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Comment Re:Today's computer science corriculum is practica (Score 1) 154

Thank you, exactly this.

I don't know what the OP actually did, but presumably this was not an interview question (since OP said they hired them), and part of actual assigned work. I would expect any even mildly-decent developer to be able to learn about IPs, netmasks and figure out how to do calculations with them in a couple of hours, even with no prior knowledge (I say this knowing much about it myself). One of the most important skills of a developer is to be able to learn. This is not just learning new languages, libraries, techniques and patterns, but also the new (to you) business domains, user needs, and "why" behind requirements/features/stories.

On the other hand, expecting any random dev to know this off the top of their head would be asinine. If they were fired for this, then the OP did them a favour because it's probably an awful place to work. And if all three were hired with the explicit expectation of being an expert in networking but don't know what a netmask is, well holy crap, the OP needed to learn how to better screen candidates at least two hires ago.

Comment Re:Great. (Score 1) 391

The parent post said: "There is no way to prevent 3D printers and CNC mills from being manufactured."

A true but unhelpful statement. My point was to look at how printers, copiers, scanners, and even image editing software have been modified to deter counterfeiting:

http://www.rulesforuse.org/pub...

It's not a stretch to imagine the same sort of restrictions being mandated for 3D printers and CNC machines.

Comment Re:Rights vs immunity of Fair Use Defense. (Score 1) 172

Then you may find the information at this link helpful: https://instagram.com/about/le...

Interesting excerpts:

"By accessing or using the Instagram website, the Instagram service, or any applications (including mobile applications) made available by Instagram (together, the "Service"), however accessed, you agree to be bound by these terms of use ("Terms of Use"). The Service is owned or controlled by Instagram, LLC ("Instagram"). These Terms of Use affect your legal rights and obligations. If you do not agree to be bound by all of these Terms of Use, do not access or use the Service. ...
Rights

1. Instagram does not claim ownership of any Content that you post on or through the Service. Instead, you hereby grant to Instagram a non-exclusive, fully paid and royalty-free, transferable, sub-licensable, worldwide license to use the Content that you post on or through the Service, subject to the Service's Privacy Policy, available here http://instagram.com/legal/pri..., including but not limited to sections 3 ("Sharing of Your Information"), 4 ("How We Store Your Information"), and 5 ("Your Choices About Your Information"). You can choose who can view your Content and activities, including your photos, as described in the Privacy Policy. ...
5. The Service contains content owned or licensed by Instagram ("Instagram Content"). Instagram Content is protected by copyright, trademark, patent, trade secret and other laws, and, as between you and Instagram, Instagram owns and retains all rights in the Instagram Content and the Service. You will not remove, alter or conceal any copyright, trademark, service mark or other proprietary rights notices incorporated in or accompanying the Instagram Content and you will not reproduce, modify, adapt, prepare derivative works based on, perform, display, publish, distribute, transmit, broadcast, sell, license or otherwise exploit the Instagram Content."

AT&T

AT&T Bills Elderly Customer $24,298.93 For Landline Dial-Up Service 234

McGruber writes: 83-year-old Woodland Hills, California resident Ron Dorff usually pays $51 a month to AT&T for a landline, which he uses to access the Internet via an old-school, low-speed AOL dial-up subscription.... but then, in March, AT&T sent him a bill for $8,596.57. He called AT&T and their service rep couldn't make heads or tails of the bill, so she said she'd send a technician to his house. None came, so Dorff figured that everything was ok.

Dorff's next monthly bill was for $15,687.64, bringing his total outstanding debt to AT&T, including late fees, to $24,298.93. If he didn't pay by May 8, AT&T warned, his bill would rise to at least $24,786.16. Droff then called David Lazarus, business columnist for the LA Times, who got in touch with AT&T, who wasted little time in deciding it would waive the more than $24,000 in charges.

AT&T spokeshole Georgia Taylor claims Dorff's modem somehow had started dialing a long-distance number when it accessed AOL, and the per-minute charges went into orbit as he stayed connected for hours.

AT&T declined to answer the LA Times questions about why AT&T didn't spot the problem itself and proactively take steps to fix things? AT&T also declined to elaborate on whether AT&T's billing system is capable of spotting unusual charges and, if so, why it doesn't routinely do so.
The Internet

Ask Slashdot: What Features Would You Like In a Search Engine? 276

New submitter nicolas.slusarenko writes Nowadays, there is one dominant search engine in the world among few alternatives. I have the impression that the majority of users think that it is the best possible service that could be made. I am sure that we could have a better search engine. During my spare time I been developing Trokam, an online search engine. I am building this service with the features that I would like to find in a service: respectful of user rights, ad-free, built upon open source software, and with auditable results. Well, those are mine. What features would you like in a search engine?

Comment Re:Remove all comments for clinic (Score 1) 106

Yeah, this is actually a great idea. Make it all or nothing. You don't get to block NEGATIVE reviews, you either take them all, or take none.

Let the public decide of they want to do business when they see a message like "All reviews of this establishment have been removed due to a court order demanding removal of one or more specific reviews. Per Google's all-or-nothing policy, all reviews are suspended."

Comment Re: Best buy (Score 2) 198

I generally stopped shopping at FS due to the commission-based sales vultures, but I did buy a stove and fridge there almost 3 years ago (needed new ones, and they had a good sale going on). Huge amount of pressure to get extended warranties, of course. I started asking about it, having had previous (negative) experience trying to actually use a warranty.

Basically, the extended warranty was 3 / 5 / 8 years depending on what you paid. If something breaks, you call them, they come out and repair or replace at their discretion. If something were to break say, 6 months after your purchase, and they came out and decided that replacing it was the most economical option, you get a new fridge. Great! Here's the catch: your Future Shop warranty is now terminated. That's right.. the remaining 7.5 years are null and void. I think you get the 1 year parts-only manufacturer warranty (which I'm convinced FS negotiates to be deliberately crappy to make their plan look better.

The economics of this are just too much in their favour: if there's a (minor) problem, it's actually in their interest to replace it (terminating the remainder of the warranty), then fix the old one and re-sell it (hopefully at least as refurbished model -- but I wouldn't be surprised to find these as "floor models" or "open-box").

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