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Comment How about sticking to the facts for a change? (Score 1) 120

Here's a daring, original idea. Since Slashdot was presumably set up to enable intelligent educated people to debate technical matters rationally, why not try a different approach?

First find out what the facts and figures are - and then decide how you feel about them.

So many of these threads are nothing but someone who FEELS nuclear is awful and wind/solar are perfect, being replied to by someone who FEELS the opposite.

Hint: this is not a fact: "Nothing is cheaper than solar energy. Followed closely by wind. Then there is a huge gap to the next cheapest thing".

Comment Re:Errrm! (Score -1, Flamebait) 21

*Alleged* "hacking". We have no evidence for this allegation except the unsupported word of a British politician. As a British voter I trust Oliver Dowden about as far as I could throw him.

If you had read the cited article, you would have seen that it says,

'In a statement Monday, the U.K. National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) said it is “highly likely” that the Chinese hackers accessed and exfiltrated emails and data from the electoral register during the hack'.

To anyone who has not been fast asleep for many years, and who has paid even passing attention to the antics of British governments, it will be apparent that the phrase "highly likely" is the same used by Theresa May when announcing the ludicrous and thoroughly discredited theory that "Russian agents" distributed "Novichok" in a bungled assassination attempt in England. She alleged, long before there had been time for any investigation, that the Skripals in Salisbury had been poisoned with "Novichok" of Russian origin. She did not mention that Salisbury - and Amesbury, where it was alleged that Dawn Sturgess actually died of Novichok poisoning - are both within a dozen miles of the UK's chemical weapons lab at Porton Down. VX, considered the world's deadliest nerve poison before the "discovery" of Novichok", was developed and manufactured at Porton Down.

Since then, to the informed, "highly likely" from the UK government means "not".

Comment Re:Errrm! (Score 0) 21

1. The UK government failed to protect confidential personal data.

2. Naturally, its apologists blame China. Why not? Everyone is supposed to hate China - almost as much as they are supposed to hate Russia, Iran, Venezuela, Syria... and nothing the Chinese say will be believed. In any case they will not stoop to deny such absurd allegations.

Bottom line: the UK government failed to protect confidential personal data. All the talk in the world about "hackers" cannot change the fact that a competently administered and protected IT system cannot be penetrated and made to give up valuable data. Isn't the UK supposed to be a technically "advanced" country?

Comment It's on Boeing regardless (Score 1) 166

'"It would be good news for Boeing if it is cleared of any fault in the Latam flight," adds another CNN report'.

Not so. And Boeing can't be cleared just by blaming it on a subcontractor. If a company subcontracts work and then sells the whole aircraft, that company is responsible for the condition of the whole aircraft. Just as a boss is responsible for failures on the part of his or her subordinates.

Comment Re:Congratulations on the good work. (Score 2) 49

As an ex-employee of DEC, I feel deep regret whenever I see such laments and complaints. DEC put far more emphasis on reliability, security, and compatibility. But customers ran, rather than walked, to the far cheaper PC-based software.

It's one of the most sensational examples of piling up mountain ranges of technical debt for a short-term advantage.

Comment Re: The government has been pushing college for ye (Score 1) 266

If today's USA has an "educated populace", there is no hope for any of us. Halfwitted ideologies, counterfactual beliefs, postmodern nihilism, violent hostility to other groups, and above all sheer downright ignorance seem to be prevailing.

True, a small minority of truly educated people go on seeking - and finding - truth. But that has always been the case.

Comment Re:Anything else to do? (Score 2, Interesting) 53

"The DSA imposes a set of strict requirements designed to keep internet users safe online, including making it easier to report counterfeit or unsafe goods or flag harmful or illegal content like hate speech..."

The whole thrust is to censor speech that is not appreciated by the rich and powerful. Need I remind everyone that freedom of speech is indivisible, and that without freedom of speech there can be no freedom at all?

The concept of "hate speech" is utterly absurd. "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me". Every individual person is wholly responsible for his or her conduct. Illegal or harmful acts cannot be excused or mitigated by the plea that they are inspired by "hate speech".

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