Posts by Mark 85 12884 publicly visible posts • joined 22 Nov 2012
This "product" proofs it again. Internet connected garage door opener? Really? My opener control sits in the car. Leave, hit close. Come home.. hit open. No internet connection, no monthly fee. Unique code so no one else can easily hack the code.
I'm not trying to be smug... just wondering where the brains are of people who buy this junk.
As another poster has noted, full automation has the potential to move to a post scarcity economic model where work becomes truly optional, and where we all get richer as the automation improves.
Numerous SF novels/stories have been written about such societies were machines do all the work and the populous benefits with unlimited free time. As I recall, it usually didn't end well.
Humans need challenges and purpose. Be it going to the moon or Mars or just getting up everyday to go to work and pay some bills. We need the day to day challenges...
What makes you think that USA, China (and in fact all major powers) do not do it too?
Oh, I don't doubt for a minute that we're all doing it including fiddling with each others elections, politics, etc. I'm just not sure what can be done about it. We in the States have been doing that since WWII with the Radio Free Europe thing. Thus I used the "trolling" label. From here, it looks like there really is no answers.
It would seem that the old National Enquirer has set the bar for news, hasn't it? I open any news site and look at the headlines... celebs... sports... scandals... political activism... but little in the way of thought provoking pieces anymore on issues. The world has moved on to sound bits of tripe.
Those that care to know the truth have little problem discerning, and tend to choose different sources. Those that don't care will buy "fake news" because they like it.
This is essentially true. However, our school systems have dumbed down education and basically killed off critical thinking. Those of us who do have the critical thinking training and skills are definitely a dying breed. I grief for the future generations.
I suspect 'challenge' would have been a more suitable word than 'leave' - because to leave this country, he'd first have leave the embassy - at which point he'll be arrested.
Well... they could wrap him in plastic and pack him in a large box for shipping. Ship him UPS or Fed-Ex to the place of his choice. Label it as a proper diplomatic packet and no one will be the wiser.
(Trump also has to learn the rules of the sport called politics. )
That is one of the bigger problems. Using Twatter to scream "fake news" every hour is rather tiring to read, for example and when heard enough, will be ignored. He's under heavy scrutiny from all sides, even his own party and he's fighting back using tactics better suited to the business world than politics. This is obviously a new age of politics and we must either accept it the way it is and adapt or run to the bunker and hide.
In the real world; "Trump wastes America's time"
This could be a good thing.. the time wasting part that is. We've had other presidents that basically did nothing to polarize or motivate the people and thus the states they live in. Maybe it's time to back off from the central government as the original founders wanted and tried to set up via the Constitution. People and States have been complaining for years that the Feds we/are grabbing more power that what they were allowed to do per the Constitution. It could be time to change that and return power to the States.
Just musing over this....
You raise an interesting point. How granular will this be? House level? Computer level? We have 4 computers networked via router. So when this data gets pasted to the marketers (and probably miscreants, etc. via "purchase of the data" which computer will get tagged? All?
Oh the fun and games are starting....
So in a house with 3 or 4 people with computers... will it be fine tuned to the individual computer or to the "house"? This could be bad news for some folks if someone starts getting ads based on someone else's browsing preferences.
On the other hand, I suppose I could create much mayhem by using the neighbors WiFil....
Apparently the UK and US government position is that the sheeple have to accept the 100% chance of being cyber crime victims in trade for protection from the .0001% chance of being affected by a terrorist attack.
I think it's more like we're all suspected criminals and need to be watched. But then if the governments watch us will they have any time left to watch the criminals?
NB: last coffee was three hours ago and ive got kids inside on a rainy day. It is possible my tolerance is lower than normal.
Nah... you're just a normal tech type who's spent too long in the trenches. I think any of us who have been doing this more than year are like that. In WWII, they called it "combat fatigue".
Indeed, what makes it slippery is the very nature of government and the web. Ban one thing, well the providers/authors change tactics and something else needs to be banned. The question becomes, we're do we stop banning? I could see that eventually, the party in power could have any news or websites about the opposition being banned.
Damn it.. Orwell's 1984 was a cautionary tale, not a freaking instruction manual which everyone in government and fearful of the "bad guys" seems to be following.
Checked in baggage? What the hell.. has they seen the way the baggage people handle the baggage? Have they not had something stolen from the bags? At one point, everyone was adamant about "no valuables in checked in baggage".. and for a very good reason.
What's next? Flying to or from one of those "undisclosed countries" will require you to be naked....? Which after a couple incidents involving shoes and underwear in the past, I wouldn't be surprised.
Careful there. You might be getting closer to the truth of the matter. Re-classifying Google/Alphabet probably wouldn't go over well with them. Then there's the bottom line thing... bleeding money no matter how noble the cause isn't something corporations willingly do. Especially ones with a careful eye on the stock market.
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