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Comment Re:Because not everything needs fucking encryption (Score 2) 53

Having my DNS queries encrypted is very low value. It just seems like one more tactic by large companies to squeeze out small companies, much like DKIM. It's got marginal value and "solves" a problem that spam filtering already took care of decades ago only to make it harder for small server operators so they'll hopefully throw up their hands and give the business to Google or M$, instead. That's what they want, not "security".

And what method do you propose that your DNS queries have not been tampered with? DNS runs quietly in background every time you use a web address. If someone were to redirect DNS queries of [yourbank.com] to their [fakebanksite.com] and got your banking credentials, I would guess you would not think that was of "marginal value".

Comment Re:Easy Answer (Score 1) 53

Most people are not worried about their DNS traffic being examined.

That is not why DNSSEC exists. The reason DNSSEC exists is so that DNS queries cannot be altered so when when you ask for the IP address for [yourbank.com], a malicious attacker has not populated queries with IP addresses of [fakebanksite.com]

And the problems with DNS traffic being altered or redirected has yet to be a widespread enough problem for the masses to care about.

So we should wait until a fundamental part of how the Internet works is exploited for people to do something about it? DNS cache poisoning was found to be exploitable in 2008. DNS was patched to plug the exploit. It was not actually fixed.

Comment Re: 4 inch rise = two islands disappear? (Score 1) 45

Poor people want to leave their poor country and move to a rich one, news at 11. One doesn't really have to contrive a bigger narrative to explain it.

And the fact that poor people are seeing their land disappearing has nothing to do their reasons? It must be because they are poor, right? Everything is a nail when all you know is hammers.

Comment Re: 4 inch rise = two islands disappear? (Score 1) 45

You're literally asserting one has to have been physically present to assert a fact? I guess the entire concept of information transmission has passed you by.

It is when someone uses it to imply a sense of authority or expertise when it comes to facts. He did not cite any other source of these facts. His assertion of fact was specifically that these islands have gained land but since he has never stepped foot on these islands what does asserting he has visited islands mean? Nothing.

Comment Re:hack, refute, repeat (Score 5, Informative) 17

I'm not an astronomer, but I recognize a hack when I see one. Dark matter was a hack. Dark energy was a hack on a hack. Now they're hacking the hack to the hack

I think you completely misunderstood the article and research. The article is not stating the evidence is weakening for dark energy. It is saying that new evidence is finding that dark energy is weakening meaning that it is not as constant as previously thought. It may be variable. The research is adding more evidence that dark energy and matter exists.

Comment Re:Air conditioning is great (Score 1) 190

Parts of Europe hit over 45C (111F). Yet you think installing an awning would mitigate the need for AC? Then you are complaining about me not acknowledging "basics". WTF are you smoking? You complaining about others not employing your solutions to the problem underscore you don’t understand the problem. But I ask again, when the temperature is over 100F at your house, does your awnings negate the need for AC? I would guess the answer is no.

Comment Re:4 inch rise = two islands disappear? (Score 1) 45

I haven't been recently, no. But what I know is that previously, like decades ago .. the narrative was "omg, we're sinking" .. now it's "omg the ocean is rising". Aaand 5 seconds of googling finds a scientific peer reviewed article proving my hunch correct.,

And that is behind a paywall so nothing can be verified.

Results highlight a net increase in land area in Tuvalu of 73.5ha (2.9%), despite sea-level rise, and land area increase in eight of nine atolls.

Published: 09 February 2018

Comment Re:Air conditioning is great (Score 1) 190

The issue in Europe is people simply do not understand how to cope with the heat.

What are you talking about? Hot summers have always been an issue everywhere. The problem is the intensity of high heat is now a more common occurrence every year instead of every decade.

AC is the idiots solution to warm weather.

And your solution to cool a house in the record summer heat is what?

The problem is one of house design, it's cultural (try get a glass of water in Europe without paying a euro for it).

WTF are you talking about? The problem is many homes are older in Europe and designed before central AC. As such adding central AC in the last 50 years was not easy for the average home in Europe. That has nothing to do with paying for water especially bottled water.

It's one of behaviours, and house design - our neighbour has huge windows, no awnings, sun streams into his house turning his entire place into a giant greenhouse

And what does that have to do with Europe in general?

We installed an awning and our temperatures drop about as much as theirs do expect we don't use electricity for it.

Well good for you. That awning helps with 100+ F heat so I take it so you don't use any electricity for AC when it hits over 100F?

Comment Re:Wait, what? (Score 1) 190

The thread is about AC, not "mini split heat pump and cooling".

You do understand that some mini-split heat pumps are AC units, right? In the US they are becoming more popular as they fit a need like for older homes that were not designed with central AC in mind. Mini-split pumps require as less work/renovation to install.

Comment Re:Wait, what? (Score 2) 190

When I left Britain quarter of a decade ago, yes, very few had air conditioning, and I suspect that's still the case. Air conditioning is expensive, and people are far more frugal in Europe than in the US.

Also the vast majority of homes in Europe would be older and not designed for central AC. So adding central AC units would not be easy. Mini-split units and heat pumps are newer and easier to retrofit into older homes.

Comment Re:4 inch rise = two islands disappear? (Score 4, Insightful) 45

I believe climate change is 100% real, but it sounds like BS that their two coral islands disappeared due to climate change. Why? Because the sea levels have only risen 4 inches since 1993.

Those 4 inches is the rise globally. That number does not reflect what has happened locally to Tuvalu.

In the 1990s I spent a lot of time on various islands.

So 30 years ago, you spent time on islands. Have you been to these islands especially recently? The locals say they have lost 2 islands, but you don't believe it. But you have not visited these islands.

. Those coral islands are subject to subsidence, that is a well known phenomena and faster than climate change. Back then the paranoia was subsidence, now it's shifted to the more lucrative climate change angle.

Do you know for a fact subsidence has caused the loss of land or are you generalizing?

I acknowledge climate change but we should be truthful about it being a combination of factors or it will be more fodder for right-wing BS.

82% of islanders want to leave their generational home. But based on your 0% knowledge of the local situation, you have labeled their reasons as BS for some unknown reason.

Comment Re:Why? (Score 2, Informative) 45

Most of Tuvalu's islands are increasing in size. As are most such islands.

First of all citation needed. Melting glaciers would raise sea levels so existing islands would decrease in size. So I do not understand your logic. Specifically for Tuvalu, 2 of their 9 atolls are now underwater. Second, part of the issue of climate change is environments are less sustainable in the future. The increase in temperature has affected coral reefs worldwide; such reefs are local sources of food.

Comment Depends on how the phone is used (Score 1) 61

If someone is using their phone to track celebrity gossip all day long, maybe that use should be curtailed. For most people they need their phone for other purposes like contacting family, etc. Just last week, I needed to schedule a contractor to come to my place to replace glass as a window was broken. One of my friends just had a baby so there is a group chat where some friends were checking up on her and the baby. It might easy for a billionaire like Schmidt to turn off his phone; he probably has more than one assistant that handles these communications for him.

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