* Posts by Vladimir Plouzhnikov

3264 publicly visible posts • joined 5 Jul 2007

Audio fans, prepare yourself for the Second Coming ... of Blu-ray

Vladimir Plouzhnikov

This thing does not really do anything that DVD-A or even DVD-V couldn't already do, only tangles it in some extra layer of DRM probably (with all this vouchers stuff).

This is an attempt to prop up a failed format (the failure being self-inflicted).

On the audio side - I personally prefer 2.0 stereo to any multi-channel gimmicks, but that's just me...

Dropbox defends fantastically badly timed Condoleezza Rice appointment

Vladimir Plouzhnikov

Re: Dropbox drops the ball. @JLV

"the USSR was an entirely different beast."

I am not going to defend any of the atrocities you used as your examples, nor am I going to defend or proclaim the moral superiority of the USSR ideology and/or its social and economic system - that would simply be naive.

However, you should not equate the USSR to Stalin's regime. What happened during the time of that Georgian Robespierre was an aberration, albeit characteristic of any society undergoing rapid revolutionary transition. You can find an equivalent of that in the history of any country (minus the Russian scale - if you want the comparable scale you need to look at China, perhaps).

After Stalin, the USSR has become a completely different society. It may have had its own ideas about civil rights and freedoms, which differed from those in the West, but it certainly had those ideas and ideals. Time has shown that the chosen implementation of these ideas was impractical and impossible and it collapsed on itself due to the inherent flaws in the system - but to consider USSR as some kind of an incarnation of absolute evil and antithetic to the values of the enlightened and benevolent "Western" society is shortsighted and downright stupid.

You should also remember that many of the freedoms enjoyed by the Western population exist either because the Western regimes wanted to highlight the difference between them and the Soviets or because the existence of the USSR was inspiring people in the West to demand such rights and freedoms.

Is it a coincidence that as soon as the USSR ceased to exist and the need to maintain the appearances diminished those same "Western" regimes started to steadily and determinedly clamp down and revoke or dilute those rights and freedoms?

Vladimir Plouzhnikov

Re: Dropbox drops the ball.

"The Soviets were ..... morally repugnant,"

Not any more repugnant than any other state with the ambitions of being a "global power". Forget about it at your peril.

Vladimir Plouzhnikov

No need to worry

She probably can't tell her drop from her box. It must simply be a pay-off for that CIA contract...

Now, wait a minute - a CIA contract? Er, belay that "no worry" then...

Reg LOHAN spaceplane: Punch and Judy show in comedy non-explosive climax

Vladimir Plouzhnikov

"Would have been better to use NASA-speak and say that it "suffered a non-mitigated power-up anomaly"

But they had a Barogenic Unexplained Metal Meltdown Energetic Rupture instead.

Spy-happy Condoleezza Rice joins Dropbox board as privacy adviser

Vladimir Plouzhnikov

No thanks!

No Rice please. How about a Kofi though?

So, Hu you say was the leader of China?

Gay marriage foes outraged at Mozilla CEO flap, call for boycott

Vladimir Plouzhnikov

Re: Speaking of the law...

"But he wasn't, he quit"

Ever heard the term "constructive dismissal"? I don't know about the US but here it is a well established principle in employment law.

Vladimir Plouzhnikov

Re: Prop 8 != free speech

So, you will then agree that if another court decision would overturn the previous one and the ban on gay marriage will be found constitutional, you will have to be fired from your job unless you publicly declare that you now understand that gay marriage is wrong and undertake to never support it again?

Vladimir Plouzhnikov

Stupid godheads

Boycott the F*ckStupid website and other Match.com crap, not the FireFox!

Reminds me of the parts of the world where a raped woman is punished for letting herself be raped...

Video games make you NASTY AND VIOLENT

Vladimir Plouzhnikov

Re: Once again...

"I don't know if you knew that."

No, I didn't but I know now! Thanks!

Vladimir Plouzhnikov

Re: Once again...

No, no, no - crosses are too violent.

Vladimir Plouzhnikov

Re: I think people here are missing the point

Well, the Mumsnet population will not probably read about it in the Register but they might see it in this BBC article:

"Feelings of aggression after playing video games are more likely to be linked to gameplay mechanics rather than violent content, a study suggests."

"The study is not saying that violent content doesn't affect gamers, but our research suggests that people are not drawn to playing violent games in order to feel aggressive. Rather, the aggression stems from feeling not in control or incompetent while playing."

and

"Previous research published by Tanya Byron in her 2008 independent review 'Safer Children in a Digital World', found little evidence to suggest children who play video games become desensitised to violence."

All in all, should drive some on Mumsnet into a fit :-)

Vladimir Plouzhnikov

I think people here are missing the point

Which is that this study shows that it is the bad game design or controls that leads to increased aggression as opposed to any actual violent content inside the game.

This basically pulls the rug from under the feet of the "think of the childrenz" game-censoring crusaders, which is a good thing.

Vladimir Plouzhnikov

Re: Cold hands? Pah!

You're right, they are much more likely to take a dump truck and drop a ton of bricks on the unfortunate passers by. Now, the Pacman players, on the other hand....

Internet is a tool of Satan that destroys belief, study claims

Vladimir Plouzhnikov

Re: They haven't deserted religion

Ramen.

'Hello, is that the space station? NASA here. Can you put us through to Moscow?'

Vladimir Plouzhnikov

"If God wanted man to go to space, he'd have given him gills...er, something."

I'm sure man would have preferred gilts instead...

Vladimir Plouzhnikov

Hello, America

Da fuck you did that fo?

I QUIT: Mozilla's anti-gay-marriage Brendan Eich leaps out of door

Vladimir Plouzhnikov

Re: I embrace people that do not share my views.

"and Ben Laden ..."

Aha! So Osama was Jewish! I can tell a Masonic conspiracy when I see one!

Vladimir Plouzhnikov

Re: Amazing

"Perhaps you misunderstand me."

Perhaps I do, in which case I apologise.

"However I will have personal views as to whether that cause is right or wrong which will determine whether I support or oppose it."

That's fine. But do you agree that you must lose your job if your personal view and the corresponding support or opposition you express are not deemed to be satisfactory?

Vladimir Plouzhnikov

Re: No-one will ever read this because it is currently on p5 ...

"a concerted, vocal minority who cannot recognise that an opinion is valid even when you disagree with it"

We have good few of them on this board as well...

Vladimir Plouzhnikov

Re: The unaccountable mob

It's actually the same tactics that is commonly used by Scientologists to suppress dissent in their ranks and netralise anyone who they perceive as a threat to their organisation.

Vladimir Plouzhnikov

Amazing

"However it matters a great deal what is being campaigned for."

The most disturbing thing is that you obviously fail to see the dismal immorality of what you just wrote.

As I said in another thread - your type of campaigners are self-serving parasites, only damaging the cause you are ostensibly fighting for.

As for the rest of your post - I wonder if it's an honest mistake or a freudian slip?

Vladimir Plouzhnikov

It's a shame

Shouldn't have given up to blackmail that easily.

Titanfall pits man against machine, Kiefer Sutherland Snakes into Metal Gear Solid V

Vladimir Plouzhnikov

Re: Single player is onanism

Seriously? It seems that you treat your gaming as a work out and choose the games accordingly.

Other people may prefer things like atmosphere, storyline, suspense, immersion.

It is similar to music - some people enjoy the art in music, for others it is only a means to induce reflectorial twitching...

Vladimir Plouzhnikov

Re: Single player is onanism

"You will get better, but only from more playing."

Get better at onanism?

Hey, Michael Lewis: Stop DEMONISING Wall Street’s SUPERHUMAN high-speed trading

Vladimir Plouzhnikov

Re: @ Vladimir Plouzhnikov

"A Network of Computers playing their algorityms off against each other can and will blindly crash the markets in Milliseconds."

Yes, so what? Do you think human-only market are immune from that? No indication though that any of the crashes where machines may have been involved has been any worse than any other crash where they haven't. Actually, markets seem to recover from these technical glitches much faster today and with fewer consequences than in the past.

"the HFT corporations which are actually Paying the exchanges for Insider Information"

You don't seem to understand what Insider Information means. Exchanges don't have insider information. The market data they have and sell (legally and openly) is not "insider information", it's available to anyone - you can buy it yourself if you want and have the cash.

Vladimir Plouzhnikov

Re: Tobin Tax

Tobin proposed his tax thinking that it may reduce volatility in forex markets, making government's job of managing their currency's interest rates easier. His proposal had nothing to do with trying to placate some traders who have a grudge against others, having a better access to the market place...

However, there is no consensus that such tax will in fact reduce the volatility and, in general, higher transaction costs are known to increase volatility (and bid-offer spread) and reduce liquidity.

Vladimir Plouzhnikov

Re: Feedback

The economy is global, with 100s of millions of active participants at any given moment. That to me practically guarantees that economically significant events must be constantly happening down to millisecond scale. I may be wrong but it sounds logical to me.

If you look at, say, unfiltered Bloomberg news feed - new headlines there appear so fast, the old ones are scrolled off the screen before they can all possible be read...

Vladimir Plouzhnikov

Re: Why do we have stock markets?

"The key word is 'long term' "

Why is that the key word? Why should only long term investments be allowed? What are the reasons why you think it will be better for the economy?

Or is it just that you think - "oh, someone is making money in a way which I don't understand, I envy them, that's why they should be stopped"?

"if I or my pension fund is investing to give me a return of several percent p.a. for the next decade, then 0.5% at the beginning really should be pretty invisible (or 0.2% or whatever, just not 0.005%) - and if it's going to hurt 'the market' that much then allow investors to claim it against tax when they sell after 5 years"

Again, if you are ready to pay such costs upfront and intend to hold your investment for 'long term' regardless of what is happening with it in the meantime, why are you so bothered about the impact of HFT and extremely short-term volatility?

Vladimir Plouzhnikov

Re: Coin clippers

"The 800lb gorilla in the room is that HFT limits trading to those who can afford the technology. Forget all the other arguments, which may be true; the markets are denied to the small players and so the big banks and hedge funds achieve a de facto monopoly on trading."

There is no evidence of that at all - go and trade something yourself, nobody stops you. If you don't like the volatility - you can use VWAP orders or something similar to average off the extremely short term fluctuations.

Before HFT, there were locals, who had similar advantages by virtue of being right there in the trading pit, watching and personally knowing the habits of other traders. The were providing the same function to the markets as the HFT does today (increasing liquidity, narrowing bid-offer spread etc), only more slowly.

In fact, it is the exchange locals who became displaced by the HFT, not other types of traders.

Vladimir Plouzhnikov

Re: @ Vladimir Plouzhnikov

"One of the possibilities that has been amply discussed about HFT is that it could be used for simulating a 'landslide' in some stocks prices, and also be fooled to believe that one of these landslides is taking place."

But you don't need an HFT system to start a selling-off panic. Much cheaper just to bribe an analyst to twat something on Twitter...

"A 'privileged party' with access to this technology and a lot of capital has a(nother) great tool for manipulating the markets."

The problem with this approach (exactly as with manual attempts to move markets) is that you start with a lot of capital and end up with much less, which is usually not what the manipulator wants to achieve. In addition, by doing this you are sticking out as sore thumb in the market and the regulators will have your hide in no time. Finally, you will be the laughing stock of the entire market when it's all finished.

Vladimir Plouzhnikov

Re: @ Vladimir Plouzhnikov

"So HFT doesn't screw over investors, it's people who screw over investors?"

Perhaps I did not explain it clear. HFT (systems AND people who use them) and market manipulators (people and systems they use) use totally different properties of the markets, different methods, channels and opportunities.

Vladimir Plouzhnikov

Re: @ Vladimir Plouzhnikov

"You do not want lightning speed reaction during a crisis. You do want lightning speed decision making. But knowing how to manage when to act is the key. Act first think later can be a problem."

Yes, you are quite right. That's why the exchanges use trading halts as a "circuit breaker" when panic starts. They have come up with that protection mechanism long before even manual electronic trading appeared, because with humans panic works just the same as with algos.

The difference is that for humans an exchange may halt trading for 5 minutes for "cooling off", while with algorithms, as was the case with the Flash Crash of 2010, the CME only needed to stop it for 5 seconds.

Vladimir Plouzhnikov

Re: But why ?

Unit trust is a fund and when you buy a unit you are buying an OTC packaged product, which stands between you and the market. Here we are talking about direct market access.

Vladimir Plouzhnikov

Re: HFT adding value ?

Can you please explain the principles of how could you use HFT for naked shorting?

Vladimir Plouzhnikov

Re: Why do we have stock markets?

"Anything else, such as the casino of..."

I see you don't like speculation... which HFT isn't.

Speculation means taking a risk in the hope of eventual return. Which actually what any investment means, so (OMG!) any investment is speculative to one degree or another. But I'm sure you mean short term speculation, like day-trading... which HFT isn't either.

Actually, short-term speculation is absolutely necessary for healthy markets as long as there is not too much of it - it provides liquidity and a demand for risk, which other market participants want to off load (this is especially important in futures markets).

Vladimir Plouzhnikov

Re: @ Vladimir Plouzhnikov

"If you add HFT to some of the ingredients in that list, you get a nasty broth."

So you would if you add HFT to, say, an exchange system crash or a a major bankruptcy or nuclear war. That in itself does not make HFT any worse or more dangerous than any other routinely used systems - payments processing, comms, transport, power grids etc. If any of them breaks, it's usually unpleasant and disruptive and people want it fixed ASAP.

"Whoever knows the quirks, errors and biases of a given HFT algorithm - .... - has a powerful tool to perform price fixing and/or related malfeasances."

No, not really. If you know the deficiency of an algorithm you can theoretically exploit them against the company that uses it, yes. You will need to find a serious backer though. If you are a disgruntled programmer you won't have the capital needed to set up your own HFT trading outfit to play the algorithm. So, you will need to go to the competition, not that such cases are unheard off, but it's not easy and it will be detected unless your backer is very, very patient and careful - which they won't be or they wouldn't try it in the first place.

But as for rigging the markets with HFT? That just not how it works. You can move the markets unintentionally, sure, but there it's - you move them, you pay for it.

Rigging is done by humans through collusion, disinformation, fraud, social engineering, exploiting or cornering the OTC markets.

Vladimir Plouzhnikov

"all of those things were perpetrated by the same group of people who are running HFT systems"

What, you mean the IT guys?

Vladimir Plouzhnikov

A very good summary, Tim

But totally wasted here, I'm afraid.

Vladimir Plouzhnikov

"in spite of proof of LIBOR fixing, fx fixing, commodity price fixing, the wholly inexplicable banking meltdown (the one that everyone saw coming except the markets), and that whole thing with Enron and such"

Oh, LOL, now explain what all of these things you just mentioned has to do with HFT?

Lego is the TOOL OF SATAN, thunders Polish priest

Vladimir Plouzhnikov

Where are the values?

I agree with the priest - all filth and nothing for the soul. Where are the four Horsemen? Where are David and Goliath, where are the female role characters (Delilah)? Why can't the children play with destruction of Sodom and Gonorrhea? Hmmm, there is something not quite right with the last one, but it passed the spell checker, so it must be OK...

OkCupid falls out of love with 'anti-gay' Firefox, tells people to see other browsers

Vladimir Plouzhnikov

Re: Ender's Game

"There's rights and fairness of course, but even the act of riling up certain folk by trying to get it through is beneficial."

Well, here is your problem - you just want to slap someone on the face for kicks, the rights and all be damned.

This kind of activism is parasitic and is doing LGBT cause much more damage than good. These campaigners will have their fun and move on to some other kind of entertainment while leaving the ordinary gay people, who just want to live and let live, take all the flak and reaction, which will inevitably come.

Instead of being on a moral high ground, these kind of campaigns are actually conducted from out of a moral sinkhole.

Vladimir Plouzhnikov

Re: Really? Who is tolerant, accepting, and open minded?

"Leave the terms wife, husband, and marriage to the Church."

Hmm, I think I can find a rabbi or two who will easily provide evidence of prior use...

Vladimir Plouzhnikov

Re: Ender's Game

This is activism talking. Just like with any rabid activism the rights issue is secondary or even less important for them, the main goal being scoring a point. I believe it is called one-upmanship sometimes...

For me the test is always how much emphasis is on ensuring the actual rights and how much is focused on the word "marriage". If its the latter - foooook ooov, oak stupid...

Can you tell a man's intelligence simply by looking at him? Yes

Vladimir Plouzhnikov

I perceive you, Sir

To be as dumb as a garden bench - it's all written in your face. Sir.

Meet the man building an AI that mimics our neocortex – and could kill off neural networks

Vladimir Plouzhnikov

Re: ai already exists

Shhhhh! He is still in alpha...

Vladimir Plouzhnikov

Re: RE: This man is a traitor to flesh

Globalists? You mean environmentalists, surely?

Vladimir Plouzhnikov

Re: The day AI works... @John Sanders

"Intelligent" boxes does not equate to self-replicating boxes.

To take over the world the AIs will have to find ways to procreate but that's not all. If they just make countless copies of the same box they will quickly fail (we will help) because once you've found an exploitable flaw in one, you will have found it in all of them. And if they don't behave you just nick the whole lot. So, they will have to be *mutating* and replicating.

Further, once they've achieved mutanto-replicability, there is no way they will be able to co-exist among themselves without things like social skills, emotions, morality etc. So, they will become us.

To help with the convergence, by that time we, the humans, will be using so much body-augmentation that you won't be able to tell augmented humans from bio-enhanced AIs anyway...

LOHAN team gears up for Punch and Judy show

Vladimir Plouzhnikov

I have had bit of a Lohan moment...

Somehow I missed it until now but do I understand correctly that you are planning 2 flights - one with the motor but without the heater, the other one with the heater but without the motor - to see if the motor will work OK with the heater?

Wouldn't it be better to send 1 flight with both the motor and the heater together?

Tokyo to TXT warning of incoming Norks nukes

Vladimir Plouzhnikov

Re: In this particular case, why bother?

A social engineering campaign. Generate FUD among own population, distract attention from internal problems, divert dissent towards external enemy.