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Comment: Re:THERE IS NO LIMIT (Score 1) 527

by Lendrick (#43818143) Attached to: FiOS User Finds Limit of 'Unlimited' Data Plan: 77 TB/Month

the guy fucked up by simply saying that he has couple of rack mounted servers. should have just hung up on the rep, really. or said that he's streaming his personal video from his other house where he keeps cute cats running around. because, if he had so many machines, I doubt he wanted verizon to cut his service.

Or just said, "My internet usage is my business and I don't feel like divulging the details to you."

+ - WHO: Intellectual Property Claims Hindering Research on Deadly Novel Coronavirus

Submitted by kwyjibo87
kwyjibo87 writes "The World Health Organization (WHO) publicly expressed dismay yesterday concerning news that intellectual property claims were hindering research on a deadly new emerging virus. Novel coronavirus (nCoV), a member of the same viral genus as the causative agent of SARS, has claimed the lives of 22 people (out of 44 reported infected) and left both researchers and health officials scrambling to develop effective diagnostic tests in addition to possible medications and vaccines against nCoV. Now, however, claims of intellectual property on the new virus are hindering research on nCoV according to the WHO, delaying advancements on tools to prevent further spread of the infection. Stories of intellectual property rights in science hindering advancements in research, particularly in clinical applications, are nothing new; the US Supreme Court recently heard arguments on the validity of patents on the BRCA1/2 genes and has yet to issue a decision. The issue of sharing scientific information in order to promote faster research on emerging pathogens is not limited to intellectual property — a recent article in the journal Nature highlighted a case where Chinese researchers risked having their research scooped after uploading viral sequences to a public database designed aid global scientific collaboration."

Comment: This sounds like a terrible idea. (Score 5, Insightful) 339

by Lendrick (#43703679) Attached to: Ad Exec: Learn To Code Or You're Dead To Me

I've been a programmer for 15 years now, and the absolute worst people to work with are the ones who know just enough about programming that they vastly overestimate their knowledge. I don't want to work with a bunch of people who are on top of Mt. Stupid, least of all some exec who thinks a tiny bit of coding knowledge will help you make estimates about how long a bit project will take.

Let programmers program. Be serious about it, or don't do it.

Comment: Can't we wait for this tech...` (Score 2) 496

by Lendrick (#43679457) Attached to: DoD Descends On DEFCAD

...to become a bit more ubiquitous before we start alarming politicians into making it illegal by using it to manufacture weapons?

We don't want 3D printing to become "isn't that how people make plastic guns?" to the lay public. It's too important of a technology, and given how potentially disruptive it is to the business models of a lot of large companies with a shit ton of money, you can bet that people are already talking about how to get rid of it.

So please, if you must design guns for 3D printers, keep the designs private until the public is familiar enough with the technology that they won't buy the alarmist "O NOES, GUNS" excuse that politicians will invariably use to keep people from buying 3D printers.

Comment: Re:Equal rights (Score 1) 832

by Lendrick (#43616985) Attached to: So What If Yahoo's New Dads Get Less Leave Than Moms?

Interestingly, it's also good for women if men get equal paternity leave, because having to give more leave to women makes companies less likely to hire women and less likely to pay them equally.

So not only would equal leave be good for men who want to spend time with their newborns, it would be good for women who want to avoid being discriminated against when applying for jobs and getting raises.

Comment: Re:Lots of good reasons. (Score 1) 684

by Lendrick (#43581061) Attached to: Ask Slashdot: Are There <em>Any</em> Good Reasons For DRM?

Here's another question for you: How can we vote away from DRM with our wallets?

For example, say EA puts out some big SimNOUN game that everybody wants to play. However, it's encumbered with DRM and there are no viable alternatives. If enough consumers opt to vote with their wallets, the C-men of EA will chalk it up to lack of interest, which means no new SimNOUN in the future.

You kind of answered your own question, unfortunately. To vote with our wallets, we need to vote with our wallets, and that means giving up some of the entertainment that we like. I wanted to buy Mass Effect 3 and Sim City, but I haven't done so since I take issue with the DRM (I also, for the record, have not pirated either). It's unfortunate that EA ate Bioware and Maxis, but what you need to bear in mind is that the developers of those franchises are still around. Bioware and Maxis are just names that EA bought. The people who develop those games aren't the property of EA, and can form their own studios.

Comment: Re:Lots of good reasons. (Score 4, Informative) 684

by Lendrick (#43569939) Attached to: Ask Slashdot: Are There <em>Any</em> Good Reasons For DRM?

So, how do we compensate artist without DRM?

Well, in order to answer this question, you have to consider the fact that the DRM is broken on literally every big name movie in existence. Anyone who wants to pirate their movies already can. So in answer to your question, we compensate artists without DRM the same way we do right now -- we pay them. The lack of DRM doesn't make it legal to distribute copies, and it doesn't make it particularly easier (since DRM-free copies of movies already exist and are easily available).

DRM doesn't give the publisher any additional rights -- it only takes away the rights of paying customers, specifically:

  • The right to make backup copies
  • The right of first sale
  • Fair use

Those are the only rights truly being "managed" by DRM, and they're being "managed" away so that legitimate consumers have to pay for the same media multiple times, or (in some cases) pay more for existing media since they can't purchase it used.

Comment: Re:Sounds more like he survived public school. (Score 1) 295

by Lendrick (#43569755) Attached to: Politician Wants Sci-fi To Be Mandatory In School

That sounds like a highly unusual situation. Most public schools pay jack squat.

That being said, there are a couple of things to consider:

First off, you may live in an area with a high consumer price index. I'm sure people can get by just fine on $80k, but it may not be as much as it sounds like to someone from, say, the midwest (my understanding is that most of California is this way, but feel free to link your actual county if you want to prove me wrong about your specific situation). Most likely the teachers at your charter school are underpaid and not living particularly comfortably.

With respect to your charter schools getting slightly better results, it's important to consider the fact that it's generally more affluent families that can afford to pay extra to send their children to a non-public school. Affluent parents tend to have more free time to spend with their children, and can afford to be more involved in their kids' lives, which means they can push them to study, do their homework, etc. On average, kids at public schools have parents who make less money, and are more likely to be raised by single parents. Blaming the difference in performance between public and private schools on public school teachers is problematic unless you're also correcting for socioeconomic factors.

Force has no place where there is need of skill. -- Herodotus

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