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Comment Or maybe it's a really smart tactic. (Score 1) 22

After all, the Dunning-Kruger effect may be at play here. The dumb ones will say "yep, fer sure, ab-so-lute-ly. You got my vote." Especially since they'll be assuming he's talking about opponents, not *gasp* them.

H. L. Mencken: "Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public".

It's politics. Any relation between it and real life is purely accidental.

Comment Re:There are limits to freedom of speach (Score 1) 489

I'd like to see some examples of colonial judges enacting new laws.

Also, I'd like to point out that your response is non sequitur to the point - Constitutionally, only the legislative branch can legally create laws; the only legitimate argument would be to point out somewhere in the Constitution that says otherwise.

Submission + - Steve Wozniak accepts adjunct professorship at UTS (crn.com.au)

An anonymous reader writes: Apple co-founder Steve “Woz” Wozniak has accepted an adjunct professorship at the University of Technology Sydney. "He beams in on our telepresence device to chat with students, share his latest ideas and entertain with jokes and the occasional prank,” said lab director Professor Mary-Anne Williams. In 2012, Wozniak announced plans to become an Australian citizen — expressing interest in the country's National Broadband Network (NBN) and the concept of government regulated broadband — although that ambition has not yet been fulfilled.

Comment Re:Compelling, but a mix still better... (Score 1) 399

For a different take, why not read Houston, Do You Read?

I have it in my home dead-trees library, and it's quite the read.

Somewhat contrary to the wikipedia article, it's not anti-male sentiment, but anti-patriarchal. Even one of the men realizes that there's just no way he can leave his learned habits behind completely, and will contaminate the new world. And there's regret among both sides that it's just not possible.

Comment Re:Like everything else, it depends ... (Score 1) 14

I'm glad we're maybe closer in views about the reaction of many towards Twitter death threats.

It should go without saying that only losers make death threats ... unfortunately nowadays you have to clarify everything because "common sense" is an oxymoron.

And sure, in the heat of the moment, and thanks to everyone else around them who gets a little guilty "frisson" from these things and perhaps exaggerates the danger, people will over-react. I get it. I saw it happen again this weekend, and when all the adults are acting childish, sometimes the only thing to do is shut up, walk away, and wait till the next day to pick up the pieces without rubbing it into anyone's faces that they could have acted better.

I've never been worried about APK. If he were to show up here, I'd probably invite him in and ask him what his problem is. There are two people I wouldn't do that with, but they've already proven themselves to be very dangerous; but after giving it lots of thought, I would even talk with the schizo killer provided there was some physical security present. After all, I can't continue to blame someone if they were crazy at the time. So that leaves just one, and they have no excuse for their actions. And if they were to resume following me around, I'd call the police.

Now, if the cops said "move", that's a whole different kettle of fish ...

Comment Re:Overly broad? (Score 1) 422

The FDA and ADA won't change their stance. Otherwise, we'd have banned smoking ages ago. People are going to do what they're going to do.

I used to believe the same, because that's what the hospital taught me in the diabetes management courses *mumble* years ago. I was one of the few Type 1s in the class, and I was normal weight. Most, but not all, of the Type 2 were overweight, so it kind of made sense.

I see my endocrinologist several times a year. Everyone should, but most don't. Then again, most don't follow their doctor's orders either. But the only time you'll see me chug down a soft drink is when I'm about to pass out from an insulin reaction.

Comment Re:Um... okay...? (Score 1) 44

i kan(t) read:

You know very well that Tim hits various events and videotapes whomever or whatever he considers interesting. If we were paid for running "video ads," each one would be clearly marked "ad" or "sponsored content."

Should we interview you? Know someone else we should interview? Email me with contact info. Maybe we will.

Comment Re:Give it another decade - the problem will solve (Score 1) 131

You can fax legal documents and keep the fax header as proof of service.

A quick search shows that the state of Utah allows alternate service by email or social media. A judge allowed the FTC to serve notice via facebook. New York allowed email service in 2006, and Australia allows it, and anther New York case of service via facebook was discussed on slashdot last month.

The old ways are dying. Requiring someone to buy a laser device to burn "stamps" onto envelopes and packages won't work.

Comment Re:How does it secure against spoofing? (Score 1) 121

No, there is no guarantee that the user will not use a mobile phone to access his online banking (and the idiocy of some banks pushing out mobile apps for online banking doesn't actually improve security in that area either).

You can't make the user secure. You can only offer it to him and hope that he's intelligent enough to accept it.

Comment Re:Give it another decade - the problem will solve (Score 2) 131

Maybe you could actually read the article again:

The envelope or package that’s been sitting there for days, unsent.

The post office already allowed people to print up their own custom stamps for an extra fee. It bombed.

And there's no way that anyone is going to buy a laser etcher when mailing things is becoming obsolete.

The Canadian government has already told people that mailing payments will cease over the next few years.

Additionally, home delivery of the mail is being ended to most of the population. It's already stopped for 1/3 of the population, and the other 3rd that don't live in apartment buildings will be stopped over the next few years. Why the exception for apartment buildings? Because it saves Canada Post the cost of building and maintaining public mailbox collection stands.

There are plenty of competitors for parcel delivery - Canada Post already owns one of them - Purolator Courier.

The only things I've mailed this decade are registered mail - which requires a visit to a postal substation anyway. The post office is going to be dead before BSD.

Comment Re:What future? (Score 1) 131

I have some bills which will get "lost" if they are not sent at least certified mail. Sent electronically, it isn't anywhere near as concrete proof [1] as a piece of physical mail sent with a signature trail.

Paper complaints, especially legal work are hard to ignore. E-mail, even calls, there is no paper trail and can be hidden. However, a certified message either gets received or it gets refused. Either way, someone had to interact with the document in a provable way. Even now, our society isn't paperless and when it comes to legalities, there is no beating physical paper documents.

As for banking software on my phone, I'd say that iOS and Android have a better record for security with a few caveats [2], than a desktop machine. However, my biggest concern with too much stuff on a phone is if it gets stolen. Of course, the ideal would be having the banking software use KeyChain or Google's equivalent and ask for a PIN before it is run, so all sensitive data is encrypted, not just by the phone's encryption, but by a specific API.

[1]: Proof to judges and juries who are still in the pen and paper age, and those are the people who need to be persuaded if worse comes to worst. You can talk crypto all day long to a jury, and their eyes will glaze over. Show them a piece of paper with a physical John Hancock on it, they will make a decision.

[2]: Depending on how well the jailbreak is crafted, it can destroy's iOS's security, where an app can go hog wild and do what it wants to.

Android is more secure in this regard, but apps ask for a lot of permissions . However, a rooted Android device is just as secure (barring a dumb user) than a non rooted one. Attacks like a compromised Web browser will have far less effect than they do on a PC.

Submission + - Interview at Startup From Hell (thebillfold.com)

globaljustin writes: The author recounts an interview for a non-tech, full time job at a Silicon Valley startup that exemplifies the unprofessionalism in the industry.

"Late in the day, one of the programmers took out a toy helicopter and began flying it around the office.

[The Boss] was still at his laptop, laughing along but looking increasingly desperate at his lack of control over the employees.

"Come on, guys, what about some work?" he asked pathetically.

Everyone ignored him..."

Comment Re:Shipping companies.... (Score 2) 131

1) This is prettier and cooler.

2) Easier to use for one off jobs, where you have one letter. 3) They envision ending/greatly reducing the physical stamp program. This will piss off the collectors a lot.

4) They get paid for it, rather than the company that makes the QR codes etc.

Basically, I don't think it has enough advantages to catch on somewhere where they already have stamps. But ISIL might want it for their new country, I bet they want to replace Syria's and Iraq's old postal system.

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