I have heard similar from my instructors when I tell them my thoughts, except for the specifics. I've read here about COBOL and Assembly and some of the complaints, but that has not turned me off any, so I think I may be OK if I do go that route.

To be honest, I am only starting to learn about these organizations and have not had enough personal experience or talked to those with experience in dealing with the organizations. From my understanding, I do not think the idea is a bad one. Accounting and finance like many other fields is very technical and detail oriented, and unless one is familiar with at least the fundamentals, we have a serious issue with trust and accountability. However, it is unreasonable to ask everyone to have an understanding of the fundamentals of everything they would need to know to operate in this world, so I do agree with licensing and certifications for those practices which can severely impact a persons life in addition to severe penalties for violations.

I would agree that a similar model may be beneficial. For those who provide services to their neighbors or their family, they would not need the certifications, however to advertise yourself publicly they would. I have been told that soon the IRS will require that tax-preparers to be certified and meet basic regulations. I imagine this will make it very difficult for the neighborhood tax-preparer, but on the other hand, it may prevent many people from being audited from poorly prepared taxes.

In pursuing school and deciding on which direction to go, I had decided to choose accounting as it seems to provide a stable field, while still allowing me the personal time to follow my interests with technology. I've been reading here at /. for a few years, and with the many complaints I see about the way the software industry or field of systems administration are treated and abused, along with the non-industry related troubles, has been a big turn off from choosing either of those fields as my primary skill.

However, I do love computers and networks and exploring code and programming and intend to follow with an education in one of the related fields. But whether or not I choose that for my employment is another issue. So during the day I shall be Justin the programmer-accountant and by night I shall defend the universe of light from the forces of darkness.

This is a difficult question. Trying to get people to say thank you and express positive thoughts is far more difficult than getting a complaint or negative response. People generally don't see those things that don't cause them problems, until a problem does occur. I don't know how to change this, aside from asking people if there is anything wrong to asking what people like about the software/service/whatever in addition to what can be improved. At least that way more people start seeing that as an option for communication and some may even use it.

I have several times sent emails thanking developers and small publishers for free tools and tutorials they have shared. Several times my emails were replied to, letting me know they have received it, which doesn't matter, but it helps in a human way. As a user of ActiveState's* Komodo Edit (free version), I had even received a t-shirt for thanking them. Which if you're reading Fred, thank you, again.

*Disclaimer - I am just a user of Komodo Edit, no other affiliation with ActiveState.

I voted for other as eldavojohn's was my favorite of them also.

Had anyone stopped to consider that all this news of hurricane violence in the media, is encouraging more hurricanic violence?

Thinking about the TLDs that site I visit are on, .com, .org, .co.uk, and .de, Im left trying to figure out where the hell this .fr is and if there has ever been anything of worth from a site using .fr.

Huh, oh well. I've got other things I need to catch up on.

In general, I would agree with you. However, this is not true when the visitors of a site, really want to support a site. For example, check any story on Ars when the subject of NoScript and AdBlockPlus come up and see how many people say they whitelist Ars. But Ive also seen Ars staff respond in threads about actively blocking offensive ads, which Im sure had built much good will with the community.

The way I see it, is that if a prisoner is a ward of the state, then the state is responsible for that prisoner and also their actions. So when a prisoner gets raped in prison, I see it as no different than if the state had raped that person.

I also feel that the victim of rape has every right to pursue revenge against the offending party, a state or otherwise.

I would agree, but supposedly copyright law says that I cannot download a movie which I have already own on disc. Supposedly, I only have license to consume the media in the format I purchased it, and with all of its limitations and failures. As Netflix did not license those subtitles, they had committed commercial infringement. If they wanted to use subtitles, they should have made the subtitles themselves, or gotten them from the studios they licensed the videos from.

I disagree with the laws as they are, and have already voted with my wallet (haha) by having canceled Netflix, stopped buying movies, and do not go to theaters. Maybe Netflix has enough net income to speak to Congress and have their concerns heard..

I would also add that a person has an _ethical_ responsibility to notify others if there is a fire.

No Skyrim here, but I wonder if HL.exe is even more common. I can't remember the last time I played Half life, Half Life 2, or DOD, but it loads every time for TF2.

How many children know what they want to spend their lives on at the age of 15? Hell, how many even know that by the time they are 30, and haven't just been caught in the cycle of working to pay off school/house/car/medical loans and bills, for a career they were encouraged to pursue? Reading here at /., it seems that telling people to fuck off and letting the kid live and be a kid, would have been healthier for some of the posters.

Personally, I wish I didn't screw off so much in HS (or played football, then half of my teachers may have acknowledged me), and would have learned chemistry and math. So many of my interests now as an adult require good math as a foundation to proceed further. It didn't help either that I had no one in my life who was either not too busy, or unable to articulate why these subjects are important.

I'm 34 today, and back in school. Finally making the effort to learn algebra, so I may continue on and take courses in chemistry and geology, for my own personal interest. I can finally see worlds of my interests coming into reach, I have never been happier in my life. Please don't take those opportunities from kids in school today.

Thanks. Now I'm reading all comments to that tune in my head.

Bullshit. You are welcome to walk the street at any hour and talk about anything you want. However, once you use a bullhorn or even start shouting, then you've become a nuisance. This is not an issue about free speech. No one is stopping you from expressing your thoughts or opinions, however, you do not have the right to force your speech or expressions upon anyone else.