I readed recently that in 2005 the final barriers for textile trade will be lifted. This will be the end of a several-years process, during which China's exports have multiplied, while the rest of the world suffered the consequences.

I don't mind fair competition (fair as in "human rights compliant"), it seems kinda fair to me. But to compete against slave labour and sweatshops seems a Bad Idea. Until I get better reports from Amnesty International China, I will try to avoid "Made in China" stuff even more than now. I don't want to cooperate to a Slaving Race (who can get more hours-a-week from a worker without human rights?).

As a positive side note, I've been noticing an increasing interest in human rights and ecology from the consumer side: in Compra Maestra, the magazine of a spanish Organización de Consumidores y Usuarios there have been several analyses that took these factors into account. Kinda hope-inspiring.

Acabo de leer un ensayo de Orwell que os recomiendo a todos. Sus opiniones me recuerdan a las de Lázaro Carreter, y me convencen: día a día dejamos que nuestra forma de hablar vaya degenerando. Con el tiempo, esto hace que degenere toda una lengua que compartimos con millones de otros hablantes, e incluso el propio lenguaje que compartimos con toda la humanidad.

Quien no puede expresar sus ideas con claridad, ni siquiera para sí mismo, no puede aclarar sus ideas. La excusa de "ahora no te lo sé decir bien, pero yo lo tengo muy claro" no tiene por qué ser real, aunque la crea quien la dice.

Los que sentimos responsabilidad social y política deberíamos sentir también cierta responsabilidad lingüística: la revolución se puede convocar por SMS, pero sin claridad en las ideas -necesariamente en el lengua, por tanto- no cambiaremos nada.

If you are interested in Quantum Computing, you might want to check QubitNews, a slash site dedicated to "Quantum Computers Quantum Information, News and Information from the Quantum Community".

And, yes, I am myself interested, but I did hesitate between "Technology" and "Sci-Fi" for QC :-P I think that it's far away, but it will eventually arrive. Btw, did you read the short story that gives title to the collection Luminous?

Here we go! At least we have the first results. Would you like to learn some spanish, and help a wikimedia project at the same time? Join us!

By the way: si eres hispanoparlante: te apuntas a la wikiversidad? Dentro de un par de años, este va a ser un gran proyecto, de tí depende estar tirando gloriosamente del carro desde el principio :)

Gran cita, leída aquí:

"How exactly is a bunch of millionaires who weren't born in your city beating another bunch of millionaires who weren't born in their city a personal victory for you?"

No es que sea inminente, pero me ha llamado la atención ver que dentro de unos días saldrá la primera candidata a beta del 2.0... y se prevé que para Marzo tengamos el OOo 2.0 definitivo(!). Por lo que he leído, está cargadito de mejoras... si el OOo 1 ya había convencido a muchos gobiernos y administraciones (además de a particulares y a empresas, supongo), imagino y espero que el 2.0 suponga un avance lo bastante importante como para que "se note". (No sé si llegará al crecimiento espectacular del Mozilla, pero no estaría de más).

I keep on finding examples of XUL goodies (by the way, yes, the name is a joke on Ghostbusters demon Zuul ;). There goes a small, working one by google. Enjoy, and afterwards, please, go and convert some IE-user to Firefox :-P

I did not get the importance of browser wars until recently. It's not really only about html standards, and being able to render pages correctly. We are going to do a lot of things through the web, the web-based apps are coming fast, and it's really important with which browser they are going to work. Try this with epiphany (I was shockingly impressed) and with konqueror (not much to see). Konqueror could understand it, and I'm sure it will, because xul is an open standard (or something like that, I am no technical person). But none of them will be able to work with Microsoft's Avalon, methinks...

If we win the browser war fast, we could stop a new monopoly stranglehold -web apps, agnostic of your platform (as long as it is Windows)- before it takes place. We can get really OS-agnostic powerful web apps... but we have to push hard. If we go on too slowly, we might be outpaced by the guys with the deep pockets.

So if you still know anybody using mainly I.E., try to get him/her to our side ASAP :)

Somebody please take down this server (or otherwise notify some authority to do so):

http://211.158.34.250/citifi/

It's trying to get bank data. I do know better (and have no Citibank account), but some people don't.

"Dear Customer:

Recently there have been a large number of cyber attacks pointing our database servers. In order to safeguard your account, we require you to sign on immediately.

This personal check is requested of you as a precautionary measure and to ensure yourselves that everything is normal with your balance and personal information.

This process is mandatory, and if you did not sign on within the nearest time your account may be subject to temporary suspension.

Please make sure you have your Citibank(R) debit card number and your User ID and Password at hand.

Please use our secure counter server to indicate that you have signed on, please click the link bellow:

http://211.158.34.250/citifi/

!! Note that we have no particular indications that your details have been compromised in any way.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter and thank you for using Citibank(R)

Regards,

Citibank(R) Card Department

(C)2004 Citibank. Citibank, N.A., Citibank, F.S.B.,
Citibank (West), FSB. Member FDIC.Citibank and Arc
Design is a registered service mark of Citicorp."

Most of us aren't, because google is good enough. OK it's amazing... or at least it was some years ago, last time we checked. Ever tried Clusty? By default, one of its tabs is "Encyclopedia" (guess *which* encyclopedia, if you know me!). That alone hooked me long enough to take a second look. The tabs are customizable, meaning you can, if you are scientific, put a PubMed tab... or remove some of the default tags if you feel like it. Other examples of non-default tags? Slashdot! (Or also Reuters, if you are more conventional). I think I will give it a try for the next few days...

Oh, I guess I didn't mention the clustering of results, by different criteria... you'll have to try it yourselves. When you have, come again and tell me that big-brother-google is still the one and only.

Hello Cthulu!

This may not be the year of linux on the desktop... but it may very well be the last year of Explorer on the Internet! w3schools confirms it: Explorer is dying!

YMMV, but everywhere the trend is the same: IE is losing dominance, from more than 95% to less than 90% to (for some, at least) less than 80% !

You can lend a hand to make the web a better place for all of us! Are you sure nobody you know is using IE? Friends help friends installing and using a modern, standards-compliant web browser. Yes, and that goes for relatives, too ;)

Del Servicio de Atención al Cliente de la Organización de Consumidores y Usuarios:

"Ref MM-131184-04 Formato word

Socio: Alejandro Gaita-Arinyo

Estimado socio,

No podemos sino darle la razón en su comentario. Le pedimos disculpas por cualquier inconveniente que le haya podido ocasionar la recepción del fichero adjunto en formato word. Asímismo tendremos en cuenta su comentario para adjuntar ficheros con formato .pdf, .txt o .html en el futuro, de manera que la lectura de la información sea compatible con cualquier ordenador independientemente del sistema operativo y de la herramienta de tratamiento de textos utilizada por el usuario.

Atentamente,"

I know this isn't for europeans just now, so maybe I shouldn't care... but software patents also started in the US and we are now smelling the danger at this side of the Atlantic.

Please, US voters, take a look at this and stop an incoming nightmare. You might save not only your freedom, but also mine :)

Terminada la tesis y las vacaciones de Agosto, creo que he recuperado muchas fuerzas. Me he preparado un archivo TODO (usando el Vim y manteniendo el formato .tex para disfrutar del resaltado por sintaxis que me resulta ya tan familiar), y parece que cunde bastante.

Como nota OFFTOPIC: Visto el pucherazo de las últimas elecciones estadounidenses, en las que había papeletas de papel que recontar, qué pensáis que ocurrirá en las próximas? Servirán de algo los observadores de la ONU, si el programa que maneja las máquinas de Diebold es de código cerrado?