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Wikipedia

Submission + - Wikimedia UK's chair banned...from Wikipedia (telegraph.co.uk) 3

Submitted by
Larry Sanger
Larry Sanger writes: "The Chair of Wikimedia UK, a £1 million charity independent of the Wikimedia Foundation, was banned 11 days ago, for allegedly posting bondage porn of himself and otherwise violating Wikipedia policies. So he was removed as head of WMUK, right? Er, no. On July 26, their Board declared their "united" support of Van Haeften. So the chair of Wikipedia's UK £1 million charity is not permitted to edit Wikipedia. The Chair of the UK's Wikipedia charity is not permitted to edit Wikipedia. So this immediately became a big scandal, right? Er, no. Wikipedia routinely gets a pass for its many foibles. The first mainstream story to appear about it came out just this morning in the Telegraph. More background here."

Comment Toothbrush (Score 1) 3

by Stanistani (#40176527) Attached to: What should we do about Wikipedia's porn problem?
Without the image filter (something all other major sites have) if you search on Wikipedia or Wikimedia Commons for normal, everyday items such as' necklace', 'toothbrush' or, in French, 'homework' (devoir) you get as your top or second hit, porn. Children are encouraged to use these resources. Teens are often admin on these sites, cataloging and categorizing the porn. Yech.
Wikipedia

Submission + - What should we do about Wikipedia's porn problem? (larrysanger.org) 3

Submitted by
Larry Sanger
Larry Sanger writes: "In 2011, the Wikimedia Board committed to installing a "controversial content" filter even weaker than Google's SafeSearch, as proposed by the "2010 Wikimedia Study of Controversial Content." Since then, after growing opposition by some Wikipedians, some board members have made it clear that they do not expect this filter to be finished and installed. Nevertheless, as TFA makes clear, Wikipedia continues to host an enormous amount of extremely gross porn and other material most parents don't want their kids stumbling across. And this content is some of the website's most-accessed. Nevertheless, children remain some of Wikipedia's heaviest users. Jimmy Wales has recently reiterated his support for such a filter, but no work is being done on it, and the Foundation has not yet issued any statement about whether they intend to continue work on it."
Earth

Submission + - Chinese Dragon Explores .67 Leagues Under the Sea

Submitted by
Hugh Pickens
Hugh Pickens writes: "Earlier this summer when three Chinese scientists descended to a depth of more than 0.6 leagues under the sea in a craft the size of a small truck and planted their nation’s flag on the dark seabed at 3,759 meters, they signaled Beijing's intention to take the lead in exploring remote and inaccessible parts of the ocean floor which are rich in oil, minerals and other resources that the Chinese would like to mine. "They're in it for a penny and a pound," says Dr. Don Walsh, a pioneer of deep-ocean diving. "It's a very deliberate program." The global seabed is littered with what experts say is trillions of dollars' worth of mineral nodules as well as many objects of intelligence value: undersea cables carrying diplomatic communications, lost nuclear arms, sunken submarines and hundreds of warheads left over from missile tests. The small craft that made the trip — named Jiaolong, after a mythical sea dragon — is meant to go as deep as 7,000 meters, or 4.35 miles, edging out the current global leader but China is moving cautiously, its dives going deeper in increments. "They're being very cautious," Walsh adds. "They respect what they don't know and are working hard to learn."""

Comment This has massive implications (Score 1) 1

by Stanistani (#33566322) Attached to: Wal-Mart To Launch Unlimited Wireless Family Plan
The social commentary site 'People of Wal-Mart' will have a sudden increase in page hits. Smileys will become omnipresent on the Web - no, wait... Muscle shirts, ball caps, and spandex pants will become stylish again. Google Trends will report 'beef franks' as the hottest topic. Linux will be ported to CB radios.

Comment Support (Score 1) 1

by Stanistani (#30502590) Attached to: Where are the Cheap Thin Clients?
The entering wedge for these devices is in the enterprise, so the models being produced are priced for large businesses and government purchase. They include support contracts. These don't make any money if you have to keep fixing them, so the devices tend to be under-featured and over-engineered. If you can develop a consumer market for these, they would rapidly drop in price, but PCs are such a commodity that you'd be better off developing a thin client wrapped around a PC form factor. Google's new Chrome OS embedded in the upcoming netbooks is such a development.

Submission + - Where are the Cheap Thin Clients? 1

Submitted by Darren Ginter
Darren Ginter writes: I am compelled by many aspects of desktop virtualization with one exception: the cost of the thin clients, which typically exceed that of a traditional box. I understand all of the benefits of desktop virtualization (and the downsides, thanks) but I'm very hung up on spending more for less. While there are some sub-$200 products out there, they all seem to cut corners (give me non-vaporware that will drive a 22" LCD at full resolution). I can PXE boot a home brew Atom-based thin client for $130 but I'd prefer to be able to buy something assembled. Am I missing something here?
Space

Submission + - Do You Need a Permit to Land on the Moon? (slate.com) 4

Submitted by
Billosaur
Billosaur writes: "With the recent announcement of Google's X-prize for a successful private landing of a robot on the Moon, someone has asked the Explainer at Slate.com if permission is required to land something on the Moon? Turns out that while there is no authority that regulates landing objects on another world, getting there does require the permission of the national government from where the launch takes place. This is in accordance with the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, signed by 91 nations, which regulates the uses of outer space by the nations of Earth. Specifically, Article VI enjoins: "The activities of non-governmental entities in outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, shall require authorization and continuing supervision by the appropriate State Party to the Treaty." Start your paperwork!"
Security

Submission + - Orwellian 'Behavior Detection Officers' for TSA (msn.com) 1

Submitted by
Stanistani
Stanistani writes: "According to Newsweek, at US airports some security personnel will be observing passengers for facial expressions which indicate malicious intent. If they believe you look like you might be thinking of causing harm, you can be taken aside for further questioning. Welcome these new overseers: 'Behavior Detection Officers.' Their potentially life-changing decisions will be based on the pseudoscience of 'micro-expressions.'"
Caldera

Submission + - IBM Asks Court to Declare Linux Non-Infringing

Submitted by
A Cyclic Graph
A Cyclic Graph writes: "We finally have a redacted version of IBM's Reply Memorandum in Support of Summary Judgment on Counterclaim 10 in SCO v. IBM. In short, IBM is asking the Court to declare that Linux doesn't infringe upon any of SCO's purported intellectual property. This document is the last word on that matter until the Court either declares there to be no doubt that Linux is free of infringement, or decides that that issue has to be decided by the jury. In their brief, IBM points out that SCO puts forth a convoluted set of non-answers referencing each other to disguise it's inability to answer IBM. Their set of cross-references is so complex that Groklaw readers graphed the claims to make what little sense of them they could."
United States

Submission + - Promising Fusion Research Snuffed Out

Submitted by
Stanistani
Stanistani writes: "For 11 years physicist Robert Bussard quietly worked on Boron Fusion research for the U.S. Navy. Just as his experiments promised to bear fruit, the funding ran out, and an explosion in his laboratory put an emphatic end to his efforts. Now, in a Defense News article, the details of this fusion technology emerge, along with Bussard's claims that a remarkably small amount of funding could finish the job and deliver a working fusion reactor decades ahead of competing efforts — a reactor that runs on Boron and produces electricity directly — without radiation."

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