Posts by frank ly
2117 posts • joined Wednesday 10th June 2009 09:17 GMT
Page:
No degrees of separation
" a bunch of Senators, allegedly the most sophisticated political thinkers in the land, "
Hahahahaha!
In the mind of people like this, there is no separation. Everything blends into a grey sludge that must be controlled and, ideally, prohibited.
Soon, all a character will need to do (in print or in voice on-screen) is say "two girls, one cup" and that publication, or episode, will be banned.
The mindset is: if you stop all references to something, then that thing itself ceases to exist. This is sympathetic magic at its most basic level and gives you an idea of how primitive their minds are.
Posted in Empires built on free code aren't cheap
Use by friends and employees is not redistribution.
" ... if facebook modified GPL code, would the licence not imply they give back to the OSS community? "
If you modify GPL code and redistribute it, then you have to give the source code, including your modifications.
Using modified GPL code for your own purposes is not redistribution of the code. A company or organisation can install modified GPL code on thousands of computers and use them for their own activities, provided those computers belong to them. What they must not do is give the executable to anyone and say, "here, this is cool, try playing with it at home." (in that case, they must give the source code as well).
Posted in Judas Phone: more Photoshop tomfoolery
@Jan 0
I think Tom was being too subtle for you. There are two situations in which the use of 'their' would be appropriate. Tom implied one of them (flaming - lack of thought - getting things wrong.) Tom was saying, 'if you want to flame, do it properly by making spelling mistakes.'
The other possible use of 'their' would be if the word 'stupid' was treated as a noun, for the purpose of humour. Compare with the word 'smarts', used to mean 'qualities or evidence of intelligence'. (I realise that 'stupid=noun' use is not a good fit for the original 'Because their stupid' post.)
Posted in Malaysia bans 'satanic' Man Utd kit
Every Cloud...
"...For example, one recent edict banned the ancient practice of yoga because of its links to the Hindu faith..."
Some bright spark could develop 'Muslim toning and relaxation postures' and make a mint in Malaysia, with an illustrated book of poses. (All models to be old men wearing thick baggy clothes.)
@AC 11:37
Was the receptionist fired? She should have been.
re, drinking straw
Having a very narrow field of view so it seems like you are looking through a drinking straw.
I can relax
After reading all this, I'm so glad that I have grey hair and a receding hairline.
Programmers = Artists?
Authors, musicians,...artists, are not 'employed' by the studios or publishers. They create work which is then promoted/distributed/sold etc. under various standard forms of contract. The author has to produce the work first.
'Development shops' employ people to provide their hours slaving at a desk and they may or may not produce anything useful or original in that time. When and if they do, it is 'owned' by their employer. This form of contract of employment is standard and has been for many years.
I don't think any variation in standard forms of contracts of employment is being considered here.
Posted in Reg hack gives forth in Wikipedia doco
Judge by the cover
"..I mean reasonable in tone and made by respectable-looking people. For example, I was really surprised to see Cade Metz on screen;.."
Can we see a picture of Cade Metz so we can judge for ourselves if he is 'respectable-looking'?
I for one do not want to read articles by ugly or 'eyes-too-close-together' people. If he has a beard then forget it.
The Future
If more of them are made, they might migrate to the breeding grounds. What happens after that does not bear thinking about.
You Gotta Have Faith Robert
"If no-one can find it, then it doesn't exist ...."
You are wrong, so wrong! If you can't find it then it is simply beyond your ability and understanding at this point in your life. You must strive to find it and get closer to it in your daily life. Open your eyes and let Godblock into your heart and you will truly find eternal salvation.
This Modern World
"..charges including " ... hindering apprehension"."
So it's illegal to run away and you get additional charges for it? Surely there are long standing historical precedents for the folk-tradition of running away from the authorities after committing a crime. It's part of our heritage.
Posted in Hubble eyes sun-roasted exoplanet
Art, it's a mystery to me
How did they get the artist onto that moon/planet so that he/she could have such a good view of HD 209458b getting a hot blow job?
Some know, some don't even know they don't know.
Ahhhh, you're one of those guys who knows stuff and knows how to find out about stuff.
Sayings
Shouldn't that be 'Hoisted by your own Lampard'?
Money Matters
"...as well as decimal math units (for doing money math without having to round single-precision calculations)..."
I thought 'money math' was usually done with scaled integers for speed and accuracy?
@Andy 17 re. One problem
That would be true if a D-lock was used. If you used a big chain then you could wrap it round the lamp post before looping it through the wheels - problem solved.
(This also has the advantage of giving you a good workout as you cycle around with a heavy chain draped over your shoulders.)
Legal Stuff
It seems the legal argument will rest on whether a vehicle powered by an electric motor can be considered as a 'motor vehicle'. They actually get paid for this.
@Lou Gosselin re. Re. commentard ...
"... many people who have been holding key exchange parties for years..."
I've been tried to get invited to a key exchange party for years :(
Honeypot...
... sweet. :)
On Facebook.....On The Toilet....
I thought the two were equivalent.
Posted in Feed curry to sheep, boffins suggest
@ oolon re. hot air
"...21 percent hydrogen.."
So that's why they burn well with a blueish flame.
@skelband re. some points
"...The road tax is also a good legal vehicle for checking MOT and insurance which has its use..."
There are obvious alternatives: Display an MoT disc on your vehicle. Have issuance of an insurance certificate conditional on your having an MoT disc. The details of vehicle MoT and personal carrying of insurance are already held on a central database. Any police officer can make a radio call and find out if your vehicle has an MoT certificate and if you are insured.
The tax disc tells a police officer that a car had an MoT and that the registered owner had insurance *at the time it was issued*. It does not prove that the car has an MoT at the moment or that the car is insured at the moment for the person who is driving it.
@Ian Stephenson re. @Paul172
I'm sure the corrrect term is 'particave'.
It's always something
"... who might of started on Cobol..."
The old guy might have demonstrated better English language skills as well.
I remember
I do remember seeing that and thinking it would be a pretty good effort for a 10 year old. It was a 'bring your kids to work' day, must have been.
A Blue Joke
I thought he wrote 'smurf', because they have big caps.
As I Suspected
"... I participate in full contact origami. ..."
Now I know you're insane. Only true crazies do that.
MAC address spoofing.....
... FTW.
Or, try better procedures, such as going to different, busy, open Wi-Fi hot spots and sending each other steganographised holiday pictures via Skype?
If something works once, they get complacent and keep doing it without thought for possible countermeasures. These people need El-Reg commentards to act as consultants.
Ahhhh, Dell
A Dell telephone support engineer (who did help me get my old Inspiron working again) told me that computers (he didn't actually say 'Dell computers') were expected to last for two years. I said that was probably due to leaky/faulty electrolytic and tantalum capacitors. He said, "No, it's most components. We're always surprised when computers last longer than two years".
A Light weight Idea.....
They could strap wings onto a Reliant Robin fitted with a propeller. That should work out fine.
IT's Entertainment
"Bell told Lib Dem MP Jo Swinson that despite past failures the commission still intends to press ahead with a shift to electronic delivery."
I used to feel annoyed at all the Government failure to use IT properly. Now, I just laugh at their quaint and bumbling efforts to get to grips with the modern world.
Posted in Hoodies swipe bus for YouTube joyride
Not Strictly True
"...To drive a bus like that takes a considerable amount of training..."
Apparently not. All it needs is misplaced bravado and mind boggling stupidity.
(Can someone who knows about these things tell us if these vehicles have ignition keys or similar security measures?)
Posted in Chinese military banned from blogging
I see a solution
""A 32-year-old single soldier in Tibet received letters from more than 30 girls after his family posted a profile of him online to help him find a girlfriend."
It looks like his family did not give his e-mail address online, but invited letters from interested woman. They would most likely get much more than 30 replies so they must have filtered the responses and only sent the ones they thought were suitable.
This arrangement could work well as a filtering system to protect the soldiers. So, protect yourself from internet harm by always using a chinese letter.
re. a little bit too keen
"...Having purchased every version of iPhone on each launch date, I have never encountered this problem...."
As you said, this person has a much more serious problem they ought to be worried about.
Yours are relatively minor ones.
Ahhhh, It's A Parody
Say no more. Nudge, nudge; wink, wink.
The Horror!
"... possessing potato guns with the aim of endangering the public..."
Hanging's too good for that sort!
Posted in England versus Germany: Quaff real ale
Alcohol free contentment?
"... the sedative effects of hops is reckoned to be down to a chemical called dimethylvinyl carbinol..."
Can I get this in tablet form?
Season 4 starts tonight
Season 4 of the IT crowd starts tonight on Channel 4. For some reason, probably pre-release publicity effort, episode 1 has been available (not in perfect quality) out there on the torrents for a few days.
I watched it earlier this week, it's hilarious :)
@James Hughes 1
That's the obvious and understandable implication. However, there is still a large and active market for perennial grass seed, despite the fact that people don't, in theory, need it.
What I'd like to see is Government/central funding with Open Source style releases of all information at regular stages. However, since there is money to be made, you can bet that someone will try to grab the IP for it, probably by bribing politicians.
Posted in .XXX to get ICANN nod
@AC re. such as
Pah! My ideas are far more sophisticated than childish word games. You could not comprehend the magnitude of my evil genius.
Posted in .XXX to get ICANN nod
Rules?
If I register a .xxx domain, do I have to put porn on it? If so, how much porn, where, with what prominence, etc? If I don't put porn on it, can people make formal complaints to the registrar?
These are not idle, surreal questions. I have a business idea for a non-porn .xxx website.
Posted in US energy-weapon project going well
Economics of Production
"..the Reg's apparently large readership of evil billionaires may have to wait a while."
These things can only get cheaper as time goes by so evil millionaires will be able to buy them and will drive up demand. After that, mass production will arrive and they will become commodity items. It's a veritable virtuous circle of villainy.
Really NSFW
Never mind the coxyx; that woman doesn't have any clothes on! (Shoes don't count.)
Posted in Middle-aged sex is crap: Official
you got me
I tried typing 'sudo scientific nonsense' on a Linux command line and my computer froze up! What was that about?
@ Chris W re. Slight Flaw
"Men don't go in florists"
You have misunderstood what happened here.
This was men who had been placed in a florists and then had the door locked on them.
If romantic music was playing, it reduced their ability to pick locks, break down doors or throw heavy objects through the windows. It is thought to affect the decision making processes as well as motor skills.
Posted in A Rumba with a Roomba
I am not alone!
"... You know how a hard disk defragmenter, scurrying around its sectors in a neat graphical display, is the most hypnotically fascinating thing to watch? Of course you do. .."
I thought I was the only one who did that and have been ashamed to tell anyone about it. I feel so much better now it's out in the open.
Must Try Harder
"..We are at present unable to locate the original press release referenced by Dr Akdeniz."
Have you tried Googling for it?
Entertainment
"What we discovered is that people were not bothered by [an advertisement]. Part of it I think our belief is you're used to it. You're used to seeing things with ads."
You have to laugh. It's that or cry.
