong side of history

"I was just using the term loosely"

There's a lot of that going around ... Perhaps talking about things one understands instead of things one thinks one knows (based primarily on videos from that side of youtube) would put an end to this particular epidemic.

jake Silver badge

Re: Casual reference to 5G sceptics as 'wingnuts': author already is on wrong side of history

"quite a punchline at the end"

One might say "Put THAT in your pipe and smoke it!" ...

jake Silver badge

Re: Lets do the maths

Look into Ground Source Heat Pumps and siblings. Has been working for my HVAC and hot/cold water needs (including ice, refrigeration and freezers!) for almost two decades now, with no real sign of wear and tear on the components.

Maintenance includes changing filters as needed (pressure difference between sides of the filter sets off the appropriate alarm), and the ice-maker gets cleaned out quarterly (not strictly needed, but it's easy, so why not?).

It runs on solar, with no mains connection needed. I swapped out the old batteries (third set), solar panels and associated electronics for a LiFePO system about two years ago. The new "extra" electricity runs the lighting in the house, with a transfer switch just in case I have a need to run it on mains power.

Note that I did almost all the physical work, which cut my total costs quite dramatically. Its not all that difficult if you know which end of a screwdriver to hang onto, and how to read the instructions.

The entire system (less power upgrade) paid for itself in about 12 years, initial set of batteries included. Break-even (including battery changes), about 15 years. The new LFP system should be paid for in a couple years, after that I'll probably have 10 years of hassle-free, no-cost HVAC and refrigeration before the next battery change.

New GNOME Human Interface Guidelines now official – and obviously some people hate it

jake Silver badge

Be equally aware that Slackware leaves your changes to the KDE interface alone between updates and upgrades (as best it can with the latter).

jake Silver badge

Re: "the user experience (UX) strategy for the project."

I see your Snort and raise you a Snicker.

jake Silver badge
Pint

Re: Who cares?

"writing a library that decorates windows to look like XP"

Make it Win2K and I'll be happy to help ...

Nah. Never mind, I'll just stick with KDE as shipped by Slackware.

Have a cold one anyway.

Woman sues McDonald's for $14 after cheeseburger ad did exactly what it's designed to

jake Silver badge

Re: 1,000 rubles? You want fries with that?

That was my first thought, too. Maybe even give her $28 if she agrees to do it again next year, but this time post it on youtube :-)

jake Silver badge

Re: Traceability

World Wide Cardboard Supporters on line one ... They are talking defamation, from what I can understand.

jake Silver badge

Re: The anagram generator says

Wrong language. Must try harder. D

I'll bump it up to a C- for the humo(u)r value, though.

jake Silver badge

Believing has nothing to do with lent.[0]

Lent is all about the head of the church exercising control over his flock.

[0] Show me where Lent is mentioned in the Bible and I might change my mind.

jake Silver badge

Blech.

Make your own burgers. It'll put you off the fast so-called "food" version for life.

jake Silver badge

To be fair, fast so-called "food" burgers are fucking awful, so it's not like they are wrong or anything.

jake Silver badge

Re: Devoutly religious person is suggestible

"One would expect a *devout* believer of *any* religion to have at least cracked their primary religious text and read a few pages."

You'd think that, wouldn't you? Sadly, however, after many years of observation I would expect quite the opposite.

I have met very, very few people who claim to be "devout" who can actually discuss the prime volume of their favo(u)red mythology in any great detail. In fact, most seem quite content to allow somebody else to tell them what they are supposed to believe about it, usually in return for money. Often lots and lots of money.

Sad, isn't it?

jake Silver badge

Re: "Meat and dairy are prohibited entirely"

Don't try to confuse a religious wingnut with facts. Life's too short.

jake Silver badge

"quite a few Regtards pushing on in their years ...."

Careful, Sonny. Around these here parts folks are saying 60 is the new 30 ...

Now get orf me lawn!

jake Silver badge

"with birds now officially recognized as the descendants of dinosaurs, and lizard flesh being allowed."

It was all the way back in 2010 that the Archbishop of New Orleans decided that alligator is considered to be in the fish family.

Seems to me that muskrat is also considered to be a fish in some quarters.

jake Silver badge

Re: The Sin of Gluttony

This could quickly become a circular argument ...

Q: Post-lockdown, where would I like to go? A: As far away from my own head as possible

jake Silver badge

Re: Cordon Bennet ...

It's a ceiling. Paint it white.

Cue some idiot accusing me of racism ...

jake Silver badge

Re: Lockdown Wellbeing

I called them dumbshits, and I meant dumbshits. Please do not dilute the concept, either here or in your every day life. Thank you.

The folks who have actual mental issues need help, I'm not denigrating them! Nor am I talking about the folks who actually have medical issues with vaccines. I'm talking about the vast majority of the anti-vax crowd. Fucking dumbshits, the lot of them.

jake Silver badge

Re: New "Thing" at work

I use Lorem ipsum ... Strangely, in the arund 35 years that I've been doing it, nobody has ever called me on it, thus neatly proving that nobody ever reads the silly-assed things. They are just make-work for the department in question..

jake Silver badge

Re: Lockdown Wellbeing

I'm OK in my own head ... The place I'd most like to go at this point in the pandemic saga is as far away as possible from the anti-vax dumbshits.

jake Silver badge

Re: Cordon Bennet ...

The baking part is actually easy. It's just applied chemistry.

Decorating, on the other hand ... The way I see it, just smear it in sweet goo and call it post-modern if anyone asks. But they wont. In fact, 99.99% of the intended audience will applaud you ... even if some of them are applauding because they didn't have to make a mess of their own kitchen.

Never explain, never apologise." —Julia Child

jake Silver badge

Re: Cordon Bennet ...

Well hung, then?

84-year-old fined €250,000 for keeping Nazi war machines – including tank – in basement

jake Silver badge

Re: Ha!

Cool story, Bro. Shall we break it down?

A standard croquet ball is approximately 3 5/8 inches (92mm). This translates to (roughly[0]) a 6-pounder. According to my "field guide", the maximum powder charge for a 6 pound gun was about 1.5 pounds of powder. Loading one with 2.5 pounds changes it's designation ... it becomes what we call "a bomb".

The wooden ball being "just the right size" suggests that the operator had no concept of windage (the intentional gap between ball and barrel). This would further cause over-pressure, leading to bursting (the ball itself being turned to powder/toothpicks in the same instant).

This is to say nothing of the fact that an open cannon barrel automagically becomes a collector of all kinds of detritus, especially when stored outside. This, when combined with rain water and/or condensation becomes a soggy mess at the bottom of the barrel. I seriously doubt the touch-hole would be functional in such a scenario.

Also note that the build-up of crap at the bottom of the bore would put the powder charge above any banding or other re-enforcement surrounding the powder chamber, further making the explosion likely (if it wasn't too wet for the powder to burn at all ...).

I wont get into the concept of a schoolboy making 7.5 pounds of functional gunpowder ... it's a lot harder than knowing the ratio of the chemicals involved, placing them in a bowl and stirring. It has to be a very fine powder, and very well mixed, in order to go bang. Most people trying to make it in bulk manage to burn themselves rather badly before it gets to the boom stage. (Yes, I know, we've all made small quantities. Knowing how, would YOU try to make several pounds of the stuff in a school chem lab? That's what I thought.)

As a wrap, have no fear ... all the kids around here with access know that guns are tools. They would no more attempt to fire a cannon (or any other firearm) inappropriately than they would use a hammer as a screwdriver. Education, from an early age. Whodathunkit.

[0] As a former British Naval Officer, they were probably French pieces, and back then we still had the awkward Troy vs avoirdupois (and several other "standards") translation difficulties.

jake Silver badge

Re: Ha!

I suspect the downvotes had something to do with the canon. Not sure why.

I own two canon, hand-me-downs from Great Granpa. No, I'm not in the book.

jake Silver badge

Re: As a gun loving Canadian...

Dude

Learn to handload, save a pile o'loot ... and get more accurate at the same time. Win/win.

jake Silver badge

Re: WTF?

Define "assault rifle" and I might be able to answer your question.

To answer your second question, as one of the guys who played with fiber communications in the early days, I have been al over the world. I have been to most of the nations on Earth, and spent more than a couple days in all of them. There is, quite literally, no place on the entire Planet that I would prefer to live than right here, in Sonoma County, California, USA. And that is based on actual observation of conditions, not hearsay.

jake Silver badge

Re: Why didn't this thread ....

Godwin's law isn't a law, and is more properly known as Godwin's rule of Hitler analogies. For those of you who are unaware, it reads: "As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches 1."

This explanation brought to you by the number 7 and the letter V ... we now return you to your usual bickering over rules and laws that don't affect the vast majority of you.

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