Well all, I'll see you on the flipside.
This is the last Blogger.com blog I'm doing, as I'm moving to a WordPress blog on my own site.
This is also the only blogger only blog I have, as I have imported all the old ones from here to the new one for future viewer perusal.
Later, Blogger.
Saturday, 7 March 2009
Friday, 6 March 2009
Oklahoma! (More censorship_
As an atheist, a liberal, and someone against censorship, I think that fair and balanced viewpoints are important.
According to this site, however, Mr Thomsen, state representative for Oklahoma, has taken it upon himself to try and block Richard Dawkins from speaking at Oklahoma University.
I'll save myself repeating what I said to him, and just copy/paste the email:
Your opinions on this?
Even if you are not a fan of Richard Dawkins (hell, I know plenty atheists who aren't, never mind theists!) I would encourage you to contact Mr. Thomsen about this matter, especially if you are an Oklahoma resident.
As a final note, I would also like to say that the strength of the title of my last post was neutered by Blogger. It was intended to say "Censorship is bull[censored]" but I used < > tags (like "Bull < censored>") and It must have treated it as html tags, lol.
According to this site, however, Mr Thomsen, state representative for Oklahoma, has taken it upon himself to try and block Richard Dawkins from speaking at Oklahoma University.
I'll save myself repeating what I said to him, and just copy/paste the email:
From: "Michael Douglas"
Subject: Richard Dawkins
Date: Fri, March 6, 2009 5:31 pm
To: todd.thomsen@okhouse.gov
Hello Mr. Thomsen,
It has recently come to my attention that you intend to block Mr.
Richard Dawkins from speaking at Oklahoma University and I am shocked
that this could actually be considered.
Whenever it comes to speaking on a subject where one or both the sides
are so emphatic about their side, you need to make sure you have the
best speakers possible, and Dawkins is undeniably one of the best
speakers you could find to talk about Evolution and about Atheism. He
has done extensive research into both Atheism/Evolution and into
Theism/Creationism, and he is an eloquent, powerful speaker.
I'm afraid the only reason I can think of for you not wanting him to
speak is in case too many people see things his way after his visit, and
I can understand why you would want to avoid this, but that would be a
very bad example of censorship. Censorship should only be used in
certain extreme situations such as child pornography or extreme violence
depictions, not in a case of something where it should be up to an
individual to decide what he or she believes.
I look forward to any correspondence you may or may not send, and I have
encouraged a number of people at my University to also send some emails,
though they may not spend their time.
I strongly encourage you to listen to all correspondence your recieve on
this situation, and to look to any news stories online about it, such as
the one I heard about this from, so you can make the correct decision: a
balanced and fair one for everyone involved.
Thank you for your time,
Michael Douglas
Your opinions on this?
Even if you are not a fan of Richard Dawkins (hell, I know plenty atheists who aren't, never mind theists!) I would encourage you to contact Mr. Thomsen about this matter, especially if you are an Oklahoma resident.
As a final note, I would also like to say that the strength of the title of my last post was neutered by Blogger. It was intended to say "Censorship is bull[censored]" but I used < > tags (like "Bull < censored>") and It must have treated it as html tags, lol.
Censorship is Bull
I was using Stumbleupon, as I have been known to do (username: mehalld) and I found this site with a great video telling people about censorship online just now.
It's not just those mentioned either, as Australia is trying to implement a filtering service which would be the largest in the world, bar the Great Firewall of China, and New Zealand is trying to pass extreme "guilty upon accusation" legislation, Italy has blocked The Pirate Bay (though granted, they had another site up for Italians inside of something like an hour.)
Comcast has been in trouble for throttling the speeds of P2P users, and the stories of more ISPs throttling continues.
The Only good news I have heard recently for net neutrality is that Obama has appointed a net neutrality advocate to the FCC (though he needs approved first.)
People need to realise that if the highest level of net neutrality possible isn't maintained, then it is far too easy for even a liberal country like the UK, the US, or even Sweden to end up, 50, a hundred years down the line, with something that would make the Great Firewall look pitiful.
If a government can try to get away with suppressing information, they inevitably will, since it makes their jobs so much easier.
Gah, this was just supposed to be a quick blog, but I've ended up ranting on again, lol.
Just a quick reminder in case anyone actually reads this;
My Twitter Profile
My Identi.ca Profile
My Site
My Bebo Profile
My Myspace Profile
If you're looking for me on anything else (or are wanting my email address) drop a comment.
It's not just those mentioned either, as Australia is trying to implement a filtering service which would be the largest in the world, bar the Great Firewall of China, and New Zealand is trying to pass extreme "guilty upon accusation" legislation, Italy has blocked The Pirate Bay (though granted, they had another site up for Italians inside of something like an hour.)
Comcast has been in trouble for throttling the speeds of P2P users, and the stories of more ISPs throttling continues.
The Only good news I have heard recently for net neutrality is that Obama has appointed a net neutrality advocate to the FCC (though he needs approved first.)
People need to realise that if the highest level of net neutrality possible isn't maintained, then it is far too easy for even a liberal country like the UK, the US, or even Sweden to end up, 50, a hundred years down the line, with something that would make the Great Firewall look pitiful.
If a government can try to get away with suppressing information, they inevitably will, since it makes their jobs so much easier.
Gah, this was just supposed to be a quick blog, but I've ended up ranting on again, lol.
Just a quick reminder in case anyone actually reads this;
My Twitter Profile
My Identi.ca Profile
My Site
My Bebo Profile
My Myspace Profile
If you're looking for me on anything else (or are wanting my email address) drop a comment.
Monday, 2 March 2009
Sony, Sony, Sony.... *shakes head*
Sony has admitted that the PS3 is hard to code for. Not only this, but they designed it that way.
It's part of their plan for the PS3 to be a ten-year console.
A direct quote from the Official Playstation magazine by Kaz Hirai, the CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment says: "We don't provide the 'easy to program for' console that (developers) want, because 'easy to program for' means that anybody will be able to take advantage of pretty much what the hardware can do, so then the question is, what do you do for the rest of the nine-and-a-half years?"
The PS3 has been struggling behind the XBox 360 since before it even launched (something to the tune of 8 million less units sold) yet they insist on making things HARDER for developers to develop for? Sony seem to be doing everything they can to make the PS3 fail, and the more worrying this is that it isn't working. They did this with the PSP as well, but the damned things just won't die off.
Anyway, lets look at this from simple terms, in that there are two PS3 exclusive games you'd really want to own: Metal Gear Solid 4, and Little Big Planet.
First, MGS4. I think it was a HORRID decision by Hideo Kojima to have that game only on PS3. He didn't make a game, he made half a game and half a blu-ray movie, and that's why it's on the PS3: blu-ray discs, so more storage for all the FMV.
If you cut that game back to more gameplay, less footage, and better levels, you could easily have it on all three consoles yet, even with Solid Snake appearing originally on Nintendo consoles and making his return to them with Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Kojima didn't let Snake come full circle for his final outing, when it would have benefited everyone involved had he done so.
Now, Little Big Planet. Little Big Planet (LBP) seems to go against this Sony theory of "make it hard to use, and hard for anyone to get" in the most major way. (See: The Onion on Sony NSFW)
LBP has tons of user made maps, many of which are ridiculously involved and made with the same tools as were originally used to make the levels for the main game. Anyone can make a map and upload it to the web.
LBP is the main selling point for the PS3 right now, and it's the only lasing content they have right now, despite wanting to be able to have people using and buying PS3 games for the next 9 years. I see problems with this...
I will admit, I have been stung by Sony.I got, one Christmas, the Sony NWA-3000 20GB mp3 player, which was one of the first with an OLED display. It's the model where, if the screen is off, you can;t see there is a screen there, and it does look damn cool. Except for the part where it lasted under a year, yet I know 3 people who bought them almost a year later (around July, September and October for the three) and all there's still work fine, yet mine and another friend who got his at the same time as me both have non-working product.
I never bothered asking Sony for a refund/replacement etc, because the things were so shoddily made that I had caused accidental damage in daily use, which is obviously a way for them to escape their responsibilities under the warranty.
My only advice is this: Sony make everything hard for themselves, and their customers, and always give a good number of months after release before buying a Sony product (Sony Ericsson phones generally excluded from the rule thankfully) since there is a high likelihood it won't work for very long, and there will be little support since they will release a new version with half the battery life and twice the features you never use inside of a year.
On a brighter note, It's becoming more and more likely they WILL be pushing out USB3 onto their laptops faster than expected, though still not till February/March time 2010 (which, in Sony time, means they'll rush it out for the xmas release the year AFTER it's expected, so hopefully Novemeber 2010, when Asus will already have managed to get it affordable into a EEE series computer)
It's part of their plan for the PS3 to be a ten-year console.
A direct quote from the Official Playstation magazine by Kaz Hirai, the CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment says: "We don't provide the 'easy to program for' console that (developers) want, because 'easy to program for' means that anybody will be able to take advantage of pretty much what the hardware can do, so then the question is, what do you do for the rest of the nine-and-a-half years?"
The PS3 has been struggling behind the XBox 360 since before it even launched (something to the tune of 8 million less units sold) yet they insist on making things HARDER for developers to develop for? Sony seem to be doing everything they can to make the PS3 fail, and the more worrying this is that it isn't working. They did this with the PSP as well, but the damned things just won't die off.
Anyway, lets look at this from simple terms, in that there are two PS3 exclusive games you'd really want to own: Metal Gear Solid 4, and Little Big Planet.
First, MGS4. I think it was a HORRID decision by Hideo Kojima to have that game only on PS3. He didn't make a game, he made half a game and half a blu-ray movie, and that's why it's on the PS3: blu-ray discs, so more storage for all the FMV.
If you cut that game back to more gameplay, less footage, and better levels, you could easily have it on all three consoles yet, even with Solid Snake appearing originally on Nintendo consoles and making his return to them with Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Kojima didn't let Snake come full circle for his final outing, when it would have benefited everyone involved had he done so.
Now, Little Big Planet. Little Big Planet (LBP) seems to go against this Sony theory of "make it hard to use, and hard for anyone to get" in the most major way. (See: The Onion on Sony NSFW)
LBP has tons of user made maps, many of which are ridiculously involved and made with the same tools as were originally used to make the levels for the main game. Anyone can make a map and upload it to the web.
LBP is the main selling point for the PS3 right now, and it's the only lasing content they have right now, despite wanting to be able to have people using and buying PS3 games for the next 9 years. I see problems with this...
I will admit, I have been stung by Sony.I got, one Christmas, the Sony NWA-3000 20GB mp3 player, which was one of the first with an OLED display. It's the model where, if the screen is off, you can;t see there is a screen there, and it does look damn cool. Except for the part where it lasted under a year, yet I know 3 people who bought them almost a year later (around July, September and October for the three) and all there's still work fine, yet mine and another friend who got his at the same time as me both have non-working product.
I never bothered asking Sony for a refund/replacement etc, because the things were so shoddily made that I had caused accidental damage in daily use, which is obviously a way for them to escape their responsibilities under the warranty.
My only advice is this: Sony make everything hard for themselves, and their customers, and always give a good number of months after release before buying a Sony product (Sony Ericsson phones generally excluded from the rule thankfully) since there is a high likelihood it won't work for very long, and there will be little support since they will release a new version with half the battery life and twice the features you never use inside of a year.
On a brighter note, It's becoming more and more likely they WILL be pushing out USB3 onto their laptops faster than expected, though still not till February/March time 2010 (which, in Sony time, means they'll rush it out for the xmas release the year AFTER it's expected, so hopefully Novemeber 2010, when Asus will already have managed to get it affordable into a EEE series computer)
Sunday, 22 February 2009
Java
I have, after a year and a half, FINALLY understood how Java works.
Know what my problem has been? I have been trying to get away from the VB.net way of thinking, but Java is more like VB than it is like C or anything else.
Granted, there's a fair amount of stuff in Java which is as far from VB as possible, and Java doesn't have the nice, simple, "wysiwig" editor for the gui's (admit it, you want a VB style IDE for Java) but a lot of it is the same. (Button in VB is like an object in java, and both have methods inside the overall program they can utilise, etc, etc.)
FINALLY I understand.
Now to play TF2 for a bit, and return to Java later.
Know what my problem has been? I have been trying to get away from the VB.net way of thinking, but Java is more like VB than it is like C or anything else.
Granted, there's a fair amount of stuff in Java which is as far from VB as possible, and Java doesn't have the nice, simple, "wysiwig" editor for the gui's (admit it, you want a VB style IDE for Java) but a lot of it is the same. (Button in VB is like an object in java, and both have methods inside the overall program they can utilise, etc, etc.)
FINALLY I understand.
Now to play TF2 for a bit, and return to Java later.
Friday, 20 February 2009
More Problems on the Net
First, we had "Spectrial", the trial of the Pirate Bay and the Internet Blackout movement against the New Zealand s92a (read about both here)
Now?
DHCP Bill on CNN
Read it, then come back?
Right.
Every single broadband user is using at least one DHCP server. If you have wireless broadband, or even if you have wired, chances are you have a DHCP server, Because your Router does that for you.
A DHCP server is what gives your computer an IP address, so that it knows how to send things to you. (just like your street address is used to send your mail to you)
DHCP is a dynamic IP addressing system. it's what stops us all having to tell our computers what IP address to use.
Most every home user, most every hotel, pub, bar, coffee shop, McDonald's and even some buses and subways (it's being brought in over here soon) have wireless internet and, ergo, DHCP.
Most routers don't HAVE the functionality to keep logs of every connection. They have no memory space, so they aren't designed with the function in mind.
This bill is a horrid invasion of privacy, a massive cost to everyone, since they would be forced to get new routers and, worst of it all, anyone who doesn;t want to keep the logs could:
a) delete them.
b) keep their old router with no logging functionality
or
c) Replace the firmware on their new router with one where they either don't log or where it only logs certain events/certain time frames.
this is RIDICULOUSLY easy to circumvent, and a horrid waste of money.
I encourage all US citizens to fire off a quick email saying you're not happy with this to your senator.
It won't take more than 5mins tops, and you'll have done something for democracy and freedom.
Now?
DHCP Bill on CNN
Read it, then come back?
Right.
Every single broadband user is using at least one DHCP server. If you have wireless broadband, or even if you have wired, chances are you have a DHCP server, Because your Router does that for you.
A DHCP server is what gives your computer an IP address, so that it knows how to send things to you. (just like your street address is used to send your mail to you)
DHCP is a dynamic IP addressing system. it's what stops us all having to tell our computers what IP address to use.
Most every home user, most every hotel, pub, bar, coffee shop, McDonald's and even some buses and subways (it's being brought in over here soon) have wireless internet and, ergo, DHCP.
Most routers don't HAVE the functionality to keep logs of every connection. They have no memory space, so they aren't designed with the function in mind.
This bill is a horrid invasion of privacy, a massive cost to everyone, since they would be forced to get new routers and, worst of it all, anyone who doesn;t want to keep the logs could:
a) delete them.
b) keep their old router with no logging functionality
or
c) Replace the firmware on their new router with one where they either don't log or where it only logs certain events/certain time frames.
this is RIDICULOUSLY easy to circumvent, and a horrid waste of money.
I encourage all US citizens to fire off a quick email saying you're not happy with this to your senator.
It won't take more than 5mins tops, and you'll have done something for democracy and freedom.
Thursday, 19 February 2009
"Democracy is the worst form of government we have,
except for all the others" - Winston Churchill.
Today, democracy lost out against reason and better judgement.
Let me first say that I choose no side in Israel vs. Palestine.
Let me now continue to say that BAE systems, one of THE biggest companies in the world are now under-threat from having their connections with my university severed due to politics and publicity.
The democratic system can be abused in several ways. One of which is to make only those who support your position present for an important decision.
BAE Systems sponsors many people through their degree at Strathclyde, yet expect nothing in return. There is no obligation to work for BAE when you graduate, they merely wish to ensure those with a passion for engineering and science have the chance to study these hard subjects, and be able to dedicate the time to them.
BAE Systems, and all other companies involved in ANY of the arms trade are now to be pressured out of the university, regardless of the personal beliefs of those students actively involved with it: the engineers. None of the people who voted for this proposal are affected directly by the involvement of any of these companies with the university, and next they are trying to make that one of the things the Union does. They personally only care about the arms companies financing the Israelites. They care not about any who fund Palestine/Hammas, and they are using this as an attempt to make their side win out.
They are having a candidate stand for election for The President of my students association, even though the Union is allowed no political association. And with good reason: we have Labour, Conservative, Socialists and Lib Dems. The aim of the Union is to do what they can for every student, regardless of his or her individual beliefs, not to try to be a political organisation towards one direction or another.
Yes, democracy is the best, but only because the other options are abysmal.
Today I saw democracy "working", and I am not happy. thankfully, their candidate won't win, because he won't even take charge of his club, never mind taking charge of an organisation with tens of thousands of members.
It's the point of the matter.....
Gahhhh /story-of-my-day
Today, democracy lost out against reason and better judgement.
Let me first say that I choose no side in Israel vs. Palestine.
Let me now continue to say that BAE systems, one of THE biggest companies in the world are now under-threat from having their connections with my university severed due to politics and publicity.
The democratic system can be abused in several ways. One of which is to make only those who support your position present for an important decision.
BAE Systems sponsors many people through their degree at Strathclyde, yet expect nothing in return. There is no obligation to work for BAE when you graduate, they merely wish to ensure those with a passion for engineering and science have the chance to study these hard subjects, and be able to dedicate the time to them.
BAE Systems, and all other companies involved in ANY of the arms trade are now to be pressured out of the university, regardless of the personal beliefs of those students actively involved with it: the engineers. None of the people who voted for this proposal are affected directly by the involvement of any of these companies with the university, and next they are trying to make that one of the things the Union does. They personally only care about the arms companies financing the Israelites. They care not about any who fund Palestine/Hammas, and they are using this as an attempt to make their side win out.
They are having a candidate stand for election for The President of my students association, even though the Union is allowed no political association. And with good reason: we have Labour, Conservative, Socialists and Lib Dems. The aim of the Union is to do what they can for every student, regardless of his or her individual beliefs, not to try to be a political organisation towards one direction or another.
Yes, democracy is the best, but only because the other options are abysmal.
Today I saw democracy "working", and I am not happy. thankfully, their candidate won't win, because he won't even take charge of his club, never mind taking charge of an organisation with tens of thousands of members.
It's the point of the matter.....
Gahhhh /story-of-my-day
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