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Comment Re:Grow up. (Score 1) 448

by Headrick (#33682836) Attached to: Facebook Is Down

I agree with your assertion that email is the more valuable resource but that's pretty much a given.

FB is absolutely the right medium for a band, comedian, or any other type of event coordinator to notify people. Sure, they could try to get people to sign up for a mailing list but with FB I might hear of a band because I see that a friend of mine became a fan of it (or "liked" it or whatever they'll change it to next). I hear about shows that it's unlikely I would've heard of. And since my FB friends know my taste in music they can share an invite when the band sends one out to them.

I can also see which of my friends are planning to attend a show and decide whether or not to invite anyone else. I can't count how many events I've attended and likely would've not known about if not for FB.

Sure, FB has some creepy aspects but you're ignorant if you think FB isn't an excellent medium for some things.
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NHS Should Stop Funding Homeopathy, Says Parliamentary Committee 507

Posted by samzenpus from the how-am-I-going-to-align-my-chakras-now dept.
An anonymous reader writes "Homeopathic remedies work no better than placebos, and so should no longer be paid for by the UK National Health Service, a committee of British members of parliament has concluded. In preparing its report, the committee, which scrutinizes the evidence behind government policies, took evidence from scientists and homeopaths, and reviewed numerous reports and scientific investigations into homeopathy. It found no evidence that such treatments work beyond providing a placebo effect." Updated 201025 19:40 GMT by timothy: This recommendation has some people up in arms.
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Scientists Say a Dirty Child Is a Healthy Child 331

Posted by samzenpus from the snack-is-going-to-be-on-the-floor-today dept.
Researchers from the School of Medicine at the University of California have shown that the more germs a child is exposed to, the better their immune system in later life. Their study found that keeping a child's skin too clean impaired the skin's ability to heal itself. From the article: "'These germs are actually good for us,' said Professor Richard Gallo, who led the research. Common bacterial species, known as staphylococci, which can cause inflammation when under the skin, are 'good bacteria' when on the surface, where they can reduce inflammation."

Comment Re:Copying MS? (Score 1) 158

by Headrick (#30055354) Attached to: Google Gives the Gift of Free Airport Wi-Fi

In general I agree with your comment but I don't think it's completely foolish to get to the airport early and a number of people (like me) live in one of the covered airports and will be traveling soon. I tend to arrive at the airport a couple hours early, get through security, and find a decent place to have a meal and a drink or two. I'm much less stressed and will enjoy the free wifi.

So yeah, maybe it's a bit of grandstanding but it's not useless for many thousands of people.

Comment Re:What about suicide (Score 1) 512

by Headrick (#29225545) Attached to: Depression May Provide Cognitive Advantages

It is my understanding that in general truly depressed people do not kill themselves. It is too much effort for them. Even getting out of bed is an effort. This is why anti-depressants come with suicide warnings -- not because they cause suicidal thoughts directly but because they give the depressed enough motivation to actually off themselves.

Comment Re:I have an idea. (Score 3, Interesting) 247

by Headrick (#28998299) Attached to: Poor Passwords A Worse Problem Than Poor Antivirus

Agreed, but unfortunately it's not that easy. I just started a new job and got my AMEX corporate card in the mail today. The online account had a maximum password length of 8 characters with no special characters allowed. A phrase would never work when we have companies that are still limiting their passwords to 8 characters.
The Internet

Malcolm Gladwell Challenges the Idea of "Free" 206

Posted by kdawson from the crying-out-from-a-world-of-hurt dept.
An anonymous reader brings us another bump on the bumpy road of Chris Anderson's new book, Free: The Future of a Radical Price, which we discussed a week ago. Now the Times (UK) is reporting on a dustup between Anderson and Malcolm Gladwell, author of The Tipping Point, Blink, and Outliers. Recently Gladwell reviewed, or rather deconstructed, Anderson's book in the New Yorker. Anderson has responded with a blog post that addresses some, but by no means all, of Gladwell's criticisms, and The Times is inclined to award the match to Gladwell on points. Although their reviewer didn't notice that Gladwell, in setting up the idea of "Free" as a straw man, omitted a critical half of Stewart Brand's seminal quote.
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Kids Score 40 Percent Higher When They Get Paid For Grades 716

Posted by samzenpus from the show-them-the-money dept.
A large number of schools participating in a pay-for-grades program have seen test scores in reading and math go up by almost 40 percentage points. The Sparks program will pay seventh-graders up to $500 and fourth-graders as much as $250 for good performance on 10 assessment tests. About two-thirds of the 59 schools in the program improved their scores by margins above the citywide average. "It's an ego booster in terms of self-worth. When they get the checks, there's that competitiveness -- 'Oh, I'm going to get more money than you next time' -- so it's something that excites them," said Rose Marie Mills, principal at MS 343 in Mott Haven. Critics, who are unaware that most college students don't become liberal arts majors, argue that paying kids corrupts the notion of learning for education's sake alone.

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