Comment Re:Attack surface (Score 1) 236
If you're using Reader, you might ask, why is there a 3D rendering engine in my PDF reader? Or maybe even do something about it.
Because in the engineering and manufacturing world a 3D model is the best, and often only, way to define the design of an object. It's just another form of data that I want to include in my document.
You may as well ask why there should be support for images or fonts in PDF. Isn't plain text good enough for everyone?
Comment Reply to ALL? (Score 1) 168
The real question is what happened after the everyone starting hitting Reply to All?
Comment Doesn't go far enough (Score 1) 1251
What about astrologists and alchemists? Don't they deserve protection too?
Comment Reminds me of Alice' Restaurant (Score 1) 652
"...And I, I walked over to the, to the bench there, and there is, Group W's where they put you if you may not be moral enough to join the army after committing your special crime, and there was all kinds of mean nasty ugly looking people on the bench there. Mother rapers. Father stabbers. Father rapers!"
Comment Re:How do they confirm it's in a quantum state? (Score 1) 265
The answer is neither here nor there.
Comment Re:pointless... (Score 1) 124
The USAF is flying is using C-17s to fly in relief supplies. They are not exactly small. Their payload is 170,900 lb (77,519 kg) of cargo according to Wikipedia.
Given the limitations of the airport capacity, this looks like a great opportunity to show the capabilities of the V-22 Osprey. With a range of nearly 900 miles, they could fly from Florida and land in helicopter mode virtually anywhere in Haiti. With aerial refueling, they would not need to take on fuel in Haiti, which is another scarce resource.
Comment It's the format, stupid! (Score 1) 313
The useful bit about this article is the recognition that the format is the key to any hope of understanding digital data over any period of time. Specifically
if it is not being done by a standards body, it will not help us manage the data in the long run
We can save bits forever, but if we don't know what they mean, then its all a waste. Standardized, open formats provide the only real hope of a Rosetta Stone" for data.
He and his wife should do more research. There are standards for Digital data management concepts, technologies and standards, such as the OAIS Reference Model for an Open Archival Information System (ISO 14721:2003). Maybe he's spending all his time looking at rocks.