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Comment Re:Well duh (Score 1) 420

Cost reduction, maybe. It really involves management that is afraid to trust the very people it hired, and wants to keep them under constant surveillance. It's the modern way: trust no-one, watch everyone. It never seems to occur to such types that if you hire good people, pay them well, treat them well, and give them reasonable goals, you don't need to be so paranoid.

As a long-time software developer, I know that such an environment would severely impact my ability to focus and do what I'm being paid to do. Furthermore, any employer that would trust me so little is one for whom I would not choose too work.

Comment Re:Wake-up call (Score 1) 24

I really hope you are trying to be funny.

One can always hope, but it seems we've managed to go from "climate change isn't real" to "it causes everything bad that happens."

Of course, a big enough eruption would actually trigger a global cooling trend for a while. Think Krakatoa and Mount Pinatubo.

Comment Re:Makes you wonder... (Score 2) 187

Technically, what they care about is control of distribution, because in their (relatively tiny) minds, that equates directly to profit. Loss of control is likewise perceived as inevitably causing loss of profit. That they might make even more money with a less dickish business model is way outside their comfort zone, because all they understand is what always worked before.

So yes, they are analogs to the recording industry. Those legitimate customers who are harmed by the quest to control content distribution are acceptable collateral damage.

Comment Re:It's time to start a trade war. (Score 2) 106

voiced by 'muricans online it is very hard to tell.

Just a quick note: insulting people with differing opinions (no matter how right you may think you are) doesn't actually help you make your case, although it may increase your innate sense of superiority. In addition, those "'muricans" who might otherwise agree with you may just write you off as another bigoted foreign asshole who lumps everyone in a given country together.

Comment Re:And many, many more (Score 1) 942

For projects where international collaboration is required, sure, agree a standard up-front, and it might as well be SI. Likewise for scientific and engineering applications, everyone is a professional and can agree to use SI. But for day to day life?

Isn't that the point? Isn't it impractical to have different set of units for day-to-day life and for everything scientific, technical, or international? It certainly feels like over time our daily life is getting more technical, and more international.

Comment Re: Sue them for all they're worth (Score 1) 495

Actually, I read that the proceedings were _ex-parte_ ... No-IP wasn't even informed that there were any proceedings. Consequently they had zero chance to defend against this forfeiture. And that's exactly how Microsoft wanted it. There's more going on here than malware. My guess is that Microsoft's big media buddies want to use Microsoft as a front for domain seizures under cover of "protecting the public", without having to get their hands dirty or take any PR hits.

Comment Re:Infinite growth. (Score 1) 305

Economists still believe in infinite growth in a finite world.

I don't think they do. It's just that many of them (the ones we hear about most, too) don't concern themselves enough with the long term that finite natural resources become a serious issue.

This is unfortunate, and it's all the more unfortunate that such "long term" issues are now not so long-term anymore, to say nothing of those that are hitting us right now.

"Sustainability" has been a key word in several areas of macroeconomics for decades. Unfortunately not in all areas of economics. Also, it was long taken in a narrow, technical meaning.

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