] Indeed, offshoring -- sending work overseas -- isn't
] always all it's made out to be. Particularly with
] information technology, which can be a lot more
] complicated than moving traditional manufacturing
] operations overseas. IT quality is much more difficult to
] gauge, says Atul Vashistha, chairman and CEO of info-tech
] offshoring consultancy neoIT in San Ramon, Calif. And
] since IT is an integral part of every business process,
] it requires more communication and management.

Its good to have this out there, because the CEOs that back outsourcing are fond of talking about the quality level that they get, but anecdotally thats not what I've heard from people. I'm not sure what to think about that. It could be isolated experiences, biased observers, and whatnot. It could be a temporary situation while the offshore houses get their operations setup right. If this problem IS real, then how long will it last?

BW Online | October 27, 2003 | The Hidden Costs of IT Outsourcing

Incredible images of this week's solar flares, some of the largest in recorded history.

Fast-moving Coronal Mass Ejection

bucy wrote:
] While I agree that in principle this is possible, I'm
] not terribly worried by it. I think it would be
] extrordinarily expensive to deploy and maintain... I may have
] some more to say about this later.

Lets discuss this...

1. Asynchronous internet access:
Already occurred. I've been complaining about this for years. I have a DSL connection with a static IP and I pay through the nose for "real" internet access in a colo facility. I think this is a real problem. I think it can be solved, but it will take real market pressure from a really hot service that people want to host themselves. Even surmountable barriers chill speech.

2. DRM:
Yes, sort of. I've been warning about this for years. I think it works for software. I don't think it will work for content. The only way for DRM to work is with things like the DMCA... The future here is uncertain, but certain to be contentious (putting it mildly).

3. Micropayments: I don't see this as a technical problem. If people wanted this, then they would build something reasonable out of what they already have. Its a prisoners dilemma. You WILL get better sites when you decide to pay for them. When I imagine how cool MemeStreams would be by now if I could feed myself while working on it I almost want to cry. But it doesn't happen because everybody expects somebody else to pay. There has to be a massive social movement to encourage people to willingly donate cash to small websites before these changes will start to happen, and when it happens it won't matter what the technology is. People used to pay for online services in the early 90's... I think that all this free stuff is mostly a product of the bubble. It will probably change eventually... I think he has the basic economics right. Some WAP networks currently cut checks to content providers based on the amount of traffic they collect. The billing will be managed such that end users see a flat rate... However, I might be wrong here. He might be wrong. The social movement might not happen. People like free stuff, and prisoner's dilemmas are powerful things...

4. Personal Certs: Already here, but no one really uses them. A geek idea that has never gained traction. I think this needs an application moreso then better tech. Spam white-listing might end up being the killer app for personal certs. Fortunately we don't NEED certs to solve that problem. There will be alternative solutions available, and they are actually more likely to be adopted because the personal Cert option is more costly. Its a maybe situation. If people start banning remailers from publishing we're in a lot of trouble.

5. The end of anonymous speech: This, again, will be a social rather then technical phenomenon. On the one hand, I am amazed to see the end of anonymous mail. That is something I would never have predicted. I think its a really bad idea. On the other hand, I think the reason th... [ Read More (0.3k in body) ]

RE: The Digital Imprimatur

] What we haven't had, historically, is an emblem that
] represents the entire hacker community of which all these
] groups are parts. This is a proposal that we adopt one
] - the glider pattern from the Game of Life.

Oh no... ESR invents a logo for hackers. I'm going to say my peace about this now, just so I'm on the record about it, but its really no use. This thing is already on Slashdot. The moderators like it. Think Geek will make a t-shirt. People will buy it. It will become popular. People like to self identify as hackers.

Executive summary: Great implementation of a questionable idea incorrectly presented for the wrong reasons.

I like this logo. Its a good logo. In fact, its probably the best logo that anyone has ever come up with for any hacker culture related thing. Linux Penguins, BSD devils, 2600 emblems.... they are all just a little too dorky. Frankly, this is even cooler then the Industrial Memetics logo. Its timeless and artistically adaptable. I want one.

However, logos that represent a subculture aren't trademarks, they are memes. You can't start a meme by posting to Slashdot. ESR has presented this in exactly the wrong way, just as Dawkins has with "brights." Memes are bottom up and not top down. You make stickers and pass them out and don't tell anyone what it means. You make people see it and want to understand it before you let them in on it, so they think that knowing makes them a part of something. Thats how you hook them. When they think they are a part of something, they'll want to let others know that they are in. In fact, ESR has now ruined any opportunity that there will even be to do this right. This is now the official logo of hackerdom whether people like it or not. And its not going to get adopted by the smart people first. Its going to get adopted by the dumb people. The people who need a t-shirt that says something their reputation doesn't. The real hackers will succumb to this, but only after resisting it. I think there is a real danger here that the dumb people will become so interested in this that it will go through a fad stage and people will simply learn to associate it with stupid. Then it will die.

Furthermore, having a logo is usually an attempt to unite. An attempt to create a cohesive identity. But ESR does not seek to unite, he seeks to divide. As ESR is declaring the logo, he is also drawing lines between who does and does not get to use the logo.

In general, his definition of the word hacker is the one baby boomers prefer, and which is rooted in the value system of that generation, and is mostly tied to the kind of culture which hippies writing software for timesharing systems might produce. He likes unix systems, he doesn't like suits. He wants people to break some of the rules, but he hates people that break other rules. He even invented a term for them. He calls them "crackers," in the same way that a bigot uses the word "nigger."

The glider: an Appropriate Hacker Emblem

Whoa....lots of fire in Cali....this pic is cool

NASA - NASA Satellites Watch California Wildfires

] The Federal Trade Commission today issued its report
] how to promote innovation by finding
] the proper balance of competition
] and patent law and policy.

Or in other words, the FTC thinks bad patents are hurting the economy.

FTC Issues Report on How to Promote Innovation Through Balancing Competition with Patent Law and Policy

] Four research papers presented at the American
] Association for Cancer Research conference in Phoenix
] suggest green tea is useful in fighting certain types of
] cancer, in addition to lowering cholesterol, preventing
] heart disease, boosting oral hygiene and possibly aiding
] in weight loss.
]

Green tea beneficial vs. cancer

] She stated that the existing law only covers analog, not
] digital cable theft--giving the impression that, without
] this new bill, digital cable theft is legal.

Read about the obvious lies that various lobbying organizations told the Tennessee legislature yesterday.

U: If you really want to get your blood boiling wait until you get to the place where these mother fuckers tell the legislature that having wifi access points in your home helps terrorists!

10/28/2003 Joint Committee Hearing Notes - Tennessee Digital Freedom Network

] For one thing, Friendster assumes that friends are a good
] screening mechanism for quality dating partners: You like
] your friend, so you will like your friends' friends. This
] isn't a new concept. Most singles have gone on a date set
] up by mutual friends. Trouble is, friends may not be very
] good matchmakers, according to Mark Thompson, a
] psychologist who has studied dating and human interaction
] for decades

This is a fairly good summary of the problems I've had with friendster. Any friendster addicts want to respond?

BW Online | October 28, 2003 | A Dud in Cupid's Online Quiver?

CDT's fact for fact response to the DOJ's pro-PATRIOT Act website.

Setting the Record Straight: An Analysis of the Justice Department's PATRIOT Act Website October 27, 2003