frate - Slashdot User

Comment Re:um, how would I know? (Score 1) 103

by frate on Thursday July 14, 2011 @09:24AM (#36761792) Attached to: Texas and Taxes: Is a Server a Business Presence?

If you had reading comprehension you would realize that Texas passed a law stating you don't have to pay taxes to the State of Texas if you are hosting your servers there.

Why are there so many complete morons on /.?

Calling Out GE's Misleading Data Visualizations 123

Posted by Soulskill on Sunday July 03, 2011 @08:20AM from the lies-damned-lies-and-statistics dept.

theodp writes "Stephen Few never did suffer data visualization fools gladly. After seeing an oil exec (mis)use data viz to put a positive spin on Gulf Oil Spill cleanup efforts, Few felt compelled to call out BP. And now it's General Electric that's got Few's dander up: 'The series of interactive data visualizations that have appeared on GE's website over the last two years,' writes Few, 'has provided a growing pool of silly examples. They attempt to give the superficial impression that GE cares about data while in fact providing almost useless content. They look fun, but communicate little. As such, they suggest that GE does not in fact care about the information and has little respect for the intelligence and interests of its audience. This is a shame, because the stories contained in these data sets are important.' Concerned about his strong reactions to poorly designed data visualizations, Few asked his neuropsychologist wife whether he might be overreacting. She, too, agrees that GE's natural gas visualizations are maddening, which one might be tempted to dismiss as predictable, although Eyeo Festival presenter Michal Migurski also declares GE's effort 'one terrible, terrible bit of nonsense.'"

Xfire Purchased, Team Leaving 161

Posted by kdawson on Monday August 02, 2010 @07:40PM from the chat-on dept.

phorce phed and several other readers sent news that a system notification was sent out this evening through the Xfire IM client, to wit: "Xfire was bought by new owners today. Most of the team that has built Xfire over the last six years is leaving. We enjoyed working for you for the last 127 releases and wish we could stay to create the next 127. Good bye, good luck, and game on. — The Xfire Team." According to Wikipedia, the new owner is 3D Realms.

Comment Re:If we could only... (Score 1) 161

by frate on Monday August 16, 1999 @08:07PM (#1743631) Attached to: Scientists find evidence of black holes really suc

since black holes are exerting so much gravitational force, this would have to be an incredibly "rigid" city. i think impossible by any technological standard, since black holes would possess enough pull to tear apart planets and stars. now, i can lessen the criteria to naturally occurring black holes as they require immense mass to occur ... and i could theorize it is possible to create smaller ones than the natural ones, but it is well beyond us at this point.

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