Follow Slashdot blog updates by subscribing to our blog RSS feed

 


Forgot your password?
Close
typodupeerror
×
It's funny. Laugh.

Submission + - Shocking gamer sleep study

Submitted by
An anonymous reader writes: In a shocking study that doubtless wasn't a complete waste of...well...somebodies money, a Syracuse University professor found that people who play games with an on-line interactive component (like MMORPGs) tend to lose sleep compared to gamers that play games that don't. It's reported that playing games which involve socializing with other players tends to draw people in, causing them to lose sleep. On the plus side, this particular researcher said that the term addiction can't be applied to games.
Censorship

Submission + - Law firm claims copyright on viewing HTML source 2

Submitted by
An anonymous reader writes: A law firm with all sorts of interesting views on copyrights has decided to go the extra mile. As reported on Tech Dirt, they've decided that viewing the HTML source of their site is a violation of copyright. Poorly timed April Fools joke, or just some fancy lawyering?
Businesses

Submission + - Lead-free leading to failures

Submitted by
An anonymous reader writes: I've seen it reported for a while, but it looks like tin whiskers and the problems they cause are making it into the mainstream media. Does this mean that people will rethink the rush to ROHS compliance, or ROHS in general? No, probably not. But it's an interesting problem to think about.
The Internet

Submission + - Demonoid Shut Down by the CRIA? 1

Submitted by Kaneda2112
Kaneda2112 writes: Demonoid Shut Down by the CRIA? The popular Dutch news site nu.nl reports that the Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA) is responsible for the downtime. Websites such as TorrentFreak contacted some of the Demonoid administrators, but they are not sure what happened either.... Is this true? Has Demonoid been taken offline? Is the CRIA able to do this in Canada? http://digg.com/tech_news/Demonoid_Shut_Down_by_the_CRIA
Censorship

Submission + - Google censoring "alternative" media sites

Submitted by
An anonymous reader writes: In what could just as easily be a misunderstanding regarding what some search results mean, a conspiracy site is saying that they are actively pushing ranking of some "alternative" sites down, while artificially inflating more mainstream news sites. More proof of Google's new "Be Evil" policies, or another person in desperate need of some more foil headgear?
Censorship

Submission + - Taser used at political rally 1

Submitted by
An anonymous reader writes: During a political rally at the University of Florida, a student was tasered while attempting to ask Senator Kerry (D-MA) some questions regarding the 2004 election. Police are looking into whether excessive force was used to prevent the student from going over his alloted question period.
Microsoft

Submission + - British Government Changes Its Mind on BBC IPlayer (pm.gov.uk)

Submitted by graham_stark
graham_stark writes: In response to an online petition on the Prime Minister's Downing Street website, the British Government has backed away from allowing the BBC from providing IPlayer,its new online media player, for Windows users only. This is not binding on the BBC directly, but since the BBC is almost entirely Government funded and the Government appoints the BBC Governors, it's going to be hard to refuse.
The Internet

Submission + - Judge Strikes Down Part of PATRIOT Act (nytimes.com)

Submitted by
ukemike
ukemike writes: "From the New York Times...

"A federal judge struck down parts of the revised USA Patriot Act on Thursday, saying investigators must have a court's approval before they can order Internet providers to turn over records without telling customers.""
Supercomputing

Submission + - Researchers Isolate Hop Chemicals For Better Beer (beeradvocate.com)

Submitted by jonashophead
jonashophead writes: Will technology help make the perfect beer or will it just take the fun of brewing and perhaps drinking? Here is a recent post on Beeradvocate.com that talks about isolating certain chemicals from hops to make better beer.

Wired Science blog (Better Beer Through Chemistry: The Search For Noble Hop Aroma Chemicals)reports researchers from Australia and New Zealand have been working on identifying the chemical compounds that give noble hops their trademark spicy scent.
Linux Business

Submission + - LinuxWorld 2007 Denies University Students Entry (linuxworldexpo.com)

Submitted by
alexicon
alexicon writes: "Is Linux turning its back on its roots?

I opened my inbox last night (5th August) to find an email dated 3 August from LinuxWorld Expo, which basically explained that because I had put on my registration form that I am a student, I would be denied entry to the showfloor at this year's event starting on 6 August 2007. I was in shock! Firstly, I have attended LinuxWorld five times since 2003 (three times in San Francisco and twice in London), and with the exception of last year when I was on work placement for my degree, I have always attended as a student. I look forward to the Expo every summer, it is a place where I can demo the new Linux gadgets and software, talk to people with common community interests, support my favourite projects, get discounted books for my studies, and generally learn about what is going on in the industry at the moment. As a student I found these experiences to be invaluable, and they helped serve as a great motivation for contributing to Linux precisely because I felt I was a welcome part of the community. And this year was particularly important to me, as I have just finished my degree and wanted to go to the Expo to potentially find some graduate job opportunities.

Secondly, and perhaps the real kick in the face here was how they chose to notify me. I look forward to this event every year, and book my free exhibition pass pretty much as soon as I get the first email about the Expo several months prior to the event. I fly from the UK to San Francisco every summer just to make LinuxWorld, which is quite costly as it is held in peak travel season, but it has always been worth it to me. This year has been particularly tricky to coordinate as I have just finished my Software Engineering degree and am in the process of returning to live in the States after 7 years. In any case, I decided to cut my final summer holiday in Europe short and move back to San Francisco in time for the Expo. Three days before the event is due to start, *and* after already having received my expo badge through the post, LinuxWorld email me saying I will be denied entry because I am a student and that LinuxWorld is now a "business-to-business event targeted exclusively toward enterprise IT professionals"!

I found this alarming on so many levels I don't really know where to begin. Maybe its best to start with the idea that fuels Linux — community! The Linux community has adopted a set of guidelines for businesses and developers to practice, The Open Source Definition, specifically states "No Discrimination Against Persons or Groups" and their rationale is also clearly stated: "In order to get the maximum benefit from the process, the maximum diversity of persons and groups should be equally eligible to contribute to open sources". Surely LinuxWorld Expo would uphold the ideals that have been set before all the participants of their event. In their apparent discrimination against students, LinuxWorld have effectively discriminated against a huge part of the active Linux community and the FUTURE of the Linux community (oh and is it just me, or wasn't Linux conceived while Linus was in university?)

How can LinuxWorld exclude the academic community? Is this a PR tactic necessary to lure in more commercial interest? Granted I understand their policy on under 18s attending, but university students? Really?? Do they expect trouble? Or are they just tired of the stereotypical young hacker image? How about some warning or reasoning... How about a student day? They end the final day early, why not let students attend then?

In the end I stated my case in a reply to LinuxWorld, and they in return sent me a new event badge changing my employment title from "student" to "graduate", but included no reasoning for their change in policy or an apology for whatever it is that happened. I have included both mine and their correspondence below, and I guess I am now curious as to whether anyone else has suddenly been denied entry to the event. Other students? Unemployed people? Self-employed people?

>>>>> From info@linuxworldexpo.com:

Dear ****** ,

Thank you for your interest LinuxWorld Conference & Expo San Francisco, August 6-9, 2007.

Unfortunately, as a business-to-business event targeted exclusively toward enterprise IT professionals, official show policy prohibits students, and anyone under the age of 18, from attending this event. Therefore, we must inform you that your registration to attend LinuxWorld Conference & Expo is not valid and you will not be permitted on the showfloor.

We apologize for any inconvenience and hope to see you at future LinuxWorld events as you progress in your career as an IT professional.

Sincerely,
LinuxWorld Conference & Expo

>>>> My response:

To Whom This May Concern,

Pardon me, but just received an email which says I will not be permitted entry to the showfloor.

I have attended LinuxWorld since 2003. I am 26 years old, have just graduated from university this summer and I am keen to find a job; and you are saying I will not be permitted entry to the exhibition floor?

Please direct me towards the part of your terms and conditions which explains why I cannot be allowed entry. Is it more convenient if I use my part time freelance job on your application, or perhaps declare myself as unemployed? Since when has being a person in education been cause to deny entry to an exhibition for an industry in which progression and learning is so integral. I have taken personal offense to this message, and as an avid Linux supporter (and multiple past attendee to both LinuxWorld SF and London), will be pursuing further action against this if required.

I truly hope this is some administration mistake, as I think the Linux community would be appalled to hear of the exclusion of academics to this event, especially academics who work on development in the field.

Shockingly disappointed,
****** ******
BSci Software Engineering
**********************

PS — It appears you changed your conditions after I had registered for the conference, AND you only notified me of this change 3 days prior to the start of the conference. I am currently in the UK and have made my travel arrangement specifically to make LinuxWorld as I could have continued on my holidays for a few more weeks. My flights have already cost me quite dearly to make the conference date in the high peak season of August, and to change them would cost me another several hundred dollars. This is completely unacceptable practice, and I would like to know when this sudden policy change was implemented, and why I have only just been notified of it now."
It's funny. Laugh.

Submission + - Man almost sent to jail for bad jokes on web site 3

Submitted by
An anonymous reader writes: In Scotland, a 22 year old man was sentenced to 160 hours of community service for posting really tasteless jokes on his web site. The judge indicated that he considered sending him to jail, but since it was a first offence, and the man plead guilty early on, he felt community service was warranted.
Microsoft

Submission + - Perspective: Why Microsoft is under assault from

Submitted by
AlexGr
AlexGr writes: "By Lars H. Liebeler (CNET News.com) Antitrust counsel for the Computing Technology Industry Association, Lars Liebeler, opined on CNET News saying why the open hostility toward Microsoft from both the Free Software Foundation and the European Commission runs contrary to the central premise of free-market economics that IP protections will encourage investment and result in a wider breadth and depth of innovation. Liebeler argues that European Commission's remedy to require Microsoft to make its valuable intellectual property available to competitors for free is "inexplicable" because clear European law provides explicit protection to intellectual property. Similarly the FSF objections to any cooperation between proprietary and open-source vendors are based on a lack of faith that consumer demand will lead a market to where consumers want it to be. Liebeler says that both "assaults" against Microsoft are based on a faulty assumption that a company can use its intellectual property to harm competition rather than fuel it. http://news.com.com/Why+Microsoft+is+under+assault +from+all+corners/2010-1028_3-6174300.html?tag=nef d.top"
Security

Submission + - Sparring Begins Over High-Def Movie Hacks

Submitted by
narramissic
narramissic writes: "A string of attacks on the Advanced Access Content System (AACS), which is used on both HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc, is proof positive that hackers are hard at work trying to ensure that the copy-protection system on next-generation DVDs goes the way of the CSS (content scrambling system) — that is, the eventual widespread availability of software that can copy next-gen DVDs. While the 'architects of AACS learned from the mistakes of CSS and built into the system several different types of keys and the ability to change keys whenever attacks were successful,' the motivation of the hacking public is not to be underestimated. A community of people is already 'spending vast amounts of time pulling out various keys from high-definition movie discs and anticipating the next move of AACSLA and how they might get around it.'"
Microsoft

Submission + - Vista Speech Recognition Fails on Launch Day

Submitted by
kirbtech
kirbtech writes: "You would think after one live demonstration went awry, Microsoft would be especially cautious about demoing Windows Vista Speech Recognition capabilities in front of a crowd. Not so. On January 30th, I attended a Microsoft Launch Day event in Philadelphia, PA where Technet presenter, Bryan Von Axelson, attempted to demo Vista's Speech Recognition again! I wish soo bad I would've had a video camera along, it was soo funny. He couldn't get it to do much more than open the start menu, and sometimes that wouldn't even work. But the loudest applause came, when after Bryan spoke "Minesweeper" several times into the microphone, Mahjong Titans opened."

Slashdot Top Deals

The moon is made of green cheese. -- John Heywood

Close