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Comment Re:I still think Pluto is a planet (Score 1) 170

Until you can name all hundred thousand of the "planets" in our solar system, we won't be using your definition of planet.

Why do you insist 3rd graders should be able to recite all hundred thousand planets from memory yet refuse to do so yourself even with the Internet as your reference?

Comment Re:Lennart, do you listen to sysadmins? (Score 2) 551

Linux has almost two orders of magnitude more code than systemd, and it changes all the time. Security vulnerabilities are far more likely to be in the monolithic kernel.

Yes, that is an excellent reason to add even more vulnerability vectors!

At least when it comes to the kernel and networking, I have iptables in between.
With SystemD starting the network stack before starting anything else (including iptables), I can no longer even firewall off potential exploitable services.

Too bad they didn't bother to include a functional services manager inside the systemd "service manager" that could bring up iptables before the network stack, perhaps using some dependency based system.

But I fully understand how no mere mortal can wrap their head around the concept of renaming a symlink so iptables rules are prefixed with a lower number than your network services and thus load in a plain clear obvious order.

Maybe one day computers will be able to know "10" comes before "20" without 250 megs of additional software. One can dream at least.

Comment Re:Fuck Me (Score 2) 553

Christ almighty, this beast is a fucking monster. What's next, a shell and a userland?

According to the slashdot editors, the next thing is clearly debiand!

Apparently it is to be the systemd module which uses the Debian logo/filter on front page /. articles to clearly indicate a story about generic linux software made by a guy at redhat that emulates behavior in microsoft windows...

After that they will install the new shutupd module, that does nothing but write "Woah slow down there cowboy, you last posted 140*10^12 minutes ago, try again later to give others a chance" to stdout - before repeatedly restarting itself for no good reason, as every proper init service boot manager network shell app should do

Comment Re:Any experienced teacher already deals with this (Score 1) 388

It's hilarious the parent comment got at least two upvotes. Say what you will about geek arrogance, but insecurity at others being smarter than them is a lot more common on Slashdot than its opposite. Or maybe they just prefer to hide in silence and let the mod points do the talking.

Comment Re:I no longer think this is an issue (Score 2, Insightful) 258

But why would a machine have any goal if it is not motivated in the first place?

Same reason kids get sent to soccer lessons or swimming lessons or piano lessons the kid didn't want to take.

In the above example, it is the parents "programming" the kids behavior (even if that programming results in the child acting out later in life, as such actions can cause)

In the AI example, the essence is the same. An AI would have a goal because we programmed such a goal into it.

That isn't to say an AI must be programmed with a goal, it fully depends on how we go about constructing a given AI.

If the AI is I because we are simulating a brain, nervous system, and hormonal systems along with simulated inputs and outputs - that AI is likely to have goals (assuming it isn't driven insane by gaps in our knowledge in said simulation of course)

If the AI was brought forth in a brute-force manor or comes about from emergent properties, it is impossible to guess or even relate to its thinking to assume.
It may have goals similar to how we do. It may have goals brought about by completely different emergent properties. It may have no goals but what we program, or even no goals at all.
It's impossible to say without some knowledge of the process creating the AI, and at this point in time no such thing exists to have knowledge about.

But we know we humans have goals (or at least some of us), so if an AI is a strict simulation of a human, it will have goals just like we do. So we know for a fact it is possible for a thinking conscious being to have goals (humans being the evidence)

We don't know as sure if it's possible to not have goals in such a situation, but so far there is no evidence it isn't possible, so it is quite premature to rule it out at our current stage of understanding.

Comment Re:Typical (Score 1) 57

Presumably, a sysadmin in a corporate environment would get a premier account so that they *can* make such necessary plans.

Presumably. This just means I will need the company to pay more than previously for the same service.

Proven fact however, the "bad guys" make much more money from their crimes than our company does legally. Rest assured that all the "bad guys" that matter already have the resources to pay for this advanced notice and nearly all will do so if they somehow are not already.

Only the script-kiddies living in the basement that mow lawns for their income will actually be locked out. Any serious actor will not.

Microsoft just made it a priority to release patch and thus exploit details to the blackhats ahead of most of their legitimate customers.

*slow golf clap*

If you are going to help the "bad guys" at the expense of the "good guys", why bother patching any exploit ever?? The exact same end result, but less time, money, and effort needed by MS employees.

Comment Re:Ocean Seeding (Score 1) 319

Let's start by trying to make the ocean's deadzones...undead

Oh great! So now instead of an eerie dead section of ocean, we will have eerie sections full of zombie fish, zombie lobsters, zombie crabs, and of course the kraken.

*Goes off to stockpile silver tipped harpoons for our new three hundred leagues under the apocalypse*

Comment Re:Cool, but why? (Score 1) 114

Thanks for the response. Well put. I was not meaning to belittle what was accomplished, but just as to the why. If it brings great joy to that individual, AWESOME, keep on!

He made an awesome minecraft thing instead of curing cancer likely for the same reason we are posting to slashdot instead of curing cancer :P

I just wish I possessed that same talent as to where I could use it for other purposes.

Don't we all.
I too wish I had the knowledge, talent, and energy to do something world changing and/or useful to many - but alas I am not as learned, intelligent, or capable of doing so (and at my age it's mostly all down hill from here)

And although I have the knowledge to build an ACU and simple CPU from the gate level up, as well as love minecraft as much as the next geek, I'm both not certain I could actually do it in redstone nor have the energy and time to try and find out.

Living vicariously through people such as Koala_Steamed is as close as I likely will get, but the awe and impressiveness of their effort is still great for me, likely only to be topped by trying and succeeding at the task myself.

If their creation has that much of a positive effect on me, I can hardly imagine how much of one it has on them for being among those who have actually built them. That's plenty of good reason to do so there alone.

The Media

Gunmen Kill 12, Wound 7 At French Magazine HQ 1350

An anonymous reader writes: A pair of gunmen have stormed the office of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, killing 12 people and wounding seven more. The magazine had recently published a cartoon of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and witnesses say the gunmen shouted, "we have avenged the Prophet Muhammad," before leaving. "Four of the magazine's well-known cartoonists, including its editor-in-chief Stephane Charbonnier were reported among those killed, as well as at least two police officers. Mr Charbonnier, 47, had received death threats in the past and was living under police protection." The attackers engaged police in a gunfire outside the building, then fled in a car. At the time of this writing, they are still at large. Currently, the BBC has the most information out of English news outlets. French speakers can consult the headline at Le Monde for more current news.

Comment Re:And that's still too long (Score 3, Insightful) 328

Does it sound fair to someone who has never created a single patentable invention in his life?

Try three, and yes not only do I think it is fair, but clearly you too think it is fair by your actions (or you're just admitting to being a parasite criminal stealing my work... either way you look pretty bad)

To claim you don't think it is fair, you need to send me my first payment, and continue sending me payments every month for the rest of your life.
Until those checks clear, you're just being a lying hypocrite.

In fact, you seem to be arguing that even ONE payment is too much, let alone multiple ones.
So I thank you for your permission to take anything you make for free - or I would if you actually made anything.

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