I read this discussion about population control by Pieter Hintjens.

One quote:

A blantant theft from a site called Slashdot, with a twist.

The problem with video conferencing is that you can't look your correspondent in the eyes, you're watching the screen while the camera is just a little bit higher.

Posting an email address to Slashdot is too indiscrete for my purposes. A telephone number can be abused. Perhaps the simplest way to meet is the old-fashioned way, in a dimly-lit cafe, for instance near the Bourse.

Inspired by the insipid story of 'will you be my friend' (the answer is a firm "no") badges.

The problem is certainly there: dating is expensive, inefficient, and far too random. Surely there are accurate ways of finding your soulmate in a crowded room or nightclub without the hassle and expense of mismatches.

This is an old idea, I'm just putting it here for the record.

Problem statement: there are still too few people enjoying the wonders of massive copyright violations. This smallish number creates a viable target for the *A boys.

Solution: The Granny Box.

This is the hardware, roughly:

Speaking to a friend who's a trance-techno DJ, he's hurting because vinyl is getting so expensive. 10 Euro, he says, for a 5 minute piece. But a working DJ needs dozens of these each week, always the latest and newest stuff.

Pioneer have a cd-based turntable that DJs like, but it's not the same. Good, yes, but it's not as good as vinyl.

So, this prompted MDPA/4. The concept is a modded dual-platter turntable, consisting of:

Instant poll:

Who smoked the most crack in 2003?

(_) SCO
(_) Belkin
(_) Verisign
(_) *A
(_) All of the above
(_) CowboyNeal
(_) YIS I can't afford crack!

This one comes from a discussion on /. today about spam.

Spam, spam, glorious spam. It's not getting any better, despite creative solutions of all kinds. And how can it? For every inventive and courageous spamfighter, there is an equally desperate and inventive spammer. Necessity breeds invention and what man makes, man can hack.

Cars should be able to show emotions. I'm not just talking about the brake lights that shine brighter when you brake harder, I'm talking about a fully controllable paint job that can flick from blue to red, to green and back.

When some jerk drives too close behind me, my car will start to glow angry red. "Back off, dude!" When the cops are prowling, the car goes discreet black, "nothing to see here, move on."

This will be an irregular section for wacky ideas that I want to publish before some jerk places a patent on it and steals my millions. There's a logic in there somewhere... Anyhow!

Today's entry: self-rotating web adverts. Yes, you read about it here first! (PatPend Heironymous Coward 2003).

Heironymous' Thought for the Day:

"You can measure a man by the size of his lawyer."

Context: Heironymous is learning about company law the 'interesting' way, and particularly enjoying the ongoing chessgame between the two lawyers. Mine is going to win, I can see it. The other has already regretted starting the game.

'Nuf said about this subject.

On Sept.12 2003 I discussed a new kind of user interface that I wanted to build. Well, we have started on a prototype and it's quite nice. My goal with documenting this as we go along is to get feedback (obviously) but also to make very certain that there is prior art in case someone decides to patent the concepts.

I'll just have to describe it verbally for now, screenshots and a test version will be along when we're ready.

I used to write a webzine, and one of the fun parts was to make a set of predictions near the end of the year. Usually I was right, only a year or two too early.

Well, here is my list for 2004 and onwards. I'll make my bold assertions first, and explain them afterwards.

Found this interesting take on the IT industry.

And I'm still wondering how I can find back that gem I wrote around comment nr.24. Even Google can't find it, so it's really lost.

Deep somewhere in the dark depths of the Slashdot database there sit my 400 comments. All my wisdom, poured straight onto the web, and now lost forever.