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Comment: Re:Really? (Score 3, Informative) 108

You could try the Samsung Note tablet, with pencil. In the Notes app you can write formulae (although mainly math, which can be even resolved), squares, etc, and be recognized (mostly) by the software. Probably it won't be yet useful for you, but perhaps you want to keep an eye on it.

Comment: Re:The Answer To This Nonsense... (Score 1) 1111

by OpenSourced (#43338815) Attached to: Build a Secret Compartment, Go To Jail

I used to think like you. Then I thought about what the Pharma industry would do if drugs were free ("Buy Kudkerless, won't cure your cancer, but sure will make you forget about it"), and now I'm for prohibition. I've thought about a middle ground and cannot find it. If you legalize, billions of research dollars would go to devise ways of addicting us to some chemical. You have to put the line somewhere or face a dystopian future.

Comment: Just a Question (Score 1) 292

by OpenSourced (#43059733) Attached to: A New Version of MS Office Every 90 Days

And about how long will take them, between Office file format changes that render them incompatible with previous versions? That's the most exciting feature of Office updates, and all customers look forward to these special moments. That's the thing that should happen every quarter to keep people involved in Office and shouting: For Innovation!

Comment: The weakest link is the pilot. (Score 1) 622

by OpenSourced (#43014297) Attached to: Future Fighters Won't Need Ejection Seats

Now the weakest link will be the comm link. Not sure which one I prefer.

However, I suppose the future points that way. Next step, as a further method of savings, I suggest outsourcing of piloting to India. Then, after a time, when everybody has unmanned fighters, it'll be seen as a waste to really go to the cost of building the fighters. Wars will be fought virtually in probably the same Indian subcontractor war room, elbowing telecom service personnel and telemarketers. The loser will demolish some buildings and bridges in its own country, and promptly surrender to the winner.

Comment: I don't think there will be a shortage. (Score 1) 318

by OpenSourced (#42881737) Attached to: COBOL Will Outlive Us All

It takes a week for a programmer to learn COBOL. A month at most to be proficient. Of course depending on dialect and environment, it can take more to be productive, but that's true also for COBOL programmers coming from other backgrounds. That means there will be no big shortage of programmers as big companies can train in-house in a matter of days.

The problem with COBOL is that it will erode your sanity with mindless repetition and superfluous verbosity. If you are put to make COBOL programs, make a generator for the most common tasks. It won't save you perhaps such a big amount of time, but it'll make life more interesting.

Comment: And that's not the end of it! (Score 1) 474

by OpenSourced (#42790931) Attached to: Racism In Online Ad Targeting

If they detect that you are a woman, a much higher percentage of tampons ads appear. Simply insulting! If they detect that you are old (by having a name like Grover, for example) they will bomb you with ads for nursery homes. There is no end to it! It's almost like if they were targeting the ads to what their databases say your interests will be. They should call it targeted advertising then!

Comment: Re:Before the libertarians start preaching... (Score 1, Insightful) 330

by OpenSourced (#42766039) Attached to: Online Narcotics Store 'Silk Road' Is Showing Cracks

There's lots of potential problems with the implementation of this policy

I can think of a big one. In five to ten years we would have ads with the slogan "Take Fakitol, it won't cure your cancer, but will make sure you don't give a shit about it". Once you legalize all drugs, there is a humongous incentive for big pharma to find the most addictive stuff they can and sell it to you, preferably when you are young and inexperienced. I'm not sure I want to live in that world.

It has been said that Public Relations is the art of winning friends and getting people under the influence. -- Jeremy Tunstall

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