It is interesting that this announcement comes on the heels of a slowdown in new computer purchasing, isn't it? I mean, the chip shortages, GPU price hyper-inflation, and more recent HDD price hikes make the price for upgrading a little too steep for the average consumer. So why not make them pay for their OS again? amiright?

Capitalism is a system in which production and sales goods and services is based on supply and demand in the general market (rather than thru central planning). ViaSat is asking the government to interfere with the markets so that it can benefit. Or, in other words, a handout. Every taxpaying citizen in the country should be against this, and it wouldn't hurt to call your representatives offices to let them know how badly it will affect their next election campaign should they vote for it.

So true. Senators throwing $10b contracts at companies they are heavily invested in. At least SpaceX won the bid fair and square, by being the lowest bidder. If this bill passes, it should be open for bids just like any government contract, giving SpaceX a chance at it, rather than just giving it directly to Bezos for "reasons".

Right Accused of Doing Same Thing Left Does! News at 11!

If they are willing to run those things with "sidewalk" open access on their internal corporate networks, then there is a smattering of a chance it might be safe for general use. Corporate security gonna have a field day with them tho...

Problem is its a generation where everything has been handed to them on a silver platter. Most literally don't understand the consequences of actions. How can you explain personal responsibility for good (and bad) choices there?

Apples to apples comparisons don't exist in the working world. You can't go to college, study X, and expect Y. Your pay in the real world will be dependent on a number of factors, which may include (a) your ability, (b) your connections, (c) your chicanery. Thinking back, it seems that nearly everybody I've interviewed in the past falls clearly into one of these categories. But even these are no guarantee, however, because if there is another candidate who excels in one of these categories, then odds are good they are going to get the position.

I've heard it stated that the purpose of college is a firm grasp of common sense, and elsewhere that the most valuable thing you get is in learning how to learn. My only advice is to do something you like. Chasing a job title because it earns a few more bucks usually comes with a stack of misery on the side. There are many careers where degrees are gatekeepers (e.g.: doctors, veterinaries, academics, etc...) but many more where it is irrelevant. Find what makes you happy. Do that.

Anybody alive can see that inflation exists. It really doesn't take a genius to see. And for the record, I've always been, and will continue to be, a small government guy. The less governments interfere with our daily lives, the better. And no, a national UBI will not be a minuscule expenditure ... try somewhere between 15-20% of the national GDP (depending on your definition of "universal"). It will literally cost more than the government takes in from income taxes annually (please, run the numbers in excel yourself ... i know you won't believe me ... its all public data available on gov websites). The question of how to pay for it has to be asked.

I'm all for shopping in Canada, and Mexico, and even the city next door. As a consumer what you should be concerned with is a fair price for the commodity. This was the point of my statement. If a product is cheaper over at Y than it is here at X, and the cost of driving/transport between them is amiable, then the natural force will be for a consumer to purchase from Y. Better with variables? I could use made up places ... The Shire and Gondor? Valhalla and Midgard? New Dork City and Flagellaberg?

The program is literally giving away free money to 2000 very lucky individuals. Any actual model of UBI has to come with a collection of funds from the participants to reflect how the government is going to pay for the funds they distribute. If the federal reserve were to just print the money to be distributed for UBI, the result (in large) would be inflation.

Along those lines, any city could test UBI fairly easily with almost no startup capitol. Just impose an extra sales tax, collect those funds, and re-distribute them "fairly" to the citizens. Likely results will be
- People will drive to the next closest city to shop.
- Increase in the number of "citizens" as reflected by an uptick in postal boxes in use.

Incidentally, the same results will happen if a national VAT is imposed to pay for a national UBI ... shopping across the border in Canada and Mexico will increase, and there might even be a bit more of an opportunity for a black market of everyday use items. Imagine the dark web being used to buy contraband toothpaste from Canada. Good times.

As a career software developer, Stack Overflow is a great tool. But honestly, I rarely copy/paste straight from it. 95% of the time it is a matter of seeing how other people solved a particular problem to give me ideas as to how to solve it in my environment. A canned, complete solution that fits cleanly into my project is rarely available from SO.

It is a great resource for techniques. Seeing how 5 people solve the same problem gives some great insight as to what is really happening behind the scenes. Take the one you find most performant and/or elegant, fit it into your project, and for the love of all that is holy write some tests to cover it ... because until you do that, you are trusting that "Buzz_FartYear_420" really knows what he is talking about.

Baby snake comes in back door of business and finds its way under the door to our server cold room in the early 2000s. Guess it figured it was colder than heck in there, so it crawled up in a tiny 1U rackmount Dell mounted on the bottom of the rack ... for warmth, I guess. What it didn't expect was the array of spinning micro-fans pulling cool air in the front and pushing it out the back. When the snake got a little too close, BRRZZZZP! it got sliced, diced, and sprayed into the server.

Few weeks of Samuel L Jackson jokes, and 1 very amusing call with our Dell rep later, and things were back to normal.

These people are paying 10s of thousands of $$ to millions of $$ on a url to an image.

P.T. Barnum would be so proud.

in what world would a company spend decades of R&D all so politicians could tax it at 100% and give the profits away to their voters? yes, better AI will arrive one day. yes, some workers will be displaced. yes, other professions will arise as a result. just like the fabled "buggy whip manufacturers" of old when Henry Ford made automobiles affordable to the general public.

UBI doesn't work unless you live in a post-scarcity society ... and in that world you wouldn't need UBI anyway.

UBI is now, and always has been, a ploy to funnel gob-stobbering amounts of capital thru the sticky hands of politicians.

Its not UBI unless it is (U)niversal. And its not an actual study unless there is some means to collect the funds paid from the recipients and then re-distributed. Money is not free.

Yes, an increase in welfare to needy individuals does help them. There, study done. For the record, I'm totally for helping those in need ... but doing it under the guise of pushing a terrible idea like UBI is just a politician trying to buy your votes with your neighbor's money.

And who judges that intent? Because if it is our actual legal system, they have a few rules to follow ... including chain of custody on evidence. If this fervor for law enforcement were actually anything other than politically motivated tripe, then there are many avenues on which to have for a career in either law or enforcement. I would encourage investigation along those lines.