The government is not writing checks out of the general fund to pay people to drill for oil.

So, the trillions of taxpayer dollars we've spent on wars to protect energy interests just don't count? The hundreds of thousands of lives that were spent in these wars, counting the civilian casualities?

You might have an answer to that question if you weren't one of the "people who don't really understand this stuff".

And you're worried about 30% of the cost of solar panels. You're a special kind of person, you are.

Is there any other mainstream technology that repeatedly makes outlandish claims, and just shrugs it off as if it never happen when those claims don't deliver, and yet gets massive taxpayer-sponsored support?

Coal, hydraulic fracturing, the pharmaceutical industry. The defense industry.

Shall I go on?

You could just not show up on April 1. I've largely avoided /. today, but dipped my toes in a few times.

Man I love that movie (though the critics, typically, savaged it). My favorite bit is when Beldar goes after his daughter's boyfriend:

"I find you unacceptable! If I did not fear incarceration from human authority figures, I would terminate your life functions by applying sufficient pressure to your blunt skull so as to force its collapse!"

I'm a cranially deformed overlord, you insensitive clod!

An interesting read even though I have to admit I understand but half of it. What I didn't get is if there's a treatment path without medicine, something like the proper food, excercise regime, etc. -- because I find it hard to believe that the proper conditions cannot be created by the proper lifestyle.

I rewatched the film a few years ago, and the scene where Maximilian and Reinhardt are merged together in Hell was incredibly dark. Coupled with TRON, there was a period when Disney Studios actually recaptured some of the daring of the early years.

The worst part of Black Hole were the Disney-esque touches, like the Slim Pickens' voiced robot. If you sort of ignore the silly asides, the film is an astonishingly haunting film. Maximilian Schell's Reinhardt is one dark, nasty guy. Think about it, he basically turns the entire crew of his ship into enslaved brain-dead androids. That's Darth Vader-level evil.

I think it is the government subsidy part that upsets so many.

But every single form of energy is subsidized by the government. So why are we singling out solar again?

Do you feel the same way about nuclear?

The ability to focus an eye is a relatively specialized adaptation. There's also this thing in science about not making groundless assumptions.

Is there any other technology, besides renewable energy, that makes certain Slashdot readers so darn mad? It's like they would prefer that it just didn't exist.

If you say Apple has 13% of the personal computer market, they're popping corks and doing the peepee dance. If you say a newer technology, solar energy, has reached 5%, while facing enormous geo-political resistance and the enmity of the most powerful corporations in the world, it actually pisses you off for some reason.

I'm curious. What is it about solar energy that spurs such surprising anger among this segment of Slashdot readers? What did solar energy do to you?

You're not even trying.

It could take on water or rock/gravel/sand/quarry spoil as ballast, so that isn't necessarily a very serious limitation.

Bruce Dickinson has also done several April fools pranks before.

Bruce Dickinson also really, really likes aviation.

There are complex issues to wide scail deployment.
First is what I think is a short term political problem. Where the energy industry is fighting the change, and lining the pockets of political parties that are willing to make sure things don't change. Technically solar power is more akin to conservative ideals, as it allows the individual to generate their own power without having to handle what big brother says.
Secondly solar requires consumers to buy in. In terms of price even with tax incentives for my home and usage it is about the same price. So there is a hidden cost for me to find a source and deal with the salesmen trying to find a good deal. So it makes it more expensive then current energy. Other forms of energy you don't need a huge buy in. They buy some land, build a plant and the community has power. Just as long there are more people benifitting from it then who are harmed society is happy.
Third trees. Contrarary to the world view of Americans, we like trees a country that is 50th in population density means a lot of us lives in more rural areas, and our homes have a fair amount of tree cover that we do not want to get rid of.

To anyone who has ever had anything to do with industrial strength desktop support, that post is a giant neon sign that your haven't got a clue.

The AC (not me) is giving solid advice on the subject at hand - for free - when know-it-all's such as yourself empty their bile on them, it discourages that educational charity.

Disclaimer: Degree qualified computer scientist working as C/C++ software engineer for the last 25yrs.